Greek Alternatives
 

I just wanted to start a thread about campus involvement. We all know recruitment can be a stressful and/or fun process for everyone, and sometimes for one reason or another PNMs do not end up joining a sorority.

So while sorority life may not be right for you at this time, there are still dozens of ways to get involved at your university with clubs and activities, places to make lifelong friends, make memories... and meet tons of Greeks and make Greek friends, too! Greeks make a big effort to be involved with clubs outside of their own GLO in order to become well-rounded individuals, give back to the school and have fun. So whether you rush and join a sorority, rush and don't join, etc., you can still be a Greek friend and active college life participant! Oftentimes, too, if you're still considering Greek Life post-recruitment experience (where you didn't end up joining), this is a great way to network with the Greeks and try again at recruitment another semester.

GC'ers, list some clubs and activities you have been involved with! :)

Here are some examples:

President's Leadership Council

Psychology Society

Psi Chi

Quotes

Volunteer

Lambda Alpha Epsilon (Criminal Justice Fraternity)

Golden Key Honor Society

Sailing Club

Hospitality Association

National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity

Intramural Sports

Tour Guides

Circle K

Phi Sigma Theta Honor Society

Athletic Trainers Club

Pre-PT Club


National Student's Speech, Hearing and Language Association

Student Gov't

Tau Sigma Honors Society

Chocolate Club

Student Body President's Advisory Council

Sigma Tau Delta (an English major honor society)

... and more...

Good thread.

There are so many things to do while at school. Greek life is not the end all be all of university (although I love my time as a collegian!)

At my school I participated in College Royal (the big Agricultural/school fair in March)
- The Psychology Society - held an exec position
-Intramural hockey (not a Greek team)

Some of my sisters were on The First Response Team (student run first aid unit)
Figure skating
OPIRG
Safe Walk
and so many other activities.

In addition to some of those already mentioned, throughout my undergraduate time (my first time around) I was involved in the following:

ALpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity

Student Alumni Association

Society for Human Resource Management

UK CARES(community org. about education and outreach with regard to eating disorders)

With My second degree in nursing, I hope to join several nursing organizations as well including the nursing honorary, Sigma Theta Tau.


I'm tryign to find out what the Chocolate Club is and why my campus doenst have one :) That sounds sweet and tasty!

Great thread! My activities as a freshman gave me the opportunity to work with greeks and completely change my image (it wasn't so great) and finally convinced me to go greek!

I was involved with....
student activities board (SUAB/QuadWorks)
Orientation (It was a big deal for us too)
SGA
Up Til Dawn
Omicron Delta Kappa (Leadership Honor Society)
Order of Omega
Residence Assistant
President's Advisory Council
and the rest escape me....it was a super busy time, but I loved every minute of it!

Society of Women Engineers
An a cappella singing group
Concert choir
Associate Advisor for freshmen
Social chair for my dorm's floor
Track team
Assassins' Guild (live-action role-playing games)

Also, Order of Omega (though one of the eligibility requirements is being in a GLO)

I know there's more...

One of my sisters at UCF co-founded the Chocolate Club with some of her friends! Per Student Gov't, a student group can receive campus funding if they have a set number of charter members. Well, naturally, who wouldn't want to join a club dedicated to the appreciation and study of chocolate! They've taken field trips, had guest speakers, and even went to a confectioner's fair in NYC! And of course, they have really cool T-shirts (2 of the members are Graphic Design majors!)

So the moral is... if you have a great idea for a club on campus, and you can attract people to it, you can form a new niche on your college campus and start a new club!

The #1 thing I was involved with in college was an a cappella group. This was the best experience I've ever had in my life, and had a tremendous amount in common with a Greek group. At a number of schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Virginia, Williams, and W&M come to mind, among many others), the a cappella community operates almost identically to a greek community (a formal, coordinated audition process with an open first round and invitational rounds; each group has a unique personality, initiation rituals, and intense, life-long brother/sister bonds; groups participate in philanthropy by giving benefit concerts and singing in hospitals and nursing homes; the groups do lots of socializing together and host parties, road trips, and other social events).

I was also involved, at different times, with a classical choir, a gospel choir, theatrical productions, giving tours of the college, and a new-student mentoring program. Every one of these activities was both rewarding in and of itself and also offered some of the social benefits of Greek involvement -- introducing me to people who became my closest friends, making a big campus feel smaller, giving me a "niche" and role on campus, etc. (And as a side note, participation in all of these activities cost nothing.)

If all of you PNM's enjoy college half as much as I did, you're in for the time of your lives!

Baptist Campus Ministries---publicity team, Ensemble Director, StepShow chair, Stepsing co-chair
Missions trips to: Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; New Orleans, LA; Oklahoma City, OK; Charleston, SC....
Alpha Lambda Delta--freshman honor society
Phi Eta Sigma- freshman honor society, secretary
Rush Hostess--(for fraternities---I wasn't greek when i started this)
Gamma Beta Phi---service & honor society
International Student relations
UNA Advertising Federation
Intramurals
Campus Choir
Shackin' On Leo's Lawn (raise support for our live lion Mascots)/ canned food drives

There are plenty(probably too many) of ways to be involved on campus..... Just look for groups that share your hobbies and interests.

National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA)
Marching band
Basketball pep band
Order of Omega

I was also really involved in my hometown's Relay for Life.

School newspaper (The Daily Free Press)
Intramural sports (softball, hockey, football, basketball)
SPJ (Society for Professional Journalists)
Order of Omega

*RHA (Residence Hall Association)
*Delta Sigma Pi (co-ed professional business fraternity)
*NAPM/ISM (National Association of Purchasing Managers / Institute of Supply Management)
*College radio station (was SOOOO MUCH FUN!)
*Orientation Leader
*Albino Squirel Preservation Society (doesn't every campus have one? :p)

I would highly reccommend getting involved with student groups for particular majors!!! They are great for "getting your foot in the door" and meeting valuable contacts in your field of study :)

Not to hijack, but if that club was on my campus three or four years ago, one of my sisters wouldve been a founding member for sure. She's the biggest chocolate addict I've ever seen :) That sounds like an awesome club!

I'm super!...
 

Although I'm a hopeful PNM, I value the other things I'm involved in on my campus like...

The Network Peer Educators--voted "Member of the Month" the first month I joined. Love being at meetings and I'm going to be secretary this year--Can't wait!

I'm also going to be a Red Key tour guide for my school. Had to interview to get in.

I also mentor once a week for Big Brothers Big Sisters at the elementary school on my campus

I'm also in Spectrum for LGBT's and their allies.

I used to have a job at my school's cafeteria, but I'm not going to work this coming year because I need my sanity...:p

See I don't feel as if this is alot, but when I tell other people about what I'm involved in, they're all like "how do you it? you work so hard!" I just don't want to be like the people on my campus who sit in their rooms and b**** about how this school is boring.:rolleyes:

It's ONLY what you make of it. That's what I say to the GDI's(I disaffilliated:p) who talk mess about the sororities and fraternities because of whatever foolish idea they have have about GLO's. Greeks on my campus are the only people who show any bit of school spirit and they're the ones who get involved and make a name for themselves. That's one of the reasons why I want to be in a sorority. Many of the Greeks in my school have a separate life outside of their GLO's and I respect that they can all come together for one common bond--the sister/brotherhood.

Sorry to go off on this looooong tangent--but keep doing what you're doing y'all! You are respected for what you stand for, and the ones who don't agree probably don't stand for much anyway.

That's my $1.50!

can we sticky this?