She existed as an average, white female in a predominantly white neighborhood. She attended an all-girl, Catholic school with only two black students in her class. So when Ashley Pastorek, dairy science senior, joined the historically black Zeta Phi Beta sorority, it was a decision that confused many. The Greek system is perhaps the most recognizable sign of the University’s racial partitions – split among the traditionally white Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council and the historically black National Pan-Hellenic Council. But Pastorek defied the “traditional” Greek route for a white female, instead becoming the only white member of her sorority. “I found a family,” Pastorek said. “I’ve never been so close with people before I was in this organization. I love it. I truly love Zeta Phi Beta.”
BREAKING THE MOLD Zeta Phi Beta peaked Pastorek’s interest because her boyfriend, a black University student, is a member of Phi Beta Sigma – Zeta Phi Beta’s brother fraternity. “Nobody really cares [that I’m white]. We’re accepting of anybody,” Pastorek said. “I had looked [at traditionally white sororities], but it didn’t appeal to me really.” Michael Henix, biological sciences junior, also took an alternate path when pursuing Greek life. Henix, a black male, joined the IFC fraternity Phi Delta Theta during its 2005 re-founding period. Approximately 14 percent of Phi Delta Theta’s members are minorities, Henix said. “I know there are just a few minorities sprinkled through the IFC,” Henix said. “But not many, not many at all.” Henix said he considered joining an NPHC fraternity but decided the opportunities within Phi Delta Theta were too numerous to decline. He also cited a minority mentality he carried during his life – through predominantly white elementary, middle and high schools. “My whole life I’ve been the minority. Just to be around, I guess you could say, ‘my people,’ I’ve thought about it often,” Henix said. “It would have been great, you know, not to feel like the minority in the group. I’m not saying that I feel that way with Phi Delta Theta. I found a great thing.”
DIVERSITY The Office of Greek Affairs does not keep racial statistics because race is not part of the application process, said Jonathan Sanders, assistant director of Greek Affairs. But Sanders confirmed that only a small number of minority students are integrated within the respective councils. “I think that all councils need to be open to diversity. Just because NPHC is traditionally African-American doesn’t mean it’s exclusively for African-American students,” Sanders said. “Same with IFC fraternities and [PHC] sororities. I think the more diverse you are, the more people learn from each other.” Henix said he hopes to encourage increased minority recruitment within IFC fraternities, but racial issues may be difficult roadblocks to integration. “You still have that mindset in Louisiana, especially southern Louisiana, that, you know, we have to be separate,” Henix said. The “mindset” Henix references might be why racial divisions within Greek organizations are difficult to discuss. Most IFC and PHC organizations that The Daily Reveille contacted, including Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Alpha Order, Pi Kappa Phi and Alpha Gamma Rho, did not return calls or e-mails regarding the issue. Chris Lebeuf, a white political science senior and president of IFC fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, said his fraternity has one minority member – a Filipino-American. “We give everyone the same amount of consideration as everyone else,” Lebeuf said. Lebeuf said it is “very hard to speculate” why so few minorities are integrated within the IFC. “Maybe some students aren’t comfortable with being a super minority,” Lebeuf said. But Lebeuf addressed segregation between NPHC and IFC fraternities, saying that he has not “noticed too much change” during four years in his fraternity. “It’s so hard to get people out of their comfort zone,” Lebeuf said. “It would be very difficult.” PHC sororities also deal with diversity issues. Alanna Heinrichs, a white mathematics sophomore, is a member of the PHC sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. Heinrichs said her fellow sorority member Whitney Breaux, a minority within PHC, proves that sororities should take chances with minority members. “She’s one of the most phenomenal people I’ve met in my life,” Heinrichs said. Breaux and Kappa Alpha Theta President Ashley Daughdrill declined to comment for this story. Heinrichs said diversity is improving, as Kappa Alpha Theta participated in fall of 2005 in a social event with NPHC organizations Omega Phi Psi and Alpha Kappa Alpha. “We called it ‘Salt and Pepper,'” Heinrichs said. “It’s the most fun exchange I’ve ever been to. It was so inclusive.” But Heinrichs said some minorities may feel as if they are “putting themselves on the line for rejection” by going through PHC recruitment. “I’ve come across people involved in Greek organizations that think color is a factor that should matter,” Heinrichs said.
INTEGRATION Henix said Greek Affairs administrators have impending plans to further unify the three councils. Sanders confirmed these plans, which include a Homecoming cook-out for all Greek councils. Angela Guillory, director of Greek Affairs, said all councils participate in Greek Week and an EMPOWER weekend leadership retreat, but increased integration is planned. “Right now the informal conversation taking place is the involvement of NPHC groups with IFC and PHC groups in Homecoming activities,” Guillory said. University MBA graduate student Justin Morehead implemented similar integration techniques during his undergraduate years at the University of Louisville. Morehead was the Phi Beta Sigma chapter president and NPHC president for two years at Louisville. “We really took more strides of working more with IFC and Panhellenic there,” Morehead said. “By the time I left, we had really built a stronger rapport with the three organizations.” Morehead said NPHC organizations originally struggled for equal treatment within the Greek system. “Basic communication flows weren’t there. We had a general Greek director that was supposedly over all of the Greeks, but she really paid more attention to IFC and Panhellenic,” Morehead said. But when a new NPHC adviser was hired, Morehead said immediate changes were made, including joint Greek Weeks and step shows. Morehead even organized a joint party with his fraternity and Sigma Chi, an IFC organization. “This was a really big deal in Louisville. People still talk about it. I like to brag about it a little bit,” Morehead said with a laugh. “It was a really big party – over 1,000 people there.”
HISTORY AND RECRUITMENT Although the NPHC was formed in 1930, the University didnot have an NPHC chapter until 1993. In contrast, Guillory said IFC and PHC were introduced on the University’s campus in the 1950s, but some IFC fraternities and PHC sororities have existed for more than 150 years within the University. Barry Whittington, a black biology senior, joined the NPHC fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha in 2004. Whittington, Alpha Phi Alpha immediate past president, said the fraternity was founded in 1906 at Cornell University, a predominantly white college, as a way for black men to unite. Whittington said the University’s chapter has had one white member since its founding in the early 1990s. “When there are people that are not of African-American descent wanting to join a traditionally black fraternity, I say, once again, that’s fine. I always warn people that you have to make sure it’s something you really want to do,” Whittington said. “Because there’s going to be some people out there that are not going to be happy with it. Some people may feel that you can’t understand the whole history of our fraternities and sororities if you’re not black. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m very liberal in that aspect.” When seeking new members, IFC and PHC organizations take a more formal route than NPHC organizations. Recruitment is generally one week at the beginning of the fall semester, and the process involves registration, selection ballots and orientation-like leaders designed to ease the recruitment process. NPHC’s recruitment, however, is informal, consisting mainly of spring programs and informational parties. New NPHC members, sometimes called “neophytes” or “neos,” go through “membership intake” and are assigned a line number, Morehead said. The line, which includes all members joining the fraternity, is usually organized by ascending height. “My particular line had 12 people,” Whittington said. Whittington and Morehead said before anti-hazing laws were enacted, lines were used for physical initiation rituals.
HOUSING Alpha Phi Alpha is the only NPHC organization with a campus residence. The house is situated near the IFC fraternity houses of Kappa Alpha, Alpha Gamma Rho and Lambda Chi Alpha. “It’s almost indicative of how blacks and whites on this campus interact on a daily basis. We have such a small black population in this school that it’s like we’re separate, but it’s not like it’s bothering anyone,” Whittington said. “It’s just the way it is.” Whittington said communication is limited. “There’s really no interaction besides walking past. Just cause, I guess, you want to talk to people that you feel more comfortable talking to,” Whittington said. “So you know, the two groups really don’t share that much in common, so the people don’t feel the need to interact, which is sad because we’re at an age and at a point of time where we should move toward progression.” Guillory acknowledged that IFC and PHC organizations have more campus-wide presence, since houses create a physical presence. “The conversations come up every semester,” Guillory said. “Every NPHC group would like to be housed. The biggest issue is the financing.”
THE FUTURE This fall Alpha Phi Alpha will participate in Homecoming festivities with Sigma Alpha, a PHC sorority, and Scotch Guard. “We’re making steps,” Whittington said. “It’s not going to change overnight. You have to change the mindset with small things like that.” Henix said his experience as a black male within an IFC fraternity has been primarily positive. When looking to the future, Henix said change will be slow but possible if all organizations and Greek Affairs administrators are “on the same page.” “I don’t feel any pressure from anybody saying, ‘Why didn’t you join a black fraternity?’ or ‘Why are you with those white people?'” Henix said. “When I first jumped in, I thought that was what was going to happen. But it hasn’t. And I don’t regret it.” But Whittington remains slightly skeptical about diversity improvement within a “conservative” campus. “I think we can get by. I don’t think it’s ever going to work together. You have to change people’s mindsets. And that’s the hardest thing to change,” Whittington said. “It will survive. Now will it be all love and doves everywhere? No. It will never be that. But it can get better.”
—–Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]