Personal Recruitment Experiences

By Jessica Huang
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I wanted to go through recruitment because I came to Western not knowing anyone and thought joining a sorority would be a good way to form new friendships and connect with more people. Going through recruitment, I felt somewhat insecure as I noticed the small proportion of POCs (Person of Colour). I am from Vancouver, a culturally diverse city, and I was used to seeing more minorities and people who looked like me.

I had a mostly positive experience with the rest of recruitment, but there were moments when I felt out of place. There were also a few white girls who I noticed that were only talking to other white girls, but it was a very small proportion of them.

However, I enjoy my time in the Greek scene and I have met many genuine and kind people through this platform. Most of my best friends now are my sorority sisters. My big graduated two years ago but I still talk to her everyday and I see us being friends for a long time.

Inevitably, I think the Greek scene has its own issues with discrimination, racism, and prejudice. For example, I’ve noticed a lack of representation on the sororities’ Instagram’s. The same group of girls are often posted, leaving out many other members in the sororities. I do not believe these are intentional and I know that there are very little POCs in some chapters.

However, I think we should all reflect on why many POCs are hesitant to rush and work on becoming more aware and educated on certain issues. This would create a more inviting and inclusive space for all. Moreover, I recognize that my generally positive experience in the Greek scene cannot be generalized to all POCs.

​It was lovely to see many Greeks show solidarity and support during the Black Lives Matter movements and I believe we should keep the momentum going. For those who appeared more ignorant, I think it is our responsibility to try, reach out, and educate them. It is scary to bring up these issues but a conversation is better than nothing. I was hesitant about sharing my Greek experiences publicly, but ultimately, it seems like the right thing to do.

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