WHY GO GREEK?
Find out why student leaders in Fraternity & Sorority Life
became a "g"!
SISTERHOOD AND BROTHERHOOD
 Throughout
the college experience at John Carroll University, the friendships
that our members make within their chapters lasts a lifetime.
Whether you come to college not knowing a single person or you
come with friends, the opportunity to be a part of a Greek organization
transcends your JCU college experience.
Brotherhood and sisterhood are bonds of unity and friendship
that last a lifetime. These bonds are not only among members from
each individual chapter, but among chapters around the nation,
due to the history and ideals that each chapter was founded upon.
By
becoming a member of the Greek community, you will gain a "home
away from home." You will have the opportunity to meet other
students with different backgrounds, similar interests, and new
perspectives. Some of the brotherhood and sisterhood activities
range from all-chapter retreats and meetings to getting together
at different sporting events.
Older members encourage you and foster your growth as an individual
and as a chapter member. You will support each other through day-to-day
challenges and share your favorite memories. Every chapter has
an alumni network to assist adjusting to new communities, finding
employment, or just to offer personal friendship based on common
experiences in your Greek organization.
SCHOLARSHIP
Fraternities
and sororities offer many resources and programs to facilitate
the learning process for their members. Minimum GPAs are required
in each chapter for affiliation, initiation and maintenance of
good standing. Most groups offer study tables to encourage cooperative
and quiet studying among chapter members. Order of Omega plans
semi-annual Scholarship Receptions, which recognize excellence
in scholastics, both on an individual and chapter level.
Many chapters have members who share majors, which help to promote
study groups and peer tutoring. Several of our fraternities and
sororities have strong faculty advisors who assist in academic
programming for the chapters. This helps members to develop that
critical relationship with faculty members outside of the classroom.
Students sometimes forget exactly why they are in college and
have to be reminded that they are here for academics. There is
a time for work and a time for fun. Greeks know the difference
by making academics a priority and this is demonstrated by Greek
students having a higher grade point average than the general
JCU student population.
|
Fall 2008 GPA |
Spring 2008 GPA |
All Greek |
3.14 |
3.11 |
All Campus |
3.03 |
2.99 |
|
|
|
All
Sorority |
3.19 |
3.14 |
All
Female |
3.16 |
3.13 |
|
|
|
All
Fraternity |
3.08 |
3.08 |
All
Male |
2.90 |
2.84 |
COMMUNITY SERVICE
 Community
service is an important aspect of Sorority and Fraternity Life
because it helps you to gain an understanding of others in the
community. Fraternities and sororities contribute funds and many
hours of service to philanthropies at both national and local
levels. A sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from working
together to serve others is a priceless feeling! Here is a list
of many of the service projects Greek students have participated
in or contributed to:
- Adopt-a-School
- American Cancer Society
- Bellflower Center
- Blood Drives
- Book Drives
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland
- Campfire USA
- Carroll's Got Talent University-wide Talent Show
- Children's Hospital Teddy Bear Drive
- Cleveland Children's Advocacy Silent Auction
- Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital Center for Autism
- Fundraiser for the 2nd Platoon of the 2/6 Gulf Company of
the U.S. Marine Corp.
- Girl Scouts of America
- Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort
- Into the Light Project
- Kappa Foundation
- Kappa Kidney Camp
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
- Labre Project
- LifeShare
- Lyndsey Whittingham Fund
- Make-A-Wish
- March of Dimes
- Mr. University (for Court Appointed Special Advocates)
- Orthopedic Surgeons Research Awards
- Powderpuff football Tournament for Camp Cheerful
- Prevent Child Abuse America
- Project Clothesline
- Race for the Cure
- Rape Crisis Center
- Reading is Fundamental
- Relay For Life
- Ronald McDonald House
- St. Clare's Girls Centre (Kenya)
- Trick or Treating on campus for local children
- Youth Aids
Greek Week 2009 raised $3,052 for the St. Clare's Girls
Centre in Kenya! Next year's Greek Week Committee is planning
on raising more money than ever!
SOCIAL
 Sororities
and fraternities provide members with a broad range of social
events, including social events with other sororities or fraternities,
formals, Greek Week, theme parties, alumni/ae and parents' weekends,
and sisterhood and brotherhood activities. With so many new friends,
there's always something to do and someone to share those fun
times! Here are some events:
-
Homecoming: Each year, JCU alumni return
to their Alma Mater for Homecoming festivities. Sororities
and fraternities have worked together to participate in the
annual Street Fair, and attend the football game to root for
the Blue Streaks! This is an awesome way to meet Greek alumni/ae!
-
Greek Week is the week that shouts, "It's
great to be Greek!" We come together as a Greek community
to participate in fun activities and community service to
show the University community what it means to be Greek.
-
Banana Split Bash is a fun event at the
beginning of the year and is a great way to meet some of the
Greek students. The Greek students create and serve the largest
banana split you have ever laid eyes on. There is music
and lots of fun, so come out and have some fun!
- All Greek Social: A newly created tradition
at JCU is the Greek Social, a campus social event to bring all
students together.
LEADERSHIP
Fraternity
and Sorority Life provides an excellent place to gain the experience
and knowledge necessary to develop strong leadership skills. JCU's
Greek community is self-governing which gives student leaders
a great opportunity to set policies and standards for their own
organization, as well as the two governing councils. Serving as
an officer or committee chair in a chapter or council executive
board develops leadership skills in the areas of self-responsibility,
time management, decision-making and organization. Each January,
the newly elected Greek student leaders participate in the JCU
annual Officer Transition Weekend, which helps develop leadership
skills needed for the upcoming year.
Being a member of a fraternity or sorority also provides a conduit
for involvement in other areas of campus such as Student Union,
clubs, organizations, intramurals, and honoraries. Greeks have
a history of obtaining top leadership positions on campus.
Nationally, numerous chapters provide opportunities for their
members to attend regional and national leadership training conferences.
Additionally, each year we send a delegation of Greek student
leaders to the annual Mid-American Greek Conference, a conference
for all Greek student leaders from hundreds of campuses from throughout
the country.
ALUMNI/AE
 Sorority
and fraternity membership is for a lifetime. Throughout the world,
alumni/ae remain in contact and provide their chapter with a network
of friends wherever they travel or move after graduation. National
fraternities and sororities maintain "career banks"
to help members network with alumni/ae in their fields and many
sorority and fraternity members find jobs after college through
their contacts with alumni/ae.
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