???OK, oK I get it; everyone at UB who is not a participant in Greek life automatically despises those who are and everything it entails. The hate has been made loud and clear to me by all of my non letter-wearing peers. Really though, you guys can all take a break because as an active member of the on-campus sorority Delta Delta I can assure you that we Greeks have no problem dishing out animosity among ourselves.
???Nearing the end of my third year at UB, I have been involved with my sorority since freshman year and by this point have seen firsthand the ins and outs of the system. ???First off, I would like to affirm that in saying this, I am simply hoping to change a few opinions about the generalizations made toward sorority and fraternity members. I'm sick of everyone judging me and others about whom they know nothing.
???I might as well address the most controversial and highly stereotyped argument right off the bat. People in a sorority or fraternity are not all from Long Island. With that said, not all Long Island people are "the same". I myself admit to previously generalizing people who are from Long Island, but now looking back I see the ignorance dripping from that point of view.
???I am from upstate N.Y., and can confidently say that at least half of my Greek life friends are as well. Those of my friends who are from Long Island, both Greeks and non-Greeks, are all completely different. Stop letting a couple of people you may have met, or even just seen, who appear to have a personality dissimilar to yours, influence your judgment.
???If spandex (which I proudly wear because it is comfortable) is a reason for you to dislike a person, then kindly stop reading this and go ask the nearest person to slap you in the face. That is absurd.
???If a group of people want to dress similarly, fine for them. It only means that they like a style, think their friends look good and want to look that way as well. I can assure you that if an individual did not like to wear oversized sunglasses with spandex and Uggs, or organization-based tee-shirts with their hats cocked to the side, they simply wouldn't do it, and that is fine.
It is what it is, so let it be.
To add to that, to all of the people who generalize and judge Greek members as clones and the only people who dress that way, I'll bet you have at least one acquaintance or friend who dresses in that manner, so quit it with the hypocrisy.
???If someone wants to spend most of their semester as a pledge to show their loyalty and dedication to the friendships they are gaining and pre-pay for their semester's partying, who are you to say that is wrong?
???Contrary to popular beliefs as to why people join Greek life, I did not join a sorority because I was ready to hit up rush week the second my dorm room was decorated. I did not join a sorority so I could get wasted three times a week. I did not join a sorority to meet hot guys.
???My sorority fell into my lap coincidentally and, as fate had it, I adored the people it allowed me to meet. I was lucky to find that with ease. It just so happens that to achieve the strong bond I saw within those girls, I would have to pledge. If I hadn't clicked so well with those people, I would not have joined Delta Delta or possibly any other sorority. I did what felt right and gained great friends, as well as a fantastic boost to my resume. It's that simple.
???To be fair, I can see why non-Greeks would judge us all, only because we judge each other so harshly. With that said, to all Greek members: cut it out.
???When Greeks are as a whole spoken negatively about, that should make all the members of a fraternity or sorority collectively want to come together and defend what we've all worked so hard to become a part of. Instead I constantly see trash-talking, brawls and catfights between the Greeks.
???Personal matters should stay personal, and we all could stand to stop gossiping and believing everything we hear. Whether we like it or not, we are all associated with each other and chose this path-so we might as well enjoy it. Our letters may vary, but our purposes are generally the same. So, why people who are in a sorority or fraternity have to "hate" nearly everyone in a fraternity or sorority aside from their own simply makes zero sense.
If anyone claims to be content in knowing that almost everyone outside of their small organization isn't very fond of them, I'm calling your bluff. No one likes to be disliked.
???College is an experience of coming into your own. You meet who you meet and with any luck, you find good friends. Why on earth there is discrimination against anyone for following through and taking part of something that has meaning to an individual leaves me utterly puzzled and disgusted.
???Moral of the story: To each his own.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
