Panhellenic Council investigating sorority for body-shaming
Hofstra’s Theta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi is under investigation after incidents of body-shaming. // Photo courtesy of Alpha Phi’s Facebook.
A source has asked to remain anonymous for the protection of themself and their organization. The pseudonym Allie Mills will be used.
Hofstra’s Theta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi sparked controversy during the Panhellenic social sorority bid day on Feb. 21.
According to Allie Mills, a member of the Panhellenic community, Alpha Phi had made it clear that they had intentions to recruit only “thin” members. When ordering T-shirts for their inductees, they only ordered shirts in small and medium sizes.
“[They ordered the shirts] before they even knew the kind of class that they were getting or who was going to be in it,” Mills said. “Probably a month before.”
“They ordered small sized shirts because that’s what they wanted the members to be like,” said Maria Llave, a junior writing studies and criminology major and the vice president of equity and belonging for Delta Phi Epsilon.
Upon seeing the shirts, the Panhellenic Council told Alpha Phi that they were not allowed to give the shirts to their inductees because they were non-inclusive.
“Panhellenic had also advised against Alpha Phi’s bid day shirts that were provided for their new members’ class to protect the identity, body image and inclusivity of our community,” read a statement provided by the Panhellenic Council. “Panhellenic is still investigating the situation, but the decision was made at the time in an attempt to ensure a values based recruitment. With that being said, Panhellenic does not condone appearance-based recruitment in any shape or form in our community, despite the stigma behind sorority recruitment.”
However, toward the end of bid day festivities, Alpha Phi posted a photo on their Instagram account with the new members wearing the shirts that they were not supposed to have been given.
According to Paul Ferrante, assistant director of leadership and engagement for fraternity and sorority life, the Panhellenic Council issued a violation to Alpha Phi regarding the T-shirts. There will be mediations between the Panhellenic Council and Alpha Phi to determine repercussions and next steps. However, Ferrante and the Panhellenic Council declined to comment on the status of these mediations and potential repercussions.
“This is peer-to-peer, and there is no exact timeline because the way that Panhellenic approaches these infractions is that we conduct it through mediation,” Ferrante said. “The Panhellenic Council reviewed, and the mediation process is being followed up on.”
While Mills knows that the Panhellenic Council is investigating the situation, she said she is concerned that nothing will happen as this is not the first time Alpha Phi’s non-inclusivity and body-shaming has been reported to the Panhellenic Council.
In Dec. 2022, an individual reported to the Panhellenic Council that a member of Alpha Phi said, “We only want to take a class of skinny girls, we’re going to put them on these diet plans and gym plans,” according to Mills.
Ferrante confirmed that this complaint was brought to his attention as advisor of fraternity and sorority life. However, he said that these issues are handled through the Panhellenic Council, and he does not know if anything came of the investigation into the issue.
Alpha Phi posted a photo on Instagram with the new members wearing the non-inclusive T-shirts. // Screenshot by Madeline Armstrong.
“I think that there definitely needs to be some sort of accountability for them,” Mills said. “They’re getting away with so much and we’re not seeing them really be punished for it.”
Additionally, Llave said that Alpha Phi’s actions go against sorority values, which can be harmful to members.
“We’re women, and we should support each other, and we all come in different shapes and sizes,” Llave said. “I have given so many presentations about how these comments can really affect someone mentally and probably produce eating disorders and cause a lot of insecurities.”
Ferrante emphasized the importance of inclusivity when it comes to recruitment.
“We operate in a values-based system,” Ferrante said. “We do strive for inclusivity. We strive for values-based recruitment. We strive for values-based programming.”
Alpha Phi’s international executive board did not respond to multiple requests to speak with them. However, their website states, “Alpha Phi International Fraternity is more than just a Greek organization – it’s a community of empowered women supporting one another for a lifetime.”
Llave agrees that Alpha Phi’s non-inclusive practices only fuel stereotypes that sororities are not inclusive.
“I feel like sororities in general get really stereotyped for having a particular look, and that’s not the case,” Llave said. “I only speak for my sorority, but we have a lot of diverse members and a lot of members that come from different backgrounds.”
The Panhellenic Council released a statement on Instagram following the events on bid day to inform the Panhellenic community about the situation.
“We want to ensure all organizations are practicing a values-based process of recruitment and focus on empowerment and equity,” read the statement, “but we also need to acknowledge and address that there is a stigma related to our community and that we are beginning to hold organizations accountable for their actions and working to educate our chapters and change in the partnership with Hofstra Advisors and Inter/National Headquarters and Alumni Base.”
