As I was getting out of my car at the gym this evening, that's exactly what I read. However, this is not the first time I've heard someone refer to my sorority as a "catch all." Basically people are saying that we take anyone and everyone who wishes to be in a sorority, but haven't gotten a bid from the other two organizations. First of all, I'd like to know whose business it is how and why my sisters extend bids to potential new members. Secondly, I'd like to tell you a story.
If you've read a past post, this story will seem familiar. As a disclaimer, I am not trying to be negative towards any organization. I do not hold any anger towards any organization. I believe that it was not God's plan for me to join a certain organization, and even though it hurt, my dismissal was for the best.
My freshman year of college, I was ecstatic. I had a lot of friends at college already in the marching band and I wanted to join the band service organization. At the end of the fall semester, we had to interview for a bid in front of the entire organization. In between my interview and the organization handing out bids, my father lost his job. Since my dad was a pastor and the church he was pastoring fired him, I lost my church family. I was faced with the possibility that I might lose my house. Every thing seemed pretty dark.
The bright spot at the end of the tunnel was that I was given a bid to join the organization. I wrote my letter of acceptance, sent in a copy of my transcript, and could not wait to begin the membership process. I moved in to an apartment with one of the initiated members and the spring semester started. After about two months of membership process, about two weeks before initiation, I was released from the process. I was completely broken. I had lost my church family, my "friendships" were never going to be the same, my living situation became extremely awkward and I fell into depression. Aside from attending classes and Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship, I stayed at home in my apartment for about two weeks. The night that they were initiated, I just laid on my couch and cried.
Eventually, I was able to get back into a routine of some normalcy. I spent time with friends who weren't in the organization and I decided that I would interview for a bid the following year. I spent the summer working to bring up my GPA, I spent the next fall working extremely hard in my school work and marching band. After what I thought was a perfect interview, I did not receive a bid. I found myself completely destroyed once more. I went to march in the Christmas parade, and before it started I just stood there, crying.
One of the school employees walked by. He stopped and asked me what was wrong, that my Facebook posts had been worrying him. And this scene was not making him feel better. I told him the whole story, when I was approached by a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau.
This is the sister who approached me! My first fall alum day as an alum!
The next semester, the sisters started inviting me to have lunch with them. They also invited me to open recruitment parties, but they were always when I had band. Eventually, they had one that I could attend. I got excited and thought that I would receive a bid. However, when they posted bid day pictures, I figured that it was a wash. I was prepared to end my time in college and just go straight to the work force. But my life changed on March 29, 2013.
That was the day I received my bid. I was about to leave for home so I could work with my color guard kids for auditions. I had a lot to think about on the 90 minute drive. Did I dare put my heart out there again? Would I just get hurt again? Before I even got home, I had called the president of the sorority and accepted my bid. I jumped...
...and Alpha Sigma Tau caught me. They caught a hurt, depressed, timid girl and made her into a confident, loving, strong woman. Three years later and Alpha Sigma Tau is still one of the best decisions I ever made. Every time I open my computer and see my back ground of my computer, I am reminded of how many people I love and how much I am loved. If anyone believes that I paid for my friends, I sure didn't pay enough. These women have stood by me through some tough times. I thank God for bringing me to the home I was always meant to have. So, yes Alpha Sigma Tau catches girls who have room to grow and develop, but isn't that the point? The point of our sisterhood is to be surrounded by strong women and grow into strong women as well. And our sisterhood succeeds at that. I am extremely thankful that this "catch all" caught me.
My computer background. My sorority has actually grown so much since all of these pictures were taken! My heart is so full every time I see these pictures!
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