| by julie
arrington
As the anniversary of the integration of the University
of Alabama approaches, UA is still one of the few colleges in the
nation that still has traditionally segregated Greek organizations.
Even after efforts of both students and faculty to integrate, the
university has yet to step into the 21st century of race relations.
Most recently, the Panhellenic Association has decided to return
to early Rush, and groups belonging to the Interfraternity Council,
consisting of white sororities and fraternities, will begin Rush
in August and end in September. This is in an effort to curb distraction
from students' academic work by Rush activities.
The delayed Rush schedule was implemented under former UA President
Andrew Sorensen's tenure at the university in an effort to encourage
diversity and assist students in making the adjustment from high
school to college life.
In a recent
article by the Crimson White about the return to early Rush,
Heather Schachter, president of the Panhellenic Association, intimated
that the Panhellenic sororities do hope to achieve diversity in
their groups and that early Rush may help with that.
However, multiculturalism has finally worked its way into the University
of Alabama's Greek system without efforts from members of Panhellenic
or IFC. Earlier this spring, two new sororities, Delta Xi Phi and
Alpha Delta Sigma, initiated their first members.
Unlike the stereotypical sisters of cheesy yet often popular B-grade
movies, the two new groups are devoted to adding diversity and a
fresh approach to what has been criticized as a racist and shamefully
homogeneous Greek society.
 |
| David Beito |
|
David
T. Beito, president of the Alabama Scholars Association and
associate professor at the university said the sororities are "excellent
illustrations of how privatization and free choice promotes integration."
Beito also said the Alabama Scholars Association has proposed a
resolution to the Faculty Senate to privatize the Greek system.
By privatizing, Greek organizations will no longer receive subsidies
from the university and each fraternity and sorority building will
be sold to the current occupants. The money obtained from the sales
will go toward the improvement of academic programs at the university.
"Greek organizations should be able to govern their own affairs
by exercising their constitutional right to free association,"
Beito said. "If a Greek club wants to restrict membership on
the basis of class, or looks or family connections, that is its
business."
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