When I graduated high school and told my friends I was signing up for sorority rush they made of fun of me, gave me a hard time, and told me I didn’t “seem like much of a sorority girl.” All I could think was man, I would love to have a group of girlfriends that would support me regardless of what I chose to pursue in college. I never thought I would join a sorority, or that it would have a huge impact on me. My friends from home had convinced me I “was not a sorority girl.”
When rush finally came, I fell in love with the Panhellenic community. My pi chi was my first friend at Clemson (shout out Pi Chi Temple). I know if I wanted to be successful in college, I needed a tight knit group of girlfriends to support, mentor, and challenge me. My sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, was the perfect fit for me. I adored every sorority and every girl I met, but in the end my heart was with Alpha Chi Omega. I ran down the hill on bid day to a group of screaming girls – they threw glitter all over me, put paint on my body, and showed me how to “throw what you know.” I have a picture of me and who would become my best friend at Clemson on our first bid day, I can’t believe I didn’t even know her name at the time. (Spencer Tabberer I’m so glad the seniors forced us to take this picture together.) The seniors were right, we would look back at these pictures and not even realize our best friends were beside us from day one.
Throughout my first semester in AXO, I got involved on campus. I followed older members and joined the Club Swim Team and International Service Learning. By Christmas time, I wanted to serve in exec for AXO. I loved the Greek Community as a whole and decided Panhellenic Delegate was the best role for me. I ran, and I won. I represented AXO to the rest of the Greek community and coordinated our involvement with other chapters, I thought that was the most involved I would ever be. I was so wrong.
My sophomore year, I lived on the AXO hall. It was the best environment to live in – all of my best friends were two feet away! We would have megabed sleep overs, stay up way too late, and create haunted hallways during Halloween. During the spring, a majority of my closest friends studied abroad. I also was given the opportunity to run for Student Body Vice President. I was scared to take such a big leap of vulnerability while most of my best friends were abroad. My best friend Spencer told me, “Do it anyways what’s the worst that can happen?” So, I went for it, and I had no idea the Panhellenic community would become such a source of support during my first campaign season. During the campaign, I also found out my dream of becoming a recruitment counselor (Pi Chi) was going to come true. I was going to disaffiliate from AXO to take a group of potential new members through the recruitment process. Shortly after our first training session, I was elected Student Body Vice President. After the election season, Spencer and I travelled to Italy to meet up with our friends who were studying abroad for Spring Break. To date, it is still the craziest and most fun trip I have ever taken. We were supposed to go to Greece this summer, but for now that is postponed.
Junior year was my favorite recruitment season as I got to be a Pi Chi. I loved serving as the “first friend” for my group, coaching them to get involved was my favorite activity. Even the ones that chose not to join a sorority, I continued to encourage them to find their niche to support them regardless of if that was in Greek life or not. At the end of the fall, another one of my best friends was elected president of AXO (go Molly)! Spencer and I were elected as social chairs, we were focused on building the live music scene in Clemson. In the spring of my junior year, I ran to be Student Body President. In an unprecedented election season that was the most competitive Clemson has ever seen, once again the Panhellenic community became the place I could find support and confidence. This past December we travelled to Nashville, TN, to get Spencer engaged! And to think four years ago we were setting eachother up on blind dates…
My senior year, I served as Student Body President. Throughout every hard, tiring, and exhausting day my best friends were always there. It is crazy to think the girls I ran down the hill with were complete stranger four years ago are now family to me. Not all of us are in AXO, which just goes to show just because they are not in your sorority doesn’t mean they still can’t be your sister.
Of course, our senior year was cut short due to the coronavirus. I cannot tell you what it would mean to have one more chapter with all of my sisters or attend one more Panhellenic event. I came into college with a stereotype of sororities in mind that I could never measure up to. However, I am leaving with the experience to tell you that everything you thought sororities are you can throw out the window. Panhellenic women are strong, supportive, adventurous, and some of the smartest people you will ever meet. I have watched as my Panhellenic sisters have shattered records in athletic events, researched new treatments for ovarian cancer, saved lives, created world renowned art, created startup companies, and everything in between. This community is full of unique women, the ambitions of which you have never seen before.
If you are looking for adventure, friends you can travel the world with, courage, a place to be cheered on, or a shoulder to cry on after a breakup – Panhellenic is the community for you. The best advice I can give you? Take every opportunity Clemson and Panhellenic throws at you. Take them and run with them, never doubt yourself. And know – whether you choose to pursue opportunities within our outside Greek Life you will always have the Panhellenic community cheering you on.
— Logan Young, Class of 2020
