What does a sorority girl look like?

Skinny, pretty, blonde, long hair. That is an imagine conjured up by many people not in Greek Life when they think about sorority women. I love legally blonde but it did nothing to help this image. In truth many sororities are diverse with different sizes, shapes, races, and backgrounds. The girls don't all look similar and go everywhere all at once. In fact it's diversity that make chapters strong. Having a multitude of perspectives is what helps a sisterhood to grow and become more well rounded.
On my campus my chapter is known for being diverse something I am very proud of. We may not be known as the prettiest sorority on campus but people know that we have beautiful girls inside and out. Knowing that my chapter cares more about the character of the girls than the looks says that we uphold our values and choose our sisters based on the principles of Love, Labor, Learning. and Loyalty. All of my sisters are amazing women with diverse interest that bring something to our sisterhood.
A sorority girl does not look one certain way. She can be tall, short, thin, plump, black, or white. Sorority women are not constrained to these stereotypes that society has placed on us. Its fine to be slim and blonde, however if that's not what you are, you should still feel proud to wear letters and to represent your chapter. You are an amazing asset to your sorority and they saw something in you that they wanted, so don't let stereotypes make you shy.

What's Beyond the Cup?

I was scrolling through my news feed the other day and I came across a picture that really caught my attention. 

Now to some, this may seem like just a huge jumble of craziness that doesn't make sense, but to the Greek community, it means a lot. 

There are a lot of stereotypes that surround Greeks. We pay for our friends, we drink to much, we haze, we treat others poorly, we come from wealthy families....this list can go on. But in reality, these are mostly the epitome of a "stereotype" and they aren't true. 

There's always going to be some that ruin it for everyone. So there may be a chapter that gets caught hazing, but others shouldn't be condemned for those bad choices. And to say we pay for our friends is always a laugh considering most of our dues go to having fun bonding activities like movie and bowling nights, keeping up with home repairs of the house we all use and meet in, and hosting philanthropy events....which is just the use of any other club dues that don't have a greek affiliation. Are they paying for their friends too? 

Putting those stereotypes aside, the much bigger ones that bother me are that Greek members are as I once read on the lovely Yik Yak  "immature alcoholics who barely participate in school and wouldn't survive without daddy's money" 

Well first, I'll stop you right there because many girls in my chapter, myself included, work to pay our dues ourselves. So the last point is irrelevant. 

And if we want to get into the scholastic and immature part, let's go ahead and break some numbers out. 

1. 20% more Greeks graduate from

College than non-Greeks. 

2. The Greek system is the largest network of volunteers in the United States. 

3. The overall Greek GPA is higher then the normal collegiate GPA. 

4. Of the 50 largest companies, 43 are lead by Greeks. 

5. Both women that have been elected to the Supreme Court were sorority women. 

6. 76% of the U.S. senators are Greek. 

7. All but 2 presidents since 1825, have been fraternity members. 

8. 85% of Fortune 500 company executives are Greek members. 

9. Greek donate over 7 million dollars to charity every single year. 

10. And to end, here are some sorority and fraternity members you may just recognize. 

     Brad Pitt

     Condelecza Rice 

     Alicia Keys 

     Babe Ruth 

     Every member of Apollo 11 

     Sophia Bush

     Steven Spielberg

     Rosa Parks

     Elvis Presley 

     Georgia O'Keefe

     Pope John Paul II 

     Frank Sinatra 

     Katie Couric 

     Michael Jordan 

     John Wayne 

     Chuck Norris

     Kate Spade 

 and.....

     Martin Luther King Jr.

Just to list a few. 

I'm not going to lie. Being in a Greek organization does have a big "party" aspect, but at the end of the day, Greek affiliates have a lot more to offer then we really are given credit for. 

So I think it really is time, to look past the cup. 

     

Greek Stereotypes

              College life is just one big party. Your drink, make friends, have hookups and who cares about studying, especially if your in a sorority! All those girls do is hangout only with each other, always have to look pretty not to mention they are the brattiest people on the campus. Every sorority hates one another and that's just how it is and will continue to be.
              This is a HUGE misconception! Don't get me wrong, every campus is different. Almost all of the sorority women I have met are women of substance. They believe in their values and ideals but they are also there own person. Yes sorority girls love to hangout with their sisters but they also have friends outside of them. I know I have multiple friends in other sororities, and outside of Greek life. Not every sorority is known for partying, some are known for their pride in their philanthropy! Every sorority is different which means this idea of the "stereotypical sorority girl" needs to be broken for people to see the opportunity and the genuine character of the girls. 
             I know at my school, and at many other we are doing a great job breaking down this barrier, and if ever someone does stereotype like my teacher did in one of my universities health classes we have to stand up to it, bring awareness and let people know that isn't how it works now. I know my sorority sister and I were terrified when my professor said something negative about Greek life, sororities, or fraternities, but we raised are hands and said no. We explained ourselves and he fought back, but we continued to disagree in front of a huge lecture. These letters on my chest help make me the person I am today, I am not going to let someone who thinks they know what they stand for or who I am tell me what they are. Awareness is something we don't think about too often when are with sisters, but everyone is watching a judging. Lets continue to strive to make a good mark on people, colleges, and universities for all of Greek life!