This weekend is the weekend that the society I am apart of, the Agora Society, get its new members! I am one of the three membership coordinators this semester and it is our job to manage and plan everything that goes into recruiting and integrating new members. Since Agora is such a huge component of my Wellesley experience I felt like it was only right to explain what societies are, why I am a part of one and what “teaing” (the process of being accepted into a society) looks like.
So, what are societies?
Societies are groups on campus that are dedicated to being 50% social and 50% academic. Each society, of which there are six, has a different academic focus:
- Agora : political
- Tau Zeta Epsilon (TZE) : arts & music
- Alpha Phi Sigma (Phi Sig) : lectures
- Zeta Alpha (ZA) : Literature
- Shakespeare Society (Shakes) : Shakespeare
- Alpha Kappa Chi (AKX) : Classics
With that being said, you don’t have to be a poli sci major to join Agora or a classics major to join AKX, the focuses are just a way of bringing people together who are passionate about a certain academic area. More information about what each society focuses on can be found here!
Why I joined Agora
I joined Agora during the spring semester of my first year. Even before I was accepted into Wellesley I planned on teaing Agora as I have always been passionate about politics. That urge to tea was only increased by the fact that the people I met at Wellesley who I wanted to be more like, clicked with or looked up to were in Agora. My Spring Open Campus host, my First Year Mentor (FYM) and a girl I went to high school with all were apart of Agora and all people I admired. When I tea-ed Agora it was because I wanted not only to be a part of this amazing group but because I also wanted to be friends with the people in the society regardless of whether or not I got in. After a year of being in Agora, I honestly can’t imagine what Wellesley is like without my Agora family.
The Teaing Process
Every semester all of the societies recruit new members through a process called “tea-ing”. While each society does different things during their teaing period, all societies use teas to get to know the people who are applying better and share the goals of their society to the tea-ers. After the teas are completed, there is an application process. It is not something that is meant to be stressful or deter people from wanting to join, but it is a way for tea-ers to learn more about the society and vice-versa.
While societies aren’t for everyone and don’t dominate the social scene, they are a great way to find like-minded people!
xoxo,
caroline