There are a ton of stereotypes out there about what it means to be a sorority girl. Like most people, I used to believe them. I watched Legally Blonde and House Bunny, which both portray the idea of the blonde-haired, big-boobed girl who wore pink and wasn’t known for her intellect. I thought that a sorority was a group of girls that got together to gossip about boys and applaud each other whenever the LSAT scores arrived. I thought it was a way of meeting guys at frat parties only after being hazed by upperclassmen. I thought so many things about sorority life that were so far from the truth.
When I first joined a sorority I was shocked to see how different it really was. I never understood what being in Greek life really meant until I was in it. Here are some other common misconceptions about sorority life and the recruitment process.
1. Hazing is inevitable
Drexel has a strict policy against hazing. Despite popular belief, the sororities on campus do not haze. There are initiation rituals to solidify your involvement in the chapter, but no one is going to make you streak across campus in broad daylight. Hazing is an ancient urban myth on Drexel’s campus and you shouldn’t buy into it. Sororities are places where girls find their home away from home, and hazing is definitely not part of the process. So don’t be scared to rush out of fear of hazing.
2. Sorority girls buy their friends
Yes, dues are expensive, but that does not mean you “pay for friends.” Your dues go toward housing, shirts, materials used during activities and more. You’re not buying friendship; you are buying the resources you need to sustain your sisterhood. You buy dinner when you go out with your other friends, don’t you? Same concept. Also, you will most likely love your sisters and it’s very possible to find your best friend in your chapter, but you are not obligated to be friends with anyone and no one is obligated to be friends with you.
3. All the girls look the same
Wrong! Just look at me, a Jewish Latina whose family is from Eastern Europe! Sorority girls are not always the blonde, blue-eyed girls that we see on TV. In fact, sororities thrive for diversity within their chapters. Each house opens their doors to people who share their ideals and values, regardless of the way they look or where they are from.
4. Sorority girls are all bimbos
No, don’t believe in this. Each sorority has a GPA requirement, and they make sure their members maintain good grades. If you are struggling with your grades or course work, your sorority even has resources to get you back on track. From library hours to tutoring, sororities want their members to be the best students they can be.
5. There is rivalry between the houses
It is thought that sorority houses hate each other and that if you don’t wear the same letters you are not going to be friends. Drexel’s Panhellenic is a community and the girls support and love one another no matter the letters. One of my closest friends is in a different sorority and we still love each other even if we are not technically sisters. It is okay to fraternize (pun intended) with girls in other houses.
(Image via Drexel Panhellenic)
When it comes to sororities, there are a lot of negative conceptions floating around. But don’t believe the hype! Instead of dismissing Greek life, talk to the sisters and you’ll see that they are defying the labels that have been put on them. Be open-minded and get to know people before judging them. Who knows, you may even decide to rush and find your home away from home!