Homeless-Themed Sorority Party: Another Shameful Moment Brought to You by the Greek System
Sororities and fraternities are known for a lot of positive things -- community service, career networking, sisterhood -- but sensitive and culturally appropriate party themes aren't one of them. Just two months after Duke University brothers of Kappa Sigma got in trouble for a racist, "Asian-themed" party, and less than six months after Chi Omegas sisters at Penn State apologized for holding a racist Mexican-inspired dress-up party, the ladies at Kappa Delta at Indiana University decided it would be a good idea to dress up as homeless people for fun.
Smudges of dirt on their faces? Check. Grungy looking plaid shirts? Check. Holding stained cardboard signs offering to "twerk for food" or "tickle your pickle" and asking for money for booze? Check, check, check.
Next stop, public outrage. Just days after a sorority sister's venom-spewing email rant went viral, Kappa Delta's poverty-themed party caps off a week of bad press for Greek life. On Friday, a student at Indiana University sent photos of the costume party to Jezebel, along with a note saying that Bloomington, Indiana (where the school is located) has "a disproportionately high homeless population" that is usually targeted by students.
"They get treated pretty badly. It's actually really sad," the student wrote. "Students will be out canning for money for their big national philanthropies, but when a homeless person asks for a quarter, they'll tell him or her to get a job. The Greek system here does do a lot of philanthropic work, but homelessness, which is one of the biggest local problems we have, and a problem that the Greek system has the opportunity to really help, is completely ignored."
Hey, we get it… dressing up is fun. Parties are fun. We think Halloween is awesome! But a party where the dress-up theme is racist or is mocking people who aren't well off? Maybe think twice before doing that again, m'kay?
