All I want to do is get to class. Then I get to the tabling lane and boom: Greek life is everywhere.

I almost feel like a rarity on campus sometimes. There are so many people walking around with letters across their shirts, it’s hard to keep track of how many sororities and fraternities our school actually has.

Over the years, I’ve started to learn the letters. I know the funny looking E is a Sigma (which I always thought was only a math thing until college). I know the triangle is Delta because my mom was a Tri Delta. K is Kappa— that’s an easy one. Pi is of course Pi, also a math term until college.

Now just because someone wears a letter, doesn’t mean the letters have to change them.

I’ve always had a bitter taste when it comes to Greek life. I’m sure it’s great in the whole “applying for jobs” aspect. If you find out a potential employer was an Alpha Phi at another school and you were an Alpha Phi in college, you’re more likely to be hired.

But sometimes I feel odd trying to get to class and all I see are a bunch of tables with girls asking other girls to join their group to hang out.

I have never had the slightest inkling of wanting to join a sorority. I know it’s a lot of money that I don’t have, I know I don’t always mesh well with other girls and I know that I wouldn’t be able to take a lot of the rules seriously.

I don’t quite understand what’s so great about Greek life. Cool, you’re in a club that you paid to be in. What’s the big deal?

I also don’t get why I get shamed for not being in Greek life or for not liking it. If I have to hear that I’m a “GDI” one more time, I swear I might explode.

Yeah, I’m independent. So what? Why am I criticized for that? And if I’m friends with a lot of sorority girls, why do I automatically have to join?

Lastly, the thing that confuses me the most is the whole family tree Greeks have. I understand when they try to say it’s like a family. But when I have a girl introduce me to six sisters, I’m lost. Is one of them actually blood-related?

How are you all close in age? How are you sisters? Don’t even get me started on the whole twin, big, little, grand-big and grand-little stuff.

I guess since I’m not in the actual Greek system, I was never properly taught the rules. But as the lovely GDI that I am, I like to stay out of it.

One thing is for sure, I always know when it’s Thursday here at Chico State. As my friends and I like to say, “On Thursdays, they wear Greek.”

Brittany McClintock can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.