In recent news, a sorority girl was kicked out of her chapter because she posted a "risqué" photo of her and two others on Tinder, a mobile dating site. Shannon Workman, 20, studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where she was an active member in Chi Omega before she was dismissed from the chapter.
In August 2015, she posted a photo to the dating site, Tinder. The photo was of her big, little and herself in their bid day theme attire – anything but provocative. As you can see, all three girls are wearing a shirt which was also given to every single member in the sorority saying "Sweet Home Chi Omega."
Shannon Workman had this photo posted online for eight months before being addressed by any personnel. Before the initial meeting, she questioned authority as to why her photo was just now being brought to attention, and then, Workman was later accused of being disrespectful. Workman took the photo down and was then still brought in.
Workman was called in for a hearing with Chi Omega's executive board, where they said her "provocative and risqué" photo violated their regulations. They state, "'Chi Omega has a 'Human Dignity Rule' that sisters would not post photos wearing their letters on any platform that would bring disrespect to the chapter.'" At the end of the meeting, Workman said, "I am never coming back."
First of all, I understand sororities have rules in place that are to make sure members aren't drinking in their letters or doing anything exasperating that would ruin a chapters reputation. But what was provocative about this photo? Yes, the advisors job is to make sure that everything is going smoothly and their chapter is represented in a positive way, but I think this incident was taken too far. This shirt was given to every single girl in the chapter, which means every single girl looked exactly the same. I would also like to point out that each girl in this photo is just standing and smiling like you would for any other picture you would take.
Secondly, most of this generation has a Tinder profile, or something similar. I do not think Tinder is used for just "hookups," due to the fact that I know many people who have formed relationships from it. I find no harm in Workman posting this photo. Obviously, her sorority meant a lot to her, as you can see she was sensitive to the subject. What I see is a girl who was trying to show the kind of person she is and what she's involved in. Obviously, Greek life was a big part of her college experience, so why wouldn't she want a potential partner to know what she likes to do in her free time?
Lastly, to me, this sounds like someone having a personal issue with Workman, and they were trying to nudge her way out of the chapter. From an outsider's view, it looks like they were looking for any way to get her out, and this was just it. If Workman was the issue, not the photo she posted, then that should've been handled personally and outside of the sorority's premise.
According to New York Daily News, Chi Omega's national chapter did not respond for comment on the issue.
It is frustrating to see how one chapter successfully took something worthwhile away from this girl. Although we don't know what was going on behind closed doors, we now assume Chi Omega's Nebraska Omaha chapter, Zeta Delta, as being absurd and autocratic. Congratulations, advisors, because of the way you handled the situation, this story has now gone viral.
It's obvious that college students join Greek life to find a way to express themselves with men and women who share the same values. What I saw in Workman was a woman who was proud to represent her sorority and did so by uploading a modest photo to various social media sites, where one of which was in her letters on a dating app. Who freaking cares? She is trying to put herself out there, meet new people and enjoy her years in college.
What saddens me the most about this account is that Greek life is continuing to get talked about, and stories like this are what feed into the negativity. Although I am against this single chapters decision, I will back Greek life up until the day I die. Being part of a sorority or fraternity is a life-long commitment, and I do believe it opens doors to endless opportunities and valuable friendships. I know plenty of beautiful, selfless women who are active members of Chi Omega in different chapters around the nation. So with that being said, this one chapter's ruling does not define Greek life as a whole.
Although this situation is controversial, things are looking up for Workman because according to BuzzFeed, Tinder has handed Shannon a scholarship that will cover one year's time at the university and an internship that could potentially benefit her future career path.
“It’s easy to give in and give up,” Tinder co-founder and CEO Sean Rad told BuzzFeed News in an email. “We think what Shannon did sends a very empowering message to young women and college students, which is actually one of Tinder’s largest audiences. Don’t conform, don’t let people tell you your beliefs are wrong just because it’s not the same as their beliefs.”
BuzzFeed quotes Sean Rad and says, “It’s the first time we reached out to someone whose story inspired us and asked them to be part of the team,” he said. “Her actions showed a depth of leadership and courage that is admirable and something we value as part of our company culture. We always want to stand up for our users who stand up for us.”
