This past year, Greek life as a whole has been getting a really bad rep. We opened up the 2014- 2015 school year with a UVA fraternity suffering from drug-related rape allegations and a WVU pledge passing away on his bid night with a 0.49 BAC. We then began 2015 with a bang, with six University of Michigan fraternities and sororities being suspended after causing more than $75,000 worth of damage at different hotels. Media outlets have leeched on to these stories, labeling Greeks as "disgusting," "spoiled" and "entitled." However, these attacks by media (and people in general) aren't limited to just the specific fraternal organizations on their respective campuses, as they should be. 

Greek life as a whole has suffered from the actions of a few. As I scroll through social media outlets like Yik Yak and Twitter, I see nothing but hate. As a member of Greek life, it can be hard to read such horrible things, as most of the things said are either over exaggerated or completely false. So, as an "insider," I thought it would be best to clear up some common, and hateful, misconceptions. 

Let's start with a favorite attack: that kids involved in Greek life are spoiled, out of touch rich kids. This one never fails to make me laugh. Yes, fraternities and sororities cost money, and sometimes lots of it. And yes, some kids in Greek life come from families of privilege. However, this is not the norm. Most members come from middle to upper middle class families. There are payment plans that members can and do use, to help with the cost. Hell, my parents, like many, expect me to pay for my own dues. This idea that we all live off of Mommy and Daddy's money, spend our summers in the Hampton's and winters on a yacht in Ibiza, is so far from true it becomes comical. Maybe it's because we like to dress in Brooks Brothers, Lilly Pulitzer and J. Crew. Maybe it's because we are, technically speaking (stress on technically), "exclusive" organizations; you have to match the ideals of the organization to be welcomed in. Honestly, wherever that entitled, stuck up idea came from, it's so off base that it is just funny for us.

Stemming from the "rich kid" idea is the misconception that we pay for our friends. I'm going to get real here; this impression is actually a viable one, and I can see where it comes from. In all honesty, I might not have met my best friends had I not decided to be a part of my sorority, and being a part of a sorority includes paying dues. So, though it would be indirectly (and I mean very indirectly), it makes sense for people to say I paid for my friends. But these girls, they've become so much more than the "friends I paid for." They're my sisters, my best friends, my future bridesmaids and godmothers to my kids (that I won't be having until I'm about 35; sorry, I had to clear that up as my parents read my articles). They're the girls I know will always be by my side, always have my back and always be there, no matter what. It isn't just four years with them, it's for life. So you know what, if people want to say I paid for that, that's fine with me. Why? Because I made the best investment of my life. 

The final thing I am going to attempt to clear up (considering it would take a novel to clear up everything) is the most spiteful attack Greek life faces, and one that has just become more extreme this past year: that we are nothing but drunken, drug-induced heathens who bring nothing of worth to the community/world, just promotion of criminal acts and anarchy. In more basic terms: we're horrible people who do horrible things and have nothing to offer to anyone. After a plethora of accusations and instances of people being drugged and/or raped, after blatant neglect and disrespect for someone else's property, these attacks aren't entirely unwarranted. Some fraternities and sororities have messed up, and messed up big time. However, that isn't what Greek life is supposed to be, or about. Sure, we party, no point in lying about that, but most of us don't fly off the handle the way these few did. However, negative news sells more than positive news, so those extreme, rare instances of horrific debauchery are the only things the public hears about Greeks. It's no wonder people think we bring nothing to the table. I mean, I get it, "Students in Greek Life Give Millions of Hours and Raise Millions for Charity Every Year," isn't a good, attention grabbing headline comparatively speaking. Neither are "The Average Greek Life GPA is Higher than the Overall College GPA," "All But Two U.S. Presidents Were Fraternity Members Since 1825," "All Eleven Apollo Astronauts Were Fraternity Members," "Both Women Elected to the Supreme Court Were Sorority Members," or even "Greek Life Opens Up Career Opportunities, Teaches Valuable Business and Life Related Lessons All While Providing a Second Family!" I mean facts like that, those are just minuscule and unimportant compared to the acts of a few fraternal organizations! Oh, wait, no they aren't. Greek Life is such an amazing thing, opening doors to great opportunities, life-long friends and better college experiences both socially and in academia. Greeks, as a whole, go on to do great things. The obnoxious, unhealthy destructiveness that is publicized and has led to such hateful misconceptions is few and far between in terms of Greek life as a whole.

All in all, Greek life has just been deeply misconstrued, especially so far in this school year, which is why I felt the need to confront it. Hopefully it changes some things. Maybe it won't. But, as disheartening as it is to see such hate, and to know that despite this article some people will still believe and say such nasty things, I know that I am part of such an amazing community that does amazing things. I have no regrets about going Greek, and it's the best decision I ever made. I will forever be proud to be Greek, no matter what. So, keep on hating, haters, because in the wise words of one Taylor Swift, "I'm just gonna... shake it off, shake it off."