Whirlwind on campus, in Haiti

Two years ago last week, Haitians were suffering and dying after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged their country while I and other sorority girls of the University of Richmond prepared to prep and welcome new recruits. All I could think was: "WHAT ARE WE DOING? PEOPLE ARE DYING!" and "Where did I put those red shoes and the silver picture frame?"

Recruitment, rush or whatever you want to call it is a whirlwind of a week. I loved it and hated it simultaneously. I loved meeting new people and making new friends. I loved staging tables with frames and Christmas tree lights. But I wasn't too fond of more than a few "forced" conversations.

When I was going through recruitment I can't tell you how many times I had conversations like the following:

Sorority girl: "Where are you from?"

Me: "Texas."

Sorority girl: "Oh wow! So if I came to Texas would I need to wear boots and a cowboy hat?"

Me: "No."

I mean, really?

It's one of those weeks where nothing feels real, when what I had to wear and say was more important than anything else. That's not to say it's not fun. I loved bonding with my sisters on those long nights. I know it's a necessary week. We have to recruit new members and it's a system that works.

When my sorority lost its charter while I was abroad, one of the first things that occurred to me after the initial shock wore off, and after I'd cried and been consoled was, "At least I'll get some sleep the first week back."

For those of you who just finished recruitment, you know what I mean.

But while I struggled to stay awake in class the next day and read about the horrifying things happening in Haiti, I can't say I didn't ask myself more than once, "What's the point of this?"

Sororities are supposed to be philanthropic organizations, and yet during that one week while people were dying in one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory, nobody bothered to arrange a fundraiser, collect supplies or even take a moment of silence.

Two years later, that's something that still bothers me.

But I'm also left with some of my favorite memories of college of an intense, frantic and I'll admit fun week. My sorority sisters are some of my best friends and I don't regret a minute of it.