Chloe Burdette
Editor in Chief
On Thursday, Sept. 17, the student body received an email administered by two sororities on campus, Kappa Epsilon Zeta (KEZ) and Delta Theta Psi (Theta). The email detailed the new event series that the groups will unveil within the next few weeks called “G.R.E.E.K. — Generating Respect, Empowerment, Efficacy (and) Knowledge.” As described in the email, the series was created in response to Wooster Greek Life’s silence and lack of accountability on many social issues, such as homophobia, racism and sexual harassment — all concerns that have impacted certain Wooster students directly.
Explaining the rationale behind creating this series, KEZ President Maresa Tate ’21 said, “I want us to be held accountable. I want us to actively listen to people. I want us to call each other out.” Tate continued, “I want us to not dismiss and disregard others’ experiences simply because it is not our own. I want Inter-Greek Council (IGC) to enact policy changes that ensure the space is welcoming for all — whether you are in Greek Life or not. It doesn’t matter who started it, but who will continue it and who is open to the uncomfortable reality that we have all been perpetrators of discrimination, bias and harassment whether we know it or not, or whether we like it or not.”
Anyone, regardless of their affiliation with Wooster Greek Life, was invited to attend the event.
The series comes as a response to many concerns that The College of Wooster students and alumni posted to @blackncac, an Instagram page where BIPOC students and faculty of schools in the North Coast Athletic Conference can share their experiences and have an opportunity to amplify their voices.
“In late August, a first-year student from Wooster anonymously shared their feelings and experiences on the @blackncac account and Wooster Greek Life was mentioned,” Camille Carr ’22, co-diversity chair for Theta, stated. “I was unimpressed with how unnecessarily defensive Wooster folks can get when BIPOC students share their stories of being disenfranchised and marginalized.”
Olivia Friedman ’22, the other diversity co-chair for Theta, echoed Carr’s statement. “I am tired of performative responses without real acknowledgment of Greek Life’s role in the issues and the willingness to change,” Friedman said. “This occurs in my group as well, as it does in every group on campus, and we wanted to create a space where people can be heard, really heard, and change can arise from it.”
The first event in the series, titled “Creating an Anti-Racist Space in Greek Life,” was held on Sept. 20 on Microsoft Teams. The event was moderated by impartial non-Greek member Cesar Oswaldo Lopez ’21 to ensure discussion would stay safe, productive and efficient.
Megan Gronau ’21, president of Theta, described the first half of the event’s agenda. “We created an anonymous survey where both Greek members and non-Greek members could share their stories,” Gronau stated. “A few of the stories were shared at the event, with the permission of the individual. At this event, and all events to follow, people are able to speak their truth directly in the meeting.”
Lopez, who facilitated the meeting, explained the role he played in the second half of the event. “I facilitated a series of questions that arose in response to stories shared via the @BlackNCAC Instagram account, primarily aimed towards the hosts of the evening, but also addressed to the largely Greek audience present,” he said. At the conclusion of the event, he added, “I think the evening was a good start to necessary conversations that are being demanded on campus, especially in reckoning with the environment that Greek Life creates at The College of Wooster.”
Along with Lopez as the moderator, Carr, Friedman and Gronau helped plan the event from Theta while KEZ Diversity Chair Catera Clark ’21 and Sexual Assault Representative Kennedey Bell ’21 aided in the discussion and planning of the event. IGC Co-President Isabella Ilievski ’21 appreciated all of the work that was contributed to start this series. “I’m looking forward to the positive change this series can make,” Ilievski said. I hope every Greek group will attend the future events as change is needed in everyone.”
Upon reflection of the event, Carr hopes that the College and, most significantly, the Greek community, can take accountability. “I really hope we can become better at taking responsibility for racism that has taken place in the past by at least listening to people and not letting our defensiveness rule our actions — this is the least people can do. I think blatantly dismissing or gaslighting someone when they are being vulnerable and sharing their racial trauma is messed up,” she said. Tate added, “I want change to not be something just said, but done.”
