When I registered for Panhellenic sorority recruitment last summer I did not know the process would lead me to meet 50 girls who would forever change my college experience. You are likely thinking, “Great… another sappy, over-peppy sorority girl article,” but I can assure you this is not the case. Instead, I would like to bring your attention to something that goes unnoticed within UW-Madison’s Greek recruitment process: the lack of representation from the neighboring Madison Area Technical College community.
The Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council serve as the governing councils for the sororities and fraternities on campus. Each body is autonomous in that it abides by its own bylaws and related constitution. However, both work multilaterally to make our Greek community grow and prosper. I will not get into the technicalities of how the recruitment process, or “rush”, works for each system, but basically the ability to participate comes down to gender if you are a student at MATC: Guys can rush, but girls cannot.
When I first heard of this unequal treatment, I will admit that my feminist alter ego did not take over and do something about the issue. Instead, I formally participated in the rush process as a UW-Madison student and was eager to join one of the 14 chapters on campus. As a second semester freshman, I cannot express how integral being in a house has been in my transition to college. While Greek life is by no means for everyone, it has provided me with an organization that is closely aligned with many of my personal values. Ultimately, I believe that both the PHA and the IFC should have a united front in interaction with the MATC system: either both girls and guys can rush, or MATC students should be excluded from the process entirely.
A freshman at MATC, Olivia Schachtel, explained some of her problems with not being eligible to join a sorority.
“I think it is at times difficult not being in Greek life,” Schachtel said. “Some people need Greek life to have a social experience, and we [girls] should be allowed to rush because many of us intend on being UW students and hopefully will be, so why not.”
As Olivia said, the social structure Greek life provides can be seen as beneficial to many first-year students. However, Schachtel’s story is also one that epitomizes success outside the Greek life system. She is actively focused on her academics and is currently involved in various pursuits to enhance her knowledge in the field of interior architecture. But at the end of the day, I ask, why should PHC deprive MATC students, like Schachtel, with the opportunity to participate in a process that produces life-long friends, sisterhood and leadership roles?
Jonathan Nieder—a freshman member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity—is a student at MATC who was allowed to formally participate in IFC recruitment. He described the benefits of being in a fraternity despite not being enrolled at UW–Madison.
“Being able to join the UW Greek community was one of the deciding factors for committing to MATC,” Nieder said. “It has definitely made the transition to college a lot more comfortable and having a group of close friends that I got to know in my first semester was great as well.”
Unfortunately, the UW-Madison Greek community is not alone. Fellow Big Ten schools, Indiana University and the University of Illinois, do not allow female students at nearby community colleges to participate in Greek life. With this in mind, I call upon the UW-Madison Panhellenic Association to set an inclusive precedent for others to follow.
Do you agree with Samantha’s view on allowing sororities to recruit at MATC? Send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
