Second semester is in full throttle. The snow is melting, the weather seems to be brightening up and spring is clearly on the way. But wait, something seems to be missing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just isn't right. My classes are just as difficult, if not more so than last semester. My friends are just as weird as ever. Hmm… oh I know! Where have all of the freshmen guys gone?
You know that saying, "Guys: you can't live with them, but you can't live without them?" Well, it's true. I do love my girlfriends, and I wish I could say that I don't need guys in my life. But I'm sorry — if I have to watch another sappy chick flick, I am going to go insane. So, I am on a mission. I need to find where the boys have gone.
For once, they are not at the Hub or The Den. Roy O. West is also a no, and the Lilly Center is even sparse of its usual 50-plus sweaty men. I retrace my steps. When was the last time I saw all of them? And then it hits me. It seems that ever since that little thing called recruitment rolled around, the guys have gone MIA.
For girls, recruitment was full of hairspray, heels and overused smiles. But it was worth it because being a new member means sitting back, forming friendships and getting presents. However, the guys have had a completely different experience. For them, recruitment consisted of free food and bro-ing out. But now, it seems as if the real work has begun for them.
Ever since the guys have accepted their bids from the fraternities, being a new member has consumed their lives. From Sigma Chi fraternity's "secret rituals" to Beta Theta Pi fraternity's mud sliding, it is rare to see the guys away from the fraternities.
The new members practically live in their respective houses already. They do everything at the house — endless obligations, studying and eating. All they seem to do is hang out with their future brothers, so where does that leave us girls? Even when I see them out on weekends, they are usually too caught up in their fraternity duties to even say hi.
Will things ever return to normal? If I hear the phrase, "I have to go do something I'm not allowed to talk about with people I can't mention for I can't tell you how long" one more time, I might actually snap. Initiation could not come soon enough; I just want my guys back! So please, let things return to normal as soon as possible. If I wanted to go to an all-girls school, I would have.
— Dobias is a freshman from Fishers, Ind., majoring in political science. opinion@thedepauw.com