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7 Things That Don’t Count Towards Philanthropy Hours But Should

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Being a sorority woman, I completely respect the importance of philanthropy in our existence. If my chapter didn’t continuously raise thousands of dollars or complete hundreds of volunteer hours for our national and local philanthropies, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be a chapter. Being philanthropic means sacrificing hours in your life to benefit other people or organizations. However, I can’t help but to feel like I complete way more philanthropy than I’m allowed to submit. I often go out of my way to do things for others (or even myself), and feel I need more credit for my positive actions. I could easily double my philanthropy hours each semester if these things counted.

1. Sober driving.
There’s no act more selfless than forfeiting a night of drinking for the safety of others. If you’re one of those people that can still have as much fun sober at bars as you can drunk, then this really isn’t a sacrifice for you. You’ll get to have fun and save out on all those calories from drinks and drunk food. Not to mention how awesome it is to perfectly remember the embarrassing actions of your friends, and to be able to rub them in their faces in the morning.

2. Talking to that annoying sister no one likes.
There’s nothing worse than being trapped in a conversation with someone you can’t stand. For this girl, the world is always falling apart and she’s the worst storyteller you’ve ever met. Her hobbies include complaining about her boyfriend, her professors, her parents, her friends, and her life overall. Immediately after a talk with this girl, most people head for the nearest bar.

3. Picking up a sister from last night’s shack.
The same sister always seems to be stuck at a frat house in her miniskirt from last night. Around 9 a.m. she blows up your phone with “save me” texts, and you feel obligated to pick her ass up. As grateful as she is, you’re hungover, the sun is extra bright, and being at a fraternity in the daylight is the last thing you want to do right now. Not to mention you’re grumpy because you weren’t the one who got laid last night.

4. Sacrificing your night to be a wingwoman.
It’s Thursday night and you’re celebrating the “end” of midterm week with tequila shots. That’s when your pledge sister’s latest crush walks in and she starts to lose her shit over his hotness. You have a couple classes with him so she begs you to invite him over to your table. Your planned night of blacking out now has turned into setting up your sister with her soon-to-be regret. As supportive as you want to be, you know the fate of this relationship. You attempt to help her out anyways, because what are sisters for?

5. Going to the gym.
The ultimate sacrifice. Getting your ass on a treadmill to jog off last night’s alcohol-induced pizza slice(s) takes every bit of willpower your body has. Fifteen minutes in on the treadmill and your life flashes before your eyes and you’re not sure if you’re going to actually make it to your 30-minute goal. After every successful workout, you feel you deserve an award ceremony or at the least, celebratory shots.

6. Complimenting a girl in another sorority.
Girls are really something else. We think these nice things about other girls all the time: she has nice hair, I would kill for her body, if her nose is real it’s perfect, etc. But building up the genuineness to actually tell another girl these thoughts takes guts. You know you remember every compliment you’ve received from another girl, why not give one out to a deserving lady?

7. Running into your ex with his new thing.
This one takes the grand prize. Acting like you’re totally cool with your ex and his latest piece kills you on the inside, but you remain chill on the outside. What is she even wearing anyways? Bonus points for talking to his girl and getting to know her. Your reward is finding out she’s basically just the lesser version of you.

The next time you find yourself completing one of these tasks, know the good you’re doing for the world. Sure, your nationals might not thank you, but there’s someone out there that does.

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Blackout_B

Blackout_B (@b_m4rie) enjoys drinking beer by the gallon and making memories she'll never actually remember. When she isn't embarrassing herself by making out with randos on the dance floor, you can find her pretending it's normal to drink a glass of wine with breakfast every day. It's fun to sit down with her on Sunday mornings and hear how fucked up her weekend was.

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