With their recent announcement to formally separate from the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council, the sisters of Tri-Delt have issued a wake-up call to the Greek community but have failed to adequately explain their reasoning.
This action should not go unexplained. Rather, this moment should be seized as an opportunity for serious discourse about the CFSC among the Greek community. Tri-Delt should not stand by quietly and hope that the CFSC will "develop into an organization which will better meet our needs and represent our goals" without any further intervention on their part. Tri-Delt should be vocal about the specific problems it has with the CFSC, and the council should embrace this moment for potential reform. Unfortunately, Tri-Delt's timing of its announcement near the end of the year inhibited proper discussion of the issue at hand.
The other sororities must also consider this moment seriously. While Tri-Delt's decision may be reflective of problems for sororities within the system, the next house to consider similar action should voice its concerns to the larger Greek community first. Don't be dramatic -- be productive.
Without restraint from other houses, Tri-Delt's separation may create a domino effect. If this were to occur, all Greek houses would lose their most valuable asset -- a single unified voice.
If the sororities do not feel that the CFSC is representative of their interests, then it is crucial that the CFSC examine this issue. As a governing body, the CFSC cannot necessarily reflect the exact interests of every house -- but there should be equal representation. One option to seriously consider is making representation based exactly on house membership. One sister, one brother -- one vote. Furthermore, females should run more often for CFSC officer positions, so they can take a direct leadership role.
The CFSC was successfully able to temper many of the early Initiative proposals made by the Trustees and the steering committee. This will only continue if Tri-Delt clearly explains the problems and the CFSC responds responsibly.
