The Common Misconceptions of Greek Life

Stereotype - noun - a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image of idea of a particular type of person or thing 

When I think of the word "stereotype" naturally my mind drifts to the many times I've watched movies like "The House Bunny" or "Legally Blonde" or the time I reluctantly watched the television show on TLC called "Sorority Girls". All of these portray sororities and Greek life in general as an understated group of people with shallow morals. The media even does a fine job of shining a negative light on Greek life, capturing only the bad and rarely the good. 

Being Greek myself and coming from a Greek family, I thought it would be unfair for me to preach about the common misconceptions I hear regularly. So, to make sure the common misconceptions were in fact authentic, I took it upon myself while writing this blog post to get an outside perspective on how non-Greeks view Greek life and here is what I found.

1. "Everything Greeks do revolves around partying in their house and getting drunk" - False. Each chapter of each Fraternity or Sorority has a national board overseeing their activity and regularly sending regional representatives to chapters do to check-ups. Granted we're in college and college students like to let loose on occasion but to say that Greeks only care about partying and getting drunk is like saying the football team only cares about pumping iron and getting jacked. There's much, much more to Greek organizations than what meets the eye.

2. "Greeks haze their new members" - Speaking from a sorority affiliated with NPC (National Panhellenic Conference) there are strict guidelines to determine what is considered "hazing" and what is not with the safety and well being of new members constantly in mind. If a chapter neglects to follow those rules and regulations the appropriate actions will be taken, including fines, the chapter being suspended, having their charter revoked, and even termination of the chapter as a whole. Additionally, why would you want to be a part of something that made you feel as though you are less amazing than you already are? The purpose of Greek life is to build you up, not break you down. 

Delta Zeta sisters showing their bid day t-shirts

3. "They are all the same" - Absolutely not. Each chapter is so incredibly unique because each chapter is made up of different girls. The only things that remain consistent from chapter to chapter is the respective values and traditions each individual sorority upholds. Yes, some sororities and chapters wear matching outfits during recruitment season or during a special time of year but the sole purpose of that is to be identified as unit, a group, a sorority - not because we are all identical clones of one another.

Alpha Omicron Pi sisters and campus rep KateLynn Dotson

4. "Daddy must pay for everything" - First, I would like to speak from my own experience - I have worked full or close to full time throughout my entire college career which, at this point, is going on 5 years. I have always been an extremely independent person and I would never rely on my parents to support my extra curricular activities or anything else in my life, I'm 22 years old. With that being said, I know hundreds of sorority women and fraternity gentlemen who are also working their way through college to pay for not only their chapter dues but their basic needs as well. 

5. "You pay for your friends" - I hear this one the most and it was no shock to me that I heard it again when asking non-Greeks how they feel about Greek life. Let me lay this out for you, any Greek organization is exactly that, an organization. You have to pay a membership fee for a variety of organizations so does that mean you're paying for your friends in organizations such as the environment club or colleges against cancer? No. Each chapter has a set amount of dues, a portion stays local to support the chapter and a portion goes to their national board to support their efforts. If your chapter has a house, there are house dues to pay as well for regular house maintenance. When I paid my first set of dues I didn't automatically have 100 new best friends. Friendships, like everything in life, take time and effort. It takes time to form those deep connections and no amount of money could ever "pay" for that. 

Kappa Tau Epsilon sisters, Olivia, Nicole, and Kaitlyn (me!) - bonding at a formal event

6. "You will never get a "real world" job being in a Greek organization" - This misconception really threw me for a loop because being Greek has taught me so much more about myself than I could have ever imagined. I've learned and polished my time management skills, social skills, speaking skills, marketing skills, conflict resolving skills, team building skills, team work skills, and the list could go on. My point is that being Greek has given me and many others the opportunity throughout college to work together for a common goal. Isn't that what the "real world" is all about? In my personal opinion, being Greek has been more beneficial for me than anything else I've done in my life thus far. By the time I graduate I will have almost 4 years of "real world" experience working in my career field and about the same being involved in Greek life serving on different boards and committees - the two paired together sound like a dynamic duo if you ask me. 

Greek Statistics

7. "Greeks don't care about their grades" - Each chapter sets a GPA minimum that each member must at least maintain to remain active in their chapter. In addition, each chapter sets a minimum amount of study hours that must be completed each semester. Greeks are serious about their grades and it shows as statistics have proven that individuals in Greek life have, on average, .15 grade point markings higher than those who are not affiliated with Greek life.

8. "Greeks have no respect for their universities or community" - Each chapter sets a minimum amount of philanthropy hours that must be completed each semester in order to maintain active membership. Those philanthropic endeavors can be completed either on campus, in the community, or on a regional level. We strive to give back to what surrounds us as much as possible.

Kappa Tau Epsilon sisters participating in Tau Kappa Epsilon's Zombie Run For Reagan Philanthropy Event

Campus rep Brooke Benson and her littles at Leigh Valley's Kidney Walk

Panhellenic Women from Central Michigan University volunteering at a mobile food pantry - featuring one of our campus reps, Lucie Sertich

9. " Greeks live and breath by Total Frat Move (TFM) and Total Sorority Move (TSM)" - Both websites are intended for fun and fun only. What is stated on those websites are by no means what each person in Greek life lives by. 

10. "Greeks act like they love each other but really they all hate each other" - I can't speak for everyone at every university but I'll speak for the Greeks at my university. My university has a small Greek population with three IFC Fraternities and three NPC Sororities making us a very tight knit bunch. I'll share a short, tragic story from this past year to hopefully give you a better idea of just how close we all are. Within a matter of two weeks a Tau Kappa Epsilon alumni passed away and a brother of Phi Kappa Tau lost his battle with cancer. This hit our community hard, not because we all knew the individuals or because we were very close with either of the gentlemen but because they're part of our Greek family. I've never been more proud to say I belong to a group of people than I was in that moment when we all came together to support and help those suffering the most from the losses. The best way that I could possibly explain it is we're like literal brothers and sisters, we may have disagreements and not see eye to eye but at the end of the day we're always there for each other. 

Saginaw Valley State University Greek Life Fall 2013

The point I'm attempting to make is that being involved with Greek life is much more than what it's "cracked" up to be. This goes back to how the media portrays Greek life because from an outside perspective, that is really all you see. Do a lot of girls and guys in Greek organizations fit the "stereotype", sure but a lot of girls and guys who are NOT in Greek life also fit the "stereotype". Not every chapter is a cookie cutter and not every organization is 100% perfect, nothing in life ever is. Along with all the decorated paddles, the mixers, and the formals there is hard work, dedication, and integrity that goes in to being Greek. If you're considering going Greek I strongly encourage it because I can promise it will be one of the most rewarding things you ever do in life. If you're not, I hope this post helped to debunk some of the common misconceptions associated with Greek life.

XOX & LP,
Kaitlyn

Sorority Spotlight: Alpha Xi Delta

                 Alpha Xi Delta sorority and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at Florida Atlantic University joined together and hosted their very first annual "Buffalo Bash" on April 13th, 2014. "Buffalo Bash" is a wing festival where local restaurants came and showcased their best version of the chicken wing for the public to try and vote on their favorite.  The money was made in two ways: through sponsorships and ticket sales. In October, they sent out a sponsorship packet with 4 levels that included different benefits with each to local businesses. The levels ranged from mild ($100) to premier ($1,000). They had so much interest from companies that they were able to raise a little over $10,000 by February! The event itself was general admission, however, if you wanted to eat the wings from the 8 restaurants that were there, it was $10 for a water and 15 wings. There was also T-shirts, water/soda, raffles, and other items being sold. There was also a kid zone, and live music, and various vendors for the crowd to enjoy.

                
The whole philanthropy event was to raise money for Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism. It also increases awareness of  autism spectrum disorders as well as advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Their mission statement is as follows: "at Autism Speaks, our goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders." They have a firm belief that, by working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle.
              On the day of the philanthropy event they had rainy weather, but that did not keep the friends, family, and community members away. The event ended up being a huge success. $12,000 was raised for Autism speaks that day, but it was not the only thing these chapters earned. They gained the support of  a local community of Boca Raton's support and the Florida governor's, as well. The Boca Raton's mayor, Susan Haynie, gave a proclamation at the event, emphasizing how excited she was for the upcoming years and how she couldn't wait for the event to grow. Florida's govenor, Rick Scott, wrote the chapters a personalized letter expressing his gratitude for the huge donation they made to Autism Speaks.

The following is an interview with Allie Wessel who was initiated into her chapter of Fall 2010: 

What was your favorite part of Buffalo Bash?

"My favorite part of Buffalo Bash would be when the Mayor made the proclamation. It’s an amazing feeling to raise money for a great cause, but it is also incredible knowing that your organization made a difference in your community that will live long after graduation. Before this, no one from FAU’s Greek Life has reached out to the community, and we assumed that they didn’t respect or appreciate Greek Life. Through this event, we found out just the opposite. The mayor was so impressed with our efforts she nearly had tears in her eyes. She even gave us suggestions on how to make next year an even bigger success and how to get even more distinct Boca Raton community members on board. Other council members were also in attendance and expressed the same gratitude. It was great to see Alpha Xi Delta and Alpha Tau Omega make an impact not only for Autism Speaks, but also for the Boca Raton community."

How did you come up with the idea for a Buffalo Bash?

 "My boyfriend and I were in Tijuana Flats one day discussing our concerns about our Greek community constantly just shifting money between one another and always raising roughly around the same amount each year. We are all poor college students, there is no way we are going to raise a large amount of money without the community's help. We thought that there had to be another way... a better way. We knew that our chapters were smaller than other schools', so our budget was not as big to do a large scale event. Which is why we decided that if we were going to do something, we needed to do it big, and we needed to do it together. So, we brainstormed, and brainstormed until my boyfriend remembered a philanthropy event done by Alpha Tau Omega at Alabama Huntsville called Battle of Buffalo. Each year they raise more and more money, and last year they rose over $30,000! It was the perfect idea. We contacted the chapter in Alabama Huntsville and got as much information about the event as we could. Once we got the basics of the event, we catered it to fit Boca Raton."

Favorite part about being a sister if Alpha Xi Delta?

"My favorite part of being a sister of Alpha Xi Delta (besides the amazing lifelong friends I have gained) is that I have a group of women and a ritual that is constantly challenging, inspiring and supporting me to be the women I always dreamed of being. If it weren’t for this organization I wouldn’t have found my love for giving back, challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone to be the leader I always wished I could be, or make lifelong friends that will be with me until we grow old."

What is one word to describe your chapter?

 "One word to describe the Theta Iota of Alpha Xi Delta would be Potential. Alpha Xi Deltas vision is “inspiring women to realize their potential”, which our chapter strives to do for each member as well as any other women that comes into each of our lives.  We also are constantly challenging each other to be creative and come up with new ideas to make the chapter even better than it was the day before." 

               This is definitely not the end for the "Buffalo Bash" and hopefully in the years to come it will continue to grow and grow. Both Alpha Xi Delta and Alpha Tau Omega are extremely excited to team up again next year and have already begun to think of ways to improve by making it bigger and better. I think I speak for many chapters when I say, we wish you luck on your drive to make this event as big as it could be and I hope we can see the growth of your event in the future!