Everyone has seen the media's portrayal of sorority life, but sororities are usually nothing like what you see on television. Many of us don't live up to the stereotypes, nor do we want to. Being greek is so much more than partying or a fixation on looks. Membership in a greek organization means fun, but it also means a lot of hard work and living up to certain academic and behavioral standards that most people don't know about, so here are the facts.
1. We care about our grades.
There's this pervasive stereotype that Greek women don't care about their grades. The media portrays us as vapid airheads who only care about boys and partying, but that isn't the case. Statistically speaking, greeks have higher GPAs than non-greeks. This is for a variety of reasons, just one being the fact that sororities have high standards. In order to maintain active membership, each member has to maintain a certain GPA. We may not all be Mensa Club status, but we're certainly not idiots. Being in a sorority does not mean that you don't care about your grades. If anything, membership will inspire you to care even if you didn't before.
2. We didn't "buy our friends."
Paying membership dues does not equate buying friends. Our dues cover costs for our houses, events, and a plethora of other things, not the privilege of socializing with each other. Yes, women in sororities spend a lot of time with each other, but that's just the nature of the beast. The purpose of sororities is the sisterhood. Our organizations bring us together and introduce us to women that we form forever-friendships with. It's the sisterhood that brings us together, not the money.
3. We are diverse.
We've all seen TV and film's version of the sorority girl: tall, blonde, skinny, and white. There are plenty of women in sororities who look like this, but there are just as many that don't. Greek women don't all fit one mold. In every organization, you can find women of different heights, sizes, races, ethnicities, sexualities, and religions. We're not all the same, and that's part of what makes the sisterhood experience so enriching. Our diversity is something we recognize, and it's something we celebrate.
4. We have friends and interests outside the sorority.
Sorority women love their sorority; that's why we joined. However, we have hobbies and relationships outside our organizations. Women in Greek organizations love their sisters, but they're also bound to have at least a few friends in a different organization, or who aren't involved in Greek life at all. Also, being in a sorority does not define us. It is a part of us, but we're multifaceted beings. Our majors, hobbies, jobs, families, and opinions are just as much components of our personalities as being in a sorority is. No one is just a "sorority girl."
5. We're more likely to stay in school.
Greeks have much higher retention rates than non-greeks do. The bonds of sisterhood help us fall in love with our campus, our majors, greek life, and college in general. For the women who moved hours away from home to attend college, and even for the women who go to college in their hometown, a sorority is a great way to keep homesickness at bay and to meet new people. College can be scary, so having a support network makes it easier to stick around.
6. We don't haze.
Ok, some of us do, but most of us don't. It's against almost all college's rules to haze, and most organizations have adopted an anti-hazing policy. Nowadays, you're more likely to get abducted by your sisters for a night of fun out on the town than you are to be taken out to the woods and hazed. The news loves to make a big deal out of hazing because it's rare. It's like a plane crash; it gets so much coverage because it doesn't happen often or everywhere. You're safe with your sisters. They're your sisters, after all.
7. We do more than party.
A big part of being in a sorority is attending sorority events or events sponsored by other Greek organizations, but that isn't all we do. Being in a sorority is just as much about going out volunteering or staying in and studying as it is about having fun. Plenty of sorority women like going out when they have the time, and just as many don't go out at all. Partying is not a defining characteristic of being in a sorority, and it isn't exclusive to the greek community.
8. We’re not all rich.
A ton of us are broke college kids, just like everybody else. Granted, we are super lucky to be able to afford our membership dues, but a lot of women pay their own way. Some women are blessed and have parents who can help them out, and some don't. A lot of women work for everything they have, and that doesn't devalue their sorority membership.
9. We give back.
Ok, now that I've just through telling you that we aren't all rich snobs, we will all admit that it is a huge privilege to be a Greek woman, which is why we're always eager to give back. Every Greek organization has a philanthropy they support, and Greeks try to support other organization's philanthropical work as well. Being in a sorority isn't about "me, me, me." Often times, it's about "we, we, we," even when that "we" isn't your sisterhood.
