Thursday, November 5, 2009

"Pledged": A Book Report

This fall I read “Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities” by Alexandra Robbins. Highlights included the weekly house meeting discussion over whether or not one sister should go change her underwear, and a graphic description of the rush wardrobe approval process (NO FLIP FLOPS). I learned some valuable lessons:

1. Everyone who you tell you are reading “Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities” will say their sorority wasn’t like that.

2. “Everyone” refers to one person on Twitter, because mostly you hide “Pledged” in a quilted book cover with handles on it for easy toting.

3. The word “Secret” must refer specifically to Sabrina’s student/faculty romance, because everyone already knows everything else in this undercover expose.

4. I bet Alexandra Robbins uses the phrase “pre-game” all the time now. Before I go accept my Pulitzer? Pony-keg pre-game at my place!

5. The Beta Pis (or was it the Alpha Rhos) used alcohol in their pancakes for their big pancakes-for-charity event. AND the Iota guys didn’t even notice!!

6. People totally cheat during Greek Week!

7. You should start preparing yourself for rush your freshman year of high school, or even as soon as you become a biped.

8. Sisterhood means forever. Forever means a lot of ugly bridesmaid dresses (I didn’t learn that from the book, but I’m highly intuitive.)

9. Seniors totally abuse their seniority in house meetings!

10. During rush you have to be nice to everybody! Even the ugly nerds. If you get stuck talking to an ugly nerd just put your hand on your hip and someone will come rescue you. Unless you're the fat girl in the sorority, in which case we might ignore your distress signal.And whatever you do, DO NOT TOUCH THE FOOD. The food is only for the rushees, but they will be too bowel-irritated to eat anything. And if they do eat something--or a lot of something we all take note and remember. Because we have a lot of people to remember and so when her face comes up on the screen I might yell "FatUglyNerd who ate cheese" and you will all know who I am referring to. This is very very important.
Posted by Ann Imig
at 9:48 PM
Labels: ,

23 comments:

  1. I think maybe I was in a sorority in junior high but didn't know it.
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  2. Just sounds like high school to me.
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  3. I never pledged a sorority and I went to school in the South which made me a freak. I couldn't b/c I would be the one touching all the food
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  4. I went to a college situated on the beach. Greek life was almost nonexistent. I kind of enjoy the fact I never experienced it ...!
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  5. I am a proud ZBT. Had a great time doing it. We had all sorts of screwy stuff, but none of the crap that the sororities did.

    I am still tight with a bunch of the guys. Had lunch with four of them last week. Two decades later we sat there and compared notes:

    Two are in the middle of divorces, one is on his fourth marriage and some schmuck who resembles me is about to celebrate his 14th wedding anniversary.

    We're old.
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  6. And I thought boarding school was tough...
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  7. This brings back nightmares!
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  8. I didn't pledge a sorority - but I did make fun of them. Now, my step-daughters are both so. into. their. freaking. sororities. They talk about nothing else. It is my own personal hell.

    See? Proof that G*d has a sense of humor.
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  9. And now I feel that much more jealous of those that GOT to go to college instead of straight to the military. Military life is NOTHING close to Sorority Life. Hmph.
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  10. YOU READ?!?!

    We're two very different people.
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  11. I always wanted to be in a sorority. Actually made it in a couple of times only to be chased out by the campus cops. I kept explaining I was trying to pledge, but they weren't buying it.
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  12. I can't believe I issed all those important lessons by opting out of the Greek system. I just couldn't see my way clear to paying people to be my friend.
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  13. My sorority totally wasn't like that.

    There, now you have two.
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  14. I pledged a sorority my first year of college. Moo. Then I de-pledged. That's a lot of money to spend to learn some dumb songs and be bossed around by a bunch of snotty bitches. I decided it would be more fun to devote myself to a band and follow them around to hear them play in bars, which was, in fact, way more fun.
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  15. I was in a sorority in college...and was the first on campus to order a sorority sweatshirt not in the purple-and-white theme colors of the sorority, but in black with the Greek letters also in black on it. I honestly thought at the time (sadly, un-ironically) that this made me quite the non-conformist.
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  16. I was never in a sorority but I know all about--
    "Forever means a lot of ugly bridesmaid dresses..."
    Very funny post!
    Thanks,
    xo
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  17. So...I was actually in a sorority.

    I feel the need to read this book now.

    But of course MY sorority totally wasn't like that.
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  18. I had no idea there were so many rules for being excluded.
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  19. WTH???!!! "Sorority?"

    I'm with Mr. Mancini up above....
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  21. I was in a sorority for 1.5 years. It was hell all the way. Both sides of Rush are completely degrading to all parties involved. And the girls that come rescue you from the non "stars" were called the "Troll Patrol." Once they came over to rescue you and talked to the "troll" for 1 minute, that was enough to give them authority to expell the rushee as innapropriate. Sick sick sick!
    So yes, mine was exactly like that!
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  22. I read that book a few years ago, and wasn't too surprised. But we Gamma Phis were never like that.
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  23. Oh God... I'm 42 and I'm about to be a BRIDESMAID...again... thank you Alpha Sigma Alpha. And the best part? A NEW Bridesmaid dress... whoo hooo... just what every 42 year old mom of two needs.... an ugly dress she'll never wear again. Seriously? Shouldn't there be a statute of limitations on these things? I mean just because you were in MY wedding 21 years ago am I REALLY still obligated to be in yours? I really think there should be a rule that after 40, your stuck with a destination wedding and no bridesmaids. Sisterhood oathe or not.

    K
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