Twice they tried to get me, and twice it didn’t work. No, despite numerous wily attempts involving Trojan horses and other Trojan products, the Greeks could not conquer me. In the end, I refused to join the historic brigade of Dartmouth fraternities and sororities. But why, you may ask? I took Latin in high school, so does that mean that, classically speaking, I’m biased against the Greeks? I don’t think so. Any Latin scholar knows that ancient Roman culture stemmed from Greek culture, so I can’t be that biased.

I respect Greek life at Dartmouth. I just don’t want to live it.

I made that decision for the first time two years ago, during my sophomore fall. Despite all the excitement about rush, it really wasn’t a hard decision for me to skip it. I had been at Dartmouth for a year already and felt that I had established a very comfortable place for myself on campus. I had close friends. I had a job as a research assistant. I was enjoying classes, and I was involved in several organizations. I certainly didn’t need a sorority to help me find myself.

Of course the timing was bad also. The week of rush, I was overscheduled as usual, and I didn’t have time to prance from sorority to sorority in between classes and appointments. I suppose that like most things, if I had wanted to find the time, I would have. But honestly, I didn’t want to. I didn’t feel like using my remaining energy to maintain fluff-filled conversations with people I didn’t know. I didn’t feel like being judged on the outfit I had picked out earlier that day before my 9L. What’s more, I wasn’t familiar with the sororities at Dartmouth, and since I’ve never been one to cram for exams, I opted out of the one-week crash course. Instead, I focused on the three midterms I had that week. It made more sense.

I’m not going to say that ugly stereotypes about sororities didn’t influence my decision. I have a low tolerance for drama, and large groups of girls inevitably create drama. That being said, some of my best friends from Dartmouth and from home belong to sororities, and I would not describe them as catty or dramatic. It’s easy to break stereotypes. Still, like I mentioned before, I didn’t feel the need to belong to yet another social group on campus, and outside of that, I really didn’t see what the benefits of pledging would be.

Being a non-member didn’t preclude me from partaking in Greek weekend entertainment. At Dartmouth, you rarely encounter bouncers with entry lists at parties, and even exclusively Greek parties tend to open up to the public at a certain hour. Alcohol, music, and sketchy run-ins with hammered acquaintances are all free. Why pay more to get the same benefits? Furthermore, most weekend activity showcases the fraternities. As a woman, there’s less pressure to go Greek because sororities aren’t the social hub of the campus.

Obviously, I realize that as a non-Greek there are things I miss out on. I don’t get to go to meetings on Wednesdays, and I don’t get automatic invites to formals. I guess those are some of the benefits of being in a sorority, and honestly, those benefits made me think twice when Alpha Phi arrived at Dartmouth and started recruiting people last fall. Still, I stand by my initial decision with regards to the Greek system. I’ve developed my network of social and professional contacts even more since that first Rush season, and I have even less time and energy than I did back then. No, sororities just aren’t for me.

I was joking about the Latin reference earlier, but it actually seems to fit me pretty well. I’m not Greek, and I never will be, but I still use the Greek system to my own advantage. I go out every weekend, and like any good Dartmouth rager, I usually play one more game of pong than is necessary. I’m convinced that parties are better when I can climb up on a table to dance, and I walk around frats like I own them. But at the same time, I don’t feel obligated to be anywhere, and when I’m tired, I just go home and climb into my own bed. Really, like the Romans, I’ve taken what’s not mine and adapted it to fit my style. So while I respect those who rush, and believe that the Greek system is ultimately something positive for Dartmouth, I’m quite content to be unattached.

Going Greek makes being social a job, and I already have plenty of those.