Fed up with a sorority at his university that babied incoming freshmen by offering them coloring books, stress balls, and relaxation rooms...
Fed up with a sorority at his university that babied incoming freshmen by offering them coloring books, stress balls, and relaxation rooms during the recruitment period, a George Washington University law professor bluntly stated that the sorority was “wussifying” the students.
As Genesis Sanchez writes at Campus Reform, law professor John Banshaf issued a press release stating, “At a time when incoming female college students are being told that they can and should be tough and strong, and stand up to those who might try to bully or sexually harass them, the upper class women who run the sororities are helping to convince them that they are so weak and fragile that they need mental health help to deal with the trauma of picking out where to pledge.”
On January 17, The GW Hatchet reported of the new effort to help incoming freshmen:
The Panhellenic Association is helping potential new members and sorority members de-stress during recruitment this weekend. Students participating in recruitment will have access to coloring books, food, headphones and stress balls in two “relaxation rooms” on the ground floor of the Marvin Center during the four nights of recruitment. Student leaders said the resources will help alleviate anxiety during the lengthy and “stressful” experience which begins Friday and runs through Wednesday.
Izzy Griffith, the president of the Panhellenic Association, told The GW Hatchet, “Recruitment, while an incredibly rewarding experience, can be intimidating and taxing. Providing the PNMs with a chance to take a rest and decompress will help the PNMs feel less intimidated and provide them with a chance to recharge throughout the process.”
Former Panhellenic Association President Elizabeth Jessup stated, “The Panhellenic Executive Board is incredibly committed to creating a more inclusive community, and prioritizing the mental health of our members and PNMs (potential new members) is an essential step in that direction.”
Banzhaf’s statement continued:
This sorority event appears to be part of a growing movement to wussify students, treating them a[s] incredibly sensitive beings — "snowflakes" — who must be protected from virtually anything which might possibly upset them … At some law schools [across the nation], classes were canceled, exams were postponed, and at one top law school its ‘embedded psychologist’ offered the law students — too traumatized to continue life as they knew it — Legos, play dough, and bubbles to help them cope with the "trauma" of Trump's election … Such coddling is likely to turn out more wimpy lawyers who lack the fortitude to stand up to tough judges in defending unpopular causes, and thus our most fundamental rights.