They're All the Same {MythBusters}

​I am certain that if you heard Lily Pulitzer, chubbies, Yeti coolers, XL t-shirts, “norts”, and monogramming all in one sentence your first assumption would be that we are speaking of Greeks. Well these are just a few of the stereotypical fads that are paired with members of a Greek organization. A common myth you’ve probably heard about Greeks is that “They are all the same”. I am here to prove this stereotype wrong for all of you who believe it to be accurate. I myself am Greek and if you would have known me before college you would have never guessed I would have been the type of girl to find a home in a sorority. I actually recall telling my friends in high school that I was going Greek and they all genuinely thought I was joking. That could be because in high school you would have seen me walking the halls in a pair of converse and a t-shirt with a punk band on it (yes I went through that awkward punk stage). Anyways I had never heard of Lily Pulitzer and I had never owned anything with my initials monogrammed into it…well unless you count my purple L.L. Bean backpack that I used to carry down the halls of my junior high school (but I mean who didn’t have one of those). I played soccer and basketball and never cheered a day in my life. I guess you could say I was a tomboy. Scratch that…I was definitely a tomboy. Basically what I am getting at is that I wasn’t the type of girl that you may think would belong to a sorority in college because I obviously didn’t fit the “standards”, right? Wrong!

(My standard was I didn't fit the "standard")

​To my surprise, and my friends' surprise, I very skeptically decided I was going to go through recruitment. I told myself that if I didn’t fit in I would just find something else to be a part of on campus. The more I heard about sorority life from a couple rumors and the more I saw from the movies (The House Bunny) the more I started convincing myself that I wasn’t going to fit in and that terrified me. However, upon my skepticism I took a risk that I will never regret.  

​Today I have been a member of my sorority for 3 years and I can honestly say that I haven’t had to change anything about myself to “fit in”. I wear my same old converse, rips and all, almost every day. I can see how Greeks may be perceived as being very similar to one another. Yes! Most of us in a sorority might wear big t-shirts and running shorts…but I mean WOW if you tried this outfit just once you’d probably never want to wear anything different because of the comfort. However, behind the outfits and brands we are all so very different. In fact, diversity is a word that you will hear often within the Greek community and for good reason. Each brother and sister that makes up Greek life comes from a different background and lifestyle. What you rarely see as an outsider is how we come together as an organization to learn from one another’s differences and grow individually from them. Honestly one of the greatest things I have learned from being Greek is that "being you" is a beautiful quality to possess and my sisters accept me for the person I am. It is heartwarming to see girls feel so comfortable and encouraged around each other to not be afraid to be who they are.

     I think this is one of those myths that can only be proven wrong from the inside and that is why I sit here typing this as a genuine inside source of the Greek community to tell you that the men and women that make up Greek life are all very unique in their own way. That unique quality lies within every brother and sister of the Greek community whether it be behind the large t-shirt and “norts”, or in my case, the flannels and converse, and I encourage everyone that believes this myth to be true to take some time to truthfully get to know a brother or sister of a Greek community. I promise this myth will be busted.

      Written by Paige Droulliard; Edited by UNA Panhellenic 

Greeks Don't Care About School {MythBusters}

One of my favorite myths about Greek life I hear is that we don’t worry about school. I’m assuming this myth suggests that our energies are focused on other frivolous activities such as partying, drinking…you know… the stuff you see on TFM/TSM. Why waste our time with classes and studying when we can party and pay to be in the most elite groups on campus and network to find our dream jobs? HA

            For everyone who understands the real Greek system, the importance of scholarship is taken incredibly seriously. Though Greek life may aid in providing students with the opportunities and skills for networking to help in their future career, each and every fraternity and sorority expresses the ideals of scholastic pursuit and achievement in their creeds, mottos, and membership obligations. Greek life supports students to get involved on campus and to maintain high GPA’s while also balancing community involvement and service. Greek life, in fact, implements systems specifically designed to help each student work diligently and manage time to instill the skills needed after college in the workplace. All fraternity men and sorority women push each other because they both must meet a specific grade point average each semester in order to be in good standing in membership to attend social events. With these multiple checks and balances, Greek life is centered on scholarship and academic success. 

            In addition to the school requirements for social and membership activities, Greek life delivers emotional support from a family of students who strive for success in scholarship and careers just like you. Because all Greeks feel the same pressure to work hard and maintain high GPA’s, each group empathizes with the difficulties and struggles and bonds together to help one another thrive. In fact, in my personal experiences, I have witnessed my sisters and Greek community encourage me in my academic goals and discourage the peer pressures to cave in and waste time. Since joining Greek life, I have seen my GPA soar and have been inducted into several honor societies and received many academic achievement awards, all because I have a huge support system feeding my fire to push harder in my studies.

Greek life is an organization with one of the worst reputations, yet it holds the highest ideals and esteem of any other group I have been apart of. My scholastic success is to blame because of Greek life, and the opportunities I have experienced because of my hard work are unbelievable. I, just like many others, am pursuing my career path and working in a field of study that I love without yet owning my college degree. Greek life is so valuable and is life changing, and I could not be more grateful for my decision to go Greek. My only regret is that I stumbled through my first year without giving Greek life a chance. Sign up for recruitment today!

Written by Abbie Holbert; Edited by UNA Panhellenic

All Greeks Do is Party {MythBusters}

One of the most common myths associated with Greek life is that all they do party. So often, people look past what all Greek life actually does and offers for those involved. On a college campus, joining a sorority offers unparalleled opportunities for members to engage in all kinds of activities, including themed parties, theatrical productions, fundraisers, Homecoming Week, and so much more. Many students who decide to go Greek have a stronger presence on campus, participate in more leadership opportunities, and build a deeper commitment to public service than their classmates.

All partying and no intelligence is a common stereotype associated with Greek life. One thing to keep in mind is how sororities focus on academic success. Functions like mixers, date parties, and formals are not parties that are required or forced upon members, but are awarded to those who demonstrate good academic standing. All sororities have a GPA requirement, and plenty of opportunities to help each member achieve this goal. The Greek community offers study groups and tutoring times as a whole, as well as each individual chapter hosts study hours to assist members in their academic achievement. In fact, sorority members generally have higher grades and better retention rates.

85% of Fortune 500 executives were part of Greek life. The first female astronaut was Greek, so was the first female senator, and college graduation rates are 20% higher among Greeks than non-Greeks. WOW!! Some of the most intelligent and successful people are Greek. Not to mention there is a higher percentage of Greek than non Greek residing in our Student Government Association today!

Being involved in a sorority for 3 years now I have seen just how much Greek functions can benefit the campus and community. I realize from an outsider looking in it seems as if these parties are only hosted for entertainment and fun, but they offer so much more. A lot parties hosted by Greek life are to benefit a philanthropy.  According to the most recent 2013-2014 National Panhellenic Council annual report, sorority women from across the nation raised over $5.7 million for philanthropies and reported nearly 1 million hours of community service in the last academic year alone.

The year I was social chair I got the opportunity to plan and coordinate all events that were hosted by my sorority. This job taught me hard work, organization skills, and most importantly safety precautions. The common misconception is that Greeks not only party, but these parties are destructive and dangerous environments. On the contrary, social events hosted by greek life have been found to be safer than parties off campus. The University is very involved with these functions to ensure the safest environment possible for those in attendance. There is a ton of behind the scenes work that goes into these parties such as, presenting an agenda to the university, allocating a team of risk management within the sorority, and hiring university police to safeguard the party. 

I love being Greek!! Personally, my favorite part of Greek life is the people I've met through it and through the functions and parties Greek life hosts. I never would have met or talked to so many girls in my chapter had I not joined or been involved in my sorority. I've grown so much as a person already through this amazing opportunity and I wouldn't change my decision for the world. 

Going Greek is not just good is GREAT! When you get down to the bottom of it, being Greek is something amazing and everyone should be able to say they are proud of their letters. I try to encourage everyone I know to try out Greek life, go Greek!

Written by Guest Writer, Whitney Rivers; Edited by UNA Panhellenic 

You Pay for Your Friends {MythBusters}

As a recruitment counselor, I frequently hear young women using the excuse, “I don’t want to pay for my friends,” as justification for deciding not to go through sorority recruitment. Although this is a valid statement for individuals who are unaware of what a sorority stands for, I am writing this to reassure all you readers that this statement, is in fact, false.

I get it, as soon as you pledge a sorority you are required to pay initiation fees, membership dues, and other various social payments, but just like any other club you find yourself joining on campus there are financial obligations that are involved in making these organizations successful. A sorority is probably a lot bigger than what you have in mind. Each sorority has a national executive office (A.K.A. headquarters).

 Membership dues allow for the chapter to carry out various functions such as…PHILANTHROPY EVENTS! 26 various sororities alone raised over $5,000,000 in philanthropy money (membership dues look pretty small now, right?). One part of being in a sorority is learning to serve others, and in order for us to serve others effectively there must be funds available. That being said, although there are those required dues, many of the charges you might receive are simply voluntary. It is not a requirement, but merely a choice, to buy every t-shirt that is designed or to attend every single date party/formal that is planned.  

We also need to keep in mind that sororities also provide opportunities for its members! Many sororities provide opportunities for those members who demonstrate academic success and thrive in leadership abilities to be rewarded scholarships because they truly enjoy helping you succeed. So along with holding you accountable for your grades and providing leadership opportunities, your chapter also has the potential to contribute to YOU financially.

During my time as being a Gamma Chi recruitment counselor, one thing I constantly remind girls going through recruitment, happens to be my favorite and the most relevant statement I have heard since I have been a sorority member, and that is, “YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN!” (and I’m not talking about the money). Just because you pay your monthly dues does not mean you automatically have friends. How silly would it be for you to assume that when we pay our bills we are suddenly going to have best friends blowing your phone up to hang out? Yes, when you are a member of a sorority you do have tons of sisters, but sisterhood is different than friendship. When you join a specific sisterhood you are only promised to have ONE thing in common with all of the other members…. Your promise to uphold and live out the values of your chapter. It is important to remember that as members of a sorority we are still human beings and work to build those relationships with each other. 

After I’ve said all that, I’ll go on to say, the experiences, life lessons, knowledge, and relationships I’ve acquired during my time in my chapter are PRICELESS and if I’m going to be stereotyped for paying for my friends I certainly have not paid enough.

Written by Guest Writer, Mary Ware; Edited by UNA Panhellenic