North Texas Daily

By The Editorial Board

For many, Denton is less of a college town and more of a weird microcosm. This place offers people from numerous walks of life a platform to come together and be creative. But on campus, for years it has seemed nobody is interested in having school spirit.

University administrators and student leaders have for a while now spun their wheels to encourage more students to become campus leaders. This semester, the Student Government Association has finally begun to look outward to the student body, and instead of focusing on itself, the student legislators have revamped their efforts to diversify student representation.

One reason for students’ indifference to UNT events and organizations, we’ve found, is that students perceive Greek Life students to be in charge of most student organizations, making it appear as though Greek Life students are the only ones who care about the school. But you don’t have to be in a fraternity or sorority to be a campus leader.

Grant Hale, the president of UNT’s SGA, spoke in an interview about their newfound approach to spurring involvement.

“Out of the 103 people currently in SGA, including the executive branch, student senate, supreme court and freshman interns, only 29 of them are in Greek Life,” said Hale. “Some people might assume that [SGA] falls under generally racial or ethnic categories, [but] that’s not necessarily the case.”

Grant said while “people in Greek life are often incentivized to get involved on campus because their chapter requires it, not everyone in SGA has to be a part of ‘Fraternity X’ or ‘Sorority X,’” or has to have prior student government experience to join.

In the past, this newspaper has reported stories critical of SGA’s close tie to Greek Life. But let us be clear: this is in no way a critique of fraternities or sororities. It is a call for students to understand they can be a voice on campus in any capacity.

Our differences should not divide us. Whether you are a Greek student, a nontraditional student, a Republican or Democrat, remember Denton’s clashes are what make this wacky place so rich. Even with the liberal arts vibe of UNT, the hipster centrism of music and the emphasis on local business, Denton County is still among “the reddest” in Texas.

This semester, we have a football team on the rise, so why not join our spirit groups like Talons and Green Jackets at Apogee Stadium to cheer on the team? University officials have worked hard to ensure you remember your time in college. You don’t have to be Greek to celebrate UNT.

Home to a bevy of clubs, associations and organizations, UNT has the potential to be on the same level as Texas A&M University or the University of Texas. So step up and join UNT President Neal Smatresk’s team in boosting the university’s reputation.

Denton isn’t quite insular, so why should our campus be? Try getting out of your comfort zone and talk to other people that may not have your same interests or resumes. It’s the least we can do to begin heightening our school spirit.

Featured Illustration: Samuel Wiggins