An Interfraternity Council member breathlessly awaited his turn to speak at an IFC meeting last May. When he got finally got his chance to speak, he said he was concerned the new IFC rules were too formalized and structured.
That IFC member was President Neil Smith. Now, a few months later, he said he would like to see IFC members act a little like born-again Christians. He wants the Greek-letter community to practice what it preaches, curb its behavior and move beyond negative fraternity stereotypes.
Smith said he expects people initially to resent his ideas because he is proposing change.
“We want to be nice,” he said.
If history is any indication of the road ahead, Smith may have to get tough before he can get nice.
Two years ago, a campus women’s rights organization accused members of Delta Tau Delta of degrading women by placing shoes in trees outside the fraternity’s house when two brothers had sex with the same woman.
Last year, Pi Kappa Alpha lost GW recognition after a pledge was hospitalized in an alcohol-related hazing incident. This summer, Sigma Chi lost University recognition for holding a party during the first session of Colonial Inauguration against University regulations.
Administrators and students said they expect the Smith-led IFC to reverse the trend. After years of controversy, Smith is expected to mend a fraternity system some say is in shambles.
After Pi Kappa Alpha lost official University recognition, Robert Chernak, vice president of student and academic support services, said GW fraternities and sororities would be abolished if any more violations occurred. As a result, individual chapters and the IFC may be feeling a lot of pressure to shape up.
As a former president of Theta Delta Chi, Smith has experience working within the fraternity system.
“As president, Neil brought a somewhat disheveled group into the united brotherhood that strives to serve its community and develop strong bonds amongst the men who constitute Theta Delta Chi,” said Benjamin M. Manalaysay, a member of Theta Delta Chi.
Now, Smith has been called upon again to steer another organization through some bumps in the road.
“This is a pinnacle year,” said Tracie Anzaldi, the University’s coordinator for Greek affairs and spirit events. “Neil and the rest of the IFC executive board are going to do wonders for the Greek-letter system.”
However, Smith and the IFC were forced to start the year by answering questions about Sigma Chi’s suspension this summer.
“The Greek-letter system did not suffer from this event,” he said. “While it’s unfortunate that this happened, it is an isolated incident and we’ll move on.”
The IFC executive board has confidence in Smith’s abilities as a leader despite the current controversies surrounding fraternity life at GW.
Ben Kirshner, vice president of IFC, said he expects the organization to hold the most successful fraternity rush ever and create a more personable Greek-letter community under Smith’s guidance.
Smith said he wants to see a united fraternity front this year, but he said the goals will not be accomplished overnight. Gabriel Ollins, IFC’s vice president of judicial affairs, said negative stereotypes about fraternity members cannot be abolished immediately and Smith cannot do the job alone.
“We have a long way to go,” Ollins said. “But we are definitely off to a great start.”
In addition to his involvement in Greek-letter life, Smith has participated in ROTC, cheerleading and crew. Smith said his involvement in the Greek-letter system holds a special place in his heart.
But Smith did not always feel that way about fraternity life.
“I was one of those guys who made fun of potential frat boys at my high school,” he said.
Nowadays, Smith said he prefers the term fraternity member to “frat boy.”
