Rejected Sorority Girl Hates Pretty Women, Blacks

Rejected sister Rachel Pappas of DePauw University calls image discrimination "the new racism," according to the Associated Press. A former member of "the dog house," she was informed by Delta Zeta national that she was insufficiently committed to membership recruitment and would not be asked to help save DePauw's 98 year old DZ chapter.

The New York Times and DePauw university have been running over DZ national over the last few weeks - and for what? The chapter is still dead, and the girls are still ugly.

As a fraternity alumnus, I have seen fraternities and sororities rise and fall. Fraternities have some advantage in that they can survive at below average numbers because there is generally less structure in their recruitment. Rush for guys is basically a series of events where rushees and brothers get together - get to know each other, and decide if they like each other. Sorority rush is much more regimented, and governed by a PanHellenic Association that matches girls to houses where they might fit in - and the reputation of the house is a much bigger deal. These are very general descriptions, by the way.

So if you are in a sorority house with 35 members while the average house size is 100, you are seen as introverted, and the kids on campus call you "the dog house," recruitment is going to suck. And according to Delta Zeta's March 12 press release - the chapter wanted to fold back in December. Which was fine, except DePauw University refused to grant Delta Zeta a guaranteed right of return. In fairness, such a guaranteed right is hard to come by - although I never saw one not granted to a fraternity.

On the advice of the university, Delta Zeta national came to campus to conduct a membership review to see who was committed to rebuilding the chapter. And here is where the problems arrive. One fact is perfectly clear however - because of the December vote, DZ national knows at least a majority (if not a supermajority) is not interested in recruitment or building the chapter. And as these sorts of membership reviews go, most of the chapter is out the door anyway. After all, if most of the chapter was ok, then they would have the numbers to clean their own house. However, the NYTimes and DePauw administrators only picked up on the fact that most of the girls released were unattractive.

Having met and being friends with fraternity and sorority professionals - I am willing to give Delta Zeta national the benefit of the doubt. But even if the NYTimes came to the right conclusion, I would give DZ a pass - especially on the racism charge. Given that there was only one black girl and two asians in the chapter (one asian was allowed to stay), you can't tell me that DZNational whitewashing the group. Three girls out of 35 does not a melting pot make... more like a donut hole. And to be perfectly honest, a sorority popularly known as the "dog house" on campus is not going to be able to recruit. Especially, according to the NYTimes, their idea of parties is 8-10 hanging out in a hallway after dark.

Again, here are the facts.

1. DePauw's Delta Zeta undergraduate chapter voted to shut down - hence ending any recruitment effort.
2. DePauw University refused to grant Delta Zeta a guaranteed right of return to campus after a closure. Instead, they recommended a membership review, followed by more recruitment.
3. DePauw students referred to Delta Zeta as the "dog house," and Delta Zeta undergrads admit to NYTimes they can't party.
4. Delta Zeta National has bills to pay.

If you were Delta Zeta National, would you do anything differently? Honestly, what girl is going to join a sorority filled with "Ugly Bettys?"