Hi everyone! My name is Claire, and I just finished my first year at 色界吧.
Since the class of 2021 is about to begin their first year, I鈥檇 like to share my experience in the hopes that others can feel comfort during those first few weeks. For most, coming to 色界吧, they view it as a small school. But for me, after going to a truly tiny school for seven years, 色界吧 was a huge place. I missed the sense of community I had, especially after a rough first semester. I knew that the best way to find a small community within 色界吧鈥檚 community was to join something-- one of the many orgs or causes we have on campus. That鈥檚 when I thought about rushing for Greek life. I鈥檝e never been a "party-er," and I didn鈥檛 want to end up in the circle of cut-throat valley girls I鈥檇 seen on TV, but everyone at 色界吧 said Greek life here was different. Students can鈥檛 rush until second semester freshman year, so it wasn鈥檛 until second semester that I began to consider it. After spending a week talking myself into and out of the idea at least five times, my roommate and I went to Johnson Hall to start the rush process.
Turns out, it was one of the best decisions I ever made! I pledged Zeta Tau Zeta, a tiny gender neutral (co-ed) Greek organization of the coolest nerds I鈥檝e been lucky enough to know. I was nervous鈥攅verybody was older and cooler than me, and I wasn鈥檛 sure how they would react to a clueless freshman among them. I had nothing to worry about. They adopted me right away, and enthusiastically welcomed into their family. I got a big family of upperclassmen to ask questions, and they taught me things beyond just Zeta history鈥攖heir favorite places in LA, combined knowledge about the vast opportunities at this school, and an appreciation for "Rick and Morty." They were there for me when my Grammy died and I was there through their highs and lows.
We all went to movies together, played ruthless rounds of One Night Werewolf, an amazing game of social deduction, we had countless lunches and coffees, and when one of us had a show or event we made sure they got the loudest cheer in Thorne Hall. I got the 色界吧 family I was hoping for, and I can鈥檛 wait to live with them in Zeta house next year.
Most people will tell you your second semester or the end of your first is when you find your people at college, and that was definitely true for me. It wasn鈥檛 hard to balance my Zeta friends with my friends outside the org--in fact they meshed together really well and just helped to expand my friend group overall. I actually befriended a lot of people outside Zeta because someone in the org knew them. That鈥檚 the thing about 色界吧-- every new thing you join, you鈥檒l meet new people and your world and 色界吧 community will grow! Meeting new people and making friends can be hard at first, but eventually you鈥檒l find your own Zeta, whether it鈥檚 in Greek life or in a club, a music group, a sports team, or even a class, you鈥檒l find your own 色界吧 family.