Reflections from a DePauw Delta Zeta sister from Fort Wayne

EXCLUSIVE

Kristin Skowronski of Fort Wayne, a DePauw University student, sent this comment to Fort Wayne Observed after reading the FWOb post about the New York Times report on the Delta Zeta Sorority chapter at DePauw:

I don't have any comment based on the article here, but being a Delta alumna who went through this, as well as a resident of Fort Wayne, I can say that not everything we've seen in national media is accurate, particularly any statements made by Delta Zeta Nationals officers.

Girls had no choice; our observations [told] us that commitment was not really the deciding factor in who stayed and who left, and any mention of a vote that the sorority members made to close the chapter is inaccurate.

It was a vote prompted by nationals after we were told the house would most likely close whether we recruited (and had our hearts broken again) or not, and we voted to skip recruitment in favor of focusing our efforts on strengthening the sisterhood we had. Nationals should not have forced us to make that choice, and they definitely shouldn't be trying to shrug off any blame for this incident on the very girls they hurt.

MORE: CNN has a Keith Oppenheim video report on "girls [ ... ] booted from a sorority because they weren't attractive enough.

Comments

[Craig Ladwig]

With sympathy to all involved, should I ready myself for congressional legislation mandating the percent in a sorority who qualify as tall, plain, short or chubby?

[Craig Rojek]

I am no fan of congressional mandates, either, Mr. Ladwig, but as a member of the DePauw community (my daughter is a first year student there), I must say that I do not want my tuition dollars supporting, however indirectly, an organization that mandates that 0% of their sorority may be tall, plain, short or chubby. If Delta Zeta's national office hadn't committed such egregiously offensive actions, there would be no pressure on them now.

[Craig Ladwig]

Again, my sympathy to all involved.