COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The suspension of social Greek Life activities involving alcohol remains in effect at the University of Maryland, as officials cite an investigation of safety and well-being of students. One former sorority member who graduated from the University in 2020 says she supports the investigation but doesn't think it will be enough to change the culture of Greek Life across the country.
Lucy Taylor was pledging Alpha Phi during her freshmen year in 2017. She was on spring break when she posted a picture from her beach vacation that her sorority sisters did not approve of, and they let her know.
"I felt humiliated, I felt ostracized," Lucy explained.
She said the picture circulated in e-mail and group chats. She said that's when her eyes started opening on the dynamic of being in a sorority. She said she would get comments on her physical appearance.
"Your body, what you could post, what you could wear," she said.
Lucy eventually disaffiliated form the sorority and started speaking about her experiences by starting a podcast called "Snapped," which stood for "So Not Alpha Phi." She said she felt deceived by how she was treated.
"The slut shaming and the cyberbullying by my peers who were supposed to protect me," she explained, "hurt the most, I think."
She also says she felt betrayed by school officials after she disaffiliated.
"Also what really hurt the most is the university of Maryland endorses these organizations. After I disaffiliated from the sorority, I remember feeling just very alienated around campus, and I felt resentment towards the University of Maryland because they are cosigning this behavior by keeping them on campus," she said.
She says it's going to take more then a temporary suspension and investigation to see change.
"Every month, there’s a new tragedy, a new frat suspended on campus, someone’s in a coma. How many times do we have to keep making the same mistake to realize it’s not just a bad apple?" she questioned.
Lucy says more rules and restrictions will lead to fewer organizations taking responsibility, and eventually - more secrecy.
"Someone drinks too much, needs to go to the hospital. Someone slips and falls, they need immediate medical attention," she explained, "people won’t call the ambulance because while you might be protected, the organization is not protected. No one wants to be the one that gets their frat kicked off campus."
"It would just be a shame to continue… for the University of Maryland to continue to endorse these organizations when there’s no guarantee that you won’t be hazed," she said.