03/25/03
Mariko Furukawa
Why Join a Sorority?
Many problems have existed with Greek organizations: dangerous initiation rites, high alcohol consumption, sexual assault and even rape (Encarta.II-3). There have been some naughty images about the sororities. Why do people still join a sorority then? Indeed, it is most likely to be only the social sororities that face the problems rather than other professional, academic and service sororities. Even though there are about 216,000 students in sororities, it is only about 5% of all college students that belong to social Greek-letter societies (Encarta.II-4, IIC-2). Sororities are not all about socials. The students learn about the organizations through the organization's social called "rush" and find how they can benefit from joining the sororities. They decide to join a sorority because they recognize that sororities will benefit them with not only campus life but also in their future lives.
Besides the social group, there are three other types of Greek-letter organizations: professional, academic or honorary, and service. Professional groups generally limit their membership to students pursuing a particular field of study such as engineering, music and medicine. They promote a field of study, support the education and professional development of members, and honor members' achievements. The Greek organizations are usually open to both men and women. Academic or honorary groups recognize and encourage superior academic performance and leadership achievement. They are also open to both men and women and some are only open to a certain fields of study. Service groups provide service to the collegiate community and to people in need. Members are selected regardless of their academic major, gender, ethnicity or religious affiliation(Encarta.III). For Fall'02 at Lebanon Valley College, a total of 53 females are in three social groups, 32 in two service sororities and 50 students including males are in two professional groups. It is still the social organizations that are best known and most numerous.
The stereotype images about the social organizations tend to be negative. Mass media is possibly the main source for non-members to obtain information of the Greeks. A TV show called Sorority Life on MTV features the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi sorority house at the University of California at Davis. The show creates the negative images by showing the sisters party every weekend, dance in tiny tank tops on pool tables and even slap each other at clubs and call each other sluts. On MTV, the new members dance on pool tables and follow home random guys they meet at bars, but they rarely study. Bonnie Wunsch, executive director of Alpha Epsilon Phi, a national Jewish sorority was interviewed by MTV about if those images are fact or fiction. Ms.Wunsch says, however, "Many chapters require a certain number of study hours a week," and adds that most sorority members do not go to bars that often. "Most of new members are the age of 21. The minority of sorority members are over 21. They make it look like sorority women spend all their time in bars," she says. She also comments about the bickering, name-calling, and slapping, "I think that that is probably inflated. To me, it looks like a lot of really fancy editing"(Sorority Life). So the social life seen on TV is not all about sororities. "I would not have pledged the sorority like the one on TV," says Lisa Drauschak, a sister of Gamma Sigma Sigma at Lebanon Valley College. She also says that she found out about the sorority's academic level at one of the sorority's socials, called a rush and that she likes the way the sorority requires some study hours.
The rush is the main source of information for the students who want to be Greek members. To become a member, those students participate in rush and receive the invitation for membership, known as bids at the end of the rush period. During the period, students get acquainted with different Greek-letter organizations and organizations have the opportunity to meet prospective(Encarta.IIA-1). The organizations explain their brief history, purpose, activities, and requirements. In order to exclude those negative images promoted by media, the sisters emphasize all the benefits and the fact that a new law is enacted to prohibit hazing(Members.6).
Many of the sorority activities benefit members by helping them adjust to college, make lifelong friends and prepare them for the future(Encarta.II-2). Sororities can provide a supportive peer group and help new students adjust to college by showing time management, giving life lessons and so on. Sisters also help each other study and have fun at the activities. Members tend to participate in more extracurricular activities than nonmembers, and also are more likely to graduate.
Many claim to be more satisfied with their education (Encarta.IIB-1). Linda Ewance, an alumnus of Alpha Sigma Tau, says, "Most of the friends that I still hang out with are the sisters. Joining is a very good way to make friends. You also meet many new people." The Greek members are also provided by the alumni with job assistance and advice, internship exposure and experience(Members.9). Also the alumni or chapters usually offer some scholarship for academic achievement. Research shows that membership can have a positive effect on grades if a chapter supports academic achievement, and a negative effect if it does not(Encarta.IIB-1). On average, the sorority GPA consistently matches and often well exceeds the all-women's campus average GPA(Menbers.1). "I was worried that my GPA would go down once I join the sorority. But I decided to pledge since I hear that they maintain a good GPA average. It will help me be more outgoing, too," says Lisa Drauschak.
In conclusion, all the benefits seem to be influencing the students' decision to join a sorority. The interested students mainly obtain the information at rush, where the students discover new facts other than what they see on TV. It is possibly deduced that the rush promotes new students to join. Without attending the rush, the students would retain the negative images of the sorority. Olivia Palamara, a sister of Kappa Lambda Nu says, "I used to think that joining a sorority is just a way to be cool but there is more than that," adding that learning about the organizations and the individuals made her realize the sorority sisters are lifelong sisters. She also learned to accept people with whom she would never have been friends. "I started seeing the bonding between the sisters. It is not like buying friends but learning humanities and making lifelong sisters. You will always have a close bonding," said Olivia. The sisters of Kappa Lambda Nu say, "From the outside looking in you can never understand it, from the inside looking out you can never explain it." The students join the sorority because they see all the outcomes that are hidden behind the gaudy social images.