Apathetic people fall near the bottom of my totem pole of favorite kinds of people. Somewhere between those people who let the door drop on you as you unsuspectingly walk behind them and people who ask stupid questions.

I’ve heard enough unfair assessment of sorority women and fraternity men to assume that those uneducated and/or unexperienced in the system tend to believe that we are quite apathetic people ourselves. I’ve seen the glances and eyerolls my non-Greek friends share amongst themselves while I go on about a story involving my sorority. In my sociology class last year, I read an entire discussion board dedicated to the “worthlessness” that is the Greek system. Stereotypes happen, and with websites like TotalFratMove.com (a satirical, and funny read in my opinion), or movies like Animal House, I can see where these harsh judgments come up.

That’s why I’m here to tell you why they aren’t true.

One of the best and greatest things about going Greek is that once you do, you become passionate about it, and passion is something that can’t ever go wrong. Passion is the complete opposite of apathy.

For the last 7 months, I had the opportunity to serve as my sorority’s Director of Philanthropy. I got to experience, from a first hand view, the type of passion and dedication a group of college aged girls can have when it comes to raising money for a cause that we care about. It’s the kind of thing that makes you fiercely proud to associate with these ladies. It’s the kind of thing that helps assure you that our nation is headed into great hands.

No, maybe not all 285 girls in the chapter gave it 100%. But if you ever found an organization that didn’t have slacking members, I’d call you a liar. There will always be some who scrape by with the crowd. This post is not for them.

This post is for the girls who came to the house to help when cries of SOS went out. For those who ventured into fraternity houses at mealtimes to talk about our poker tournament after waiting for series of guys to, sweetly albeit awkwardly, stand at attention while we talk. For the girls who asked their parents, their grandparents, their aunts and uncles and friends for donations, and for those who gave to us without looking back. For the girls who spent hours glittering decorations so that our event can sparkle as much as we do. This post is for the girls who stepped outside their comfort zone to help as much as they could at the tournament, even if it meant learning how to deal poker on the day of and going head first into a full-blown, amateur tournament.

This post is also for those who supported us. The 20 Mizzou fraternities who agreed to not only give up some of their precious money but their precious time to spend the day with the Alpha Phis while helping us raise money for the number 1 killer of women, cardiac disease. The parents, who drove from close and far away to spend what might have been only a day with their daughter and her sisters at what was maybe her first Rockin’ Red Dress Poker Tournament or her last. And this post is for those who couldn’t be there with us, but made their presence known through donations and well-wishes.

This post is for everyone who believes in the Greek system, and the amazing things that come out of it.

I’ve never been more proud to say I am a sorority woman than I am today, 2 days after the event and still glowing with pride at kind of show my sisters have put on. From an early morning set up to a 7:45pm finish that could not have ended more perfect than one of my good friends going home with the top prize, it was a day I’ll never forget.

So if you’re one of those naysayers, haters, believers in stereotypes and all the falsities that come with it, I am sorry for you. You may go the rest of your life without experiencing the kind of pride, joy, and triumph I feel right now. As of this moment, we’ve raised $18,000+, and more is on the way. Apathy can’t do anything like that.