Not your typical sorority....
 

http://leisejones.com/nonprofit/sorority/

When I first got the phone call from Lambda Pi Chi Sorority that they were looking for a photographer for their 2011 National Convention in Boston, I was a little skeptical. A sorority? Not exactly what I have in mind when I talk about my passion for photographing non-profits. I mean, let’s be honest. What do YOU think of when you hear the word “sorority?” Do you think “mission-driven organization committed to social change” or do you think Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde? Be honest…

Great little blog entry -- check it out!

"typical" sororities are really terrible, so glad she didn't have to spend any time with one!

Actually, it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. While I'm glad for all the good things she said about Lambda Pi Chi, the reader was still left with the basic assertion that "typical sorority" = Legally Blonde, that Lambda Pi Chi is the exception to the rule. If she had taken that next step and considered whether her interaction with Lambda Pi Chi had might be reason to question her preconceived notions of a "typical sorority," I'd say great entry. As it is, I say missed opportunity on her part.

M'eh. I don't think so.

I almost rushed a multicultural sorority (I'm half Asian)! The bonds in those kinds of fraternities are really exceptional, and definitely more than the majority of social fraternities/sororities. You have a common way of being raised, a common pride, and, most of the time, common goals in school in multicultural fraternities. While I love my Pan sorority for its own merits, there's no denying that multi-cultural sororities/fraternities excel in terms of kinship and solidarity for obvious reasons.

From the article

Quote:

So I hereby revise my impression of sororities and give a resounding “hooray!” for Lambda Pi Chi and all that they are accomplishing across the country.

I think seeing the good works of A sorority (in this case, it happened to be LPC) changed the blogger's mind. If this person had JOINED LPC and said that "this is better than the typical sorority," I might feel differently. That didn't happen, though. Kudos to the organization.

/soft spot for LGLOs

I agree, and think she might have thought the same for any sorority convention that she shot, unless that sorority came across as classist and egregious.

I know you don't. A few days ago we agreed, today we disagree, tomorrow we'll agree . . . and the world turns ever 'round. :p


(And I humbly acknowledge the line quoted by k_s, which I missed when I read it. :o)

^This

I liked it, too, thought it was sweet.

The trouble is that so few people actually interact with sororities even on a superficial level, so it's so so easy to have the Legally Blonde stereotype in one's head.

Would you feel the same way if she had been photographing, say, Chi Omega's convention?

Nope.

Then I think you missed the point of the article.

No, it just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not the only one who reacted that way after reading it either.

Yea, well MC did say that he missed the line that I quoted.

The point of the article is

1. I thought sororities acted like this
2. I met some sorority women who didn't act like this
3. Because of these women, I changed the way I think of sororities

Why not? What difference does that make?

I completely disagree with this generalization.

Why I disagree has been discussed on GC numerous times.

What's wrong with Legally Blonde? Elle got into Harvard Law school and went on to work in Washington D.C. She was never shown being slutty or drunk, she was beautiful, and all of her sisters supported her. And she's a friend to the animals! I don't understand what's wrong with this movie!

Will she change her opinion again if she meets sorority women who she labels as a negative depiction of sororities?

The real point of this blog should be that there are dozens of sororities and fraternities, millions of members, and that comes with pros and cons. Any (college educated) person in this Internet era who only thinks Legally Blonde simply has not cared enough to research what sororities are really about.

LOL.

Please be sarcastic.

Elle was shown as a super cheerful woman who went to law school because she wanted to follow a man. Her sisters were portrayed as ditzy women as well. That's not necessarily an accurate representation of sorority women (NPC or otherwise).

I don't think this blog was written to be a profile in sorority courage. To me, it was just an observation from an uninformed GDI who learned something new by interacting with this women.

Because this woman sounds so stuck up that I'm thinking she would still judge a "traditional" (save the argument about how problematic that term is) NPC sorority with plenty of upbeat girls, a house, and mixers uptown as beneath her.

Did we read the same article? Nothing about her tone jumped out as stuck up.

News flash: different people with different experiences interpret things different ways.

News flash: we're on a discussion board discussing things. If you don't want to have people challenging your posts, then don't post shit.

I actually don't give a shit.

Yet you continue to post.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

What is this?

And if an uninformed GDI came to GC (or in real life) to say that he/she thought (insert stereotype) until hanging out with members of a specific GLO, I'd say "WOMP WOMP @ you believing stereotypes. That's great that you learned something, if you interact more with GLOs you will learn both good and bad things."

I don't think she was trying to generate a massive paradigm shift WRT sororities and their perceived behavior. I think she was just making an observation. But...

...I can see what you're getting at.

Why pick us? :confused:

:) Good for her and I thank Senusret for sharing her observation.

You better!!!! :p We're on a discussion board discussing things!!!!

Because that was the first NPC sorority that popped into my head at that moment. I wasn't trying to say anything about Chi Omega specifically (hence, my ".., say, Chi Omega...")

I actually don't give a shit. I'm going to continue posting to show you how many shits I don't give! :eek:

.

Okay, cool. :cool:

WRONG! You chose Chi Omega because they are the largest NPC sorority!!!!!!

That too. LOL

Yup.

I also think that in some ways, sororities (of all kinds) don't make it easy for people to interact with them. Whether it's poor public relations, insularity, size, or poor devotion to lifetime commitment.


Why does it matter if you were the only one who reacted that way or not? Several people can be wrong at once. lol



Exactly. I mean, I don't know this woman, but if you were even a very well educated person from a school without a Greek system, you may (and probably do) have certain stereotypes about Greek life. I don't think anything is wrong with someone owning up to their ignorance and highlighting an UP AND COMING NATIONAL GLO.

"Not your typical sorority" is a horrible title for what was intended to be a positive blog entry.