I am not your “typical sorority girl,” I tell myself. I am not tall, model skinny or blonde. My hair is crazy curly and I refuse to wear chocos. If we’re being completely honest, I refuse to wear shoes until a socially mandated moment for shoes arises. I do not own anything Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines stickers do not grace my laptop, or water bottle and I’m not too good at crafting. I have never felt those qualities, or material things mattered. And neither do my sisters.
My sisters are not your “typical sorority girls” either. They are all beautiful in their own way. They are outgoing, and reserved. They are kind and compassionate leaders. They’re not all blonde, or tall, or model skinny. Some have hair just as crazy curly as mine. They hold 4.0s, and spend most of their time in the library. They are future lawyers, doctors, teachers, and change makers. Some even hold 2 jobs in addition to their school work and sorority responsibilities. They don’t measure their worth in the number of Kendra’s they own, or Lily Pulitzer dresses.
Being a “sorority girl” means facing these stereotypes and much more. To combat these stereotypes, “I Am A Sorority Woman” concept was created by the Delta Gamma Executive Offices in 2013. This campaign challenges all sorority women to think about the real intention of their membership and sisterhood, to show how they live those values day by day and to tell others how they create a culture of care around their loved ones.
Recently my Delta Gamma chapter, Gamma Nu, participated. These are just a few of our stories: