Recruitment is just around the corner! Here's a glimpse into what Sorority Life is like at Wichita State University! #FindYourLetters

Katelyn Doherty | Delta Gamma

Being from Kansas City, I did not know anyone coming to Wichita state as a Freshman. My mom was in a sorority when she was in college and loved her experience, so I decided to give it a try as a way to meet new people. From the very beginning of the process I loved every minute of my recruitment process. The girls I met in my recruitment groups I still have strong friendships with, even though we ended up in different chapters. I went Greek seeking friendships and a place to belong. What I got out of it extends far beyond that. I found lasting and meaningful friendships and a way to get and stay involved at Wichita State. The best decision I have made at Wichita State was going Greek! 

Katelyn Doherty

Allison Gettings | Rho Gamma

Hello! My name is Allison Gettings, and I am a senior majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications at Wichita State University. I also serve as the Public Relations Chair on Women’s Panhellenic Association. I’m very excited and honored to be a Rho Gamma this year to help potential new members (PNMs) find their letters.

I was very involved when I was in high school with Student Council, National Honors Society and keeping up with my studies. I was always on the go. My freshman year of college I decided to take a break from the madness and not join any organizations. Big mistake. Going from class to work to home grew boring and repetitive after a while (not to mention lonely!). My friend Nicole was the one who encouraged me to go Greek. She sat me down and said, “Allison, you need to go through recruitment. Trust me. You won’t regret it.” Boy, was I glad I took her advice even though I was almost too nervous to sign up.

I went through formal recruitment in fall 2011. The week was filled with so many emotions and memories, and it was one of the best times of my life. There were many times I had to sit down with my Rho Gamma – now one of my best friends – and talk about my experiences during the recruitment process. I had conversations with so many unique women, shared my story and joined the chapter I am proud to be a part of today. My sisters are always there for me and accept me for who I am; I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There are many events the Greek community puts on every year, but philanthropy events are by far my favorite. Watching people from all walks of life come together to support a cause is a really great thing to witness. From cancer charities to charities for the visually impaired, Wichita State University’s Greek community supports a variety of organizations.

My life has changed for the better since I went Greek. I’ve met so many interesting people, given back to the community and grown as an individual. Every year is a new journey, but I know I’ve always got my sisters behind me along the way. Being Greek gives me a sense of purpose in college; being a part of something bigger than myself is a very humbling experience.

Allison Gettings

Roni Tamir | Rho Gamma

Hey there! My name is Roni and I am a senior here at WSU. I am a sociology major and French minor. I graduated from Andover High School in May 2010. I am so excited to be a rho gamma AGAIN this year. Being a part of the recruitment team was such a great experience for me last year that I just had to do it again.

Wichita State University was my one and only choice for a college. I am very much a “mommy’s girl”, so I wanted to stay close to my parents. Going through formal recruitment in WSU was the best decision I’ve ever made, but it wasn’t an easy one. I was one of those girls that joined at the very last minute. It took a lot of convincing from one of my friends. I was very hesitant at first. I just did not see myself as a “sorority girl”. But then I decided to give it a try because of a few reasons: I was a freshman who still lived with her parents in Andover so I didn’t get to meet people from the dorms, most of my friends from high school went to different schools and I wanted to meet new people, and I wanted to get more involved on campus. Going Greek provided me with all those and way more. The friendships, memories, opportunities, and experiences that it provided is something that is truly special to me. 

I can’t wait for this formal recruitment in the fall. I can’t wait to meet the great ladies and help them find their home away from home.

Good Luck!

Love,
Roni Tamir

Taylor Lanterman | Delta Gamma

Going Greek was never something I imagined for myself while thinking about college. I always knew WSU was the right place for me because it was close to home. Although it was only a 20 minute drive to campus, very few of my close friends were coming to WSU with me. I was nervous about not knowing anyone and never making friends by choosing to live at home and not on campus. A few girls who went to my high school asked if I was going through recruitment. To be honest, I didn’t know ANYTHING about being Greek and neither did they. We all went through the process together and I’m glad we did. 

I made friends I never thought I would have during recruitment week. It was fun to see where we all ended up. That experience was one that I would recommend to any girl living at home while attending Wichita State. It was a great way to meet people who will end up in other chapters and also meet girls who will become your future sisters!

Taylor Lanterman

Kaitie Foley | Rho Gamma

Hi ladies! My name is Kaitie Foley. I am currently entering into my first senior year in college, which means I’ll be a super senior, hip hip hurray! I’ve loved every second of my college experience all thanks to Sorority Life at Wichita State University. I am honored to have been selected as a Rho Gamma for this Fall Recruitment and cannot wait to help some wonderful women find their letters!

I signed up for Formal Recruitment the summer before my Freshman year began at WSU, knowing from the very beginning that I wanted to find a home within the Greek system. As a double legacy (a legacy is a women who’s sister, mother, grandmother, etc... had been members of a sorority chapter), I had hoped my whole life to share the same bonds my mother and grandmother had developed in their collegiate years. But when the first day of Formal Recruitment came around, I was nervous beyond belief and thought for a split second that maybe I wasn’t cut out to join a chapter. Any reservation I had, however, vanished once I began conversing with the sorority women as WSU. I knew that I wanted to be one of them and gain a chapter full of sisters, something I never had, but always dreamed of as an only child. A few days later, I excitedly ripped open the envelope that held my bid card and the name of my new home. 

However, the journey to finding my home was not as easy as I had anticipated. On Preference Night, the final night of Formal Recruitment, I found myself torn between two chapters. One that I had fallen in love with on House Tours night, the other, I fell head over heels for on Pref Night. I walked back to the Rhatigan Student Center full of emotions: scared that I might choose the wrong chapter, nervous that I wouldn’t receive my top chapter, ecstatic that I was so close to finding my new home, and so many other feelings that it’s difficult to remember. 

Amidst my crisis of choosing my life long home, I did the only thing I could think to do. I spoke to my Rho Gamma. She was the calm in the storm for me. I presented my situation to her, asking for her guidance. She responded with a question of her own, one that has stuck with me ever since, “Where do you feel at home?” It’s a simple enough question, but one that forced me to search for an answer. The answer I found that night appeared on my bid card the next day and became my home.

As a Rho Gamma, I encourage all of the women going through Formal Recruitment to come to us with anything you’re feeling. We’ve been in your shoes before; nervous, excited, and every emotion in between. I want to help you find your home and sisters just as I found mine!

The experience of Formal Recruitment is unlike any other and I encourage every woman attending WSU to at least consider the possibility of joining a sorority. You might just be surprised at what you find!

~ Kaitie Foley

Amy Golay | Rho Gamma

They sure don't lie when they say your senior year will be here before you know it. Three years ago I made a very spur of the moment decision to sign up for Formal Recruitment at Wichita State and I honestly thought I was crazy. All through high school I was against it and have not really been the type to go out of my way to meet new people. I grew up in Garden City, KS and am the baby of three sisters so living 3.5 hours away from my parents for the first time was a bit of a reality check and quite the adjustment. 

After encouraging it all summer long, even though she was not Greek herself, my mother convinced me to at least give it a try. Well I made sure she knew that giving it a "try" was simply all I was going to do but I figured I didn't have my group of friends from high school to be around anymore so I needed to try something new. After the first night of Formal Recruitment I was a bit overwhelmed, I won't lie, and was tempted to walk away but I stuck it out for one more night. The second night we got to finally have conversations with the ladies in the houses and things seemed to go a bit smoother from there on out. They came across as real people, not the gitty sorority girls you see in movies. I found girls I could relate to and really clicked with; girls that reminded me of my friends back home which was a comforting feeling. Bid day came around and I never thought I'd be so anxious to find out what chapter I got into, but I could barely keep my concentration all day! That whole first semester in my new chapter was just a blur. There is a rush of exciting and scary and fun things to do that are thrown at you all at once you won't know what to quite think of it all, but I promise it will all settle down your second semester.

If I could give any piece of advice going through Formal Recruitment it would be to "keep an open mind". You will hear that a LOT when recruitment comes, trust me, but really take it to heart. After doing a little bit of research on the different chapters after attending an informational meeting, I had my mind set on one certain house for all the wrong reasons. Go into all of the houses with a clear, open mind and really listen to what all the ladies have to say. These chapters are homes to each and every one of these fine young women and these chapters hold such a dear place in our hearts for so many different reasons. Give them a chance to explain to you why being a part of that certain chapter means so much to them before you shut them down. It'll be the best thing you'll do that week! Follow your heart and have fun....your new home away from home is awaiting you!! #FindYourLetters #GoGreek #RhoGamLove

Amy Golay