Sororities are often characterized by certain nicknames or stereotypes. In some cases, stereotypes can help boost recruitment. But in many cases, stereotyping can have a negative effect. Recently, at DePauw University in Indiana, twenty-three girls were asked to leave their sorority, Delta Zeta, after being judged as unsatisfactorily committed to the sorority. These 23 girls just so happened to be every girl who was overweight in the sorority. They also included the only black, Korean, and Vietnamese members. The twelve girls who remained all seemed to have a common denominator; they were slender, pretty, and friends with many fraternity brothers.
According to an article from the New York Times, Delta Zeta was stereotyped as "socially awkward" at DePauw University. When a psychology teacher surveyed students about the different sororities on campus, Delta Zeta did not measure up. Delta Zeta's national officers were worried that a negative stereotype of the sorority was causing a decline in membership which had left its house half-empty. They decided to interview the 35 DePauw members in November, testing them on their dedication to increasing recruitment. To the surprise of many, 23 girls were asked to leave the house, all of whom seemed to fit the "socially awkward" stereotype.
Kate Holloway, a senior during the chapter's supposed "reorganization," said in the New York Times article, "Virtually everyone who didn't fit a certain sorority-member archetype was told to leave."She, along with five other girls withdrew from the sorority after feeling betrayed and disrespected by the national officers. After all, sororities were initially designed to give girls a sense of family and community in a larger college setting. At their start, they were truly that: a family. As time has passed, however, sororities have become something else entirely. No longer just a place to find one's bridesmaids or life-long best friends, they have also become a place of social networking and a treasured status symbol.
Recruitment has long been known as the most stressful part of the pledging process. Girls buy new designer outfits, primp themselves to perfection, and walk for hours in high heels in freezing cold weather. Whether sorority sisters will admit it or not, appearance has a large impact on who receives invites and who does not. As with most things in life, having a great personality does not always cut it. In an organization such as a sorority, however, image should never trump substance. When the purpose of a group is to support friendship above all else, appearance should not matter. In the case of DePauw, however, the national officers stabbed the girls in the back, all for the sake of public image.
Sororities have long battled the problems of stereotypes and misrepresentation. Many have learned to simply ignore the negative comments of other students. At a small university like DePauw, with only 2,400 students, ignoring stereotypes can be hard to do. For lack of anything better to do in a rural community, Greek life becomes so important at small schools, like DePauw, that it can cloud students' judgment. While recruitment is important and necessary for the continuation of the sorority, it should never become more important than the bonds and closeness of the sisters within it. Kate Holloway saw it the same way, saying in the article, "I sensed the disrespect with which this was to be carried out and got fed up. I didn't have room in my life for these women to come in and tell my sisters of three years that they weren't needed." The worst part of all is that no one is taking responsibility for these horrible actions. Rather than admitting to any wrong-doing, the executive director of Delta Zeta, Cynthia Winslow Menges, claims that they did not even evict the girls, despite the fact that the girls received a letter, which the Times quotes as reading: "The membership review team has recommended you for alumna status. Chapter members receiving alumnae status should plan to relocate from the chapter house no later than Jan. 29, 2007." These girls were forced to leave their sorority, find new housing mid-year, and live with the humiliation of being deemed "socially awkward." Some of the girls have withdrawn from classes in depression and many will never view their sorority experience the same way again.
Sororities are supposed to enrich the college experience and provide a safe place for girls to bond and connect. Unfortunately, some sororities have forgotten that purpose. Some sororities, such as Delta Zeta at DePauw, have become caught up in the image of what a sorority girl should be. What a sorority girl should be, however, is a friend.
Lindsay Huggins is a Cavalier Daily Viewpoint Writer. She is a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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