Deeper benefits to sisterhood

I recently read your article about fall recruitment and the stereotypes that sororities have to deal with (Allison Dumka, “”Striving towards sisterhood,”” Aug. 23), and I really don’t agree with what you’re saying. As a member of a social sorority who went through recruitment last year and recruited this year, I believe that I have a better understanding of what actually goes on.

First of all, I don’t like your statement that you “”haven’t seen any women in greek tees without full makeup, or, for that matter, many tees larger than a size medium.”” I know that every sorority is different, but I know that this statement is not true for all of us. There are girls of every shape, size and ethnicity in my sorority, and I think they are all beautiful.

In addition, you made the “”price of sisterhood”” out to be very expensive. My dorm room alone last year cost just over $4,000 for the year, whereas living in the sorority house with a nicer room, cooking and cleaning staff, meals, a parking spot and being part of a sisterhood costs just under $5,000 for the year. In addition, there is a scholarship available every year for my sorority. If someone can’t pay the fees, there are ways to help them out.

I’m glad that you brought this matter to the attention of the student body, but you made it seem like sororities are just a place for girls to live together and are focused solely on academics.

Although academics are a priority, you didn’t mention the service done by the greek community, or the benefits of true sisterhood: having someone to turn to for any problemand living with 50 girls who actually care about you instead of some strangers in a dorm. I know that I never thought that I would belong to a sorority.

Even now, my friends outside of the sorority are absolutely baffled by my membership. They continue to tell me that I am the least sorority-like girl they know. But I didn’t join a sorority to go to parties or to become trendier. I joined a sorority because these women are amazing people who will be there for me for the rest of my life.

I jumped and cheered in heels because it gave me enthusiasm and energy to recruit women to be a part of this sisterhood. It really is a sisterhood, not just a club with “”group-sponsored beauty standards.””

Again, I appreciate your efforts to make the student body more aware of their use of stereotypes, but I wish your article had more first-hand knowledge to further educate readers of who we really are behind our Greek letters.

-Jessica Meza
architecture sophomore

Alltel promotion an inconvenience

Today I noticed that the monstrosity of a promotion – the Alltel Wireless truck taking up the entire roadway between the Engineering and Chavez buildings – put up signs telling bicyclists to walk their bikes. Who gave these people permission to block a major bicycle pathway, anyway? There is no other convenient pathway connecting the Old Main traffic to the northern part of campus without having to ride blocks out of the way.

Dear Parking and Transportation Services: taking all the bicycles that would normally use the road and forcing them on to the already-crowded sidewalks could be dangerous. Are we even allowed to walk our bikes on the sidewalk? There is no space to walk them on the road!

-Aida Arik
engineering senior

Who’s responsible for ‘corporate sideshow’?

I am writing in response to the Alltel truck parked between the Engineering and Chavez buildings this week. It is difficult to understand why this corporate sideshow was given permission to block the road. There are few alternate bike routes for this area, and pedestrian traffic is more bottle-necked. This kind of obstructive advertising should not be permitted on campus again. The individual responsible for allowing the monstrosity to park there should be held accountable.

-Christopher Jones
geosciences senior