Lately the media has portrayed the entirety of Greek life as irresponsible, discriminatory and dangerous because of the unfortunate actions of a few chapters across the United States. While accusations may be true for a few members of these chapters, it could not be farther from the truth when it comes to encompassing Greek life as a whole, at least in my experience.
To try to explain this, I will start at the beginning of my experiences as a member of the Greek community.
In February I arrived at my forever home, Kappa Kappa Gamma. Running from the warehouse, where each of the new sorority women tore open their bid day cards, down the street with my pledge class, and into the arms of a bunch of cheering girls signified my running home to my new family.
To the outside world, it just looked like a bunch of dancing and screaming girls dressed to the nines for their bid day theme awaiting their new sisters. That's what it always looked like to me.
As the year goes on, pictures pop up on social media of beautiful women in their fancy dresses for formal standing in front of artsy banners "throwing what they know." To the outside world, joining a sorority just looks like an excuse to dress up and go to exclusive parties.
As each day passes, sorority women don what appears to be an endless supply of letter shirts and over sized theme-party t-shirts. To the outside world, KKG is just a few letters from the alphabet.
But it's more than that.
The same day that I ran home, I cried, and I don't know why I did. I wasn't the only one. Several women around me cried uncontrollably. I still have yet to figure out the answer to this question. Maybe it is because I knew I suddenly had 80 new friends. Maybe it is because I knew these women wanted me to join theirsisterhood. Whatever the case may have been, I know my emotions stemmed from the incredible amount of love I felt.
On May 2, I was initiated and made a sister of the Zeta Gamma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Since May 2, I have continued to build uniquely strong friendships and bonds that will never be matched. I've been able to devote weekends to service, and network with alumni who genuinely care about me. It has been an experience unmatched by any other. And the best part is that I know I am a Kappa Kappa Gamma for life. Sisterhood doesn't end once I graduate college like many friendships inevitably will. We share a ritual and a love that will be forever a part of us.
It is so hard to explain how beautiful Greek life is until you become apart of it. It has opened doors of friendship, doors of opportunity and leadership, and doors of service that I never could have opened on my own. My sisters helped me get there.
Being sisters is more than taking cute pictures and wearing all of the fun t-shirts, and it certainly is not buying your friends. Being sisters means aspiring to be the best we can be and wanting our sisters to aspire to be their best too. Shout out to Kappa.
