Congratulations, you made it. You’re now a freshman or transfer student in college with a plethora of majors to decide from and organizations galore on campus to join.
Eastern Michigan University boasts of over 200 organizations, and included in this list are 22 Greek organizations ranging from the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Collegiate Panhellenic Council and the Interfraternity Council. If joining a Greek organization is on your college bucket list or even something you’re considering, take the advice of these students.
EMU student Giovanteey Bishop, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated was interested in joining her sorority because of the sense of sisterhood between members.
“What initially sparked my interest within Alpha Kappa Alpha was the immense love and unbreakable bond that the members display for each other,” Bishop said. “I would compare this bond to one that one would share with their family. Seeing that I don’t have what one would call a normal family, I lacked that family support and bond, and so I developed great admiration for the bond and sisterhood.”
For Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated member James Purifoy, his fraternity brothers were a solid support system for him during tough times, which tarnished any preconceived ideas of fraternities.
“There was an incident in which I suffered third-degree burns to my hands and face and many people treated me like I had an airborne disease or something, [but] the brothers of Phi Beta Sigma did not,” Purifoy said. “They continued to mentor me and give me genuine advice. This experience made me view things in a different light, and made me want to join the ranks of these men.”
Of course, before considering joining these Greek organizations, members address the pros and cons of being a part of a fraternity or sorority.
“The pros are they hold you accountable for your actions and set high standards for academics, [and] they make school a priority,” said Matthew Jones of Tau Kappa Epsilon. “The cons are that if you don’t have good time management, being a part of an organization can distract you from other things that you need to do.”
Thomas Crawford III of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated said Iota’s diversity is what attracted him to this organization, as well as “becoming more disciplined” in life and “becoming more humble, learning how to utilize every possible resource and how to prioritize my life.”
Their advice to new students:
• Do your research. Check out all of the organizations on campus before you make your decision to see who you mesh better with.
• Find yourself first. Make your own name first so that you are an asset to your organization instead of your organization just being an asset to you.
• Even though you see all of the fun events, all these organizations are businesses, and they are more than just fun and games. Come in with the mindset that you’re going to work for your organization, not just be a shirt wearer.
• Scholarship should always be at the forefront of your mind. Get your grades in order and worry about joining organizations later.
• Go to organization events and be active on campus.
The benefits:
• Gain leadership skills and learning how to delegate
• Gain many networking connections and community involvement
• Set and accomplish goals
• Self confidence
As a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated- Pi Delta Chapter, in my opinion, joining a Greek organization can be beneficial in so many ways but it comes with more responsibilities than what meets the eye. If you’re sure this is something you want to pursue, come out to events and get to know us. We don’t bite, I promise!
