Ms. Raksheen Ayaz,
This email is in response to your column “Why I didn’t vote in last week’s elections” published in the Alligator on Feb. 27. Please note that the following opinions are uniquely my own and may not reflect the position of members of my chapter or council.
I understand that the content of your own published column is completely up to you, I get that. But with the written word I also believe there comes power, and with that power the age-old responsibility. What I would like you to know is that in this particular case — where you called the multicultural sororities and fraternities “wannabees” — your words have done more than represent your own personal opinion; they have influenced and affected a whole council of Greeks and their potential new members at this university. Let me explain.
The Multicultural Greek Council was founded at the University of Florida on Nov. 15, 1999. Since its inception, the MGC has prided itself on being unique. We are not trying to be like anyone else or any other council. We are our own entity and love our differences. Ethnically based, each chapter in our council places high importance on cultural diversity and awareness.
We do our best to celebrate who we are, where we come from, and interact closely and in an affirming way with other members of our council.
Our chapters are small, this is true, but we love that. These members are our lifelong friends, I can say that I expect my entire chapter to be at my wedding one day as well as other milestones in my life. We also respect the other Greek councils at UF and what they contribute to this community.
What we strive for is universal Greek Unity gained through mutual respect and relationships.
Hopefully this has given you a little more information on really who we are and what we stand for.
What bothered me about your statement was that you spoke not from a place of knowledge but little concern of your actions’ ramifications.
For the most part, the MGC recruits new members and flourishes through word-of-mouth and reputation.
Like it or not, what you said inhibits that. Compared to other councils, we are a relatively young group, and I would hate to have someone’s uninformed opinion stand in the way of our growth.
I encourage you to reach out to any willing MGC member, myself included, to further discuss the topic. I’m sure you are a reasonable young woman, and I only noticed that you seemed misinformed.
What I can hope is that I or someone else can educate you more on the matter and together we can end misconceptions and prejudice at a great institution of higher learning like UF.
