Last week I finished the book Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities by Alexandra Robbins. It gives readers and inside look at sorority life without all the facades and fakeness. Robbins goes undercover at a typical University and follows the lives of four sorority members unbeknownst to the rest of their sisters. Robbins witnesses countless acts of binge drinking, illegal drug usage, casual sex, and other activities known to be issues in sororities. For a reader considering participating in recruitment, or the parents of a sorority member, like mine, this book could be positively terrifying. I am so glad I did not read it until now because it shows me how different my sorority, and I'm sure the other chapters at TCU, are from other campus'. It was still very interesting to see greek life from the eyes of someone who was not a participant.
This book also showed me that once again I am involved in an activity with predetermined stereotypes that are very hard to break. All through junior high and high school I was a cheerleader and spent much of my time working to disprove the airhead stereotype. Now in college sorority girls have many different labels, which may or may not be true. Pledged really opened my eyes to the image that people have of sororities and encouraged me to work towards improving it in my sorority and at TCU.
5 comments:
I agree with Shelbi when she says she is glad she did not read the book PLEDGED before participating in recruitment. If I had read it before rush, I am sure that my perspective of the Greek community would be extremely tainted. Although this book may reflect issues of sororities elsewhere, I am not aware of any sorority chapter on the TCU campus that acts this way. It is terrible that some girls will read this book and potentially be discouraged to rush, after being brainwashed to think crude acts like the ones in PLEDGED occur on all campuses. Hopefully, young girls will have more knowledge than to rely on one book to decide such a big decision as to whether or not to go Greek. I hate to hear rude stereotypes on sororities, and currently my chapter is working hard to prove that these harsh words are not true of our chapter. My sorority experience has been filled with many memories, making best friends, and establishing a sisterhood that will last a lifetime. I hope future pledges will feel the same.
I somewha agree with you, but the problem with your argument is that there is proof for her argument. Yes not everyone does the things that you listed but, in her stint of investigation she saw these things first hand, by following only four girls. According to ERIC Clearing house located in Washington D.C. 76% of sorority girls that did not drink in high school are now binge drinkers in college, as a whole 86% of girls in sororities are binge drinkers. According to a NIDA study done in 2005 college students in the greek system have 2-3 times the amount of drug use incontrast to the rest of the student body. Also sex and STD's are also much higher in the greek system that in normal students.
I responded to this post because I also read this book after joining a sorority. I completely agree with Shelbi in that if I read this book before rushing here at TCU, I probably would be mortified in joining Greek life. The hazing and other unbelievable things that went on in the book is almost unbearable to think about and makes me wonder why people would want to be part of this type of lifestyle.
To disagree with Brian, of course it is true that stats are high for dangerous activities within greeks, but not for every single university. It is a relief to know that TCU does not fit the 'norm' of being such a bad influence and hurting college students' futures. Here at TCU, each fraternity and sorority do what they can to help the community and the school itself.
The intriguing thing about sororities is that many girls are scared off from rush because of these stereotypes yet what about the girls who end up pledging? The majority of highschool and college students are aware of the sorority and fraternity stereotype so what attracts us? I agree with Shelbi when she finds TCU greek life combats those stereotypes. Of course, belonging to a greek chapter will create a bias. I do not feel any chapter feels that they live up to stereotypes yet all stereoypes stem from truth. Although Shelbi wants to continue to disprove the stereotype of greek life, I do not feel it is possible. You can go on within your campus and not live up to them but they will never truly be erased.
Cara--this comment is a week late, okay.
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