Sororities at JHU: Then and Now

Sororities: Then and Now

Sarah J. White

One of the main draws of Greek life is the lifetime of sisterhood that is said to come. With such a broad, seemingly unsubstantiated statement, comes skepticism from PNMs (potential new members), non-Greeks, and even members of Greek organizations. In light of upcoming recruitment season, I interviewed some current members of sororities on campus, Jenna* (Alpha Phi, 2013), Destiny (Pi Beta Phi, 2012)and one extremely gracious alum about their favorite traditions to see which have stood the test of time to prove that sisterhood is legit. 

Our alum, Diane Richman, is a Hopkins Phi Mu (1985) who now lives with her family in Westchester, NY. Ever heard of the Phi Mu Pasta-thon? She co-founded it! See how Diane’s answers compare with those of your peers.

What is your relationship like with your Big/your family?

(For clarification: You receive a “family” within your organization, consisting of a mutually selected mentor (“big”) figure, their “big”(and so on), and, if you have one, your “little” (new member to whom you are a big).  However, some people refer to their entire organization/chapter as their “family”.

Jenna* (Now): If 48 hours would go by without me hearing from or seeing my big, it wouldn’t feel right. She’s basically my role model and always checks up on me with my classes, extracurricular activities, relationships, etc.

Destiny (Now): …they mean the world to me and have completely transformed my outlook on the world and college. I have two littles and although it takes a bit of time to bond, I’m having a great time getting to know them.

Diane (Then): It was great being part of a sorority at Hopkins.  You make a lot of new friends and it was a great social outlet being a part of the Greek community.  There were a lot of parties and events to go to and be a part of.  My close friends from Hopkins are sorority sisters.

What were/are date parties/formals like? Where were/are they held?  What did you wear?

Diane (Then): Parties were usually held at the sorority and fraternity houses – usually in the basement.  Some fraternity parties had live music – like Phi Psi — because the fraternity had their own band which was great… Formals were usually held at a hotel (the Belvedere Hotel) or a restaurant.

Destiny: Date parties are the most fun events of the semester for me. Unlike parties on campus, the night is spent dancing and being silly with your sisters… Girls usually dress for the theme or wear cocktail dresses. They are held at clubs or restaurants downtown and around Baltimore.

Jenna*: For date parties, we come up with themes that we dress up to. It’s really interesting to see what people come up with. We even have superlatives like “best dressed”, “cutest pham”, “most creative costume”…

Some Thoughts on Bonding with Sisters:

Diane (Then): My favorite experience was living in the Phi Mu house on East 33rd Street during the second semester of my junior year.  I had spent the first semester abroad in London and needed a place to live second semester.  The Phi Mu house had a very small room available – about the size of a large walk-in closet  -– for which I paid about $100 a month.  The house was the heart of Phi Mu activity and living there with my sisters was really great.

Destiny: I think it’s so special that a lot of us look up to a couple of really special sisters in our sorority, many who have already graduated. They were the ones who strongly represented pi phi values and never compromised them, even in social pressure situations.

Jenna*: We always strive to be our best selves – whether it be in our career, academics, extracurricular, or in our relationships, we encourage one another to achieve our full potential but still remember and keep in mind who we truly are.

What were some of your favorite activities to do with your sisters?

Diane (Then): While at Hopkins, a sorority sister and I started the Phi Mu Pastathon which was an all-you-can-eat fundraising dinner on campus with food donated by local businesses.  We raised thousands of dollars each year for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.  The Phi Mu Pastathon became an annual event and continued beyond my graduation from Hopkins.

Jenna (Now): They may any situation exciting – from apple picking to shopping at Madewell to doing community service. I know that I’m always going to have a good time with them.

Also…

Jenna: Eating!!! We looove eating together and some of my sisters sure can cook.

Destiny (Now): I love having pot lucks with my family.

You heard it here, folks: sisters that eat together, stay together!

*name has been changed

Years refer to year of initial membership, often referred to as “pledge class”