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No point…the link is to a .pdf, which is like a snapshot of a document. It’s all on one sheet - I can’t take out the GPAs to show just the population.</p>
<p>@oldmom4896, I’ll be glad to translate in a little while, got to go to work!</p>
<p>I see. The GPA data might make for an interesting discussion though.</p>
<p>"LOHR: Matthew Hughey is an African-American studies professor at the University of Connecticut. He says schools don’t suddenly become inclusive after a long history of segregation. Having black women pledge sororities at the University of Alabama is a step. But he says it may be largely a symbolic one unless inequities are addressed across the board.</p>
<p>HUGHEY: Until equal resources are afforded to all of the Greek organizations on campus in terms of housing, in terms of advisers, in terms of the culture of the university, and in recruiting students and in retaining students and so forth, anything less to me is window dressing and is homage to political correctness, and trying to make this issue go out of the media cycle." </p>
<p>Mr. Hughey’s comments are particularly interesting when viewed in light of the progress his own university, the University of Connecticut, appears to have made in achieving the laudable ends he advocates. A quick review of the websites of each of the NPC sororities at UConn shows that they are roughly as diverse as the pre-COB University of Alabama chapters of the same sororities. </p>
<p>Moreover, UConn seems deaf to his call to provide equal resources in terms of housing. In fact, UConn seems to provided more university resources to housing essentially all white sororities than the University of Alabama. At the University of Alabama the extent of University assistance in providing Greek housing is limited to providing low cost leases and favorable loans. The chapters themselves fund the construction of their houses. At UConn, the university actually paid for the sorority houses, which house only the NPC sororities. It doesn’t appear that similar housing is available for the NPHC and multicultural greek sororities. </p>
<p>Hopefully Mr. Hughey has made a call to his own administration to address this situation at his school and NPR is preparing a story on the diversity of Greek life at UConn. The events of the last week have made it clear that achieving true diversity in Greek life is an issue that must be addressed nationally – not just at the University of Alabama.</p>
<p>NPR should have challenged him, but like I said previously, it’s NPR and it’s Alabama, so what do you expect?</p>
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<p>Well, how about that? Right there in the Northeast.</p>
<p>Dr. Bonner has been handed a gift horse that, if she has the nerve and stamina to ride it to the finish line, will result (irony of ironies) in Alabama being a national leader in fostering (no pun intended) racial integration. Let’s send her all the encouragement and mojo we can muster.</p>
<p>To borrow from my favorite Mary Chapin Carpenter lyric, “Accidents and inspiration lead you to your destination.”</p>
<p>Also, to quote from Mary Chapin-Carpenter “sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug”.</p>
<p>But the truth is that the south IS far more integrated in reality than the north. I say this having lived in both places. </p>
<p>The scrutiny on the south has caused it to be a far more integrated place. In the north, people live in white suburban ghettos. Wealthy ghettos with no people of color at all. </p>
<p>The census data shows this very clearly </p>
<p>It wouldn’t surprise me at all for UA to end up with a far more integrated Greek system and still be criticized by those with kids at northern schools. </p>
<p>But it’s better. For UA and for the students. </p>
<p>When my husband moved north. He was shocked by the lack of African Americans he encountered. He always laughed at people who asked him about southern racism and asked them how many friends of color they’d had at their sleepovers growing up. </p>
<p>Kudos to UA for doing something, for BEING the change other people only talk about.</p>
<p>^^^This! Perfect poetgirl…</p>
<p>yes, the self righteousness among non-Southerners on the issue of race is nauseating</p>
<p>I lived in Los Angeles for nine years, and very few Whites live next to or socialize with AAs. Maybe with Latinos, but those are typically upper class Latinos with lighter skin.</p>
<p>“For sure, the Greek membership skews toward the wealthier students”, by oldmom</p>
<p>Correct me if I am wrong, but does not being able to AFFORD TO ATTEND COLLEGE in the first place skew towards the wealthier students?</p>
<p>OK, the boss has gone to lunch.</p>
<p>IFC = Interfraternity Council. These are the men’s traditionally white fraternities on campus. I believe there is a Christian fraternity that is a part of this council.</p>
<p>APA (also NPC) = Alabama Panhellenic Association, which is part of the National Panhellenic Conference. NPC is an association of 26 women’s fraternities and sororities. APA is an association of UA’s women’s fraternities and sororities. They include 18 NPC sororities plus Alpha Delta Chi, a Christian sorority that does not participate in formal recruitment.</p>
<p>NPHC = National Pan-Hellenic Council. An association of the traditionally black men’s AND women’s Greek leadership organizations. Some of these groups are housed. AKA has a small house on sorority row. Some are not housed. Some occupy university-owned housing on new fraternity row.</p>
<p>UGC = United Greek Council. An association of men’s and women’s groups that are not part of the IFC, NPHC, nor APA. There are two multicultural groups currently on UA’s campus. Sigma Lambda Gamma is a sorority for women, and Sigma Lambda Beta is a fraternity for men. I believe that last year there was a Latina sorority, but I don’t see it mentioned this year. These groups (usually) are not housed.</p>
<p>Many Texas and Western US schools have several Greek Latino sororities and fraternities. California and some other states have Greek groups for Asian-Americans. Some of these groups are local-one chapter groups; some are regional with several chapters; some are national with chapters across the country.</p>
<p>Google “fraternity” or “sorority” and you’ll find a huge variety of Greek letter groups in colleges, and not just single sex. Many are coed. And of course there are academic Greek-letter groups with subject and grade requirements. There are band fraternities and sororities for marching band members (found at Auburn but not, cuirously, at Alabama). And Greek-letter service groups which also have a strong social element (there are a number of groups of this nature at Auburn). And professional groups. Alabama’s engineering fraternity, Theta Tau, has parties as legendary as any IFC group’s…or so I hear ;).</p>
<p>Some schools may not have Greek-letter groups, but students often form similarly-functioning groups. They may call them dining clubs, or literary societies, or study clubs, or even drinking clubs. These are also found in Europe.</p>
<p>Those that are so quick to JUDGE OTHERS based on their ZIP CODE and/or social club they may be a member of are just as guilty if not more so than the ones they are pointing fingers at. Remember, when you point your finger at someone there are 3 pointing right back at YOU. </p>
<p>Poetgirl, you are 100% spot on!!! I can tell you that even being white I have encountered some form of discrimination when traveling to places like the Northeast and California just for being FROM TEXAS. So much for their so called “progressive thinking”. I too have found the south to be much more integrated and people from all walks to get along and be friendly to each other regardless of skin color, religion, etc. FTR, just for humor, believe it or not that I have still been asked if we ride horses everywhere when I’ve been in California. SERIOUSLY! Do these people not know… it blows my mind that there are some people that still believe some of the things they do. Maybe if they got out of their little box they have put themselves in and gone out into the big wide world or even traveled this country they might not be so ignorant.</p>
<p>So true.
Try telling people you’re from Alabama.
I’ve seen people actually step back from me…AFTER chatting amiably for quite a while.</p>
<p>Southlander, my DH is from Alabama. It is crazy!!! I was in a shop in California once and the lady was all nice and all then when she found out I was from Texas she practically ran the other way and would not even check me out. Guess my money was not the same green as hers. Then the whole accent comments, “where are YOU from?” said in snide voices. Me, with a big HUGE grin and a sweet dripping with honey voice will respond, “TEXAS!” Yep, trying to tell US we are bad people and all just because of our zip code yet they are the ones acting like self rightious hypocrites.</p>
<p>Try being from the “toothless, shoeless” Commonwealth of Kentucky. And thanks to KY native Diane Sawyer for her Mountain Dew expose a few years ago on eastern Kentucky. She managed to perpetuate our image as uneducated, banjo playing, Dew swigging idiots.
I once had a traveling theatre organization ask me if our roads were paved, as they would be arriving to my town in large trucks. Yikes!!
On another note, my DD is very happy with the recruitment changes at UA.</p>
<p>I just looked at the link Southlander posted of GLO statisitcs. For the spring of 2013 there were 4481 women in the NPC sororities, and 123 in the NPHC sororities. That leads me to believe than not many AA women are interested in Greek life regardless of the type of house. From what I understand, traditionally less than 4-8 AA women go through NPC recruitment each year. I also understand that once they do, the NPHC houses won’t pledge them either. I haven’t heard that discussed here.
Anyway, the change was long coming, and hopefully it will continue.</p>
<p>As a native Texan who has lived in Europe & the midwest, I can tell you by far THE most segregated place we’ve ever lived is north of Chicago. Great schools, great neighborhoods, but it is the most whitebread place I have ever seen. I’m also shocked to see how quickly locals will make cracks, thinking it’s ok because I’m a southerner. It irritates the tar out of me when someone wants to tell a racist story and puts on a southern accent…I usually say, oh it’s ok, you can use your Chicago accent, because I’ve seen more racism here than I did in Houston.</p>
<p>Re: folks looking cross-eyed at Texans, hate to say this but some of that is self inflicted. When our beloved state keep sending fools to Washington the likes of Ted “Green Eggs & Ham” Cruz & Louie Gomert…it’s no small wonder.</p>
<p>I’m from the north and I like TX. Then again, I also like Ted and Louie. :)</p>
<p>Thank you malani and Southlander for correctly characterizing the NPC sororities as “majority white” or “traditionally white.” While I did listen to the entire NPR piece they offended me right off the bat with the reference to “all white sororities” since that statement is completely false.
Granted, much greater diversity is needed at UA, as well as elsewhere, but competely dismissing our daughters of Asian, Southeast Asian, Hispanic, Afro-Carribean and Bi-Racial heritage that are in the NPC organizations at Alabama is offensive as well.<br>
Regarding housing resourses, with the shuffle of houses that will continue in the next few years it is a terrific opportunity for the UA to bring Delta Sigma Theta (NPHC) to Sorority Row and bring Sigma Delta Tau (NPC) back. I believe that in the plans for Sorority Row Alpha Kappa Alpha’s house was to be expanded.</p>
<p>To my knowledge, it was only AA’s who have allegedly been denied admittance to sororities because of race.</p>