Have you ever clicked on your television to find another episode of MTV’s “Sorority Life” or “Fraternity Life” playing and wondered what the “Greek experience” is all about? Now is the time to begin deciding whether or not Greek Life is for you.
The six sororities and eight fraternities on the Nicholls’ campus both permit and encourage personal growth and development. In direct contradiction of their seemingly “wild” reputations, they offer a “unique balance” of Scholarship, Leadership, Philanthropy, Activities and the bonds of Brotherhood and Sisterhood.
“The majority of students tend to dwell on the negative aspects of fraternities and sororities. They do not notice the positive things we do because they aren’t as shocking,” Blaise Pezold, Interfraternity Council chair, said.
According to the Nicholls’ Greek Life pamphlet, many current students choose to attend college in order to receive a quality education. That said – a quality education is the core of Greek Life. In addition, Greek students tend to “out-perform” their non-Greek classmates. Undeniably, some of the United States’ strongest leaders are Greek.
Greeks are dedicated to philanthropy. The social Greek organizations on campus donate time and raise money for select philanthropies. Also, the bonds of Brotherhood and Sisterhood are restricted to only those who join the Greek community.
Nicholls’ Greeks have performed over 12,000 hours of community service in the past year. Additionally, they have also raised over $7,000 for charitable purposes during the past year. Famous Greeks include Bob Barker, Kathy Ireland, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. A abbreviated list of activities that Nicholls Greeks are involved in consists of SPA, SGA, The Nicholls Worth, La Pirogue, the Accounting Club, lacrosse, football, cheerleading, various honor societies, the Volunteer Fire Department, the Junior American Culinary Federation and young Republicans.
IFC is said to provide great opportunities for lifetime friendships and personal growth. The Nicholls’ IFC Greek organizations are as follows: Kappa Alpha Order, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Kappa Theta, Sigma Nu, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Xi.
The process of joining a fraternity is referred to as Rush. During Rush, the rushees are allowed to mingle with a variety of fraternity brothers in order to choose which fraternity they prefer. At the same time, fraternities observe the rushees and choose which ones are best for their particular organization.
“I wasn’t involved in high school. My GPA was a 1.8. Now it is a 2.5. Basically, my fraternity gave me a purpose and a reason to stay in school,” Pezold said.
Formal Rush for the IFC this year began at 5 p.m. on Sept. 2 in the Union and will end on Sept. 5, 2003. To attend, you must have signed up in the Student Life office and have paid a $10 registration fee.
The National Panhellenic Council consists of nine historically black Greek organizations, both fraternities and sororities that are known as “The Divine Nine.” The NPHC prides itself on its first priority: unification. Nicholls’ NPHC is made up of the following: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.
“I have always been an active person in school. Joining a sorority has enhanced my involvement in University life. Being Greek also creates a unique sort of respect that is extremely useful in the job market,” Courtney Ponson, the president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a senior marketing major, said. “If you are a shy person, Greek Life can help you become more involved and can help you develop people and communication skills. Sororities and fraternities also convey the meaning of really giving back to your community.”
The NPHC’s membership intake process allows for a period of bonding and learning the organization’s history and goals. There are specific grade point average and semester hour requirements for each sorority or fraternity in this council that should be met before applying. No one is accepted into the NPHC during his first semester in college.
The Joint Interest Meeting for the NPHC was held on Sept. 3, 2003.
The Panhellenic Council consists of Delta Zeta, Phi Mu and Sigma Sigma Sigma. Every member of a NPC sorority becomes a member of the Panhellenic Association. Panhellenic unites all sorority members regardless of individual affiliation. It strengthens values and establishes common goals in its sisters.
Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Week was held from Aug. 20-24, 2003. During this week, potential NPC members became familiar with the Greek system and met new friends. It consisted of various themed activities to strengthen bonds between the pledges.
For future reference, those interested in recruiting for NPC next fall must fill out an application, pay a $15 registration fee and send in a transcript, typed list of extracurricular activities and five copies of a recent photograph of yourself.
Rho Sigmas are sorority women who have disaffiliated from their perspective sororities in order to become unbiased Recruitment counselors. Rho Alphas are unbiased fraternity men who serve as Rush counselors.
Rina Clarke is the new Greek Life Advisor. She took over the position on July 1st, 2003. She simply asks that students keep an open mind about “going Greek.”
“The experience I had as an undergraduate [Greek] helped me develop what I am as an individual,” Clarke said.