In a courtyard full of snow cones and ice cream sundaes, not everyone was looking for a sweet treat to combat the extreme heat. Some people were looking for connections and their future community.
At the annual Meet the Greeks event held on Aug. 14 in front of Shocker Hall, students were able to see and chat with multiple Greek Life organizations to help them find where they could potentially fit in.
Freshman Paola Rodriguez said the event was helpful to see what the different organizations focus on.
“Each of them focus on different things, and it’s something to be able to see all the different sororities’, fraternities’ priorities,” Rodriguez said. “… I love it. I love them strolling. I love just everybody coming together as a community and just vibing.”
Rodriguez said she came to college looking to join a sorority since she grew up in the environment.
“I’ve just been presented to fraternities, sororities at a young age, and it’s just something that I look forward to doing my four years here,” she said.
Rodriguez attended the event with fellow freshman Gabreal Clary who said he was also looking to join Greek Life, but had his reservations.
“Personally, I was a little bit scared, but like you live once,” Clary said. “I was like you might as well go and try, see what it is.”
Freshman Isaiha Grogan-Whittaker is a member of the Shocker Sound Machine and went to Meet the Greeks to find which fraternity he wants to join.
“I did have some interest in some fraternities like Omega Delta Phi,” Grogan-Whittaker said. “That was the only one I had interest in a little bit.”
As the event went on, he said that it was helpful to see and talk to all of the fraternities.
“It’s opened my eyes to consider what there is to offer with the different fraternities that I can be a part of,” Grogan-Whittaker said.
Students like Sam Dinkel did find their community at an event like Meet the Greeks. Nearly a year ago, Dinkel went with one of his friends on campus to a Greek life event.
“We met a guy, and he was like ‘Yo, we’re going to this frat event.’ And I was like, ‘Bet, free hotdogs,’” Dinkel said. “I went there, and I talked to him. They gave me a house tour and everything and I met some cool dudes, and went to a lake house with them. And they bidded me and I was like, ‘I like this place. It feels like the spot for me to be for the next four years.’”
Dinkel said Meet the Greeks is a great opportunity for students to come and look at all of the Greek organizations on campus, and he encourages everyone even considering joining to just try it.
“You just make so many friends being in it, and you just know a lot of people, which is nice,” Dinkel said. “… I think it’s worth the shot.”
