As a Panhellenic woman, it’s always a shock and a disappointment when I hear about hazing allegations within our community. This being said, I would like to impress upon the fact that we are, first and foremost, a community and not a hungry pack of wolves waiting to tear each other apart at the first opportunity. Whether or not these allegations are true, the fact that they have been thrust into the spotlight puts all of us in a bad light. There have been posts and reposts of news
reports with statuses reading “Why I would never join a sorority” and it breaks my heart to see that not only is one reputation damaged, but an entire community of people, many of whom respect and love each other and don’t prescribe to the notion of love through fear.
I can personally say I was never hazed and I would never want to be hazed. I’m in my senior year of my sorority and I have never hazed one of my sisters, nor would I even think of doing so. I would not love the people I do or respect them or genuinely want to spend time with them if they had treated me in a manner that was degrading. I’ve spent a good 3 years with girls who are like-minded, driven and have the same sense of adventure that I do. That’s why I joined a sorority. It’s not about “paying for your friends” or the status of the letters you wear. For me, I was coming to a school where I didn’t know a single soul and was hoping to find a place to call home. I was hoping to find women with the same values, mindset, and sense of humor amid a sea of 16,000 people. I can honestly say I’ve found that, and though I respect other women in different sororities, there’s a reason why I chose mine and it chose me. It’s where I belong-an integral part of who I am, and when I look back on my college years I’ll see the faces of the women who truly left an impression on my heart.
None of us truly know what happened and shouldn’t be discussing it. We should all be united in the impression this makes on the non-Greek community and how it might deter girls who
would make amazing new members and have the same life-enhancing experiences we did from even participating in recruitment. We cannot make sweeping generalizations; it’s like condemning all blue eyed people just because one treated you poorly. These are the things that tear us apart, and it helps absolutely no one. Be grateful for what you have, the sisters you have, and the experiences you have had, and try to spread that positivity to others, especially those who question you in the matter. I truly can say my experiences shaped me in a way that I could never repay or explain, and I’ll forever be grateful to the women I call my sisters.