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THROWBACK THURSDAY: A Senior’s Preference Round Speech

So it’s my last semester of college, and I’m severely depressed about it. My lack of boyfriend and lack of career plan suggest that I will most likely be moving back home with my well-meaning, but slightly crazy mother, but what’s really awful is knowing what I’m leaving behind. “These are the best four years of your life.” We’ve all heard it before, and to most of the girls in this room, you can’t even begin to understand what that really means. I sometimes think, what makes these years so great is that they end. You literally can’t hold onto your time here forever. Lately, I find myself looking around this town, and at the faces in this room, and stopping to really appreciate all of the people and things in my life. It’s hard for me to put into words how much I have loved my experiences at this school, and I have the girls in this room to thank for that.

I remember being in your shoes my freshman year. I had no idea what to expect. Walking into countless rooms of hundreds of jumping, singing, chanting sorority girls who are hyped up on some weird strain of adrenaline and too much caffeine was intimidating to say the least. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t find the right sorority, but after I walked into this house, I just knew. As the rounds went on, I fell more and more in love with this sorority; with its sisters, with its energy, everything. I remember sitting around with a random girl in my rush group, terrified before our preference round and our Rho Chi saying “Isn’t it weird…in 24 hours, you two could be sisters.” That’s when I realized what I was about to become a part of. Something amazing. Something bigger than me. I share something with the girls in this room, that is exclusive, and profound, and that I share with no one else in this world: a sisterhood. From the moment I opened my bid, my life was forever changed.

Over the next 4 years, I found my best friends, and some of the most real people I will ever meet. It started with my Big. She graduated last year, but she is and always will be one of the most influential people in my life. She’s the most beautiful, kind, intelligent person I’ve ever known, and she chose me. She’s just a year older than I am, yet she somehow always knows exactly the right thing to say or do…whether that right thing is telling me the calories don’t count when you’re sad, or planning out my most perfect princess-themed birthday party, she’s always got it right. If I learned nothing else from my time here, I learned that Big knows best. Always.

As for my pledge sisters, we are like a family. We’ve been through so much together since day one. I feel like we’ve watched each other grow up, and you’ve helped me to become the best version of myself I could ever ask to be. Whether I’m harrassing someone about REALLY important things, like what color I should get my nails done, getting kicked out of Starbucks for excessive giggling and gossip, bursting into the wrong hotel room on spring break, or laying in bed all day laughing about things that aren’t even that funny with my best friend, that random girl from my rush group, you never disappoint. The good times are endless, but more importantly, these girls have stood by my side and listened to me cry about the same things 26 million times, without judgment, and promise that my psychosis is endearing. I’m even starting to believe them when they say they’ll still like me if I end up as a cat lady.

And perhaps the person I’m most reluctant to say goodbye to, my Little. You are absolutely beautiful inside and out. Sometimes I think we both ended up in this house just so we could find each other. I don’t know how two people so seemingly different are still so alike. You’ve done so many great things for this chapter, and I feel proud of you every single day. I know you’ll continue to do wonderful things and be the best role model our little munchkin, my g-little could ask for, and an even better one for our newest TBD addition.

All in all, I just feel so lucky. I found in my sisters, friendships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I found girls to laugh with, cry with, and accidentally eat pizza with. I found girls that I can truly be myself around. I hope that all of you find that. I hope that when you’re all old like me, you can look back on your college years with confidence in the fact that you wouldn’t change a thing. I hope that when you’re in my shoes, you can honestly say, “These were the best four years of my life, and I have my sisters to thank for it.” Good luck in making your decisions tonight, girls. I hope you all find a place to call home.

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