Would my last name blackball me?

consider this post deleted. I had no idea such a response would be prompted. I am simply putting to rest something that I have heard...and I thought this would be a reliable source to ask. However, instead, I am ridiculed. So nevermind. Thank you for all of the patient responses.

[Kevin]

It is difficult here for me to take you seriously... and I am really trying not to answer you in a manner which might be upsetting.

But the fact that you would even ask a question like this makes me question your intentions here. Searching through your posts, I see a very inarticulate person, who I have a hard time believing is a junior at an SEC school, who is trying to elicit admissions from members here about the sort of discrimination which occurs in the selection process.

I could be completely wrong about you, and I apologize in advance if I am.

And for what it's worth, if you pull this odd, overinquisitive stuff during recruitment, you're going to be discriminated against, not because of your age or your ethnicity, but because you're acting like a social leper.

The sort of people these organizations target are the sorts of people who know what it means when they are told to dress 'business casual' or to wear something that's in good taste. I'm not sure what sort of upbringing you've had, but this stuff isn't exactly rocket science.

[icelandelf]

Originally Posted by lovelyinpearlss

I have been hearing from various people not affiliated with greek life that since my last name is traditionally Jewish, only the Jewish sorority would want me...I AM NOT JEWISH.. my ancestors were...will this really blackball me like that...if so...thats another thing on my list that is against me... and would I really want to be a part of something that discriminates like that?

QFP

and in response... SERIOUSLY???

[Senusret I]

The Dekes blackballed me because of my last name.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by lovelyinpearlss

I have been hearing from various people not affiliated with greek life that since my last name is traditionally Jewish, only the Jewish sorority would want me...I AM NOT JEWISH.. my ancestors were...will this really blackball me like that...if so...thats another thing on my list that is against me... and would I really want to be a part of something that discriminates like that?

Ummm, based on what you've written, if they would discriminate like that, you wouldn't have to worry about being a part of it.

[MaggieXi]

I have a traditionally jewish last name. I am not jewish either. I don't believe I was ever discriminated against going through recruitment. Even if I was cut because of it, I wouldn't have wanted to join that house anyway.

[KSUViolet06]

I doubt that a sorority is really going to judge you based on your last name. Many last names that are traditionally Jewish are now just common in general, so they aren't even associated with being Jewish anyway.

A bit of advice:

You can't believe everything you hear. If you do, you're going to have a hard time with recruitment. There are going to be lots of rumors and things going around about recruitment, the different chapters, etc. You need to to not freak out about everything you hear.

[honeychile]

You may have faced discrimination about 40 years ago, but many, many parts of the greek experience have changed in those 40 years.

Including blackballing. AFAIK, inter/national fraternities & sororities rarely use the archaic blackball method anymore.

[KSUViolet06]

FYI: No one ridiculed you. We simply said that people don't get "blackballed" because of their last names. We also said that that is a silly rumor and that you need to NOT believe everything you hear.

Thank you. I hope this can be put to bed. I did not want this to turn into what it became. It really made me sick to my stomach when I read his post. I know what business casual is. My University has not yet released dress code for informal Spring rush. I was brought up just fine, and just because I asked a question does not mean that I am inarticulate in any way. Wow, It's sad that I come to get help and I regret it. I hope that prospective members in the future do not get treated that way, it's a turn off.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by lovelyinpearlss

Thank you. I hope this can be put to bed. I did not want this to turn into what it became. It really made me sick to my stomach when I read his post. I know what business casual is. My University has not yet released dress code for informal Spring rush. I was brought up just fine, and just because I asked a question does not mean that I am inarticulate in any way. Wow, It's sad that I come to get help and I regret it. I hope that prospective members in the future do not get treated that way, it's a turn off.

I think the resopnses just stem from the fact that your question isn't one that we get around here alot (because most people just kind of know that that stuff doesn't matter because it's not true).

Well thank you for clearing that up. My Aunt's story prompted the question. I just found his response unnecessary, that's all. It hurt my feelings, and insulted me quite a bit. You have been great, however.

[bevinpiphi]

Originally Posted by lovelyinpearlss

Well thank you for clearing that up. My Aunt's story prompted the question. I just found his response unnecessary, that's all. It hurt my feelings, and insulted me quite a bit. You have been great, however.

He didn't call you a social leper.

He said that if you ask random questions like this during recruitment...like, with the girls in the room, you will look like a social leper to them.

Originally Posted by bevinpiphi

He didn't call you a social leper.

He said that if you ask random questions like this during recruitment...like, with the girls in the room, you will look like a social leper to them.

I understand that, thank you for clarifying for him. However the last bit about how I was raised...well, you can't argue for him in that respect. It was disrespectful. I am not going to argue who is in the right and who is in the wrong, my simple question turned into him publicly saying that I am soliciting this community, when there are tons of girls on here doing the same thing. I'm done talking about it and I got my answer from people who are less rude, and more patient so it doesn't matter. You can't tell me that was a polite post on his part. Because well, it wasn't. It doesn't matter anyway, like I said, I got my answer and I thank you all.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by lovelyinpearlss

I understand that, thank you for clarifying for him. However the last bit about how I was raised...well, you can't argue for him in that respect. It was disrespectful. I am not going to argue who is in the right and who is in the wrong, my simple question turned into him publicly saying that I am soliciting this community, when there are tons of girls on here doing the same thing. I'm done talking about it and I got my answer from people who are less rude, and more patient so it doesn't matter. You can't tell me that was a polite post on his part. Because well, it wasn't. It doesn't matter anyway, like I said, I got my answer and I thank you all.

You may be way too sensitive to go through life, let alone go through sorority recruitment.

With all the responses you received that answered your question, you are going to hang on to his response and change your (already quoted) post because of his reponse? Seriously, you're that easily knocked off kilter?

Newbies usually only rant like you are when the majority of the posters in a thread respond as Kevin did.