Falling Through

Collected by Peter Young (steven.p.young@vanderbilt.edu)

Summary: There was a girl my freshman year, as told to me by my informant, that left Vanderbilt after not being accepted by
her perceived sorority of choice.

Text: The tale was told to me recently as the subject was brought up with another girl who had been wondering about the Greek process for girls. My friend then relayed the tale to us. The tale was that my Freshman year, after the many rounds of cuts, it was now time for bids. The girls had been stressing each and everynight cuts were announced. The girl of the tale had made all the cuts she had hoped, and not it was time for bids as was stated. That night, when the girls came home from their new sororities, some came home very upset. This girl in the tale had apparently not been accepted into the sorority of her choice. As the rest of the tale goes, she talked to her mother that night,(and they lived close so it wasn't too big of a deal to come pick her up), and the next day she had packed up and left Vanderbilt. Another victim of the female Greek process.

Notes: This is a perfect example of how girls here at Vanderbilt have it so much tougher when it comes to acceptance into an organization. There are so many days of excruciating "rounds" and finally cuts, and then onto bids, that it almost becomes a decision made by a computer. I think that although this process is really stressful for the females, it continues with the strong southern tradition of university sororities. I have heard of some schools in the south that actually "haze" their newly elected pledges. This does not occur at Vanderbilt really at all, and so from that perspective these girls are lucky. The rush process for girls is still extremely painful, and for some girls, it becomes so personal that they have to leave school, as was the case with the girl I heard about.

Context:


A. Breif summary of tale: There was a girl my freshman year, as told to me by my informant, that left Vanderbilt after not being accepted by her perceived sorority of choice.
B. Tale type and motifs: Greek tale
C. Comments of tale: This is why I think girls have it so hard here at Vanderbilt when it comes to the Greek system.
D. Approximate date informant first heard the tale: Spring of my Freshman year.
E. Relationship of your informant with the individual from whom the informant heard the tale: good friends.
F. Circumstances when tale was first heard: Amongst a group of Freshman girls who had recently been accepted into their sorority of choice.
G. Give the following information on your informant:
Age: 20
Sex: F
Place of Birth: Washington D.C.
Ethnic Group: Caucasian
Languages spoken: English
Religion: Christian
Year in school: Junior
Extracurricular jobs: House Manager of her sorority
Date Collected: November 5, 1998