Their powerful statement prompted me to reflect on my experience with Greek life on campus. The DePaul student who quit her sorority was followed by another sister out of solidarity, being the only two Black members. In fact, I felt fortunate to be a part of a “good” fraternity who was actively outspoken in regards to the current political climate. When I saw a DePaul student calling out DePaul’s Phi Mu chapter for their racist microaggressions and lack of response to the BLM movement, I was appalled. I thought that as a person of color, it was my duty to ensure this organization was the best it could be.Īs time passed, I was one of the few E-Board members consistently putting in the work to help reform the frat to be more inclusive, and one of the few BIPOC. Initially, I was happy to put in all this time and effort, often spending entire days writing and revising statements and action plans. It felt like I was using my fraternity as a platform in a positive way. Additionally, I helped coordinate a fundraiser for BLM organizations in Chicago. When the Black Lives Matter movement gained traction in the media following George Floyd’s murder, I was proud to draft a solidarity statement for AKPsi. When DePaul moved classes online and prohibited in-person involvement on campus due to the Coronavirus, I put in even more work than before to ensure we operated as smoothly as possible online. I thoroughly enjoyed being involved and felt like my voice was valued. Subsequently, I was elected to the E-Board. I wanted to give back partially out of obligation – even though I was already initiated, I felt the need to show my loyalty.Īs a non-business major in a business frat, I felt like the only way to prove my worth to this organization was through my devotion. Now that I was an official brother, I was ready to get involved in AKPsi. Everything was going well, or so I thought. I made some of my best friends and even gained internship experience. Finally, I thought I had made it.īeing an official brother had its perks. In fact, the president and vice president who bullied me and others were denied initiation. That quarter was rough, to say the least, but in the end I officially became a member of AKPsi. One suggested that I quit the rowing team so I could put all my energy into rushing. They took the photo of our pledge class and drew a large red X over my face, deeming me as stupid, incapable of making it into the exclusive group.Īdditionally, other brothers expressed concerns that I wouldn’t be able to handle all of my extracurriculars at once. My pledge class president and vice president made it clear that they had zero confidence I’d make it through the rush process. I never got the chance to answer that question. I asked myself, is putting in all this energy into rushing worth it? One night in particular I found myself in the backseat of a friend’s car, on the way to a mandatory event while completing an online math quiz. In addition to rushing, I worked a part-time job and was a member of DePaul’s rowing team, making it one of the busiest periods of my life.īalancing school, work and a social life was hard. Now I had to endure a quarter’s worth of pledge class, mandatory events and brotherly bonding. I passed the interview and officially became a pledge rushing AKPsi. Before I could rush the frat, I would have to pass an interview to get a bid, which would make me a pledge. The new terms rush, bid, pledge, confused me. I felt like I didn’t belong, but I made a friend that night and we decided to go through the rush process together.īefore I knew it, I was standing in my dorm room bathroom trying on the only blazer I had. The session itself was intimidating, riddled with talk about internships and business etiquette. My friend invited me to an info session, and at the time I was an impressionable freshman new to the city – I had nothing better to do. It was the first I ever heard of a co-ed fraternity and while I was intrigued, my preconceived thoughts about Greek life persisted. When I came to DePaul, my mind hadn’t changed until a friend I looked up to told me about her professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. I regarded fraternities and sororities as exclusive, cult-like and ultimately a waste of money. In fact, I ridiculed my peers for joining because I didn’t understand the appeal. Growing up, I was vehemently against Greek life.
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