How did you hear about the Sorority?
From clubfest. Nhien and Houa grabbed me and started talking.
How would you describe a sorority to someone who doesn't know what it is?
It is an organization that contains all girls. Each organization has a different purpose and does different events. I think all sororities are suppose to be lifelong organizations so the members are usually very close compared to members of other general organizations. They also spend a lot of time together.
What made you decide to join Delta Phi Lambda?
At first I just wanted to learn new things because I heard stories of other people who were in Greek life but I was not really familiar with it. My original impression of sororities was that they are a big part of American culture so I wanted to learn about that. I wanted to learn about the differences between different cultures. It seems very general but that's what I thought. I was also really introverted and I wanted to change that. My other original impressions about sororities was that they are very social and hold a lot of events that train leadership skills.
How has your impression of sororities changed now?
The members of a sorority are more serious about the sorority than I originally thought. There is always negative news about sororities and that news was my primary source about learning what is a sorority. But once I joined I learned that the truth is more positive than what is portrayed in the news. I feel like in general, members think more about the sorority than as just some club members.Â
What is it like being an International student at an American college? What difficulties did you face?
First is the language barrier. I remember I went to the ISU dining training because I planned on working there. I was very nervous that I would not be able to hear what the lady was saying so I was trying to sit near the front and listen carefully. I was not very confident in my English at the time. After I became more confident some differences between the cultures started to constantly show up. It was different and it takes time to adjust to it. I was prepared for it because I knew there would be challenges when coming to the states. I mentally prepared myself so I wouldn't feel the difficulty as much.
Our founders wanted to create a community for others on campus. How has Delta Phi Lambda helped you adjust to college in the US?
Joining the sorority definitely helped my communication skills, public speaking abilities, and ability to socialize with people. At first I thought I would be an IT person who doesn't really talk to people but now I feel it is more fun to talk to people. I probably wouldn't have done that by myself. I would have just stayed in my comfort zone and worked on my academics. Joining the sorority gave me a little push. None of the members forced me into anything. It was just seeing them do things that are different from what I did that made me want to try new things. It helped me learn a lot of new things that I probably wouldn't have experienced without the sorority.
Do you feel that it is worth joining Greek life?Â
I felt it was worth it for me because I learned about new aspects of life. I would say if someone is looking for change it is a good option to join a sorority. I was an introverted person and so I feel that It was a good decision that I made. Of course I would encourage other people to join us but it depends on their needs or expectations from a sorority.Â
Is there anything you would like to share about your experience?
Before college I went to school in China. There was always a group of people who did everything together. Just going to class and doing things together. But the bond built by those people was just built on the time they spent together. In the sorority, we do spend a lot of time together but the bond we built with each other is built on different things. A lot of the time it is built on the care we give each other and that makes me feel like I want to spend time with the other sisters. I don't feel obligated and like I'm forced to spend that time with them. Having that connection and the feeling of caring between each other makes me feel like I'm not really alone in this college. Being alone is fine but having more people in my life has made me happier.
Written by Abby "Lunarto" Loftin