"At the end of the day, what do we really have? When you take away money, status, fame, and power, all that's left are those who stuck around. The only thing we really have inthis life are the people we choose to share it with." - Cimorelli
To me, this quote is what I think being a part of a sorority is really about. All you really have are those who are there for you and for me that's my family. My biological one and my sorority. I don't know about you but I've got 30+ sisters who've got my back, who has yours?
You probably think you've got us all figured out. That because you saw that one tv show/movie that portrayed us as stuck up girls who get everything handed to them or that because you saw a heartbreaking story on the news about a college girl being hazed during her sorority recruitment that we must all be the same. You jump so easily to stereotype me for being a part of something that I love but yet you don't even know me. You don't know anything about me to judge me, to judge us. But if there is one thing I've learned during my nineteen short years on this planet, is that we like to judge. We judge people every day, we judge people after just one look. I like to think that we judge others because we don't understand them. You judge us because you don't understand us and that's okay. To be completely honest, we judge you because we can't understand why you can't look past how we are portrayed by the media to understand what Greek life is really about. We aren't what you think, I swear.
1. "You know you're gonna get hazed, right?"
Hazing is a concern for all Greek life and most sororities and fraternities have a zero tolerance rule for hazing, but this is still the most popular rumor about us. It's why we are portrayed so badly to the public via tv shows/ movies. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it doesn't happen because it does. The history of most sororities and fraternities will have hazing and it's not something we are proud of, but it happened and we can't change the past but most can say that it will never happen again in the future.2. "You're all the Same."
We aren't. Trust me on this. I get access to a wide diverse group of ladies, all with their own personalities and experiences and in the end, I found my home in Theta Phi Alpha. I can honestly say that if I hadn't joined my chapter then I wouldn't interact or befriend half of the ladies who I hold near and dear to my heart. I've learned so many things from my sisters that I wouldn't have known otherwise. Personally, my chapter has girls with many different personalities (everything from tomboys to girly girls) and I love how we are all so diverse yet, we come together to form a strong sisterhood.
3. "Why do you Pay for your Friends?"
Yes, we are expected to pay our dues (and yes, they are expensive), but we definitely are not paying for our friends. Our dues go towards events we do together as a chapter. The money is used for so many different things like philanthropies, sisterhood events, socials with Greek and non-Greek organizations, fundraisers and much more. We use the money to fund everything we do as a chapter. Instead of having surprise fees, we choose to pay one sum of money so that we are not blindsided in the end. I mean how is this any different from that $50 gym membership that you have but never use.
4. "All you ever do is Party."
How you chose to spend your weekend is your own choice but it has nothing to do with the sorority and for what it stands for. If you've seen the Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising movie that came out the summer of 2016 then you probably got the idea that sororities only want to party. I mean if it's in a movie then it must be true, right? Wrong. While the whole idea of the movie was about a sorority who just wanted to party, we aren't actually like that. Believe it or not but tv shows and movies aren't always right about how they portray things. Now I'm not gonna say we don't party, I mean we are in college, so it's kind of expected for college students to party. Yes, there will be some girls who just so happen to be in a sorority who like to party, but that's not always the case, my sorority twin/ best friend/ roommate HATES parties and she refuses to go to one. That's her choice, just like its a choice for everyone else. Being in a sorority doesn't mean you have to party.
5. "You're friends have to be Greeks."
Okay, here's the thing. I personally am very involved within the Greek community on my campus, so I mainly associate with other Greeks on campus. I can say 85% of my friends are a part of Greek life but I also have friends who aren't apart of Greek life. My other best friend is a non-Greek and I love her! We hang out all the time. I know this situation differs for everyone, it's really a personal preference on who you befriend, but we aren't limited to only having friends who are Greeks.
6. "You aren't gonna have a life outside of your sorority."
This is so not true! Yes, sororities are very time-consuming and you learn to become VERY good on how to manage your time, but I have a life outside of my sisters. While I can't always go with my non-Greek friends to Country Kitchen for a last minute, spur of the moment meal because I have chapter meeting or because I have a philanthropy to attend, I still make sure I make time for my friends outside of my sorority. (This sentence is really long) My planner has become my lifeline because it is such a useful tool for managing my time. I suggest purchasing a good planner if you chose to join a sorority then you'll thank me later.
Like I said, we like to judge. I've been judged because I'm in a sorority and I know other ladies have been judged too. One day I hope that people will stop assuming that I am defined by my sorority. I am my own individual and I am also apart of a sorority. I hope this has changed your opinion on sororities because we are nothing like you think. Give us a chance, befriend us, learn who we are as people, get to know me before you judge me.
The thing about sororities are that you become a part of something bigger than yourself, I've got thousands of sisters nationwide. Being a part of Theta Phi Alpha has made me the best version of myself, it's offered leadership experience, community service, and so much more. I haven't regretted my decision and I never will. I wish everyone could experience this and that is the honest truth. That's the sorority truth.
