Non-Greek Wanting to Portray Sorority Life as Part of Story/Script

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

I guess I thought it would be interesting.

Which is exactly what you said you DIDN'T want to do (make it "interesting" by having Greeks involved).

That's what everyone here is saying... people always try to make things "interesting" when portraying Greek life by throwing in stereotypes, inaccuracies and exaggerations. You asked how not to do that. But now you admit that you thought a drunk girl running over a person and covering it up would be more entertaining if she had some letters on her shirt.

I guess I just don't understand what you're aiming for here.

[GDIwriter]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Which is exactly what you said you DIDN'T want to do (make it "interesting" by having Greeks involved).

That's what everyone here is saying... people always try to make things "interesting" when portraying Greek life by throwing in stereotypes, inaccuracies and exaggerations. You asked how not to do that. But now you admit that you thought a drunk girl running over a person and covering it up would be more entertaining if she had some letters on her shirt.

I guess I just don't understand what you're aiming for here.

Well, I would like to, in the story, portray Greek life realistically, but within a larger plot (a murder mystery in this case).

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Well, I would like to, in the story, portray Greek life realistically, but within a larger plot (a murder mystery in this case).

But why?

[Save Ferris]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Well, I would like to, in the story, portray Greek life realistically, but within a larger plot (a murder mystery in this case).

If you can find five news articles that talk about drunk sorority girls running over people, consequently killing them accidentally and then covering it up, I will totally back that this story is realistic. Also, you cannot use reviews from Sorority Row which this plot sounds very close to.

Honestly, the fact that you're claiming to be interested in portraying Greek life realistically but are completely off base is kind of offensive and makes me wonder if this is how we're viewed by many people.

[GDIwriter]

Honestly, the fact that you're claiming to be interested in portraying Greek life realistically but are completely off base is kind of offensive and makes me wonder if this is how we're viewed by many people.

Well, I hate to sound mean or anything, but the Greek community (at least where I live) does not always do a very good job of maintaining good PR. Outside of discerning a religious vocation and an avocation for writing, I am involved in local politics (actually running for city commission and the election is this Tuesday ) and so I read the local newspaper and the local college newspaper (although students rarely vote in city elections, they are a potentially big voting bloc) to try and keep abreast of local issues. Anyway, there was a big scandal in the college newspaper (we are a major college town) where two sororities were caught trying to affect Student Government elections a couple weeks ago (one by bribing members w/ alcohol for voting and the other by denying food to pledges unless they voted) and there have been other scandals (the Homecoming Queen, who is in a sorority, was caught for DUI; another sorority got rowdy and destructive in a very nice restaurant in another city and did damage) and this is not including things frats have been caught doing. As a candidate for city political office (even though I have graduated from college, I am sort of in that gray area because I am quite young), I have refrained from publicly commenting on the university's SG elections and the issues that occurred.

[Save Ferris]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Well, I hate to sound mean or anything, but the Greek community (at least where I live) does not always do a very good job of maintaining good PR. Outside of discerning a religious vocation and an avocation for writing, I am involved in local politics (actually running for city commission and the election is this Tuesday ) and so I read the local newspaper and the local college newspaper (although students rarely vote in city elections, they are a potentially big voting bloc) to try and keep abreast of local issues. Anyway, there was a big scandal in the college newspaper (we are a major college town) where two sororities were caught trying to affect Student Government elections a couple weeks ago (one by bribing members w/ alcohol for voting and the other by denying food to pledges unless they voted) and there have been other scandals (the Homecoming Queen, who is in a sorority, was caught for DUI; another sorority got rowdy and destructive in a very nice restaurant in another city and did damage) and this is not including things frats have been caught doing. As a candidate for city political office (even though I have graduated from college, I am sort of in that gray area because I am quite young), I have refrained from publicly commenting on the university's SG elections and the issues that occurred.

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

[GDIwriter]

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

I agree with you, but it does seem like whenever a sorority/fraternity member does something foolish or irresponsible, it does garner greater media coverage something.

Since the OP is looking for a plot that more closely resembles the former example rather than the latter, I'm not sure why he needs any further information regarding Greeks.

Well, "Sorority Row" (and even "I Know What You Did Last Summer") was more of a horror movie, although I did not think it was very well done (I have the same complaints about a lot of modern horror movies: too much of a gore and sex fest). My idea is more of a mystery, not a horror story.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

I agree with you, but it does seem like whenever a sorority/fraternity member does something foolish or irresponsible, it does garner greater media coverage something.

Couldn't this same idea apply to anything, though? Example: There are a great number of professional athletes who donate their time and money to charitable foundations. But when do things like that appear on the 5 o'clock news? They don't. The only stories that are shown are the ones about steroids, domestic violence and DUIs.

I don't think it's impossible to write a positive story about Greek life and to have people interested in reading/watching it. But that's not what you're doing here. And I'm not saying that you have to change your story completely. If you want to run with it, it's fine, but again, there's no need for anything Greek to be involved.

And to be honest, your comments make me think that you actually believe all of the stereotypes surrounding Greeks.

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

This. Also remember that they are college students, and issues like you mentioned are not unique to the Greek system. It makes for a much better article when you can sensationalize it and play up the sorority angle. Hearing about the great leaders that come out of the Greek system or how they help the community- who wants to write about that? I mean, the second term governor of my state is a sorority woman, and I only know from happening to look on that organization's website & list of famous people.

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

This too. Every campus is different (regardless of Greeks), every Greek system is different, every region is different... If you want to do this right, you need to do a lot of good personal research at a variety of schools.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Well, I hate to sound mean or anything, but the Greek community (at least where I live) does not always do a very good job of maintaining good PR.

Quite true. It's true of many groups, though, not just fraternities and sororities.

The thing is, you said at the outset you wanted to portay Greek life positively, or at least neutrally, yet all that you have described so far relies on or raises the negative stereotypes.

I'll say it yet again: Write what you know.