Exclusive | SoCal sorority president speaks out on scandal that rocked Greek life at Americas top party school: Sick to my stomach

The president of a sorority at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is breaking her silence on an explosive discrimination scandal that rocked Greek life and sparked a revolt among sisters. Alana Nielsen, president of Alpha Phi, told the California Post that the shocking controversy exposed a troubling power imbalance between local sorority sisters and the national representatives entrusted with overseeing their recruitment process.And now, the furious sisters are fighting to take back control.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story “Honestly, I felt sick to my stomach,” Nielsen said of the moment she realized something was seriously wrong.“I couldn’t imagine letting the day end without giving our members an opportunity to speak.”The scandal erupted in late September after an outside recruitment adviser was accused of discriminating against women of color during the chapter’s annual rush process.Roughly 1,200 prospective members initially participated, but that number reportedly plummeted to approximately 250 after the first round on Sept.

26.When active sisters returned, they noticed that numerous women they had wanted to advance, including candidates from diverse backgrounds, had mysteriously vanished from the pool.Nielsen said the troubling pattern only became apparent as the day unfolded.“It was more of a gradual realization throughout the day,” she told The Post.“As members started talking to one another and comparing their experiences, it became increasingly difficult to ignore how many women we had wanted to return were missing from the candidate pool.”The apparent purge was especially disturbing because sisters had been told their evaluations would help determine which hopefuls advanced. Instead, Nielsen said members began quest...