Dear Alpha Phi Sisters at University of Alabama,
I write to you as an alumnae of Alpha Phi to share some wise words in light of the negative media blitz occurring around your recruitment video. Please do me the honor of listening to what I have to say and understand I am coming with some years under my belt and I hope you take my words to heart:
You rocked that video. Period.
Shame on the media for turning an innocent recruitment video of some girls (who happen to be lovely) showing off their sisterhood in different locations, into something vile, racist and degrading to all women. SHAME ON THEM.
You should not have to apologize or hide something that you obviously took a lot of time and effort to produce. You should not have to apologize that a lake shot included girls in bathing suits. You should not have to apologize that even strong, smart women like to be silly and have fun with their sisters. You should not have to apologize or hide a video that you should be proud of.
The continual argument for/against Greek life is never ending. It seems easier for us, as Greeks, to understand that maybe it's not for everyone. While we will defend our sorority or our choice, it is not a type of cultish thinking that we have to convince everyone that going Greek is the only way. Why so many who choose not to go Greek feel that they need to demonize these organizations is beyond me. Why they have chosen to single out you, and this video is even more baffling. They obviously don't understand and have proven that they have no intention to understand, just to judge. Let them have that, you can't change that, but you can and should be proud of what you did because you did nothing wrong.
The "feminist" who started the media storm certainly has no pictures of her and her friends laughing or hanging out, she dare not show herself in a swimsuit or worse yet have a pic snapped of her, enjoying her friends must not be allowed and remembering times they shared in video or pic is obviously completely unacceptable and a true mark of anti-woman power in her book. If I'm wrong then I hope she pulls out some college pics and remembers what it's like. What it was like to be young and independent for the first time. What it was like learning how to juggle responsibilities with fun. What is was like going through some of the toughest experiences you were yet to have and finding true friends who would help you come out the other end. What it was like to work hard and play hard. What it was like to be a woman and feel smart and pretty and empowered all at the same time. What it was like to find your voice. What it was like to find yourself. What it was like to share those experiences with the friends who you lived, ate and breathed with. If she has no pictures to look back on then the shame isn't on you, the shame is for her...what a shame.
Being an Alpha Phi is nothing to be ashamed of, it is something to celebrate, as you did, as you should. So I hope that you ladies feel nothing but pride for that video. I'm glad you have it to look back on, when college is a memory and one you miss. I'm glad you have a video of your smiling faces and closest friends, having fun, feeling good about yourselves, making memories, promoting your sorority. Promoting Alpha Phi.
I wish you an amazingly successful recruitment. I know how it works, The video was for fun, but recruitment is where the true meaning of our sisterhood is shared. The high GPA standards, the huge philanthropic events, the values we were founded on by the women who weren't allowed to join the boy's fraternity...so they started their own.
Best of luck to you all. I will now reminisce over my college pics, which were thankfully taken before social media, and I will smile, because my Alpha Phi memories are some of my favorite and always will be. Because, as we like to say, Forever a Friend. Forever a Sister. Forever an Alpha Phi.
AOE
Nici
Pledge Class '97
Beta Omicron
