I waited until my sophomore year to go Greek, and to be completely honest, I wish I hadn’t waited. Joining my chapter was the best decision I ever made. It was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I’ve never been the type of girl to have a lot of girl friends, and now I have 117 sisters. I love the feeling of walking into our house and knowing everyone in it, and knowing that they’ll be there whenever I need them. No matter where I go, I’m wearing my letters either around my neck (thanks, Big), on my clothes, or I’m driving my car that has ‘ZTA’ written across the back window.
I know it's cliché, but you really don’t understand it until you become a part of it, and that’s the worst part. Telling the people I surrounded myself with that I was planning on going Greek was rough. Some had a lot of judgement, others had a lot of questions, and my personal favorite, “You don’t look like a sorority girl.”
What does a sorority girl look like? Please explain this to me. Yes, there are those chapters that all look exactly alike, and there are also chapters that look nothing alike. Neither are bad, neither are the definition of what a sorority girl should look like. A sorority girl looks like a girl, just like a fraternity man looks like a man. There are girls in my chapter that live in XL shirts, leggings, and Nike shorts, (@ me) and there are girls who buy their shirts in the correct size and wear actual pants. Does that make them less of a ‘sorority girl’, because they’re not exactly like everyone else? Being Greek and wearing letters doesn’t shouldn’t change who you are.
“But, you’re not the kind of girl to spend your college days getting drunk and not going to class, you’re too smart to be a sorority girl.” First of all, WHAT? It’s scientifically proven that Greek affiliated students hold a higher GPA than non-Greek students, because we are required to maintain a decent grade-point average and we have mandatory study hours, so saying that someone is ‘too smart’ to be Greek is ridiculous. My grades, and my motivation to stay in school, and not drop out to pursue my dream of crazy homeless dog-mom, has sky-rocketed since I have been required to actually sit down and do my homework. Being a member of this organization has increased my GPA, as well as my brain’s retention rate.
“So, all you do is get drunk and party now, right?” Hold the phone. The one thing I would love to understand is how being a sorority woman automatically categorizes me, and the rest of my Panhellenic sisters, as incapable, unintelligent, alcoholic sleezeballs. I mean yeah, there are girls who act in a way that damages our reputation, but they’re human and learn from their mistakes. I realize the media’s portrayal of Greek life (ex: Greek, Legally Blonde, Sydney White, Van Wylder, American Pie, Animal House, the list goes on forever) may make it seem like all we do is party and do stupid things but it is, to an extent, very inaccurate.
Yes, fraternities throw parties and there tends to be more alcohol consumed on Greek Row than other places on campus, but that isn’t all we, as a whole, do in our free time. Each chapter has a minimum and very, very mandatory amount of service hours dedicated to raise money for whatever their philanthropy is. Some chapters hold week-long competitions that include all of the other Greek organizations, (Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, ZTA’s Think Pink Week, Alpha Phi’s Go Red Week) and other chapters raise money on their own (Pi Kappa Alpha’s Teeter Totter for MDA, Pi Kappa Phi’s Marathon of Miracles, Pi Beta Phi’s Lemonade for Literacy). We all have a mission within our chapter to help raise money and awareness for something bigger than ourselves, and whether we realize it or not, we’re making a difference in someone else’s life.
“You’re just paying for your friends.” No, no, I’m paying my dues to wear my letters, know the secrets of my beloved fraternity and to be a part of something bigger than myself, my friends are just a bonus. And if I am “paying for my friends” I am definitely not paying enough. Shout out to the squad.
I hate being a ‘sorority girl’ because no one, besides others who are members of a Greek organization know how much time, effort and emotion goes into each chapter. I chose my sorority because I knew the women I was choosing to surround myself with would help me grow into the woman I knew I could be, but never would have had the self-confidence to grow into on my own. I wouldn’t have been able to survive the last two semesters without the love and support of my chapter, and I can assure you I am not the first or the last to say something along those lines. So, before you put a woman down for being a member of Greek life, think about this article, and don’t be a jerk.
