To those who say I pay for my friends,
With school in full swing, involvement fairs on the plaza, and recruitment right around the corner, there has been more and more talk as to why not to join Greek life rather than why you should join it. Throughout the United States, Greek life at universities is viewed in many different ways and these ways are not always positive. Some bystanders see Greek life as a great way to get involved within the school, a place to network, and friends to have for the rest of time. Others, however, view Greek life as a cult, an exclusive group of people, party people, and people that pay for their friends. It is very common for people to assume that sororities and fraternities only want your money. Oftentimes I feel that people look at me wearing my letters and all they see are dollar signs. Today, I am going to tell you exactly why I "pay for my friends."
They feel like home. I am not from out of state, but my home town is roughly two hours away from my college town, and surprisingly I get homesick a lot. Whenever I am missing home or missing my mom's cuddles I know that there is someone waiting for me with open arms in this group of women. Walking into my sorority house instantly feels like I am walking into my parent's house. There are tons of friendly faces, good food, and even a couch to curl up on. Some of my sisters are from out of state, and we essentially become their family. These girls are more than just pretty faces to me; they are my sisters. They are my family.
They always have my back. It sounds cliche, but it is true. Everyone knows everything about everyone in a sorority. We protect each other from the bad and we are always looking out for each other. We care about one another and as silly as it is, if one person has a problem with someone than we all have that problem. The same goes with ex-boyfriends. You never ever ever go for a sister's old man. And, if something ended badly between a sister and an ex-boyfriend or a sister and a friend, you protect her from those people and the negative energies they bring.
They will be at my wedding. I am seriously debating about having over 50 bridesmaids in my wedding. These girls have seen it all. They have been there for all the boy ups and downs, so it only seems right that they are there when I commit to "the one" for the rest of my life.
They are my study buddies. Not only do I have someone to hang out with every Friday night, but I also have someone to study with. For me, school is incredibly important, so I often spend my evenings doing homework or reading for class. It is incredibly helpful to have a friend in class with you because you now have someone to sit next to in class, but you also have someone to help you prepare for exams.
They're my best friends. When I joined my sorority I was very reserved and didn't have very many girlfriends. I was the type of girl who would rather hang out with a group of guys than sit in a room full of giggling girls. For me, I always thought that there was too much drama involved when girls were close friends. I was extremely hesitant about joining my sorority, but I am glad I did. Here is where I have met the most incredible women. When you are going through the recruitment process, you always hear how the girls are best friends and it seems hard to believe. I know I didn't believe it at first. Now that I am actually a part of the organization I realize that they really are my best friends. These are the girls I go to everything for. They are there for the good, the bad, the happy and the sad.
It is true when I say that if I hadn't joined a sorority, there is a chance I never would've met these girls. Campus is so big that I possibly never would have seen some of them. So technically my money and my time did bring us together, but our hearts are what made us friends. You never choose to be friends with people that you despise. Money has nothing to do with the bonds that I have made. If you still think that I "pay for my friends" then go ahead and think that I do. All I know is that I am so thankful to have these women as sisters and friends. But, you should always remember, money can't buy love, happiness, or friends.
Sincerely,
The sorority girl that "pays for her friends."
