I have heard it a million times. All Greek life students do is party, we haze, we pay for friends, we think they are better than everyone else and we get our chapters into loads of trouble that our daddy's credit cards pay off. There are more stereotypes about Greek life than I can even list or count. I don't try to remember them or keep track, because is simply isn't true. But labels put people into boxes. And the box that society puts Greek life into isn't at all fitting for the absolutely extraordinary organization that Greek life is, and doesn't reflect whatsoever on its members. That's where I see a problem.
At first, I was hesitant. I had heard it was full of nothing but drama, drinking and sucked you dry of all finances. But then I had a class with two awesome girls, and from day one I knew I wanted what they had. They exploded with confidence, they were truly happy and they were so genuinely friendly to everyone around them. As I got to know them, I realized they were in Greek life. It wasn't something they blared at me with a megaphone, they just mentioned it in a side conversation. And somehow, I knew it was what made them different. Not better, just different. And I wanted that. That was all it took.
While going through the process of becoming a member I began to realize just how awesome the tradition was that I was joining. I wasn't hazed. I wasn't forced to drink. I wasn't made to pay extraordinary amounts of money. In fact, just the opposite. I was given the contacts of people that I could reach out to with any questions about classes. I was given contact information about how to apply to scholarships that only applied to Greek women. I was told that if I was ever in a sticky situation that I would be able to contact one of my 50 or so sisters and there wouldn't be questions asked. The overwhelming support was there from day one. Becoming initiated into my sorority wasn't some creepy cult scene. It was the beauty of a long tradition that I was now part of.
It's true. While in college, I paid to be part of my organization. Many people refer to this as paying for friends. In reality what I paid for was trips to training sessions that taught us to be successful women who exude leadership skills. I paid for programs that helped with self-esteem, resume building, drafting cover letters and leadership. I was able to connect with people from across the country. The money I put into the chapter will never compete with the immeasurable resources and connections I made while in it.
The obnoxious binge drinking stereotype is the one that really bothered me the most. Any time you have a large group or organization in the college age, there will be individuals who participate that also happen to drink. The reality however is that no matter what organization, the percentage will be about the same. Society however has a way of highlighting Greek drinking more frequently. Drinking happens across college age students, not just Greek college age students. However, rarely does media highlight the things that actually set us apart from other college students. The majority of students in Greek life are up early on Saturdays to volunteer, mentor youth and participate in success building programs. This is often about the same time the rest of the campus is sleeping. Greek life students are up late Sunday nights in chapter meetings learning how to dress in business attire, practicing how to run a professional meeting and acquiring skills that will bring us into a career. Greek life students raise thousands and thousands of dollars every year for the charities and organizations that they partner with through philanthropic events that we also volunteer for and plan extra campus events for. When media shines a light on Greek life, it should pick something truly highlights what sets us apart from the rest of our campus peers. Drinking would not be that something.
Just like the rest of the sororities in the country, my Greek life experience wasn't that of getting hammered with fraternities every weekend. I didn't get into trouble or pay millions of dollars just to be included. What it did was help me gain more confidence in three years than I had gained in the past 20 of my life. It gave me connections to girls across the country that share similar values as me. It taught me how to lead and how to communicate. Through it I learned success skills, how important volunteering is and ways to get involved. It helped me learn to work through tough issues. Above all, it gave me a supportive family away from home and brought me to my best friend.
