Last fall a psychology professor at DePauw University asked her students what labels they attached to the sororities at DePauw. Among a whole slew of stereotypes, Delta Zeta girls at the university were labeled "socially awkward."
In response to this, and in anticipation of upcoming rush, national officers of Delta Zeta swooped down upon DePauw, conducted individual interviews of all 35 members of the sorority, and determined that 23 of the sisters were insufficiently "committed" to the sorority and recruitment.
As it turns out, every overweight girl and the only black and Asian members of Delta Zeta weren't committed enough. Huh.
The insufficiently devoted were instructed to leave the sorority house by the end of January. Amid the 23's anger, the national sorority was lambasted with charges of bigotry and elitism. Alumnae, parents and DePauw's president wrote letters. And yes, you guessed it, the faculty began a petition.
Well, congratulations to Delta Zeta. If people thought they were "socially awkward" before, they now think they're socially awkward bitches. College girls really do need to be reminded that they are not skinny or blonde enough. Clearly. But their efforts were much too overt, and now the whole country knows.
Right now, the sorority and DePauw are engulfed in a mess of allegations and denials. There's a long spiel on Delta Zeta's national website claiming the interviews were conducted only in the interest of promoting recruitment and their members are selected or, I assume, kicked-out, "solely on their merits."
But what people seem to forget amid all the finger-pointing is that these 23 girls-apparently evicted after being scrutinized and found wanting-were part of an organization in which membership is contingent upon meeting arbitrary standards. They knew this. They joined the sorority willingly, exposing themselves to standards set up by their peers. This is not a circumstance exclusive to greek groups: membership in any selective organization has its potential pitfalls.
Throughout our lives-college is no exception-we attach ourselves to certain organizations or groups of people. We join political parties, societies and country clubs. They offer prestige, support and often the comfort of fitting in with a homogenous population. The greater an organization is, as with a national sorority, the greater the benefits. Yet, with those benefits comes fragility and the potential for splintering or expulsion.
When they joined Delta Zeta at DePauw, these girls probably had little idea of what they were signing up for. They did not just open themselves to the scrutiny of their fellow sisters. They had submitted to an overarching organization that did not just have their personal interests at heart, but looked out for the greater good of the sorority's national reputation. They probably had no idea they were corrupting the marketability of Delta Zeta with their "social awkwardness," obesity or minority status.
A New York Times article about the controversy portrays a bunch of bewildered girls, who wonder how an apparently supportive group could just oust them. Surrounded by a close-knit group of smart, if not socially mainstream girls, they did not see they were part of something bigger and surprisingly crueler.
Is it their fault they did not meet the unspoken and bigoted requirements of sorority leaders they had never met? Absolutely not. If the allegations are true, the national officers made a ridiculously prejudiced decision. But we should recognize that these 23 girls went through rush, got dressed up and chatted up recruiters. They asked to be judged, and joined an organization based on the vaguely defined impressions of their peers. And with this precariously defined prestige comes pitfalls.
Any organization that has arbitrary standards and codes of behavior can turn on its members with ease. That is the price you pay to be part of the group-to carry the card, wear the sweatshirt and reap the benefits. No, it's not fair. But you know that going in. Ultimately, however, these memberships can lead to estrangement, either forced or self-induced.
This was made evident with the resignation of six of the 12 remaining members of DePauw's Delta Zeta chapter (those deemed pretty, thin or white enough to represent the sorority) after the forced eviction of 23 of their sisters. Maybe when we see our selective group begin to ostracize we should cut ties and run. The only alternative is to realize the ridiculous price we pay to feel like we're part of something, accept the nature of the beast and hope we're not next.
Lindsay White is a Trinity sophomore. Her column usually runs every other Monday.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.