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Greek Life Is a Life Changeing Experience of Social Events, Leadership Training, and Responsibilty

"I do not want a college with fraternities and sororities" was a defining statement of my college search. I had grown up with a view of Greek life as a trashy and superficial life composed solely of parties, alcohol, and hookups. I therefore removed all colleges with Greek systems from my college application list. Whitman was the only exception. I had heard that Whitman Greek life was different; it was academically focused, it did not overwhelm the campus, and it was a great system of support. Nevertheless, I had no intention of being part of it in any way. That all changed when I discovered Whitman’s chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

From watching girls spontaneously dance outside their rooms during section tours to decorating key-shaped cookies with way too much frosting to seeing way more owl and key décor than I thought was possible, I was hooked. I wanted to be a member of Whitman’s sororities. However, it was not until Tea Day that I knew that Kappa was for me. On this day I saw girls cry as they shared memories of their sisters bringing them soup when they were sick, sitting by each other’s sides through breakups and homesickness, embarrassing themselves doing activities they would only do with their sisters, and for simply being a smiling friend day after day after day. Throughout the recruitment process I could see and feel the bonds that these girls had formed and instantly knew that I wanted to be a part of it. On Bid Night I waited patiently and anxiously in my room until something happened that changed my life at Whitman and potentially for the rest of my life. I became a Kappa! It was my turn to be part of an adventure, a leadership and philanthropy experience, and a loving and loyal friendship the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma call a sisterhood.

My experience thus far has been the best of my life. I performed a Lady Gaga dance in front of the whole school with a blue lightning bolt across my face as part Mr. Whitman, a Kappa philanthropy event that raised $45,000 for brain cancer. A kappa sister and I wore dresses made entirely of caution tape we got from construction workers on campus. I’ve run across Ankeny making owl noises with fellow Kappas countless times. I found a Kappa sister who is perhaps the only one in the world to rival my love and obsession with peanut butter. I’ve attended more sex and alcohol safety and responsibility talks than I can count. Most importantly, I’ve found my best of friends though each of these diverse experiences.

I believe that despite joining Kappa, I kept my original goal of not joining a sorority. Instead I became part something much greater. I am now part of a community, a system of support, and friendship bond that is so strong that words cannot define it. Kappa has led me to my best friends and when I looked around the pledge class chapter room tonight I thought, “These are the girls I want to spend my next four years with and these are the girls I want as friends for the rest of my life.”

Available, Not Prominent. Doesn't Interfere With Studies.

Like at nearly every college across the U.S., alcohol and weed are availble at Whitman. However, students can choose to drink as little or much as they would like and have a great time regardless of how much they consume/use. Fortunately, there is so much going on on campus that students don't drink due to boredom; they drink as a weekend social activity in safe ways.



Whitman is also very helpful with alcohol education. I've attended about 7 speeches and lectures on the subject over the course of the last semester. Also, there is a wellness center that offers students who have had too much a place to recover.

Challenging, Beneficial, Interesting, Intense, Serious

My classes force me to use my mind in creative and thoughtful ways. The professors expect a lot from their students so naturally the students respond with many hours of studying, essay writing, lab work, and more. I feel as if my education has given me not just knowledge, but the ability to learn.

Dorms Are Great!

Whitman students are lucky to live in the dorms they live in. The dorms vary a lot among residence halls, but many have divided double rooms that are fairly large (Lyman and Prentiss). Some students prefer to sacrifice room quality for a more social living setting (Jewett), but either choice tends to leave students happy with where they lived. I rarely find someone who did not like his/her freshman dorm room.