We’ve all seen and heard the ridiculous stereotypes placed upon sorority girls. One of those being that all sorority girls are the same. I recently heard the remark, “You meet one of them; you meet them all,” which I can promise you is 100% inaccurate. Sorority girls are continually misjudged and the good things they do in most cases go unnoticed. The media portrays Greek Life in a not so positive light. There are constant stories in the news about frat parties gone wrong or movies mocking Greek life stereotypes, and it's not fair.
Yes, sorority sisters have many things in common, but why are they ridiculed for it? Sports teams, clubs, bands, and many more groups share things in common too. Groups similar to these speak alike, dress alike, and can sometimes look alike yet they are not criticized for it. Similarities amongst groups of people are what ultimately brings them together and makes them friends.
Our sorority is much closer than most. My group of friends, in particular, can sometimes say the same things, like the same things, and dress similar because we all share similar interests; however, that does not mean that each of us is not individually different and most definitely not “stereotypical sorority girls.”
In our sorority, we have such a diverse group of girls. We have athletes and we have a collection of majors such as Biology, History, Chemistry, Social Work, Education, and much more. We have girls from out of state and girls from in state. We have girls who like to work out, play sports, hunt, fish, sing, shop, read, write, watch Netflix, nap, study; you name it.
When people think of girls in sororities, they think of what the media constructs them to be and picture girls in giant sorority houses drinking Mimosas and reading Cosmo while tanning, rather than the good things they do.
Meanwhile, philanthropies are perhaps the best-hidden aspect of Greek Life. Most chapters find involvement in some philanthropic endeavor. Some Greek chapters raise thousands of dollars for their philanthropies. I think that people should stop ridiculing girls in sororities based on stereotypes; it's time that we remind them of the good things that sorority girls do.
My sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha has three Philanthropic Partners: Girls on the Run International, S. June Smith Center, and the Special Olympics. This week our sorority had a table outside of the student center where people could donate a dollar to the Special Olympics, which is one of our Philanthropies. In return, we went and Christmas caroled to them, or they could send us to a friend. What people do not realize is that sororities aren't just in place to "pay for your friends" but rather find life-long friendships with those who share the same values as you do. Together, sorority girls make a difference.
It is sad that those in Greek Organizations are constantly explaining themselves and the good things that they do. We can only hope that of these days the media will start showing news stories about how much time and money a Greek Organization raised for their philanthropy rather than showing a story that portrays all of Greek Life in a negative light.
