Part two to the series I worked on about race and Greeks. This one introduces Sean Novak, a White male who is a member of a NPHC fraternity and Jorie Simpson, a Black woman in a traditionally White sorority.
Look closely at members of Greek organizations at Central Michigan University and some will appear not to be like the others.
Some students stepped outside their own comfort zones to join Greek organizations based on what they provided for them, not what was expected of them.
Sean Novak, the Assistant Director of Minority Student Services, became a member of Phi Beta Sigma a historically African-American fraternity while he was an undergraduate at CMU.
Novak, who is a Caucasian male, joined the fraternity because he felt most connected to the other members.
"At the time when I started to give it some serious thought I had already been heavily involved with organizations that were predominately African American," Novak said. "I didn't allow the fact that the organization was historically Black to deter me no more than a person of color would joining a historically white fraternity."
Jorie Simpson, an African-American woman, said when she first arrived at CMU she thought she was going to be a part of a NPHC sorority but changed her mind after finding out about Alpha Sigma Alpha.
"At the time when I started to give it some serious thought I had already been heavily involved with organizations that were predominately African American," Novak said. "I didn't allow the fact that the organization was historically Black to deter me no more than a person of color would joining a historically white fraternity."
Jorie Simpson, an African-American woman, said when she first arrived at CMU she thought she was going to be a part of a NPHC sorority but changed her mind after finding out about Alpha Sigma Alpha.
"I thought I was going to go into a Divine Nine when I came here because it was what I was used to," the Kalamazoo sophomore said. "I decided to do research myself, and I felt the values and things that ASA stands for, were better for me than those of the Divine Nine."
For both Simpson and Novak their decisions to join were openly accepted by their organizations and sometimes questioned by others.
For both Simpson and Novak their decisions to join were openly accepted by their organizations and sometimes questioned by others.
"A lot of times, it's a Black person they'll usually ask 'Why didn't you join a Black one?' and I tell them it's not about the race it's about the group," Simpson said. "Letters don't make the person, I think the person makes the letters."
Novak said when he is asked by minorities about his decision to join Phi Beta Sigma, he asks them why they came to CMU.
"My thing is, why did you as a person of color, come to a university that was predominantly white?" Novak said. "Not to say that either one is exclusive for one or the other, there are different reasons as to why one is predominantly white and one is predominately black."
Though she is happy with being a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha Simpson said she did question her decision to join a Panhellenic sorority in the beginning.
"I questioned it a few times in the beginning going through it all, but ASA's values were better for me and I felt like I didn't have to change the person that I was," Simpson said. "Not saying that I wouldn't have been accepted in another group the same, ASA just fit me really well."
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