Why Go Greek: Sororities

Christen Justice, President of ASA: 

Q: Why go Greek?

A: “I think that going Greek provides opportunities for individuals that other organizations cannot offer. Not to mention life-long friendships that you will make in college, but the connections you will have after graduation. Also, considering that students in Greek life statistically have higher GPAs than those who aren’t, I believe that the responsibilities of Greek life contribute to time management and organization.”

Q: What are Alpha Sigma Alpha’s core values and what do they mean for your chapter?

A: “Balance, generosity, growth, integrity, learning, relationships, responsibility, & enjoyment. In our chapter we strive to meet the core values with everything we do- rather it is volunteer work, chapter meetings, or just spending time with each other.”

Q: What are your philanthropies and what do you do for each of them? 

A: “S. June Smith Center, Girls on the Run, Special Olympics, & the ASA Foundation. Every academic year we try to do something to raise money or spend our time for each of our philanthropies. In previous years we have made or donated toys to the S. June Smith center, in the spring we volunteer with our Girls on the Run in Princeton, and we have fundraisers to donate money to the special Olympics and ASA foundation.”

Q: Why did you choose ASA?

A: “I chose ASA because when I first met them they were, and still are, a diverse group of girls who had completely different personalities and goals in life. Although they were different, they stood by each other and were supportive of their sisters’ decisions & wanted good things for them. I wanted friends that I could be myself with & that genuinely cared about me & I got so much more than I ever thought I would!”

Elizabeth Chandler, President of AST: 

Q: Why go Greek? 

A: “Going Greek is not just for the short time (what feels like a long time), that we are at college. It means you are a part of something for life. It is able to offer you connections with others, even if they did not join the same Fraternity/Sorority as you did. It means that whether you realize it or not you will be learning life skills as you grow in your organization and take on more responsibility. These skills can be as simple as learning to able to speak in front of a group of people, how to organize events, or handle meetings. Going Greek means that you will get far more out of it, than you can ever put into it.”

Q: What are Alpha Sigma Tau’s core values and what do they mean for your chapter? 

A: “Our five core values are Intellect, Graciousness, Respect, Connections, Excellence. Our core values are what we hold most dear to us and what we strive most towards being. There are some days that we have to work extra hard at certain ones, but we work together as sisters to constantly improve ourselves as individuals and as an organization. It is what connects us when we have such different personalities, because we all believe in these five values.”

Q: What are your philanthropies and what do you do for each of them?

A: “Our national philanthropy/service project changed this summer at our National Convention and we are now a part of the Women’s Wellness Initiative and our first partner in this is Dress for Success. Our National Philanthropy is very new to us, so we are currently trying to collaborate with the Dress for Success in Huntington, WV and figure out what they need most for us to do. Until then, we have a trip this semester to attend the Chiari Walk in Charleston and another trip to help with Habitat for Humanity. We are also helping where we can on campus and are constantly looking for new ideas and ways to help.”

Q: Why did you choose Alpha Sigma Tau? 

A: “I was the girl in high school who did not really fit in with any group, so I mostly sat by myself and read books. When I came to college I did not really change my routine and was absolutely not interested in Greek Life. A close friend/roommate here convinced me to go through Formal Recruitment when I was a sophomore. Going Greek is about finding your family and when I went through, I realized I had found mine. It was a group of girls that I could look up to, who enjoyed most of the same stuff I did, and most importantly they accepted me for who I was. Some of my sisters are as different from me as night is to day, but I would not trade them for the world. Looking back now it was hands down one of the best decisions of my life.”

Gretchen Reese, President of Delta Zeta

Q: Why go Greek? 

A: “Going Greek is a great way to get involved on campus. Most of the Greek organizations on Concord’s campus are highly involved in not only the Concord community, but the greater Mercer county community as well. Going Greek gives you a community within the organization you choose, and within Concord as well.”

Q: What are Delta Zeta’s core values and what do they mean for your chapter?

A: “Delta Zeta’s core values center around academics, sisterhood, leadership, and philanthropy. We strive to be excellent scholars, empowered leaders, reliable sisters, and selfless givers. Delta Zeta encourages us to better ourselves while upholding these values.”

Q: What are your philanthropies and what do they mean for your chapter?

A: “Our national philanthropy focus is speech and hearing. In 2015 we started a 5-year campaign to raise 5 million dollars for Starkey Hearing Foundation. Starkey Hearing Foundation uses hearing as a vehicle to reflect caring and change lives around the world. As a member of Clinton Global Initiative, Starkey Hearing Foundation has pledged to provide more than one million hearing aids to people in need this decade and currently gives more than 175,000 hearing aids annually. Our chapter started an annual Hamburger for Hearing event to raise money for the SHF. We take over McDonald’s on Oakvale Rd and we get a percentage of the profits for the time we are there. We have had a lot of success and fund with this event and hope to continue!  We also have a national service project, which is the Painted Turtle Camp in California. The PTC is a camp that allows children with serious medical conditions to have a normal camp experience. The camp is completely free for campers, and they provide the necessary medical care the campers need while at camp. Since we can’t volunteer at the camp, we do different projects to help the camp. Each child gets a turtle pillow and a CD of memories to take home. Our chapter has made pillows and CD cases and donated to the PTC. The PTC has also started a hospital outreach for children who are too sick to attend the actual camp. This year we are making “grab bags” to send to the camp. It will be filled with goodies and given to a camper in the hospital.”

Q: Why did you choose Delta Zeta?

A: “When I came to Concord I had never thought of going Greek. A friend convinced me to go through formal recruitment and I realized that Delta Zeta had a lot of the values that I did. In Delta Zeta you are a part of something bigger that encourages you to be better. In this organization I am encouraged to be an excellent student, a gracious giver, a caring friend, and a strong leader. I chose DZ because I wanted to be a part of a sisterhood that challenges me to better myself, my chapter, and my community” 

Nu Zeta Chi, active member Kayci Wine 

Q: Why go Greek?

A: “I went Greek because I wanted to make some new friends and have a second family that I can go to.”

Q: What are Nu Zeta Chi’s core values and what do they mean for your chapter? 

A: “Our core value is to be loyal and kind. It helps us to bond better with one another. Also to help others and just be there to listen.”

Q: What are your philanthropies and what do you do for each of them? 

A: “We help local places to help make it better. We donate money.”

Q: Why did you choose Nu Zeta Chi?

A: “I had friends currently in the sorority and it just seemed like the right fit for me.”

Psi Lambda Pi, President and Vice-President Ashley Sparks and Samantha Foster 

Q: Why go Greek?

A: “Going Greek creates opportunities to form lasting bonds with other girls and gives you a chance to improve yourself.”

Q: What are Psi Lambda Pi’s core values and what do they mean for your chapter? 

A: “Our core values are honesty, wisdom, compassion, charity, kindness, trust, creativity, open-mindedness, maturity, and a sense of exploration. Our values are, essentially, what we strive to embody. Furthermore, they reflect the type of women that all fellow sisters hope to become.”

Q: What are your philanthropies and what do you do for each of them? 

A: “We don’t have any philanthropies yet. For now, we just want to help the community in any way that we can.”

Q: Why did you choose Psi Lambda Pi? 

A: “We founded Psi Lambda Pi to create a support group between friends and a “home away from home “ for future members. As a whole, the purpose of group is to build relationships and improve social skills as sisters.”

Lydia Beth Comer, President of Sigma:

Q: Why go Greek?

A: “Going Greek is an amazing way to meet people on campus and people from different places and back grounds! You will make lifelong friends when you go Greek! It also serves as a great networking tool for the future as students begin job hunting.”

Q: What are Sigma Sigma Sigma’s values and what do they mean for your chapter?

A: “Tri-Sigma’s core values are wisdom, power, faith, hope, and love. For our chapter this means living by these every day and striving to share these with others outside of Tri-Sigma as well.”

Q: What are your philanthropies and what do you do for each of them?

A: “Tri-Sigma has numerous philanthropies, it started with the Robbie Page Memorial Foundation, one of our past national president’s sons passed away of polio at very young age and tri sigma helped raise money to find a cure for polio. After the cure for polio was discovered, Tri-Sigma designated the Robbie Page memorial foundation to children play therapy rooms. We have 4 across the nation and the money we raise as chapters goes towards these play therapy rooms. This past summer we nationally announced a new philanthropic partnership with March of Dimes. We are very excited about this addition to our philanthropies! Also, as our national foundation works towards these causes, they also, dedicate their time from generous donations to setting up and directing leadership education programs for all chapters of Tri-Sigma to help empower our sisters.”

Q: What made you choose Sigma Sigma Sigma? 

A: “I chose Tri- sigma because it honestly just felt like home. I knew I fit in well with my sisters and it is such an amazing support system to have not only in school but for the rest of my life.”