BOOKER RISING COMMENTARY: On Going "Greek"

"Greek" is a a new show on the ABC Family Channel set at fictitious Cyprus-Rhodes University. The show focuses on various characters navigating the social minefield that is the Greek system.

I was surprised at the show, because it is racy for the channel: underage drinking, casual sex, sorority pledges doing a serenade to a frat in their underwear and gay frat boys on the down low. I see some resemblance to my experiences in the show, but other things aren't realistic. For example, "Greek" shows a very multiracial Greek system. That was certainly not the case on my campus, and not the case on the vast majority of colleges. Predominantly white and predominantly black groups each had their own system, and Latino groups were starting to get formed when I was in college. Occasionally folks would do collaborative stuff - one of the main parties of the year was thrown jointly by a mostly white fraternity and a mostly black fraternity - but not often.

My sorority rush was quite interesting. There were 26 sororities that participated in Rush Week, which was four rounds that started a week before school began. This is the sorority that I pledged. I share something in common with former First Lady Barbara Bush; actresses Jennifer Garner, Susan Lucci (our house religiously watched "All My Children" in no small part because of her); and Faye Dunaway; and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas). It was difficult being the first black that my chapter - which was one of the oldest sororities on my college campus - had pledged in its history. That has not been a topic shown yet on "Greek". While I had absolutely no problems with racism with my sorors (although they were too white bread for my taste and needed to culturally expand themselves), the older alumnae frequently thought I was a visitor to the house. Black students on campus dogged me for my choice. I tried to juggle my activist life, growing feminist values, and sorority life.

There were about 170 women in my sorority, which made it hard getting to know everyone well because it was so large. However, my alma mater has one of the largest Greek systems in the country. I believe that the best sorority size is about 50. While I was the only black woman, there were Hispanics and Asians in my house. We certainly partied, and my calendar was always full with stuff. However, our house also had a median GPA that was not only among the top three among sororities (with only the Jewish sororities typically beating us, although a few times we topped the list) as well as above the campus median GPA. We also did a lot of charitable activities. Balance was key at my house. Yet on "Greek", they show vapid sorority women, and folks who are overwhelmingly idiots. That was not my experience. Some things that the show accurately shows is the heavy binge drinking (I rarely drink, so I was often a designated buddy...which we had to ensure that our sorors got home safely), the implied bulimia among many sorority women, and frat guys often looking to get laid.

On my campus at the time, there were only three black women in the predominantly white sororities: one woman was in Kappa Delta (ΚΔ, which cut me after Round 1), and one belonged to Kappa Kappa Gamma (ΚΚΓ, which cut me after Round 3). The third one was in Alpha Omicron Pi (AOΠ) - which - along with Pi Beta Phi and Delta Delta Delta (ΔΔΔ) - was listed on my preference card. Speaking of which, did you know that Condoleezza Rice pledged Alpha Chi Omega (ΑΧΩ) while at the University of Denver? Not only were we both political science majors and we both like Led Zeppelin's music, but I assume that she was also the first black pledge of her sorority. The Alpha Chi's rush cheer still sticks in my mind. They invited me back for Round 2, but I didn't like the tone of how one of the Alpha Chis inquired about my name so I Xed them. And I will never forget Delta Gamma (ΔΓ). The DGs had invited me back for Round 2, and had photos of their past parties along their walls. Something stopped me cold: photos of them in blackface in some past mixer that they had with a fraternity (a party which got them in a lot of trouble, by the way)! The other black rushee in the room and I looked at each other. Needless to say, Delta Gamma invited me back for Round 3 but I Xed them off my list.

If things had been different, I may have tried to pledge the predominantly black Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) since I have family friend ties to that sorority. However, they were on probation for hazing when I got to campus. And I did not like how Delta Sigma Theta (ΔΣΘ) did one of my friends, who was smart, very beautiful, friendly, and very active with campus activities but they foolishly did not select her to go on line. That sounded backwards to me, because she was precisely the sort of young woman that sororities fight tooth and nail to get.

I assume that some of my readers pledged in college. If so, who did you pledge?