The Next Chapter

For many of you women coming to school here next year, high school is coming to an end. I am sure you all are counting down the days to when you walk across the stage to receive your diploma. Right now you have this feeling of excitement, freedom, worry, and even fear.

Take a step back and look how far you have come. Breathe for a moment, it {will} be okay.

As you close this chapter of your life, many more chapters are about to open up for you. One of the most important chapters being college. The opportunities you are about to be given are endless and these moments will be some of the best yet.

I am sure some of your friends have already decided that Greek life is the next step for them, others are on edge about it, and some have not even thought about it at all. Had you asked me in high school after I walked across that stage two years ago I would not have imagined anything close to where I am today with Greek life.

Going Greek was the second best decision I made, the first being going to college of course. I would not change my decision on going Greek for anything. My sisters have and continue to push me to be the best person I can be. Not only have my sisters pushed me, but also the women of Panhellenic. Each of these sororities possess different qualities and attributes that make them all individually unique. Greek life has provided me with so many opportunities. I am thankful each day for the step I took.

As summer moves on, be sure to check out the University of North Alabama’s Panhellenic blog. We will be busting the myths about Greek life, introducing you to some of the 2015 Gamma Chis and Recruitment Counselors, answering your questions, and providing information for the upcoming Fall 2015 Recruitment.

We can’t wait to meet you all and share with you the wonderful experience of Greek life.

GO GREEK!

Written by Guest Blogger Taylor Anders; Edited by UNA Panhellenic

Be-YOU-tiful {Practicing Good Habits}

A woman's self worth can by determined by so many variables. How we, as women, perceive others by defining ourselves has a lot to do with our own self worth. We know who we are, what we love, and what we stand for, but we often forget this tried and true definition of ourselves when we begin to consider others' falliable opinions of our worth. Self-worth can be determined by just about anything. For example, whether or not we're in a committed relationship, what we scored on our last math exam, or (many would say, most important) how many likes we get on our Instagram posts. And, as much as we all cherish our social media, I feel that it's safe to say true confidence and social media simply do not go hand in hand most of the time.

Social media, namely Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are truly addictive. The  compliments we receive on a cute post with our love interests, or the plethora of likes we  attain on a photo with our most beautiful sorority sisters often cause our egos to swell.  Conversely, when we are sitting at home stressing about our math homework or, even  worse, are experiencing utter boredom due to a lack of plans, we experience  overwhelming jealousy upon viewing these posts that we feel of which we should,  somehow, be a part.

However, we often fail to consider one of the fundamentals of social media,  the one my mother always reminded me of in high school—no one posts about the  negative, unfortunate, or boring occurrences in his or her life! The girls who get 300­ some-odd likes (are you really friends with all 300 people?) don’t post on Instagram about the horrible  fight they had with their best friend last week, or how they’re waiting by their phones for  one measly text from the guy they’ve been interested in for weeks, who obviously has  other things on his mind. They, instead, post about the fun they’re having out at dinner or  partying with their closest girlfriends.

This is a wise tactic, but believe me, every single human being has a bad day every once in awhile.. Even Beyoncé. Therefore, let's not fall into these predictable patterns of comparison- THEY ARE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL and the murderer of confidence.

We each are beautiful, inside and out. This is a lame, cliché, overdone concept but  we somehow STILL have a hard time accepting this fact of life! Each of us was perfectly,  thoughtfully created out of love and, here’s the kicker, WE WERE MADE DIFFERENT  ON PURPOSE. I mean, hello, are we forgetting about our fingerprints? So what  we’re shorter or have bigger teeth or curlier hair than the girls who are sitting to our right and left—this was not an accident,  ladies. We aren’t all supposed to be identical twins to Jessie James­Decker, so why are  we behaving so naively?  Let’s make a vow—starting now, comparison is off­limits! No if’s, and’s, or but’s!

Let's all make it a point of focus on and, more importantly, be grateful for each of our own beautiful defining qualities. Let's practice positive self-talk and tell ourselves "This is how I am supposed to be." Let's reconsider our definitions of self, and ultimately how we determine our self-worth. Let's forget about how many likes our ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend gets, and remember that no one in his or her right mind posts photos of the bad stuff in his or her life. Let's remember to take all forms of social media with a grain of salt, keeping in mind that there are much, much more important things in life that we could be fretting over (for example, world hunger or how in the world I'm going to pass any of my classes at this point in the semester). Let's throw our perceptions of how others view us out the window and practice loving ourselves by our own self-definitions of what makes us beautiful. And let's finally feel beautiful BEING OURSELVES while our confidence flourishes!

Written by Guest Blogger, Carlisle Sandy; Edited by UNA Panhellenic

Be-YOU-tiful {Be Yourself}

Being yourself isn’t something you always think of when you think of about being in sorority. People tend to think girls in a sorority all wear the same things, think the same thoughts and are all just housewives in training. Well I am here to tell you that is not what being in a sorority is like, even though I thought the exact same thing as I went through recruitment. Now looking back on, it I think of how wrong I was. I have learned not only so much about myself but also about my sorority and how we are everything but a stereotype.

We are a group of women who are leaders on and off campus, in our communities, and we are scholars. We encourage each other to go out for all kinds of different things. We study with each other and support our own philanthropy along with other philanthropies. Being in a sorority has given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and step up and become a leader within my chapter. When I was a freshman going through recruitment I never thought I would end up holding so many different positions in my organization that all taught me something different about myself.

Being a member of an all female organization you would think we would all just be mean to one another but it really is just the opposite. My sisters encourage me to be the best version of myself and to never let anything or anyone get me down. They have been by my side on my best and worst days and never asked me to be anything but myself. That is what I think be-YOU-tiful means. It means to always be true to yourself, and like I said I have never been asked to change myself, I’ve only been encouraged to be myself.

Having that kind of that encouragement is important to all women, especially in today’s society. Women are so critical on themselves and having that support system of women always telling you to shoot for the stars is so important. I am never afraid to do something because I know even if I fail I have my sisters to pick me up and dust me off and tell me to just try again. I have never felt like I couldn’t do something or that I wasn’t supported in the decisions I was making, because I knew I always had my sisters there to count on.

I am truly blessed to be a part of an organization full of such supportive women, who always make me feel like being myself is okay and that I should never be anything but that.

Post Written by Guest Blogger, Hallie Mitchell; Edited by UNA Panhellenic

                  

Be-You-tiful {Through the Media}

                  As I flip through the new addition of People magazine, I check out all the perfection and drama that is the epitome of Hollywood. I envy Carrie Underwood’s entire life. I mean, she has perfect legs, a perfect husband, a perfect baby, and she can sing. It really isn’t fair to all the rest of us. I also scoff at the celebrities who have let their bikini bodies go. I am constantly consuming media for celebrities. At any given moment, my TV is sure to be on E!. I wouldn’t dare miss a rerun of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. If Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds never got married, I would be little less complete. Hello, #relationshipgoals. We are always looking up to celebrities, but have you wondered what this media is doing to our self-esteem and overall confidence?

Being a college girl and a regular consumer of popular culture, I look up to celebrities. I envy Lauren Conrad’s collection of Chanel purses and the amount of Louboutin heels Blake Lively owns. If I only was as pretty as Hayden Panettiere or as witty as Jennifer Lawrence. It makes me feel as though I am not adequate enough. Okay, I know I’m never going to be famous, but maybe I can take an Instagram picture as good as Kylie Jenner.

Media creates this world where celebrities seem so much more important than normal people. Magazines only have certain girls on their covers. If you are thin, you are seen as beautiful. Media doesn’t like to celebrate different. Because of that, consumers like to hide their differences. Growing up I had bright red hair and pale skin. I didn’t feel confident because I thought the most beautiful girls had blonde hair and tan skin. Where did I get this idea? Media. But I think our differences are what make us most beautiful. Now, I think my hair is my best physical feature. It makes me stand out, which I love. I think it’s beautiful when a girl who is 5'11" is confident enough to wear heels. It’s refreshing when girls are confident enough to not wear makeup. So what if Beyoncé has a thigh gap? We should all feel beautiful in the skin were in.

Media has also created unrealistic expectations in the relationship department. Yes, I’m talking about The Notebook. We should all be looking for that guy who treats us right and with respect, but chick flicks have given us a form of fantasy. Sorry to burst your bubble, but a man probably isn’t going to build the dream house you described when you were 16. It just isn’t realistic. This causes unhappiness when that doesn’t happen to you. We are not in the Upper East Side, and you may not have the Chuck to your Blair, but you can be happy with the life that you have. We are all blessed in so many different ways and we should not lose confidence because we don’t have the "perfect" relationship.

Why do we idolize celebrities so much? For example, Carrie Underwood seemingly has the perfect life. I’m envious of her body, her husband, her singing talent, and her beauty. Every single one of these things is shallow. All of the reasons that I find myself inferior to these people are all superficial. Where will Carrie’s legs be in 10 years? Where will Kendall Jenner’s selfie taking ability get her? Most of the reason we are so consumed with celebrities is temporary. We should admire someone because they’re beautiful not only outside, but inside as well. The only thing that will matter in years is who you are on the inside. Outward beauty and fame is temporary, but being a kind, genuine person lasts a lifetime. The confidence you have in yourself should not come from Instagram likes or having the perfect beach bod, but in striving to be your best self.

Post Written by Guest Blogger, Sarah Wilson; Edited by UNA Panhellenic