Typical response from people when asked why they don’t want to join a Greek organization: “I’m not the ‘sorority’ type.” What exactly is the "sorority type" anyway? Do you think we party too much? That we’re bitchy? That we are paying for our friends? That we’re all blonde? I have been a part of a sorority chapter for almost three years now and have been generalized and stereotyped more than just a few times. As a woman who has done nothing but benefit from this great organization that I am a part of, it hurts that such a negative light is being shed on the aspect of my college experience that I am the most proud of.

Think about the typical sorority girl you have seen all over the movie screens: blonde, big boobs, short skirt, flirtatious laugh and air-filled brain. (See: Legally Blonde) It is a shame that Hollywood portrays sororities with such a singular lense. The negative videos and articles that have surfaced in the media more recently haven’t helped. For someone who isn't Greek, I can see how it would be easy to classify a sorority girl as a specific type of person, but I want to set the record straight. Are there going to be girls like that in the Greek community? Possibly. Does that mean that we are all that way? Absolutely not.

First, I would like to clarify that there are aspects of my everyday life that some would say are expected of a girl in a sorority: I wear my letters on a daily basis. I like to craft. I drink Starbucks. I like bows and pink and sparkles and boys. Is there anything wrong with that? No. Are there reasons these things aren’t okay just because I am in a sorority? No. Do they define who I am as a person or the chapter that I am a member of? No.

There are some much more positive characteristics of my chapter that I would like to shed light on. We are actively involved in a philanthropy that we are deeply passionate about. We work hard and spend long nights at the library to perform well in school. We provide an amazing support system for one another. We offer a place where girls can feel like they belong, especially in those first few weeks of college when you can feel so lost. We are a diverse group of women who offer bids to girls of all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities.

So yes, you can judge my monogrammed laptop and Lily Pulitzer planner. Make fun of our themed parties and our Big-Little reveal. Joke about our rituals and chapter meetings. Just don’t classify our members with one general, negative label. We are all human beings who want to be a part of an organization that is greater than ourselves. If that is what it means to pay for your friends, then I guess I don’t mind.