Abolish Greek life movement confronts Chapman
Greek life is a recent hotspot of controversy for student activists protesting fraternities and sororities following instances of alleged discriminatory behavior. An anonymous Instagram account calls for the abolishment of Chapman’s Greek life system, while chapters work on reformation from within. Panther Archives
A name in this story has been changed to protect the identity of a female junior who wants to avoid misinterpretation of the Abolish Greek life movement as a personal attack.
As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to spur the country into action, Greek life on college campuses is being re-evaluated under the strict scrutiny of students and alumni. The debate revolves around if Greek life institutions inherently alienate BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities through financial gatekeeping and discrimination behind closed doors.
Operating primarily through social media, an Instagram account kickstarted a virtual revolution among 10 different universities across the country such as Duke University, the University of Southern California and Vanderbilt University. Following George Floyd’s death and the Instagram account’s takeoff June 26, around 200 Vanderbilt Greek life members disaffiliated. Since then, more student activists from other universities continue to follow suit in protesting Greek life – including Chapman University.
Claire, a female junior, created an anonymous Instagram page to allow Chapman students to highlight their personal experiences with Greek life. The account features testimonials from current and former active members and potential new members (PNMs). The social media account also encourages a reconsideration of the values of institutional Greek life through educational resources. Claire spoke to The Panther under the sustained condition of anonymity to avoid students misconstruing the movement as a personal agenda founded on subjective views.
“(I) understand that many students would prefer to reform Greek life rather than abolish it; it’s a natural response in order to preserve the benefits the Greek life provides,” Claire wrote in an email to The Panther. “(But) the sheer breadth of reform needed would require a complete overhaul of the institution, taking an immense amount of time, commitment, and coordination in an organization with a built-in four year turnover rate.”
Additionally, Claire expressed that substantial reform is unattainable because of the financial restrictions that chapter dues place on students of varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Although fraternities and sororities are defined as non-profit organizations by the Internal Revenue Service, Claire said the dues and many hidden costs of recruitment continue to be barriers to entry for low-income pledges and PNMs purely based on financial ability.
Although opinions on the dismantling of the Greek life system are polarized, it’s become increasingly apparent to Chapman’s Panhellenic and Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) that each chapter could serve to take a more diversity-oriented approach to make the Greek life experience more inclusive for students from day one.
“I understand abolition being a response from students, but at the same time I also think that making tangible change that can impact the community can be even more powerful in the long run,” said Shannon Keane, president of Panhellenic and a senior business administration major. “It needs to not just be an inclusive environment once you’re in, but from the very start as a potential new member.”
Working throughout the summer, Panhellenic and IFC have been collaborating to officially construct a Diversity and Inclusion Committee into their chapter bylaws. According to Ava Altmann, Panhellenic’s vice president of programming, each chapter is required to send a delegate to meetings and the committee will be further divided into four sub-categories: Current Affairs and History of Greek Life, Recruitment and New Member Education, Policy and Outreach and Programming and Event Planning. Additional students in Greek life and the Cross-Cultural Center have been working together to organize a diversity training requirement for every new member class, Rho Gammas and executive actives – including Panhellenic and IFC themselves.
“Some people will say that Greek life isn’t for everyone, but … why shouldn’t it be?” said junior business major Noah Chaouli, who also serves as the Alpha Delta Phi (Adelphos) vice president and diversity and inclusion chair.
Chaouli expressed his desire for all students, regardless of background, to enjoy Greek life for its positive, familial camaraderie – a benefit that greatly shaped Chaouli’s own college experience for the better. But he was quick to concede that this idealistic future is not a current reality.
“Adelphos used to have a very large LGBTQ+ community, but this past semester we actually lost a bunch of (members) because they actually felt uncomfortable being a part of Greek life (as a whole),” Chaouli said. “After that happened, we were very adamant on trying to make things better.”
When instances such as these are reflective of the mainly heterosexual, 50.8% white majority of the student body at Chapman, the New York Times defines the movement as “targeted at historically white Greek life organizations” associated with malpractice, whereas historically Black fraternities and sororities continue to be widely supported.
Regardless of if Greek life remains with modifications or dissipates completely, Claire, Panhellenic and IFC all seem to agree that change is not only desired across the board, but critical in order for Chapman’s chapters to follow through with their proclaimed values of unprejudiced sisterhood and brotherhood.
“By and large, the movement is mainly attacking Greek life as an institution rather than the individuals within,” Claire wrote in her email to The Panther. “That being said, I would implore anyone who blames the mistreatment in Greek life on ‘a few bad apples’ to take a closer look at the situation; when there are that many bad apples, maybe the tree is rotten.”