I am a sorority girl. I have read some comments in the Daily to which I have a few responses.

First of all, I wanted to comment on the CyRide situation. The proposed route would not serve just greeks, it would also serve the non-greek residents that are our neighbors.

We pay $19.67 in every tuition bill for transportation and that includes CyRide. Why shouldn’t we be able to use the service, too?

Granted, I only live a block from campus and will probably never use it, but there are others that are nearly the same distance away from campus as Towers.

To finance the proposed route, each resident on the route will pay an extra $1.85 and all other students will have to pay an extra dollar. Big deal.

Yesterday’s Quick E about “mommy and daddy” paying for a bus for us was almost ridiculous enough that I could ignore it. I wanted to clear something up. Neither I nor any of my friends are rich. We pay our own expenses.

Most of my friends pay their own tuition and house bills, and those that don’t will be responsible for their student loans. We are no different than any other college student. In fact, as of last semester, my house bill was $15 cheaper than the residence halls.

That includes laundry, a 24-hour kitchen, utilities, social functions, and provides a home rather than one room.

Another Quick E suggested effect of being able to have the same conversation with any sorority girl. OK, so that would mean we are all alike.

That means I am just like my friends in computer science, exercise and sports science, environmental science, elementary education, or any number of other majors.

That means all my friends that are African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran and countless other religions and heritages are exactly alike.

That would make every single one of them like me, a middle-class white girl from a suburb of Chicago with no religious affiliation.

That’s a pretty stupid assumption. It would be like me saying that you are exactly like every person in your hall or apartment building.

We are accused of being homophobic. I’m sure there are homosexuals in the greek system that are hesitant to reveal themselves or who are reluctant to join houses because of reputed homophobia.

I think the Daily proves with the most recent debate over whether or not homosexuals will burn in hell that homophobia exists everywhere.

Homophobia is a cultural problem, not just a greek one, and everyone needs to be held accountable, not just a certain group.

We are working hard to dispel our negative image. We are very involved on campus, with the community, and on volunteer projects.

There are some people that perpetuate the negative image that the greek system is working to overcome.

I am sorry if you have had a bad experience with a member of the greek system, but not everyone is the way that person was.

If I were to use that stereotypical logic, I might assume that every non-greek person was like the drunk guys with bad attitudes that steal things at greek parties, start fights, and grope any girl walking by in a desperate attempt to cop a feel. I don’t make that ignorant and naive assumption.

I lived in the residence halls for a year, so I feel I know what I’m talking about here.

We aren’t very different from you. I do not ask that you like me.

I just ask that you don’t presume to know me.

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Annie Johnson

Junior

English