The Student Association presidential race has gone greek.  Next week, Syracuse University students will select their preferred president and vice presidential duo to lead SA starting in 2014. But regardless of which team is chosen, at least a single member of SU’s greek community will ascend to one of the organization’s top positions.

For the non-greek like myself, this situation may seem far less than ideal. Stereotypes about collegiate greek lifestyles tell those on the outside that being greek is about wildly themed parties and hoodies donning blocked letters across the chest. When thinking about this demographic, leading the most vital student organization is not a characteristic that quickly comes to mind.

But in meeting this year’s presidential race contenders, I found there is more to greek life than typical labels suggest. In fact, having a greek-minded president can actually benefit the student body.

In November 2011, Dylan Lustig was elected the first greek president in approximately 10 years. Allie Curtis followed suit, becoming SA’s leader of the 57th session while identifying as a Kappa Kappa Gamma sister.

The greek community plays no set role in the election each year, as a fluctuation of greek involvement is evident from one session to the next, Curtis said.

This season, greek life is having the most advantageous effect on the SA presidential election yet.

The presence of at least one greek candidate on each team means greek electors will be forced to choose a candidate on more substantial qualities than their greek identifier.

Like Lustig, presidential candidates Duane Ford and Boris Gresely are brothers of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. The fraternity rallied strongly behind Lustig in his campaign, but is now staying away from publicized endorsements between the brothers. Ford and Gresely’s mutual decision to not involve the fraternity was the correct choice.

Vice presidential candidates Simone Goldslager — running with presidential contender Ivan Rosales — and Daniela Lopez — aligning with Gresely — are members of Alpha Phi and Sigma Delta Tau, respectively.

It is clearly impossible for the greek community to back one team with a clear majority simply because of a candidate’s greek status, therefore forcing more of SU’s student body to become aware of the actual issues.

Rosales said greek students are now becoming more involved in campus politics. The Interfraternity Council recently hosted a debate to encourage more students to become informed.

“Greek life wants the best from SA, because when push comes to shove, they are beginning to learn what SA can do to help and support them,” Lustig said.

Because each pairing is aware of greek issues on campus, all three have plans for addressing these concerns if elected and are universally identifying the community’s issues in the campaign process.

Ford said it is essential to bridge the gap between the greek and non-greek communities and also between greek students and the administration.

The university has stereotypes about greek partying priorities and campus media tends to capture greek life in a negative light, Ford argued. He said greek students are at fault by isolating themselves with fellow greeks, which allows the trench to widen. This disconnect is captured in the attendance of greek-sponsored philanthropy events, which the candidates contended only greek students usually attend.

Gresely identified this as a component of SU’s self-segregation issue — a problem both he and opponent Rosales have promoted concrete plans to address through leader summits and town hall meetings, respectively.

The involvement of greeks in student government has its advantages that the candidates need to utilize, including social, philanthropic and leadership connections to promote important, achievable ideas for revamping a student government in need of a new direction.

But, it is also imperative that the next team of SA leaders puts the organization before their greek houses.

And for the non-greek, don’t fret about representation. The Greeks invented democracy.

Rachael Barillari is a senior political science and Middle Eastern studies major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at rebarill@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @R_Barillari.

 

Published on November 7, 2013 at 1:57 am