The Observer, March 2, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 19
Editorial: Sorority injustice brings light to universal issues, concerns
Regardless of the fact that they may or may not be true, we have all found humor and entertainment in the numerous sorority and fraternity stereotypes. Greeks have been lauded as involved philanthropic scholars but at the same time have been admonished for their outrageous hazing practices and wild behaviors in social settings. Though many of these stories are based on rumors and heresy, recent incidents involving the Delta Zeta chapter at DePauw University in Indiana have turned unforgiving stereotypes into harsh reality.
Because there was a decline in membership leaving the sorority house half empty, the chapter's national officers interviewed 35 members, testing their dedication to recruitment. After the interview, 23 sisters were judged as insufficiently committed to the chapter and later told to vacate the house. However, the 23 members included every woman who was overweight, African American, Korean, and Vietnamese. According to the New York Times, the rest of the members remaining were slender, attractive, and popular with fraternity men. Apparently, these were the qualities that would attract new potential members. In light of these events, six of the remaining 12 women deactivated the sorority in protest.
At Case, roughly 30 percent of the undergraduate population are members of a Greek community that is comprised of 16 fraternities and six sororities. It has been speculated that the Greek life here is fairly different from the Greek life on other college campuses. One noticeable difference may be the fact that each chapter is distinct from the other and rather than analyzing these differences, members as well as non-members have openly embraced the individuality within the Greek community.
While this situation may be another addition to the negative image of the Greek system, it is also one that breaks the mold. Though the Delta Zeta nationals may have an idealized notion of what a sorority should be, it is inspiring to see that the women who actually comprise the organization are independent and unique thinkers. Those six women who have chosen to protest against the acts of discrimination exemplify what sisterhood is really about – a strong network of support and friendship that is blind to superficialities such as race and image.
This topic may seem specific to a particular group of people but on a deeper level, it is broad in scope and relevant to everyone. We face universal issues such as individuality and discrimination on a daily basis and we have all encountered situations in which our beliefs are tested. We have been taught since grade school to stand up for our beliefs, embrace differences, and act as individuals. Lessons on the values of friendship and loyalty have also been given to us in many ways.
As we make our way through college and move into the real world, we will be faced with situations in which all of our academic knowledge simply won't be enough to help us along. More often that not, most of the significant decisions that we will make throughout our lifetimes require that we act as human beings, using our hearts and morals to decide what is important and to solve the problems our textbooks aren't capable of explaining.
