One of the most googled questions I had this summer was "feminist sorority girls". While this sounds incredibly odd and random subject to become attached to, I was somewhat fascinated with the idea of being a part of a sorority. My biggest qualm and fear of being involved had to do with the possibility of rejection and lack of acceptance within this group. The pre-conceived notions of greek life that I'd had were based off of the stereotypes I had seen in pop culture, as well as the stereotypes that I was around in the South.
The emphasis on looks that I had been increasingly around during my time living in Texas caused me to believe that I wasn't "fill-in-the-blank" enough to join a sisterhood of women. I have always thought of myself as outside-of-the-box and prescribed to the idea that I would never want to be involved in such a group. But the truth of the matter is that I have never felt more empowered and proud to be a woman in my entire life. Joining Sigma Kappa at the University of Oregon is a decision that I have yet to regret.
Founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Sigma Kappa began as an effort for the only five young women on campus to form their 'mystic bond' as we call it. These women were the first women ever to attend Colby College, and therefore likely felt isolated on campus. Ida Fuller Pierce, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Frances Mann Hall, Louise Helen Coburn, and Mary Low Caffrey all began this sisterhood on behalf of themselves and to make themselves feel at home on campus. The women had to submit an extensive request to start the sorority and prepared a request for the administration to read through. It is for this very reason that Sigma Kappa and sororities like it are representations and products of feminism. The five of them wanted equal rights and as much representation on campus as possible, and they got it.
The five founders of Sigma Kappa
The history of Sigma Kappa (and sororities in general) is one of the biggest reasons why I joined in the first place. The idea that these women had their own society purely for the sake of bonding with and being around other women is extraordinary to me. I am one piece of the puzzle, and knowing the humble backgrounds from where it began makes me that much more determined to continue to be a proud Sigma Kappa woman and Feminist. Sisterhood is so much more than it seems. To me, it's about making inseparable bonds, lifting each other up, and of course having fun. Most importantly (in my opinion), it's about women uplifting other women--and that, my friends, is what the basic definition of feminism is all about.
Love to all of the other doves out there. One heart, one way.
