Unity by definition is described as the state of being one, not being apart, or in multiple. Oneness. A feat that all Greek communities across the country strive for one way or another. Something college campuses as a whole hope to accomplish because it leads to higher retention rates of their students and makes marketing their campus to potential students that much easier. Unity is something that is often taken for granted and hard to achieve. So how do we gain ‘true’ unity here at Washington State University?
In the past, Greek communities were seen as the leaders of the campus. Only the most prestigious and studious individuals were apart of these organizations. Sororities were founded as safe havens for the first women who attended university. It was a place they could study, collaborate, and relax, away from male dominated classes where they were looked down upon, considering the first true sorority, my own, Gamma Phi Beta was founded in 1874. Older houses, such as Pi Beta Phi and Delta Gamma were founded even earlier and were considered a fraternity of women before Gamma Phi Beta coined the word sorority. Fraternities have been around far longer than sororities and only accepted the brightest and best young men into their organizations. Being Greek, used to be a whole heartedly respectable thing. Today, especially on WSU’s campus, it has turned into mostly a social call. Not only is a large factor to incoming freshmen, and other grade levels joining the Greek system ,the infamous parties that are thrown within the confines of Greek row, but it has also become a status symbol based on the letters you wear. Change has to come to Washington State’s Greek community or we might as well count ourselves as good as gone.
Justin Jones-Fuso, is an inspirational speaker who travels all over the world teaching anyone from college and high school students to corporate employees and employers at company retreats. Last week he delivered a message to Greek affiliated students about diversity and inclusivity. It wasn’t your typical, “love everyone, include everyone,” speech that we’re all so accustomed to hearing in various classes and programming’s from the time we’re in grade school, to now as adults in college. Justin delivered his message in a way that made diversity seem like the first and most minor step to truly embracing one another. Following his eye-opening presentation, I had the pleasure of interviewing Justin over the phone to follow up and dive deeper into some of the topics he talked about.
On the topic of Greek unity, he told me he could sense a kind of rift and lack of participation from the crowd from the get go, which were predominately Greek affiliates. He tried his best to engage and get us to move around, and be involved, but the energy wasn’t there. The majority of the crowd started off sitting in the back of the famously large, Todd Hall Auditorium, and lazily sulked closer to the front when prompted by Justin. He was honest in telling me that his time at WSU speaking to us was not his favorite time, that he did not have as much fun with our students as he has with other universities and Greek communities. This is unfortunate being that he was an amazing speaker with lots to teach, specifically on topics that our community needs to learn about. On top of that, after his presentation we chatted about how the unity within just Greek row alone was a little off. That houses pretended to be buddy-buddy to save face but in reality, there is a lot of tension and social laddering amongst our neighborhood. Sororities and fraternities have created a social structure that places some houses over others in social status which is the sole proprietor to our issues of becoming closer as a community. Just as any kind of rift would, this causes a domino effect that ultimately creates the wrong image to our non-Greek classmates and colleagues. On many occasions, I have overheard students at WSU and other campuses at different schools speak incredibly negatively about Greek life, and though I love my house and I can’t imagine my life without the support of the Greek system, I can’t say I blame them. When organizations that were created to devote time and energy to the community, and to scholarship, are seen spending more time and energy on various ways of socializing, problems tend to arise.
Some solutions that Justin proposed to these issues is taking our new members just after they are accepted into a house and hold a retreat. Just an on-campus retreat like we already have, but this time have them network and go through programming that allows them to make connections with each other and make strong friendships. The only rule being: no telling anyone what house you belong to. That way, the focus is made on the connections versus, “oh you’re from this house, they’re from that house.” A phrase Justin used often was, “You make your letters, your letters don’t make you.” Another solution is creating these connections during rush week before the potential new members even have a chance to draw judgement based on chapter affiliation. Having them come together for one big community service project so they’re connecting with the community and each other right from the beginning.
On top of that, he suggested that Panhellenic and IFC become more driven to include multi-cultural fraternities and sororities as well. They are just as part of the Greek community as we are and deserve the same benefits (social, scholarship, and community opportunities). The only time we really see Panhellenic and IFC include these other houses is during Greek Week which is usually thrown together last minute, therefore, making it difficult for houses to create true and real connections beyond the one week. Another thing Justin mentioned during our interview was that it’s difficult to want to make lasting connections with people that only reach out when they’re expected to. Being that Greek week is the only major time that Panhellenic, and IFC affiliated Greek chapters, reach out to the multi-cultural houses, it doesn’t create that much of a warm and welcoming environment for them. If Panhellenic and IFC affiliated houses established those connections early on and kept them throughout the year, we would have a much more fun and successful Greek Week overall and it can only help our image as a Greek system too.
As for the image problem regarding non-Greek affiliates, all we need to do is ask. Ask them directly, what it is they don’t like. How can we be better? What can we do to make you think differently? What is it that rubs you the wrong way? Instead of assuming or listening to a small population of non-Greek students, another option would be doing a yearly Greek climate survey that students can participate in and give us feedback as a community on how we can give back or improve the school and our row.
Ultimately, Justin truly believes that with the right amount of want and try, WSU’s Greek community can really break free of its current issues. As a community, Greek’s need to be more inclusive to those on the outside, and set future pledge classes up for success in the path towards a greater Greek system and change the minds of not just non-Greek students at WSU but everyone around the world who has developed a negative idea of what we’re all about.
The video below is a deeper example of the kind of stuff Justin presented during the programming the other week. Check it out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qUdHKy6nw
For questions or comments comment below!