Being Conservative and Sorority Life
 

Hi everyone! I just wanted to ask you guys a question. I'm a conservative (not the political kind) basically a person who doesn't like to dress provocatively, into etiquette, being a person who is academically oriented and doesn't really like to party hard. Basically, a true prep I guess you could say. I love philanthropy and doing stuff for the community (especially helping health-related charities) and I really like the Greek community but I was wondering if the sorority life isn't for me. I don't stereotype sororities as being out of control at all. I know that sororities value sisterhood, community, academics etc. My best friend is in ZTA and she's not as conservative as me. I just want to know if there are sororities out there that would be willing to accept me even though I'm more conservative. Also, are some sororities more conservative than others?

Swerving, but also keep in mind that sororities (most GLOs, really) are made up of members of your campus. If you are on a super-conservative campus, an organization with an allegedly "liberal national reputation" won't matter.

You need to meet the women in the organizations to see what their personalities are like.

Well, sorry to have offended you if I did. But it sounds to me as if you're stereotyping preps. We don't "clutch our pearls in terror every time someone says a swear word."
But anyway, thanks for answering my question, I guess.

It's been my experience Greek students tend to lean a little bit more to the right in social matters than the independents on their respective campuses. That's how it was at both my undergrad and grad schools, which are notoriously liberal. Greek life is a pretty "traditional" thing to do and, as such, it often attracts students who are interested in "traditional" things.

Good to know!

She preceded the "pearl clutching" comment with "not saying this is what you do". She's not stereotyping. And El Oh El about explaining "prep" on a sorority board. If you want to stereotype (NPC)sorority women (especially in the South), prep is the first word that comes to mind. Lilly, pearls, heels, football games....yeah.

Dressing preppy and being conservative often have NOTHING to do with each other. Ask all the kids in head to toe Lacoste who were the house dealer.

Conservative is kind of a stupid word anyway...as Lewis Carroll said, it often means whatever the user decides it should mean. Therefore it is pretty pointless.

In college, I knew sorority members who were very Christian and sorority members who were wild children, and sorority members who spanned the whole in-between range. They were sometimes from the same sorority.

Most sororities have some rules about how members act. I think sororities are more conservative in their behavior than the campus in general.

I mean, I don't party (I've been to one party since college started in August), I don't drink, nor have I ever tried cigarettes or drugs. My idea of a fun night is chilling with a really good movie. And I fit in just fine because there's no way that a large group of people could all feel the exact same way about an issue (except for, perhaps, love for the sorority). Every house I've ever met has a range of girls. Not everyone feels one way about partying (at ALL!) or any other college-related issue. So I'd recommend going through rush and checking it all out.

Also, I agree with 33-"conservative" sounds kind of ridiculous in this case. Preppy=/= conservative just by nature (you can be preppy and conservative, but they aren't the same thing).

Just as you can be conservative, and think that polo shirts are really only appropriate on the polo field.

umm... no?
 

That's just not true. I'm in a fraternity and there are just as many liberal as there are conservative brothers, politically speaking. BUT there are no "traditional" or "conservatives" as she calls them, I'm assuming she means good little christians.

To I<3greeks: We're in college we love to eat, drink, and fuck and Greeks most of all. Of course that's not all we're about, but all of that is a part of today's uni. scene. You can try to find an untra conservative sorority where all they do is community service and have no real social aspect to them, but i find them a bit dull, though if that's YOUR scene just look around and get to know the organizations on your campus you'll find the right fit.

So, you've had her same experiences in life? That's really awesome! How'd you pull that one off? Stalk her?

Just as Munchkin's experience with finding the systems she's familiar with to lean conservative is not the definitive answer, neither is your party scene scenario.

Also, if you are unable to have fun without drinking and sex involved, perhaps it is you who are the dull one. Just because an org doesn't all-out party, doesn't mean that they aren't social.

You said that better than I could. :)

Unless you are going to define "party" every time you use it, the term is too vague. A 4 year old birthday party with cake and candles is a party. So is a group of guys doing crank in a doorway.

To the OP, you're going to have to go through rush and find out for yourself. My chapter was the utter good girl group who would have been considering bohohoring by some, but that certainly doesn't speak to our national organization or even to that same chapter now. Be careful about being judgy in your pursuit of only the best kinds of friends, but if you have an open mind and can welcome a variety of friends into your life, you should be able to find a sisterhood you're comfortable with. You don't have to drink or be a slut to be in a sorority, but you probably are going to have to allow a certain amount of that among your friends. But welcome to adult life. You're never going to have friends who are exactly like you unless you're going to have a freakishly small set of friends.