Letter to the Editor: Really, Really White

I have thoroughly enjoyed the party scene here at Duke. I've done everything from making myself look stupid in section, partying at Parizade and going crazy in Cameron. Yet, something struck me these last few weekends when I have dropped by Pika, AEPi, KA, ATO and Sig Ep.--wow, this is really, really white. Yes, simple as that. As Duke columnists try to inform the rest of the school that apartheid is not an official University policy, there really have been no solutions offered by anyone on campus to combat this problem. As I said, I love the Duke frat scene and also feel that frats are in no way to blame for this segregation. Yet, at the same time, fraternities can be a catalyst for change in the racially-divided Duke social scene.

 What events do most people associate with frats? The first three that usually come to mind are section parties, off-campus parties and mixers. Now, when was the last time you heard about Alpha Phi Alpha having a mixer with the Tri-Delts? I don't know about you, but I think I might have missed that one. Did any of your friends go to Delta Sig and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority mixer? Man, I guess all my friends and I must have been out of town that weekend. Wait...that never happened.

 But it could. To be completely honest, I'm not saying that Duke, after having such a black and white social scene for so long, could have a completely comfortable black fraternity and white sorority mixer or a completely comfortable white fraternity and black sorority mixer, but how about a compromise?

 Let's try to have a night when Sig Ep and Omega Psi co-host a mixer with the Tri -Delts and the Zetas. How about a night when Sigma Nu and Alpha Phi Alpha have a mixer with the DGs and the Sigma Gammas. Having actually "mixed" mixers could be the start to not seeing really really white frat parties, and really really white cliques, and possibly not really really white groups of friends. Just as important, keep these events voluntary and do not make these type of mixers mandatory, or they will be as awkward as a 6th grade dance. Then maybe, just maybe, we can achieve the real goal of diversity in education--being able to learn something from each other instead of learning how to be really, really white.

 Keith Rand
Trinity '06