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Ladies, hate to tell you, but our National needs some work. To some extent, I believe all sororities struggle with this issue. It's a societal issue, not a Greek issue.
Unfortunately, National behaved crassly. Unfortunately, I experienced the same issues in the 1980's when I was supervised by National as Rush Chairman for my Chapter (in the Midwest).
Appreciate the support, but we need to stand together as sisters (both as Delta Zetas and Panhellenically) and ask ourselves a few questions:
-Am I open to people who are different from me?
-Is my chapter reflective of society, or does everybody look, sound, pray and act in a similar manner?
-How do we communicate expectations for improvement in a sister's contribution to the Chapter? Is it neutrally determined and communicated, without regard to ethnicity, religion, personal appearance and other such factors?
-In light of what has happened at DePauw, how can my Chapter discuss this topic, and identify written standards at the local level to ensure diversity and inclusive membership practices?
-How do we communicate these principles to our local community?
National never has gotten it. My rush advisor had the best of intentions, but she wanted us to rush in a uniform of blue button-down shirts, khaki shorts, belts, and penny loafers. I was told directly to watch the Asian concentration in the pledge class, as we had so many Asian girls in the Chapter. I was told we couldn't take the risk of pledging an African-American girl because we were not "high enough" in the pecking order to do so. I hid my bid list from my advisor so no cuts could be made without the knowledge of Invitational.
This type of conduct and attitude is a daily part of society. Why do you think organizations like Alpha Kappa Alpha (awesome group of women!) and Omega Phi Psi developed? Because of segregation. Stand up with your opinions and convictions. Stick to them. As alums, you will be tarred by the same brush. I love my sisters. 20 years later, we still email regularly. But, I don't want to be known as someone who condones discrimination.
Delta Zetas are usually known for their integrity. How do you define yours?
In DZ,
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