If you ask any member of the Greek community if they know what "TSM" stands for, nine times out of 10, someone will say, "total sorority move." These three words can lead to a variety of thoughts, the most notable one being the actual website that started this trend.
It's common, these days, to go on your Twitter or Instagram newsfeed and see numerous posts with #TSM. A great deal of the time the association that comes with a TSM is the way a member of a sorority presents themselves to the world. Some notable examples of this consist of wearing pearls, going to chapter with your Lilly Pulitzer planner and putting a cocktail sticker on the dates you have a social, posting a picture of your morning Starbucks, partaking in baking and cleaning of some sort, crafting with glitter -- lots and lots of glitter -- and professing your love for wine and then bedazzling the bottle afterwards to display around your apartment.
While these can all be activities enjoyed amongst women in any organization, it seems extremely belittling to characterize a sorority woman in such a manner. It's perfectly acceptable if these are common interests one holds. But to characterize the entire community as one entity is a little strange. There are so many fantastic women in my circle of friends, alone, who fall into all types of categories. Some do like to craft and bake. There are are also some who like to sing, dance, get facial piercings and tattoos, read books, dye their hair fun colors, or go on hikes and camp in the woods. It's such a jungle of variety out there and that's what should be rejoiced in. That's why the biggest TSM of all is to not follow TSM.
Every woman who enters the Greek community is, first and foremost, an individual. Every human being in this world has a variety of skills, quirks, and qualities that will help them find success in life. The reason one should join a sorority is to harness these wonderful traits and grow from them, not subdue those unique characteristics. Instead, we should be embracing and shining a light on them.
It's disheartening to hear a woman not want to be involved in Greek life because she doesn't think it's for her. This shouldn't be the initial thought. Just because someone doesn't want to carry a designer bag or have the straightest, blondest hair, it doesn't mean they wouldn't be a strong contribution to our community.
Being a Greek woman means becoming better than who you used to be. It means focusing on your academics, supporting philanthropies, and reaching out to others. It also means to revel in your differences and add something new to the table.
My biggest hope is that, one day, we'll see this post on The Wall:
"Expressing our individuality, celebrating our differences, and bettering ourselves. TSM."
