Why I Went Greek: Rhea Sommer From Kappa Delta

School: Arizona State University
Sorority: Kappa Delta
Year You Pledged: Freshman year (however, I attended informal recruitment as a COB; continuous open bid)
Year Initiated: 2005

What did you hear about sororities before you went through recruitment? 

There are obviously all of those "typical" stereotypes of sororities that you hear in passing, see in the movies/on tv, etc., about the hazing, drama, mean girls, and paying for your friends. And to be quite honest I sort of believed all of that to be true. However, I had heard some positive things regarding joining a sorority before attending college from girls who had graduated before me from high school, who encouraged me to go through recruitment when I got to ASU, because they loved the camaraderie, the immediate friendships in a new setting, and the endless closets to be shared.

How much of it was true? 

Anytime you put 100+ girls in 1 room, there are going to be disagreements and personality clashes, but when it really came down to it, all of those positive things that I had heard were proven to be true. There was always someone there to lend an ear, or a shoulder to cry on, or someone to cheer you on or celebrate with you. And always, always, always clothing to be borrowed!

What encouraged you to go through recruitment? 

I actually was out of town for formal recruitment weekend, so I attended informal recruitment a week or so after formal recruitment had ended. However, a friend of mine since childhood had joined a sorority and encouraged me to attend the informal recruitment events because within only a week, she had made friends, found girls in her same classes, had immediate lunch buddies, and a tote bag full of fun goodies. My best friend had also missed formal recruitment so we decided to go through informal recruitment together.

Do you remember what you wore on Day 1 of recruitment? 

Please see above regarding informal recruitment, but I have absolutely no clue what I wore. But I wish that I remembered!

Who was the first person you fell in love with in your house? 

When I attended the 1st informal recruitment event at the Kappa Delta house, there was this beautiful senior named Jenie who just lit up the room when she walked in. She was so friendly and made the awkward forced hangout seem natural and she kept the conversation flowing. She ended up becoming my grand big in the house and I recently watched her get married last summer. It's true when they say that these are the girls who will be at your wedding!

Favorite sorority moment? 

It is so hard to pick only one favorite, but I would have to say my first night after moving into the sorority house my sophomore year. Me and my 3 best friends moved into a suite, which shared a bathroom and we stayed up all night dancing and singing at the top of our lungs in our pajamas, just bouncing back and forth between the 2 rooms. I remember the feeling of pure happiness and in that moment I knew I had made the right choice in Kappa Delta.

If you could go back in time, what would you want to relive in your sorority?

I always infamously say that I would never go back to college because there is no way I could ever do it any better than I did the first time. But if I could go back, I would probably choose to go back to our senior year spring break trip. 10 of my sisters and I booked a cruise and spent 4 days at sea celebrating one of our last times all together before graduation approached. The trip may have only lasted a long weekend, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Any advice for anyone going through recruitment? 

After spending 3 collegiate years going through recruitment and another 2 years as an alumni behind the scenes of recruitment, I think that the best piece of advice is to treat recruitment like a job interview, and find the best fit for you. A lot of girls go through hoping that they will join the same house with all of their friends from home or from high school, but each house has it's own fit for each girl, and joining for any reason other than for yourself, may not result in the best possible fit for you. Just let loose and have fun with it. It's tiring and overwhelming, but every single girl there is tired and overwhelmed, on both sides. But if you trust the process and ask questions you will find the best fit and have the best years of your life!

Thank you for sharing, Rhea! Be sure to also check out Rhea's awesome food blog called "Hot Dog It's a Food Blog"!

Why I Went Greek: Candy Kim From Kappa Alpha Theta

This month is known as the month of sorority recruitment for tons of colleges and universities nationwide. Therefore, throughout the next few weeks, we would like to spotlight alumnae sorority women who went Greek and are thankful for going that route. These women will be from our Alma Mater, Arizona State University spotlighting various sororities from Kappa Alpha Theta to Delta Sigma Theta. We want to hear your stories and why being in a sorority has impacted your life in a positive way. Send your submissions and high resolution pictures of yourself and your chapter to secret@thesororitysecrets.com.

First up this week: Candace (Candy) Kim

School: Arizona State University

Sorority: Kappa Alpha Theta - Delta Epsilon Chapter

Year You Pledged: Freshman

Year Initiated: Fall 2007

What did you hear about sororities before you went through recruitment?
Prior to going through recruitment, I was kind of a mixed bag in regards to my opinions about sororities. I had a friend with two older sisters who were both in sororities, and they always made it sound like so much fun. Then I read the book Pledged--it kind of freaked me out, but because I had heard so many of the upsides from close friends, I was able to step back and realize that a lot of what the media portrayed when it came to sorority life is a really an extreme example of what actually goes on.

How much of it was true?

From the book? Not much. I think ASU is a school that does a great job when it comes to having a responsible Greek Life system and providing the fraternities and sororities with the support they need. You hear about these horrible things happening at other schools, but I can say with total confidence that I never encountered anything close to that during my time in a sorority!

What encouraged you to go through recruitment? 

I went out-of-state for school and only had one friend I knew at ASU. I had plans to go out-of-state all through high school, and going through recruitment to meet new people was just another part of the plan!

Do you remember what you wore on Day 1 of recruitment? 

Ha, totally! I have a weirdly sharp memory. I wore a lime green tank top, tan shorts and gold Steve Madden sandals. Chic.

Who was the first person you fell in love with in your house? 

Probably my Rho Chi! I did some snooping and figured out she was a Theta (I know, you’re totally not supposed to do that), and from that moment I knew I wanted to be a Theta as well.

Favorite sorority moment? 

When I was a sophomore and living in the house. One night we were all majorly bored, just sitting around the chapter room when someone came up with the genius idea of heading over to the fraternity houses to steal composites. It was really late, and we were able to sneak into about 4 different houses and raid their composite walls. When we got them back to Theta, we didn’t even have anywhere to put them, there were that many.

If you could go back in time, what would you want to relive in your sorority? 

Probably that night. I did it with my very closest friends in the house and we’re all still in touch. Either that or Barn Dance. Barn Dance was always so fun.

Any advice for anyone going through recruitment?

Don’t take it too seriously! You want to find a house full of girls who like you for you, not for who they think you are.

We wish you all the best of luck as you embark on recruitment. Check back for more interviews on fellow sorority alumnae!