By ELLIOT AVE-LALLEMANT
Beloit’s “Meet the Greeks” event took place last Wednesday on the Chapin Quad. The turnout was low, which was most likely due to commons being moved to the powerhouse, redirecting foot traffic to the Powerhouse and away from Chapin Quad. Five Greek organizations were present at the event, each bringing their own flair and spin on Greek life. So without further ado, let’s meet the Greeks!
The first stop was Phi Kappa Psi, where Cameron Harper’27 explained Phi Psi’s love of community and togetherness. “We are all about the great joy of serving others. We love helping people out. We love bringing people together.” Phi Psi’s security notices were also put in place to keep their events safe and inclusive. “Anyone who feels unsafe or uncomfortable can come to a brother,” says Cameron, “we will take you to a place where you talk to us about what’s happening.” Phi Psi is also very proud of their porch, which they use regularly.
Next, there was Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), a fraternity most known for being associated with the Beloit soccer team. TKE president Henry Amini’27 said that the organization places a high value on philanthropy, and the Beloit TKE chapter has to raise money for a charity of their choice. “We try to raise more than 1,000 dollars each year for St. Jude’s cancer research,” Henry says. “We work with local businesses, and we do snow shoveling and leaf raking to raise money.” Henry also noted that TKE is “all about brotherhood. Our motto is ‘better men for a better world.’”
Sigma Chi’s Jon Wainz’28 and Cal Fox’28 said that Sig is all about “getting men of good character together.” When asked about diversity, Cal said that he hoped to get more people from different sports. “Over the last few years, it’s been majority lacrosse and football.” Jon was also adamant about “not forcing anyone to do anything.” “If they’re interested, I might ask them to come to a few events and see how they feel. But if they’re not interested, they’re not interested.” Jon said that he also hopes that people from different backgrounds joining will help Beloit’s chapter grow and evolve. “At the end of the day, It’s not just about staying in one place, it’s about evolving.”
Theta Pi Gamma siblings Keira Linton’28 and Rachel Lubar’28 gave an insight into the differences between national and local sororities. Unlike Kappa Delta, Theta is a local sorority, which means that they can make their own bylaws and speak out on issues they feel passionate about. Rachel says that’s “part of the beauty of being in a local sorority. We can do stuff like that.” Theta has also become more gender neutral, eliminating all gendered language, and calling each other “siblings” instead of “sisters” in favor of inclusivity. In terms of plans, Theta intends to find new members with their Minions-themed rush events.
A conversation with Kappa Delta’s Kate Mann’27 and Bailey Darneal’27 revealed KD’s inclusivity initiatives. Kate said that DEI in KD has always been about creating “a basic understanding that is a baseline for everybody.” There is also a multi-layered system that deals with inclusivity initiatives that KD puts on everything. “We are all about friendship, positivity, confidence, and just overall togetherness.” Bailey says.
Despite asking, nobody could seem to find an explanation as to why Omega Zeta did not have a table on the quad.
Featured Graphic by Betty Cavicchia’28
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