I am a second semester senior at Miami, and up until about a week ago, I was in a sorority. Full disclosure: I haven't gone through the complete deactivation process, so I have yet to "officially" join the ranks of Miami's GDIs.
Right off the bat I want to say I don't think Miami would be better off without Greek Life, but I do think the Greek system on this campus specifically has some issues it needs to address. Yes, going Greek can provide life-long friendships, leadership experience and opportunities to socialize. But it also asks students to self-segregate and adhere to a system of mass generalizations.
As a previous member of a sorority not at the top of the food chain, I can personally attest to the negative effects of social segregation. I felt as though certain parties, events and even friendships were off limits to me, or at the very least I had to work harder to be extended an invitation. I felt I was no longer worthy of the attention of those in higher-ranking organizations. I can only imagine the restrictions felt by those who are unaffiliated all together.
I want to be clear that at no point did I see myself as "less than," but I felt that's how I was being perceived. Maybe this is a personal issue. I can already hear the arguments claiming this is self-deprecation. But I don't think it is. I know there are plenty of other students who feel or have felt inferior based on their Greek designation. I have personally spoken with many of them throughout my time at Miami.
Greek life is a system that asks its participants to categorize themselves and that's not inherently bad; it's human nature that gets in the way. To believe that judgment based on these categorizations won't arise and consequently affect those in the system is a mindset reminiscent of the "separate but equal" advocates. Organizations and their members will be judged, and someone will come out on top and reap the benefits, and someone will suffer the consequences.
Since going Greek is voluntary, if you are willing to roll the dice and join the system, that's your prerogative. The problem arises when it becomes the dominant culture and when your label within that system becomes what defines you outside of it.
That is what has happened at Miami. How many times have I gone to a party and the first thing I'm asked is not my name, but what sorority I'm in? Has that happened to you? How many times have you described a student at this school by their affiliation, or made assumptions about them because of it. I'll be honest: I'm guilty of this behavior, and I know I'm not alone.
I don't know how to fix this problem, but I think the first step is acknowledging it exists. If we could all be a little less reliant on our labels, if we could define ourselves by our other interests, or at the very least acknowledge we are more than the organizations we choose to join, this school would be a better place.
Mariah Kline
Senior, Marketing