Unless you're a sorority woman living under a rock you've probably heard of the Total Sorority Move and Actual Sorority Move debate that took place last week when the ladies of the Kappa Zeta chapter of Sigma Kappa at Elon University launched their #ActualSororityMove campaign on Facebook targeting, and putting the national brand and Grandex Inc. phenomena Total Sorority Move on blast. It wasn't shortly after the campaign went live that TSM received backlash of insane magnitudes. And in true TSM fashion Veronica Ruckh, director of Total Sorority Move as well as a contributing writer for the media outlet, wrote a statement directed toward the ladies of Sigma Kappa.
As I read Kappa Zeta's campaign, and then proceeded to read TSM's rebuttal, I saw both sides of the argument, but my main concern was, why. Why was one group of sorority women targeting another group of sorority women? Where's the gain in bringing down another group of women. Isn't that in itself proving true to the "sorority stereotype?" That all we do is talk badly and bring down one another? Why is sorority shaming a concept we've begun to accept?
Sorority women already have a harsh stereotype that thousands of us try to break down and prove wrong every single day. The moment that our feet hit the ground in the morning, we are working hard to prove everyone who is doubting us wrong. Why would you launch a campaign that would cause that corporation to publish a statement defending itself, ultimately starting a large debate on what side of the sorority movement you stand on? Why set a line in the sand when in reality we need to support one another?
Total Sorority Move is pure satire, it's making light of a stereotype, it's using humor to tackle some pretty serious issues, but also proving that sorority women can be witty, quirky, and comedians too. It's also an all female staff which is breaking barriers in itself by fueling young women to have a platform to communicate to other young women, it's showing young women that yes, girls actually can run the world, and we do. Veronica Ruckh is a definition of a lady boss, that's something to be celebrated. People should not be bringing down her hard work.
I joined a sorority for a number of reasons, I joined because I wanted sisters, I wanted opportunities, I wanted to expand and build my leadership skills, I wanted to have a set social life. I wanted to have a safe space and a home. I didn't join to be a part of a culture that brings down one another and doesn't support one another, and all the different women that our community holds. Every sorority woman is a bad ass in her own way. Not one woman is like the other, so don't shame a woman for being what some might consider a TSM.
We are all one group of females. Imagine if these two forces were to work together? Imagine that campaign. Imagine the movement we could start by just supporting one another sorority woman to sorority woman. Why waste our time and energy bringing each other down? And just start building one another up, don't segregate between the TSM's and the ASM's why can't it just be a Sorority Move.
I'm a sorority woman. I monogram everything that doesn't have two legs, but I also own a pair of converse, an Aerosmith T-shirt and have a tattooed boyfriend. I enjoy $1 margarita specials and bottomless mimosas, but I study my ass off because one day I might be your child's teacher. I can name you every "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" star but I can also write a 20-page paper on the importance of teaching world history and cultures in the classroom. I want to get my MRS degree while getting my BA to be an educator. I have a lily planner, but it's filled with a plethora and array of different events, both social, philanthropic and academic. I eat dessert every night -- to me, ice cream is basically it's own food group. I know every rom-com ever made but also know all the words to "Star Wars." I'm a diverse, complex and layered sorority woman. I'm not an Actual Sorority Move or a Total Sorority Move, I'm just a Sorority Move.
