Today while sitting in class (on Pinterest — sorry, mom) I overheard two girls talking next to me. Their topic of discussion? One of their sisters. After slamming her wardrobe, criticizing her boyfriend and questioning her academic success, the conversation took another turn. It went something like this:
“She doesn't even fit in with anyone in our chapter."
“It's honestly embarrassing, like, I don't even consider her one of our sisters."
“Me either. She's the worst kind of sorority girl."
I wish I was joking. I also wish that I had the self-confidence to have turned around, whipped out my sharpest bless-your-heart smile and kindly pointed out that not only was I embarrassed for them and their lack of sisterhood but that they were dead wrong.
They are the worst kind of sorority girl.
There's a saying that we've all heard. If it wasn't on your new member PowerPoint it was probably on a T-shirt, or at the very least it's the cover of your sorority Pinterest board.
“From the outside, you can't understand it. From the inside, you can't explain it."
While we all roll our eyes whenever we hear this, there's some truth to it. On the outside, I'm more than confident that we look like complete crazy people. Why do we wear T-shirts four times our size? Why do we hang out with guys that dress like our dads? Why do we constantly complain about chapter but refuse to miss it? Why are we so into crafts? And for the love of God, what's with the sorority-girl-uniform? All valid questions.
However, the best question I've ever been asked is why are y'all so obsessed with each other?
Now I know I said the whole “from the inside you can't explain it" deal, but I've never been one to give up quite that easily, so I'll try my best.
From the moment you step off that bus on bid day, life is different. Girls you've never seen before are calling your name, running up to you, hugging you, squealing over you. Walks to class become a social event because sisters all over campus will wave and say hi, even though you've never had an actual conversation with them. You gain about 150 new Facebook friends and Instagram followers. You instantly have a study partner in almost every class, or at least the notes from an upperclassman who's gone before you and paved the way. Things are different.
The biggest change, though, is that suddenly you have 150 girls that will have your back no matter what. That's 150 girls that will help you if you have car trouble, lend you a dress for a hot date you have because you can't find a thing to wear, make sure you get home safe when (once again) Friday night wins. You don't have to like all of them, and you sure don't have to hang out with all of them, but nonetheless, we understand that we have each other's backs. Why? Because we suddenly have something in common, something that means a whole lot to all of us.
So no, the girl that dresses a little differently and doesn't come to every single sisterhood event is not “the worst kind of sorority girl."
The worst kind of sorority girl is the girl that has no respect for the connection she has to every girl in that room on Monday nights. She's the girl that trash talks a sister behind her back and squeals over her successes like she actually cares. She's the girl who, instead of appreciating the diversity in her chapter, puts down girls who live their lives a little differently (and totally rock it).
So for the love of painted coolers and pearls, don't be that girl. Because that girl can't sit with us.
