Five of nine Panhellenic Council executives will abstain from sorority recruitment this winter. Forgoing recruitment for one term, participating executives said, could provide the council with time to develop policy to improve the Greek system internally. Their abstention also aims to shed light on socioeconomic and racial inequalities that several executives say pervade the Greek system.
“Our act is not meant to be a call for the end of the Greek system, or a way to blame sororities for [the] problems that exist,” Panhell president Eliana Piper ’14, who will abstain from recruitment, said in an emailed statement. “Rather, after over a year in our positions, we’ve noticed that there’s a culture of silence around issues and an inability to get to the root of the problems to try and make long-term solutions.”
The statement aims to increase discussion in the Greek system about socioeconomic, race and gender issues, said Kate Shelton ’14, a Panhell programming chair who will also abstain. These issues are often pushed aside during recruitment as members seek to draw potential new members to their houses, she said. Winter recruitment is scheduled for next week.
By abstaining from recruitment, Panhell vice president Michelle Khare ’14 said she hopes to shed light on problems within the Greek system, including sexual assault, alcohol abuse, racism, sexism and classism.
“We morally don’t feel comfortable putting more people into a system like this,” Khare said.
Each year, Panhell executives spend two out of their three terms in leadership focused on recruitment. Without winter recruitment, the council could have more time to develop policy.
“We need time to focus on these issues before we can allow more women to enter the system,” Jennifer Gargano ’14, the council’s vice president of public relations, said. Gargano will also abstain from recruitment.
Two executives confirmed that many women who drop out of the recruitment process cite financial reasons for doing so.
If the College is going to be supportive of Greek life, it must ensure that the system is financially inclusive, Khare said.
Based on fall 2012 figures, the most recent available data, new member sorority dues average $482 wet and $457 dry, while general chapter dues average $304 wet and $281 dry for subsequent terms.
For the past year, Panhell has developed a scholarship program to support women who would like to join sororities but do not have the financial means to do so. Centralizing a scholarship system through Panhell would make alumni donations tax deductible and simplify the process by sidestepping the different regulations held by national sororities, Piper said.
Addressing issues of racism within the Greek system is also crucial, abstaining Panhell executives said.
Across houses, women of color disproportionately choose to go inactive or disassociate, Piper said.
The system, though “purported to be welcoming,” is self-selecting and exclusive, Khare said.
“As senior women on the Panhellenic Council, we have the voice to speak up about this silence that perpetuates these inequities and inequalities,” Shelton said.
The group also hopes to bring attention to the issue of sexual assault.
The five Panhell executives’ decision has the potential to impact the logistics of the winter recruitment process. According to Panhell bylaws, the full recruitment team — which includes the president, vice president of operations and both vice presidents of recruitment — must be present anytime the computer system is being used for inserting recruitment numbers.
Sorority presidents were notified of the decision by email on Wednesday evening. The presidents met later that night and agreed to inform their houses at chapter meetings. Panhell is planning on meeting as a group with sorority presidents this evening, Piper said.
Several other Panhell executives could not be reached for comment.
Staff writer Jessica Avitabile contributed reporting to this article.
