Happy Birthday, Kappa Alpha Theta

Happy Birthday to the classiest, kindest, and most studious group of women on campus, Kappa Alpha

Theta! Since Jan. 27, 1870 women of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity have become leaders and role

models all over the United States as well as in Canada. Theta currently has more than 135 chapters

at colleges and a total initiated membership of more than 230,000! These upstanding ladies wear the

letters with pride and demonstrate to the world what Theta means to all of us lucky enough to be

members. Personally, I have only been officially a member of Theta for a little over a week, but I can

already say I feel incredibly blessed. Theta stands for scholarship, leadership, service, and so many other

virtues I hold near and dear to my heart. The members of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, both on Wake’s

campus and nationwide are some of the most impressive women I have ever met. I know being a part

of Theta will provide me with lifelong friends, just as it has been doing for women since 1870. So happy

birthday, Kappa Alpha Theta, may you forever fly high!

Finding My Way Home

When people told me about Wake Forest they said "that school is so beautiful" that "you must be really smart to get in" and that "it's really, really preppy." No one really told me how out scared I would feel, no one said that you may feel out of place, that people are cut-throat competitive, and that the place is nothing like home. When I thought about Wake Forest before I knew what the school would be like, I was so excited and I kept saying I just wanted to get out of my town, but move-in day something felt strange. I kept telling myself I should keep positive, things will turn up, but this school was nothing like my high school. I felt like if I weren't trying to get straight A's, becoming the president of my own club, or running a marathon on top of my 17 credit hours and extracurriculars, then I just wasn't working hard enough. All I wanted was to go home. I wanted to be surrounded by people who loved me. I thought I wanted to transfer. 

Even though I practically left my house the last day of winter break in tears, I still came back. I decided to go through the week of hell, also know as sorority recruitment week, and I thought to myself that if I still didn't like it then I would just leave the school, no big deal. 

There's this stigma that sororities are for the girly girls, the ones that only own Lilly Pulitzer and Lulu Lemon in their closet, and LOVE glitter. It's funny... When I was talking to a girl in theta she said "I am not really the sorority type of girl... In fact I really don't like the idea of them at all." I was shocked, but each girl I met from theta showed me that being yourself was actually okay for once. There was no "mold" that the Wake Forest Bubble had created for us, and if there were a "stereotype" it would be how none of us are the same product of society. I did not believe I would change my mind about this school, not that it is a bad place at all, the academics are challenging and I love it, but I am the sweatpants, hair pulled back, breaking a sweat at the gym kind of girl, and I was afraid I didn't fit in. But these girls are my home. They are silly, friendly, loving, and wonderful, and they are the original purpose of a sorority- to provide a safe haven for women when they need it.