That actually happened to my sorority, although they killed the entire chapter, not just specific members. They gave the exact same reasons too -- we weren't committed to recruitment. We were very suspicious about that though -- there weren't any second chances, no nothing. We were small, yes, but happy. We were the anti-sorority on campus, and we liked it that way. Our nationals did not. So they tried to reorganize us, and failed miserably and now that sorority is gone from our campus forever, and part of me says serves them right. It's sad that what should be a bonding experience for girls has turned into this kind of stereotyping.

Good for everyone who is supporting the ousted sisters - especially those members who were invited to stay and decline. It's good to know that some people understand what true sisterhood is all about.

What happened to Depauw's chapter of DZ could have easily happened to my chapter. I'm now an alumna, but I remember being told to "wear makeup, have [my] hair done," etc. if I wore my letters in public. I'm gay, and my gender expression is fairly androgynous. I don't do makeup, generally, and forcing myself into a dress and heels for recruitment (as was always the case, for the last event) was uncomfortable and awkward, to say the least. We proudly considered ourselves the most diverse chapter on campus, but were discouraged from using that term, since "girls don't want to be seen as 'different'" (even though that kind of girl wasn't exactly our cup of tea, either). We had the most women of color, the most disabled women, the most out lesbians (1, me), etc. There was a place for everyone.

I joined the Facebook group and invited most of my sisters.

i'm proud to have been a member of the probably the most socially awkward sorority in college instead of one that encourages eating disorders. i found my sorority to be quite a pro-feminist enviroment, but apparently we have to be pretty vigilant about keeping it that way. certain members of my chapter are also focusing on making the sorority "prettier" as a way to increase our numbers. this is just what i needed to hear to finally turn in an application be an advisor and help the chapter push back against the pressure to be perceived as pretty and popular at the expense of being intelligent and diverse.

"We had the most women of color, the most disabled women, the most out lesbians (1, me), etc."

Which reminds me, isn't there a "historically gay" fraternity (the way some frats are "historically black" or whatever) now? Wouldn't it make more sense to have two of them, so they could have mixers with each other and stuff with the same lack of "uh oh, if I go out with that hottie and then we break up, I'll be sharing a house with my ex!" fear as at mixers between the historically-straight frats and sors?

"i'm proud to have been a member of the probably the most socially awkward sorority in college instead of one that encourages eating disorders."

Cool. :)

I'm a DePauw alum from '02. What the NYTimes article didn't mention is that DePauw's student body is 75% enrolled in greek houses (I was one of the 25%). The college is small and in the boonies, so the houses arose to fill the social void.

When I was there, everytime one of the houses got in trouble for something, be it hazing or drinking or general jackassery, the school paper would fill with whiny letters and editorials about how the administration and faculty and independents didn't get it. "It's not about booze and money and looks. It's all about brother/sisterhood, and academic achievement, and doing good works! Stop picking on us!"

In my time the DZs had the same rep they have now, a lot of smart, studious, and mature women, even if they did indulge in some of the usual sorority foolishness. Many of them were math and science majors. The DZs were, to some extent, actually living up to the Greek system's stated ideals and the national's idiotic stunt shows us just how false those ideals are to the greeks. Kudos to the Sisters of Substance for standing up, and I hope they decide to chuck the whole sorority thing entirely. You don't need letters to be sisters.

Can anyone tell me why this absurd system shouldn't be destroyed?

I went to a little liberal arts college in iowa, and we had a weaker version if it called "social groups". All it did was set up artificial barriers, and serve the needs of the more stupid amoung us to construct artificial bureaucracies and hit each other with paddles. Why allow people to indulge their weakness for creating "us" vs. "them" out of thin freaking air? The independents at our school were wonderful minglers - I think I knew every other student, save the social group members. Not only that, but where there's sororities, there's fraternities, and I'm pretty certain that kinda good-ol-boy togetherness encourages the worst kinds of behavior towards women.

All of that, and they also violate the policy that pretty much every college has with regards to student groups and sex discrimination.