Pledged (48 page)

149
Alpha Kappa Alpha’s call . . . “ee-i-kee”:
See Ross, Lawrence C., Jr.
The Divine Nine: The history of African American Fraternities and Sororities
. New York: Kensington Books, 2000.

149
Black sororities . . . at casual parties:
Interview with Dr. Walter Kimbrough.

149
“salutes” or tributes . . . culture through dance:
See Fine.
Soulstepping
.

149
step shows are to black Greeks what Greek Week is to whites:
Black Greeks traditionally have not been major Greek Week participants, although they have begun to get involved on some campuses. See, for example, Whipple, E. G., J. L. Baier, and D. L. Grady. “A Comparison of Black and White Greeks at a Predominantly White University.”
NASPA Journal
. Vol. 28, No. 2 (Winter 1991). The
NASPA Journal
reported, “There is little or no participation by black Greeks in the traditional rush activities or Greek Week programs of white Greeks.”

149
As one sister has explained . . . “partying together”:
Elizabeth C. Fine cites this quote; she credits Rita Harris for obtaining the quote at the 1999 Philadelphia Greek Picnic.

DECEMBER

166
Northeast Greek Leadership Association Conference . . . Northeast region:
See the NGLA’s conference web site at http:/greeklife.drexel.edu/ngla/annual_conference. More information about the NGLA can also be found at that site. The NGLA’s mission statement is “The Northeast Greek Leadership Association exists to promote the founding principles and positive traditions of all Greek letter organizations through opportunities that encourage learning and leadership for the Northeast region.”

168
the “worst” things . . . dance sexily with each other:
See MTV’s original
Sorority Life,
which aired in summer 2002.

168
One sorority official . . . “protect our women and our Greek Community”:
The adviser sent this letter to the professor and to me via e-mail on November 22, 2002.

169
the professor wrote back . . . “on all matters that concern them”:
The professor sent me a copy of her response, which she e-mailed back to the adviser slightly more than an hour after receiving the adviser’s letter.

169
lecture at the NGLA Conference entitled “The Greek PR War Room”:
This lecture ran from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. (Educational Session Block III) on the first full day of the conference. The Conference Guidebook listed the following description of the session: “The Greek public relations battle has reached the national level. The media condemns Greeks for failures, but fails to praise when chapters raise money for worthy causes or volunteer in the community. This presentation takes participants inside the ‘PR war room’ and discusses professional techniques and their application to the Greek dilemma.”

169–171
“Pay close attention” . . . “every paper in town is there”:
The quotations in this section refer both to the presenter’s statements and to the statements he posted on his slide show.

171
in October 1998 . . . Greek activity:
See Nuwer, Hank.
Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking
. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1999, which notes that “an autopsy later turned up a trace of a date-rape drug in Courtney’s system” and that Cantor’s blood-alcohol level was, at .059, below the Michigan standard for intoxication.

171
“The Values Institute” . . . plenary and breakout sessions on the four pillars:
These sessions ran from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 29.

172
The theme of the conference, “Values-Driven Leadership: Back to Basics”:
See, for example,
2003 NGLA Annual Conference: Conference Guidebook
.

172
from Maryland to Maine:
I confirmed that participants from these states attended in an interview with a member of the National Greek Leadership Association board.

174
that commercial . . . while fiddling with her pearls:
The promos for MTV’s
Sorority Life 2
aired in late winter 2003 in the weeks before the show debuted.

174
In her book . . . voted to drop the pledges:
See Wright, Esther.
Torn Togas: The Dark Side of Campus Greek Life
. Minneapolis: Fairview Press, 1996.

187
No matter the leniency of a chapter . . . beholden to the sorority’s national rules:
See, for example, the Statement of Obligation in
Pi Phi Forever
. A pledge cannot be initiated until she signs this statement, which asserts, among other items, “I am knowledgeable of and in agreement with the Constitution and Statutes, Policies and Standing Rules and procedures of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity and of _____ chapter’s bylaws and house rules, and I promise to abide by them.”

187
One sorority guide . . . “kicked out of the sorority”:
See Rose, Margaret Ann.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
. New York: Villard, 1985.

187
“Each sorority has its own standards . . . at the local level”:
Interview with Sally Grant, chairman of the National Panhellenic Conference.

188
certainly no degree requirements:
In an interview, Sally Grant confirmed that there are no degree requirements to work in a sorority national office.

188
who may be stuck in a time warp . . . own active sorority membership:
For this reason, University of Alabama Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Kathleen Cramer, a Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna who regularly works with sororities (see February’s chapter), said that the national office volunteers are “struggling with change.”

188
Campus advisers sponsored by the university . . . educational administration:
See Jones-Hall, Jennifer. “The Role of the Fraternity and Sorority Professional.”
Advising Fraternities and Sororities,
a manual put out by the Association of Fraternity Advisers.

188
“The most common reason . . . questionable reputation . . . sorority’s guidelines”:
See Rose.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
. The phrase “questionable reputation” also surfaced in the 1999 book
Ready for Rush
.

188
“Sorority girls do not have sex. . . . revealing clothes must be avoided at all times”:
Ibid.

189
“She may not know that she has broken a standards rule . . . tight jeans”:
Ibid.

189
Kappa Delta warns . . . “judgements and comments about herself and/or the sorority”:
See
The Norman Shield of Kappa Delta
.

190
To monitor chapters . . . “traveling consultants”:
See, for example, Delta Gamma’s description at http:/www.deltagamma.org/cdc.html. The National Panhellenic Conference also has a consulting team that can visit and evaluate any chapter of a national sorority. See http:/www.npcwomen.org/college/c_consulting.php. See also McKee, C. William. “Understanding the Diversity of the Greek World.”
Fraternities and Sororities on the Contemporary College Campus
. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1987. According to a recent Kappa Kappa Gamma brochure, KKG’s consultants, called Kappa Trainers, “are able to present any existing
Pathways,
Kappa’s Continuous Education Experience
program or custom design one just for you. Kappa trainers are a wonderful resource for chapter and association officer training, providing educational programming for your Province Meetings and all leadership training needs.”

189
Known under names that vary . . . “airports by themselves”:
Interview with Sally Grant.

JANUARY

203
determine a quota that every house must reach:
This is the simplest description of quotas, which can get complicated. For more information on quotas, see the “NPC Quota, Release Figures and Quota Additions” thread in the Rush Forum on www.greekchat.com.

203
To get these recommendations . . . “the formal recommendation, which is a
rec”: See Rose, Margaret Ann.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
. New York: Villard, 1985.

204
appoint official recommendation boards . . . “may be denied a recommendation”:
Ibid.

204
If a rushee doesn’t know a rec board member:
Maryln Schwartz points out that in order to get to know girls who don’t know sisters or have recommendations, alumnae and sisters in cities visit candidates over the summer. “These are sometimes called Trash or Treasure luncheons because alums and members get to know an upcoming rushee and report back if she is trash or treasure,” Schwartz writes. “‘If I had known what goes on during those sessions when they pick the girls, I never would have gone through Rush,’ says one girl who did get in. ‘We had one party that was Japanese and everyone had to take off her shoes when entering the house, which was decorated like a Japanese tea room. At the follow-up session that night, members were even discussing the cheap labels on some of the shoes and who was wearing the expensive labels.” See Schwartz, Maryln.
A Southern Belle Primer: Or Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma
. New York: Doubleday, 1991.

204
advised to prepare a résumé . . .
“
at a restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard, do
”: See Rose.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
.

205
According to author Maryln Schwartz . . . Ole Miss Kappa Kappa Gamma:
See Schwartz.
A Southern Belle Primer
.

205
special treatment . . . “steal a legacy”:
See Rose.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
.

206
emergency packs including nail polish, mints, Band-Aids, and tampons:
See Vida, Vendela.
Girls on the Verge: Debutante Dips, Gang Drive-bys, and Other Initiations
. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 1999.

206
bring in a favorite rushee’s older sister or aunt:
See Thornton, Bonnie, and Debbie Thornton.
Ready for Rush: The Must-Have Manual for Sorority Rushees!
Nashville: Hamblett House Inc., 1999.

206
each rushee submits . . . how high the names appear on each list:
Ibid. (among other sources).

207
“Will you take my best friend . . . get in anyway”:
This example was announced at the mid- Atlantic pre-rush meeting I attended.

207
Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae . . . “both Laura and Cheryl pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma”:
Ibid.

209–210
At the end of the meeting . . . “shy,” “attractive,” and “loud”:
The girls were also given a handout that contained a list of suggested sentences for sisters to say to rushees on Pref night, including, “You’ve seen all our other sides, friendly, casual, outgoing, and now you can feel our sisterhood” and “We’ll still be friends but there’s a big difference in being a friend and being a sister—Friends are now and sisters are forever.” Other dittoes in their packet of instructions reminded sisters of the following: look at rushees when they sing on Pref night, “Don’t waste good sisters on Rushees already sold,” and “SELL LIKE HELL—NEVER QUIT!!!”

214
rush parties cannot go over . . . “good-looking fraternity boys who pester them”:
See Rose.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
.

214
At some schools . . . speak with their biological sisters outside of rush events:
See Thornton and Thornton.
Ready for Rush.

222
determined mothers have taken to hiring “rush consultants” . . . not affiliated or endorsed by the National Panhellenic Conference:
Confirmed in an interview with Sally Grant.

222
six to twelve months before rush begins . . . “one on each hand is best”:
See Thornton and Thornton.
Ready for Rush.

224
“How Sororities Judge Rushees” . . . “Physical attractiveness plays a large part in the overall evaluation process”:
See Rose.
Rush: A Girl’s Guide to Sorority Success
.

225
“I think she would shine brighter in another house”:
Less southern-influenced houses might simply say a girl would be “happy elsewhere.” See, for example, Thornton and Thornton.
Ready for Rush.

FEBRUARY

234
In August 2000, the Alpha Gamma Delta house . . . stories of sorority discrimination:
See Auchmutey, Jim. “Ali Davis Loved Her Life in Alpha Gamma Delta at the University of Georgia. Then a Black Student Came Through Sorority Rush and Everything Changed; The Sister Who Spoke Up.”
Atlanta Journal and Constitution
. February 10, 2002.

234
From 2001 to 2003 . . . fraternities in blackface:
See, for example, Elliott, Debbie, reporter. Noah Adams and Robert Siegel, anchors. “Two Auburn University Fraternities Suspended after Wearing Racially Offensive Costumes at Halloween Parties.”
All Things Considered.
National Public Radio. November 9, 2001; Jubera, Drew. “Racist Internet Photos Linked to Auburn University Fraternities.”
Cox News Service
. November 7, 2001; Wertheimer, Linda K. “‘They Just Don’t Feel Welcome.’ Students Demand Answers after Racial Incidents at UT, A&M; School Presidents Hear Minorities’ Concerns, Fear Lasting Damage.”
Dallas Morning News
. February 19, 2003; Banerji, Ruma. “Blackface Bestirs Gray Area of Rights, Correctness—No Action by UT Against Students.”
The Commercial Appeal
. December 10, 2002; Altamirano, Natasha. “National Chapters Suspend 2 U. Virginia Fraternities.”
Cavalier Daily
. Via University Wire. November 19, 2002.

235
graduate of the prestigious Alabama School of Math and Science . . . black landowner in the state:
All details confirmed with Melody Twilley in interviews. See also, for example, Jonsson, Patrik. “South Wrestles with Segregated Sororities.”
Christian Science Monitor
. September 18, 2001; Gordon, Tom. “Bid Day for UA Sororities: No Blacks Taken by White Greeks.”
Birmingham News
. September 11, 2001 (Gordon wrote several articles on this issue); Gettleman, Jeffrey. “The Nation; Sorority System in No Rush to Integrate.”
Los Angeles Times
. September 10, 2001.