According to Sigma Psi Delta President and campus leader Hugh Stellar, SPD isn’t like the fraternities you hear about in the news.
“Our frat is nothing like the stereotypes the media likes to portray,” the senior business major said. “We are committed to acceptance and promoting individuality. Even though we are rooted in a system that prioritizes tradition over diversity, we’re able to overcome that obstacle and lovingly accept members by the same arbitrary methods as our brothers before us.”
Stellar understands that Greek life gets a bad reputation for racially and socially discriminating against potential members, but believes “you just can’t generalize an entire system.” Stellar also said he considers SPD to be the most progressive of all the fraternities on campus.
“I have personally never felt like we marginalized any individual or group of people. Anyone who can pay, and attend chapter and the other required events, is free to be my brother,” said Stellar. “It’s quite liberating.”
When asked what SPD would do if a pledge didn’t want to do something or felt uncomfortable, Stellar said, “We would always encourage the pledge to step aside while we continue that ritual without him.” On the topic of the pledging process as a whole, Stellar insisted, “Pledges are excited about the prospect of brotherhood and show that appreciation through an adherence to ritual.”
Beyond topics of inclusion and diversity, Stellar refuted any claim that his fraternity contributed to sexual assault and misogynistic hook-up culture.
“I’ve never felt like mixers were just a heteronormative party made for hooking up. Mixers are definitely not for courting a girl—that’s what date parties are for,” Stellar said. “I’m sure a lot of fraternities put significant weight on the mixer scene, but I think it’s a great way to meet new people—as long as those new people just so happen to be sorority sisters.”
Stellar also stressed the importance of keeping the brotherhood alive by retaining all members—even those with doubts.
“If, after being admitted, someone feels dissatisfied with our fraternity, we try our absolute best to keep them around. We’ll offer a limited status where someone gets to pay less for less mixing opportunities. It’s just so important to keep everyone hooked. We’ll pull out all the stops. It would be a shame if a friend of mine disaffiliated and was no longer my friend.”
With reference to sorority culture, Stellar said, “My girlfriend tells me her sorority is full of feminists, and I guess that’s something I don’t understand. Based on what I know, that just doesn’t make any sense to me.”
