Who’s The Best SGA Candidate For Greek Life? Both Have Plans to Mend Relationship With Administration

Teresa Schuster / Staff Writer

Greek life has historically been a focus of attention and concern at FIU, and both Student Government Association presidential candidates have plans to ensure Greeks are better represented in the SGA and improve the relationship between them and the University.

“The administration refuses to see the positive things that they bring to the community,” said Rose Ingraham, a presidential candidate for the Student Government Council at the Modesto Maidique Campus and leader of the Roar! political party.

The relationship between FIU and Greek Life has been rocky over the years, culminating in the ‘Greek pause’ in Spring 2018, when FIU suspended all Greek Life activities for over a month due to concerns about illegal and inappropriate behavior.

“The best way to describe it is complicated,” said Alexandra Valdes, the SGC-MMC presidential candidate for the incumbent The Future Is You party, and Sigma Kappa sister. “And that is okay.”

She believes that as Greeks, she and vice-presidential candidate Alexandra Ibarria of Phi Sigma Sigma would tackle these issues best and empower Greeks “inside and outside the FIU community.”

“Having leadership that doesn’t understand the value of these concerns or didn’t live through them means they won’t be able to truly grasp why their concerns are so important,” said Valdes.

Greeks have historically been a large voting bloc in SGA elections. A majority of the current members of the SGC-MMC executive board are Greek, and previous presidents have mostly been affiliated. But Ingraham, who is non-affiliated, says her status isn’t a disadvantage.

“That doesn’t impede on my ability to empathize with organizations that I’m not a part of,” she said.

Ingraham said she, vice-presidential candidate and Phi Mu sister Molly Schantz, and others from her party visited multiple Greek chapters in early March to hear their concerns, reassure them of their support if elected, and “tell them genuinely what [we] want to do.”

“I love visiting them,” she said in an earlier interview, explaining that one of the chapters’ members said no one from SGA had attended a meeting before. “I’m a big advocate of meeting students where they are.”

While Ingraham isn’t willing to disclose the names of the organizations, she claims the meetings went well.

Valdes, whose party is supported by multiple Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council Greek organizations such as Phi Mu and Alpha Omicron Pi, also emphasized her commitment to listening to and supporting Greek students.

“The Greek community is a very insightful community,” said Valdes in an email to PantherNOW. “While I don’t think this is the case for any of the candidates, they can tell when someone is using them for support.”

Both candidates believe the relationship between Greek Life and the University needs to be repaired.

According to Valdes, a new cabinet position in her administration to represent Greek Life would help accomplish this.

It would serve as the liaison between the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, the SGA and FIU’s administration, and strive to better connect the Greek community with others at FIU.

Ingraham said she “would definitely be open to doing something similar,” pointing out that while Greek students are already well represented in SGA and Senate, they have not been in the Senate’s finance committee, which she said could contribute to them being “continuously underfunded.”

“It’s about having seats at the table,” Ingraham said. “That is what matters to me.”

Valdes also aims to implement other initiatives Greeks are passionate about.

“The Future is You had Greek issues as a priority from DAY ONE, and never felt the need to change their priorities in order to garner support,” she said in an email to PantherNOW. “It takes an honest leader to create these ideas and priorities.”

She wants to turn Parkview into an all-Greek housing building if feasible, which she believes will strengthen the bond between Greek and non-affiliated students and create “many amazing opportunities for [them] to engage with each other.”

“Many Greek students have approached me about this big idea – and they are all really excited to see what comes next,” Valdes said.

Ingraham, who is currently a resident assistant at Parkview, said she doesn’t see a need for this, but would support it if the student body did.

“That’s like if you said, ‘Would you support a Ferris wheel in the middle of campus?’,” Ingraham said. “Currently I don’t support it because I don’t see evidence of there being a lot of demand for it.”

Ingraham also wants to ease restrictions on tailgating, historically a source of hostility between Greeks and FIU’s administration, which she believes would encourage students to support athletics. Currently, tailgates are more regulated than they used to be due to security concerns, which many Greek organizations believe should change.

Athletic affinity is something Valdes also intends to increase, carrying on the policies of current SGC-MMC president Sabrina Leeloo Rosell.

“I plan on taking these priorities to the next level and working alongside so many amazing and talented organizations that FIU has to offer,” said Valdes.

Both Ingraham and Valdes emphasized their willingness to advocate for the priorities of all students at FIU.

“That includes Greek Life, but it’s not limited to [it],” Ingraham said. “I want to touch on all corners of campus that feel like they have been marginalized, or continuously underfunded, or underrepresented in any way.”

Valdes expressed similar sentiments.

“My intentions will never be to prioritize a certain group over another,” she said. “Part of my platform is to bridge the gap between Greek life and non-Greek life to create a community where all panthers feel united and empowered.”

While the candidates’ positions on Greek Life are similar, Valdes believes they would have different approaches.

“There is a difference in how you champion issues when they are personal,” Valdes said. “[Ingraham and I] share a couple of ideas, but we have very different priorities.”

Ingraham reiterated her history of student advocacy throughout her time in SGA, and her intention of doing the same for Greek students.

“I just want to extend that history of advocacy…to the executive position,” said Ingraham, later saying she’s confident students, regardless of affiliation, will decide for themselves which party would best represent them.

“People are intellectual human beings, and can make decisions for themselves…I could talk to them all day about how I’m the better candidate. But at the end of the day, they’re going to vote for who they’re going to vote for.”

SGA elections will be held online on April 7 and 8, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day. Read PantherNOW’s guide to this year’s elections, ballot, and candidates here.