Personal Narrative: Sorority

As a female graduating high school I look forward to the college experience and tend to dream of joining the long life time sisterhood club also known as a sorority. Pledging for my favorite clique and taking the essential steps to one day become a “big sister”, I know that this will be an unforgettable experience for me. Like always there are the good side of things and there are the worst side of things however, some people can debate that at times it’s as fun as it sounds while others hold on to the thought of it being corruptive to the mind. In an article written by Holly Eagleson, I was able to learn the truth about sororities and see the different stories behind both opinions. The scary side of sororities consists of peer pressure, hazing, binge drinking and drug use along with harsh criticism. The purpose of sororities is to build each other up and to form some type of bond similar to sisters. Instead you have some illegal and embarrassing “group exercises.”
Apart of pledging is bonding exercises that’s supposed to bring you closer to your soon to be “sisters” and may even be a little uncomfortable and can sometimes be embarrassing however, you learn to deal with it because of the pressure of wanting to fit in.
According to the article there was a law suite against Alpha Kappa Alpha in 2002 for a “group exercise.” This exercise reportedly included being blindfolded, tied together and led into the ocean where (2) two girls drowned. As sororities hold the reputation of the awesome parties, there are many reports of out of control liquor at these parties which is becoming more and more common. The article states that last spring Alpha Delta Pi from the University of Georgia experienced some problems when the University transit no longer rented buses to the organization due to one girl being so drunk she vomited (3) three times while the other sisters urinated in cups and then disposed them out the
window. Being in a sorority or even pledging gives you the feeling of being pressured by your peers as far as looking the best and fitting in. Between the houses of each sorority there is competition in general of course but it gets taken to the next level when looks and appearance comes in the way. A thing like that can encourage our young women to have eating disorders and practice unhealthy habits. One girl located at a school in Texas stated that her and a fellow girlfriend of hers once exchanged tips on how to throw up their food and would even go without eating for that day. Being surrounded by a person who does things of that nature all the time and wanting to be apart of something can cause you to lose and forget who you really are and your perspective on issues like your health. With the bad comes the good and sorority life can grant you a lifetime of a good reputation everywhere you go. The good side of pledging or even becoming a sister allows you to do community service, access to an active social life and most importantly networking opportunities. There are (26) twenty-six major sororities located within the Unites States that is overseen by the National Panhellenic Conference. They promote self-esteem, alcohol screening and eating disorder programs that provide more than $2.8 million dollars in academic scholarships.