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The Panhellenic community at my school |
Before we start, let’s just put this out there. Yes I am a
sorority girl, and I am damn proud of it. But I know what you must be thinking;
she’s just another sorority bimbo working on her MRS degree, who just cannot
even. There is so much more to being a sorority woman than what our Instagram
accounts say because, let’s be honest, our hashtag game is not actually
representative of who we are. #Mixer #TSM #sorostitute #sooooodrunk – we don’t
actually all talk like that, but the media sure does like to make it seem like
we do.
I have been a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon for 2.5 years now.
I am in my last semester of college, and, looking back at my whole college
experience, I can honestly say being a sorority woman has shaped me into the
person I want to be. I’ll be honest; it was not always easy balancing Greek
life with the other aspects of my life. There is much more that goes into being
a sorority sister than just partying and drinking with frat stars. But I’m just
another sorority girl preaching to the choir, right? Right. If you don’t want
to believe me, let’s look at some statistics.
According to USA Today, “since 1825, all but three U.S. presidents have been
members of a fraternity. 85% of Fortune 500 executives were part of Greek life.
The first female astronaut was Greek. So was the first female senator. And
college graduation rates are 20% higher among Greeks than non-Greeks.” Being a
member of Greek life does not necessarily guarantee you a successful life, but
it sure does help and motivate you to get there. When you join an organization,
you are not just joining a club. You are joining a nationwide, sometimes
international, network of brothers and sisters that will help connect you to
many opportunities and personal advances. We all know that in this day and age, it’s who you know
that is the impactful key to your success. Success aside, there are also many other
perks of being a part of Greek life, such as becoming well-rounded individuals,
having support systems, and gaining many important network connections.
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My sisters <3 |
Unfortunately, Greek life has become the
brunt of many media fallacies. Not all of us are hazing, drunken maniacs. Learn
the truth about who we actually are before pointing fingers at us.
So, let’s debunk 15 of the myths we have all
heard about sororities and Greek life.
1.
Being hazed is all about the process of
joining any sisterhood because ALL sororities haze.
False.
False. False. False. False. I am not going to deny the fact that there are some
organizations that haze, but they do not define the majority of us. As a
sorority woman, I condemn such organizations. I would never want to be a part of
something that demeans and dehumanizes me, while claiming to be my best friend.
However, the majority of sisterhoods out there do not participate in such
behavior. My sorority never made me do anything that made me feel
uncomfortable. I always had control and the right to say no. If you want to
join an organization, do your research, talk to people on your campus, learn
the truth about your prospective interested sisterhood/brotherhood. Only join if you feel
that you belong and if you are comfortable. If, at any time, something happens
that you do not approve of, speak up. Do not be afraid. Sororities that do haze
need to be shut down, but again, not all of us haze. So keep an open mind when
going through the rush process. A majority of Greek organizations across the
country have taken the stand to speak up against hazing and are actively
involved in anti-hazing initiatives.
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Your big will also be someone who will always support and protect you. |
2.
All sorority girls do are party and sleep
around.
Yeah,
okay. It’s not like we dedicate hours of our life volunteering and raising
money for our designated philanthropies. According to EliteDaily, Greeks
“account for 75% of all total college and university donations. Undergraduate
members give an annual average of $7 million and 850,000 hours toward
charitable causes.” But let’s just forget about all of that. That’s just the
boring stuff that no one wants to read or hear about in the media.
Delta Phi Epsilon sisters supporting their local philantropy. Delta Phi Epsilon, Gamma Iota chapter. |
3.
Drug abuse. Binge drinking. Nymphomaniac
tendencies. That’s what describes a sorority woman.
No.
No. NO. Most of the sororities out there are social sororities. So yes we do
enjoy having fun. However, our idea of having fun does not always involve
getting drunk or high and going out. Fun for my sorority also includes having
spa nights, movie nights, playing video games all night, Just Dance marathons, dinners, shopping dates, going apple picking,
traveling. A lot of my sisters do not even drink or go out. But besides the
partying, we are also leaders and volunteers. Then again, who cares about all
of that? It’s more interesting to portray us all as little drunk sluts. Thanks
for that Hollywood!
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Delta Phi Epsilon sisters snowboarding for fun. Oh wait that's not partying. |
4.
All fraternity men harbor an inner rapist
persona and are men who have no respect for women.
I’ll
have you know that most of the fraternity men I have met are the most
honorable, courteous and chivalrous men I know. Some of my best friends are
part of fraternities, and I have never ever seen them misbehave or disrespect
any female. Especially in light of the UVA fraternity gang rape, people have
been quick to characterize all fraternity men as chauvinistic pigs. Whatever
happened to the saying don’t judge a book by its cover? I am in no way excusing
those men who use being in a fraternity as a way to exploit and harm others.
Those fraternities need to be shunned, but again not all men in frats are like
what the media presents them to be.
One of my best friends, who is also one of the nicest men I have met and who is also a brother of Theta Chi fraternity. |
5.
Academics are not important. They come
second.
All
Greek organizations value the absolute truth that we came to college for our
education and that everything else is then secondary. Our academics always come
first. In fact, most organizations hold study sessions, promote internships and
co-ops, and provide help for those struggling in school. To even be a part of a
Greek organization, you have to maintain a certain GPA. So, our academics
ALWAYS come first.
Sisters from my chapter showing off some of our accomplishments, including highest on campus GPA! |
6.
You have to be best friends with all your
sorority sisters, all several hundreds of them.
Sorry,
not exactly. Not all girls get along, that’s just some unwritten universal rule
in girl world. A sorority environment is like a workplace. You don’t
necessarily see eye to eye with everyone, but you make things work. What makes
sororities work is the fact that you have a mutual understanding and respect for
one another. In organizations with such diverse members, it’s hard to get along
with everyone. However, what sororities do teach you are to accept one another,
just the way you are. We may not be the best of friends, but that acceptance
for one another makes us all friends.
7.
You are always at war with your rival
sorority.
Friendly
competition is always healthy, but that does not mean sisters in other
organizations are your enemies. In fact, one of my best friends from college is
in the other sorority on my campus. We have been friends since our freshmen year in college, and when we decided to join different organizations, that did not affect our friendship at all. Instead both of us were happy for each other and glad we ended up in organizations we felt comfortable in. When you join a sorority, you don’t just
join one organization, you join a whole Panhellenic community. Your letters may
be different, but your intentions are always the same.
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Panhellenic love on my campus. |
8.
You have to change who you are to fit into
your selected organization.
If
you have to do that, I’m sorry to say, but you ended up in the wrong
organization then. Ever since I accepted my bid, I have never regretted my
decision nor have I ever thought that I ended up joining the wrong
organization. Every sorority is different, and you always have to go through rush
not compromising yourself and your personality. That will guarantee that you
end up where you are meant to be. Being in DPhiE did not change who I am, it just helped me become a more well-rounded person, which I am so grateful for.
9.
If you identify as gay or bisexual, there is
no place for you in Greek life.
I have a few sisters who are lesbians or bi, and that does not bother us at
all. They could be anything, but we will always love them. So no, you don’t
have to be straight to join a sorority or fraternity. Homophobia and
intolerance has no place in Greek life.
10. Sorority girls are obsessed with body image.
Like
I mentioned before, acceptance is the most important part of being in a
sorority. You can be of any body size or height, and I can guarantee you that
your sisters will never look down upon you. Actually, Delta Phi Epsilon sisters
have actually spent a lot of time and raised a lot of money for initiatives and
programs to help people tackle body image issues with our philanthropy Anorexia
Nervosa and Associate Disorders.
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The pledge Delta Phi Epsilon sorority takes as support to our philanthropy, Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). Pictured above, a DPhiE sister from the Delta Iota chapter. |
11. We
pay for our friends.
We
do not pay for our friends. Our dues actually go to paying for events,
programming, chapter operations, charities, paying for our house (if your
organization has one), and scholarships. Having dues also make us financially
responsible, which is a key characteristic that successful adults should have.
12. When
you join a sorority or fraternity, you don’t have time to be a part of anything
else.
Lies.
Going Greek helps you gain valuable leadership skills. These skills actually help you to get more involved on campus. Greek members then use these skills to
succeed in their careers. Most presidents, Congress officials, and CEOs were
Greek, which explains their great leadership skills.
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My pledge sister who was senior class president, and who went on to becoming a successful engineer. |
13. Going
Greek is too time consuming.
Yes,
a lot of time is involved in being an active member. But that does not mean you
no longer have time to do anything else. Going Greek actually teaches you to
have better time management skills. Most Greeks are presidents of other
organizations, have jobs and internships, volunteer, and still have time for the people
and things they love. You learn to balance every aspect of your life. Greeks
live by the motto work hard, play hard.
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My chapter at our annual Deepher Dude event - a male beauty pageant that raises money for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. |
14. Rushing
means I am obligated to join an organization.
Unfortunately,
Greek life is not meant for everyone, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Rushing carries no obligations of joining. It’s just a period of time for you
to get to know the organizations on your campus. If at the end of this period,
you find an organization you feel you belong in, great! If not, that’s okay too!
15. Sorority
friendships are superficial and fake.
The
love you have for your sisters is not an act. We may not always agree with each
other, and we may not necessarily all get along – like I mentioned before.
However, we do share a mutual love for each other. Being in a sorority means
you become a part of something bigger than just your organization. You will go
through a lot with your sisters, and those experiences will help you strengthen
your bond with each other. Even if you don’t like all your sisters, you will
learn to stand by each other and support one another, and this will not be
forced; you will want to be there for your sisters. Being in a sisterhood is
more than just forming friends for life, you become part of a family.
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"It's not for four years. It's for life." Delta Phi Epsilon, Alpha Chi chapter |
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Pictured here, from right to left: Erika Lau, Samantha Fine, and Nicole Altmark. Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Xi chapter |
Do not be quick to categorize all of Greek life under one stigmatized
umbrella. Not all universities have fraternities and sororities that actively
promote the backwards and dark practices of century old Greek life traditions. The
Greek life I have grown to live and love promotes success, philanthropy,
scholarship, sisterhood/brotherhood and strong morals/ethics. Those upper
echelon, unrighteous, media driven Greek organizations give a bad name to all
of Greek life, and they also do not carry forward the basic principles of what
Greek life is all about. We may not
be perfect. Mock us as much as you want, but while you are insulting our social lifestyle, make sure you also shed some light on our philanthropic/leadership ways.
As my undergraduate college career is nearing an end, I can
truly say that joining a sorority was the best decision in college I ever made.
Becoming a sorority woman has pushed me to be the best version of myself, as
cliché as that may sound. I have become a well – rounded individual, which is a
skill I value the most as I enter the real world. Yeah, we had our ups and downs but the good
times with my sisters outweigh the bad. In fact, most of my favorite memories
from college involve my sisterhood. My
sisters genuinely want to see each other be successful and happy. They see
through all the BS of your excuses and can tell how you truly feel without even
asking. My sisters are the girls I want to go share all my happiness with, and
these are the girls I know who will help me overcome my sorrow. We are all very
different and crazy in our own regard, but we are one unit. Lastly my
sisterhood has taught me to always be myself. Esse quam videri - to be rather
than to seem to be. They have loved and accepted me for who I am, and because
of them, I know others will as well. ![]() |
Because no matter the letters, Greeks do it better. |
#GOGREEK
Much love to you all,
P.S. - If you liked this post, please make sure to follow/subscribe to this blog for updates. Also follow me on all my other social media handles (links are in my blog).
GREAT job! You nailed it. I'm proud to call you my Greek sister.
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