By Mo Anumolu '23
Vice President of Programming, Diversity & Inclusivity Task Force Member, Sisterhood Director, and more - the hats I have worn as a member of Dartmouth Alpha Phi are plenty in name and number. My heavy involvement in this house is both a surprise to none and a shock to all. Anyone who has ever met me knows I approach everything I do with untempered passion, but I must admit that Greek life was never something I thought would mean anything to me at all. Going into recruitment, joining Greek life at Dartmouth felt almost...inconsequential. I never had much faith that I would receive a bid, and, if I did, I never imagined that any Greek space would ever make me feel truly safe. There are certain realities associated with being a woman of color at Dartmouth; there are hard truths that contextualize everything on this campus from beauty standards to social dynamics. Greek life, inherently founded upon systems of discrimination and oppression, felt like a world from which I would always be somehow removed, even if I ended up joining a sorority. My perspective going into rush, compounded by the stresses of a devastating pandemic and academic difficulties, made me sure that the entire recruitment process was just something to get through. I saw it as a fruitless endeavor in many regards. However, my experiences at APhi throughout rush, and my experiences now as sister, prove my sophomore-self wrong each and every day. Even via Zoom, every member of APhi with whom I spoke during rush had a presence. They carried some intangible sense of vibrancy and enthusiasm that immediately made me feel both heard and welcome. It felt like every sister either knew exactly who they were or had actionable plans to become the person that they hoped to be. The women I met studied all different majors, participated in all kinds of on-campus organizations, and belonged to a diverse range of backgrounds. I could not figure out what the common thread was, but, as a girl who did not even know why she was rushing, I was so certain that everyone who was in APhi shared some unnameable attribute I thought I could never possess. I didn’t realize it until recently, and I am not sure my words now do it justice, but joining APhi taught me the two traits I needed to become the woman I someday hoped to be: self-confidence and self-empowerment. I am not saying APhi is perfect. Similar to other sororities, we must be diligently committed to reducing the innate harms presented by Greek life. However, beyond my wildest expectations, I have met some of my best friends through Alpha Phi. From running across campus doused in glitter to pulling near-all nighters doing CS homework, I have also made some of my most formative, meaningful memories with the sisters of Alpha Phi. Most surprisingly, almost all of the self-growth that I have done in the last year has been thanks to the events, places, and people that Alpha Phi has given me. If you do join APhi, I am not saying you will immediately see some shocking self-transformation. What I am saying, however, is that APhi is a community of brilliant, beautiful women who will give you the courage and support to become the absolute best version of yourself.