I say “am” even though I am not in college anymore because unless you de-activate you are always a sister. I absolutely loved it in college. I regret nothing about my choice in going Greek.
I was even at a university in Atlanta (albeit not a traditional Southern one) and my experience was nothing like the horrible stereotypes that pervade the media. (Thanks to things like the crazy sorority girl email rant that was all over the internet a few weeks ago.) I love wearing pearls. I love J Crew. I love girl’s brunch Saturdays. And a thousand other sorority girl stereotypes, but I also love legitimately being a nerd. And writing poetry. And knowing Latin. So let’s not be so quick to judge a lady on her pearls.
(Formal Spring 2009.
I have a mane!)
Myth: You are paying for your friends. You aren’t paying for friends. Your money goes to dinners, events, study sessions, philanthropy, networking opportunities and everything in between. In my case, being in a sorority actually saved me rent money. For me it was cheaper to live in the sorority house than in my other on-campus or off-campus options. The difference in rent alone paid part of my dues. That aside, I can’t think of a single sorority that doesn’t offer financial help to girls that need it.
Obviously joining a sorority is not going to make you best friends with everyone immediately. It’s just like joining any other organization. You get out of a sorority what you put into it. If you go to loads of events then you are going to be closer to your sisters than the girl that just goes to the mandatory things.
Myth: You will have to give a sorority all your time. That being said, I was sometimes the girl who only went to the mandatory things. During tough periods of school where I was working, in plays and still going to class I didn’t have as much time for my sorority as I had before. Did that make my sisters like me any less? Absolutely not. Everyone has ebbs and flows of how much time they can dedicate to the organizations in their lives.
(Recruitment, Winter 2010. With one of my best lady friends.)
Myth: Sorority girls are dumb. Because girls who like to spend time together and go to parties etc only care about appearances, right? And pretty girls can’t be smart? This isn’t logical to me on any level. You’re going to find as many “smart” girls in a sorority as you would in anywhere else. Except that you also have to maintain an acceptable GPA to even go to social functions. In my sorority, if you had a GPA less than a 3.8 you had to do an alloted number of study hours.
In fact, the girl in the above picture with me is not only an incredibly dedicated member of my sorority but she is also fluent in Japanese and is now a chemical engineer. I don’t think her being blonde got her that degree, not her natural intelligence and hard work.
(Post Recruitment Week 2010)
(Some sister unwinding.)
Myth: You have to be pretty to be in a sorority. It’s not about being pretty. I wouldn’t have joined a sorority with cookie-cutter looking women. (That’s not to say that there aren’t Chapters that want Barbie-dream looks, in which case I’d never be allowed in because I’m not their physical ideal). However, when you are representing your sorority you should want to look polished when in your letters because you respect the organization that you are a part of.
(Formal Spring 2010)
(From left to right:
My grandlittle, my great-grand little, me, my big, my little.)
(It was Skit Night and I was Skit Chair. I thought I was awesome.)
Myth: You will be hazed. Hazing gives the entire Greek community a bad name. One Chapters poor decisions reflect badly upon the entire organization. I think most colleges and the National Panhellenics have heavily cracked down when the mere rumor of hazing is brought up.
Girls who force horrible, unpleasant, degrading activities on their sisters are completely missing the point of sisterhood. I know that in some schools the social hierarchy of their schools would prevent them from deactivating or reporting hazing, but luckily I have never had this experience. Nor have any of my friends in other sororities. It would be ridiculous to say it doesn’t happen. Hazing obviously does. But I don’t know a sorority girl worth her salt that would humiliate or hurt another.
(Who knows.)
Myth: If you go Greek you won’t have any non-Greek friends. I suppose this goes hand in hand with the idea that sororities are where you go to get your future bridesmaids. Will some of my future bridesmaids be sorority sisters? Yes. Will some be from other sororities? Yes. Will some be Independents? Absolutely! (My oldest and closest friend never even considered going Greek.) I think we’ve all found that, especially during Recruitment, when everything is so stressful and overwhelming, it’s nice to spend time with non-sisters because you’re on Sorority Pride Overload.
(Pre-mixer Spring 2011.)
(Gamma Phi Seniors who were near me in the alphabet.
Can I point out my Theatre Honors cords?!)
The only downside of being in a sorority was that it gave me a penchant for the “skinny girl arm” and the “sorority girl squat” two classic moves that I do without thinking about and can’t break out of the bad habit of. *Thanks Sam for pointing it out every single time it happens. Real nice*
Also when are you too old to stop wearing all your old letter shirts and event shirts? Practically every t-shirt I own falls into that category.
