Greek life

Out with the togas, in with making a difference

November 23, 2009 —

Greek life on campus tends to defy the cinematic stereotypes.

Fraternities and sororities at SVSU have a long history of making a difference. And although several sororities are experiencing slight changes in their organizations, it is the fraternities now adjusting to new regulations.

One change is the new Interfraternity Council recently established on campus. The council will promote social interaction between the groups and help build relationships between the male social fraternities. Based in Indianapolis, the organization also oversees 72 other fraternities on campuses all over North America.

The council is the fraternities’ counterpart to sororities’ National Pan-Hellenic Council, which promotes the values of and serves as an advocate for its member groups.

The council is an umbrella organization for 26 sororities, and members are represented on more than 620 university and college campuses in North America.

Alpha Sigma Alpha and Phi Sigma Sigma are both social sororities. Because they are nationally based, they adhere to rules set by the Pan-Hellenic Council.

Alpha Sigma Alpha is primarily focused on getting involved in the community and on intellectual development, as well as “developing women of pose and purpose and facilitating close friendships between our members,” says Shannon Ciszek, recruitment chair. Their major philanthropy projects include volunteering at the Special Olympics and at the S. June Smith Center, an organization that supports children with disabilities.

Phi Sigma Sigma, in 1931, was the first sorority to accept members from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. It has continued its tradition of inclusiveness on SVSU’s campus, along with two other core values: lifelong learning and leadership through service. Phi Sigma Sigma volunteers as a group and requires that each member give six hours a month.

Then there is Sigma Pi, not to be confused with the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. According to Logan Carroll, accounting junior and Sigma Pi president, the focus of the organization is “to help young men make the transition from high school to college and into their lives after school.” The men of Sigma Pi are first a family, he added, committed to strong values and “not leaving the university experience in the classroom.”

Each year, Sigma Pi participates in the Saginaw City Cleanup by the river after its annual flooding and hosts Pi Games. The games give all SVSU students an opportunity to compete for prizes and help raise a $2,000 donation for the Salvation Army.

“Movies romanticize Greeks as drunks and womanizers,” Carroll said, “but in reality they are not like that at all.”

Maybe they are on larger campuses, he added, but he urges people to come see SVSU’s Greek system in action for themselves.

Not all Greek organizations are exclusively male or female.

Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed fraternity with a focus on community service. The group helps out on campus, in the community, and on a national level through volunteer projects such as soup kitchen aid, campus cleanup, Toys for Tots and nursing home visits.

Carroll advises those thinking about rushing to try choosing the fraternity they think they’d relate to most. That forethought, he said will help make the experience the best it can be.

Newly active “brother” Nicole Maxwell, a history and secondary special education sophomore, said she rushed because she enjoys volunteering and helping people. She encourages those on the fence about Greek Life to go for it.

“It’s a great way to make friends and make a difference at the same time.”