Phi Mu Alpha, the music frat nestled in sorority quad
Photo: via Northwestern.edu
Last week, Phi Mu Alpha, Northwestern’s music fraternity whose house resides in the sorority quad, voted to join the Interfraternity Council. It’s a move that could affect the Greek community greatly in the 2010-11 school year and onward. The group started looking into joining at the beginning of the year. As a part of IFC, PMA gains benefits such as participating in IFC events and advertising through their recruitment.
“There’s not a whole lot of downside,” says PMA president Greg Olson.
According to IFC president Michael Beadle, this is not something that occurs often. The move essentially means that PMA is shifting its advising and funding from the Residential College Board to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. This would mean increased funding for PMA and a greater presence on campus.
“One of the opportunities they can provide us is funding and resources to get a large scale philanthropy event,” says Olson. “We just hope to be more involved on-campus. This will get us more out there.”
PMA member and Weinberg freshman Andrew Paulson cites increased freedom from the administration as one reason he voted to join IFC. “We’d like a little more autonomy from the Northwestern,” says Paulson. “IFC presented itself as a buffer between us and them.”
Paulson says some of his brothers opposed the change, though. “We are a music fraternity. We’re on south campus. We appealed to those who didn’t want a traditional fraternity, and we lose that moniker if we join IFC,” Paulson says. “We no longer differentiate from some of those negative aspects.”
Nothing is final yet, says Beadle. The IFC board of presidents, representing each of the 16 frats currently in IFC, still has to take a vote. Even if that’s successful, PMA will join only as a provisionary member for fall quarter before a final vote gives them full member status.
“You want to see how they interact with the rest of the community,” says Beadle.
Olson is optimistic though. “I’d say it’s pretty much going straight ahead. I don’t see anything stopping us.”
Is it possible to join the music frat if you’re already in a frat or sorority (including apo)?
yeah, it is possible to join unless the other frat you are in is another music frat, but there aren’t any others at NU