Greek Life is color blind

Rachel Holman, a junior criminal justice major at the University of Southern Mississippi, is proud to be the first African-American member of the Mississippi Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Holman chose to go through College Panhellenic Council (CPC) recruitment instead of National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) recruitment because she felt that is where she fit best.

"Each of the NPHC sororities are amazing, and I have friends in each one of them, but they weren't for me," Holman said. "My cousin was a past president of Kappa Alpha Psi here, and I have two aunts that were Alpha Kappa Alphas. They love the fact that we get to share different perspectives of Greek Life. Greek Life as a whole, whether IFC, CPC or NPHC, has grown so much because they embrace people of all colors, creeds and religions."

Holman joins many young women who chose to cross boundaries and bring more diversity into the Greek system at Southern Miss. These women have joined CPC or NPHC organizations because it's simply what suited them best. Today, Greek Life at Southern Miss is composed of diverse members who look past race and see diversity, prosperity and growth.

Pi Beta Phi has welcomed members of many different ethnic backgrounds. While Holman was the first African-American woman to join Pi Phi at USM, the sorority, as a whole, has members who are Asian-American and various other ethnic backgrounds.

Aria Pendleton, a freshmen from Mobile, Ala, comes from a mixed ethnic background. She chose to go through CPC recruitment because of the process.

"I chose Pi Phi because of the diversity of the girls and the laid back feel of the house," Pendleton said. "I felt most comfortable there. Diversity is very important in Greek Life. In my opinion, sororities shouldn't base anything on one specific type of person."

Kiffani Zackery, a freshman from McDonough, Ga. went through CPC recruitment this semester and chose to become a member of Alpha Delta Pi.

"When I came home to ADPi, I knew it was the place for me," Zackery said. "I can be myself around those girls, and they've accepted me for who I am, not what I look like."

While Zackery is an African-American woman, she knew that CPC recruitment is where she would fit.

"Being from a small town with a predominately white population, I knew more about CPC than NPHC," Zackery said. "You could say my choice was made by the phrase ‘Get in where you fit in,' and I knew I fit in the CPC world."

Joslynn Araujo is a junior advertising major from Lake Village, Ark. who went through recruitment in the fall as a transfer student. She chose to become a member of Delta Delta Delta because the women of Tri Delta made her feel at home.

"I don't have to worry if they think I'm weird or doubt why they chose me," Araujo said. "I wasn't being judged at Tri Delta for going through as an upperclassman or being a transfer student."

As a woman of Hispanic descent,  Araujo said that it's important for Greek Life to be diverse.

"If Greek Life had all the same people in them, then how would a chapter be able to grow and accept new ideas?" Araujo said.

Like Araujo, nursing major Tatianna Mondaini did not go through sorority recruitment during her first semester of college. However, during her second semester, she chose to join the ladies of Phi Mu. Since her parents are from Paraguay, Mondaini thinks diversity is key to future success.

"To me, Greek Life symbolizes how people from different backgrounds and races can come together and better the community, whether it be through philanthropic events or involvement on campus," Mondaini said. "Whether we are white, African-American, Asian or Hispanic,  we all play an important role in Greek Life, and Greek Life would not be the same if it did not include so many different people in it."

Eileen Dominguez will be CPC's new president once the spring semester begins next year. Dominguez, a member of Delta Gamma, is from Mobile, Ala., and her parents are from Honduras. Dominguez said that diversity is one of Greek Life's pillars.

"We promote cultural enrichment and excel to educate our members about cultures different from ours," Dominguez said. "I think it's important that different ethnic groups are represented in all the chapters."