Just a month ago, a university-sponsored student newspaper, The Crimson White, at the University of Alabama exposed the fact that many sororities on their campus have explicitly denied admission to prospective pledges based purely upon their race. This story, which was ultimately picked up by The Guardian, prompted an outrage of response both from the University of Alabama and universities across the country. 

President Judy Bonner came out and tried to further distance the university from these racist accusations via a series of speeches and statements. No speech or statement, however, can cover up the fact that this type of racism, intentional or not, persists in our society. 

I’m not saying that our entire society is racist, but rather that what happened at Alabama is happening all over the country, albeit much more subtly.

At first I wanted to cast blame on the University of Alabama. I couldn’t believe how they would exact such primitive and intolerant behaviors. As I’ve thought about it, however, I came to realize that this discreet divide isn’t a problem that is exclusive to Alabama, but applies to universities as a whole.

Please don’t get me mistaken; I’m not saying that our Greek system here at the University is forcibly segregated or even that admission to any given fraternity or sorority has been denied based upon race, but rather that there is a type of segregation here that is more subtle and less well-defined. 

When you think about it, how many fraternities and sororities on campus are truly mixed?

Illinois prides itself on being one of the most diverse universities in the Big Ten, let alone in the entire country. This is a fantastic selling point to tell prospective students, especially ones like me who came from a very rural, non-diverse town.

But what I have come to learn on campus is that while this diversity is great and offers vast opportunities, it doesn’t necessarily mean that our campus is also well-integrated. 

As much as a student at the University of Illinois may not like to admit it, signs of a racial divide, though mostly unintentional, exist on our own campus. 

Though some entities here on campus are diverse and contain members of many races, many communities and clubs I have encountered feature little to no integration. Though some, especially those involved in these communities, are afraid to admit it, many fraternities and sororities and even clubs are identified by certain demographics such as race, socioeconomic status and religion.

We stereotype certain sororities with only taking in wealthy suburban girls. And we stereotype certain fraternities as being “black” or “Jewish.” It’s essentially self-segregation. 

As long as no one is being denied admission based upon racial characteristics, I am not saying that this separation is an evil thing. I’m sure that there is a type of camaraderie and familiarity that comes with being in a frat with people of a similar background as you, and that should definitely be taken into account. It’s just interesting to note that, as a University, integration seems to be the harder goal to fulfill than diversity. 

But what good is diversity if it isn’t integrated? 

My freshman year, in fact, a shooting happened at a fraternity house on Lincoln Avenue. While most of us in my dorm were frightened that something like that could happen so close to us, some people in my dorm said it was understandable because the shooting happened at a “black frat.” 

That some of our students think it’s more likely for a shooting to happen at a “black” house is both sad and obscene. Though this may have been an isolated incident, it is indicative of the way that many students on campus think, and may be a sign of a larger problem. 

I understand the focus placed on those houses in Alabama was because their instances of segregation were passed down, unwritten policies and rules to be abided by, but people must also use the University of Alabama’s problems to show themselves that perhaps this lack of integration is also problematic. It is not only apparent, but also appalling to see this racial divide come to life in 2013, especially in an area as free-thinking and high-minded as a university. 

Someday, I want my friends, children and peers to be able to go to a university where they don’t have to worry about pledging into a fraternity that is labeled as black, white, Hispanic or Asian. 

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t criticize those people at the University of Alabama; we absolutely should.

But what we should also do is use these horrific events as a reason to examine our own environment.

Boswell is a junior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected].