Left to right: Mae Norman, HPU graduate Alana Esposito and Rachel Shutt posed together in Mae's house.

Sorority life gives an only child a huge family

A week with Mae Norman

By: Bryan Rothamel

Posted: 1/30/09

Sunday night is finally here for Mae Norman. It has been a rough day for the High Point University senior.

Early in the morning she was woken by her roommate, Melissa. Melissa needed Mae to drive her to the emergency room because of excruciating pain in her abdomen. Mae had three hours of rest and for a sleep-deprived college student sleep would be assumed to come first. Mae sat in the waiting room for six hours to find out Melissa had kidney stones.

Mae has a deeper connection with Melissa than just roommates. Both are sisters in Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. They are two of almost 45 sisters.

That's a big change for Mae. She is an only child and still close to her parents. Until college she had never spent an extended amount of time away from home. Now, she's about 30 minutes away from home.

To Mae, High Point became home and one big family.

Leaving Lewisville was rough for Mae. She left early in August 2005 to get to High Point.

"Mom wanted to be the first one in line," Mae remembers of the day.

They pulled up to Yadkin Hall and noticed she was on the third floor, which was four flights up because of the exposed basement. No elevators and more than 200 other freshmen women were moving in as well.

After the Orientation Crew helped her bring her stuff into her new dorm, Mae immediately began spreading her green and pink accessories all over her side of the dual occupancy room.

Her roommate saw things a bit different. Two weeks into the year, her roommate finally finished moving in, Mae remembers. That proved things were going to be different than Mae had ever experienced before.

Tuesday Mae enjoys "Chapter Lunch" with her sorority sisters. Huddled around three tables in the Cafe, the proud sorority talks about everything from upcoming school events to hair woes.

Many of the women ask how Melissa is doing. She has been to the doctor's office a few times with Mae's assistance.

After enjoying each other's company, Mae moves to the second floor of the Slane Student Center. Outside of the campus Starbucks, she picks up a Greensboro News and Record.

She comments on an article here, an article there. "Oh look, High Point University," Mae says when she noticed a High Point University advertisement on page three in the A section. To Mae, reading the paper is a daily habit.

Huddled around are a few fellow senior Alpha Gams. Christian and Sarah sit on either side of her. The only junior, Ashley, sits across from Mae. Senior Brittany Crews pulls up a chair to join the four.

Brittany was the AGD president for a year and another roommate to Mae. They have had an up and down history together.

Freshman year, both women lived in Yadkin Hall. The residential hall made it easy to find friends because of the community bathroom living style. The residents became friends but also made a few enemies.

The hall had two major circles of friends that did not like each other. Mae was in one of them with her hall neighbors. She was very close to those around her but they ended up transferring from HPU or dropping out.

Brittany was in the other circle. Like Mae, Brittany was close to her hall neighbors and her friends also ended up transferring.

Mae and Brittany hated each other, but second semester of that first year they both became sisters in AGD. "I remembered hating my life knowing she was going to be one of my sisters," Mae said.

After the pledging period they began to get to know each other. From then on they were best friends and sisters. They lived across the hall from each other for their sophomore year. The past two years they have been in the sorority house together.

Thursday night is the "Grey's" night, where sisters stop by the house to watch ABC's show, "Grey's Anatomy." Two other sisters come to the house to watch the show. Mae sits on one of the armchairs while Ashley sits next to Melissa, who is still ill. Melissa has a plate of food Mae put together for her dinner. Christian sits across from Mae in another armchair and next to Christian is a seat reserved for Brittany, who is coming home from work.

The show has not started but they huddle around the TV 20 minutes early to make sure they don't miss any of it. Mae and Christian sip on a small glass of wine as they debate last week's episode.

Ashley is having the most trouble remembering the show's story and Mae quickly reminds them, dating back a few weeks prior. The "Previously on Grey's" doesn't suffice for these fanatics.

The first five minutes of the show they all sit, eyes staring towards the television set. No one moves and no one talks during the opening scenes. At the first commercial break Brittany joins the group and they begin debating the show.

Mae begins, "I could use a two hour special every week." Whether that is because of the show itself or the event she makes of it doesn't become quite obvious.

The show begins again and they turn their attention back to the set. The rain outside is deafening, making it seem that someone is breaking into the house. They don't divert their attention. Another break comes.

One watcher says, "I definitely heard something." Grey's Anatomy is too important to divert their stares from the screen. After an inspection outside of the house they realize the source of the sound. The show is back on.

As the show comes to its dramatic end, Mae changes her seating posture. After the show's cliffhanger ending they come to one conclusion, "We have to watch next week!"

They gathered for the show but no one leaves when it is over. Mae checks on Melissa and they all just sit around and talk.

It is just a normal week for Mae. Alpha Gam sisters to begin the week, Alpha Gam sisters to end the week. Pretty good for someone who came to High Point University scared of leaving her family. HPU gave her another family full of a bunch of sisters.