Looking Past The Sorority Stereotype: #WeAreNotOurStereotype

We are not our stereotype… Yeah, you read that right. I will even write it again. We are not our stereotype….

Every day, sorority girls have to fight what the media is saying about them. Yes, it is our fault for some situations, but don’t take the faulted actions of one girl and give the rest of the Greek community a bad label. Honestly, it’s just plain wrong.

I know you may be saying “ Oh yeah, the recent events I’ve read in the media have been pretty bad.” But I want you too look at the bigger picture. This has actually been going on for decades. Think about the movies you watch. For years, blockbuster films have portrayed the sorority girl as a dumb, highly provocative drunk, who is only looking to get her MRS. Degree. Honestly, it has been going on far too long, and we need to change it.

I have had the idea to bring the #WeAreNotOurStereotype movement to my chapter for a while, but once the “selfie at a baseball game” article was published about the Alpha Chi Omega sorority at Arizona State University (I would like to say thank you to the Zeta Pi girls. You turned an unfortunate event around, and made it positive again). I knew it needed to be done. We need to show the media that not all girls are the same.

The next day I wrote to my chapter, Iota Zeta — Wingate University, of Alpha Xi Delta, in hopes that they would be on board. Before I knew it, I was back in chapter getting ready to do this project. The support I had was amazing. Every sister that participated in this event knew what to say. If you would like to view the whole gallery of photos, please visit my website.

With #WeAreNotOurStereotype, I wanted to put positivity back into the media. I wanted to show others that Greek women are more than their stereotype. We are women who realize our potential everyday. When we joined our organizations, we vowed to continue a legacy that brave women started over a century ago, not destroy it. We are honor students, philanthropists, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and most of all, we are powerful women who will not go down without a fight.

So think of what you will about a sorority girl; but I encourage you to look past the stereotype, because the woman you will find behind it is absolutely amazing.