In the final week of January, Alex Purdy, a senior at Syracuse University (SU) about to start her final semester, uploaded a video to YouTube titled, "Why I Left My Sorority | #sororityrevamp." It calls out the issues within the Greek system, particularly those found in sororities, and has since gone viral, garnering more than 100,000 views in little over a week. The main problem Purdy experienced while part of an unnamed sorority was the lack of true sisterhood, which is what she had expected and the reason why she had joined her first year. This absence, she says, is due to her sorority sisters' "overwhelming lack of compassion for one another," which she further explains by stating, "It was surprising to hear when some of the loudest voices were saying, 'we don't want any FUPAs in the house,' or hearing sisters telling sisters to dress sluttier at the next formal so that guys like us. One of the worst was hearing a sister talk about putting Hydroxycut, a weight loss supplement, in a little's basket."

To many, the topics addressed in the video most likely do not come as a complete shock. The stereotype of the mean, superficial sorority girl is a persistent one in our culture, and it shapes the way most people outside of the Greek system view it. As a student at a women's college that has no Greek organizations on campus, I know this stereotype is one that I most likely would have held onto with my lack of exposure if it hadn't been for my best friend and my younger sister both joining the sisterhood at their respective universities. I had the unique opportunity of watching two of the most important people in my life experience being members of a sorority and the challenges that come with it. And from what I've heard, Purdy hits the nail on the head, which is why her video has garnered support from such high profile sources as Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and the "Today" show.

While there are many wonderful and supportive women in sororities, it appears that their kindness and empathetic voices are drowned out by the prolific cruelty with which some members treat each other. The louder voices are the ones shaped by internalized misogyny brought on by society's patriarchal standards. Women shame their so-called sisters for their bodies or personal choices, such as how they dress, as Purdy points out. And in addition to that, many members of sororities face mistreatment and bigotry based on their sexuality (women telling each other to dress in a way that will attract men is an example of just one possible micro aggression against a queer member), class, and race.

Thus, it is important that people in positions of power within the Greek system, sororities and fraternities alike, don't just disregard the #SororityRevamp message, as SU's Panhellenic Council has by stating, "As a community we are moving forward and focusing on all of the amazing things that the Greek Community has to offer." Purdy's call to end the Greek system's harmful culture emulates many that have come before it, and the video going viral is a good indicator of the relevance of this topic. To ignore it is to support the trauma inflicted on generations of individuals, instead of doing what should be done: a serious review of the principles and actions of a series of organizations that claim to offer friendship, support, and community service, while clearly doing the opposite by discriminating against and abusing each other.