Podcast Proposal: S-Row

In my podcast I would to dive deep into the world of Greek Life (specifically sorority life) at Emory and follow one student’s experience through the recruitment process that happens every January, and subsequently their membership in the organization. I would like to produce this podcast because I think that to many Greek Life is somewhat of an enigma. Just like Woodstock Alabama, Greek Life comes with it’s own stereotypes, which personally, I have found to be in some cases true and some cases untrue. I would follow the girl as she starts Emory and is first introduced Greek Life, and follow her throughout her stressful first semester of trying to make connections. I would then follow her through recruitment and all of the stress and decision making it entails. I would hope with the podcast to shed light on some of the positive and negative aspects of Greek Life in order to, like S-town, allow people to learn more about a small community of people.

S-Row Script: Chapter 1

Welcome to S-Row. My name is Adelaide Owens and through the next segment I will be beginning a journey through S-row with you. S-row, or Sorority Row is where over 400 girls from all over the country will come this January, to stand in the cold and be interviewed for hours, only hoping for the chance to be invited back to their favorite house. So what is my interest in this topic? My story begins at the beginning of my freshman year at Emory. Eager to get to know the whos who, and meet new friends I attended every social gathering and party I could. On this particular sunny September day I decided to go to a fraternity pool party with my roommate. Excited to meet new girls I made every effort to introduce myself and make a good impression. Less than half an hour into the party I was floating in the pool when I saw a beach ball coming towards my head. I looked over to see an older girl and her friends looking at me and laughing. I was infuriated. What had I done wrong? My friends told me it wasn’t a big deal, to leave it alone, but I couldn’t. I hopped out of the pool and walked over to her.

“Do you have a problem?” I calmly said, hoping to get an apology or explanation.

I was shocked by the response I received.

“Do you even know who I am?” The girl laughed and said, walking away and leaving me confused until an older boy walked over to me and explained that she was a girlfriend of one of the brothers and told me that I should stay out of her way because she was in a “top sorority.”

I was infuriated by this to say the least… What had I done to deserve a ball thrown at my head? And for it to be explained away as her being popular? I decided that day that I would not be joining a sorority at Emory, that I wouldn’t associate with people who held themselves on a pedestal because of the organization they belonged to.

So why am I telling this story? Because today I sit in my room filled with piles of sorority t-shirts I can’t keep track of, posting pictures of my sorority sisters, and genuinely enjoying my Greek experience. After meeting sisters of multiple organizations who defied my expectations and stereotypes of Greek Life, I decided to rush, doing what I thought I never would.

But this story isn’t about me, or my Greek experience. This story is about Jane Doe, in this year’s class of 2021. I contacted Jane because I knew she was making the same decision I made just one year ago: whether to go through recruitment. While sororities can seem like all fun and games on the outside, there is a certain amount of stress that comes along with trying to be liked by every member of a new organization.

To listen to Jane’s journey, continue to chapter 2.