‘Greek’ is an accurate portrayal of life at OWU, according to this columnist
Television shows are always better than real life, right?
As a sister of one of our fine sororities on Ohio Wesleyan’s campus, I must say, “Greek” the TV show portrays Greek life quite accurately.
However, the show is way better than being an actual Greek on campus, because I am on the outside.
First, the drama that accompanies sorority life in this fictional world really does occur in real life. This is not a plot ploy, although it is usually somewhat exaggerated for more drama and/or comedy.
By putting any more than eight girls in one room at a time, you are severely increasing the chances of gossip and drama.
It is a fact of life. Girls love gossip. We eat gossip for breakfast. We gossip about other girls, we gossip about boys. It’s just what we do. But there comes a point when the gossip wheel gets old.
Watching this drama unfold on my television removes me from the situation and breathes new life into my tired gossip-worn body.
I do not want to hear about how much Person A hates Person B for being drunk all the time, unless it is on my television.
Secondly, I love that because this is a television show, I do not actually have to participate in any of the ridiculous events these sororities and fraternities cook up. I get to be on the other side again, laughing at the stupid things those crazy Greeks are doing.
I will admit that the events we put on are to raise money for our respective philanthropies.
This is a good thing. But deep down, even the most loyal sorority or fraternity member realizes how dumb half of these are.
To embarrass ourselves may put a smile on the faces of non-Greeks, but I will tell you, I am not smiling. Unless I am watching it on TV.
I realize that many of you reading this are also members of the Greek community here at OWU, and you might think I am wrong about all of this.
You might even be mad. Frankly, that does not bother me. You are probably the people
who are angry about my column trashing Oprah, and you are probably the people I hated on last week about wearing leggings as pants. (Emily Rose, you are allowed to wear leggings, but no one else.)
Hate me if you want to.
But I remember receiving an e-mail this past summer on the night the show was supposed to premiere. It was from my sorority.
The e-mail wanted us, as members of our fine sorority, to stand up to the negative and untrue stereotypes that the show was rumored to portray.
If you have ever watched the show, and you are a member of the Greek community, can you honestly say that most of the things that happen on the show have never happened, to your knowledge, here at OWU? Because I will say they have.
The show is not false in its portrayal of Greek life. Sometimes it might exaggerate a couple
of things.
But we all have secrets and our own gossip that circulates; first it is just the house, but then, given our small campus, it makes its way to all of the sororities. And there is the possibility of it extending further outside the circle of Greeks.
But, personally, I think the show does an adequate job at portraying the basics of Greek life
If you have not seen the show, check it out for yourself. It returns with new episodes March 24 at 9 p.m. on ABC Family.
FROM: Volume 146, Issue 18: March 6, 2008
Taking Issue with “Affleck” Vid
WARNING: This column contains some vulgar language. Be advised. It is not in a derogatory sense, it is merely the name of a video. But you have been warned.
As I was perusing the Entertainment Weekly site today, I found this column by Mark Harris, a gay columnist at EW. His column takes issue with the video that has been floating around YouTube since the Oscars, “I’m Fuckin’ Ben Affleck.” This video, which features Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Affleck singing the song, along with a choir full of celebrity cameos, was in direct response to Sarah Silverman’s video, “I’m Fuckin’ Matt Damon.”
Silverman and Kimmel have been dating for five years (I think – don’t hold me to this exact figure), and she is known for her raunchy and vulgar jokes and antics, especially on her Comedy Central program, “The Sarah Silverman Show.” So when she appeared on Kimmel’s show and debuted the Matt Damon video, everyone thought it was either A) hilarious or B) too vulgar. Perhaps some viewers thought it was both, but either way it became a huge national internet sensation virtually overnight.
In response Kimmel made the Affleck video. Why Ben Affleck? Because he is best friends with Damon. A fact that everyone knows. In fact I am pretty sure there have been numerous jokes revolving around that couple’s sexuality. The video was not funny because it was a gay couple, it was funny because of who the subjects were.Would it have made sense to use Matt Damon’s wife? No, probably not. She does not have the public life and friendship that most people know and associate with Damon and Affleck.
I understand why members of the gay community might take offense to the video, but by looking at it from the angle of the long-standing friendship of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, I can see the humor in it as well. The video should not be seen as an anti-gay video. I have not read any other resposnes from anyone from the gay community, but I would love to see what others think.
Was it wrong for Kimmel to make this video? Do other gays find it nearly as unfunny as Harris did? I want to know. Because I find it extremely funny, even if it is also extremely vulgar.
I wish we lived in a country or society where there was not such a division between the gay and straight communities. I’m a liberal and I believe in equal rights for all no matter one’s sexual orientation or race, etc. I’ve had countless arguments over the right for gay marriage to be legalized in this country. I find it despicable that it is even an issue. Being gay should not have the stigma it does, but unfortunately many people are homophobic and afraid of people who are the least bit different. But is it possible for the world to change when the outcasts refuse to see any humor? However where would we draw the line?
The column by Harris addresses some of these issues in reference to Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra making racial jokes to Sammy Davis Jr. and having the latter laugh whole-heartedly at them. We may never know if these jokes stung or not, but I know that Kimmel and Affleck never meant any harm by making the music video. It was only for humor and the subject was chosen merely for his very public friendship with Damon.
Why can’t we all just get along? No one is out to get anyone else.
Who Says Women Aren’t Funny?
Taking a break from my columns and articles, I wanted to post about something else that is close to my heart.
This is an article from Vanity Fair about some of the world’s top comediennes. My male friends keep insisting that women aren’t funny. Well they are wrong. The article runs in the April issue of the magazine. It features women like Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, Chelsea Handler, and more.
Columnist to other females: Leggings are not pants
My original plan for this column was to honor my favorite ’80s films in light of Molly Ringwald turning 40 last week. However, due to recent events, I have decided to alter my focus in the form of a letter.
We will return to our regularly scheduled entertainment topics next week.
Dear female students of Ohio Wesleyan University,
Leggings do not qualify as pants. Ever.
Honestly, I have no desire to walk up the stairs of University Hall behind a girl who is not wearing pants. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened last Friday, which accounts for the existence of this column.
Merely because leggings are the same shape as pants does not make them a qualified substitute.
You should never wear leggings f you do not plan on wearing a skirt over them. If you choose not to wear a skirt, I would hope your shirt is long enough to cover your butt. If it is not, the rest of OWU’s population (at least the women and probably every member of the faculty and staff) would prefer that you covered up. I have no idea why this trend would be thought of as fashionable, but apparently it is.
I know this might be difficult to understand, but do not worry because I have created a simple test to figure out if pants are needed to complete an outfit.
Step 1: Look in the mirror and ask yourself this question: “Can I see my butt?”
If the answer to this question is yes, please proceed to the second step.
Step 2: Put on pants, a skirt, shorts, etc.
As an addition to my complaints bout leggings, I have one more thing to say: wearing Uggs (or any form of boot that looks as if it could handle the snow) with leggings (with or without a skirt) is not attractive and makes me ashamed to be a woman of our generation.
Aside from the fact that I have no desire to see my fellow students’ butts, it snowed last week. Why in the world would you think it was sane to walk out of your dorm room or apartments without proper winter attire?
As a true Ohioan I will often shed my winter coat for sweatshirts once the thermostat reads a balmy 45 degrees. I understand that this is not entirely appropriate but, hey, at least I am still wearing pants.
Yours truly,
Kaitlin Thomas
P.S. If you absolutely cannot stand wearing pants, I hear there are nudist colonies in Europe. I would be happy to Google them for you.
I could also help you find the names and addresses of businesses in the adult entertainment field around Columbus. Apparently not wearing pants is a requirement for the job. And you get paid for not wearing those pants.
So it’s a win/win/win situation f you ask me. I do not have to look at your butt, so I win. You will still be able to not wear those pesky pants, so you win. And you will be making money. So again, a win.
From: Volume 146, Issue 17: February 28, 2008
Professor explores Istanbul during semester abroad
Students often spend a semester abroad during their college experience, but rarely do professors have the same opportunity. Mark P. Gingerich, James S. Britton Professor of European History here at Ohio Wesleyan, returned to campus in January after spending a semester in Turkey.
Gingerich was invited to teach at the Center for Russian Studies at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey as a visiting lecturer for the fall of 2007. The university was the first private university in Turkey.
“They offered me the position for a year,” Gingerich said, “but I couldn’t swing that.” Instead, he opted for one semester.
Though he was formally a part of the International Studies department at Bilkent, Gingerich taught strictly history courses.
At OWU, Gingerich has specialized in modern European history since 1991, where his course on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany is extremely popular among students. At Bilkent, his classes covered a broader timeline.
At the undergraduate level, Gingerich lectured on European political and diplomatic affairs spanning the years 1648 to 1914. He also taught a graduate seminar on the affairs of the Soviet Union during World War II.
In comparing OWU to Bilkent, Gingerich said most students were of the same high caliber.
The main difference though, was that while the university was an English-based institution, most of the students were not native English speakers.
“I found that a constant challenge,” he said. “I had to make sure I always spoke clearly. I tried to say everything twice using different ords and terms.”
Opportunities like this are not unheard of, but generally professors ave to apply for programs such as these through scholarly programs like Fulbright. In Gingerich’s case the opportunity arose out of his personal and professional connection with the director of the Center for Russian Studies.
“I got a phone call and was asked if I wanted to do it. It was not something I had to apply for. It was an invitation so I decided to take it,” he said.
Gingerich was accompanied by his wife, Suzan Osman, instructor of Middle Eastern history at OWU, and their twin daughters. The opportunity to share the experience with his family was ultimately what sold Gingerich on the trip.
“Quite honestly, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said.
Gingerich’s connection to the director of the Russian Studies Center is not the only connection he has to Turkey. His wife previously ived in Istanbul in the 1980s and is fluent in Turkish.
“If she had no connection, I would have still thought about it because I have friends in the faculty at Bilkent,” Gingerich said.
The opportunity to return to Turkey was exciting to Osman and it had always been a dream of hers to return. As for the couple’s eleven year old daughters, it was hard to transition to living in another country.
“They really missed their friends [and] they missed their school,” Gingerich said.
“They made friends at school and we have family friends with girls right about their age, but we were kind of isolated,” he said. “We lived on campus and there weren’t a lot of kids right in the apartment block where we were.”
Gingerich said that while the experience was positive, it was also unusual.
“To be in a different country, to teach European history in English; there are very few opportunities in Europe to do that. If you’re teaching American history and you are an American, you have a much better chance of being brought somewhere else.”
Gingerich said it was more common to bring in someone from a European background to teach European history rather than an American.
When asked if he would pursue the opportunity again if it should present itself, Gingerich said he would seriously consider it.
“It’s quite disruptive for one’s family. If I do it again in the future I would probably wait until my daughters are in college so it would just be my wife and I.”
Gingerich also said that his decision would depend on the location.
He knows the area of Ankara now and thanks to sightseeing trips he has seen at least some of Turkey outside the capital city.
“We took every opportunity we could [to explore]. It was difficult of course because I was teaching five days a week and my daughters were in school for a very long school day,” he said. “But we made it to Istanbul a couple of times [and] we went up to the Black Sea region.”
After pushing up his final exams due to the overlapping schedules with OWU, Gingerich and his family spent a few days in Munich, Germany before returning home.
The experience may have been a once in a lifetime opportunity and a lot of fun, but Gingerich seemed happy to be back.
From: Volume 146, Issue 17: February 28, 2008
