"Sisterhood Is Powerful" by Prudence Mackintosh (Texas Monthly, Sept. 1976)

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

It did seem weird to me that there was almost no mention at all that there even WERE any other chapters. A person would have to read carefully to catch that, and the outsider would never guess that there were more than 15 chapters at the time of her experience and the time of writing. You might guess that there were 2 or 3 bottom of the barrel chapters, but 10?

The point is it is a very interesting, engaging story, and I'm sure the author never intended to insinuate there were only 6 chapters worth joining at UT. But because the article is so entertaining, that is what she inadvertently did.

And what fun is there in talking about the "Middle Six" that make quota every year, get the girls they want and don't have to live up to 50 year old reputations. It certainly wouldn't be an article worth discussing 30 years later. It would go something like this, 1000 girls went through rush. The Middle Six chapters worked very hard to prepare and spent hours and hours getting to know the girls going through rush. When the time came, some girls loved them, some girls hated them and some were just ok. They pledged 50 girls. The end. BORING. Or the story might describe how the Middle Six go through exactly the same hell the Big Six do, minus all the publicity. The End. BORING.

It would be interesting if someone could do a long-term life satisfaction study and compare the women in the Top Six and Middle Six.

I'd pay good money to see someone write another version of this about the top ten or twenty Greek systems around the country complete with sample photos. Can you IMAGINE the outcry in today's politically correct climate.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

complete with sample photos.

I couldn't believe there was an era when ANY of those outfits screamed "top tier"!

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I couldn't believe there was an era when ANY of those outfits screamed "top tier"!

I have to agree. I had read parts of that article here on GC, but it wasn't the original article and didn't have the photos. I have to admit to being underwhelmed by the photos as they are not AT ALL what I pictured when I read the descriptions.

And I don't get the Tri Delta photo. She talks about Farrah and then they put up an example that doesn't resemble Farrah at all.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

And I don't get the Tri Delta photo. She talks about Farrah and then they put up an example that doesn't resemble Farrah at all.

You have to remember that "college Farrah" and "Hollywood Farrah" are about 10 years apart. I'm sure that in the 1960s, most Tri Delts there probably did look like this:



As for the pictures, the first 3 look like The Official Preppy Handbook and the second three look like Sears Fall/Winter Catalog 1978.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You have to remember that "college Farrah" and "Hollywood Farrah" are about 10 years apart. I'm sure that in the 1960s, most Tri Delts there probably did look like this:



As for the pictures, the first 3 look like The Official Preppy Handbook and the second three look like Sears Fall/Winter Catalog 1978.

Right. That is more what I would expect based on the description.

Where did you dig up the photo?

[33girl]

I just googled "farrah graduation picture."

[Shellfish]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I couldn't believe there was an era when ANY of those outfits screamed "top tier"!

I went to school a couple years after this article, and the Pi Phi, Kappa, and Theta wear was basically the norm for everyone; it was a place where most students were from, well, financially comfortable backgrounds.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

It would be interesting if someone could do a long-term life satisfaction study and compare the women in the Top Six and Middle Six.

I'd pay good money to see someone write another version of this about the top ten or twenty Greek systems around the country complete with sample photos. Can you IMAGINE the outcry in today's politically correct climate.

Well, back when it was published, it was pretty shocking but in the way that you had to laugh too because so much of it was pretty spot-on.