Greek legacies can 'keep it in the family'
Michal Elseth
Issue date: 1/29/09 Section: Focus
Vivian and PeggyDee Jago may have very different personalities - Vivian, a junior, is lady-like, while freshman PeggyDee is a self-confessed rebel - but they finish each other's sentences with a slight Southern drawl as they eagerly share about Greek life. They are two of the four Jago sisters, all of whom have come to Hillsdale.
All four belong to Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. So do their mother and three aunts.
Many at Hillsdale are legacy students, and the Greek system is no exception. Four Kappa Kappa Gamma and three Pi Beta Phi sorority legacies pledged this year with sisters still at Hillsdale.
Most legacy students who go Greek decide to join the same house as their siblings, but the decision is still not an easy one.
PeggyDee said even though all her sisters have gone Kappa Kappa Gamma at Hillsdale, she wasn't sure she wanted to do the same thing, since she's usually the one to do something different.
"I was a little opposed to the idea," she said. "I didn't want to join just because my sisters did. I wanted it to be my own choice."
PeggyDee's sisters fully supported her and never pressured her to join; she said the decision was entirely hers. The personality of the girls in the house was what made her decision in the end.
Vivian said though her situation was different from PeggyDee's - their sister Margaret was studying abroad Vivian's first semester, so she didn't have the influence of meeting older girls in the sorority before rushing - she also knew she wanted to be in Kappa Kappa Gamma because of the people.
"It fit my personality," she said. "All the houses are wonderful, but Kappa just seemed like the right fit."
Christine and Caroline Cheatum also both belong to Kappa Kappa Gamma. They are best friends and spend a lot of time together, and unlike the Jagos, Caroline said having a sister in the sorority was a big factor for her.
"It definitely made a difference," she said. "I think it's cool you can keep it in the family like that."
All four belong to Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. So do their mother and three aunts.
Many at Hillsdale are legacy students, and the Greek system is no exception. Four Kappa Kappa Gamma and three Pi Beta Phi sorority legacies pledged this year with sisters still at Hillsdale.
Most legacy students who go Greek decide to join the same house as their siblings, but the decision is still not an easy one.
PeggyDee said even though all her sisters have gone Kappa Kappa Gamma at Hillsdale, she wasn't sure she wanted to do the same thing, since she's usually the one to do something different.
"I was a little opposed to the idea," she said. "I didn't want to join just because my sisters did. I wanted it to be my own choice."
PeggyDee's sisters fully supported her and never pressured her to join; she said the decision was entirely hers. The personality of the girls in the house was what made her decision in the end.
Vivian said though her situation was different from PeggyDee's - their sister Margaret was studying abroad Vivian's first semester, so she didn't have the influence of meeting older girls in the sorority before rushing - she also knew she wanted to be in Kappa Kappa Gamma because of the people.
"It fit my personality," she said. "All the houses are wonderful, but Kappa just seemed like the right fit."
Christine and Caroline Cheatum also both belong to Kappa Kappa Gamma. They are best friends and spend a lot of time together, and unlike the Jagos, Caroline said having a sister in the sorority was a big factor for her.
"It definitely made a difference," she said. "I think it's cool you can keep it in the family like that."
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