Just one more reason why I heart Canadian Universities - at least Saskatchewan Universities - no sorority system. The only sorority I can even think of here is Beta Sigma Phi and almost no one belongs to that anymore. Who in their right mind needs institutionalized bullshit like that to party, and do good works - we manage to get pleanty of that done here and EVERYONE gets to play.

And this way I get to call everyone "Sister" (my feminist sisters, my union sisters, my party sisters... funny how those groups overlap anyways - and we all heart Ms. Bright as well!).

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but doesn't the chapter own the sorority house? So why didn't they tell the national organization to go screw themselves and become an independent sorority? Apparently they had the support of all the members here...

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Forgive me not but there's a difference, I feel, between discriminating against blacks or fat people: in the case of fat people it's very hard to shake the thought that they are that way because they had no self control, are weak, and responsible for their ugly fate. There's a large body of research showing that beautiful people get ahead with ease (just think of the song "'cause I'm a blonde"), at least for women. So I'm not surprised to see it come to a head in this episode. Now where's that bag of chips?

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Greek societies (starting with Phi Beta Kappa) were formed as places where students could discuss ideas and experiences disallowed from strict, conservative classrooms. They were *gasp* progressive institutions (for their time). They had more in common with Dead Poets Society than Animal House.

The Greek System has strayed from that mission, and the cruel disrespect to the sisters at Delta Zeta is only the latest example. There are, however, chapters out there encouraging diversity, knowledge, culture and progressive values hard to find in the modern diploma-factory. And with house rents lower than the average dorm fee, many chapters can make life easier for students struggling to make ends meet. I take issue with your classifying the entire Greek System as bigoted as an example of prejudice itself.

Many institutions in the United States have devolved into crass and ignorant mockeries of their former selves. The Democrat Party comes to mind, and third wave feminism. It is commonly believed these institutions and ideas are worth saving, I include the Greek System with them.

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Hi fellow humans,
If it was a man, or group of men who had pulled this appalling act on a women or group of women, we would be seeing a much larger outcry on alternet than we are now.
I guess the lack of reaction shows that its ok for women to abuse other women?
If a man had done this we would be seeing a lot more venom and expletives, no doubt.

Dismayed at the hypocrisy........

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The College & University experience used to be about the opening of the mind, exposing it to a universe of theories and possibilities. It was about meeting people from dissimilar backgrounds and finding them not so different and similar people and finding them more varied than you would ever have imagined. I was a place many GLBT people first came out and a place many people of all walks of life discovered the vocational and avocational passion of their lives.

It's not that way anymore at a lot of places and the 'Greek' system has always been the snake in the garden. It represents division on the basis of class, race, gender, etc. It's about social climbing and conformity. The most Un-American thing you can imagine.

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which refuse to allow jewish or white members by thier charters. In fact if you surveyed fraternities on a whole you would find that the 'white' fraternities have more 'minorities' in them than the 'minority' fraternities have 'whites' in them! So who is racist there? There also are jewish fraternities that won't allow 'goyim' to join, and, lastly there are Asian fraternities. Wait, there are also all kinds of women groups (and even whole school systems) that won't allow men to join! Very sexist!

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Bigots of all kinds will be finding it harder and harder to flourish in an increasingly free and socially just world environment. Modern socialism, designed to temper and compensate for unmitgated capitalism, has already swept through western Europe, to brilliant effect. It is slowly being more widely understood and taken seriously in the U.S. As long as bigotry and social injustice rules, we will have violent conflict and needless suffering on this planet. I volunteer to help dig the bigots' grave.

Steven Wanzell
wanzellarts.com.ar

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First, I hope that you will follow your posting guideline to encourage thoughtful and respectful conversation and debate, as I am in the minority in regards to this subject.
I am a Delta Zeta and I'm proud to be a member of my sorority. Before taking one NY Times article at face value, you should know what the media hasn't told you:

- In August 2006, the women of the DePauw University Chapter, not National, voted themselves to close the chapter at the end of the 2007. From Sept 2006 – Dec 2006 all 35 members of the DePauw Chapter were on Alumnae status, meaning they were not active DZ – not participating in Greek events, not paying dues to National, not participating in Philanthropic events for DZ. They were allowed to remain in the house, which is not owned by the individual chapter.
- In September 2006, DePauw University President/Administrative officials asked National chapter not to close and instead conduct a membership evaluation – again, this is not standard practice in Delta Zeta and what the University ASKED National to do.
- In November of 2006 the President of DePauw University met with National Reps to discuss the membership evaluation. He has since denied knowing any of this was going on.
- In December letters went out to all 35 members of the chapter. The letters that went out to the women did not read that they were kicked out. They read they were remaining on alumnae status, because after interviewing them, these were women were found not to want to actively participate in the recruitment process. The letter further went on to read that if National had misjudged their desire, the women could contact them.
- The letter did not “kick women out of the sorority” – it kept them on alumnae status – which these 23 women voted and chose to be on since August 2006 – 6 months before the letters went out. They are all still part of the sorority in good standing. The only change was that they had to move out of the house. AND DZ National was working with DePauw University to find them alternate house. DZ National was also paying the $300 difference it would cost for campus housing.
- After the letter went out, National wanted to send a rep out, but the Administrative official at DePauw said she would meet with the women. She did not meet with all 35, just 23. After the meeting is when NY Times was contacted by the Admin official, who had been aware of the process the whole time
- Of the 23 women, you should know that one said she did want to remain active, but was given a hard time by the other 22 women, she decided not to pursue it. Also, one woman who was part of the 23 was a former beauty queen.
I feel that DePauw University is lacking in their accountability throughout this entire situation. I think they are manipulating these women for the publicity factor. They have definitely gotten more hits on their website recently. This is an attack on the entire Greek system.
Did you ever know anyone in a sorority? Is this where you are getting information about “get sloshed” or “perform merit-based blow jobs”?? This was not encouraged in my sorority. It’s very irresponsible of you to promote an old movie stereotype, when your article’s tone is that stereotyping is wrong.
After joining Delta Zeta, I found a place I could be myself. Being around these women inspired me to do better. I saw a drastic improvement in my academics and university involvement. Most importantly made lifelong friends that I have to this day – of all races and sizes.
P.S. You should look not only at the DZ National websites for pictures. You need to look at every single DZ collegiate website. You'll see women of all sizes, hair colors and ethnicities. Look @ Cal State LA, Loyola Marymount, Northeastern, Ohio Wesleyan, Fairmont State, U of Rhode Island – just a few of over 160 diverse chapters.

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It is always important to have a good sense of what you are talking about before you engage in a conversation. If you know nothing about sororities, then negative words should not come out of your mouth because you have nothing to back it up with. Do some research first and you'll find that sororities do far more good than any of you are giving credit for. Its nice to trash something you don't belong to because of ignorance. Educate yourselves before you talk.

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same old fakeLeft--spending all their energy on crap like this instead of focusing on the real important stuff like progressive taxation and single payer healthcare.

Gee, I wonder if the FakeLeft focus has something to do with the fact that the FakeLeft nonprofits and activists are funded by corporations and the upper class.

Naw, that couldn't be it...

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What are fraternities and sororities, benevolent societies? No, they're networking organizations. Any value added to that description is pure marketing propaganda. Giving blowjobs to enhance that network is a devil's bargain a girl may or may not choose to make. (What's most disturbing is not that the choice exists, but that a girl would choose to make it.)

In the case of this sorority, the ejected girls' attempts to elevate the sorority ended as a recruitment failure: In the culture that is the Greek system, this move earned them public derision. In turn, their reputation as homely "dogs" cost them pledges. The sorority's governing body in turn chose to offer proof that they aren't interested in academic excellence afterall. So they let the skanks walk! That's not what the greek system is about.

(The author's claim that this was really more about sexual promiscuity than anything else seems dubious to me: Not unbelievable, just unsubstantiated.)

So what if they were booted out because they didn't resemble a fraternity Joy Division? Let 'em join the Science Club. As for the young men and women who want so desperately to be a part of this anachronistic and oppressive system, woe to them! Does anyone believe that these are equal opportunity organizations? I've never understood why universities and colleges still tolerate them.

A sorority may be racist, classist, and superficial organization? So where's the scandal?

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Want to become a bigot? Join the Greek system.

When one becomes what one abhors, what is one left with?

Self-loathing?

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Wow. The charter revocation at De Pauw reminds me of what happened to the sorority I pledged. And I'm mad as hell that it's still happening, and madder, still, that people are tacitly condoning it by saying they 'understand' why.

I haven't thought about what happened to me for years, and I'm so surprised at how I still feel about it - I wouldn't have thought this could still be so painful after all these years. But, there you go. Let me offer another perspective, from that of the so-called 'undesirable'.

I attended a small, local, private university in a metropolitan area (then 500,000+ folk). I pledged Phi Mu (PM), which already had somewhat of a reputation for being a 'second-class' house (other sorors called us Pigs and Mutts). Few of us were blonde, and none of us were dogs, but the ladies were smart (pre-med, engineering, mathematics, natural and social sciences), selective in dating, and not big partiers, like the tri-Delts and Chi-Os on campus (i.e., Phi Mu didn't put out). In fact, most of the PMs didn't drink.

We were an eclectic pledge class: Kat: stunning, auburn-haired, flamboyant, outspoken, model-cum-pre-med-major; red-haired Julie, tiny, French and a nursing majoring; brown-haired Karen, psychology; Mari, Dutch, dark-haired, chemical engineer (like me); black-haired Annie, Native American, a fierce debater (pre-law); and Sarah giddy natural blonde, and straight A petroleum engineer. I wasn't so different from the other girls at a 5'4" and a 'hulking' 120 lbs (by today's standards), save that I am African-American/Native- American ancestry. And before I go on, to answer the stock questions: no, there were no 'black sororities' on campus to join, had I wished to. And yes, I would still have pledged PM, regardless.

I was accepted, and I was thrilled. But, when it came down to my actually sharing a house with girls I'd grown up with - indeed, known all of my life, the national office threatened charter revocation, and their alumni - my family's neighbors and friends - stood with National against my membership. At first, my estwhile sorority sisters continued to include me in sorority activities after my membership was revoked, in defiance of the national office. Then their parents pressured mine to persuade me to bow out, going so far as to meet with us to explain why I had to do 'the right thing' to save the chapter, since their daughters were being so resistive.

Our 'friends' tried to reassure us that kicking me out was 'nothing personal', they had nothing against me, or my family, but that the future of the chapter was at stake, and after all, they had let Annie stay - 'one was enough', they said. Annie got to stay, alright - that year, but was kicked out the next, also 'for the good of the chapter'.

And here's the thing: it WAS personal, and racist, whether not it was intentional. What the local alumni did, showed that they agreed with National that, while it was OK for people of different backgrounds/race to live on the same block, to eat and celebrate together, to spend time in each others' homes, to go out in public together, and to even date one another, that when it came to the Greek system, any people labeled as 'OTHER' just weren't 'their kind'.

In the end, I couldn't stand it any more, and I dropped away from Phi Mu. Things felt so awkward afterwards, that I eventually found other friends, and my folks socialized less and less with the neighbors, and they, with us. Annie and I have stayed friends through the years.

The chapter closed some years later, when it added a young Vietnamese-American pledge - I was a faculty member, then. The excuse given then was that the 'pledge pool was too small'. Phi Mu was given a new charter briefly about 10 years later, which was again revoked permanently for the same reasons.

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