Diversity in Fraternities

Jake Wamble

Journalism 102

Final

Diversity in Fraternities

Diversity has been an issue at the University of Mississippi for a long time, but Ole Miss is becoming increasingly diverse. It is now home to students and professors with very different cultural and religious backgrounds.

The Greek Community on campus is no exception.

Fraternities at Ole Miss were once almost completely white, but they are steadily becoming more multi-cultural.

“I have a Cuban background and I found it very easy to fit into the Greek system at Ole Miss,” said Sophomore Eduardo Montalvo.

The Sigma Nu fraternity now has multiple members with different ethnic backgrounds. This is different from years past when there was almost no cultural diversity.

Most fraternity members like the fact that their fraternity is becoming increasingly diverse.

“I like the fact that the fraternities on campus are changing,” said Robert Coffin. “I think having friends from different backgrounds is interesting and cool.”

A key reason the fraternities are changing is because the school has changed as a whole. Ole Miss now boasts more out of state students than it ever has before.

“I meet kids that come from all over the United States,” said Rush Chairman Robert Corban. “I get a chance to get to know and hang out with a lot of different people, it is very interesting.

The United States is a unique, diverse place. The University of Mississippi has not always fit that description, but it is well on its way.

“It was the flagship school in what was then the most defiantly white supremacist state in the union. Now, Ole Miss is a diverse university where racial conflict is a topic for history classes rather than a fact of everyday life…” The Associated Press, Sept. 20, 2008.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1661801/multicultural_fraternities_sororities.html?cat=4