We have all heard about the perfect sorority girl. She has blonde hair, she is rail thin and has a perfect manicure and pedicure at all times. Her clothes are always in style, her friends and boyfriend worship the ground she walks on. She is a spoiled rich girl who has never had to worry about a thing in her life. We all know her, and a lot of people despise the image she represents.

I wanted to set out to prove that this myth is just that: a myth. It is an image which has been conjured up by Hollywood writers looking to make some money. I wanted to show people what it is really like to be a sorority girl.

When I first thought about joining a sorority, I was daunted by the image which had been ingrained into my head. I knew I was not anything like that; I liked to stay in most nights in my sweats, chatting with friends, my hair in a messy bun and my face makeup free. I do not enjoy getting dressed up every night and going out and to a party, it is just not my thing. I was worried that I would be expected to be perfect all of the time.

When I joined Colorado State University’s Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter, I discovered it was a whole different world than what I was expecting. I found friendship, laughter and women who have the same goals and passions as me. Being in a sorority has been so much better than I expected it to be.

I wanted to know how other women of my sorority felt about the stereotypical sorority sister image, so I reached out and discovered many of them felt the same way I did.

“The idea of the perfect sorority honestly makes me laugh because I haven’t painted my nails in three years, I regularly wear sweats, and my acne has only gotten worse since joining,” Emily Schmalz said, a senior business finance major at CSU. “But some of my best friends are passionate about makeup, always dress cute, have their hair done, etc. When people assume a person is vapid or shallow because of outward appearances, it really bothers me.”

New member Alex Voska, a freshman at CSU majoring in biomedical science, said, “we shouldn’t let that image bother us, instead, we should strive to prove them wrong.” As women, we should not let others tear us down, but instead, work hard to show them how strong we really are.

So if being in a sorority is not about being that perfect girl, what is it all about?

“Being in a sorority means having a community of strong women surrounding you to support you in whatever you do,” Clare Burnett said, a sophomore health and exercise science sports medicine major at CSU. “Sororities prove the power that women have when they work both individually and together.”

Macy Gomez, a sophomore majoring in human development and family studies at CSU, said, “it’s given me a great support system and I am grateful for that. It’s all about those late nights goofing off, or talking to someone you don’t know that well and finding a new friend.”

Not all sorority girls are the same. In reality, practically none of them fit the perfect image stamped into people’s minds. “Just within the Greek community here at CSU, there are women of many different races, geographical backgrounds, religious affiliations, etc,” Schmalz said. “I have friends in honors engineering, friends who dedicate their time to helping children with special needs, friends who are incredibly passionate about science. I have not met one woman that is not uniquely different and driven than the next.”

Each woman is different, unique and special in her own way. We are all out to do great things, and being in a sorority just helps women find those that are just as passionate and driven as we are. Sororities give friendships, laughter, kindness and love. A sorority is a place where you can truly discover yourself.