Most of you have heard about the sorority (Delta Zeta) which "got rid" of some members at DePauw University. The NYSlimes' characterization--that DZ dumped the ones with 'undesirable' looks--has been the prevailing buzz.
Just the fact that the NYSlimes wrote the story should tell you something.
Here's the part that's not in wide circulation:
After years of struggling to recruit, Delta Zeta DePauw members voted in August to close the chapter at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. The women's majority vote meant that they could live in the house and be relieved of active membership duties, including the intense work of recruiting on a daily basis. The intent was for Delta Zeta to close and reorganize to return at a later date.
On September 12th the request for reorganization was denied by the University. The University indicated that Delta Zeta, which has been on the DePauw campus for 98 years, would not be guaranteed a return. University officials asked Delta Zeta to undertake a membership review.
Delta Zeta members, who could support the national plan to actively recruit, were asked to remain active. Other members, who no longer wanted to engage in day-to-day recruiting, became alumnae members of the Sorority.
The sole basis of the decision and the membership review was the women's commitment to actively recruit.
In other words, those who wanted to actually put out some effort on behalf of the sorority were asked to remain. Those who did NOT--but liked the idea of living in the sorority house and enjoyed the comraderie anyway--were asked to leave.
Seems obvious, no?
DZ did screw up:
It is here in communicating the results that we made a mistake. We misjudged how these communications would be received. Delta Zeta deeply regrets that. On December 2, we informed each woman by mail whether she would be relieved of responsibilities to recruit and become an alumna member or remain on active collegiate status. As you know, active status at a struggling chapter requires daily recruiting. In hindsight, Delta Zeta national leadership should have once again returned to campus and communicated the results in person with each woman.
There are DZ chapters in Wisconsin and the UP. You won't find them to be full of beauty queens; and they are by no means 'exclusive.'
But that's the story the NYSlimes does not find "fit to print."
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5 comments:
I'm a conservative, too, and I agree with a lot of the stuff on your blog. I'm also a DePauw alum. I hate snobbery and social structures that divide up people based on race, wealth and looks. I guess that means I'm in disagreement with you. It's sad to see you swallow whole the PR BS of the DZ national organization. Here's a new low in the low art of euphemism: "relieved of responsibilities to recruit and become an alumna member"; in other words: get out. I always thought one becomes "an alumna member" after graduation, not WHILE attending a school. It's hard to conceive of anyone thinking it's a good thing to kick girls out of a sorority for being deemed unattractive and a member of minority-group. Maybe you should look into taking a job at DePauw. You could run their greek housing program. The school administration would love you.
Umnnnhhh...your "opinion," Anony, has no facts behind it whatsoever.
DZ tossed lazy-assed babes out.
Happens all the time.
Do you have a rational argument?
I'm not a conservative, but I can at least see the obvious: a membership requirement for a sorority with a house is to recruit new members to live in the house. The house only exists because previous members recruited those replace them. Without enough members a housed chapter cannot operate. If you won't or can't recruit new members, you don't get to live in the house. It doesn't matter what you look like.
Anony One: You LIE.
If you really were a graduate member of DZ, you would know of temporary alumna status, or emergency alumna status. Both these statuses are awarded to woman on a need only basis while being in school. By granting these women at DePauw alumnae status, DZ merely told them they were relieved of their duties as an active member, which THEY opted for to begin with.
If you are not a graduate member of DZ and not a memeber of any other sorority of fraternity, then you ought to check your facts.
This spot is right on. DZ did the same thing at the University of North Texas where they had the same reputation and recruitment problems. Who knows, maybe they do this all over the country?
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