Friday Confessional: I Am a.....

Howdy, friends! Last weekday of the Lenten Vegetarian Challenge -- I have mixed emotions on this one, but have no fear; I'll be doing a whole VegChallenge recap next week, most likely on Tuesday. I might also have a fun guest post, so stay tuned!

Ok, let's cut to the chase. It's Friday. On Fridays, we wear pink confess our deepest, darkest, most embarrassing thoughts, obsessions and musings. 

Inevitably, given my About Me and About the Experiment pages, one of the questions I get asked the most via email is, "What sorority were you in?".


So, without further ado, I do hereby confess:

I AM A K! 

 

I am a K! (I am a K!)

I am a K! (I am a K!)

I am a K-A-P-P-A-DE-L-T-A (DE-L-T-A!)!

I am a K-A-P-P-A-DE-L-T-A in my heart,

And I will L-O-V-E KD F-O-R-E-V-E-R,

I am a K!

Phew! Am I glad THAT'S over!!

I was totally a little bit hesitant to divulge my Panhellenic affiliation here on the blog -- mostly because I like to keep it real, and I am a firm believer that once one becomes a member of a sorority, those letters really are for life. Anything that she says or does reflects back on that organization, regardless of whether she wants them to or not. I had some good times in college, and I had my share of troubles too. I would hate to have anyone take things I write here out of context and use them as a basis for judgment, either on my house or on me.

But then, I realized, those years, that house, and those girls all contributed IMMENSELY to the person that I have become. And I'm 200% not ashamed of that, both with respect to the fact that yes, I was in a sorority, and yes, I AM ME. I'm proud of both of those facts, and wouldn't trade either for the world.

I'm third from the left -- Homecoming 2007

When I came home from school after pledging in Spring 2005, wearing the obligatory black hoodie with green-and-silver letters the size of dinner plates emblazoned across my chest, I don't know what I was expecting. Excitement? Congratulations? A little bit of curiosity and some questions, even?

I can tell you what I was NOT expecting: the barrage of insults, chorus of stereotypes and litany of sneers that came from some so-called "friends" and even some family members. Even post-grad, there were people who took a look at my resume and asked if I was sure I wanted to list KD in my activities and leadership positions. If I had a dime for every time I heard, "But you're just not the type who would be in a sorority!", I'd be blogging full-time without any sponsors or book deals, because I'd be one rich bitch. 

Anyone who has gotten "that look" from peers/coworkers/employers knows what I'm talking about; stereotypes are usually born from some sliver of truth, but it never ceases to amaze me how people think Animal House is the definitive standard for Greek life -- that's like saying that since I lived in New Jersey for a summer, I got my GTL on in the Smush Room with the cast of Jersey Shore or because I'm Irish-American, my life must be modeled after The Boondock Saints. In the words of my favorite animated LSD lizard,** "Yeah, right. Yeaaaaaaah, right. Get real."

So to all those people who have given me the, "you're just so not the sorority type!" line, I say:

Really? I'm "not the type" who would:

• Spend hours licking envelopes for St. Jude's?
• Mentor Girl Scouts on body image, peer pressure and general coming-of-age biz-nass?
• Give up a huge chunk of my free time to become the Panhel Academics Chair?
• As such, institute a Greek-wide GPA initiative and mentoring program which, by the way, did NOT win me any popularity contests? (Please, I dare you to be the person who puts a house on academic probation, aka no social events. I dare you).
• Sit up for countless hours with a friend who was going through a tough time? 
• Spend my "coast" semester of senior year executing the largest student-run philanthropic event on campus and generating over $6500 for Prevent Child Abuse America?
• Graduate Phi Beta Kappa, at the top of my major class, to boot?
• Be able to make small talk with virtually ANYONE for ten minutes, regardless of whether we have anything in common?
• Advocate for other women to "be themselves," and tell anyone who has an issue with it to go to hell?

Honestly, if you don't think I'm THAT type, then it turns out you don't know me very well at all.

There's obviously a bigger story here -- why did I decide to Go Greek in the first place; how did I wind up sporting olive green and pearl white; was it totally weird sharing a dorm room with my best friend, who had pledged another house (she went AXO; our room looked like Christmas had exploded year-round with all the green, white and red) -- and I'll eventually write about that. But that's another post for another day.

And thus, I leave you, clapping, snapping and ditto-ing away:

Re-mem-mem,

Re-mem-me-member

Kappa Delta, good friends forever

Laughing, singing, doing whatever,

We like best, always together

Fun and laughs, good times with sisters,

Cruises, dances, parties and misters

Being together, you and I,

Hope we never say goodbye...

In AOT,

Caitie

**Warning: that video is most certainly NSFW. Just a heads up.