Curating resources & sharing stories to empower teacher & student ownership, wonder, and daring.
Over the last several months we’ve been interviewing members of sororities and fraternities and sharing their stories here on our blog. It can be fun and eye-opening to read different experiences of different organizations at different schools, whether you’re also involved in Greek life, considering Greek life, or just wanting to learn more about Greek life!
It’s officially the holiday season! And before everyone heads home for the holiday break, it’s important to bring in some Christmas cheer to your fraternity organization! Here are a few fun ways to incorporate it into your house.
Decorate- I know it seems like a simple one, but walking into a house with a Christmas tree and garland around the banister is sure to lighten anyone’s mood and remind them of the great season we are in right now. Especially during finals week!
Go Caroling- There are plenty of other college students that would love some holiday cheer from a fraternity showing up on their doorstep singing some Christmas tunes! Even if it’s not all in tune!
Fundraise for your philanthropy- Through the winter can be some of the toughest times to have everyone’s needs met. Consider some type of fundraiser to help your philanthropy through these hard times.
Holiday activities- They don’t have to be every single day, but it can be a great idea to have your activities committee plan a few things here and there with all of the members to have a quick break from studying and enjoy time together.
Christmas Countdown Chain- Or maybe a finals week countdown chain? Either way, it’s something to look forward to and can bring a lot of hope and cheer during a stressful time!
What activities is your fraternity participating in this holiday season?
If you’re planning on #GoingGreek this fall when school starts, it’s time to start researching Rush Week! This week will most likely look a little different at each school, but the overview is the same- a week where new recruits for Greek sororities and fraternities check out the different houses, meet the members of the organizations, learn about their philanthropies, and try to match up with which one they would like to be a part of for their college career. Here’s what a sample rush week could look like:
Monday: Meet the members of the houses and get to know one another
Tuesday: Tours of the houses
Wednesday: Philanthropy night to learn more about each house’s philanthropy.
Thursday: Preference day*
Saturday: Bid day
*Preference day is a day where each house looks at each potential pick of who they want in their house, and the guys and girls rushing also pick which houses they want to be a part of. If you end up matching, you’re invited to a preference night for the houses you match with. This doesn’t mean you’re in the sorority or fraternity yet! This is your “interview” of sorts.
After preference day is bid day, the day the sororities and fraternities invite those they ended up choosing to join them. Each University and house will have a different number of people they take in, some schools have around a 95% rate of getting in if you rush, other schools can be lower and more competitive to get in.
Tips for Rush Week
Good luck with rush week this fall! We are rooting for you!
When writing a past article on student housing in college, I referenced a fraternity. While a fraternity does qualify as “housing” in college, it also entails so, so, so much more! There is a whole world of Greek fraternities out there and each of them serves a different mission and purpose to their communities. And on top of this, they come with some amazing benefits! So if you’re wondering if you should join a fraternity, here are some of the multiple reasons they can be a great addition to your college experience.
A fraternity is a home typically on or very close to campus. Many members will claim it’s one of their favorite parts of living in a frat, because of the close commute to classes and always feeling so involved with events happening on campus. But because housing is never free, it does cost money to live there, and often it can be more expensive than housing that is not in the Greek scene.
Fraternities can also be a product of rules to follow. By committing yourself to the Greek life, it can mean there is a whole new list of rules to follow. This can turn some away, but may be appealing to others with the consistency and high expectations.
It can also mean instant friends. Finding your friend group in college can be daunting, but walking into a frat house can ease the burden of finding new friends. A fraternity can also be a product of great leadership opportunities, which turn around to be amazing resume builders.
One of the most long-term effects of a fraternity are the networking opportunities. Members of fraternities have said that years down the road after college they’ve been given internship or job opportunities through members of their fraternity and the companies they’ve networked with.
Have you had any experience in a fraternity? What other points would you add to this list?
What is a sorority?
Here is a rough definition from a Google search. But a sorority is also so much more than just “a society for female students.” A sorority is a place to live, friends, a community, and more. Full of service opportunities, school events, and active involvement.
So the question is- should you join a sorority?
Here’s an overview of what it entails.
A sorority is a home typically on or very close to campus. Many members will claim it’s one of their favorite parts of living in a sorority, because of the close commute to classes and always feeling so involved with events happening on campus. But because housing is never free, it does cost money to live there, and often it can be more expensive than housing that is out of the Greek scene.
Sororities can also be a product of rules to follow. By committing yourself to the Greek life, it can mean there is a whole new list of rules to follow. This can turn some away, but may be appealing to others with the consistency and high expectations.
It can also mean instant friends. Finding your friend group in college can be daunting, but walking into a sorority house can ease the burden of finding new friends. A sorority will provide multiple, great leadership opportunities, which turn around to be amazing resume builders.
A sorority can be a great thing! There are so many great products of joining and being part of the Greek world. And if you don’t believe me, take it from a sorority sister herself! Here’s the advice she wants to leave with you:
“For someone considering joining, I think it’s important to just be yourself (cliche, I know) because these are people you will be spending a lot of time with and you should feel comfortable… to be honest, it was just nice to feel like a part of something right off the bat when moving to college.”
A.J. Cutler- Alpha Chi Omega
Have you been considering a sorority for your college experience?