Delving into the secret life of sororities

Samantha Osaduke
Staff Writer
A s a non-sorority member who has attended a sorority rush in the past, I was curious to read Alexandra Robbins’ account in Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. In this New York Times bestseller, Robbins, a 26-year-old investigative journalist, goes undercover in a sorority house.
She was never involved in sororities as an undergraduate and many national offices refused to allow her into their sororities.
Robbins notes explicitly that her book chronicles experiences in  both the United States and Canada. By following four university women as they endure their pledge over the period of one year, Robbins discovers that modern, intelligent and successful women are still captivated by the old, secret rituals performed by sororities.
Each of her subjects took part in the hazing that’s lasted several decades.
The book presents interesting facts about sororities at the end of each chapter, each reflecting a month in the women’s lives. Themes included the fact sororities are not looking for intelligent women. Students the sorority selected were more than willing to skip school to attend events, and I was surprised at their low standards for GPA: 2.0 (on a 4.0 GPA scale, equivalent to a 60 percent average).

Robbins’ approach to her argument is very convincing, and includes an interview with a professor who claimed she could quite easily identify the sorority women in her class.
Robbins continually engages the reader with startling statistics. Eighty percent of young women who are anorexic on campus are in a sorority, for example, and some sorority houses have had to replace pipes due to acid from women throwing up.
Robbins also identifies problems with sororities regarding their philanthropy efforts, alcohol abuse, required time commitments and dating.
All events seemed to revolve around drinking, and I can confirm from my own experience that alcohol was a huge presence at rush events. Robbins also learned that pledges could be fined for not attending meetings. Over the course of the year, a sorority even told one member whom she could date, and others could be ostracized for dating men from unpopular fraternities.
I found Pledged to be extremely controversial. Robbins does offer solutions for better sorority experiences, however, suggesting every woman who rushes should become a member of the sorority.
I’m not sure I agree, though, as it defeats the sororities’ purpose: they want their pledges to feel that they are special or “chosen ones” and strive to create a mutual selection process.
One of Robbins’ better suggestions is that hazing should be defined, since there is currently no unanimous definition, and statistically most sorority members believe it should still be allowed. She also mentions that the term “pledge” is outdated and recommends “new members” in order to change the culture of hazing.
After reading her article, however, I was still sceptical about a new term preventing hazing and do not think members should be initiated immediately. Rush is a façade filled with superficial conversations, and members should have to wait a certain amount of time to show their commitment before becoming sisters.
Robbins is very negative about sororities, and her book seems to be a hyperbole based on bad sororities. She rarely, if ever, discusses the positive aspects of sorority life, which I would have liked to see as an outsider.
Robbins does mention the long-lasting friendships and potential networking connections that come out of sororities, but the comment is undermined when she speaks with an alumni who claims these friendships fizzle and contribute little to workplace success. Despite all of this, she is effective in allowing an outsider entrance into a more or less secret world.
Overall, I liked Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities as a cautionary tale of the dark side of the Greek system.
Robbins is cautioning women to stand up for themselves or de-pledge if they encounter the situations she brings to light. If you are considering attending rush or pledging, this is a must-read.