What do you have to lose?

"I'm not the sorority type," I remember thinking the summer before my freshman year at Muskingum. If there was anything I was sure of, Greek Life was not a part of my future.

I'm a sophomore now, and I've accepted an open bid to Alpha Sigma Alpha.

It's really easy to take all of your sorority/fraternity stereotypes and apply them to all Greek organizations. It takes a matter of seconds to write them off as something that you won't be a part of; I know because I did.

If you stop and take a look, though, you'll realize that the Muskingum Greek community is nothing like what you see in the movies, or even at other schools.

I always believed that belonging to a sorority would define me. I would be nothing more than a member of that sorority. And I imagine this is the case a lot of places. But at Muskingum, the members define the organization.

Many Greek members are leaders in the Muskingum community. They are involved in clubs, sports and academics. They are known for their achievements first, their affiliation second.

So, in the matter of a year my view changed entirely. Why?

I became exposed to some of the Greek lifestyle. In other words, I started going to events with my friends. I didn't intend to join. I just went for something to do. But I had fun. I met new people, and I really liked them. I came to feel like I belonged when I was attending events or talking to these people.

And here I am.

Why did I decide to become a part of Greek Life? I could go for the obvious—connections, involvement, looks pretty good on a resume, it's the only way to have fun around here…so on and so forth. But when it comes down to it, that's not what I made my decision.

I wanted the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself. I wanted to have these people in my life. I wanted a foundation for becoming who I want to be.

It's a personal decision. It's not one that others can make for you, and it's certainly not one that you should take lightly. No, it's not life or death. But it's a commitment.

The biggest problem I had was getting past the stereotypes that made up my knowledge of Greek organizations.

All I can really say on the matter is you have to experience it before you can make any kind of decision. So go to the events. Rush. And if it feels right to you, pledge.

Who knows, maybe you'll find your place here at Muskingum. Maybe you'll make friends that you'll keep for the rest of your life. Maybe you'll have fun and decide it's just not for you.

What do you have to lose?