As sorority rush rounds come to a close, many people are divided about sororities’ role in campus life. Some love them, some hate them, and some do not care either way. However, it does bring up a more important issue. The notion that when a young lady enters a “sisterhood” she immediately acquires hundreds of new friends is apparent and erroneous. The concept that you are a part of something is important; however, acquiring a brand new set of “friends” only serves to say something about how our college society is structured. Instead of forging friendships based on mutual respect, shared interest and common experience, joining seems to be a way to forego really getting to know people.
In defense of sororities, they do not espouse this concept of purchasing friends, and I am sure they provide a good method of meeting other people. However, the notion that by joining an organization, women are automatically best friends with one another masks the true nature of positive relations between people. Rewarding friends cannot be bought and sold like stock commodities, and a label cannot truly link people together. Only experience, acceptance and honesty can truly make worthwhile friends.
Unfortunately, some people would rather trust in the almighty dollar to (unsuccessfully) purchase something that can be obtained for free. Apparently, the idea is that the person who makes the most friends wins. In a results-driven college atmosphere, where we function based on the concept that the person who acquires the most points wins, people have been relegated to the status of shining, smiling, perpetually happy automatons without feelings or emotions. They are merely a means of acquisition, no different from points on a test or a grade point average. Unfortunately this fear of true connection, which entails the risk of being hurt or rejected, has become predominant. I am fairly certain that sororities, along with a variety of other social organizations, do provide an excellent vehicle for meeting others. It is important, however, to realize that they should not be used as an excuse to avoid risking heartbreak by reaching out to others and forging truly rewarding social connections of both depth and sincerity.
-Eddie Hearn is a senior in the College of Arts and Science.
