As a proud member of the ISU Greek community I can tell you that joining a sorority was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, cliché I know, but it is absolutely true. Without my sorority, I am unsure how my college experience would have turned out, but I know it couldn’t compare to my college life now. However, not everyone can see eye-to-eye when it comes being involved in Greek life. As a sorority woman myself, I will unfold the five statements, assumptions and myths that I’m sure all sorority women, at any campus are tired of hearing:
1. “Your sorority is like a cult.”
Hmm, a little intense I would say but we all get it, ladies. You know when you want to go to dinner, the rec, the library, you name it, and you always have a sister to accompany you along the way. You see this as a way to hang out with your friends and enjoy yourself; others see you engaging in cult-like activity. Personally, when I surround myself with people, I choose to surround myself with people who make me happy and bring out the best in me. These people are my sorority sisters and just because we spend a lot of time together does not make us a cult, it makes us best friends.
2. “You pay for your friends.”
While it remains true that joining a sorority is an expense, we do not pay for the friendships we make. I did not pay for the summer get-togethers, the nights spent laughing in the informal or the irreplaceable relationships I’ve built. Yes, we pay to live in a house and attend social events but these are ways to meet new people. That was one of my main reasons for joining a sorority and I have made over 100 new friends in the process.
3. “You’re only in it for the parties.”
I believe that I can speak for every student at ISU when I say when Thursday or Friday night rolls around we sigh in relief, spend some time with our friends and pat ourselves on the back for making it through another week. It is unfair to say that girls are only in a sorority for the parties when all students are invested in their social lives on the weekends. Just because parties occur, that doesn’t mean that they become the center of our world. Which leads me to my next point…
4. “When you’re in a sorority, school comes second.”
Even though balancing schoolwork and sorority life can be a challenging task, Sorority girls manage and go above and beyond. This past year the average undergraduate GPA at Illinois State was a 3.13 while the average Greek GPA was a solid 3.20. Not only do sorority women maintain a higher GPA, we complete 10 community service hours per semester.
5. “You’re only friends with girls in your sorority.”
Since I live with 37 of my sisters it is true that I spend a lot of time with them but they are not my only source of friends. I still maintain good relationships with girls I met on my floor, through my major, and through recruitment. It is perfectly healthy to be friends with girls in other sororities and girls who are not. Girls in your sorority do not judge you and you can have the best of both worlds.