Duke University Sorority Article

[dukedg]

I thought this had some really interesting points on sorority women and on things our nationals/internationals can focus on to keep more women involved during college and after.

The Real Sorority Culprit

Here is just a little portion of the article:

"National sorority organizations need to unite toward a common goal, abandon antiquated programs, and enter the 21st century. They need to recognize that only 10 women run Fortune 500 companies and women hold only 16 percent of Congressional seats. National sorority organizations have a responsibility to change these trends and foster real leadership training (like The White House Project and 85 Broads).

They have a captive audience. It is time they use it. Our national dues should be used to do more than put us on social probation."

[bejazd]

Wow. There's some pretty harsh criticism there, but no real suggestions for better programming. Hmmm. would I want my Sorority to be pushing me to become a CEO that makes news on CNN or is it good enough for me that my sisters celebrate my personal and professional success because they know me...personally. I think I'm in it, and always have been, for the personal relationships with my sisters.

DukeDG, did the NPCs at Duke once have housing and now they don't? I wasn't sure what some of the editorial replies meant by "sections"?

[Benzgirl]

Does anyone know what chapter the author is in?

Her comment, "Since the national organizations impart no real professional benefit to Duke women, it should be no surprise that our sororities are viewed as a way to increase social mobility in the here and now-not a long-term female equivalent to the good ol' boys network. ", I thought to be a little outdated.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

I felt so sad when she talked about talking to the head of her organization about legitimate issues and then she says she was told the answer is to be an active alumna and do better at ritual. I know if someone said that to me I'd probably run from the room pulling out my hair! Does anyone know where we can see this Rolling Stone article? Why have I never heard of it? Was it that bad enough to warrant a meeting or national organization leaders?
Ritual and being a good alumna are both things I encourage every sorority woman to do, and while we all joined for different reasons (and I most certainly found opportunity for leadership through my chapter) I still feel for the author of the article. There is room for more than just those aspects in sorority life (and I'm sure many chapters offer the "strength" women today need to be effective future leaders).

[Jimmy Choo]

The Rolling Stone article was done during the lax scandal.

[MaggieXi]

I know what chapter she is in -- only from a friend that is graduating from Duke this year. If you want to PM me, I will tell you. But I don't want to reveal it randomly to everyone on the internet.

[AlwaysSAI]

She basically gave away her affiliation when she stated why her sorority was founded. If ya know sorority history, it's easy to figure out.

[PiPhiERDoc]

Grrr...this article really ticked me off.
If you already have written off the benefits of lifelong membership in your organization - you are right, there will be no benefits for you.

And in fact, my organization EXPECTS our chapters to have programs that are about career building, leadership, finding mentors. In fact if you go on to our organizations website, you can find an alumnae mentor in your field of interest or sign up to be a mentor.

As a chapter advisor, I have written DOZENS of letters of recommendation for jobs, graduate school, medical school applications. I have mentored several women as they went through the medical school application process. The reason that I did that was because I had someone who mentored me, and I am forever grateful for the support, friendship, and lifelong sisterhood that Pi Phi has shown me.

When I graduated from medical school, I posted a notice on our fraternity website asking for hosts in the cities where I was interviewing for residency. I had Pi Phis from around the country who offered up their homes, their cars, and their time to show me around. For no other reason except that I was a Pi Phi, and I asked.

I know it has been said many times - but you get out of it what you put into it. If you see your involvement as four years of "social advancement" - that is exactly what you will get.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by PiPhiERDoc

Grrr...this article really ticked me off.
If you already have written off the benefits of lifelong membership in your organization - you are right, there will be no benefits for you.

And in fact, my organization EXPECTS our chapters to have programs that are about career building, leadership, finding mentors. In fact if you go on to our organizations website, you can find an alumnae mentor in your field of interest or sign up to be a mentor.

As a chapter advisor, I have written DOZENS of letters of recommendation for jobs, graduate school, medical school applications. I have mentored several women as they went through the medical school application process. The reason that I did that was because I had someone who mentored me, and I am forever grateful for the support, friendship, and lifelong sisterhood that Pi Phi has shown me.

When I graduated from medical school, I posted a notice on our fraternity website asking for hosts in the cities where I was interviewing for residency. I had Pi Phis from around the country who offered up their homes, their cars, and their time to show me around. For no other reason except that I was a Pi Phi, and I asked.

I know it has been said many times - but you get out of it what you put into it. If you see your involvement as four years of "social advancement" - that is exactly what you will get.

Ditto on it all.

Except the article didn't tick me off as much. If that's how she wants to see it, so be it. I love both of my orgs and plan on always being involved. If she wants to toss it away when she graduates that is all on her.

Maybe the fact that the chapters don't take ritual seriously has something to do with them not staying involved. I don't know if I can say this right without offending someone....but, I think the fact that she basically called ritual crap from the 1800s speaks volumes for the way the chapter is carrying out and living the ritual.

I get so excited everytime I put on my badge(s) because I know that only a select group of men and women wear my badge(s) and only we know what they mean. I may be the minority, but I enjoy ritual. It speaks to me and enlightens my life every single day. Without ritual and the love and joy and meaning it brings, membership would be worthless to me.

[twhrider13]

I think she has a few good points. The part about "my ritual is boring," not so much. But "What have the (inter)national organizations done for us lately?" is a good point. I can tell you what mine's done, but none of it's good. *Shrug*

[TarHeelGirl]

This is an illuminating article from the Chronicle's monthly(?) magazine which compares sorority life at Duke with that of my own alma mater, UNC:

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/m...-3003090.shtml

Having never been directly involved with a greek org at Duke (though I have many friends and acquaintances who have been and still are), I'm not really in a position to provide any valuable commentary on the climate of its system. However, I will say that, as an outside observer, it seems to me that sororities are rather disenfranchised by Duke's administration, especially as compared to the privileges given to fraternities and "selective living groups" (basically, groups that resemble local greek orgs without greek-letter names). Therefore, it's no real surprise to me that the author of the first article is struggling to find empowerment through her collegiate involvement in her sorority.

[BigRedBeta]

This is not a new criticism, just one that has finally been brought up in mainstream articles. Several years ago, while doing research for a paper in my Sociology Senior Capstone Course on the differences in messages in GLO magazines from NPHC and NPC/IFC orgs (as well as gender differences) I came across an interesting article (one of the few that came even close to my topic) from 1999. The authors found that for many white women, the motivation for joining a sorority was largely due to social concerns, while for black women, there was an expectation that joining a sorority would help them professionally. The article was pretty well written, and my own content analysis in looking at fraternity and sorority magazines and the messages presented there both latently and manifestly, found similar things. There was a lot more emphasis in the NPC group's magazine on fulfilling multiple roles as a woman, but they were all equal - wife, mother, career, sorority member, friend, etc...and this was in the "Career" issue. The NPHC sorority mag though had a lot more on service and achievement - the messages were much clearer that joining the NPHC sorority was a way to succeed as an educated woman, with much less emphasis on friendship and "sisterhood".


Here's the citation for the article I was talking about. In the academics section of Chit Chat here on GC, there's a thread I started when I was Betarulz! titled "The GC Academic Conference" in which I briefly (very briefly - the final paper was 17 pages and early versions were closer to 25) cover my paper and findings.


Berkowitz, Alexandra and Irene Padavic. “Getting a Man or Getting Ahead: A comparison of White and Black Sororities.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography; Vol. 27 No. 4 January 1999.

[FSUZeta]

sororities offer no professional assistance? how many of us alumnae have referred a collegiate member of our own sorority who is job hunting, to a business associate, a friend or acquaintance who might be in a position to help her? or assisted a collegian in writing her resume or written a letter of reference for the young woman applying to graduate school?

how sad that this young woman has no plans to remain active in her sorority after she graduates. she will definately miss out on professional assistance and mentoring that she accuses the sororities of failing to provide.

does she want her sorority to hold journalism seminars? that is fine for her, but i don't think that the pre-med or education majors would get much out of it. if this young woman is looking for more professional guidance, she should join the journalism club or the greek letter equalivent. that is the purpose of a professional organization. social organizations are just that-organizations that enhance the social aspects of college, and hopefully help make the member a more well rounded individual.

in zeta we have standards programs-they can run the gamut from changing a tire, to resume' writing, to buying insurance, making a will, investing or napkin folding and everything in between. i am sure all sororities have the same type of program, just under a different title. so we're not all fluff and no substance.

[AlwaysSAI]

You know, the more I thought I about this thread the more I realized what my GLOs have done for ME.

Think about it for a second. The author of the article is asking what her Nationals have done for her. It's all about ME ME ME ME ME. Think about what the National staff deals with every day. Think of what they do every day to keep the organization up and running. They meet with regional directors, handle expansions, communicate with other orgs, organize resources, network and manage how many every chapters exists. Most orgs, both of mine included have more than 100 chapters and that is a lot to manage. Asking nationals to do something for ME is selfish and ungrateful. Nationals has done something for you. They provided a chapter of that organization on your campus at which you found your home. Not everyone is even lucky enough to find a GLO they call home. Sorry if your nationals hasn't done anything for YOU lately.

She is posing the wrong question. In my mind--the sorority/fraternity is what you make it. The more you put in, the more you get out. Its all on the author if she has no job connections, professional opportunies, whatever through her org. I don't know how many times I've emailed or called someone and said "Hi-My name is AlwaysSAI and I'm a Sigma Alpha Iota/Phi Sigma Pi " and had doors open for me just that way. Because someone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who is an SAI or Phi Sig.

[FSUZeta]

brava alwayssai. to go a bit further, not just your sai or phi sig connections, but your general greek connections can open many doors for you.

most of our national officers(and those on the local level too) are not paid for their service- it is volunteer work.