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Originally Posted by UGAalum94
Nope. I can see networking sites influencing the general stereotypes of what "sorority girls" are like but I don't think it's reinforcing types within individual groups. And honestly, are you making a claim that JuicyCampus* evaluations should be regarded are reality? Really?
Even when I was in school, the reputations of groups varied considerable from campus to campus for the NPC groups. I think looking through any group's magazine usually puts the fake tan/fake blond thing to rest for any particular org.
Where are you geographically? How big are the greek systems with which you are most familiar?
I think it's possible that within regions, stereotypes may be more likely, but even then, more than one group will occupy very similar niches, so you can't really say how one group is supposedly different from another.
* as far as Old Row, someone even geekier than I am could probably look at all their sorority rankings and see, but I think there's some variety even there.
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I don't believe JuicyCampus or Old Row evaluations should be taken seriously in the slightest. However, it is interesting that for most GLOs very different things will be said depending on the campus but for a select few you consistently hear the same things. And, for those specific posts, they mirror things I consistently hear in real life.
I agree very much with regionality, especially since some GLOs will be very present in a specific area of the country with considerable alum support. I think what I am talking about goes a little bit beyond that.
However, I cannot disagree more about those three not having some sort of national stereotype amongst collegians. I am in college as of this moment. I have friends literally across the country in all different tiers of Greek life. For most GLOs I hear very different stereotypes. For those three I consistently hear similar ones. For example, I have four friends who are XYZs (one of the three I mentioned earlier). One is unquestionably top tier, two are very middle of the road and one is struggling to the point they are considered the "least desirable". To give a geographic idea, one is in the Northeast, one in Florida, one in California, one in Texas. Granted, all four are "big Greek" schools. All four have the same exact stereotype attached to them. This is not the case with the vast majority of GLOs, as I have several friends who are in the same sororities whose stereotypes on campus vary widely. But for those three I feel that at least a portion of that stereotype is usually assigned to a chapter no matter it's "tier". Very similar to how much of the time, for example, Pike is labeled as athletic no matter what "tier" it is in on campus, where it is located or if they are even slightly athletic in the first place...the Pikes I know can barely throw a football and are still somehow labeled the "jock/meathead" guys.
Once again, maybe people disagree. But I go to a school with a very strong Greek community. The overwhelming majority of my friends picked schools with strong Greek communities. And about those three GLOs I consistently hear the same things from college students (never alums) about their stereotype on campus. Doesn't matter what tier they are, it definitely doesn't matter if it's true or not (usually it's not) but I hear the same exact things regardless.