Kappa Alpha Theta at Harvard Closing

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by AGDee

This whole thing makes me so sick. Misogyny through and through. Take away all opportunities for women to have a safe space, leadership opportunities without oppression, and being forced to live in the "good ole boys" world without respite. Of course, since women aren't paid equally, I suppose their alumnae withholding donations or the like wouldn't have much of an effect.

And racism.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AGDee

This whole thing makes me so sick. Misogyny through and through. Take away all opportunities for women to have a safe space, leadership opportunities without oppression, and being forced to live in the "good ole boys" world without respite. Of course, since women aren't paid equally, I suppose their alumnae withholding donations or the like wouldn't have much of an effect.

But....

Thinking it is worse for the women to lose their groups than it is for the men to lose theirs is kind of the same mindset Harvard is presenting. It sucks for everyone.

[NinjaPoodle]

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2...ender-neutral/

more info on the policy
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2...-stay-mainbar/

[Kevin]

Reading that Vanity Fair article... wow... what a shitshow. I think closing shop is the ethical thing to do for Greek organizations. If they chose to stay and fight the good fight, they are potentially putting anyone who signs up for their cause at risk of losing a Harvard education worth potentially millions of dollars.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Reading that Vanity Fair article... wow... what a shitshow. I think closing shop is the ethical thing to do for Greek organizations. If they chose to stay and fight the good fight, they are potentially putting anyone who signs up for their cause at risk of losing a Harvard education worth potentially millions of dollars.

If this kind of ridiculousness keeps up, Harvard will become such a laughingstock that a degree from them won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on.

My favorite part of that article (other than the fact that one of Edie Sedgwick’s nephews or cousins wrote it) was where sexual assaults were being blamed on the final clubs, and then it was discovered 75% had actually occurred in dorms...but of course the idea of single sex dorms was verboten.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If this kind of ridiculousness keeps up, Harvard will become such a laughingstock that a degree from them won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on.

My favorite part of that article (other than the fact that one of Edie Sedgwick’s nephews or cousins wrote it) was where sexual assaults were being blamed on the final clubs, and then it was discovered 75% had actually occurred in dorms...but of course the idea of single sex dorms was verboten.

This kind of dumbassery is why everyone hates liberals.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by Kevin

This kind of dumbassery is why everyone hates liberals.

good grief, Kevin. I have come to expect more from you. Where did THIS come from? "everyone" ???? my goodness! That's one very broad brush full of ugly tar you just swiped. I will attribute your out of character misstep to the heat.

On another note:as a matter of fact, related to the Sedgwick family, I have more than passing knowledge of this family. They are in another sphere altogether. I recommend reading In My Blood, written by John Sedgwick (the author of the VF article cited in this thread.

Kyra Sedgwick, actor and wife of Kevin Bacon, is part of that extensive "blue-blooded" family. Putting it here for others. Interesting history if you are into that kind of thing.

In the meantime, the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

[shadokat]

Interestingly, I scoured the internet for information about Fleur De Lis, which is actually on Facebook as The Fleur. There isn't a single guy outside of what looks to be their formal, who I may wrongly be assuming, but are the dates of the women.

I also read that Vanity Fair article, and there is no better word for it than shitshow. And I still don't get what the purpose is. It's a shame that they have forced this issue so far.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by PhilTau

Regarding reorganizing the former Harvard sororities into social clubs open to all genders -- there is a well-worn model for this. It may not be very popular to post this, but I recall back in the last century, some fraternity chapters were de facto co-ed organizations. Almost all fraternities had little sister organizations. Some had little sister groups with membership numbers almost equaling the male active membership.

Don't get me wrong, there were and are very good reasons for fraternities eliminating the little sister auxiliary groups. My point is that, from a current student's perspective, multi-gender fraternal collegiate groups have been done before - long ago - and in many instances quite successfully.

Um no. I know I’ve told the story on here of the little sisters who basically ran the fraternity because the brothers were feather heads, but that is an anomaly. Brothers and little sisters have two different pledge programs and two different initiation rituals. It was not, repeat, NOT, anything you could call a “multi gender collegiate group.” Especially since in many cases, the little sisters could also belong to NPC sororities.

Originally Posted by GreekOne

So disappointing! I was so proud of DG, Alpha Phi and Theta for taking a stand. I guess the collegians simply felt the battle was not worth it. The votes to back down came from the collegians, not the HQs.

That’s unnecessarily harsh. These collegians are giving up scholarship money and campus positions that could help them in their future career if they stay in Greek organizations. It would be wonderful if none of the members had to worry about things like that, but probably the only students who don’t are the ones that Harvard administration think all Greeks are - the outrageously rich with family connections who really don’t have to worry about grades. If the chapters ended up being solely composed of such students, Harvard would just point to it as “see, we were right when we said this is what Greeks are about.”

[stratfriend]

I think the sororities would have tried to continue, but the number of women who signed up for recruitment was less than half from prior years (as this was first year PNMs were subject to sanctions), making it hard for some to continue financially. Becoming gender neutral groups, they will basically continue as before but as private finals clubs where members will not be sanctioned. Bear in mind all will be open to male members, but will be allowed to be "female focused", so highly lilely there will be no men lining up to join. In the end, Harvard will have created gender neutral clubs in name only exclusive to Harvard.

[commuter]

The Harvard GLOs are just collateral damage from the Harvard war on the all male finals clubs. Part of it is a revenge of the nerds against the clubs. The Harvard administrators believe the clubs would never ask them to join when they were undergrads so they must be destroyed.

[Kevin]

Shouldn't have said that, not meaning to try to wade into politics, but this kind of idiocy in academia is often used to paint with exactly that broad of a brush.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Shouldn't have said that, not meaning to try to wade into politics, but this kind of idiocy in academia is often used to paint with exactly that broad of a brush.

I knew what you meant and you are exactly right. Even many people who think sororities are dumb will be offended by the fact that the women are basically being forced to close by elite SJWs (in their eyes).

My response to things like this is "Creating Trump Voters One Stupid Situation at a Time."

[TheGreenHeart]

This breaks my heart! I know a lovely young Theta legacy who will be starting school there in the fall and was SO excited for recruitment (regardless of her membership invitation outcome). Such a shame.

[commuter]

The real danger is that what is going on at Harvard will spread to other private universities. Harvard has such influence over PC administrators in the education establishment. Don't be surprised if this is just the start. Look for Yale to go after the all male secret societies.