It's that time of year for back to school, meaning it is recruitment season! To all the incoming college students who are considering rushing, I highly recommend it, because I have met my best friends through joining a sorority. However, I can't tell you how many freshmen that I have talked to that I knew in high school who are absolutely terrified of the idea recruitment and possibly joining a sorority. They think all the girls are scary and that we will judge them solely based on appearance. This is because the media has such a warped representation of what recruitment is actually like and what being in a sorority is all about; so many people are scared of recruitment and it stops them from going through rush. The media has such a different view on what Greek life is like, which hurts the Greek system and people's ideas. Yes, we do have parties and recruitment events complete with matching outfits and a chant, but not everything stereotype is accurate. Movies and the media really can have a harmful impact on the Greek system.
We actually do homework.
Movies like "Sydney White" or "Legally Blonde" portray sororities and the recruitment process very differently than is reality. In these movies, sorority girls are portrayed as airheads who don't care about school for the most part. To these girls, academics are definitely not a priority. I have had multiple girls from my high school who are considering rushing ask if we ever actually do homework. They were concerned because they might want to rush, but they still want to get good grades and be serious about school, and they think you can't do both. What is shown in these movies is completely untrue; in fact, the people I have meet thought my sorority are some of the most driven and smartest people I know, and, if anything, being in a sorority has made me more motivated to do well in school. In Greek life, you have to maintain a certain GPA, and academics are a priority. Being surrounded my so many others who are so passionate about their majors and driven to be successful has made me want to work harder and be better.
We care about more than what you look like.
Another common misconception that we have gotten from movies and the media is about the whole recruitment process. It is shown that members are chosen solely based on their looks and that the women in sororities are very judgmental and, at times, very mean. For example, in the movie "Sydney White," they didn't want to take someone because she had brown hair and they usually only accept blondes. So many people are terrified of recruitment, because they think that we will look at them and immediately make a yes or no decision. The recruitment process actually has a lot more behind the scenes than what is portrayed in movies; we actually select our members based on who they are rather than what color hair they have or what clothes they were wearing.
The truth is, yes, recruitment is a little intimidating. Meeting and talking to hundreds of girls you don't know--it can all be overwhelming. It is even overwhelming for all of us in the sororities trying to select the new members. But, not to sound cliché, it is so worth it. The people I have met and the friends I have made through Greek life are seriously some of the most amazing people I have ever met, and I might have not gotten to know them if it weren't for joining my sorority. The friends I have met have made me into the best version of myself. College can be very stressful, but having a group that you belong to with so many people you know you can count on during all the good and bad times really helps. For anyone on the fence about rushing, it is not all like what you see in the movies. College is a time to try new things, and, by rushing, you may just meet some of the best people in the world.
