Building a greek community
 

There seems to be tension on our campus between different fraternities and sororities. Anyone have any ideas in how to break down these "walls"?

No matter the letter we are all greek together.

Try doing a philanthropy project that brings together several orgs. A good idea if your school doesn't already do this is Relay for Life. It's a 12 or a 24-hour walk to raise money for Cancer research. You do it in teams and there is always at least one person walking from each team. You can get more information about it on www.Cancer.org. Good luck!

I think the largest problem is chapters "trash talking" other chapters. I would like to see girls get to know members outside of their respective chapters.

I guess do any activity where you have members from each sorority on each team. Maybe do a trivia bowl, or bowling or something and make sure that no more than say 2 or 3 girls on each team are from the same sorority (depending on average chapter size on campus). This way girls will have to talk to girls in other sororities and they can get to know them better.

Do you have a large space (maybe in the student center) where everyone can have a giant slumber party? And like Daisy said, do activities where people have to split up etc etc.

Try having double mixers too - they're always fun.

Encourage your Greek Adviser to help you address the problem.

Forming special interest groups within Greek Life that appeal to different interes: like a Panhellenic Women's Circle, a special interest club where women come together to discuss current issues and help with planning Panhellenic programming. Or a President's Round Table, where all the Greek presidents meet monthly to discuss campus or office challenges. Honor Societies like Order of Omega and Rho Lambda also help break down those walls.

Reward chapter members for attending the weekly Panhellenic meetings as an observer and begin chapter awards where members nominate a Greek of the Week to a member of another chapter and a member of your chapter who has been Panhellenic. Some names I have heard used for awards to members of other Groups:
Greek of the Week
KD's Panhellenic Powerpick
Tri-Delta's Delta Woman/Delta Man

In my ADPi chapter, to reward our own members for acts of Panhellism, we awarded a sister the "ADPanhellenic" award.

When you recognize people for exhibiting the behavior you want, others will follow.

Plan all-Greek events together-- a Greek Block Party, community events that take place on Greek Park like a kiddie Halloween trick or treat, plan a dance marathon fundraiser, etc.

Hold a Greek Sisterhood Supper at your house and have each of your members bring at least two other Greek women. Hold ice cream socials and other sisterhood events with the chapters.

With the support of your Greek Adviser and Panhellenic, you can make this happen. To begin though, it would be best to start a dialogue and have representatives of all the groups brainstorm as a Panhellenic relationship building task force.

ETA: Best to involve everyone from the get-go, so they feel empowered and that it was "their" idea, too.

If that doesnt work, then the School can and will step in and say, "Get Your Shit Together or Be Gone"!

Being Stupid is ignorance and not productive for anyone of us! :(