I have to admit, when I first saw the headline in the New York Times, I was intrigued. Then, as I read the article and realized it was about my national sorority, I was interested. And then, I was appalled.

For those that haven’t seen it, check out the article that appeared in Sunday’s NYT. It is rapidly spreading around the blogosphere and news stations around the country. There was even mention of it on The View this morning.

Personally, I think it’s sad and degrading. It reverses every sterotype that social Greek organizations have fought long and hard to overcome. Sororities, at the core are supposed to be about team building, leadership, and building social and support networks.

Delta Zeta nationals are going to be under fire for a long time over this new scandal. Not only did they disband a sorority for being “unpopular”, they seemingly targeted women who didn’t “look the part” - and thought they would get away with it. Luckily the girls at DePauw were smarter than that, and now have the media on their side.

“Virtually everyone who didn’t fit a certain sorority member archetype was told to leave,” said Kate Holloway, a senior who withdrew from the chapter during its reorganization.

“I sensed the disrespect with which this was to be carried out and got fed up,” Ms. Holloway added. “I didn’t have room in my life for these women to come in and tell my sisters of three years that they weren’t needed.”

Mean girls may start out as the Queen bees…but in the real world, that only goes so far. I think it’s also interesting to wonder where the adult leadership was in this DePauw case. Where were the role models and advocates for the women of that chapter? It’s disappointing that the Greek life advisors of the university and the chapter advisors for the sorority were not a better guide and help for the chapter.

“They had these unassuming freshman girls downstairs with these plastic women from Indiana University, and 25 of my sisters hiding upstairs,” she said. “It was so fake, so completely dehumanized.”

I think that any girl, especially in a sorority, can identify and be angered by this. Even the pretty, thin, “acceptable” ones. Because in singling out the “ugly” or fat girls, it exposes ALL of our insecurities and vulnerabilities, and that is unforgiveable in a setting that is supposed to promote confidence and leadership. The point of being in a sorority isn’t to be pretty, it’s to join a community of sisters. Sure, nobody is ever all friends, and nobody is ever going to get along with everyone…but there is that common bond there.

The funny thing is, I don’t think that the women pictured were ugly at all. Sure, some were overweight, and some were a little “nerdy” looking…but they were all nice, normal, pretty women. We don’t all have to look the same. My sorority has certainly gotten hotter over the years, so much so that I joke that I don’t know if I could have gotten in anymore. That’s the other funny thing…people look down on sororities so much for being fake and superficial, and while many may be…many more are not. But even if you don’t believe in it, or agree with it - everyone I think feels that sterotype and knows it’s there. This DePauw incident just exposes that ugly (no pun intended) side of it all.

Strong Sisterhood…

Pink Clones?…

Mean Girls?…

I enjoyed being in a sorority, through its ups and downs. And, I’m sad that there are some women who do not get to experience it (in all its good and bad parts) because of sad sterotypes and bad press such as what is happening now. Sure, it will all come full circle and people will forget about it, but I’d rather not reinforce the negative sides and focus on the positives.