To the critics,

Let me first start by saying that I in no way intend to offend anyone or denounce any opinions, I simply hope to put to rest some of the stereotypes that haunt Greek Life. The depictions of Greek organizations are so negative and well-known that by now, I'm certain I've heard all of the stereotypes (probably more than once). I’d like to begin by saying that I completely understand where you can find the validation to look down upon us. Groups like Total Sorority Move, Total Frat Move, and Old Row tend to shine a very bright light on the darker edges of our spectrum. They find the most outrageous, out of control individuals and highlight them as idols of the Greek world (individuals being the key word here). That is not what Greek life is as a whole, so please don't take these images and stories to heart.

One of the biggest judgments that people have when they hear “Greek Life” is that we are simply just paying for our friends, and that couldn't be any further from the truth. I joined a Greek organization because I felt a true bond with every single active member that I met during recruitment. Though they were all unique individuals that brought something special to the table, collectively they shared the same values and were stronger as a unit. We join because these people, over the course of our time in the organization, become our brothers and sisters, but more importantly they become family. These are the women that will be standing next to me on my wedding day; these are the friendships that will last a lifetime, and they are the sisters that I never had. No monetary value can be placed on that. As far as money goes, another popular criticism we often hear is that we are simply spoiled, privileged kids in designer clothing sending our dues to our parents to be paid. Incorrect. Look deeper into any organization and you'll find that there are athletes, leaders of the student body and scholars, well over half of whom are working at least one job on top of their academic load all while paying their dues themselves. Now that's not to say that some don't have their dues paid for, or that our parents don't help us out every now and then (we really do appreciate all that you do; thanks, Mom and Dad). My campus is filled with responsible, hard-working students who take their expenses into their own hands.

Now when we aren't riding around our college towns in our Range Rovers (a girl can dream, right?), we notice that many people tend to think we’re just partying our lives away. Let's be honest; I can't sit here and tell you that there aren't parties and socials, but then again, I can't tell you that I know of one person that goes out every single night. Believe it or not, we understand that one of the main reasons we are at college is to further our education. We value the idea of success, and there are so many opportunities within our chapters to thrive and grow as individuals. Greek organizations allow us to succeed while in college, but also allow us to make connections that can aid in finding that next step after graduation. All of this would be extremely hard to do if we were dragging ourselves back to the houses every day at the crack of dawn, am I right?

Though all of these stereotypes (and plenty more) are in fact false, I think that the one that digs the deepest is that there simply isn't anything to gain from a Greek organization other than a few thousand t-shirts. While I have accumulated a few more t-shirts I will admit, this couldn't be any further from the truth. Greeks take pride in our organizations--the values that coincide with the letters we proudly wear on our chests and the philanthropies we affiliate ourselves with. We spend countless hours raising millions of dollars each year to benefit our philanthropies: Girl Scouts of America, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Feeding America, the list goes on and on. The time spent working with our philanthropies is truly life-changing, and even better than that, aside from those philanthropies, many of us volunteer and become involved in our college town communities. Outsiders think that we are only changing the lives of those impacted by our philanthropic work when in reality it's a two-way street. I have grown in a number of ways throughout my time in my organization thus far. I’ve gained confidence in myself, public presence and speaking skills, and I’ve become a better, more well-rounded person all thanks to my organization and the Greek community that surrounds me. I have gained more from my organization than I ever thought possible.

My intention is again, not to criticize your thoughts, but to hopefully inspire you to look at us differently. There is so much more to Greek Life than you can imagine and it's often hard to explain because it is so special. I do encourage you, the next time you see someone wearing their letters, stop and talk to them, ask questions. We all have a story on why we chose to go Greek, but more importantly, why we choose to stay Greek.

Sincerely,

The Greeks