Quote:
Originally posted by SilverTurtle
I thought that Mu Phi Epsilon & Delta Omicron were single-sex (women). Did they eventually receive the same or a similar exemption as SAI & Sinfonia?
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No. I don't think
MFE or
DO even sought an exemption; they simply went co-ed nationally. There may be some chapters that have no male members, but they are both co-ed fraternities.
I can't speak for SAI, but Phi Mu Alpha's situation helped in obtaining the exemption: we were founded as a social fraternity and Title IX (among other things) prompted a return to those roots; our principles and activities have never focused on professional development or support, and perhaps most importantly we have never restricted membership to music majors/minors, nor do we require that members even take a music class. There are chapters of Sinfonia with
no music majors/minors. Ours is simply a fraternity where one of the strong, foundational ties that binds us together is our love of music and belief in the power of music as a uniting force.
As for the co-ed experience, to each his or her own. I'm glad we rejected designation as a professional fraternity (and rejected being a co-ed fraternity) and have returned to our roots. While a co-ed, professional Sinfonia might have been a great organization in its own right, it would not have been the fraternity that our founders envisioned, nor would it have provided the fraternity experience that means so much to my brothers and me.
Just my $0.02.