Preparing for recruitment since birth

[Low C Sharp]

the Old Money, Fine Old Family portion of the upper middle / upper class -- similar social circles in Otherville WILL know what the "top" and the "acceptable" GLOs are at a variety of campuses.

Heh, this is covered in "Heartbreak Hotel," too...Mary Sue goes to visit the aristocratic family of her (alcoholic) big-shot fiance in the Mississippi Delta, and even though she's from Georgia, and they go to school in Alabama, the quality people in Mississippi know that her chapter makes the grade.
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[Just interested]

I missed this book. It sounds like a must read. Wow! Life imitates art or is it the other way around?

[carnation]

Originally Posted by Just interested

I missed this book. It sounds like a must read. Wow! Life imitates art or is it the other way around?

Heartbreak Hotel is by Anne Rivers Siddons, an Auburn Tri Delt. It was based in the fifties but since I only saw the movie when it came out years ago, I don't remember if the movie was true to that. The book is fabulous!

[HappyKappaMom]

I also like to read the City Data forums about the South and there are a lot of similiarities to this thread. Northerners who move to the Carolinas, etc., are so confused; they just don't understand the South has it's own, different culture.

[Titchou]

I think it depends on where you are from. In Missisippi, I think it really still is entrenched. In Alabama, Georgia maybe not as much as more "carpetbaggers" have moved in. (that's a joke, OK?) But I find while it still exists here, it's not as bad as when I was in college in the 60's. And it was VERY prevalent then.

[DrPhil]

I appreciate the fact that GCers come from different age groups and backgrounds. It makes the discussions more fun and the info more interesting.



(With and without the snark. )

[catfan]

And from that, I bet I can narrow down what suburb(s) she's from. That SCREAMS North Shore. Yes, we have a few Good Ol' Family folks in the midwest, too.
But, for whatever reason, my hunch would be that she attended the right high school, and was from the right neighborhood, but wanted to join the "right" sorority because she's a [social] Climber. That thinking that she needed to join the "right" sorority just sounds kind of insecure to me.
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She was a legacy to the chapter she pledged, her Mom was a member at that GLO's Alpha chapter. I rushed the next year, and didn't even get an invite to 2nd round. I guess it wasn't the "right" house for me.
I was a legacy to a different GLO, and my Mom never talked about the possibility of me even rushing as a freshman. Total opposites as far as roomies go.
This has been a fun thread.

[tootiepie]

I will begin by saying that South Louisiana is very different from most parts of the south so maybe there are different attitudes. I am definetly not one of the social elite, just hard working middle class. In my small town there is a group of very elite people ( not just elite in our town but throughout the state). They have former govenors, and other state leaders, and business owners in the family etc. Most of these ladies were in sororites at LSU or other schools. Most of their daugters were also in sororites but I can not think of any of them that were in their mothers sororites. Maybe it had to do with the reputation of the soroirty and the daughters were seen as joining better groups, No one seemed to be upset they did not join their group. I can also tell you that none of these girls have come back to our town and married hometown guys. Again maybe they are seen as moving up the social ladder, as our little town is really dying a quick death.
I did come up with an older lady who semed to have an attitude about her sorority when we were looking for recs this summer. I didn't know her well but got her name from some friends, so I decieded to give her a try. All she could do was as no, She really quized me about my family and my daughters friends and connections. When I told her what sorority I was in she informed me that it was the only sorority she considered to be as good as hers. The whole convo really turned me off and we decieded to look for a rec from someone else.
This town is very seeped in old traditions and families but I have never seen that kind of attitude in any of them. Even though I can not compete with money or social status since it such a small town I do cross paths with these people a lot and feel that I do have a true pictures of them. Again maybe we are just different then other parts of the south.

[gee_ess]

You hit the nail on the head tld221 and Zillini! A very good explanation of how we "claim" our own and, regardless of the region, everyone goes through a similar process (getting into the right school or the right GLO).

At Arkansas, the emphasis is still on status. Despite the fact that all houses on campus are meeting quota and doing well (one still struggles some) the prevailing belief is that some houses are better than others and that you have done well to pledge any of those.
And, I am going to go a step further and tell you that top level sorority women who end up dating a guy from a lower level fraternity will often start the answer to "What fraternity is your boyfriend in?" with a disclaimer like, "His uncle was a AB at another school and really wanted him to join his house," or "He came to the university and knew no one! Otherwise he would have pledged another house."

This is where the pnms are coming from when they get on here and cry about being cut from "good" houses. It is THE NORM to be concerned with tiers and classifications. (Isn't this the same type of upset that occurs when Nancy Northeast doesn't get early admitted to Harvard but has to "settle" for Brown?)

[Blue Skies]

Originally Posted by gee_ess

(Isn't this the same type of upset that occurs when Nancy Northeast doesn't get early admitted to Harvard but has to "settle" for Brown?)

Oh heck no, it's the opposite (at least it was back in my day!) Brown was seen by Boston-area teens as being highly desirable, far more so than Harvard (Brown was J.F.K. Jr.'s alma mater.) They liked Princeton as well. In fact, they probably wanted to go to just about any Ivy League school other than Harvard for their undergraduate work. Even some non-Ivy League colleges such as Hampshire College were well-regarded. And if you really wanted to annoy your parents, you applied to Stanford. lol

[Just interested]

So right, ThetaPrincess24. That's why it is so much fun to watch.

[srmom]

I have to pass along a totally TRUE and hilarious thing that happened to me this fall (and it relates to this topic)

I was at a UT game in Austin, and I was washing my hands in the ladies room, when this darling little girl, 4 or 5-ish, came walking up to the sinks dressed in a little UT cheerleader outfit, so I lean down and say, "Are you going to be a UT cheerleader when you grow up?", and she looks up at me with the sweetest expression and says, "No, I'm going to be a Theta."

NO LIE! This obviously is a case where this little girl has been hearing all her young life from her Theta Mommy that this is what's going to happen when she grows up!! She will be well versed in proper rush etiquette by the time she's through elementary school!!

It was priceless, I couldn't wait to go tell the folks I was with!!

It must be a southern thaang , and maybe if I had had daughters, I would have been prepping them to be pi phis too!! (not only southern as I am reading the other posts - just a psychosis that is international) LOL

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by srmom

I have to pass along a totally TRUE and hilarious thing that happened to me this fall (and it relates to this topic)

I was at a UT game in Austin, and I was washing my hands in the ladies room, when this darling little girl, 4 or 5-ish, came walking up to the sinks dressed in a little UT cheerleader outfit, so I lean down and say, "Are you going to be a UT cheerleader when you grow up?", and she looks up at me with the sweetest expression and says, "No, I'm going to be a Theta."

NO LIE! This obviously is a case where this little girl has been hearing all her young life from her Theta Mommy that this is what's going to happen when she grows up!! She will be well versed in proper rush etiquette by the time she's through elementary school!!

It was priceless, I couldn't wait to go tell the folks I was with!!

It must be a southern thaang , and maybe if I had had daughters, I would have been prepping them to be pi phis too!!

Adorable story.




But, I hate such brainwashing.

[srmom]

Yeah, me too, it's kind of nuts. But, it was a really funny experience

[gee_ess]

Love it! And I am picturing the whole exchange taking place with with a southern drawl!