To Take a Big or To Not Take a Big: Don’t Feel Pressured

One of the most amazing parts of Gamma Sig is the ability to not take a big or a little. Yes, you don’t have to take a big or a little in Gamma Sig. This extra freedom with my decisions and the ability to make the choice that would be right for me was one of the many reasons why I first joined Gamma Sig.

When I joined Gamma Sig, I didn’t want to be in the “stereotypical” sorority. Gamma Sig is similar to other sororities, but has so many unique aspects that made me love GSS from the start. We are a sorority filled with supportive people who do service and spread good in the world, and we have our own unique recruitment process. Everyone is welcome, and all you have to do to get started is sign up over a Google form. That’s the best thing ever for me.

At first when I joined Gamma Sig, I did not want to take a big. I didn’t feel right for me, and at first I didn’t see the point in it. As I met more people in Gamma Sig, I started talking to people and I began to want to take a big.

In order to take a big, you have to complete 7 “penguin points,” which are different ways of making sure you are involved with GSS. Throughout the MIT process, I did those 7 things almost naturally. A great part about Gamma Sig is that everyone is so supportive. If you go to anyone in Gamma Sig and say you need help finishing your penguin points, I promise you that they will help you.

Having a big can be a great thing. Some people get close with their big and that person becomes their best friend in Gamma Sig. This is a great thing to see because it shows that Gamma Sig has the power to bring these people together in a unique way.

However, you don’t need to take a big to find that best friend in Gamma Sig. I know so many people who didn’t take a big and have found their best friends in Gamma Sig. If you don’t want a big, that is totally fine. You don’t need a big in Gamma Sig to make friends within the sorority. As I’ve stated previously, a great part about Gamma Sig is that it is filled with supportive people. Nobody will judge you if you decide against taking a big or if you decide to take a big. Everyone wants what is best for each other!

You’re the only person who knows what’s best for you. You’re the only person who knows the extent of your schedule, whether it’s filled with 17 credits and a lot of clubs, or you have a part-time job with a full course load with minimal spare time. Anything and everything is understandable, so please do what’s best for you.

Don’t ever feel pressured to take a big just because taking a big is the “norm” in Gamma Sig. A lot of people do it, but a good amount of people don’t take a big. It’s not uncommon and there are so many opportunities to make friends beyond the big-little portion of Gamma Sig. My big didn’t take a big, she had a ton of friends in Gamma Sig, and she started her own family (we’re the FBH fam).

That’s a beautiful aspect to Gamma Sig: you have the ability to start your own family if you don’t want to take a big, but you eventually want to take a little (which you don’t have to do either). I know so many people who started their own families, and it’s cool to do that. When my big and I started our own family we created a lot of fun traditions that were unique to us. Our name came from a tradition that I wanted to start because it meant something to us.

To take a big, to not take a big, whatever you decide to do is perfectly fine. You know yourself best, and you should do whatever makes you the happiest.

College Is All About The Experiences

Being a junior in college, I can say that I have learned a lot. I have learned the value in going to my professor’s office hours. I have learned the value in friendships that you make in college and so much more. However, one thing that is constantly screaming out at me is that college is all about making the most out of your time and experiencing the world.

One of the beauties about college is that we’re young. The opportunities are endless and there’s truly no end to where they come from. It is really cool because the world is our oyster at this age. I find that my only limitation is money, but even with that I can still go out and have amazing experiences.

My mindset when it comes to life is that I am only young once and I am only an undergrad in college once. There won’t ever be another time where I am truly free from commitments. Honestly, when will I get 5 months of the year to do whatever I want? When will I get to live on a campus with people who around the same age as me going through similar-ish experiences? When will I get to do things spontaneously just for the sake of doing them after college? Almost definitely never again. The only time is college and I have 4 years to explore my interests, passions, and the list goes on. I will never get these 4 years back and I want to make the most out of my time here.

College is so expensive, so why not make the most out of it? Why not fill this time with experiences that will give me lifelong memories and stories to tell people? Why not fill this time with priceless memories and excitement? There is a high chance that I might never get this experience again and I want to make the most out of it. Don’t get me wrong, studying is important and getting those good grades is important. However, so is living life. We only have one chance to make these kinds of memories.

Part of making those memories is hanging out with friends. Last year, so many of my favorite memories come from me hanging out with my friends until the middle of the night. One time, me and my friend decided to get Insomnia Cookies while on our way back to North Campus from our other friends’ dorm. Then we bombarded another friend and I ended up playing Fortnight for the first time. I didn’t come in last and that’s all that matters considering I had no idea what I was doing.

Other times I would be hanging out with my friends and we all got hungry, so we drove and got McDonalds late at night. It’s these kinds of moments that remind me of pure happiness and that are priceless. Could I have been doing other things like sleeping or studying? Yes, but there will always be an exam to study for, a paper to write (I have all of those things to do right now), I could always drink coffee to make up for my lack of sleep, but there won’t always be another opportunity to go to McDonalds in the middle of the night with my friends. I won’t always have the ability to be like “Want to go for a drive?” to one of my friends at midnight on a Friday night. We ended up driving around for an hour telling stories, giving advice, and easily turned one of the worst nights of my life into one of the best nights.

College is the place to get these once in a lifetime experiences. When is another time would anyone be down to go on a spontaneous road trip to the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania in the middle of the night before my friend had 2 quizzes? When is another time I get to study abroad for 2 weeks on the opposite side of the world? When will I have another chance to go on a service trip with people, I don’t know at all, but that are still in my community? Honestly, probably never again. All of these memories are some of my favorite memories, and they came from experiences.

College is all about experiences regardless of whether or not they were a smart decisions. They will lead to a great story and in my eyes that tops any grade or loss of sleep. Go out and experience the world!

Katie DeBois

Growing Up With Gamma Sig

My life has been anything but consistent over the past year. Everything in my life has changed, my dreams, my hair, my social circles, my living situations, and the list goes on. There have only been a few consistent things in my life (except for change obviously), and one of them is Gamma Sig.

I joined Gamma Sig after not being super involved my first semester and after going on a service trip. It was that combination that lit a fire in me and wanted me to do more with my life. I didn’t want to sit around in my dorm room all day and not have any friends. Gamma Sig got me involved and it got me to grow up.

I come from a place that isn’t super diverse. My hometown is great, but nothing happens it and it was like I lived in this bubble of good. I am super fortunate and lucky to have had this upbringing, but I didn’t learn about the hardships of the real world until I entered college. I didn’t know how cruel the world could be until I was doing service to help people who aren’t lucky as I am.

My first ever project in Gamma Sig was the Soup Kitchen. Even to this day, I remember the impact the project had on me. Serving people food who needed it, hit a chord with me. It made want to call my entire family and thank them. At the time, it reaffirmed why I wanted to be in a service sorority in the first place. All so I can give back to my community.

Since that day, I’ve done a lot of service since. I have worked with and for multiple nonprofits and I’ve devoted a large part of my college career to giving back. Gamma Sig has given me a lot of opportunities to give back to those in need and I have taken a lot of them.

Additionally, I’ve met a lot of amazing people. I met people who I only want good things to happen to them. I’ve met people who are accepting, caring, down to earth, and who only see the best in people. These people have challenged me to become a better person of myself through a multitude of ways. Not only that, but they’ve helped me grow up and see the world in a mature, realistic, and most importantly hopeful way.

From the service to the sisters, Gamma Sig has helped me grow up a ton. The experiences this sorority has given me has made me mature in ways that I can’t even fathom and has given me a new sense of hope for the world.

My life may be inconsistent in every other aspect, but the one thing that has proven to be consistent time and time again is Gamma Sig. It has had not only a profound impact on me, but everyone who becomes a part of it. Gamma Sig has helped me grow into the woman I am today, and I am so grateful for that because I love who I am today.