Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

Our statement below is a continuation of the sentiments expressed in an Instagram post earlier this week. We feel it is important to reiterate our support and continue to be advocates for change.

Dear Greek Members,

Our thoughts are with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Desmond Franklin, and countless others that have been impacted by police brutality and systemic oppression. The Interfraternity Congress and Panhellenic Council at Case Western Reserve University condemn acts of racism, violence, and injustice. We strongly affirm that Black Lives Matter.

CWRU Greek Life represents a myriad of backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. We value diversity, inclusivity, and equality within all communities. However, we acknowledge that Greek Life has a predominantly white history. While our campus has become more diverse, it is our responsibility to carry our Greek community in the same direction. To our brothers and sisters of color and the Black community, we admit that we may never be able to understand the extent of your pain, but we are committed to uplifting your voices. We hear you, we see you, and we stand behind you.

We stand by our chapters, we stand by our members, and we will continue doing our part to stand by those seeking to promote equality. As we look to support members of our community and movements for all communities, we must also look inwards. How have we fostered diversity? What steps have we taken to make the Greek experience more inclusive? How have these two values created a greater sense of equality? Last year, we as a community passed a community standard that asks chapters to explore various lenses of identity through respectful discussion. Now, more than ever, this initiative has the potential to bring awareness to a large systemic problem that is ingrained in our country. We understand that programming alone is not enough, but it is a step in the right direction. From its creation just three years ago, the Inclusion Committee has focused on bringing structural change to chapters by creating inclusion positions on executive boards. Programs like Sustained Dialogue, an initiative that presented an opportunity for members to discuss what it meant to be Greek, gave students a voice while providing a platform for honest, boundary-breaking discussions. This is just the beginning of the action we plan to take in order to foster a more inclusive space.

Currently, our co-chairs Davu Keels and Rachel Bobko of the Inclusion Committee are diligently working to create an opportunity for us to come together and engage in a dialogue around racial inequality. Furthermore, they are planning to create spaces for marginalized students, to work to recognize historical injustices enacted by the Greek community and to prioritize inclusion in the PHC/IFC umbrella. As leaders, we carry the responsibility of educating ourselves on how to navigate these tough conversations. While we prepare ourselves to host this dialogue, we ask all of you to start conversations, contribute to ongoing discussions, raise awareness, and hold yourselves accountable for your actions. Inaction is not an option.

Our rituals may compel us to act in different ways, but they are 30 versions of one common goal: to apply our Greek experience in the service of others for the betterment of all. We have a responsibility to use our experience to reflect on our rights and privileges, to empower others, to engage with our world, to educate ourselves, and to find ways to support meaningful efforts towards racial justice.

As the situation changes day by day, we will continue to adjust accordingly; but our support for the Black community will remain unchanged. We recognize that we do not have all the answers. Your engagement as Greek members is critical in helping us find ways to support the movement towards a more equal and inclusive future. Lend us your voice and share your thoughts on how IFC and PHC can continue to make CWRU Greek Life a safer, more diverse, and more accepting space for all.

Sincerely,

Interfraternity Congress and Panhellenic Council Executive Board Members
John Garcia, Interfraternity Congress President
Himica Kalra, Panhellenic Council President
Maeve Salm, Greek Community Educational Consultant
Nathan Ruhde, Interfraternity Congress Vice President of Citizenship
Vivian Hua, IFC/PHC Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Morgan Hyun, Panhellenic Council VP Recruitment
Rachel Bobko, Co-chair of Inclusion Committee
Caroline Sachse, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
Allison Whitacre, Panhellenic Vice President of Citizenship
Johnny Kass, Interfraternity Congress Vice President of Administration
Cameron Farmer, IFC/PHC Vice President of Finance
Davu Keels, Co-chair of Inclusion Committee
Dominic Orosa, IFC/PHC Secretary, Campus Relations Chair
Krai Gund, Vice President of Recruitment and Retention

National Pan-Hellenic Council Chapter Presidents
Tasha Johnson, Zeta Chapter, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Interfraternity Congress and Panhellenic Council Chapter Presidents
Georgia Kralovich, Pi Beta Phi President
Gianna Madaio, Alpha Gamma Delta President
Emily Howell, Sigma Sigma Sigma President
Gretchen Weiss, Kappa Alpha Theta President
Ethan Chen, Zeta Psi President
Mark Fox, Delta Tau Delta President
Audric Wertz, Phi Delta Theta President
Mike Komarovsky, Sigma Nu President
Aritra Chakraborty, Delta Chi President
Xavier Yozwiak, Delta Sigma Phi President
Clayton Cooper, Delta Upsilon President
Nikhil Nair, Pi Kappa Phi President
Mika Hoecherl, Phi Sigma Rho President
Molly Pfefferkorn, Sigma Psi President
Shannon Foran, Delta Gamma President
Anna Jaskoviak, Alpha Phi President
Shane Cooley, Sigma Alpha Epsilon President
Raphael Aleman, Zeta Beta Tau President
Paul Jensen, Beta Theta Pi President
Jackie Kresic, Alpha Chi Omega President
Gabe Vinyard, Phi Kappa Psi President
Alex Wang, Phi Gamma Delta President
Yilin Ma, Phi Kappa Tau President
Jessica Stoner, Phi Mu President
Wayne Hou, Phi Kappa Theta President

Greek Life Office Staff
Mark Starr, Director of Greek Life
Amie Jackson, Associate Director of Greek Life
Mel Dickey, Manager for Culture of Care
Tiffany Hall, Departmental Assistant
Katie Schneider, Manager for Greek Councils