Terrible Books
 

I was just "gifted" a book from someone I know. It is called Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. While I have not received the book yet, I looked it up and sure enough, a woman is claiming that she infiltrated an NPC sorority (don't know which one) and talks about the hazing and abuse that goes on in sororities and how they are elitist and exclusive to the rich and the white and not really about sisterhood.

First of all, it's obvious to me that the author was probably at some point rejected by a sorority and that's why she was so eager to find out what goes on. Because she was probably rejected and/or cut, she now wants to make herself feel better by trashing our mystic bonds.

Second, I am Hispanic and definitely not rich. I work to pay for anything I have. That includes any and all sorority functions and dues.

Lastly, I was NEVER hazed by my Sigma Kappa sisters. They were the nicest people and everything we did and do has always been in the spirit of sisterhood.

Why am I writing this? Well, it really annoys me that people who write about the *EVILS* of joining sororities have never been in one and don't know what they are all about. They base their opinions on secondhand stories and what they get from movies. At best, they might have had contact with a small local "sorority". I put that in quotes b/c any decent and respectable sorority would not participate in helping drag our good names through the mud.

There are several threads about this book and excerpts from it were published in teen vogue this month. The worst part about it is that the author actually names national sororitys. It is very unfortunate. if you check the risk management forum you will find plenty of discussion on this topic.

And there was a blurb in this week's People magazine about the book. I read the excerpt from it in "Teen Vogue" (no I didn't buy the mag...I read it at work while I was on break) :)

Re: Terrible Books
 

Considering the author went to Harvard and was a member of one of the secret societies there - something that screams "white elitism" to the average American - I don't think you can find a worse case of the pot calling the kettle black.

The author went to Yale, not Harvard. (Harvard does not have "secret societies.")

Thanks Ivy - I did know that and for some reason had a brain fart. What about Porcellian and things like that?

Porcellian, Fly, A.D., Spee, and so on are called "final clubs" or just "clubs" for short. (Ivy, correct me if I'm wrong.)

For an article on some of the differences between the final clubs and fraternities, see --

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=358400