My mother was a sorority woman, so of course, everyone I’ve met thinks that growing up under her wing predisposed me to a sorority lifestyle. Well, it turns out the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and I have, in fact, joined a sorority here at the UW. However, I read a story last week about a student who was happy that she didn’t rush. While I completely respect her choice, and agree that sorority rush is not everybody’s cup of tea, there are a few preconceptions about Greek Life that aren’t really accurate. These stereotypes about Greek Life are so pervasive that I just want to take a moment to clear things up.
Stereotype #1: You have to earn friendship
Sororities do provide social opportunities very differently from the dorms. You’re encouraged to go to events with your sisters. To many, this seems sort of like “cheating” – you didn’t earn your friends, they were handed to you. This isn’t true or fair at all. Making friends in a sorority requires just as much effort as it does in a dorm, it’s just that you have far more opportunities to get to know everyone. If you’re an introvert, you’re going to have to step outside your comfort zone just as much in a sorority as you would have to in a dorm. The good news is that going to these events together creates a form of solidarity. You’ve shared memories together, which is one of the strongest reinforcements you can possibly add to a relationship.
Stereotype #2: It’s all about parties
Mmm…no. To be fair, a lot of sorority girls do go to parties, but so do a lot of girls from the dorms. The only reason why sorority girls may go to parties more often is that they’re right next door, so it’s far more convenient for us to go & get back safely—plus, those neighbors are probably our friends, too. However, many girls in sororities choose not to attend parties, and their choice to stay in isn’t frowned upon at all.
Stereotype #3: We value social life more than academics
The only people who make this claim are the ones that have never lived in a sorority. At UW, sororities have consistently achieved higher GPAs than the average undergraduate GPA (for both men and women). Why? Sororities actually require their members to reach a certain number of study hours every week, and have a minimum GPA requirement. Should a girl fall below that GPA, she will be put on academic probation. Should it happen multiple times (depending on the house) she may be dropped. In essence, every sorority sister needs to maintain a decent—or high!—GPA in order to guarantee that she’ll have a place to live next quarter. (Here are the UW sorority GPA statistics from the last four quarters, in case you’re curious.) In fact, sororities were some of the original women’s education groups, and were created in the United States in order to support and encourage the first women to attend college to succeed in their academics and in life at a time when most people didn’t want them to succeed at either. My mother and many of her sorority sisters went on to even higher education. Today, they’re all doctors, and they have continued to encourage each other well past college.
Stereotype #4: “Sorority girls are valley girls”
Bleach blonde, fake tan, duck lips, cat eye makeup, designer clothes—these are the main qualities associated with sorority girls. While some girls do have that style, that is their own personal choice and by no means is it the status quo, nor should it be a reflection of their intelligence. I know many girls who are much more often seen in a t-shirt and jeans than in a dress of any kind.
The point I’m trying to get at here is if you haven’t lived in a sorority, you don’t know what it’s like. So whatever everyone tells you, take it with a grain of salt—sororities aren’t like the stereotypes. Instead, being a sorority woman is a lifestyle that has existed for several generations to promote sisterhood and women’s education.