New Sorority extenstion

breathesgelatin
Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:52:47 +0000

Hi bibbist.

As far as gender relations, I believe some posters were referring to some stupid drama from the campus newspapers last spring. Basically, a sexist, gossip-column type thing in one of the schools papers (the one that consistently sucks, in my opinion). There was also some other kind of drama-filled email circulating last year spreading rumors about women on campus.

I know a bit more about this than I’m letting on, but honestly I find the whole saga disgusting and don’t want to drag it out. At the same time, I’m not one to hide the fact that I think W&L students can be seriously petty and gossipy. After four full years there it sometimes feels like a giant, overdramatic high school. I know that some W&L students here probably would like to squelch any discussion of the drama of spring 08… but oh well.

As far as gender relations goes, I think W&L has some serious problems (or did when I was there, 2001-2005) with relations between the genders… in my personal opinion mostly because the social life IS so focused around the fraternity houses, eg, drinking. Not that the drinking at W&L is more than any other school - but because fraternities so completely dominate the social scene, I believe it leads to a lack of other options and poor decision making (I know I had my fair share of extremely poor decisions!). I am also frankly not a fan of the system wherein sophomores immediately move into gender-segregated housing situations, eg Greek houses. I think it would be great if there was another year or even two of co-ed dorm living (some of my favorite memories of W&L!!! ) and then juniors or seniors lived in the Greek houses. I know most students LOATHE this idea but I am all for a four-year living requirement.

I guess just to clarify all this a bit, I had a happy freshman year at W&L for the most part, and then was pretty much miserable my last three years there. The major reason for that being that at the beginning of my sophomore year I was sexually assaulted and then became involved in a two-year abusive relationship. So I do have really strong views about gender relations at W&L. But I also helped chair a group called the Sexual Assault Task Force when I was a senior, which eventually evolved into the Gender Relations Committee- I have no idea if that group is still active. But we examined the issue of sexual assault on campus and looked at some disturbing survey results that had come up (for example a large percentage of women, much larger than at other peer institutions, reported experiencing unwanted touching during the course of the past year - I think the survey was from spring 2004 and published in fall 2004) and tried to think of some proactive ways to remedy the situation and especially to draw in fraternity men as stakeholders and leaders in the progress.

I know that’s probably more than you wanted to know. heh.

As far as North-South relations, I don’t see that as a major issue. Especially not for women. There are some fraternities that clearly skew to northern membership and some that skew to southern membership. And I guess it goes without saying that the southern ones are generally considered more elite. But I don’t think there’s any major ire or ill-will between people because of that. At all. I think that one’s definitely a straw horse.

Just my 02. I do have really strong opinions on W&L, and a lot of them are honestly not positive. If I had it to do over again, I’m not sure I’d go there… but I think I am definitely the exception to the rule. Most of my college friends idolize W&L.