The second of a series of discussions on the role and scope of Greek life on Swarthmore’s campus will take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Friends Meetinghouse.
Joyce Wu ’15, who created the original petition for a referendum on the existence of Greek life, said that facilitators would introduce one or two questions to participants. These questions would be selected from broader topics of exclusivity, social dynamics, and benefits and drawbacks of Greek life, according to Wu.
While one of the co-editors-in-chief of The Daily Gazette, Max Nesterak ’13, facilitated the first discussion last Thursday night, Wu said that Assistant Dean and Director of the Black Cultural Center Karlene Burrell-McRae will tentatively facilitate Friday’s talk, though the decision has not been finalized.
According to Wu, Burrell-McRae is trained in discussion facilitation and was a popular choice among those planning the talk. “She is also very good at getting people to come up with concrete goals rather than just discussing things all the time, which Swatties are wont to do,” Wu said.
Dina Zingaro ’13, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, said she hoped the meetings would continue to facilitate positive, open, face-to-face dialogue among students. Zingaro hopes that Theta members will be able to better introduce themselves to the student body, along with what she and other Theta members see as a unique brand of Greek life.
“In our meetings, we use the term ‘Swarthmorize’ a lot, which for us means to align Theta’s values with Swarthmore’s credo of activism, awareness of social and environmental issues, and really offering something back to the community,” Zingaro said. She hopes that the discussions of Greek life will help the entire student body to “Swarthmorize” Theta and shape the sorority’s role on campus in a positive fashion.
“All of us want the same thing: an inclusive student body that recognizes and fosters diversity of interests and backgrounds,” Zingaro concluded.
Wu said that she hopes participants will leave Friday’s discussion with tangible objectives. “I would like to come out of it with some concrete goals and maybe even some proposals of how to achieve these goals,” she said.
