Bubblegum-pink bedspreads, blonde-bobblehead looking models, pillow fights with fluffy feathers flying through the air while girls in tight tank tops prance from bed to bed in slow motion. If you were like me, this is what you pictured life in a sorority to look like... okay maybe not QUITE that extreme but you get my point. Legally Blonde sure didn't prepare me for what life as a Greek girl would entail.
Surely, I thought, wearing my letters around campus would mean the whole student body turning their heads in awe at me, and my windblown, luscious hair. Well let me tell you sisters, it ain't like your favorite Rom-Com! Joining a sorority can seem intimidating at first, but once you really get adjusted to it, it becomes more of a group of girls you would do anything for, rather than a Facebook group of 150 girls you can use for #networking!!
Since the beginning of time, Greek life has been portrayed as superficial and extravagant, so imagine my surprise when on Bid Day I met not one, but 120 authentic, genuine, happy souls on the front lawn of my new home! You see, being in a sorority is all about REAL friendships (and this is coming from an insider!! Take my word!!), and REAL memories that you will cherish throughout your life.
During recruitment, it may seem like you are in over your head. I remember stressing over which earrings to wear, and with what shoes, and "Do I curl my hair, or will I look like I am trying too hard?" Yup. See, so many people put an emphasis on your outer appearance when they think about sorority recruitment. What I realized after just one semester in a sorority, is that it's all about the inner stuff.
When you look around at your new pledge class, you may think to yourself "What could I POSSIBLY have in common with some of these girls?" Well, I will let you in on a secret, these sorority girls KNOW what they are doing. Like, almost in a creepy way. Girls you thought you would never talk to, suddenly become your sisters and new friends. It is pretty crazy to me that after just five days of recruitment, the members are able to put together such a diverse yet similar group of girls. Must be a sixth sense...
If you are one of those people who will forever be skeptical of the srat life, I'm sure my 500-word article isn't going to change your mind. The stereotypes that the media and that some generations have placed upon Greek life are far too heavy to ever be lifted, and this I realize. While we don't have movie-scene quality pillow fights, and most of the time things can be messy and far from perfect, we are a family. No matter the situation, I know I will always be able to count on a sister to lift me up, help me out, or push me further. Besides, what is so bad about sharing 70 closets anyway?