What About the Sororities?

The information that can be found on fraternities is astounding. There are numerous research studies and articles devoted to analyzing the actions of male Greeks; everything from the correlation between fraternities and alcohol consumption to the identity paradox of gay men in the Greek system has been explored extensively. Perhaps this is why I have spent the last couple of weeks posting primarily about such fraternities.

Discussing fraternal issues, however, only speaks for half of the Greek system. In order to fully understand the culture of Greek life we must include sororities, an equally puzzling enigma in their own right.  

Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Sororities have gained the general stereotype for being superficial, catty clones. It doesn’t help that movies like The House Bunny, Legally Blonde, and Sydney White perpetuate the ideal that sorority women should look like Barbie dolls and gossip with one another 24/7.

I must admit I initially fell victim to the idea that sororities were purely about partying and drinking. When I rushed for my sorority, I definitely wasn’t joining because of the academic achievements and the number of philanthropy hours that the house boasted about. While my opinions of sororities have drastically changed with my involvement in a Greek-affiliated organization, sorority stereotypes have largely remained the same from an outsider’s perspective.

Kappa Phi Nu Sorority, Sydney White

For those of you who may still be skeptical on the benefits of the Greek system, here are a couple reasons why you may want to reconsider. The college section of USA Today has a blog devoted to Greek life, and has recently posted a string of articles related to sorority stereotypes.  

In “The Odyssey: What it truly means to be Greek”, Claire File of Chi Omega at Purdue University gives an intimate account of her experiences with the Greek system. At the beginning she notes that she had been having doubts about joining a sorority, until the tipping point when her mother passed away unexpectedly. In a raw, heartfelt essay, she describes how the Greeks at her school were able to come together to support her. People from different pledge classes, different houses, were able to set aside their trivial differences to offer their sympathy, sending dozens of bouquets and flowers to the funeral home. 

Claire goes on to describe how she was brought to tears by the fact that her entire pledge class made it down to her mother’s funeral. This really struck a chord with me. If, heaven forbid, my parents ever passed away, I know each and every one of my pledge sisters would be there to support me. Even if this happens 20 years down the line, I am confident that I am part of a sisterhood that will stand the test of time. 

“Sure, people may argue that we ‘pay for our friends,’ but if I simply ‘paid’ for a group of superficial friends, then no one would have showed up for my mother’s funeral.” 

I cannot agree more. The culture of partying and drinking is going to be present whether or not Greeks are involved, because that’s what happens when you put 18-24 year olds in an environment without adult supervision. However what sets Greeks apart from the college norm is the fact that we have fostered a strong and lasting bond with each other.