Who exactly is Gamma Phi Beta?
I know some of them individually, but what is it collectively?
Right when the semester started, I was stopped in the DUC by two very eager women, who asked me if I heard of Wash U’s newest sorority, Gamma Phi Beta.
I was aware they were going through rush, but as a member of another sorority, I politely declined their offer to talk more about it, and walked away.
It seemed like such a different process than what my recruitment was like. I wondered how they’d recruit their members, whether they would have the same rounds of selection as we did and what their pitch would be.
As nothing is known about the Gamma Phi experience, I wondered how prospective members would make their decision. On one hand, they had the power to create the experience they wanted. On the other, that experience was also shaped by their 100 other sisters, who they hadn’t met before.
Wash U Gamma Phi’s first pledge class
Flash forward three weeks, and Wash U’s first pledge class are taking their bid day pictures.
Amid the sea of pink, the whole concept still seemed so mysterious, and the slew of Yik Yak’s didn’t help either. So, I set out on a mission to find out more.
I started speaking to my friends that joined, and learnt a little about their philanthropy, Building Strong Women, and their mission of inspiring the highest caliber of women. That’s all they could tell me. I still want to know more. Will they be sratty or will they not? Will they have mixers and participate in Thurtene or will they not?
Sadly, I will never have the answers to these questions. Turns out Gamma Phi’s aren’t allowed to talk to anyone — read: media — about their experience. I even reached out to their leadership consultant, but to no avail.
If the Gamma Phi’s elsewhere are any testament for what to expect, we can say these women are going to leave an impact. As far as the Wash U chapter goes, I guess we’ll have to just wait and see.