I was more than a little tentative to join a sorority. I hadn’t really had any experience with members of sororities before I went through recruitment as a sophomore and imagined them to be like the places that my friends at large state schools had joined or similar to the sorority girls in movies whose biggest concern was finding a way win back their attractive ex-boyfriend who had moved on to law school. Nonetheless, I figured I’d try out recruitment and if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t stay with it, a similar mentality as I had to leaving the comfort of my home state of Colorado when coming to Dickinson. The first day of recruitment was overwhelming, but made me realize that sororities are different here at Dickinson. I was drawn to Pi Phi because it was more than the stereotypes I saw on TV. Girls were approachable, friendly people who were committed to their organizations as well as many other clubs, teams, committees and groups within Dickinson College.

I found that Pi Phi had a commitment to philanthropy during recruitment and after my initiation, I saw this commitment to philanthropic service as one of the most valued aspects of Pi Phi for my sisters. Chapter President and former Vice President of Philanthropy, Abby Marriott ’16 discussed how important philanthropy is to Pi Phi and how Pi Beta Phi as an international sorority is committed to creating a more literate society. At Dickinson, Marriott mentioned how “Pi Phi not only uses philanthropy events such as Apollo Night and Pie a Pi Phi to raise money, but also works hands-on with students in local elementary schools to help them develop a love for reading.”

I’ve always been the kind of person who is involved in a lot of different things. I’m someone who won’t say no to an opportunity and am often juggling many commitments. I found this to be the same for my Pi Phi sisters. These girls are academically engaged students who excel in many different roles and activities. From varsity sports teams, to DTG, to acapella groups, to the Dickinson radio show, WDCV FM, my sisters are busy people. These girls are more than just my sorority sisters; they are the defenders on my club soccer team, first-year mentors, and members of committees within student senate who make important decision that affect the future of Dickinson.

Pi Phi has brought me incredible friendships, people who push me to achieve, and has tied me to a group of driven and successful women on campus. Some of my sisters share similar sentiments.  Megan Magruder ’17 told me, “my experience with Pi Phi has been so much more than just making tons of lifelong friends. It has enabled me to have a support system for everything that I do and to feel like I’m working towards great common goals with other women who feel a drive to be the best version of their selves.” Emily Abromowitz ’17 was also more than happy to discuss her experiences with Pi Phi: “Pi Phi for me has entirely made my college experience. Being surrounded by intelligent, driven, passionate women has pushed me to strive for more than I ever thought I could. Some of my best friends are because of Pi Phi, as well as many of my favorite memories. I truly believe I have grown so much as a student, as a woman, and as a member of the Dickinson community because of my involvement with Pi Phi.” I would definitely agree with these ladies, Pi Phi, along with Greek Life in general at Dickinson was not what I expected it to be, and I’m glad that I explored recruitment and that my initial assumptions about sororities could not have been more wrong.