Mary Courtney Finn, Contributing Writer
Greek Life at Sewanee has always been about more than letters on a sweatshirt or a place to go out with friends on a Saturday night. If you poll the average Greek member on campus, they will likely share a sentiment along the lines of, “Greek Life is just different here.” And they’re not wrong.
Like many others on campus, I never envisioned myself joining Greek Life, much less holding a leadership position within the Greek community, before coming to Sewanee. I held the stereotypical image of Greek Life in my head: SEC sorority members in meticulously planned outfits and choreographed dances flooding my social media feed and reinforcing an all-too-familiar narrative.
What I discovered here, however, was something very different. Greek Life at Sewanee is marked by community and creating spaces where students feel supported and empowered during their time here. Serving as Sorority Council President this year gave me the opportunity to help mold that practice. Through collaboration across chapters, campus partnerships, and a shared commitment to growth, our council strengthened the culture of Greek Life. It has been a year marked by uncertainty and surprises, but we grew stronger together, and I am profoundly grateful for that.
One of the defining challenges of this year came early. After losing our Director of Greek Life, we found ourselves in uncharted territory throughout the fall. With no clear point of guidance, we were forced to rely on one another, and every member of the Greek Council rose to the occasion. They took on responsibilities beyond their formal roles, offered their time for training and campus events and stood firm to ensure that Greek Life could function as normal. I would be remiss if I did not recognize the countless hours contributed by Dean Nicky Campbell, Carter Brown and Maya Quick to help bridge the gap. While Greek Life did not fall directly under their roles, each stepped up in meaningful ways to support our community.
In an ideal world, every PNM would receive a bid from their top organization and be welcomed with open arms. However, it is important to acknowledge that Greek Life, at its core, functions as an inherently exclusionary system. Upon deeper reflection, it involves groups of individuals, with shared interests and affiliations, convening after a few days of brief interactions with anxious , naïve peers, determining another student’s social trajectory through rapid judgments of character, appearance, and personality. It’s an uncomfortable reality, but one we must recognize if we hope to improve.
Sewanee’s system is certainly not flawless, but I choose to believe that we get it right more often than many institutions do. Growth, however, requires a willingness to confront difficult questions. With more than 1,000 Greek-affiliated students on this campus, some individuals will inevitably feel disappointed. For the Greek Council, our responsibility has been to promote the well-being and success of Greek Life as a whole. While each of us belongs to a specific organization, our loyalty ultimately lies with the broader community.
I could not be prouder of the strides our Greek community made to improve the standards and practices of all organizations. One long-standing point of contention across campus involved the differing GPA requirements for fraternities and sororities to participate in recruitment. Rather than avoiding the difficult conversation, our chapter presidents approached it with grace, empathy and understanding. By examining the historical causes of this discrepancy and collaborating, they found common ground: one that promotes equity and expands Greek Life access.
Beyond social events, Greek organizations demonstrated their broader impact on campus. Chapters maintained robust academic performances, volunteered hundreds of hours of service to the community and engaged in programming addressing pressing issues within Greek Life and broader conversations affecting our nation. Additionally, we saw a record number of students join Greek organizations, reflecting the strength of this community.
When reflecting on my time as Sorority Council President, I am filled with tremendous gratitude. Throughout uncertainty and change, I was extended a level of grace I could never repay. I feel fortunate to have worked alongside such an open-minded and progress-oriented group of chapter presidents. These individuals never hesitated to engage in difficult conversations or guide their members through moments of uncertainty.
I was equally fortunate to work alongside nine passionate and empathetic fellow executive members. As a group, we spent endless hours in meetings, making spreadsheets, and planning the next steps. These individuals took on significant commitments in their role, yet no one treated it as a burden. Rather, they approached every challenge with tenacity and vigilance, leaving Sewanee Greek life better than they found it.
As this chapter comes to a close, the feeling is bittersweet. Yet, I have full confidence that future executive councils, chapter officers and Dean Nancy Seiters will continue the challenging and necessary work of implementing meaningful change. This year’s progress was the result of many people working together, and I am proud to have been a small part of it.