from the author of Pledged

[greencat]

Is there anything that these "sorority members" do that "non-sorority members" do not? The last time I checked, most college students were over-sexed alcoholics who liked taking risks and showing up to class late and sharing old tests.

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by greencat
Is there anything that these "sorority members" do that "non-sorority members" do not? The last time I checked, most college students were over-sexed alcoholics who liked taking risks and showing up to class late and sharing old tests.

No kidding! These people think that independents never drink or use drugs -- never suffer with eating disorders (which is so incredibly common especially for freshmen dealing with being away from home, etc. -- not that it isn't sad, but its really nothing "new" or limited to sorority life!)

[James]

You should probably take this less personally. Its just a book. ITs not precisely an expose on white slavery or anything.

Journalism is a really broad based term ranging from the gossip rags and E Entertainment to serious rigorous reporting.

This probably falls somewhere in between.

I have to read the book, which I probably wouldn't have done if I hadn't read this thread . .. so kudos to the author or publicist that posted the first message.

Interestingly, if I am getting the gist of the book, the author could have written it entirely without leaving Greekchat.com.

Everything she is talking about has been discussed here at length with input from different chapters, schools and regions.

In fact she would have been foolish if she hasn't used Greek Source as a much larger reference source than she is claiming.

So I take my hat off to her for that. Being able to write and publish a novel almost solely from an internet site is Brilliant.

Oh, she looks really cute in her pic on msnbc.com . .. and thats a serious mitigating factor.

ETA: She could have asked me or just about anyone I know for an interview and we would have agreed to it. So lets not be too hard on the alleged participants.

IF your going to read it why not just check it out at the local library because why make her rich like valkyrie said only to fuel her 5 minutes of fame for this piece of trash book.


Also i would check with your HQ office before even thinking about emailing her or who ever it may be because they can use your emails and words and twist it to her own stance on it and tarnish your GLo rep...not wise to feed fuel to the fire on
this issue

[James]

You are overestimating how serious any sane HQ staffer would react to this . .. or me commenting as a free citizen.

Originally posted by cutiepatootie


Also i would check with your HQ office before even thinking about emailing her or who ever it may be because they can use your emails and words and twist it to her own stance on it and tarnish your GLo rep...not wise to feed fuel to the fire on
this issue

[BadSquirrelBeta]

to allow a good old fashioned book burnin' party.

OMG--just the "interview" is crap.

As a proud Fraternity woman from Idaho...the great pacific northwest...I feel cheated that I missed out on boob parties and didn't develop an eating disorder.

Maybe we were too busy going to class, doing philranthropy work and volunteering, playing in intramurals, making friends and going on dates...oh that's right, isn't that COLLEGE life?

I think y'all should actually read the book before sending her hate mail.

I'm about halfway through it, and while it's not representative of all orgs, it's really nothing more than Sorority Life in print.

The book flips back and forth from the "narrative" of the girls' daily life and Robbins opinions on certain aspects of Greek Life. She even writes a bit about Stepping, which for someone who's never seen a step show, is pretty interesting.

Do the girls live lives of your typical 20 year old college student? Yes. Do they do things that their sororities preach against? Yes. Did y'all when you were in their shoes? I'm hoping so, or you had a sad Greek experience.

She cited Greekchat, but not in a fact statement, merely that Greek communities didn't like SL, which is no big statement.

Kitso
KS 361

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by AggieSigmaNu361
. . .The book flips back and forth from the "narrative" of the girls' daily life and Robbins opinions on certain aspects of Greek Life. . . .

Therein lies my biggest issue with the book. She attempts to place her opinion as fact and apply her "facts" to every sorority on every campus across the US and Canada. You just can't do that especially when her sources are questionable and out-of-date.

I'm not denying that those things happen in sororities but I really don't believe they are as widespread as she wants to make people believe they are. And they aren't limited to just Greek organizations, she could have shadowed a high school cheer squad and gathered the same evidence.

[decadence]

I haven't read the book yet, I want to before I go on to pass comment on it, before I guess at intentions; or review it etc. I wouldn't want to be in the position of being a person protesting over something who can be asked 'have you actually read it?' and not be able to reply in the positive.
The impression seems to be it isn't a 'Dying to Belong' B-movie novel but somewhat rounded with positives and negatives?
I've bought three books on fraternity/sorority life this year; this one has certainly piqued some interest and debate here so I might buy this one too!

Until I read it I shan't know whether the author does fail to accentuate the positive and only perpetuate the negative. What matters somewhat is whether or not the impression given is that negative aspects are *all* that can be found. As has been pointed out, service & philanthropy bears mentioning; but sizzle sells. This is different from sensationalism which I see as putting a false spin on something to make it look different from its otherwise innocous self - if a behaviour is negative... it is.

GreekChat has shown negative practices do persist in greekdom. Despite condemnation of them when they occur, anecdotal experiences which don't gel with founder ideals can still be seen. Maybe drawing attention to these can arguably carry with it a sad and unfortunate air of necessity.

I use GreekChat as a resource, personally. I imagine the author had the presence of mind to view information on the site with an appraising very cautious eye. Though a 'mere' internet message board, it contains access to combined decades upon decades of experience and does contain authoritative perspectives viz. IotaNet and Russell spring to mind as individuals who do hold (quite high up) positions within their respective national offices. Of course, AggieSigmaNu361's information that there is simply a passing reference is important here also!

I think... in writing a book about any organized group of people, one will find traits or behaviour common to them to write about. This doesn't mean those behaviors aren't also common to other groups but perhaps bear mentioning as they describe the group one is writing about.

I might still buy the book.

I agree with many of James' comments.

[meazie]

I can admit that I was suckered in and bought the book. I found it to be pretty one-sided and that was what I expected. Her book does not present anything close to an accurate picture of Greek Life and benefits us in no way at all.

What bothered me the most was the she devoted an entire chapter to revealing the rituals of a dozen sororities. What does she stand to gain by this? Clearly, she was in it for the expose and not the objective journalist she claims to be. I, for one, hope that any hype she is getting dies done and the whole thing just goes away.

[Glitter650]

I have read the book and it IS a bunch of BS... the stuff that she says is DEFINITELY not well researched and is one sided. for example she mentions that sororities discriminate according to initation with out mentioning that ALL of them now include women of all faiths and that there are sororities that were founded to include all religions... she also does attribute some "college" behavior to "greek behavior" like she describes spring break as a time when "greeks get away from the house drama and can truly be themselves with out being subject to the rules of their house" (not a direct quote.. but close enough) UMM... how about "a time for college students to forget about upcoming papers and tests and relax for a while ??!! Geez like only greek members go to spring break...

[mommag2]

Did Katie interview her when she was on the Today Show?

I didn't see the interview.

I think Katie would have "went off" on her since I believe Katie is a Tri-Delta.

[owlrageous]

I am planning to read Robbins book, but I can tell by the excerpt on MSN that it is ludicrious! A drug room? PLEASE! I have to admit that sororities can be catty, but the other accusations are absolutely ridiculous! Do you really think 120 girls are going to be so open with drug use that they designate a room in the house in which to do it in? If anything the greek systems are the most educated groups on campus when it comes to all the issues college students deal with. IF it wasn't for the NPC we wouldn't be going to mandatory workshops and educational lectures. Sororities are kind of a continuation of finishing school-they are organizations that help you strive for lady like behavior. Also I am a member of a sorority in a large competitive greek system at a southern school. I have met NO young lady that has had a rush coordinator as far as I know, although I can name 4 young ladies in my sorority that DO have Pageant coordinators. Have any of you guys used or know anyone that has used a rush coach? *LMAO* Truly if your mother cared that much wouldn't she just beg her junior league friends to write you recs? Tell me what ya'll think!

[WCUgirl]

This book is featured on msn.com today.

After reading the excerpt from the article, I don't find it very realistic that these sorority girls would open up so freely to a stranger, let alone one from the media. Even if a member of the GLO had a drug problem or an eating disorder, she's not going to openly admit it to many of her sisters (if any!), let alone a stranger. And the girls who do know probably aren't going to run out an blab about it to anyone.

The more I hear about this book, and the more excerpts I read, I find it less and less credible or realistic.

But if she can live with herself for profiting from publishing and promoting falsehoods and trying to tear down something she doesn't understand, then that's her perogative. She just must have low ethical and moral standards.

ETA: I don't know if it's because it was "typed" into the web page, or if it's like that in the book, but there are a lot of type-o's in this thing. For example, I thought advisor was spelled with an "or" instead of an "er."

[moe.ron]

I would not mind reading it if somebody can photo copy it.