Being in a sorority was definitely my biggest extracurricular during the first quarter. It was a lot of fun, but also very time consuming. Through AOII, I met many girls who I have become close friends with. I got to attend fun events like formals, "grab a dates," retreats, and more. I also got paired with a girl in the pledge class above me to be my "big." Bigs are meant to be mentors and role models for you in your chapter. My big, Jazmine, and I have a lot in common. We both love grunge music and watching movies. Jazmine has been especially helpful in making me feel like I belong in AOII. However, there are more to sororities than just having fun and making friends. We have many values that we stand for and have to try our best to exemplify. One of these values is scholarship. Every week we have to turn in "study tables" and have at least 4 study hours. We are constantly helping each other with assignments and striving for good grades. If anyone is struggling with their GPA, our Vice President of Academics will inervene to try to get them the help they need. Another thing our chapter is big on is philanthropy. Every member is required to get at least 10 hours of community service per quarter. For each hour not done, they will be fined $10. This quarter, I volunteered at the AOII annual auction and also plan to volunteer at the Jingle Bell Run in Seattle. Overall, I love my sorority and it has been very integral to my first quarter experience at UW. |