Whether it was twirling around the house practicing our dance routines, going together to tumbling classes or competing out on the lacrosse field, my sister and I did almost everything together growing up. We are only 16 months apart and have shared so much of our lives that the decision to attend the same university was not much of a surprise. Christopher Newport University (CNU) was not my sister’s first choice. She did not want to continue attending the same school as me. In the fall of 2022, however, we once again found ourselves in the same place.
In the spring of 2023, we continued on the same trend and both decided to go through the Panhellenic recruitment process. Although we share the same bond through the Panhellenic community, we have had completely different experiences. I decided to go through Formal Recruitment my sophomore year while she joined through the continuous open bidding (COB) process as a freshman. The respective paths we chose were very much geared toward our opposite personalities. Since I am more extroverted and she is more introverted, the different recruitment processes we each went through were the best options for us as individuals.
That spring, I ran home to Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi) and she joined Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA). I almost joined a sorority my freshman year, but my gut told me to wait. I’m glad I did. It was so special sharing the journey with my sister. Now we not only have the bond of being sisters, but also of sisterhood in the Panhellenic community.
I asked her what her thoughts were and she said, “I like being in the same community but different parts of it because I am not you.” She said that her
favorite part of being in Greek life with me is, “Supporting each other at philanthropy events and always seeing a friendly face.”
What I think makes this even better is that we get to share the experiences of the Panhellenic (more so behind the scenes) side of recruitment since I am serving as the Panhellenic Council president and she is a recruitment counselor (RC) for the upcoming recruitment cycle.
Although I can’t speak from the perspective of a younger sister, I cherish the fact that my sister and I are continuing to do the same things and I am excited to experience the life-long memories we will make together in the Panhellenic community and beyond.
