I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m in a sorority. Technically, it’s a women’s fraternity: Kappa Kappa Gamma was founded in 1870, which is earlier than the invention of the term “sorority,” and which also makes Kappa one of the oldest Greek-letter societies for women. Kappa boasts an excellent international reputation as well as serious philanthropy involvement, and one of Kappa’s highest values is leadership. I’m a founding sister of the chapter at Northeastern, which means I was interviewed by an alumna rather than put through rush. In our interviews, each girl was asked about her morals and her values and what was important to her and whether or not she would stick with it throughout college, and this is why I get on well with each and every girl in my sorority. We relate to one another on a level that is deeper than which parties we go to or what clothes we wear or what we study or who our friends are: we were chosen to found Kappa at Northeastern based on our core values as a human being rather than any sort of superficial factors. In fact, I’m positive that if I had rushed later instead of joining Kappa (which I wouldn’t have - the fact that I got to start the chapter is part of why I wanted to join in the first place), I would have been rejected. This doesn’t bother me because it’s par for the course with other sororities to judge harshly and act exclusive, but that simply isn’t the way it is with Kappa and this subtle fact is always lost on kids my age when my being in a sorority comes up. I’ve always thought that judging people without knowing them is just rather wrong, and I would never ever disparage someone for an interest of theirs - who the fuck am I to tell you that what you like is stupid or lame if you love it and think it’s awesome? For some reason, my peers and people that I consider to be extremely good friends find this very simple concept particularly difficult to grasp: I get a lot of shit from my friends for being in a sorority, and I don’t really understand why. The fact that I’m in a sorority doesn’t change me as a person, and just because people my age (highly intelligent, most of them, which is why this is so baffling) can’t get past a stupid fucking stigma does not mean that I should be made to feel disrespected. I’ve been told that I don’t need a sorority, I’ve been told that sororities are lame and stupid, and I’ve had my friends laugh into and upon my face in open ribbing of my membership in Kappa. I can take a joke - I was definitely not born without a sense of humor - but when you make fun of the fact that I’m in a sorority, a sorority which chose me and trusted me to found a chapter at the university I attend based on factors that go much deeper than those that can be superficially observed, you’re making fun of me as a person. I don’t care if you’re not trying to offend, or if you’re just poking fun, but it isn’t funny to me. It never has been, it never will be, and the simple fact of the matter is that you are not in Kappa and therefore you will never ever understand what it means. You will never get it. I know you don’t care, but you also don’t know. Make fun of me all you want - you know that what you’re saying is hurting me, and I will scream back at you to leave me the fuck alone until I’m red in the face because I am more than allowed to defend myself, my sisters, and the organization I have pledged membership to against your flimsy opinions of “lameness” and “coolness” and “oh you don’t look like you’re in a sorority and that is somehow fucking hilarious, let’s talk about it loudly and with much laughter because that is a mature and respectful way to treat you!” Honestly. If one of my friends took up curling, I would never go out of my way to tell him how silly a sport it is. If one of my friends suddenly grew a passion for synchronized swimming, I’d buy them their first swim cap. Being in Kappa is something that I want to do, and that I like to do. I love every single girl in Kappa, which is rare - I do not generally get along with girls very well, and so the fact that I’m in a sorority of over 100 girls and I haven’t left (nor do I intend on leaving) kinda says something. If you’re too blind to pick up on what that something is, that is your problem - not mine. I’ve tried to explain my passion and love for Kappa to my friends and peers many times, but they aren’t interested in that. They’re just interested in drawing vast assumptions and pointing out the irony of my membership. Yeah, great, I have short hair and I wear spiky leather and I cuss and I’m also in a sorority - what of it? You don’t think girls “like me” are in sororities? Well, this one is, and she fucking loves it, and you can fuck off. I love doing it, and that is enough.