"Sisterhood Is Powerful" by Prudence Mackintosh (Texas Monthly, Sept. 1976)

LXA SE285 · #1 09-14-2011, 11:38 PM

Found this online at Google Books—interesting read. The sidebar, "That Certain Look," is a hoot.

http://books.google.com/books?id=vyw...page&q&f=false

ElieM · #2 09-15-2011, 12:36 AM

Fabulous!

jenidallas · #3 09-15-2011, 05:58 AM

I remember that article still circulating when I was in high school in the late 80s and I still hear alums of various sororities today talk about how it shaped the perceptions of "must have" houses across Texas schools for a couple of generations of PNMs.

carnation · #4 09-15-2011, 07:00 AM

I have a copy of the original from Texas Monthly. It's hysterical! The authir is a Kappa.

DubaiSis · #5 09-15-2011, 09:23 AM

That's a great article, and exactly the kind of expose that recent knob failed miserably at. But reading the rest of the magazine was also really interesting. The political sex scandals, de-regulate oil, and all the alcohol ads!

It would be very interesting if that woman (still with us?) could go back and view rush in the new millennium. Some things have changed considerably, but a fairly remarkable amount hasn't. What would she say now?

AGDAlum · #6 09-15-2011, 09:51 AM

I was panhellenic advisor to the Alpha Gam chapter at Texas A&M when that article was published. I remember it (the article) well.

PhoenixAzul · #7 09-15-2011, 10:11 AM

Wow, "That Certain Look"...ouch.

Munchkin03 · #8 09-15-2011, 10:32 AM

I've definitely read that article before and it's interesting to see how much things changed on college campuses in such a short amount of time.

"That Certain Look" was pretty funny to me...more so the fashions than the descriptions of the sororities. No one would dare think of publishing something like that now!

carnation · #9 09-15-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

It would be very interesting if that woman (still with us?) could go back and view rush in the new millennium. Some things have changed considerably, but a fairly remarkable amount hasn't. What would she say now?

I know what she would say because we exchanged emails a few months ago. She said, "Thank God that I only had sons."

jenidallas · #10 09-15-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

That's a great article, and exactly the kind of expose that recent knob failed miserably at. But reading the rest of the magazine was also really interesting. The political sex scandals, de-regulate oil, and all the alcohol ads!

It would be very interesting if that woman (still with us?) could go back and view rush in the new millennium. Some things have changed considerably, but a fairly remarkable amount hasn't. What would she say now?

Texas Monthly continues to be a fascinating read and the topics don't seem to change all that much - maybe more articles about football and plastic surgery. Lots more articles about football.

They have published a couple of other articles that reference Greek life since that one in the 70s. One in the late 90s that was either Texas Monthly or D Magazine had a huge ripple effect that I still hear brought up by older alumnae. The basic premise was that there were 3 or 4 sororities worth joining at schools like UT or SMU and if you didn't get into those houses, you might as well transfer or admit that you had ruined the rest of your life. I still remember walking into an alumnae meeting at our house at SMU with women clutching copies of it, outraged.

But yeah, recruitment continues to be a spectator sport down here - I get asked about how certain chapters did during recruitment each year at some of our schools by people who themselves were never Greek and who did not even attend the schools in question.

DeltaBetaBaby · #11 09-15-2011, 11:52 AM

It's a great article, because it is so balanced. She talks about reasons it was great, and reasons it wasn't, and really captures what it is like to be 18.

Also, great use of "bless her heart" in the side bar. It cracks me up every time!

shirley1929 · #12 09-15-2011, 02:15 PM

Ok, I posted another Texas Monthly article, (this time about fraternities at UT) without fully reading it. Once I did, it was so horrifying and offensive that I took it down.

Offensive, in the descriptions of fraternity functions. Likely those descriptions were true, which makes them more offensive.

shirley1929 · #13 09-15-2011, 04:06 PM

Back to Prudence Macintosh - she wrote another great article about the summer camps in Texas. I know we've discussed it here, but it's a BIG thing here in Texas. An oldie but goodie...

http://books.google.com/books?id=gCw...mystic&f=false

Ladybugmom · #14 09-15-2011, 04:26 PM

I just sent this article to my daughter who is at UT now. We were both AMAZED at how little has changed in 40+ years, especially the desired high schools and the "camp" factor.
We do wonder which chapters were there at that time..the author says there were 20. There are 14 now...anyone know??

Ladybugmom · #15 09-15-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shirley1929

Ok, I posted another Texas Monthly article, (this time about fraternities at UT) without fully reading it. Once I did, it was so horrifying and offensive that I took it down.

Offensive, in the descriptions of fraternity functions. Likely those descriptions were true, which makes them more offensive.

Would love to read that article Shirley..can you PM it to me??