Sorority Evictions Raise Messy Issue of Looks and Bias (minorities & overweight)

The New York Times ^ | February 25, 2007 | Sam Dillon

[2ndDivisionVet]

GREENCASTLE, Ind. — When a psychology professor at DePauw University here surveyed students, they described one sorority as a group of “daddy’s little princesses” and another as “offbeat hippies.” The sisters of Delta Zeta were seen as “socially awkward.”

Elizabeth Haneline, who was among those evicted, said, “The Greek system hasn’t changed at all, but instead of racism, it’s image now.” Worried that a negative stereotype of the sorority was contributing to a decline in membership that had left its Greek-columned house here half empty, Delta Zeta’s national officers interviewed 35 DePauw members in November, quizzing them about their dedication to recruitment. They judged 23 of the women insufficiently committed and later told them to vacate the sorority house.

The 23 members included every woman who was overweight. They also included the only black, Korean and Vietnamese members. The dozen students allowed to stay were slender and popular with fraternity men — conventionally pretty women the sorority hoped could attract new recruits. Six of the 12 were so infuriated they quit.

[Buck W.]

Pictures of the 12?

[irishjuggler]

A superficial sorority?! Unbelievable. Just one scoop after another at the New York Times.

[BlackVeil]

What is the Greek system? I saw this mentioned also in another article about a fraternity house on a US campus.

[LibFreeOrDie]

The Greek System = Sororities and fraternities are named using letters of the Greek alphabet.

[Tzimisce]

we shouldn't profile by color.

So how many whites are there? And how many browns? and how many....

[Bobalu]

[Lancey Howard]

At Penn State (early '70s), I was in an "awkward" fraternity. Our motorcycle members kept tearing up the neighboring fraternity's lawn, LSD was all over the place, and somebody hid a bottle of whiskey in the pantry for our alcoholic old cook to find on "parents day". That day turned into a complete nightmare.

I remember one time we had a "social" with an "awkward sorority". Somebody had t-shirts made up that said "Bwana Dik" on them (after the Frank Zappa song). Boy, that was one awkward social. (I have to admit, though, the shirt worked for me!)

Anyways, the university shut down our fraternity at the end of the year and the house was sold. Immediately. It took me a little while to get my GPA back up over the Mendoza line.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

Ha! Oh man, but the memories you have forever.

[sgtyork]

The 23 members included every woman who was overweight.

An awkward sentence about an awkward sorority.

[Krankor]

Did any other sororities offer membership to any of the 23?

[Tainan]

link to pic:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/02/25/us/25sororityCA01ready.html

[ReignOfError]

Why do universities continue to sanction these groups? They serve no purpose that is relevant to any purpose of a university. If people need a group to belong to so they can belong to a group, they can take it off campus and fund it themselves.

So it turns out that sororities are excluding people. Gee, imagine that. It's not as if exclusion isn't the WHOLE POINT of the Greek system. You've got the northern ones, the southern ones, the pretty ones, the smart ones, the Jewish ones, the black ones, the old money ones, the new money ones, the respectable ones, the wild ones.

Getting a bid to a frat or sorority is all about whether you fit the vision of what a bunch of 19-year-olds think a bunch of 18-year-olds fit their vision of what they want to be; pledging is all about whether you want the image they offer. There's no more depth than that.

They are self-perpetuating institutions that have no reason to exist other than the farcical claim that they are "service organizations" because they occasionally raise a few bucks for a good cause at one of their keggers.

[Jeff Gordon]

It is easy to pick out the kicked-outs from the resigned.

[peggybac]

There is so much more to the story, I'm sure, but since it was published in the Slimes, you'll only hear what they've been told by the DZ members. I remember when I was in college, the DZ chapter was about to close and National came down and kept the girls behind closed doors to prepare them, the very best they could, for Rush. At the time the sorority was having problems recruiting and membership was low. After that year's Rush, the sorority made quota (the maximum a group could pledge) and have been doing great ever since. With only a few exceptions, National doesn't have much to do with Rush on a campus. If there are questions about a girl, usually the Chapter Adviser is consulted. (This may have changed in the past, I don't know). The girls are the ones who vote on prospective members, as those going through Rush can drop any sorority they choose during the Rush process. It goes both ways.

Obviously, this DZ chapter had been experiencing difficulty attracting members and felt something needed to be done. If interviewing members and finding many did not abide by the principals or bylaws of the chapter, had lower GPAs, displayed lack of enthusiasm, refused to partake in service obligations, etc., perhaps weeding the group out will promote success in the future. I have never heard of anything like this being done, although, it may have occurred, I doubt we'll ever know what really happened. The charge of discrimination because of color or looks doesn't fly with me. Most Executive Boards have become so PC that the literature, Rush training and even the quarterly magazines have become unreadable. They've been stressing diversity for years. (By the way, most blacks prefer joining black only sororities.)

I would like to know the whole story about this because I don't believe we're getting half of what really happened.

[exhaustguy]

Then why did not the national chapter comment for the story if their hands were clean? It appears they told these women to pack up within weeks right before finals when the housing contracts where let for the entire year.

I think the women are better off not associating with an organization that does not want them around. If the houses want to exclude for any reason, then they just need to be honest about it and let the chips fall where they may.

[M-cubed]

(By the way, most blacks prefer joining black only sororities.)
<<

How can that be....Isn't that discrimination against white or other ethnic groups???

[razorback-bert]

I can't recall ever dating an ugly sorority girl.

" I am so DRUNK" was the mating call of the southern coed.

[BlessedBeGod]

So, what's new?