Why I’m proud of being a GDI

When we think of college, we think about independence, a new environment, new friends and a new stage in life. Throughout college, we find ourselves, our passions and we create our paths.

College is considered to be the best four years of your life — you basically embody the motto YOLO. You work hard, but you play hard. You do things you never thought were humanly possible. College is the experience of a lifetime.

College is categorized into three parts: academics, athletics, and parties. We attend college to get a higher education. We attend athletic games to show school spirit. We go to parties to have fun, let loose, and meet new people. Often, college parties are a product of Greek life.

The new school year begins with fraternity parties all week, every week. In many ways, guys and girls begin their rush process from the first day. Guys introduce themselves to frat brothers and compete in a variety of drinking games while girls scout out the different upperclassmen sorority girls to talk to. Both the guys and girls want to find the Greek group they best associate with.

To be in a sorority requires one to go through recruitment. Recruitment is a process whereby for four consecutive days, all day, prospective girls enter sorority lounges, are greeted by strangers and talk to impress sorority members. If your first impression is not striking, you will be removed from the list as a potential pledge.

Although most girls join to find a new group of friends, in reality, this process is a conformity activity girls engage in. It’s a process in which girls are essentially trying to prove themselves to strangers in order to be accepted into an activity that they have to pay to be a part of. To me, that does not sound like fun.

Up until a week before recruitment, I thought I was going to rush, but I was never particularly excited about it. The only reason I was planning on joining a sorority was to meet new people and expand my friend group. Thankfully, I realized I am an outgoing, confident individual who is capable of making friends on my own. I didn’t need to prove myself to anyone. I didn’t need people to validate whether I was worthy enough to be in their group.

Some friends questioned what I was going to do on the weekends if I didn’t join a sorority. It never crossed my mind that I would ever have a problem going out — and I was right. Unless I’m with my friends who are in sororities, I’m not able to go to sorority halls to pregame or go to mixers. Once the mixer ends and the party opens, I get into any party.

The first time I went to the sorority halls with my friends, however, I was hesitant. I didn’t know how people would treat me when they realized I was not a sister. It was positively reinforced no one would make a comment. While this was true, I noticed people all looked down at my feet when I walked in — I didn’t have the matching converse.

In the many conversations I had about not joining a sorority, it quickly became apparent people have more respect for me since I did not join a sorority, especially as the Greek life is extremely prominent. While girls are categorized according to their sorority, being called a TriDelt, a KD, a Kappa and so on, I have been categorized a GDI — a goddamn independent.

Being a GDI is something I am proud of. I’m able to spend my time doing things I’m passionate about. I’m able to participate in activities that are a trajectory for my future but I’m still able to go out on the weekends without a problem. While sororities are for some people, they are simply not for me.