Greek life is one way to find your niche
by Amy Zuroweste, posted Sept. 23, 2011
With more than 30,000 students at MU, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. The university has numerous options to help students get involved. One of those is Greek life.
According to the MU Greek Life website, the first fraternity at MU, Phi Kappa Psi, was established in 1861. Since then, the Greek community at MU has grown to 32 fraternities and 20 sororities, representing chapters from the North-American Interfraternity Conference, National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Conference and the Multi-Cultural Greek Conference.
The Greek community at MU is founded on the principles of scholarship, leadership, service, brotherhood and sisterhood. At MU, the Greek community represents 22 percent of the students. It is a way to develop leadership skills, enhance scholastic success, participate in service learning activities and find a place to call home, according to the MU Greek Life website.
“I came to Mizzou not knowing one single person, so my main motivation going into recruitment was meeting new people,” said Rose Eppensteiner, Kappa Delta president and public relations major. “However, once I got further into the week of recruitment, I realized the opportunities available for leadership and the sisterhood present in sororities.”
Going Greek not only helped Eppensteiner adjust to a new environment, but it also helped with her career path at MU.
“I had always been involved in leadership positions in high school, so my sophomore year I decided I wanted to run for vice-president of public relations,” Eppensteiner said. “Being a public relations officer has helped me a lot with my major. It confirmed my career choice and also gave me a leg up in my classes with experience from dealing with the media and press and seeing how the Mizzou campus operates.”
Many of our country’s leaders have benefited from Greek life. All U.S. Presidents, except two, have been Greek since 1825, according to the East Carolina University Student Affairs website. Thirty percent of all U.S. Representatives and 42 percent of U.S. Senators are Greek.
“By joining Alpha Gamma Rho and the Greek community here at Mizzou, I have joined one of Mizzou's oldest and greatest traditions,” said Jared Henderson, Alpha Gamma Rho President. “By joining AGR I have meet countless alumni who are leaders in the fields of business, industry, politics and education. These contacts will and have proven valuable in the search for internships and jobs. AGR helped me realize the importance of professionalism and what it means to be involved in something greater than myself. I am confident that being an AGR has made me the man I am today.”
Some students avoid getting involved in Greek Life because of negative opinions and stereotypes.
“From my point of view, it seems like there is a lot of partying and drinking in Greek life. That is all I ever thought they were about,” said Abby Thoroughman, a non-Greek freshman at MU.
Greek leaders work to combat negative stereotypes.
“You must overcome preconceptions about Greek life,” said Kelsie Coe, Kappa Delta vice president of member education. “One of the things I like to cite is that I don’t drink, so there is obviously something more to Greek life than partying.”
Other leaders mention all of the service and volunteer work that Greek students contribute to the community.
“I remain as positive about Greek life as possible to everyone,” Eppensteiner said. “When I hear negative rumors about Greek life or Kappa Delta in particular, I try to relay the core values of our organization. The good things we do often don’t get attention, like our philanthropies and community service, so I try to bring them to light.”
It is not all about fighting negative stereotypes. Coe has had other challenges in her role with her sorority that have proven to be beneficial to her.
“Leading your peers is one of the hardest things to do,” Coe said. “I feel like if you can lead your peers you can lead any group of people. When you’re making decisions for the people you live with, for your sisters, anytime there’s any negative reaction it’s hard because it’s personal. I feel like if you can overcome that and still be a good leader among your peers, it is a great testament to what kind of leader you are.”
Another benefit of Greek life is the academic boost. According to About.com, most fraternities and sororities hold mandatory study hours and have minimum GPA requirements. At MU, chapters promote scholarship by providing tutoring, academic advisers, study groups and scholarships, according to the MU Greek Life website.
For more information about Greek Life at MU, visit their office at 2500 MU Student Center or at www.mugreeklife.com.
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