I know a dirty little secret. The Johns Hopkins chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has an average grade point average of 3.07. Of course, we all know the sorority is mostly comprised of engineers, but that is no excuse for an organization that prides itself on being academic (and having Kate Spade as a member) to have such an unexceptional GPA. Perhaps that's why an advisor from the national office was offering suggestions on how to set up "files" on Wednesday night.
For the uninitiated, a "file" is the system that Greek organizations use to save papers, mid-terms and finals for prosperity. These documents are then preserved for future generations of Greek-letter wearers and in turn help to bolster a chapter's image by creating academic advantages for their members. It is, of course, an unethical pratice, but one that is in wide-use nonetheless.
I was under the impression that the compilation of files was the result of individual chapters. But on Wednesday night, I learned that the national office sometimes intervenes to insure the status of its precious letters around the country.
My roommate and I were enjoying a peaceful dinner at Niwana on Wednesday night, when a group of three women sat down at the table next to us. Their entourage consisted of two local chapter members and an old woman who seemed to be a national advisor. At first, I didn't recognize them as anything other than a group eating out for dinner. But my roommate, who had rushed and pledged Kappa, instantly identified the little golden pins adorning their left lapels. Just in case you're curious, she didn't join the sorority because the induction ceremony coincided with her birthday.
Curiousity made both of us sit in silence and eavesdrop as the Kappa Kappa Gamma members diiscussed their business. We hadn't intended to listen for very long, but at the old woman's first menion of establishing a file, we were hooked.
We listened intently as she gave tips on how to obtain examinations. Her first suggestion was to get index cards and devote one to each professor. She suggested writing down the professor's favorite foods, items, academic subjects, exam styles and topics.
It was shocking listening to a representative of the national office tell local chapter officers to set up files. What the national office did was condone cheating by declaring their cause of perfect image as superior to the ethical standards of Johns Hopkins University. This is highly unacceptable.
I'm not saying that Kappa Kappa Gamma is the only Greek organization on campus to utilize such unethical means. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if all of them had a similar system. What bothered me was that the national office was encouraging the Hopkins chapter to create files and maintain them for future Kappas to give them an edge over other sororities. Does it seem right to gain an edge by being unethical?
The national office woman continued to discuss how Kappa Kappa Gamma could improve its image on campus, and I found it ironic that she mentioned the school newspaper. She kept talking about using the school newspaper to establish a certain image of their sorority. Well, here's your first piece in the News-Letter. And I must say "thank you" for giving me this column idea. The one that was here was not worthy of this coveted space in the Features section.
