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As a former student leader who has collaborated extensively with ASNMSU and several important NMSU administrators and offices, I strongly and sincerely echo Senator Duran’s concerns. In the 5 years or so that I have spent at NMSU, ASNMSU has always been a breeding ground for members of fraternities and sororities. During my meetings with the executive team for different committees, Greek life always gets priority and preferential treatment. If someone is running for elections and they are prominent within their fraternity or sorority, it is very likely that they will win. Word spreads much faster within Greek life organizations. In fact, if ASNMSU were to go back and check who the voters were, I’m confident that 90% of the undergraduate voters would be affiliated with a Greek life organization. Several members of the executive team have revealed to me, albeit in confidentiality, that they have their position strictly because of their affiliation with a frat or sorority. In fact, the same formula was applied when, until recently, a major section of the senate was dominated by students of a particular faith who also happened to be from the same extended family and their parents at NMSU.
The domination by fraternities and sororities also extends to the College Councils, and it is very unfortunate that NMSU, an HSI/MSI, has become a seat where white or white-passing Christian people have access to all the seats of power while people who actually are worthy or need and deserve the support barely even learn about it. ASNMSU also needs to be much better when it comes to communication. ASNMSU clearly does not have open meetings regulations, and has, on multiple occasions, not addressed in public several concerns. For example: ASNMSU has not publicly discussed why the Finance Chair was removed, and a new person was elected without notice to its constituency. During President Herndon’s term, the senate had run out of funds around March 2023, and till date, to the best of my knowledge, there hasn’t been a clear report of why that happened. ASNMSU needs to be thoroughly audited.
ASNMSU needs to do better. ASNMSU needs to be better. The preferential treatment towards fraternities and sororities has to stop. Greek life is important for the undergraduate population as there are several opportunities for professional and personal development. However, it is also ridiculous that these organizations are running the university. Either this has to stop, or ASNMSU should stop claiming funds from “student fees”, a pool of funds that several first-gen students with less than ideal financial conditions contribute to, but only leads to the betterment of a select few. If any actions aren’t taken, and this resolution isn’t addressed, the 2024-25 election cycle will also be dominated by Greek life members, and merit will take a back seat to the aristocracy created by the Greek life organizations.
Resident Aggie • Mar 5, 2024 at 12:55 PM
I have been a student at NMSU for the last 8 years (currently a grad student) and Greek nepotism has plagued ASNMSU the whole time. I have seen several instances of a president hiring a fraternity brother as chief of staff. We need better checks and balances in ASNMSU to ensure that every voice is heard and represented on campus no matter what your affiliation may be.
Harold • Feb 28, 2024 at 6:47 PM
Womp womp
JN • Feb 28, 2024 at 6:44 PM
Greek life has grown significantly at NMSU. It isn’t a surprise that students in Greek life end up in the same organizations like ASNMSU. Greek life casts a large net of support for one individual who may be running for election. Those who aren’t in Greek life may need to campaign harder, much like republicans running in NM’s majority democrat state. There is a lot of perception in this article it’s hard to know if there is concrete data to back up the accusations. The outside world is just as harsh, maybe worse, work hard, get recognized and you’ll succeed in the end.
Libna Alvarez • Feb 28, 2024 at 2:59 PM
Lets not forget the 2023 presidential elections… disqualification after victory, loss guaranteed from the start due to no greek life affiliation…
Maisie O’Neill • Feb 28, 2024 at 1:12 PM
It is outlandish to believe that two organizations that purposely recruit and bring on leaders do not overlap in a sense. Yes, Greek Life is present within ASNMSU, but not because these people are in Greek Life and affiliated with a fraternity or sorority. These students are elected or hired with ASNMSU and in these leadership positions solely because they are leaders, and leaders who just also happen to be a part of greek life. To also state that greek life is only made up of “white or white-passing Christian people” is discriminatory and wrongfully undermines the minority groups affiliated within greek life. What is your goal here? Rid greek life within the ASNMSU walls? Some of the students who are affiliated within greek life are the same students who just gained millions of dollars for the campus of NMSU through the ASNMSU Capital Outlay project at the Legislative Session in Santa Fe. At the end of the day these students are hired and elected because of the leadership qualifications they hold and the students within their colleges elected for a reason, not because they are affiliated with another organization, because they are good and true leaders.
Sydney Huber • Feb 29, 2024 at 6:52 PM
Well said! Thank you for this! -Sydney XΩ