After a week of recruitment and rush events, the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community celebrated their new members and hard work by participating in Greek Week. Events took place daily and were completely optional to any member of the fraternity/sorority community.
The theme for the week’s events was up to the chairpersons coordinating them. Greek Week 2021 had a Survivor theme, with a fun tie to tourism and Total Drama Island.
Each organization was paired up with another with the hope to bring together fraternities and sororities, especially those that might not be very close, in an attempt to build interfraternity and sorority relationships—more commonly known as “Greek unity.”
Greek unity is what the FSL community strives for. “Greek Week always helps me feel so connected to other organizations on campus,” said Blake Jonassen (‘22). “The friendly competitions really help the pairs work together as best as possible and make us have even more fun with each other!”
The friendly competition aspect of Greek Week was meant to add an extra incentive towards participation, as the winner of Greek Week was rewarded with the choosing of the chairpersons coordinating events.
The events for this past week included dress-up days to flood campus with Greek letters, organization colors, and philanthropic attire which were meant to show the involvement of the fraternity and sorority community for the better.
Alma College fraternity and sorority life is also unique in that it is smaller, so it is easier to build inter-organizational relationships with those outside of your chapter.
One collegiate member shares their excitement to welcome in new members: “I think it’s so wonderful that some of our new members’ first experience in FSL is so focused on Greek unity,” said Katie Rooney (‘22). “Alma is really special in that we are able to create this wonderful, unified and unique community, and I love getting to share that with them right away!”
After summer social media trends overwhelmed students, it was important to those currently involved to detonate those stereotypes and build a positive reputation for current members and those that are bound to follow.
It is important to show that members in these organizations are community focused and want to build these relationships with each other to make our organizational bonds stronger.
One new member shared how this past week was an exciting way to kick off their membership. “I never thought I would join a sorority,” said Miranda Avolio (‘24). “Going through the recruitment process and finding my home was a really great decision! I feel more involved on campus and overall has boosted my mental health. Participating in Greek Week and being able to wear and represent my letters gives me an amazing feeling and I feel more at home here at Alma College.
Fraternity and Sorority members earned points by dressing up for dress-up days, attending events such as tie-dying, photo challenges with their partner organizations and a relaxing night of lawn games—all of which added up to points to crown the winners at the end of the week.
After having most, if not all, Greek Week events being moved online last fall, it is exhilarating to be able to hold these events in person once again while adding in options for those who may not be comfortable with participating in person.
With sororities welcoming in new members from formal recruitment, neutral rho gammas back wearing letters and fraternities sending out bids, the Fraternity and sorority community is excited to embrace the friendly competition that so many look forward to.
