When it is mentioned that a girl is in a sorority the common questions are “Did you get hazed to become part of that?” Or “So you get drunk every night?” These are common misconceptions that lead to the ideas that circulate about sororities and suggest a bad reputation among those who don’t know the truths about Greek Life (specifically, sororities).
1. Sorority girls party a lot and slack off in school – Yes, every college student will go out to at least one party in their college experience, sorority women included. However, sorority women are held to a higher standard. Sororities require a specific GPA for sisters to show that school comes first. Sororities focus on school as a top requirement for all sisters. Sorority girls are students before anything else. Focusing on GPA helps sisters focus on school and balance it with their social lives with sisters and other friends.
2. Sorority girls can only be friends with sisters – It is true that sisters are typically friends with a lot of other sisters, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have friends outside of the sorority as well. Sorority sisters tend to be friends with other sisters because of the amount of bonding activities that are created to promote sisterhood and build stronger relationships. These are also skills that can be used outside of the sorority (i.e. in terms of getting a job). Many sisters were first friends with women in the sorority, which made them want to join the sisterhood.
3. Recruitment is easy – The saying “recruitment is my cardio” could not be more true. Recruitment week(s) keeps sorority sisters on their toes. Sisters have the duty to meet and get to know potential new sisters as well as coming up with activities that can be done at recruitment events. Gaining new members isn’t to simply have the most sisters in a chapter, but to recruit women with similar views and values. Therefore, creating these activities in recruitment must be fun and engaging, yet finding the best way to learn about ones’ character. Sisters must be creative and innovative.
4. Hazing – Unlike movies and TV shows, such as "Scream Queens," hazing does not happen (at Suffolk anyway, I can’t speak for other sororities). Hazing sisters is the opposite of what sororities stand for. Sisterhoods are created based on common values, which doesn’t typically include hazing each other.
5. Paying for friends – This could appear to be a true statement as sisters pay their dues to be in sororities. But, dues have nothing to do with the friendships formed between sisters within the sorority. What we pay for are the activities, supplies, t-shirts, and trips we do as an organization. We also do an immense amount of fundraising for ourselves as well as philanthropies we support.
Being in a sorority you see the ups and downs that come from being in a group of women. Just like biological sisters, sorority sisters fight occasionally or disagree on ideas. In the end, it is the values and common connection of the sorority that keeps sisters close. The good and the bad and the ability to talk about these issues are what make sorority sisters close and able to be friends. I would not change my college experience with my sorority sisters for the world.
