SERIOUS question about weight discrimination and rushing?
Hello,
My name is Sophie and I am going to be a freshman this fall. My entire life I have looked forward to being able to rush a sorority and find a place with my 'sisters' that I can have fun and really make the most of my college experience. I was discussing the whole rush process with a friend of mine, who is also rushing this fall at a different university, and she left me with a question that I'm hoping one of you can answer.
I've always thought of myself as very pretty and intelligent. I have always gotten top scores academically and I got a 32 on the ACT. I'm determined, and passionate, and creative. I love political arguments as much as I love painting as much as I love just letting loose and hanging out with friends. I've never had any problems, socially, and have NEVER had difficulty finding dates. My problem is this: I am very overweight. Until now, that hasn't really presented a problem to me. I've never felt out of place or uncomfortable about it, and nobody has ever made a big deal over it, either. I just sort of accepted that my weight was a part of me, and not a bad or negative quality. Just another aspect, like the color of my hair or eyes.
Well, I was trying to find more information online about the whole rush process, and was researching sororities to decide which ones I felt were right for me, and I realized that every single picture on those online sites were of a slender, beautiful, petite sized girl. I went to a number of different college chapter web sites and kept seeing the same thing over and over again. It is making me kind of self-conscious, and I started realizing that perhaps my weight was going to cause a problem with me getting into a sorority. The more I thought about it, I realized that while, so far, I've been lucky, people are really cruel sometimes to others who aren't model material. I started imagining myself at the butt of some immature frat-boy's idea of a joke, or worse, not even getting a shot at joining a sorority in the first place because the other sisters may feel that, while I may fit EVERY other category they find important, I just don't fit THAT ONE.
Can any of you give me your thoughts on this? I'd really appreciate it- it would put my mind at ease. I was really looking forward to Greek life, but it's hard to think about with these questions unanswered. Do any of you have experience in this situation? Do all of your new pledges have to be thin to get in? I'm so confused right now. Please, no joke responses, okay? This was a serious question, one that I'm almost afraid to ask, and I'm looking for sincere responses. Thank you, very much.
Sincerely,
Sophie Kingstaad
New Orleans, LA
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