Binghamton University’s strong emphasis on student involvement stems from the idea that everyone should be involved in some way, and many students here take that to heart. I do not think it would be foolish to speculate that almost every student is involved in a club, a sport, student government or Greek Life.

Everyone’s invited to participate. Or rather, almost everyone. Apparently, the exception is when you want to start an organization yourself.

The hostility displayed toward two new fraternities who tried to join the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the initial rejection of a student group who requested to be chartered are marks of an organizational elite on campus not willing to let just anyone into the fray. Members of the IFC recently spoke out against the induction of Delta Sigma Phi and Alpha Epsilon Pi, two fraternities slowly making their way onto campus. Similarly, the Student Association rejected the plea of the Sierra Club to become a chartered group on campus, according to the Rules Committee report presented at the Assembly meeting on Feb. 8.

Jonathan La Sala, former President of the IFC, told Pipe Dream on Feb. 9 that the introduction of the two new fraternities could increase animosity in the IFC and ruin Greek Life. He also discredited the two fraternities for their rushing practices — students only need to sign a piece of paper, instead of the more traditional, rigorous pledging process used by other fraternities.

On that point, I do agree with La Sala. The intense pledging processes employed by certain fraternities and sororities on campus definitely induces a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood not easily come by otherwise. But I disagree with La Sala on the notion of exclusion, which the Student Association employed when they denied the Sierra Club the opportunity to become a chartered group.

On Feb. 4, in the Rules Committee, the Sierra Club was denied the opportunity to be an SA-recognized group on campus. At the Assembly meeting on Feb. 8, the reasons for the rejection were vocalized during the “public comment” section of the meeting. The club wasn’t denied because its intentions were bad or because it was incapable of producing positive change on campus. Rather, it was rejected because it was too similar to another group on campus, Campus Climate Challenge.

According to Danielle Ring, SA representative and a member of the Rules Committee, the group was “denied because we felt they weren’t distinctive enough from the other environmental organizations on campus and we thought it would be more beneficial if they became a subgroup of an existing group.”

After the group was reviewed again with some changes to its constitution, Ring said the committee decided they could be re-chartered because it was different enough from the other groups. The fact that the Sierra Club is part of a national organization and wanted to bring that organization to this campus was also helpful.

It’s a good step that the Sierra Club was allowed in after a second try, but why was it denied in the first place?

When you think about it, the students in a position of power on campus should not be acting as gatekeepers, intent on maintaining the exclusivity of being a recognized organization on campus. Every fraternity and sorority, at one point, had founding members who underwent the same process to become recognized as the new fraternities are doing now. On top of that, according to a Pipe Dream article from Feb. 9, 2007, frats like Theta Delta Chi only became recognized on campus three years ago, and they had no problem assimilating themselves.

If there are students on campus who do not feel represented or feel that they want to make a difference on campus, under a different name, why are we restricting them? What is the difference if they are only slightly different, or even exactly the same? Why should we be so scared of outsiders stealing our spotlight?

The groups on campus who perform their best will always attract the most members, fill their pledge classes and receive the most students at their general interest meetings. As with capitalism, it’s competition, not exclusion, that ensures hard-working groups and dedicated members. If students want to participate in their own way, let them. Their involvement doesn’t hurt anyone else’s.