Erin Corcoran's Senior Speech

"My house is me, and I am it. My house is where I like to be, and looks like all of my dreams."

I can tell you from personal experience that a sorority is much more than a house. It is a home, and it has been my home now for three years. Of course, this transformation from house to home did not happen instantaneously.

It was sophomore year when I moved into the house and when I began to find some of my best friends. As unlikely as it may sound, I met one of my best friends from college, and from Alpha Chi, in our TV room while watching the movie Beaches during New Student Week. Now, if you have never seen this movie, it is probably one of the cheesiest and saddest movies that I have every seen. Thus, there were tears. This was one of the first moments that I truly felt a part of, and at home in, Alpha Chi. From this moment, I was able to open my eyes and see how special Alpha Chi was and how lucky I was to be a part of it.

I have been able to experience so many things that I would not have had the chance to experience if it had not been for Alpha Chi. I spontaneously road-tripped to Michigan this fall with three other Alpha Chis for a football game -- without tickets, a place to stay, or any basic formulation of a plan. The lack of plans added a little adventure, which ended with us visiting a White Castle in some random town in Indiana and meeting some interesting Michigan students. Spring quarter sophomore year, I got lost in the cornfields of Indiana while trying to find Purdue in the middle of the night on the way to a concert. I recently shared a not-so-classy hotel room in San Antonio with five other Alpha Chis to cheer on Northwestern at the Alamo Bowl. With the cramped rooms came a lot of fun on the Riverwalk, at the Alpha Chi tailgate (which involved alumni and current students), and at the game, despite Northwestern's tough loss. I also was lucky enough to represent Northwestern and Alpha Chi when "Wheel of Fortune" filmed shows in Chicago last year. The experience involved waiting in lines for hours with 12 other Alpha Chis and learning a lot about each other as we moved through various security checkpoints.

I will say that for all of the amazing opportunities I have experienced because of Alpha Chi, what makes the experience are my sisters. To you, the term "sister" may sound a bit overdramatic or a little cheesy. But I am here to tell you that I would do anything for any of the women standing around this room, and I know that they would do the same for me. These women are amazing, and I probably would have never met the majority of them if it hadn't been for Alpha Chi.

These women have made my college experience better in many ways. There's my friend Karolyn, who finally forced me to watch High School Musical , which I, of course, became obsessed with. There's Allison, a journalism major who proofreads everything I write, including this speech. And of course, there's our House Mom, Mellie, who has truly become a part of my family, and who always has an open door and some bite-sized pieces of chocolate to share. These are just some of the amazing people I call my sisters.

I could say something about every person in our house. I think this is what makes us special. We are all genuinely friends and truly like to be around one another. I would have to say that even though I have had some great memories, the memories that I will cherish as I enter the real world next year are those that were not planned. They are the ones that occurred while watching TV with a group of people. They are the 3 am conversations in the dining room after an eventful evening or a late night of studying. These are the moments that I am going to miss.

"My house is me, and I am it. My house is where I like to be, and looks like all of my dreams."

I hope that you find your home so that in four years, you can talk to the freshmen going through recruitment about how a group of friends, and sisters, can truly impact your life in four short years. I will warn you, though: Even if you think that you have a lot of time left at Northwestern, it is never enough. I am excited for the next chapter of my life, but the last four years will be hard to beat, and went away too fast. Cherish the time you have in Evanston, at Northwestern, and hopefully, as an Alpha Chi.