Close your eyes and imagine what you think someone in a fraternity or sorority looks like. Are the girls all polished and poised, blonde and perfect like Elle Woods? Do the boys belong to something out of "Animal House"? If you’ve answered yes to either of these, you are a perpetrator of stereotyping Greek life.
Since I joined my sorority in spring of 2013, I have had to constantly defend myself and Greek life to those that are not in it. They seem to believe that because I went Greek I pay for my friends, binge-drink multiple nights a week, and don’t care about my grades. This couldn’t be any further from the truth, not only for me but for the other hundreds of Greeks on Seton Hall’s campus. Being in a fraternity or sorority doesn’t mean that you’re part of a cult, and it doesn’t mean that mommy and daddy pay for everything. So if you’re still interested, I’d like to debunk previous notions about Greek life.
Shortly after I first joined my sorority, a family member asked if I needed friends so bad that I had to pay for them. The outrage I felt silenced me in utter disbelief. Looking back, I realize how wrong that person was. The individuals I have met through being Greek, who have changed my life, have showed me my true potential and encouraged me to take everything I can do to the fullest. They picked me up when I was at my worst and made me realize that my best truly wasn’t my best, that I could go further than I ever dreamed if I just believed in myself. Now I have confidence and a voice, something that I seriously lacked in high school. The money I pay every semester doesn’t pay for my friends because they are worth far, far more than that. I pay for sisterhood events, philanthropy causes, National dues, and more. Everything I pay to the sorority comes out of my own pocket too.
When I first told my parents I wanted to go Greek, they were non-supportive and told me if I wanted to pursue it then I would have to pay for it myself. Every summer I work 60-plus hours a week to have enough money to cover the costs for the year. Other sisters babysit multiple nights a week or waitress to pay for dues. I’m not saying that there weren’t parents that paid for their child’s dues--there are--but more often than not it’s because they want their child to be able to focus on school rather than worry about how they’re going to pay for dues. Speaking of school, not many Greeks perform poorly in academics.
Some of the smartest and most driven individuals I have met at Seton Hall are in Greek life. My best friend is a member of the Delta Epsilon Sigma Catholic Honor Society, has a 3.8 GPA, and maintains an internship with an up-and-coming PR company in New York City. Another friend graduated summa cum laude as a dual-degree student in biology and physical therapy while being the head of two organizations on campus. Greek students on average perform better academically than non-Greeks. Even at Seton Hall, the Greek GPA is higher than the campus average. If you are a Greek and your GPA falls under a 2.5, you are forced to go academically inactive until you can bring your GPA up. This is because we know that were are at college to receive an education first, and that takes priority over anything else we do.
If you scroll through any Greek member’s Instagram or Facebook you will find pictures of them at parties or at a bar, but think logically about the situation. Are you going to Instagram a picture of your books and Dunkin' coffee when you’re dying in the library at 1 a.m.? If you do then that’s totally cool too. Just check out the library any night of the week and I can assure you that you can find multiple Greeks there studying or writing papers.
Before you judge Greek life, get to know multiple members first. I can assure you that they’re probably going to be some of the most well-rounded people you meet. We are not just defined by the letters we wear on our chests. We are students, we are philanthropists, we are athletes, we are leaders, we are Greek.
