Greek life is often seen by outsiders as people paying for friends because they can't seem to get any on their own. We are often cliched as students who pay for people to hang out with us, wear shirts three sizes too big, judge everybody, have eating disorders because we all have to be skinny and look like models, aren't smart, our parents pay for everything, and the list goes on and on. But what people don't realize is that Greek life isn't meant to be any of these cliches. In fact, most of the time the students in these organizations are the exact opposite.
Speaking personally, I have many friends outside of my Greek organization. Whether they be students in other Greek organizations, other clubs, sports, or maybe not even part of anything at all. I am friends with such a diverse group of people because I'm not selective or judgmental of anybody, and I know this applies to most of the women in my sorority as well. As for the giant shirts, I do wear t-shirts larger than my original size, that is true. But go ahead and hate on that style all you want, because i'm comfy and that's all that matters to me!
I'm also going to be straight forward and say that I don't have a very skinny body type (well, I'm in shape if you consider round a shape). But, I am comfortable in my own skin and that’s something every woman deserves to feel. I don't worry about what I'm eating because honestly, I love food and I'm not afraid to admit that. I live for the 20 piece nugget meal at McDonald's! And if there is anyone out there reading this that's in a sorority and struggling with an eating disorder, that's okay. You aren’t defined by it and you shouldn’t be made into a cliche either. It isn’t something to joke about. Body shaming, whether in regards to “skinny” or “fat” shouldn't be tolerated... but that’s a subject for another day.
And yeah, maybe my parents do pay for most everything I have. They pay for my college, my housing, my car, my phone bill, and even give me cash on the side sometimes. But I’m not ashamed of that. I'm actually very blessed that I'm lucky enough to have parents that support me in the ways they do. But I still work and pay bills and know the value of a dollar. Actually, many of the women in my sorority do financially support themselves and pay for their own college. I even have a sister that supports herself AND her daughter all the while in numerous organizations, holding an officer position in our sorority and working multiple jobs. So go talk to her about why "being in a sorority means your parents pay for everything", because you will be sadly mistaken.
Through my sorority I have learned to be confident and to always trust myself above all else. I have learned to confide in my strengths and lean on others where I am weak. I have learned to be courageous enough to stand tall for what others might stand against and to be the voice for those who might not have one. I have learned to always be loyal to those who are loyal to you and the biggest lesson I've learned is love yourself. All of this coming from a girl who struggled with finding herself up until college and who never believed she could truly amount to much or be seen as "beautiful." My sorority as instilled a faith in myself I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else.
So before you fall into believing Greek life is exactly what you see in movies and read about in books, remember that there's always a lot more happening on the inside than you can actually tell from being on the outside. And to my fellow girls in pearls, XI TIL I DIE! (FFTO)
