Category: Greek Life

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Greek Week Activities: A List of Ideas for Your Organization

greek week activities and ideas

It’s Greek Week season! This means planning, planning, planning! Greek week is fun and exciting for everyone involved. One of the best parts of Greek Week is that there is always an activity to attend somewhere. BUT. For those on the planning committee, it is a lot of work. So here is a list of some Greek Week activities for you to consider. 

Have a guest speaker

Chalk competitions outside of your organization’s house 

Canned food drives

Sporting events- softball, kickball, pickleball, mud volleyball, etc! The opportunities with this are endless, there are so many sporting events you can put on! 

Nail painting night

Obstacle “American Ninja Warrior” courses 

Lip sync battles

Minute to Win It games

Talent show

Pie eating contests

Greek week is an important week where Greek organizations can come together and get to know one another. It’s celebrating brotherhood and sisterhood and everything each organization represents. Though Greek week is a lot of work for many individuals, everyone will always agree that it pays off and is incredibly fun to spend the week doing these various activities and getting to know one another. 

Do you have any other activities you do during Greek Week that you would add to this list? 

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#GoGreek Interview: AJ Cutler

#gogreek interview alpha chi omega sorority sister

Welcome to our #GoGreek series! This blog series focuses on interviewing past and present members of sororities and fraternities. We are able to learn more about their experiences and ask them questions to help others learn more about the Greek world, bust stigmas, and find out if Greek life is right for you. 

Today we are interviewing AJ Cutler. AJ was a part of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. 

AJ was drawn into Greek life through her friends, they were participating in the recruitment process and encouraged her to come along. She also loved the idea of finding like-minded people. Her favorite part of being in a sorority was always having something to do, there was always some event she could be a part of or join, enriching her overall college experience. 

What was your philanthropy and what effect did serving this philanthropy have on your life?

“Domestic Violence/ Sexual Assault Awareness. This topic hits too close to home with so many of my friends, that’s felt very passionate and connected to this cause. I have chosen to continue to believe and support survivors of domestic violence end sexual assault, as well as create a safe space for any friends or colleagues that may experience it themselves.”

How has your experience helped or shaped your life beyond college? In what ways do you feel like being in a sorority or fraternity boosted your resume?

“I very frequently hang out with my friends that I met through Sorority life. There has also been a domino effect on my career, as a sorority sister helped me land my first job on campus, which led to opportunities in my field of study, which eventually landed me my current job that I love! I was able to diversify my experience with social media and marketing, and it led me to go out for more career-based clubs, which has boosted my resume!”

Her advice for those wanting to join Greek life is to join based on the people. Find the people you want to surround yourself with, and then you can find your own purpose in your organization. 

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The Financial Responsibility of #GoingGreek

An open letter to college freshman tips and advice

Joining a sorority or fraternity comes with one big thing that often gets overlooked and sometimes comes as a surprise to a lot of new recruits during rush week, and that is finances. There are a lot of fees and dues when it comes to joining a Greek house and it’s important to know what your upfront and yearly costs will look like before committing so that you aren’t surprised later. 

Each school and each organization will have its own fees, so it is best to do your own research on the specific houses you are looking into. This is typically information they will cover during Rush Week as well. However, here is a quick overview of fees or charges you may see. 

New member fees

Initiation fees

Chapter or house dues- annually

Social dues- for social events

National dues- paid to the national headquarters of your organization

Semester dues

Rent- if living within the household 

Fines- which could be for anything from damages done to your room/the house, to missing an event or meeting 

Georgia Southern University posted this table to their website for all students looking into Greek life, this is just one of the examples you may see when it comes to the financial responsibility you hold as a fraternity or sorority member. Typically the bigger university you attend with higher tuition rates, the higher Greek fees will be as well.

Should all of this financial responsibility deter you from joining? No! But it is something to be aware of. Especially because these fees are on top of your college tuition and fees.

A few places you can turn to for help: 

Parents/family members 

Scholarships- both in and out of your University or organization

Financial aid- Loans and grants. Some organizations offer them, as well as applying directly from the government through FAFSA. 

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Spotlight on Omega Phi Alpha

spotlight on omega phi alpha

Omega Phi Alpha was founded in 1953 at Bowling Green State University. A handful of students at Zeta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity wanted to start a new organization for the purpose of assisting with projects on campus that they were working on. After a group of women stepped up and wanted to fill the role, a sorority was started with a similar, but different name. Omega Phi Alpha. Originally the sorority was only open to members of Girls Scouts or Camp Fire Girls. This has since been changed. 

Their core values are service, tradition, sisterhood, diversity & inclusion, and leadership. Each separate organization is centered around service in some way. They state on their website their purpose: 

“The purpose and goals of this sorority shall be to assemble its members in the fellowship of Omega Phi Alpha, to develop friendship, leadership and cooperation by promoting service to the university community, to the community at-large, to the members of the sorority, and to the nations of the world.”

omegaphialpha.org

They truly are a sorority founded on women that stepped up to help and will continue to leave a legacy of women willing to step up to help. They are a positive influence on college campuses everywhere!

You can see more about Omega Phi Alpha and the overview of the sorority here in this video:

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Bid Day! An Overview and Some Tips

bid day overview and tips

So you’ve gone through Rush Week, took in all of the information for each organization that you could possibly handle, and now it’s BID DAY! Here’s a quick overview of what to expect on bid day: 

At this point, you’ve submitted your preference of house that you would like to join and the houses have done the same for their recruits. If you match up, a bid is offered to you. This means you’re in! You’re invited and welcome to join! You accept the bid and join the house. The rest of the day is full of excitement and activities as everyone rallies around the new members. Some houses assign their big and littles on this day as well, while others may wait. There’s cheering and chanting and one big party! 

A few tips for bid day: 

Drop the stress! You’re in and they’ve offered you a spot. 

Look into how long you have to decline the bid if you can on bid day. Some will show up at the house and participate in the excitement of bid day, only to regret their house choice later. It’s worth it to look into if needed! 

Don’t worry about getting to know everyone all at once. There are probably people there that you didn’t even see or get to know during Rush Week because they were working behind the scenes the entire time. You’ll get to know everyone eventually, given time. 

Enjoy it. You only get one bid day! It’s a big day, so take it all in and enjoy it while it’s happening. Take pictures and videos and remember the moments that mattered the most. 

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Spotlight On Alpha Chi Omega

spotlight on alpha chi omega sorority

Alpha Chi Omega was founded in 1885 in Indiana when female students were in the beginnings of being allowed in college classrooms. Seven women came together to create an organization within their school of music, thus creating the 10th women’s fraternity in the country. 

The founders were Anna Allen Smith, Olive Burnett Clark, Bertha Deniston Cunningham, Amy DuBois Rieth, Nellie Gamble Childe, Bessie Grooms Keenan, and Estelle Leonard. Although they originally created the organization in their music school, it is not exclusive to music students today, and now serves more than 230,000 members nationwide, with chapters in foreign countries as well! 

Photo from http://www.alphachisu.org/history_foundingmembers.asp

Alpha Chi Omega’s individual philanthropies focus on the effects of domestic violence and the effects of it. They accomplish this through many hands-on activities and service projects. 

One of our past scholarship winners, Liz Hansen, is a part of Alpha Chi Omega. This is what she says about the organization: 

“What drove me to join my sorority was really and truly how amazing and supportive the women are in it. Regarding our philanthropy, it’s something I’m truly passionate about; I feel that my calling is to help others. Domestic violence and abuse are a lot more prevalent than people realize because it doesn’t need to be just physical. There’s a huge gap in education on the subject and teaching others, especially college students, about what a healthy relationship looks like is so important. The women we help at the shelter are in need of support and resources, and our donations of time and money are so impactful on them.”

Alpha Chi Omega’s motto is “Together, let us seek the heights.” They also live by the saying “Real. Strong. Women.” You can see more about this here: 

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Rush Week Overview and Tips

rush week tips

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

  • Ask a lot of questions. Usually you’re assigned a leader to help guide you through the week, ask the questions and become familiar with the houses and process! 
  • Try not to stress. There’s a lot of commotion and things to think or worry about. But it’s also great to live in the moment and take it all in. 
  • Research the houses before. It can be easier going into Rush Week with a knowledge of what your options are and what these houses mean and stand for. For example, research Alpha Chi Omega, what they stand for, what their philanthropy is, how they started, what their motto is, etc. This will help you decide if this house is right for you, even before rush week begins. 
  • Dress to impress! How you dress says a lot about who you are, this is why we dress up for job interviews. Look at rush week as one week-long job interview, so dress in a way you are comfortable and feel like you, but is also your nicer, more professional clothing. 
  • Keep your purse or bag stocked with essentials. Chapstick, mints, extra clothes, snacks, and maybe comfy shoes to change into. At some Universities, the houses won’t be all right next to each other, so consider the walking time and distance. High heels don’t make the best shoes to walk a few blocks in! 
  • When choosing your final houses on preference day, be honest with yourself. It can be so easy to fall into the trap that you need to be included in every house or that you would be completely fine getting into whichever house offers you their preference or bid. However, it’s best to be honest with yourself and really consider if choosing a specific house would be the right decision for you. 

Good luck with rush week this fall! We are rooting for you!