By: Earl D’ Souza
As an honors student, when you think about Greek life, what comes to mind? I’d be willing to bet that it’s something along the lines of partying through the night, excessive drinking, and incessant machismo. But that isn’t accurate, at least not here at St. Norbert College, and it’s a stereotype that I want to try to dispel. In reality, joining a fraternity or sorority can be an extremely rewarding experience (as it has been for me) for a number of reasons. I particularly think Honors students can make especially productive members of Greek life on campus because of their desire to be challenged.
I rushed Phi Delta Theta my first semester of freshman year with a couple of my friends. Prior to attending college, I’d never really thought about the possibility of being involved in Greek life, but through the rush process, I got to know the existing members and got a feel for what the fraternity was about. The three tenets at the core of the group are Friendship, Sound Learning, and Moral Rectitude– and I liked it! I accepted my bid at the end of the week, went through the pledging process, and became a full member. Throughout the process, I learned a lot about myself and developed stronger bonds with my brothers. Greek life is an amazing way to find a strong sense of community on campus. I’ve made lifelong friends in the fraternity.
The leadership development aspect of Greek Life is something that cannot be understated– if you want to develop your leadership skills and start to make decisions for the benefit of your fraternity or sorority, you will have the opportunity to do so. For example, I started as the Marketing Chair of my fraternity in the spring of my freshman year, helping coordinate fundraising events through Lambeau Field and the Resch Center, and trying to build relationships with brands. Then, last October I was elected to two positions: Fundraising Chair and Chaplain. I particularly enjoy the work I do as a chaplain, being the spiritual leader of the fraternity; checking in with brothers to ensure that they are doing well mentally, emotionally and academically, and being there to mediate disputes within the group if necessary. Three members of my pledge class, all sophomores now, hold leadership positions and have responsibilities on the executive board. You can also serve on the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council (for sororities), either on their E-board in a leadership position or as a delegate of your respective group.
Every Greek group on campus is involved in philanthropy and service. For example, Phi Delta Theta focuses on ALS (Lou Gehrig was a member), and we raise money to benefit ALS research and regularly volunteer to help with household chores for a member of the community who is affected by the disease. Similarly, Delta Phi Epsilon (a sorority) focuses their philanthropic efforts on combating Cystic Fibrosis. This aspect gives you the feeling that you are positively contributing to a good cause and making a difference, and I think that is a really positive outcome of Greek life that is often overlooked.
With recruitment season coming up, I encourage you all to look into rushing a fraternity or going through the recruitment process for a sorority. It’s an amazing experience and a great opportunity to develop yourself as a person, a leader, and to do so with like-minded individuals who care about community.
