By: Rachel Krzesinski (Loyola Junior)
Loyola is home to seven Panhellenic sororities: Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Phi Sigma Sigma.
As Loyola Panhellenic sororities prepare for January’s formal recruitment of new members, chapters are placing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the center of the weekend’s activities in order to create a more welcoming and accepting space for women seeking a social community.
Overseeing the chapters’ DEI efforts is 21-year-old Loyola Senior Catharina Baeten. Baeten serves on Panhellenic’s Executive Board as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion where she assists individual chapters on how to apply DEI frameworks to their events and recruitment processes.
I spoke with Baeten in order to better understand why she feels so passionately about DEI and how she is using that passion to lead others during Loyola’s upcoming Panhellenic Recruitment.
*Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
RogersEdge Reporter: Why did you run for VP of DEI?
Baeten: I chose to run for the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion because as a member of the Panhellenic community, I have felt so encapsulated in love, but have also seen a need for more inclusive practices. Coming into my position, I wanted to emphasize the importance of celebrating diverse identity, rather than just dissecting it. Oftentimes DEI has been centered around the criticisms of organizations lacking DEI initiative[s], but my goal was to take what had already been established, and continue building off of progress already made! In essence, DEI is an expansive conversation filled with a collection of voices. I knew that as VP of DEI, I could strive to lift up these voices.
RogersEdge Reporter: What is a challenge you face in leading and overseeing the diversity, equity, and inclusion aspects of Loyola sororities?
Baeten: The biggest challenge I have faced is most definitely getting everybody on the same page as to how Panhellenic defines diversity, equity, and inclusion. Implementing DEI initiatives and strategies within Panhellenic is not only my responsibility, but the responsibility of every Panhellenic member. It is my job, though, to encourage every member [to] feel just as passionately about DEI as I do and the greatest challenge has been reassuring every member that DEI is for everyone. Every person’s voice is deserving of being heard in the greater conversation.
RogersEdge Reporter: Historically, sorority life has been associated with exclusivity. With recruitment coming up in January, how do you plan on changing this narrative of Greek life, specifically Panhellenic, during Loyola’s primary recruitment?
Baeten: With the acknowledgement of sorority life’s exclusive roots, I seek to change the narrative through a consistent and thorough effort to redefine how Panhellenic is actively implementing DEI across all aspects. Within the past semester, I have hosted monthly roundtables with each DEI officer from each chapter organization in the Panhellenic community. We have discussed how each chapter views, represents, and values DEI in their respective communities, and proactively collaborate as to how we can further progress our chapter-wide initiatives.
Furthermore, as Loyola Panhellenic’s 2024 Recruitment swiftly approaches, I have hosted three extensive presentations discussing DEI within recruitment. These presentations are meant to invite the Panhellenic community to learn and discuss how the National Panhellenic Conference’s mission, vision, and values align with Loyola Panhellenic’s implementations of DEI. I feel that these presentations have fostered careful and considerate conversations surrounding the shortcomings and future directions of DEI within sorority life as a united whole.
RogersEdge Reporter: From an administrative position, is there anything you would suggest those leading recruitment should focus on in terms of making DEI feel genuine?
Baeten: My advice is to continue emphasizing to members that DEI does not have to be intimidating. We are all, in some way, involved in the conversation. I suggest encouraging members to explore their personal missions for DEI and to reflect on how the many facets of their identities have empowered them, while also encouraging them to deconstruct personal biases and inherent prejudices. Additionally, it is crucial to emphasize that there is no shame in holding a privileged identity in the same way there is no shame in holding a marginalized identity! It is simply our personal responsibility to break down the many pieces of our identities in order to channel empathy, compassion, and dedicated advocacy in further developing DEI not only for ourselves, but for the future of Panhellenic.
For more information on formal recruitment, please visit Loyola Panhellenic’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucpanhellenic/
