Because of the stereotypes of “sorority girls” as rich and white, Arana never believed that Greek life was in the cards for her. But in her sophomore year she and a couple of other Asian-American friends decided to go through the recruitment process together.
Arana admits that Rush was kind of weird, since she was one of the few minority girls rushing houses that were virtually all white.
During Rush, which lasts for about a week, fraternities and sororities on campus hold events for potential applicants to meet current members and find out more about each organization. Bid Day marks the end of Rush, when each Greek organization delivers its invitations for membership.
“I don’t usually even think about race,” said Arana in an e-mail interview about her experience during Rush. “But it’s kind of hard not to notice that you’re the only Asian girl in a room of 200 people.”
So why not rush a Multicultural Greek sorority? Arana entertained the idea, but it just didn’t fit her. Friends told Arana how much fun Panhellenic life was, so she decided to try it. And in the spring of 2008 Arana received a bid from the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, a house she wanted.
But Arana is an exception. She’s one of only a few minority students in the largely white Panhellenic houses.
On the other hand, in the largely minority Multicultural houses, there are virtually no white students.
The Greek community wants more diversity, but the members just don’t know how to go about getting it. Two fraternities have recently pledged minority members, but most Greek houses are still homogenous.
Some members say changing recruitment could help diversity. Others suggest the university should try increasing ethnic diversity campus-wide and offer more diversity awareness programs to freshman. Currently, 75 percent of SMU students are white and the other 25 percent non-white.
Still, others say the Greek community is fine the way it is. Sigma Epsilon member Jimmy Little doesn’t see his fraternity as discriminatory.
“If you want a good time come on in,” Little said.
Currently in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at SMU, there is one Asian American and one Indian American. The house had its only black pledge to date in the late 1990s. Lauren Brundage, a white, junior Theta, admits hers is a sorority that is not necessarily known for its diversity.
“We are trying to change that but honestly there are people who are not open to it. We use the excuse that the alumni would be upset but truthfully some people in our sorority want to keep it the way it is,” she said.
However, two SMU fraternities have decided that the time to change is now. Historically black fraternity Omega Psi Phi pledged Scott Beckendorf in Spring 2008. Beckendorf is the first white male of the Nu Kappa Chapter, a chapter that has been on SMU’s campus since 1977.
And this spring, Phi Delta Theta, a predominantly white fraternity, pledged Phil Quist, the first black male since it opened its chapter in 1923. Neither pledge has felt any adverse affects from being in a fraternity that does not represent their ethnic background, they say. Both consider themselves in a place where they belong.
The Greek Councils are broken up into four parts: Interfraternity, which consists predominately of white Greek males, Multicultural, which is mostly non-white and non-black greeks, National Pan-Hellenic, comprising of mostly black greeks, and Panhellenic for the predominately white, Greek sororities.
The Multicultural organizations have no white participants and National Pan-Hellenic only has one white participant. The Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils did not respond to interview requests, but students involved with the associations say that both organizations have only a few minorities.
Lauren Sanchez, a white senior Theta, says that students need to understand that it’s not just the organization that chooses its members; the applicants must also make the choice.
Michelle McAdam, a white junior Theta, says going through rush is like dating. Sororities are looking at the whole person: if they are good students, working in the community, are athletes, and are well rounded.
“It’s all about finding who you’re comfortable with,” said McAdam.
Little suggests pairing incoming freshman in the dorms with a different ethnicity to increase diversity awareness. McAdam believes that SMU as a whole must recruit more ethnically diverse students.
Recent Delta Gamma pledge and Mexican American Alexis Martinez doesn’t see anything wrong with the current Greek system.
“I think the important thing is to get out there on campus, meet people, and get them excited about Greek life, no matter their ethnicity.”
