An open letter to all Greeks, Geeks and Geeky Greeks, (Fraternity and Sorority Greeks that is)
A lot of people are up in arms about what has transpired with the Oklahoma chapter of SAE and I'd like to equally condemn their behavior. They should all be immediately expelled and perhaps their names published so future employers can review this incident prior to hiring them. I would also like to come out in support of greek social organizations and here's why.
As a sorority girl who is very proud of the association, I wear my Kappa Alpha Theta letters with pride. In my sorority, I was able to find a community in an enormous and very overhwhelming place, (University of California, Berkeley) and through it was able to develop relationships, have great career coaching, and develop social skills and etiquette which all play into being successful as an adult.
As you might imagine, I became one of the Greek leaders and was elected Vice President of Public Relations for the Panhellenic (Sorority) Community two years in a row. I designed Cal's first sorority and greek community website (because it was 1997). I represented our school at national events, and I regularly sought out opportunities to present, learn and lead. I credit my time as a Kappa Alpha Theta as to why I am comfortable leading a room today. At Theta, I had a wonderful place to live and even though there was certainly some drama, by and large it was a safe haven for me while in school. To this day, I am inspired by my sorority sisters, Panhellenic and IFC compatriots, and the many gentlemen I knew in the fraternities at Cal.
I watch children I know today struggle with social environments, how to interact with adults, how to set schedules and priorities. I remember that our assigned tasks, roles and regular meetings set a stage early on for this capability. As much as some of the archaic traditions might seem obtuse, etiquette and poise will never be. Also, we had some pretty fun parties.
Sincerely,
Summers Mckay
http://www.calgreeks.com
(Sidenote, I think they've updated the website just once or twice since I was there.)