Greeks upset with new homecoming pairings selection

Tessa Duvall

A new system for selecting homecoming pairings has led to less-than-satisfactory results for some fraternities and sororities on the Hill.

John Hughes, president of the Interfraternity Council, said since the pairings were announced on Sept. 14, he has heard numerous complaints about the outcome.

Some fraternities, such as Sigma Alpha Epsilon, took to Twitter to express dissatisfaction.

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“BREAKING: we are paired with Alpha Xi Delta and Iota Phi Theta. Well, so it is…,” SAEKYBETA Tweeted on Sept. 14, later retweeting a post that predicts the end of Greek life at WKU within five years.

SAE president Tom Travis declined to comment on any further meaning behind the tweets.

Charley Pride, director of Student Activities and Organizations, said in past years, there have been a variety of methods for selecting pairings. These methods ranged from the invitational method where fraternities ask sororities, and “bid matching,” where each organization picks their top five possible partners.

However, all of these methods have left out some organizations and left other groups paired up year after year, Pride said.

Hughes said the idea of a new selection process was originally presented to fraternity and sorority presidents in early February at the first President’s Roundtable of the year. Hughes said at this point, he encouraged presidents to come up with their own ideas for selection.

After several months passed and no ideas were suggested from the chapters on campus, organizations were given the option to draw pairings from a hat or leave it the way it was, Hughes said. Overwhelmingly, drawing from a hat was chosen.

Hughes, who did not vote on the issue, said this was the only idea to fairly pair sororities and fraternities.

“Our whole point was, ‘You guys pick what you want.’ We reminded them constantly,” Hughes said.

As far as homecoming pairings for future years are concerned, Pride and Hughes are unsure of what method will be used.

“There can be change. It isn’t set in stone,” Hughes said. “Do you want to come to the meetings? Do you want to bring that change?

“To make someone happy, you always have to make someone else unhappy.”

Pride said any future changes would be up to chapter presidents.

“Sometimes the pairings work, sometimes they don’t,” Pride said.

Reporter Amanda Young contributed to this report.

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