I find it funny that on the back page of this week’s The Free Press you discuss how cheerleaders are trying to fight the stereotypes that they have been stuck with, yet inside you help reinforce the stereotypes of the Greek community here at USM. If you meant to flare up emotions with the responses you printed, you certainly did your job.
As a very proud member of one of the sororities here, I was (to say the least) very upset with the responses printed to your question of the week.
Not only did you not print the answers of someone who is a member of the Greek community and has knowledge about what Greek life is really about, but you published answers that only reinforce the stereotypes that we have been trying to break free of.
First of all, we do not pay to have friends. The money we pay in dues goes to so many different things – insurance costs, funding for philanthropies, formals, etc. Besides, I was friends with many of my sisters before I even joined. I’m not paying for friends I already had.
As for fraternities condoning violence against women, I don’t know where that came from, but all of the brothers I know hate the idea of something like that happening to a woman. Certainly, things like that happened in the past, but not just fraternity brothers commit violence against women. That’s just another stereotype that fraternities get slapped with.
And as for the guy who said, “It never interested me because I’m straight,” what the heck is that all about?! If you are alluding to fraternities or sororities performing sexual acts with their brothers/sisters, then you are totally wrong. I’ve never done anything like that, and neither have any of the fraternity brothers I know, including my boyfriend (who’s very straight).
As for having 20 roommates, who ever said you had to live in the fraternity house? Most people choose to, to be closer to their brothers/sisters. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.
So, Mr. Peoples, next time you pose a question like this, why don’t you do a little research into what Greek life really is, maybe get the perspective of someone who knows what they are talking about. This isn’t Animal House or Revenge of the Nerds. This is real life, and not movies. We work hard to try to break the stereotypes that we get stuck with, just like the cheerleaders do.
Sue Herrick
Junior English major