I had a conversation with someone the other day, and somehow greek life and the fact that I was a part of it in college wound up coming up. I have a certain opinion on it, and I understand other people have different opinions on the whole system. The whole conversation lead me to google the word "sorostitute" because I have always found it funny. I think I have referred to myself as one on occasion as a joke. I mean if you're talking about yourself, you can use derogatory terms like that. At any rate, I found these couple of things to share...
The first is The Sorostitute Manifesto, which is clearly from a long time ago, or some state that's not really in the South or something. They have really odd things about wardrobe that did not reflect anyone I knew at all. Or maybe my undergrad was far classier. (I really find that unlikely)
The second one was In Defense of Sorostitutes, which is actually written by a girl at UGA who is actually in a sorority. Its mostly making fun of how the girls on her campus dress, but I really think that is more of how I view myself, sisters, and the Greek experience I had. And actually if you read her blog, she seems cool enough.
What I am trying to say here is, as in the first link, some people have the strongest, most negative opinions and emotions about Greek life. I understand being very negatively passionate about something that is a pivotal political issue, a belief, something a tad more important than a group of people that you were not a part of. I start to wonder if it's jealousy, or what exactly happened to make people hate it so much.
I actually dated someone who hated sororities, frats, would always tell me that I probably fit the stereotypes of those groups, called a friend a fratty douchebag within earshot. The first question I ask myself is "why did I waste my life with this person" and the second is "why DID he hate Greek life so much?" I would always try and explain all that Greek life taught me, like how to work with other people who have different opinions, how to leave politics aside and be friends with people regardless, along with the fact that some of my best friends were my sisters in college. It was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I perfectly understand people who didn't choose this path, and I am friends with plenty of them, but I am just not able to grasp this bitterness towards it. My only explanation? Jealousy. Why be so passionate otherwise? I don't hate people who aren't Greek, I don't get that mad about that. Why be so mad about people who are closed minded, when it's kind of closed minded to consider stereotype a reality?
I guess I just don't get it. I think I will continue to embrace my image and move on.
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A lot of what most people learn (via the MSM or older friends and sibilings) about Greek organizations is the exclusivity aspect, how you have to prove yourself in order to get in, which, to all appearances, is the equivalent of a high-school clique. I think you have a point there, maybe not jealousy so much as a fear of being left out or excluded.
ReplyDeleteI know, in my experience, a lot of the original disdain I held towards Sororities/Fraternities was because of the hazing and initiation rites. We've all heard the horror stories. I figured most organizations centered around peer pressure to ensure that members "fit in" and stayed within the acceptable norm, and discouraged outside interaction.
My school didn't have any Greek organizations, but I did find myself incredibly surprised to learn that friends in fraternities at other schools participated in community building activities, volunteering, and were incredibly supportive of one another. It's all really depends on the group.
But, from an outsider's perspective, I'd say that most of the information that people receive about fraternities and sororities are the scary, alarmist stories; kids being physically assaulted, emotionally abused, deprived, socially shamed, etc. Nobody writes an article about some kids planting trees in a local park, you know?
You've found me!!
ReplyDeleteI think that is really true, I am sure most people with harsh judgments have had bad experiences, coupled with those rare really bad things you hear on the news and such. My mother happens to be one of them, I am sure you can picture it.
It does really depend on the group you fall in with, and at first, before I found the clique I really liked I did wonder if it was really the thing to do. Had anyone ever asked me to like, go streaking, it would have been over. Luckily they asked me to plant trees instead (literally).