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

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by Ladybugmom

Also, these opinions are carried on from generation to generation....this article has been around a long time and like you said, some of these descriptions are accurate and many are no longer true at all.

Same is true for the NPHC - both for the fraternities and sororities.

/lane swerve/

The one thing I will agree is still true is the "camp factor" and coming from the "right" high school..those two factors are alive and well with UT recruitment.

This makes sense to me. If you've known someone since going to camp from maybe elementary school through high school, then you've known that person for a long time, you know how they are, you are comfortable with them. Same with high school, where you've probably attended the same middle and elementary schools too.

I think the camp factor and hs factor are just that you've known that person for a very long time so you feel they are a safe bet / low risk for membership.

/lane swerve/

[shirley1929]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

This makes sense to me. If you've known someone since going to camp from maybe elementary school through high school, then you've known that person for a long time, you know how they are, you are comfortable with them. Same with high school, where you've probably attended the same middle and elementary schools too.

I think the camp factor and hs factor are just that you've known that person for a very long time so you feel they are a safe bet / low risk for membership.

This. And the fact that if you've known them THAT well for THAT long, they're already like a sister in many ways. Just makes sense that you'd want to "formalize" that sisterhood. Many PNM's that are close friends from camp (but grew up in different cities) try to pledge the same group so they can be together all the time.

I haven't read the camp article (I linked earlier) in awhile, but I remember it does a great job of showing just how deep these ties run.