"Sorority Girl" Lolita Wine Glass

I am a member of the Theta Psi chapter of Alpha Phi sorority at SUNY Plattsburgh. As a chapter, we pride ourselves on not hazing our members during their new member period, or even after initiation. As a Greek community at SUNY Plattsburgh, and a campus as a whole, we are working to raise awareness of what hazing truly means and does to individuals. Our campus takes hazing very seriously, and again, we pride ourselves on trying to prevent hazing.

Greek organizations are not what they "used to be." We strive to help others, especially those in our community. Each organization has at least one philanthropy linked with them. Most of our events raise money for our philanthropies. The events range from a talent show to a gala dinner to a dodge ball tournament and everything in between. Greek organizations also sponsor alcohol awareness and various other seminars on campus. You will find at least 2-4 Greek events per week at SUNY Plattsburgh that have the sole purpose of raising awareness to help others.

As sorority women, we love to show our pride through buying various products that promote positive images of sorority life. One of my sisters, Sara Wells, saw a wine glass made by the Lolita Wine Glass company. The image she saw of the wine glass (seen below) looked like it promoted the positive things that we personally associate with Greek life.

(Picture taken from the Lolita Wine Glass website)

However, when she received the glass, she was extremely disappointed. She tried to email the company to discuss the matter, but received no help from them on the matter. Below is the email she had sent the company, along with pictures Sara took of the glass.

Picture of the unseen sides of the wine glass from Sara's Facebook

"Dear Lolita Wine Glass Co.,

I am not sure if this e-mail is being directed to the proper people, but if it is not I hope that you will forward it to the correct person(s). I purchased the "Sorority Girl" Wine Glass earlier this week from the online catalog upon viewing the only picture available to me:the Greek architecture and the Greek Alphabet playing into the spelling of Sorority Girl. Being the proud sorority woman that I am, I could not resist the purchase of this glass! Yes, being a "proud sorority woman" and purchasing a wine glass that promotes the idea of Greek Life and drinking is a bit of a contradiction, but we all have our guilty pleasures. However, where my displeasure comes in is what is left to be desired on the back of the glass. I loved seeing that there was a heart stating "charity" because that is one of the largest things that keeps sororities relevant: our ability to help others in our society and immediate world around us. Whether it be through supporting foundations such as Woman's Cardiac Care, Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders, or Prevent Child Abuse America, sorority women across the country support organizations that help others. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of our weekends do not consist of "throwing the best keggers" or other Animal House parties with the chantings of "Toga! Toga! Toga!" rising into the air. We coordinate events to raise money and awareness to issues that we are passionate about, we volunteer early on Saturday mornings to help make where we live a better place for the campus and community at large, and holding the highest GPA's on our campuses. Just to name a few of our accomplishments.

Now, to address the "Rush" paddle and "survived" written under it. I was more disappointed to see this tied to "Sorority Girl" then seeing the keg and empty red cups. On my campus (State University of New York [SUNY] in Plattsburgh), we have been working hard for many years to eliminate the hazing atmosphere that surrounds Greek Life. Hazing is not something that should be joked about so lightly as to throw it into a design for a mass produced wine glass; hazing causes irreversible psychological and emotional damage, and at its worse: physical harm and/or death. I am so incredibly proud to be able to honestly say that I am a Sister of a sorority that does not haze. Let me repeat that: I am honestly able to say that my sorority does not haze. So to have purchased a product of yours that idolizes everything I stand against, makes me rethink about the integrity of the Lolita company.

To assist in counteracting the negative connotations tied to sororities like the majority of the media upholds, the Lolita Wine Glass Co. should reconsider their design for the "Sorority Girl" wine glass. Some suggestions that apply to sororities as a whole?
*Womanhood
*Leadership
*Sisterhood
*Activist
*Scholarship
*Loyalty
Just to name a few.

Sororities stand for so much more than partying and, according to the Lolita company, hazing. We are women who have come together to improve the world for the better, as well as to develop and grow as women with the assistance of our sisters. Many of our organizations were founded because we wanted to be equal to the men, we wished to be in companionship with like-minded women, we wished to make a change. The Lolita Wine Glass Co., should take some of these values and ideas into consideration when promoting the continued sale of this product.

I would like to hear your thoughts on how to rectify this situation through the redesigning of your Sorority Girl glass.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Sara Wells"


Personally, I feel the same way that Sara does. Members of Greek organizations are working so hard to fight the stereotype that is associated with us. When companies like Lolita sell products that go against what we are working towards, it is offensive and demeaning. Please tell us, or even better Lolita, how you feel about this glass!