Sorority Myths Debunked

There are several myths and negative stereotypes surrounding sororities.  I recently attended a public forum where SMU students could express concerns about anything on campus.  One girl went to the microphone and began talking about her negative impression of Panhellenic Greek life.  She said that the stories that she had heard about sororities were always negative and reflected poorly on SMU in general.  She also talked about how they were exclusive organizations that worried only about finding friends to go to parties with.  She prefaced her spiel by saying, “I do not know anything about Panhellenic sororities first hand, I have just heard stories.”  This especially frustrated me.

 I felt that it was very ignorant and unfair for that girl to pass judgment off on an entire community of over 1,200 girls at SMU.  Each and every girl is unique and has a different reason for joining a Greek group.  While there are some girls who join a sorority for the sole purpose of finding friends to party with, a majority of girls do not. 

Aside from building friendships and close bonds, sororities are extremely involved with their philanthropies, value scholarship, and are prominent volunteers to the community.  The relationships formed through sororities last a lifetime, and the lessons learned from being Greek are invaluable and applicable to almost every aspect of life.

Granted, one sorority girl’s poor decisions heavily affect the entire community.  If one girl decides to use drugs, sleep around, or openly drink underage, people outside our community automatically associate all Panhellenic women with that girl.  Of course, it is unfair for people to put those assumptions onto all members, but it will continue to happen for as long as people continue to make mistakes.  The only way to fix this problem is for all Greek women to hold themselves to a higher standard for the sake of other Panhellenic members and make smart choices.  In the end, they will be benefiting themselves and all of their Greek friends.

It is sad that we as a Panhellenic community even feel the need to defend ourselves.  Our organizations have so much to offer and positively affect the SMU community in several ways.  Greek women are heavily represented in several in campus government, sports teams, and extracurricular activities.  There are several honors students, Hilltop Scholars, and Presidential Scholars.  In my opinion, Greek life breeds leaders. 

Next time, before a non-Greek SMU student assumes negative things about the sororities on campus, I hope that they remember all of the positive aspects these organizations possess. As a member who joined for the right reasons, I can assure those who have doubts that there is much more to a sorority than the social aspects. 

XO Love and Mine,

Kat