M THE MANEATER The student voice of MU since 1955
www.themaneater.com
Vol. 86 Issue 16
february 12, 2020
GREEK LIFE
Politics of sororities questioned amid former member’s viral Twitter thread
A former Phi Mu member went from a sister to an outcast. Here is her story. ELISE DIESFELD
Student Politics Staff Writer A stroll down Rollins Street past the student center and Strickland Hall will place you in the heart of Greektown, marked by its letter bearing and music blaring culture. The allure of social outings, life long friends and student-populated mansions attract 28% of MU undergraduates. These individuals proudly display their Greek involvement by promoting their philanthropic events and sporting their Greek letters. And like many incoming freshmen, nowjunior Melina Psihountas was compelled to rush a sorority with the prospect of finding like-minded girls outweighing the $250 registration fee. During her rush process, Psihountas and her roommate were consumed with excitement as they accessorized, straightened their hair and reminded themselves not to mention the five B’s — boys, ballot, bible, bids and booze. Aside from showcasing her financial status through her accessories, Psihountas was given an additional snippet of advice from another girl rushing: look as white as possible. As one of the few women of color rushing, Psihountas feared she would be reduced to her race and serve solely as a token of diversity. However, despite these thoughts, Psihountas longed to attain the movie portrayal of the college experience with
Melina Psihountas standing in Francis Quadrange. | PHOTO COURTESY OF MELINA PSIHOUNTAS
all her sisters living under the same roof. Countless encounters followed the same script. Psihountas was asked “Where are you from? What's your major?” with enthusiasm, so she was surprised when houses dropped her. “It gets down to how you look at yourself, and you’re like did I say something wrong? Did they not like the way my mascara looked that day?” Psihountas said. By the end of rush, Psihountas was dropped from each house except for Phi Mu. She had developed a connection with one of the girls, who later became her Big. Psihountas appreciated that while Phi Mu was considered lower on the social hierarchy of houses, it was the most diverse. But
MEDICAL
even then, Psihountas was still the only Black girl in her pledge class. “It made me feel a little different,” Psihountas said. “I have a very strong personality, and I come across as confident. It’s not a bad thing, but people automatically try to assume things about me.” This clash in personalities quickly became apparent after Psihountas pledged Phi Mu and was subjected to the chapter’s rules that she said were not equally enforced. Psihountas shared that Phi Mu’s social media rules prohibit posts with alcohol, drugs, the word “sylly” (commonly used to reference syllabus week), allusions to drinking and the location of a bar. “It’s a big game of pretending we’re not normal college students which I can understand because they frame it like they’re concerned about us getting a job,” Psihountas said. “But the problem is that social media monitoring is at the discretion of one girl with the username of sirfidelphimu.” Sirfidelphimu likes a member’s post to indicate that it violates a social media rule and needs to be removed. However, Psihountas explained that the sorority’s executive board acts like a dynasty in which the Littles of the executives become members of the executive board in the following years. And according to Psihountas, those girls typically weren’t held to the same strict social media standards as other Phi Mu members. While Psihountas was a member of Phi Mu, she was routinely told to alter or entirely delete
phi mu |Page 4
INTERNATIONAL
Medical group protests MU use International Humans of of animals in medical program Mizzou Vol. 3
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine organized the event, calling for MU to use only simulators instead of live animals. BEN SCOTT
Student Politics Editor Thursday morning saw the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine organize in front of Memorial Student Union, protesting MU’s use of live animals in its emergency medical program. There were around 10 protesters
in total holding signs reading “modernize medical training” and “end animal use.” They stood for an hour total, from 11 a.m. to noon. PCRM is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for plantbased diets and “effective scientific research” to improve human and animal lives, according to its website. In addition to the protest, the organization had three mobile billboards circulate around campus. Dr. Kerry Foley, a retired emergency physician, participated in the protest and had previously contacted the UM System Board of Curators through
live |Page 4
The students explained the differences between college in their respective countries and where they went to study. ADELE DU
University News Senior Staff Writer Xuezhao “Roxanne” Wan Roxanne Wan went to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia in spring 2019. Originally from Dali, China, Wan is a senior studying digital storytelling. “Life here was so much harder than I imagined. I feel like if you are a foreigner in China, people treat you so much nicer. But when I came here, I was just one of the many international students. I had a hard time making friends outside the Chinese group. I am Chinese and that’s how people see me
intl |Page 4