Urban Dictionary says:
“A sorority girl is a female college student belonging to a social sorority. She may or may not live in a sorority house. She will normally be seen wearing Chanel sunglasses, a North Face jacket, and bag representing her sorority's letters. Sorority girls are typically high maintenance and very uppity. Most are white middle and upper middle class girls that are spoiled and extremely materialistic. These bleach blondes are extremely loud and spend most of their time shopping and partying with frat boys. Sorority girls are sometimes extremely protective of their sorority sisters and can only be distracted by a professional wing man.”
If you’re a sorority girl, you have probably received some backlash for being one. I never thought about the negativity these girls faced until I became one myself. I joined a sorority because I wanted to be a part of something where everyone shared the same values as me. I wanted real friendships, to give back to the community, to push myself out of my comfort zone and to become a better person; I found a home in Greek Life. However, after becoming a sister of an amazing sorority, I was awakened to the negativity that Greek Life faces. These stereotypes are completely false and extremely unfair to be said about all sorority girls.
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"They all look the same."
Many people have the idea in their heads that sorority girls all look the same - like they’re some kind of clan and if you don’t look a certain way then you can’t possibly join. They’re typically associated as being tall, blonde, skinny and pretty. But, the truth about sororities is that they’re extremely diverse. They are filled with girls of many different shapes, sizes and colors. And they are all beautiful in their own ways.
"They're loud and annoying."
Yes, we have songs and chants. Yes, we like to sing them. And yes, we actually had to put time into memorizing them. But that certainly does not make us any more annoying than anyone else.
"They're stupid."
For some reason, there’s the idea out there that sorority girls just simply do not have brains, they do. They must maintain a certain GPA requirement to stay involved in Greek Life AND their major of choice. They strive to achieve success in both their academics and their organization. So yes, we do hit the books, too.
"All they do is party."
Although we have socials, date parties and formals, there is much more to a sorority than the social aspect. People tend to forget that sorority girls highly value service and giving back to others. Each sorority has their own philanthropy that everyone participates in and becomes personal to us all. We spend weekends at charity events and dedicate time to helping others. There is so much more to a sorority than having a social life.
"They haze each other just to have friends."
Prior to joining a sorority, I heard endless stories about hazing. It nearly scared me away from rushing. I didn't want to be involved in something where I'd be hazed just to make friends. After joining, I learned that 100% of those stories were not true. We do not haze each other to make friends.
"They only care about their looks."
There are times when we get all dressed up. You will see us in heels, dresses and with our makeup done, it is a part of Greek Life, undoubtedly. But to say we only care about our physical appearance is simply not true. Sorority girls value being the best version of yourself. This does not mean just looking your best, but being the best person you can be. True friendship is not built upon how you look.
"They pay for their friends."
All sororities have chapter dues they must pay. But it does not mean we are paying for our friends. It goes to events, sorority houses, programs and helps support the sorority. Somewhere along the way the friendships form. Not because of money, but because of our shared values. No amount of money can buy the bonds you form within your sorority.
"They take way too many pictures."
Honestly, yes we probably do. But, we’ll always have all of our memories. So there's really nothing wrong with that.
"Do they wear anything besides their letters?"
Believe it or not, we do own other clothes! In joining a sorority, you receive a ton of shirts and free things. Some from your big, some are passed down, and some we buy in support. Regardless of the situation, sorority girls are proud of the organization they are apart of. Girls dedicate their time and pour their hearts into it, so they are excited to wear their letters. Why should we be ashamed of this?
"They're all sluts."
This is probably the worst stereotype about sorority girls there is. One should not be viewed as a slut because they are apart of Greek Life. There are so many amazing and respectable women in sororities.
"Do they really love their bigs?"
The answer to this is, yes, we do. We’ve all received backlash for talking about how much we love our big and how much we post about it on social media. But, the bond that we share is indescribable to those who haven’t experienced it. They buy us so much, look out for us, give us advice, are always there, and will always love you. There is nothing else quite like it.
"They're all b*tches."
I can honestly say that some of the sweetest and most genuine people I have ever met, are in a sorority. This stereotype is 100% false and completely unfair. When someone needs support, we all step up and are there for them. We would do anything for another one of our sisters. Sorority girls are not the “mean girls” that people make them out to be.
"They only hang out with people in Greek Life."
We are not restrained to only hanging out with Greek Life. Many of us have friends in other sororities and fraternities, as well as friends that are GDI's. The point is that it does not matter whether you’re in Greek Life or not.
It's truly sad how negatively some people view sororities. If you're anything like me, you know that it is not true. It is not a "crazy cult" and a bunch of "rich girls wearing letters," it is so much more than that. It's finding true friendships that are going to last a lifetime, spending time on the weekend doing community service, learning new things, trying something you never had before, and meeting people that make you better than you were yesterday.
I am proud to be in a sorority and no amount of stereotypes will ever stop that.
