There are 88 fraternity and sorority organizations across Colorado’s college campuses.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has two sororities and two fraternities. Women looking to join a sorority can pick between Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Sigma Alpha. Men’s options are the Theta Xi or Kappa Sigma fraternities. For students interested in Greek life but aren’t quite sure how to go about joining, members from all four organizations are available for questions through email and social media.
Senior Hospitality Management major Emily McAlister is the Vice President of Public Relations for the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority.
“My favorite part about being involved in Greek life is the relationships [and] friendships I have been able to build as well as feeling that I have a family away from home,” McAlister said.
Joining Greek life is one of the most popular ways to make friends and connections quickly for all types of college students. The first impression of a fraternity or sorority can make all the difference in the world when making a decision.
“My first impression [of Greek life at CMU] was such a positive one. I attended a ‘Mesa Experience’ day as a senior in high school and all Greek life had an information table there. I instantly felt that everyone was so nice and amazing to be around even before I decided to come to CMU,” McAlister said.
Some of the biggest aspects of Greek life are leadership and being involved in the community. It’s typical for chapters to advertise all the ways they’ve given back to the community and volunteered as a selling point of joining.
Alpha Sigma Alpha is involved in an immense amount of community service as well as prides itself through one of their mottos: “Developing women of poise and purpose.” Alpha Sigma Alpha offers many different leadership positions. They have an executive board as well as an elected board that makes decisions, plans events, keeps track of the budget and keeps the sorority running.
The sororities and fraternities at CMU can be spotted at most outdoor events and tailgates and are known for their fun, high-energy social events.
Freshman Construction Management major Jonah Bakker joined CMU’s Theta Xi fraternity at the start of Fall 2021.
“My favorite part about being in the fraternity is the opportunities it has given me to meet so many new people. We aim to bring a strong social aspect to the campus. We throw events like Fun in the Sun and huge tailgates with the hopes of showing everyone a good time,” Bakker said.
Sophomore Construction Management major Jacob Marcoux is a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at CMU. Marcoux explains how the process to join Kappa Sigma is very simple.
“At the beginning of school, we have a [two] week period of events called rush. If you’re interested, you come to the events and meet all the brothers and play fun games like kickball or flag football. Then, at the end of the [two] week period, we hand out bids (invites) to the people who came out during the two weeks asking them to join. From there, you start the brotherhood process,” Marcoux said.
Like other clubs and athletics on campus, success in the classroom is also an important part of Greek organizations. According to Marcoux, the GPA requirement is 2.5 minimum for Kappa Sigma.
“There are two kinds of recruitment. Formal recruitment is during the fall and is a three-day process. Spring recruitment is called COB, or continuous open bidding. It is more relaxed and low-key than fall recruitment,” sophomore Education major and Gamma Phi Beta member Taylor Berry said.
Most potential recruits are curious about what the costs of joining Greek life are like. This is another area of skepticism surrounding college Greek life. Some chapter membership costs can seem simple and straightforward but there can be plenty of hidden costs associated with joining a sorority or fraternity.
“The cost varies between the two sororities and whether or not you are a fully initiated member. There are one-time fees that all members have to pay when they initially join the sorority, but most of the money we spend goes to chapter and panhellenic dues,” Berry said.
