5 Misconceptions that Tri Delta Beats When it Comes to Sorority Stereotypes
“You’re paying for your friends”
From the moment I ran off stage to my Tri Delta sisters on
Bid Day, I have grown to realize that “paying for your sorority friends” is
such a huge misinterpretation made by so many people. Yes, we do pay dues each
semester, but I have never seen it as paying for friends. The money that I put into my sorority is what
allows me to enjoy my Greek experience as much as I have. The dues I pay go
towards the amazing events that we host including Formal, Semi-formal,
philanthropic events, and recruitment. Money simply can’t amount to the
significance of finding life-long friends like I have these past few years. I
fortunately was able to experience and appreciate what true friendships were
like when I joined Tri Delta. I had never been shown true support, love,
encouragement, and appreciation before I had become friends with Madison, Anna,
Alex, Rani, Stevie, Kelsey, Kara, Ashley and many more. I am forever grateful for
what Tri Delta has given me. I have grown so close with so many girls that if I
were to put a price on them, I couldn’t, because my friendships are worth more
than I could possible fathom…they are priceless.
“Sororities only do philanthropy work
because they are required to”
This stereotype must be one of the most frustrating
misconceptions I have ever heard. I didn’t know much about philanthropy until I
joined Tri Delta, but once I started learning of its impact, I quickly fell in
love with the St. Jude foundation that raises money to find cures for children
with cancer. I know I speak for all of the young women in the Beta Xi chapter
when I say that above all else, St. Jude is our main focus. We take pride in
how much impact we have had on St. Jude. We have spent countless nights making
poster board signs, practicing chants, and doing all that we could to prepare
for a day’s worth of raising money for the children. We love and adore St. Jude
and couldn’t imagine putting as much time, effort, and love towards anything
else like we do for our philanthropy. As Tri Deltas, we are given the
opportunity to join together and raise money for a great cause. The
misconception of philanthropy work being a requirement is unfortunate because, as
young women of Tri Delta, we have taken it as an opportunity to help children
that are in need! We love what we do and love that we donate 100% of our
earnings towards St. Jude.
“Sorority girls are dumb and don’t
study”
To be completely honest, Tri Delta has probably helped me
stay on track with school more than anything else. We have study hours every
week and when it is time to study, groups of us girls will go to the library
together or even pile into the chapter room to study with each other. I
naturally get very distracted with different outside fun activities and so, for
me, having these study hours keeps me accountable with making good grades.
Another great thing about Tri Delta is that we have one of the highest GPA’s amongst
every organization on campus. As students, we came to SFA to go to school, so
as members of Tri Delta, we are held accountable and to an even higher standard
for our grades. It is amazing to see the amount of support and encouragement I
have from my sisters when it comes to school! More than anything, they always
have my back when I am in need of a little push to finish my work or just to
give me words of encouragement. My grades have excelled tremendously because of
the amount of support my sisters and Tri Delta has shown me.
“Sororities are all about looks”
Before recruitment, I never viewed myself as a girl who fit
into the part of how a sorority girl looks on the outside. I enjoyed wearing
shorts and t-shirts and not wearing much make-up. When I joined Tri Delta,
however, I was surrounded by girls of all different shapes, sizes, hair colors,
etc. One thing that all of these girls had in common was that they all shared
genuine love for their sorority and each other. I can distinctly remember, from
that moment on, I didn’t care about my appearance or the shape of my body
anymore because I knew I was surrounded by girls who truly loved me for me. I
was shown that Tri Delta is about sisterhood and becoming the best young woman I
could possibly be. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to look “perfect”, but
thankfully I have sisters who remind me that there is so much more to being a
part of Tri Delta than the way I look. My advice to any girl who wants to get
involved with Greek Life, but is worried because they don’t think that they fit
into the “perfect” stereotypical sorority look, take that leap of faith
because, like me, you will find your home where your sisters will love you for
you. Just like I did with Tri Delta.
“Everyone in a sorority is fake”
I think it is a common misconception for people to think
that in order to be involved with a sorority, you must think, act, and be a
certain way. This implies that you cannot be yourself, you must be exactly what
the sorority wants you to be. ……. THIS COULD NOT BE MORE FALSE. Before I joined
Tri Delta, I had the same ideas in my head that I had to be a certain way just
to fit in. It wasn’t long after joining Tri Delta that I realized just how
completely diverse all girls were within the sorority. What was amazing to me
was how everyone respected and loved each other despite their differences. I
was born and raised in a very small town, so seeing this first hand was crazy
to me! I quickly learned that we have so many different, unique, and amazing
girls that come from different backgrounds and places. But what was more
mind-blowing was how awesome it was to be able to connect with such different
girls that I had never met. What I love most about Tri Delta is that despite
all girls’ differences and unique personalities, one exceptional interest that
we all share is our love for Tri Delta and St. Jude. I could not ask to be a
part of a greater organization than Tri Delta itself.
I hope this gave you a little insight about the different
misconceptions that sorority stereotypes carry. More than anything, I want to
encourage everyone to experience the joy of finding their home away from home. The
memories I have shared with my sisters will always hold a special place in my
heart. I will forever be grateful for Delta Delta Delta and for the chance to
finally find where I belong.
Delta Love and Mine,
Annie Crenshaw
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