
Rush, charity, tradition and bonds of sisterhood and brotherhood may sound exciting to students being introduced to college with Greek Life.
With 11 sororities and fraternities on campus, all with different missions, students have a wide choice.
For Xin Wen, a senior business and communication major, Greek Life has become his life.
“I never thought I would be in a fraternity until I went to the Involvement Fair, and I met some of the guys there. And they were really good guys,” Wen says.
“I just randomly went to tables and talked to them and stuck with it.”
Wen is part of the university’s oldest fraternity, Beta Mu Sigma, founded in 1959. He says in 1989, his fraternity merged with Sigma Pi.
Beta Mu Sigma has been conducting charity events and summer work.
“My favorite part is the brotherhood. We have close relationships and I can count on them when I feel helpless,” Wen says.
Wen thinks it’s important that his brothers and fraternity accept others.
“It doesn’t matter your race or your color, you just have to go through the process,” Wen says.
“We study the history of the fraternity. And you have to maintain a good GPA,” Wen says.
Acceptance is important to Alaina Pierce, a sophomore studio art major, who says she feels that with her sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon.

This sorority was established based on acceptance of people of all races and religions.
“We’re one of the first non-sectarian sororities, so we really accept everyone,” says Pierce.
“There were three women who were attending New York University School of Law who wanted to create a place for women that was accepting of all backgrounds,” Pierce says, looking back at the history of her sorority.
“I kind of knew I wanted to be a part of [a sorority]. It goes back to when ‘Monsters University’ [the prequel to the movie ‘Monsters, Inc.’] came out,” Pierce laughs. “But, I always thought it looked fun.”
“I came into my freshman year during COVID in 2020, so there was really no clubs to go to, everything was online. I felt really lonely,” Pierce says.
“I didn’t really connect with my roommate, it was hard to make friendships. I knew I wanted something to be more involved and that’s why I joined.”
Choosing her right sorority was not a problem for Pierce.
“I always knew I wanted to be in Delta Phi Epsilon so I didn’t really look at other sororities. I just knew in my heart that’s where I wanted to go,” Pierce says.
“Out of all the sororities they were the only ones that followed me [on Instagram]. They were just so polite to me. I also noticed they seemed a little bit more diverse. There were a lot more people from different backgrounds which I really liked about them.”
One step that may seem nerve-wracking is rushing a sorority, but this was never a problem for Pierce.
“I’m not really shy so it wasn’t super nerve-racking,” Pierce says.
“Rushing is when you go to three recruitment events, then there’s a ‘Bid Day’ where you accept being a member. And, then we go through our ‘Big/Little’ process. Which is when your ‘big’ mentors you to be a sister,” Pierce says.
“It’s a long process, but they really hold your hand step-by-step. You don’t feel so nervous when rushing.”
While rushing, Pierce’s interest for events, whether they be social or philanthropic, started to grow.
“I love doing events. I hold a position in our sorority which is basically all about events. I’m the vice president of academic affairs,” says Pierce.
“We have things like ‘Deepher Dude’ which is a big thing in the fall. It’s a male beauty pageant where we raise money for cystic fibrosis, which is one of our philanthropies. It was the greatest time. A bunch of the girls were coaches for the guys. One guy, hula hooped to the Six Flags theme song. This was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”
Pierce says to be in a sorority dues are collected. At Delta Phi Epsilon financial assistance is offered if you cannot afford it.
“This isn’t like a sports team you’re trying out for, we want you because having more of us makes us better,” Pierce says.
Like Pierce, Jared Propis, a sophomore accounting major, says he connected with his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon, because it accepts anyone that shares their values of “love, charity and esteem.”
“Coming to Southern, I wanted to be a part of a large community to make my college life meaningful,” Propis says.
“I turned to Greek Life and met with two fraternities. I chose Tau Kappa Epsilon because not only do I think they best represent what brotherhood means, but I was drawn to TKE’s mission ‘to make better men for a better world.’”
Under the Greek Life section on Southern’s website, Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity’s history states they started with “a membership of five gentlemen, the fraternity was developed to aid college men in their development.”
Propis believes TKE makes him, and his brothers better men because of the bonds formed.
“The fraternity is meaningful to all of us. The bonds we share are strong and are used to support one another. TKE brothers continue to advise and mentor each other even after graduation because of these bonds. We take on leadership opportunities to help build, develop and improve our skills,” Propis says.
A sorority with a similar mission, learning from each other and strengthening their community, is Zeta Phi Beta.
Ashley Perez, a senior biology major and president of Zeta Phi Beta, says the principles of its organization are scholarship, service, sisterhood and finer womanhood.

According to the Zeta Phi Beta sorority website, “Zeta Phi Beta was founded on the campus of Howard University on Jan. 16, 1920. The sorority’s international programs, such as Z-HOPE (Zetas Helping Other People Excel) through Mind, Body and Spirit, serve to empower people from all walks of life.”
“Transferring to Southern was an impulsive decision that changed my life forever,” Perez wrote on an Instagram post.
“The journey that lead me here was never in vain. I found my home. I found my sisters. I took the road less traveled by and found my way to Zetaland.”
Perez and other members of Zeta Phi Beta say empowerment is very important in their sorority.
Alpha Sigma Alpha’s President Ava Fargeorge, a junior social work major, says empowerment is important to her sorority as well. Alpha Sigma Alpha gave her a voice and made her the woman she is today, she says.

balloons to promote rushing their sorority.
“My older sister, who I really looked up to, was in Greek Life at Quinnipiac. I always saw her involved in it, and she loved it. She still talks to her sisters now, like her little and her family at Greek Life, and I got so jealous of it when I was little,” Fargeorge says. “When I got here I didn’t know if I wanted to join because I was like ‘oh I don’t know, maybe it’s not my time.’ And then sophomore year, ‘OK why not try it?’ ”
“Since we are a smaller school, I feel like our sisterhood is more close-knit, and we know each other on a deeper level.”
Fargeorge did not join the same sorority as her sister, but says she stuck with her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, because of its values.
“When I first talked to the girls, I felt like they were so professional. I really liked the way they spoke about themselves and about the organization,” Fargeorge says.
“They all had smiles on their faces. When they started talking to me about how they empowered women, how they wanted to create a group of women with poise and purpose and wanted to help you find a place in this world, I was like, ‘wow, that’s amazing, I want that.’”
Alpha Sigma Alpha hosts events like Buzz-A-Thon, which is its biggest fundraiser, every fall semester.
“We do haircuts and we donate the money to Camp Rising Sun, which is a camp for kids with cancer,” Fargeorge says. “We have certified hairdressers come in and they do $20 haircuts.”
Fargeorge says Buzz-A-Thon is her favorite sorority event.
“It was the best day of my life,” Fargeorge says. “It was so fun and such a great experience to see everyone together because we never really got that {in-person togetherness} around that time.”
All fraternities and sororities on campus are governed by the Greek Life Council, comprised of representatives of each organization. The council ensures all Greek organizations follow proper procedures.
While missions of the Greek organizations are positive, they are not without controversy.
Omega Zeta Pi sorority was suspended from campus after a video showing members imitating strolls from sororities of the Divine 9, historically Black Greek organizations, was posted on Instagram.
President Joe Bertolino in response said, “We will take a number of practical steps that will enhance Greek Life on campus; implementing cultural education and anti-racism training” for all incoming members of Greek Life.
Fargeorge encourages everyone to look into Greek Life for the sisterhood and brotherhood.
“I feel like, if you’re joining Greek Life, you are ready to grow, even more than you are now,” Fargeorge says. “Greek Life, no matter what organization you want to be a part of, is a great way to find yourself.”

Greek Life Organizations
Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority
Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity
Beta Mu Sigma Fraternity
Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Latino America Unida, Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity, Inc.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Hermandad Sigma Iota Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
By Sarah Shelton
