Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities While reading Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, I learned more about the inner workings of Greek Life. I learned that the odds of me finding a sorority are so slim due to my independent and different personality. While I am not good at sticking up for myself, something this book has made me feel is crucial to blend in and conform to an ideal to fit into a sorority, I am too opinionated. There are not many sororities (at least shown in Pledged) that welcome girls who are different, preferring to stay similar. For example, each pledge class would soon like identical within a few months of pledging. Another thing I learned about is the careful planning and manipulation that occurs throughout sororities,
especially Rush Week. Many things that seem natural and ordinary that occurred in the house at parties, like “bumping” where they would trade off rushees, made interactions I have at events seem more fake. Finally, another thing I have taken away from Pledged is that society has a greater influence than morals in some cases. Girls died because of initiation ceremonies, but the response was minimal. When the colleges made boards to address problems in the Greek Life system and stop deviant acts, the officers would just give their sorority a blind eye. I would recommend Pledged to future sociology students because it has given me a better perspective and idea for my future. I am leaving for college in two years, and Greek Life has been something I have thought of. Reading Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, has given me a chance to prepare better for college when I encounter Greek Life. Regardless of grade level, college is on the mind of almost every high school student, and Greek Life goes hand in hand with college. Through Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, it will help students determine if they wish to join Greek Life, or even go to a college that has Greek Life. Many decisions and facts I might have found out the hard way, Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities has cleared now and will for other students.
I myself am from a very “awkward” dichotomy. The reason for that is that I grew up in Oak Cliff Texas, a low socioeconomic neighborhood with the a very criminal atmosphere. However, my father was able to obtain upward mobility through his construction business that he built, therefore I have always been financially well off. Since I grew up in Oak Cliff and attended an inner city public high school my classmates were mostly of low socioeconomic background and well, the nature of their behavior is very much like mine. Now when I attended A&M I decided to join a fraternity. There is “Latino” fraternities available for students to join on campus but I joined one that is recognized by the IFC (Intra Fraternity Council). This is one of the barriers amongst universities’ Greek life systems themselves. As described in the book, Greek life systems generate a barrier where students of low socioeconomic status find it harder to join. The fraternities and sororities that are recognized by the “IFC” are those that are categorized by the student body as “cool or better” organizations. Those that aren’t recognized by the IFC are seen as the “poor or gay” organizations. Those fraternities that are recognized by the IFC on campus as far as I know are all white. Latino or Black fraternities and sororities aren’t recognized by the IFC, at least at A&M. I am the only Minority in the fraternity that I am apart of, and I sometimes recognize that I am different in different aspects than most of the members and can feel the “isolation” that is described in the book. Once my fraternity was having an event and everyone was required to pitch in 30$ towards supplies for it, and the way that the money is gathered is through a mobile application where people can pay with their credit cards. I asked one of my fraternity brothers is I could just pay him cash and he
At a young age I knew as an African American woman through activism, educational autonomy, and community service, I can thrive through the wake of extreme poverty and turmoil faced by the people of my neighborhood of East New York. My interest in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., would be based solely on their ethical standards, history, and values they are founded upon. The ladies of this organization exude exemplary character who excel in sisterhood, respect, honesty, accountability, and integrity. Throughout my life I always encouraged myself to have these ideal characteristics without knowing that one day I would be pursuing membership in a prestigious organization, whom upheld the key principles “greater service, greater progress. The first
I am seeking membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated to be a part of a sisterhood that leads and serves. I would love to join a sisterhood that serves the community, promotes academic achievement and builds self-esteem in students of all walks of life from primary to adulthood. In addition, I wish to expand my public service through educational development. As an educator, serving children and families through toy drives and youth mentorships would afford me countless opportunities to give back beyond the walls of my classroom, dance stage, and church. With my dedication, compassion, and creativity, I know I will work diligently to produce a strong impact on the sorority’s current programs and aid to create new
In "Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture" Ayres Boswell and Joan Z. Spade analyze the social perspective of the gendered relations in male fraternities that add to the high rate of violence against women on many college campuses. They list a host of factors that distinguish higher-risk from lower-risk atmospheres discussing the rates of rape in colleges and state how "1 out of 4 college women say they were raped or experienced an attempted rape" (217). Additionally, "1 out of 12 college men say they forced a woman to have sexual intercourse against her will" (Boswell, Spade 217). In other words Boswell and Spade indicated that the rates were high when it came down to women getting raped in colleges by men who also attended those colleges. In addition, Boswell and Spade specify in how most people are aware of rape but know very little about rape culture (Boswell, Spade 217).
Once I am a fully initiated member of the Fraternity I will attend chapter weekly. The entire pledge class bonds and learns about the Fraternity, ideals, and history together. Chi Omega also plans activities that helps us bond together as sisters, such a flag football against the other sororities, or even something as simple as ice cream out together. These activities bring us together as a discourse community very frequently. This year we had the largest pledge class in the history of the Sigma Zeta chapter at 24 girls. Every year there are two recruitment periods, one in the fall and the other in the spring. It is during these periods that the fraternity replenishes the members that went alumna with new
Do people really understand the secrets behind the Greek community? There are many pressures girls face that the public is not familiar with that are specifically evident in sororities. Alexandra Robbins, the author of the book Pledged: The Secret Lives of Sororities, went undercover and followed four different girls during their experiences within the Greek system. Although there are many struggles girls can face in sororities, the five most prevalent type of pressures include: having a perfect body image, substance abuse, stress, silence, and hazing.
Day in and day out we hear about high school and college students wanting to pursue a sorority and/or a fraternity based on the stereotypes these organizations uphold, well I chose to differ. I told myself if I ever decided to become a member of a sorority it would be based solely on their ethical standards, history, and values they are founded upon. Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated consists of ladies of distinction and exemplary character who excel in scholarship, leadership, and service, which are qualities I have chosen to uphold. From my perspective, I encourage myself to maintain a respectable appearance and reputation which doing so inspires me to embrace my self-concept; which helps me confidently excel academically and professionally as a “lady of distinction” and “exemplary character.” Most importantly, I continuously remain involved in community service, being involved allows me the opportunity to learn and understand the lives and circumstances of others by opening my mind, heart, and soul. Overall these qualities strengthen my passion to be a member of the prestigious Alp...
The founders paved the way for future sorority members to take into heed and have an example of what to go by. The Women’s Suffrage is one of the many struggles the founders had to face. To face a problem within your community of this magnitude shows not only Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated strength, but how diligent the founders were. The founders of this sorority believed in a cause and stressed the importance of overcoming the barrier that was set before them. There are sorority members who continue to surpass and help solve the struggles within our community, such as getting our young people to vote and making sure African Americans are aware of their HIV status. These contributions say more about the women of this sorority than any other. This sorority is very diligent regarding the various events that they host. Time, quality, and effort are the traits I notice in the events that I have attended. The positive actions that the members of this sorority continue to produce, does not go unnoticed. The time and conscientiousness that these Delta women put in gives me great knowledge on how I should portray myself at all times as a future Delta woman. I aspire to be a member of a sorority that is fully committed in the sisterhood, community service, as well as being diligent leader in the sorority as well as outside the sorority. I aspire to be a member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
Why I desire to be an Alpha man? The answer to that question answered in its entirety would far exceed the three page limit allotted for this essay. In the Army we are taught to K.I.S.S things meaning, keep it simple. The mission statement of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is to develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities. This mission statement embodies the backbone principles of why I desire to be an Alpha man.
When rushing and pledging a fraternity you meet brothers from that fraternity and maybe even brothers and pledges from other fraternities. Your social skills greatly improve by actively communicating with brothers from the fraternity and socials, which are events planned with other sororities such as ice skating, bowling, etc. A fraternity pushes you academically, for example, pledges have grade checks before they are initiated as official brothers. For Sigma Chi, a pledge needs above a 3.0 grade point average in order to be initiated. If below, the chances of being dropped from the fraternity is very high.
When you are a senior is high school your main focuses are finishing your college applications and if your a girl of course prom, you don't realize you are a year away from entering college and the world of "rape culture". It is said that rape culture exists because we don't believe it does. Rape culture is defined as "an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture." We already have an idea that in colleges where sports is glorified that some professors will allow athletes to get away with numerous things from cheating to missing numerous classes but fraternity events can be high risk for rape. First I will summarize "Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture: Why Are Some Fraternities More Dangerous Places for Women?" written by A. Ayres Boswell and Joan Z. Space. Then I will use information from my criminology class to better define violent crime . Lastly, I will explain rape on campuses is not a cultural component. Colleges should hold clubs such as fraternities and sports to the same level than others and be harshly punished for crimes they commit so they don't feel more superior and think they can get away with rape.
As the end of spring semester of my freshman year approached, I was overcome with both joy and relief knowing that soon I would be done with finals and, more importantly, I would soon be completing my slightly long and extremely dry initiation process and finally be allowed to called myself a sister of Sigma Delta Tau. Even though I was beyond excited to become a sister, I couldn’t help but feel weird about the entire situation. Up until the day I decided to rush, I never in a million years would’ve thought that I, of all people, would join a sorority. Even though I had come to terms with the fact that I was in fact meant to be a sorority girl, I was still unsure of how to tell my friends and family back home that I was a sister. In high school, I’d always
It brings me great displeasure to write this appeal due to the circumstances of my unwarranted suspension from a fraternity I hold dear to my heart. I became a member of the fall 2015 class falling in love with both my brothers and the fraternity. The past year I formed an unbreakable bond and accumulated numeral unforgettable experiences. I even got the pleasure to read The Phoenix and enjoy the beautiful and adventurous history of our fraternity. This all came to a shattering halt when the alumni of the ILBE Chapter persecuted for violating our Membership Agreement.
Being a freshman at a large university such as Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville, the thought of putting yourself out there and meeting new people is very nerve wracking. After I made the decision to attend this university, I also made the decision to join Greek Life in order to meet new people. Although I have been in a sorority for over a semester, I still have yet to meet every single member. When this project was first assigned, I knew I wanted to relate this to my sorority and seek the diversity within. My interviewee, Kiana Stevenson, and I met up one afternoon for lunch and to get to know one another. At first we talked about our sorority, which was our common ground, and then we pursued a conversation about diversity. She is a twenty-year-old student at SIUE and, just like myself, she is in Alpha Sigma Tau. We are in the same socioeconomic level, have the same sexual orientation, and have no common disabilities. Although our descriptions seem to be very similar, our ethnicities differ.
“And if you can find any way out of our culture, then that’s a trap too. Just wanting to get out of the trap reinforces the trap” -Chuck Palahniuk. Fraternities and Sororities in recent years have become less fun and more dangerous for the people that are apart of them. They no longer bring students closer together, but rather bring them apart. They dehumanize you, you are no longer a human but rather an object for them to use however they like. People have been victims of sexual assault, hazing, rape, problems with alcohol and even death. Once you’re in a Fraternity or Sorority it’s hard to get out. Fraternities and Sororities should cease to exist since all they’ve done is put people in harm's way.