Journey to Sisterhood: Greek life at the University of Arizona 

By Tiffany Smith  

A double degree in a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts  

2023 Semester 2, Exchange at University of Arizona, USA 

Greek life. I’ve grown up experiencing it through the eyes of Elle Woods and Sydney White – always familiar yet completely unknown.  

When I had the opportunity to go on exchange, I sought a big school in a college town with college passion and a big sporting presence. But secretly, I also wanted to investigate what sororities and fraternities were all about. And that’s how I ended up at the University of Arizona, and ultimately going through the Fall Formal Recruitment (rush) process and accepting a bid from Gamma Phi Beta! I knew nothing about the rush process nor Greek Life, and I had no prior conceptions of any of the chapters at U of A. I was completely in the deep end, but it ultimately enabled my complete openness to all opportunities throughout the process.  

Set I was a great start as I was able to create a simple introduction video of myself which girls in each chapter watched, and I watched videos that each chapter created. However, from these 2-minute videos I had to make my first round of selections of houses I wished to visit which was pretty stressful. Set II was Sisterhood, and this was the following weekend over two days. You receive a schedule of houses that have invited you back, and it is straight into the ultimate speed dating experience. After being greeted at the door, there is a presentation on the chapter’s values, motivations, and events of sisterhood, before diving into multiple consecutive short conversations with girls in the house. The next weekend was Set III Philanthropy, which is the same structure as Sisterhood – a short presentation of the chapter’s philanthropic causes, and then the speed dating continues.  

The final round is Preference, in which you visit only up to two houses and gain a deeper insight into the sisterhood. This can be quite an emotional round as you see what the sisterhood really means to each member, and you grow a deeper connection with each house. You then have the daunting task of deciding which house is for you. Without much prior or inside knowledge, it was an intuition game. It was more than just whether you spoke to a nice girl or not.  

After each round, you rank the chapters in order of which you’d like to visit again. In turn, the girls you speak to in each round rank you. It is then a mutual selection process to determine which houses you move further with. Although this is intimidating and somewhat vulnerable at times, it is an empowering process that helps you find the houses fit for you. On Bid Day, we all sat in the Student Union Gallery and opened our bids together. It was the start of a new adventure at U of A. Going through the rush process is one of the best decisions I have ever made. And joining Gamma Phi Beta is a big part of that triumph.  

I have discovered and cultivated lifelong friendships that may not have been possible without Greek life. So much so that I will be moving into the sorority house for the Spring Semester 2024 (ANU Semester 1 2024) which will be another new and unique experience! I have experienced life with panhellenic events, sorority events, fundraising and philanthropy activities, a Greek Row, a huge sisterhood, and frat parties. We’ve seen James Hype, Acraze and Lil Pump all in our Greek neighbours’ backyards, and danced the night away at a music festival in the streets of Tucson. Importantly, we’ve made our marks in the Greek dodgeball tournament sphere. I am grateful that GPhi has given me the opportunity to create these friendships across year groups – I have friends that are freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. I am enjoying my first thanksgiving in Phoenix, going to a NYE festival in Colorado, and going to Cabo San Lucas on Spring Break – all with GPhis.  

But more than these events, it is about the mundane opportunities. To enjoy meals at the sorority house, grab coffee at any hour, plan our outfits for the week, watch movies, and just hang out! I am excited to move into the house next semester as these opportunities will only continue to grow and enrich my experience!  

*Disclaimer: Each University and Sorority will operate differently in regard to participation of exchange students in the recruitment process.