As of Thursday, 296 female undergraduates were in the process of rushing sororities. This is a steep increase from last year, when 207 rushed, and that number marked an increase of about 48 percent from the 140 students who rushed the year before. While Brown’s fraternities have been less active recently due to punishments for alleged misconduct, sorority popularity seems to be on the rise. Unfortunately, as more students vie for a limited number of spots, more will also face rejection.
We want to remind students that failing to receive a bid from a certain sorority, or any sorority at all, in no way defines their value. It can be hard to remember this when faced with a fresh rejection. This is especially true since rejection from a sorority might feel more personal than other types of rejections, such as academic or professional refusals. But it is important to remember that rush events are hectic and overwhelming. As stressful as recruitment is for rushes, it is also stressful for sorority members. This year, with so many students involved in the process, making a memorable impression was more difficult than ever before. Most students who did not make it were likely not cut for personal reasons but simply because there was not enough room for everyone.
Despite knowing this, being rejected from a sorority might come as a blow to students still searching for a community at Brown who hoped that joining a sorority would make it easier to find one. Luckily for those students, there are many opportunities to find a community outside of Greek life. With intramural sports teams, student-run publications, political groups, theatrical productions and various other groups on campus, there is something for everyone. Many of these groups come with the same advantages as sororities, such as a form of mentorship and social events. They also have the added advantage of attracting students with similar interests. Even better than being part of a community is being part of a community made up of individuals with whom one shares a passion.
While sororities can be a great place to make meaningful connections and have fun, it is by no means a requirement to be in one to do so. Rejection of any type hurts, but students who did not get into a sorority should use this as an opportunity to get into something else. Whether or not you get into a sorority will not define your time here at Brown.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Emma Axelrod ’18 and Emma Jerzyk ’17, and its members, Eben Blake ’17 and Leeron Lempel ’19. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
