By Brittany Burt
For Anthony Gallina, his Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity is more than a student organization.
“For the most part, TKE has given me a sense of purpose in college beyond the classroom,” said Gallina, a senior in kinesiology. “TKE helped push me into the leadership roles that I’ve had and currently have, such as student government president, vice president of TKE for two terms, and […] student ambassador. I’ve had to plan events, manage committees and their work, and also create and enforce policies. Since joining, volunteerism has never seemed like work anymore. Cleaning up the campus, working for charities and helping the community has really become second nature, and now I just do it and never really dread it or get bored.”
Gallina is one of about 376 students, or roughly 8 percent of student population, involved in Greek life. As of spring 2014, fraternities have 135 of these members, and sororities have 241 members.
“I joined Greek life because I wanted to be a part of a brotherhood that gave me the opportunity to bond with my brothers and make memories throughout my collegiate career, and, most of all, life-long membership with my fraternity,” said Matt Oliver of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the biggest MSU chapter, with 34 members for fall 2012.
Fraternities and sororities participate in group meetings, study sessions, social services and campus activities, such as Relay for Life, the annual fundraising walk to fight cancer.
“I joined because I wanted to make the most of my college experience and get involved as much as I could,” said Maggie Moss, nursing junior from Sigma Kappa, the biggest MSU sorority, with 55 members. “Greek life has given much more than I could have ever imagined. It’s turned me into a more mature and goal-oriented woman. I have made life-long friends and developed leadership skills that have really pushed me to achieve more things. Being Greek was the greatest choice I have ever made in college.”
“From being in a sorority, I have gained so many friendship and stories,” said Kira Smith, one of Chi Omega’s 49 members. “I know that no matter what is going on in my life, I’ll always have my sisters.”
Fraternities and sororities are nationwide organizations, but the local groups, called chapters, determine membership fees.
“With the fraternity and the sorority, they have national offices with professional staff,” said Matthew Park, associate vice president of student affairs. “The way they generate that money to pay their staff is through all the chapters they have throughout the country, sometimes throughout the world. […] Each […] individual member is paying things, such as a chapter fee, which isn’t necessarily going to them locally here, but it’s going to support the existence of this larger entity. […] At Midwestern, they [chapter fees] are a lot cheaper than they are at other institutions primarily because our chapters don’t have houses on campus.”
For his TKE fraternity, which has 20 members, Gallina pays $70 a month and “an average of $30 extra for shirts, fundraisers, and other things.”
“We pay $350 a semester,” said psychology sophomore Trey Reed, also from TKE. Sounds like a lot, but only $70 a month isn’t that bad, even with an extremely part-time job. The only extra costs we have are sometimes paying for event shirts, maybe taking our littles to lunch every now and then, maybe some craft supplies for things we work on throughout the semester.”
Junior Courtney Lemley from Chi Omega said she pays a monthly chapter fee of $65, and an additional $80 per semester in house corporation fees for renting Fain Hall where sororities have meetings and activities.
“Additional costs include T-shirts which is completely up to the member in terms of wanting to buy,” she said.
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity charges $70 monthly, “give or take fines, events and donations such as paying for food during rush events,” said member Peyton White.
“Greek life isn’t something that is cheap,” said Shanell Martin, a criminal justice senior. “There are monthly fees due along with new member fees that vary between each chapter. There is no tolerance of late payments.”
Leaders in Greek life strive to develop competitive leadership skills, said David Alexander, a junior in business finance from Omega Delta Phi, MSU’s smallest chapter.
“I joined for the brotherhood and diversity,” Alexander said. “What I’ve gotten out of ODPhi so far is how to stay goal-driven and focus through any kind of adversity.”
Sororities and fraternities have GPA requirements and other academic goals for joining and returning members.
“I wasn’t able to join the sorority of my choice due to my grades being too low when I was an incoming freshman,” said Ryan Allison, who had a 2.7 GPA but needed a 2.8 to join Sigma Kappa. “I am currently not in a sorority now because I am friends with them already and have other obligations to attend to.”
Depending on a member’s GPA, he or she may be obliged to have study hours in the library.
“You can have no study hours, or up to seven study hours, depending on how bad your grades suck,” said White.
“I am required to study 10 hours in the library a week, but other people in TKE don’t have to do as much because their GPAs were higher,” said Reed, whose fraternity requires a 2.0 GPA for joining members and a 2.5 for returning members.
In the Chi Omega sorority, members with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are not required to complete any study hours. Members with a GPA below 3.0 have to fulfill study hours, which increase when the GPA decreases.
Members of Chi Omega are required to do six hours of community service a semester, said Lemley.
“Service hours are required from us no matter what our GPA is,” said White. “We are required to put in a minimum of five hours per semester, but over half of our guys go above and beyond and hit anywhere around 50 or more hours a semester.”
Despite the benefits described by Greek members, some students just can’t find the time required to join the Greeks.
“Greek life was never an option for me at all,” said Miles Roberts, a criminal justice senior. “I’m a full-time student and have a full-time job. I live alone, I have a one-year-old baby, and I have no time for Greek life.”
Graphic design junior Cameron Williams said too much of his time is spent on the football field to join Greek life.
“I got a full-ride scholarship to play football at Midwestern State, and all of my time is placed on the football field with my team,” he said. “I have zero time to be a part of any organization, especially Greek life.”