According to the Delta Zeta sorority Web site, their national creed begins as follows: “To the world, I promise temperance and insight and courage, to crusade for justice, to seek the truth and defend it always.” But amidst the current scandal at DePauw University, it seems they are adding a not-so-subtle admonition: Do as I say, not as I do.
Facing declining membership and a budget deep in the red, the Delta Zeta sorority attempted a major makeover last month, the end result of which was the purge of 23 of the 35 active members at DePauw, all removed from the house and forced to find new accommodations mid-semester. Controversy arose when it was discovered that among the departed were the chapter’s overweight, black, Korean and Vietnamese sisters. Those expelled overwhelmingly described the remaining members in terms of their physical appearance. “Half of them were blond. The others were brunette or redhead. They’re beautiful women. They were more fit,” said one of the excluded members.
Delta Zeta’s national office stated the decision was made for “reorganizing” purposes. The intention was to change the image of the half-empty house in order to make the sorority popular again. Cindy Menges, national executive director of Delta Zeta, said the only determining factor of who was eligible to stay was “a commitment to recruit for the chapter”. But the ousted girls maintain they were just as committed to recruitment as anyone else in the house. They just weren’t allowed to participate: Delta Zeta officials took over and insisted that the members remain in their rooms during recruitment. Obviously, the national office intended to promote an image of exclusivity with Delta Zeta v. 2.0, and it got its wish. After all, what could be more welcoming than a minority-free country club?
Alexandra Robinson’s article in The New Republic framed this scenario best as an emotionally detached business decision: “The historically white national sororities, which once viewed themselves as social and service clubs, have turned into businesses, with money and image as their bottom lines—and Delta Zeta was flagging.” The removal of 23 members was not seen as a significant emotional decision, but rather as a sunk cost that had to be realized before growth could resume. Such pecuniary dedication is prevalent on the sorority’s Web site, the top of which prominently features “Shop DZ online.” The Web site contains barely two sentences offered as condolence to the departed 23, but nobody seems to notice—they were probably distracted by the $25 striped DZ tote bag.
The most disturbing thing about what happened at DePauw is that, in order to adjust its image, the national chapter seems to have sacrificed some of the most fundamental philosophies of Greek life. These tenets intended to promote an ideal of lifetime growth and acceptance in order to appreciate the diversity of this complex world. Delta Zeta officials obviously missed the memo as they obliterated diversity in favor of conformity and offered the departed a final pittance—“alumna status.” What is “alumna status”? It’s their seemingly refined way of saying: “Don’t let the door hit your unmarketable ass on the way out.”
But instead of assuming culpability, Delta Zeta is projecting blame on The New York Times and other media outlets, accusing their reports of being “unfair” and “completely biased,” portraying their organization in a negative light. I’m all in favor of objective journalism, and I agree that the media has embellished aspects of this story, but in this case it becomes perfectly clear to me that there’s no real good way to sugar-coat blatant superficiality.
I know many sorority girls here at UC Berkeley, and they all resent the shallow stereotype that has overshadowed their community. Contrary to the DePauw story and what many may believe, there are plenty of sororities still committed to a greater ideal of sisterhood and service, resisting the pressures of conformity. Admittedly, I was initially skeptical of sorority commitment to noble motives of philanthropy and loyalty, instead favoring the shallower image of Prada and fruity drinks. But one aspect of this story changed my mind: As of last week, six of the 12 “attractive” girls asked to stay have left on their own, out of solidarity with their departing sisters. Despite the “best intentions” of the national office, it seems that sisterhood and Delta Zeta’s “crusade for justice” lives on.
(This is my weekly column that appeared in the Daily Californian. You can also read it here)
March 8, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Eugene, I initially read your post on the Daily Californian site. I thought it is one of the best written articles on the issue I’ve read to date.
Somehow moving it here, under a heading that reads “Delightfully Tacky Yet Unrefined” increases my reading pleasurable?
Perhaps, after all their denials and hollow recriminations fail, National Delta Zeta with its 207K members, will follow the 23 plus six into the 21st century to join their resentful Berkeley sisters?
March 9, 2007 at 5:38 am
Sad that you consider Alex Robbins an expert. Oh wait, she’s the reporter who pretended to join a sorority in order to write a book about sororities. She faked being a friend for her own profit. Let’t talk about superficiality and the drive toward money in another context.