Abigail Ramirez is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes political and social commentary for The Maneater.

TW: This column mentions sexual violence and hazing.

It is not a secret that the environment surrounding Greek Life at MU is filled with cynicism as of late. After a fall semester filled with drugging and a nearly fatal hazing incident, there is no reason for the student body to have any faith in fraternities on campus. 

That is, except for MSA candidates Samantha Hole and Daniel Daugherty. The two are running their campaign, “Maximize Mizzou,” on four major points, two of them being Greek Life integration and student safety. They are running against Josiah Mendoza and Molly Miller’s “Show Me Mizzou” campaign. 

In an interview with The Maneater, Hole explained that the slate wants to “help create a more unified campus” by encouraging Greek and non-Greek students to interact with each other more.

However, it is the distance between the two groups that keeps fraternities and sororities in check. Without non-Greek viewpoints on the Panhellenic Association  and Interfraternity Council, there is no objectivity in the matter of reform. The MU student body should not be convinced into forgiving and forgetting because it is our pessimism towards the system that will force it to change. 

While only about 26% of MU students currently participate in sororities or fraternities, Greek Life feels as if it is a central part of the university’s atmosphere. They dominate a whole section of campus, advertise their groups through clothes and play a vital role in Homecoming. 

Unfortunately Greek Life, especially fraternities, tend to gain notorious reputations not only at MU, but across the country. Members are three times more likely to rape women than non-affiliated students, according to John Foubert, author of “The Men’s and Women’s Programs: Ending Rape Through Peer Education.” This is a statistic far too close to the hearts of many people on campus — so close, in fact, that students held a Mizzou Without Rape protest last semester. 

Also, after members of MU’s chapter of Phi Gamma Delta hazed Daniel Santulli into a state where he still remains unresponsive as of the last update on Feb. 1, the university is also too familiar with the fact that there have been 50 deaths caused by hazing since 2000  in the U.S, according to NBC News. 

Knowing this, it seems important to make reforming Greek Life and ensuring campus safety priorities in both slates’ campaigns. However, both tackle the issues in inauspicious ways. 

It seems that the two slates understand that MU’s student body is unhappy with the current atmosphere surrounding Greek Life. Mendoza and Miller recognize that relationship and sexual violence trainings should become mandatory for student organizations, as well as accountability bylaws and procedures. Similarly, Daugherty told The Maneater that the school should promote more education on how to prevent sexual assault.

However, in interviews and through looking at their campaign websites, it’s clear that both slates are missing the essential fact that the sexual, physical and mental violence ensued by members of Greek Life is a systemic problem that requires sweeping reform. “Show Me Mizzou” fails to recognize the need for general change, while “Maximize Mizzou” misses the point entirely in their four-point platform. In this way, the emphasis on integration of the two communities on campus almost seems like a way to gain the Greek vote. 

By making it a main point of their campaign, “Maximize Mizzou” reassures sororities and fraternities that someone is looking out for them. Considering that almost all other aspects of both campaigns align, the addition of integrated Greek Life in their promises seems to be intentional and poorly motivated. 

While the intent is there, both groups lead students to anticipate a year of empty promises regarding our pleas for change. 

Regardless, with three out of four candidates of this year’s MSA election participants in sororities and fraternities — Mendoza in Sigma Tau Gamma, Miller in Pi Beta Phi and Hole in Sigma Kappa — it isn’t a stretch to say that MU’s student body will not be getting an objective viewpoint on Greek Life in the 2022-2023 school year. Because the success of sororities and fraternities directly affects them, we cannot expect harsh, necessary changes to occur in the system any time in the near future. 

While pessimistic, there is no reason to believe otherwise, especially after the extreme events of last semester were glazed over. Even if MSA becomes complacent or biased, it is my hope that the student body will remain cynical and skeptical — this is how we keep Greek Life in check and how we force reform, whether they like it or not. 

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center is a group that raises money to prevent sexual assault and give aid to survivors. They are the leading nonprofit in providing information and resources to others. Donating to the organization will allow them to do more research and create practices and aid that make a lasting change. You can donate at: https://secure3.convio.net/pcar/site/Donation2?df_id=1500&mfc_pref=T&1500.donation=form1

Edited by Sarah Rubinstein | srubinstein@themaneater.com