Joining a sorority is the easy part. It's the explanation of why I joined that's hard. Usually, I’m flooded with questions, but occasionally the questions sway from curious to accusatory.

"You joined a sorority? You don't look like a sorority girl."

"Did you join a sorority so you can party?"

"Aren't you just paying for friends?"

1. “Of course I look like a sorority girl, I am in one!"

I understand the term "sorority girl" somehow turned derogatory, meaning that the sorority girl is blonde, stupid and just loves to party. After going through recruitment, I can say that this is wildly untrue (except for the blonde part because, yes, some girls do have blonde hair).

Each chapter is full of girls, each different in their own way (trust me, I met every single chapter going through recruitment) who are passionate about their sorority’s sisterhood and philanthropy. They all volunteer, and while there is a minimum GPA requirement to stay in each chapter, many of them go beyond that and are on the Dean’s List or in the Honors Program.

It's quite ridiculous that “sorority girl” has somehow come to mean that one stereotype. That diversity is something that everyone should remember. Saying you hate sorority girls and Greek life because you met two ladies you didn’t get along with is as ridiculous as me saying that I hate the sport of volleyball, and the players, because I’ve met a couple volleyball players I didn’t like. Don’t let the stereotypes, or your views of a few individuals, affect the way you view a chapter, sorority women or Greek life as a whole.

2. Yeah, you're right. I joined a sorority to party because no one else does that on a college campus.

It’s so sad to me all of the great things sorority women do are somehow minimized to girls who like to party. Yes, some members of a sorority do go out, but isn’t that how every college organization is going to be?

What needs to be remembered is that every member of a sorority doesn’t drink or party, because people don’t join a sorority for that reason. Women join for multiple reasons including sisterhood, philanthropy, wanting to get more involved, or for some kind of combination of reasons, but none of them are ever solely for partying.

The media is partially to blame for portraying sorority women like this, but it definitely does not help when someone sees one member of a sorority out, and then assumes that everyone in the sorority goes out. Just because one person does it, doesn’t mean that everyone in the group does, which is true in every organization.

3. So, do sorority girls pay for their friends?

We are absolutely not paying for friends. We are paying to be a part of an organization; the friends that come along the way are just an added bonus. Sure, generally people join a sorority because they want to get involved and make friends, but I don’t understand why Greek life gets the bad reputation as “paying for friends” when many other organizations work the same way.

Intramural sports, various organizations on a college campus, and even some activities like basketball and cross country camps that I did in high school all required money to do. If I pay money to join my hall’s IM sports team and I make a friend, did I pay for them? No, I paid to be on that sports team. People pay to be a part of the organization, or to be able to do the activity, not for friends.

Often, though, they join these organizations to make friends and be a part of that group, similar to the reasons why some join a sorority. Joining any sport or an organization to get involved and to make new friends is great, and that doesn’t count as “paying for friends,” so why should joining Greek life?

Sadly, when someone goes Greek, they anticipate some judgement, and these types of questions from those who don't understand it and look down on it. Hopefully, with more time, and with more people learning the truth about Greek life, people will start to realize what a beneficial experience joining Greek life can be to college students.