NYT: Greek Letters at Price

[33girl]

The phrase "values based" needs to die in a fire. I mean, WHOSE values? WHAT values? Heck, the Church of Satan could call itself a values based organization.

And all those insipid, interchanable taglines dreamed up by PR agencies need to go qlso. To paraphrase The Wizard of Oz, if it isn't in the motto or the creed your founders thought up, it was never there to begin with.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

There are already 3 corrections at the bottom of the story.
It's hardly a balanced piece. Surprised the NYT published it.
The comments are interesting to read - either for or against, no middle ground!

I came across this comment below, and it makes me wish that everyone was able to read and respond to articles and comments on the internet in an intelligent and respectable manner.

@L, what's with all the snarky projecting? Elizabeth didn't say she couldn't do it without the sorority, she merely acknowledged how the sorority supported her in her achievements. I'm no fan of sororities --indeed, I have an automatic bias against them, but heck, I'm willing to read an articulate statement made by a former member and set my personal biases aside. She had a great experience and makes observations that add perspective to the article.

[Nanners52674]

Slight detour: Has the name of the school Robbins got her "inside look" at ever been figured out?

[Low D Flat]

Rumor has long held it to be SMU. I don't know if there's been any actual evidence on that.

[Munchkin03]

I've heard it was Maryland. Alexandra Robbins is from Maryland and at that time she was writing for the Washington Post.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I've heard it was Maryland. Alexandra Robbins is from Maryland and at that time she was writing for the Washington Post.

This is what I thought, too. It sounded familiar, and as someone who transferred and affiliated there, I think it would have been doable to pull off her undercover ruse. I mean, they didn't catch 2 fraternity men who signed up for recruitment until first rounds! It's a big school, not super rec-intensive, etc. She could have slipped under the radar. I think SMU would have been much harder.

[honeychile]

As the saying goes, whatever I paid to be in a sorority, it was a bargain. As in any other organization, you only get out of it what you put into it.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

If any of you frequent CC (and I know several of you do ), don't read the thread on this article...#trainwreck

[als463]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

If any of you frequent CC (and I know several of you do ), don't read the thread on this article...#trainwreck

Now you've made me curious. What does CC say about this article?

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Originally Posted by als463

Now you've made me curious. What does CC say about this article?

The tl;dr version is that you have a shockingly large number of people who were in GLOs (or their children were) talking about how ridiculous it is, and a few people debating the philosophy of exclusion and that exclusionary orgs shouldn't exist, etc. It's currently at 9 pages. Also discussed: the concept of fines for social orgs, crafting, and pomping as prep for taking tea at the Junior League

[ColdInCanada11]

Interesting response piece from one of the women interviewed: http://www.jerkmagazine.net/sorority...times-article/.

[als463]

Originally Posted by ColdInCanada11

Interesting response piece from one of the women interviewed: http://www.jerkmagazine.net/sorority...times-article/.

^See, the above article is the very reason why many young women are told by their headquarters that they should not be speaking to the media about their GLOs. This happens. Some of these "journalists" try their best to put a negative spin on Greek Life because it sells newspapers. Did anyone expect anything less from the journalist who wrote the original piece? I didn't. The article ignored that not everyone lives in a large house or how it is sometimes cheaper to be Greek than not when on a campus where there actually are houses.

[ASTalumna06]

Is sorority life worth the financial costs?

http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/nerds...life-expenses/

Another perspective on what Greek life costs and the potential benefits of being a member (rather than just the negative aspects of it!)