by Hilary Sigler
The lower level of the University of West Georgia’s Z-6 dining hall was flooded with a variety of Greek letters on Tuesday evening, February 18. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion presented “I Went Greek: Would You?” as part of their Controversies of Culture series. The event included a panel discussion with members from the Panhellenic Council, National Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council, followed by a question and answer session.
“We have about 1,300 students that are Greeks on campus, so that is about 11.4 percent of the student body,” explains Michael Steele, assistant director for Greek Life. Although many students are involved with Greek Life, stereotypes and discrimination can occur within fraternities and sororities. The panel addressed controversial topics such as the negative connotation of Greek Life, the diversity of each fraternity and sorority, the unity of Greeks and the importance of participation after graduation.
The members of the panel offered their own viewpoints and sought to inform the audience in the differences between stereotypes and realities of what Greek Life really stands for.
“Unity is creating a long lasting bond, not just participating in an event,” adds Kelby Mitchell, who represented Delta Sigma Theta and the Panhellenic Council.
The event was co-sponsored by the UWG Greek Life Office, Panhellenic Council, National Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council. For additional information about the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, please visit www.westga.edu/diversity.
