Fraternities, sororities give “real-world” experience

Darcie Walkes

Darcie Walkes

Are you looking for an opportunity to meet new friends, obtain academic assistance, become more involved with the campus and community and acquire many lifetime skills? If so, perhaps you should consider joining one of SDSU’s fraternities or sororities.

Jeremy Hurd, president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon, credits his academic achievements to the fraternity.

“At one point, I was going to get kicked out of school,” said Hurd. SAE members helped him raise his GPA considerably. “They helped me understand that academics are important.”

New members experience the process of becoming an active Greek through a pledgeship, learning about the history of the Greek system at a national and local level. They also learn about the Greek letters and what they stand for.

Fraternity members participate in community service work and obtain leadership seminars. Through this hands-on experience, SAE members gain community involvement and knowledge.

As Hurd recaps his six years of involvement with the SAE fraternity, he points to the many benefits it offers to students.

“It’s something that a lot of college kids can benefit from. Not only will it help you scholastically, but it will help you socially. You learn how to deal with people and gain leadership skills. It’s a personal growth experience,” Hurd said.

Jen Hauf, adviser of the Alpha Xi Delta, attributes her positive college experience to her involvement with the sorority. A member since 1995, she has served as the chapter’s adviser for the past two years.

“I came out of college well-rounded. I think I was ready for the real world.”

As a Hotel Food Service Management graduate from SDSU, she could look at her sorority experience as a small business simulation.

“There are small meetings, time management and a lot of planning, depending on your position,” said Hauf.

Hauf also believes that sorority membership helps with community ties.

“I have friends for life that I keep in contact with still to this day. It’s a huge learning experience. I always think involvement with the chapter helps you become involved with other campus opportunities.”

Sigma Phi Delta chapter president, Chad Meirose, also believes that fraternities provide students with numerous benefits. The Sigma Phi Delta is a fraternity exclusive to engineering majors.

As an electrical engineering major, he finds one of the greatest benefits of the Sigma Phi Delta is the location, across the street from Crother’s engineering hall. “I get up in the morning and walk across the street for class.”

He also sees the academic assistance as a plus. “We’re all engineers, so we help each other out with academia. We get to meet a lot of people and get involved with the college,” said Meirose.

They also play a big role in the upcoming engineering Phone-a-thon, as well as community events such as the haunted house at the Brookings Mall.

“We’re able to give something back to the community and get involved,” said Meirose.

Meirose notes that the membership has dropped compared to previous years. There are currently 13 active members. Six of those members live in the chapter house. The members range in age quite a bit. “We are more diverse in age than most other groups,” said Meirose.

Meirose urges interested students to visit with their chapter. “They should come talk to us because we can tell them what it’s about from first view. It’s a great location. We have great brotherhood amongst the members.”

Most sororities and fraternities have specific guidelines for members. Usually, the academic policy requires members to maintain a GPA of at least 2.25. If their GPA slips, they are put on an academic probation. Most houses offer study improvement programs for members in need of academic assistance.

A similar probation is in order for a violation of their chapter’s guidelines and rules, such as underage drinking.