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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!
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