As a member of the Greek community, people have asked me what it is like to be a member of a sorority. My experience in a sorority has been beyond amazing. I have been able to maintain friendships with not only members of my sorority but with members both of different Greek organizations and independents. The websites Total Frat Move and Total Srat Move are not a good representation of the Greek community.
TFM features a wall, columns and photos dedicated to Greek life. The website pokes fun at independents and boasts that Greek life is the best thing ever. TFM makes the Greek community look like snobs who only care about those affiliated with their organization.
Some of the posts are funny and not derogatory. However, most of the posts make Greek organizations look like they believe they are superior to other groups on campus. Several wall posts on TFM include “Awe, she only thinks she is in a real sorority” and “Explaining Greek life to a GDI is like explaining quantum physics to a 5 year old.”
It is quite difficult to explain to anyone what it is like to be Greek to anyone. However, from my own personal experience, I did not even know what it was like to be a member of the Greek community before I pledged Delta Gamma.
Growing up, I never thought I would join a sorority due to the portrayals of the Greek community in movies. It was not until the spring semester of my senior year of high school did I decide to rush. One of my friends didn’t rush until her junior year of college because she was afraid to go through rush due the stereotypes of the Greek community.
College is where one should find his or her own happiness regardless of whether the Greek system is for them or not. Everyone has a different experience with the Greek system; for some it works out, and for others it does not.
However, what makes TFM different from the movies is that members of Greek organizations are responsible for the cruel comments. No one is representing their letters appropriately if they are showing a bad attitude toward any group. This also plays a major disadvantage to those uncertain about the Greek system.
One column claimed the campus police were not serving and protecting but rather were a step above a mall cop. Greeks seem to believe they are above authority in the columns. This is very disrespectful because the campus police face many incidents every week.
An advice column on TSM suggested that every senior should skip class on a sunny day and go drink at a local bar’s patio. TFM and TSM do not do justice on showing members of the Greek community are studious.
TSM makes Greek girls look like they are on a manhunt for a frat boy who drives a Land Rover just so they can get an engagement from Tiffany’s. Bragging about having Lilly Pulitzer dresses and Tory Burch purses on a website does not make anyone more special than an independent.
Total Frat Move is just a website that makes the Greek community seem like it is cruel and thinks it runs the whole campus. Being a member of the Greek community is a great experience filled with charities, friendships and unity with other organizations. However, the bad representation from TFM does not show what the Greek system truly is to those who are not affiliated with a Greek organization.