Chances are if you’re reading this, you endured a few interviews to get into your beloved Oxford college. Some tutors asked you to decode a problem or a poem and you probably said something a bit silly as you sat there in your uncomfortable ‘interview clothes’ wondering what you were doing there.
But, then and again, you didn’t have to go through a week of wearing different outfits, being whittled down and selected by all the second and third years in your JCR. You didn’t have to survive ‘rush week’.
So what is this elusive American custom that will determine your principal social group for your time at university – or ‘college’, I should say, in my best drawl? It is the initiation process into sororities and fraternities, which is totally student-run, usually secretive and always controversial.
Sororities are social groups that were modelled after men’s fraternities. In fact, most sororities are technically women’s fraternities. Most sororities started in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a way for young women who were at a male-dominated institution to share a common bond. Every sorority and fraternity has a name based on the Greek alphabet.
Moriah Lutz-Tveite, President of the Eta Epsilon Chapter of Delta Gamma at Vanderbilt University (I know, mouthful!), explains the secret nature of sororities.
“The name of a group, as well as other distinguishing characteristics such as the meaning behind a crest, is kept secret. Therefore, sororities are not secret societies in the sense no one knows who the members are; however, there are definitely elements of ritual mystery that are kept from the general public.” The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is the chief governing body for 26 sororities that are recognized nationally. Sororities have long been controversial for their exclusive nature that some view to be discrimination.
In 2007, The Delta Zeta sorority chapter located at DePauw University was evicted from the university because of alleged discrimination against less attractive women. The order followed the sorority’s dismissal of 23 members. The 23 members were demoted to alumnae status and were asked to leave the sorority house. According to a sorority representative, the evictions were legitimate; the sorors were dismissed for failing to meet recruitment criteria. However, the evicted sorority members disagreed, stating that they were released due to their appearance and popularity at the university.
And of course, online, you only have to Google ‘rush week’ to find numerous tips on how to dress, what shoes to wear and how to do your make-up – provoking accusations of discrimination.
Moriah is quick to refute these allegations, making the good point that appearance is important in all areas of life – and most job interviews.
“As far as dressing, sororities don’t select their members solely on appearance; however, they are looking to pledge the whole package – an intelligent girl with a great personality who is pulled together in body and mind. I don’t think this is really different than how job interviewers choose employees.”
In order to recruit new members, most NPC sororities participate in Formal Recruitment, otherwise known as rush week. This is a week-long period in which potential members visit all the sororities. This week has traditionally been at the start of the school year; however, deferred recruitment which is at the start of the second semester is gaining in popularity.
Last week was rush week at many American colleges and Moriah was in charge of recruiting new members to Delta Gamma.
“There are some variations on what the exact rounds are at each school but Vanderbilt is pretty close to the standard. Here, the first day is called Display Round. Potential new members (PNMs) visit all the houses. The first day is mainly conversation with sisters, etc. At the end of each day, each PNM fills out a card ranking her preferences. Each sorority has their own voting process, but they each determine which girls they would like to invite back the next day. “The next day is Philanthropy Round, giving the sororities a chance to teach the PNMs about their respective philanthropies. The third day is Entertainment Round. Each night less girls are invited back to each house. The final night is Preference Round. The mood is more serious for this night. PNMs get to see a bit of the sororities’ rituals and get a chance to talk with sisters. After this night PNMs sign a card ranking their three choices, and the chapters again vote. The Greek Life Office at the school compiles the info from both sides to create a Bid List. So, then you have Bid Day where the PNMs find out what sorority they’re in. Then they go off to have a fun day with their new sisters!” Isn’t it all a bit selective and exclusionary, a process akin to turning university into a primary school playground? Moriah disagrees.
“As far as selectivity, the process is set up so every girl who stays with the process will get a bid. However, many girls drop out when they get cut from whatever group they really want to be in.”
When I think of rush week, the image that springs to mind certainly isn’t the orderly one Moriah portrays. I think of the bitchy girls in Sydney White, the frat parties of American Pie…and so the list goes on. But Moriah thinks that her university experience has been enriched by her sorority. “Being in a sorority has introduced me to a whole new group of friends that I otherwise wouldn’t have. To me, the best thing is having dozens of girls I can call up at anytime whether I want to go to a party or am having a bad day and need someone to talk to. It really is like having your family at school. I definitely have good friends who aren’t in my sorority, but my sisters are on a different level.
“Being president of my sorority has helped me hone my leadership skills. Having to manage a large number of your peers can be very challenging as you have to deal with every type of personality. I think this experience is definitely preparing me for my adult life.
“Probably, most importantly, I just have a ton of fun. I just got from break last night and we had a 2 hour rehearsal for our Entertainment Round skit, and even though we were working it was the most fun I’d had in a month.”
By their nature, sororities are just for girls. At Oxford, which lost its last female-only college (when St Hilda’s began to admit male students) in 2006, this feels a
slightly alien concept to most undergraduates. Moriah said:
“I really can’t imagine having co-ed fraternities. I know they exist, but it would be such a different experience. I think if we had co-ed fraternities the campus would be very divided. If we were in a co-ed fraternity we would just go to our own fraternity’s party and probably not have a lot of social interaction with other groups.
“I also think that sororities are an excellent support system for women. Even though we are in the modern era of co-ed education, I find it very refreshing to have a group of women to relate to. Also, I don’t think we’d want to live in the same house as boys- they’re very messy and the frat houses are always gross from parties!”
Having lived at an Oxford college for a year, Lindsay Conner, of Sigma Kappa, Georgetown College, has a different perspective on the issues. She too thinks that being part of a sorority has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I chose my sorority, Sigma Kappa, because it represented the values and standards that I wanted to develop and grow into over my four years in college.”
But what if she hadn’t got in? Is being so selective not a recipe for peer pressure and social exclusion?
“I did get into my first choice, but I feel that all of the other organizations on campus had something unique to offer. My rush week was stressful and fun at the same time. It is an exhausting experience, and emotionally it can be very draining. It can also be difficult if you decide to go a different way than your friends or if one of your friends does not get accepted into the same house that you do.” “Social exclusion can be a controversial subject regarding Greek life. While it is possible to be rejected from every Greek house you wish to get into, one can usually find a fit that works well for both the individual and the organization. Greek life is not for everyone, and there is a large amount of people who choose to remain independent from Greek life and still have a great college experience.” Lindsay spent a year studying at Regent’s Park as a visiting student and so experienced Oxford college life, which she found very different to the American sorority experience.
“Living in the college system in Oxford was different but also very rewarding. I really enjoyed the independence that accompanies Oxford as opposed to going to class every day and having attendance policies.”
“I did enjoy the interaction with people without considering Greek affiliations. Often in Greek life, sororities and fraternities develop competition with one another that can be excessive at times. I actually prefer the Oxford system because I was able to create my own academic schedule for the week while still making time for myself.”
Sorority life is obviously a world away from Oxford college life in terms of its rituals and initiation processes, but when you think about it, rush week is not really too different to Freshers Week. Sure, you’re already stuck with your college. But frantically chatting to people, wearing well-thought-out outfits, doing your best to impress, finding a new set of friends – does that ring any bells? Although at least here in Oxford you can legally sentence your liver to death at the same time…
