Top 6 Misconceptions Of College Sororities

Sororities are prevalent on a majority of college campuses and offer a unique opportunity for young ladies to develop with a good group of fellow sisters. I interviewed Kristen Johnson a sorority sister at Keene State College to see if any of the common misconceptions about sororities hold true. I think that from an outsiders perspective sororities can have many negative aspects; this article will take a look at 6 common misconceptions about college sororities and what the truth really is. This is a must read for any girl interested in a sorority!

1. “Sorority is Just another Name for Legal Prostitution”

I have heard this phrase from a few different people which really shocked and dismayed me. I asked Kristen what she thought of this, “we are all classy ladies that conduct ourselves in that way“. From my personal experience sorority sisters are mostly the upper crust of the college female community; they make great girlfriends as they are all strong individuals and have high aspirations in life.

2. “Only Date Fraternity Guys”

As a fraternity brother I wish this was only true! Girls who are involved in sororities date different men just like any other group would, the only reason this misconception is popular is because sorority girls hang out with fraternity men since they share a common interest. This misconception would be the equivalent of saying all French club girls only date French club men. There would be no logic to this, they date who they choose regardless of their affiliation.

3. “Sorority Girls are Spoiled and have no Drive in Life”

The opposite of this statement is true; many sorority girls are natural born leaders and are heavily involved in both community service and academics. According to Jittery Monks laders need to know how to connect the dots between ideas and people. Sorority sisters can often be seen serving in student government or at other clubs or sports. Some sisters are spoiled, but I have yet to meet any sorority sister who has no motivation for their future. Girls involved with Greek life often maintain very high GPAs and get involved as much as possible in many aspects of college life.

4. “All we do is Party”

This direct quote from Kristen was said to her from different sources including her parents. Sororities may party on occasion but during the week you can often see an entire sorority sitting in the library for hours at once studying and helping one another achieve high grades. Not only are sorority sister’s academic scholars but they also are involved in sports and various clubs, as well as community service. They party as much as any other college student, some party more than others, some less.

5. “Sororities Haze”

Some organizations may bend the rules; however sororities are required to keep strict anti hazing policies to prevent hazing of any kind. A direct quote from Kristen when I approached this question was “why would we hurt or embarrass someone that we want to be our sister? And why would we do that to earn friends?” This quote shows the intention of almost all sororities on college campuses, since there is no reason to haze if you want these girls to be your friends. You would not haze your best friends, so why would you do it to pledges?

6. “Sororities are Full of Drama”

Every social group will face its fair share of problems and “drama”; however this is not the norm with sororities. There may be fight occasionally, but all of the sisters are such good friends that after some discussion the problems are quickly resolved. With the help of a large peer audience problems are easily worked out.

Sources:

Kristen Johnson