Greek Life Special Issue

the state of

2018

GREEK published by The

Auburn Plainsman

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The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

Aug. 30, 2018

y a d d i b

out-of-state student tells her greek story

By MIKAYLA BURNS Lifestyle Editor Eleanor Alford, sophomore in public relations, was not as intimidated as she thought she was going to be as she went through ice water teas during Rush Week 2017. Coming from Lexington, Kentucky, she knew how big sororities are in the South, and she was excited to get to know new people. However, to her surprise, everyone already seemed to know each other.

“I knew I always wanted to go out of state. I’m such a homebody, and once I came here, I felt at home. I knew I wanted to be here,” she said.

Girls are regularly divided into hometown groups during Rush Week, which can make an out-of-state student feel in the dark.

Alford did not let it get her down.

“It was like a clean slate,” she said. “I watched people pulling for girls they know, but I didn’t have that.”

Whereas many girls knew everything about each other, Alford felt positive and excited about this new adventure. She was not discouraged at all.

“I liked every single (sorority) that I met,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about them, so it made it easier to get to know (the sororities).”

By the end of her Rush Week, Alford received a bid from Alpha Delta Pi and found her new home at the University. Alford has empathy for out-of-state women going through Rush, saying that it seems more intimidating to watch girls go through it than when she was in their shoes. Now being behind the scenes and knowing how important those connections are for Rush week, Alford is thankful that she got through the process and found her sisterhood with Alpha Delta Pi.

If she could give out-of-state women advice on rushing at Auburn University, Alford said she would tell them to focus on exuding positive energy.

“I’m generally very positive, and I feel like having that uplifting spirit helped me,” she said. “I’ve been told, everywhere I went, I stood out because I was a light in every room.”

Alford also said that being yourself is a normal thing to hear, but it is very important.

“Don’t try to fake it that week because you’ll be faking it for the next four years,” she said.

Alford thanks her sorority for most of her closest friends, saying that it helped her get to know people more than she would have done on her own. As for the future, she is excited about the growing list of connections she has made, but she’s mostly thankful for the family she was welcomed into.

CONTRIBUTED BY ELEANOR ALFORD

Aug. 30, 2018

The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

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The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

Aug. 30, 2018

THE STATE

By LILY JACKSON Managing Editor In just one year, Auburn Greek Life has seen massive changes in staffing, regulations, funding and office location.

Haven Hart, assistant vice president for student development, said changes being implemented will improve the overall Greek experience for those involved.

The Greek office is now located where the TigerCard office was previously — across from the Student Center game room.

The team is excited about the move, as there is far more room for the new faculty.

FACULTY ADDITIONS According to Lindsay Ollis, the new adviser for Panhellenic Council, the position formerly held by Jill Moore, longtime director of Greek Life, has been somewhat split. Moore’s successor, Ryan Powell, is new to Auburn University and the city.

Moore was in charge of all of Greek Life and Panhellenic.

Ollis has taken responsibility for advising Panhellenic, Benard Goins is now advising National Pan-Hellenic Council and

“

Chris Lucas has continued his work with Auburn’s Interfraternity Council.

Powell is excited about his new position as director of Greek Life and came to Auburn after spending six years working for the University of Alabama.

Powell was the founding chapter president for Kappa Sigma at Emory University. His family has a long tradition with Emory.

“I love being in the SEC. I love being in the South,” Powell said.

Powell said his main priorities are to help the communities grow, put the students first and ensure safety. He said most of his decisions are based on the data they have collected. He said he asks, “What do students really need?”

He said he wants each of the chapters and advisers to focus on how each organization is elevating their members — from top leadership to incoming members.

“I want to look at how we are laying foundations to help people be transformative in their lives,” Powell said.

will now be public record and published semesterly.

“In an effort to provide transparency for potential members and parents and align with our SEC and national peers, we felt it important to publish the information,” Hart said.

The reports will be published by the first week of classes following the next semester.

Ollis said the reports will serve as an accountability tool for those involved in Greek organizations. The hope is to increase transparency and highlight the positives along with the “not-so-positive” situations.

In fall 2017, four fraternities in the Interfraternity Council were suspended for varying violations.

• Delta Sigma Phi is suspended from campus until December 2021 for hazing and alcohol violation.

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon is suspended from March 2017 to March 2019 for an alcohol violation.

• Sigma Phi Epsilon is suspended from November 2017 to January 2022 for hazing and alcohol violation.

• Theta Xi is suspended from August 2017 to August

CONDUCT REPORTS Student Conduct Reports for Auburn University Greek Life

» See GREEK, 5

“I want to look at

how we are laying foundations to help people be transformative in their lives.”

RYAN POWELL ,

DIRECTOR OF GREEK LIFE. JOSH FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Director of Greek Life Ryan Powell discusses changes to the Auburn Greek system.

Aug. 30, 2018

The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

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OF GREEK Greek Life will begin charging a Greek member fee of $15 and will decrease some other fees this fall.

Hart said the fee’s purpose is to generate funds for incoming staff, enhances chapter service, leadership training and professional development for staff and students.

According to Student Affairs, Auburn’s Greek fee will be the lowest in the SEC and ACC, with Louisiana State University at $57 a semester and Clemson at $55 a semester. With a Greek population of 7,500, the new fee will generate $225,000 annually.

In addition to hiring a new director of Greek Life, Powell, each council will now have a full-time advisor.

According to Hart, the current staff ratio at 7,500 students is approximately one faculty or staff member to 1,875 students.

With the new hirings, the ratio will move to one to 1,000

GREEK, 4

2019 for alcohol and other violations.

To access these reports, visit http://greeklife.auburn.edu/ reports/.

Hart cautioned future members in judging organizations by what is published in the reports and said beginning your journey with a group that is improving is the best time.

“I think that it is important to share the stories about what our students are doing well and what we aren’t doing so well,” Powell said.

According to Hart and Powell, Greek Life will publish a report of successes and achievements with the Conduct Reports.

GREEK FEE

students, with the ideal ratio being one to 750 students.

In addition to the new fee, University Housing agreed to reduce the Panhellenic chapter room fee from $300 to $220 a year.

According to Student Affairs, Panhellenic will see an overall decrease in fees by $55 a year.

Interfraternity Council new members will see their dues decrease from the one-time $70 to $35 — a $5 decrease their first year.

IFC member dues will go from $26 a year to $21 a year, and with the new Greek fee, they see an overall increase of $25 a year.

National Pan-Hellenic Council will see no changes in their member dues besides the added Greek fee of $15. These changes will take action this fall.

For more on Greek Life at Auburn, check out ThePlainsman.com.

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The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

Aug. 30, 2018

R U N

Aug. 30, 2018

The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

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y

bid da

nearly 1,500 women match with sororities

By LILY JACKSON Managing Editor

Holding hands with their new sisters, more than a thousand women ran full speed down the stairs of Auburn Arena toward their chapter rooms in The Village on Bid Day Friday, Aug. 17, as Panhellenic recruitment came to a close.

Screams of happiness echoed through the arena as 1,458 women ripped open their bids and were matched to sororities.

“We had our biggest number come through this year, so we were preparing for a really big group of girls, and we got that,” said Panhellenic President Sadye Ball.

While placements were down a bit this year, Panhellenic started recruitment with 1,645 potential members, the highest on record. This year, 88 percent of women matched with a sorority, and, according to Panhellenic, 10-11 percent of

potential members withdrew from recruitment.

Less than 2 percent of the women who participated in recruitment were released or didn’t receive bids.

Panhellenic’s placement rate declined by 2 percent as the number of bids offered dropped from 1,587 last year to 1,458 this year. And 58 more women went through recruitment compared to last year. Panhellenic Council adviser Lindsay Ollis said the recruitment process went splendidly.

“We have gotten great feedback from the presidents,” Ollis said. “A lot of the members have said it was a smooth recruitment, and it has been really fun.”

Ollis said other than rain on preference day, recruitment went smoothly.

“I was really nervous, but when I got here and saw [my Bid Day buddy] I was just excited,” said Daphne Moon, a freshman who is pledging Αlpha Omicron Pi. Moon said she was drawn to her new sorority after philan-

Excitement and celebration for Bid Day on Aug. 17, 2018.

PHOTOS BY CAMERON BRASHER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

thropy day when she learned about arthritis and how it affects so many people. On preference day she walked in and felt herself getting emotional because she said she knew she was supposed to be there.

Emma Rich, a member of ΑΟΠ, said the group of pledges coming in were everything her sorority could have asked for and the whole week was a dream.

Three friends hugging after the bid reveal ranted about how thankful they were for each other and the newfound sisterhood they would now be able to enjoy. Their love for Zeta wasn’t subtle as they spoke about why their sorority’s authentic nature made them stand out in the field of screaming pledges.

“I think [the pledge class] is beautiful and so sweet and cute,” said Caroline Matthews, junior in ΑΟΠ. “It’s so great because you get to meet and get to know 80 new people you have never met.”

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The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

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orgs interfraternity council Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Tau Omega Beta Theta Pi

Phi Delta Theta Phi Gamma Delta Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Tau Phi Sigma Kappa

Beta Upsilon Chi Chi Phi Delta Chi Delta Tau Delta FarmHouse Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Sigma Lambda Chi Alpha

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Phi Sigma Chi Sigma Nu Sigma Pi Sigma Tau Gamma Tau Kappa Epsilon Theta Chi

orgs panhellenic council Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Xi Delta Chi Omega Delta Delta Delta Delta Gamma Delta Zeta

Gamma Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Delta Kappa Kappa Gamma Phi Mu Pi Beta Phi Sigma Kappa Sigma Sigma Sigma Zeta Tau Alpha

Aug. 30, 2018

The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

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s s g g r r o o multicultural national pancouncil hellenic council Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Kappa Alpha Psi Omega Psi Phi Delta Simga Theta Phi Beta Sigma Zeta Phi Beta Sigma Gamma Rho Iota Phi Theta

Kappa Delta Chi Omega Delta Phi

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

For more on these organizations, visit greeklife.auburn.edu.

Auburn University Greek Life houses 26 interfraternity organizations, 19 panhellenic organizations, nine national pan-hellenic organizations and two multicultural greek organizations.

ALPHA PHI ALPHA / AUBURN ALPHAS

Every year, Greek Life organizations host events like Step Shows, Auburn Man, Big Man on Campus and Greek Sing.

ZTA's New Member Class is Filled with 79 Girls from All Over the Country.

The 2018 bid day theme (New Bids on the Block) fit well, as all the newest Zeta Tau Alpha members ran home to become the newest additions and make an impact on ZTA in the future.

— Auburn's annual all male pageant, Big Man On Campus, hosted by Zeta Tau Alpha, promotes awareness for breast cancer, encourages survivor recognition, and raises money for breast cancer education and awareness - one of the most prevalent cancer's battled by millions of people.

— This year alone Big Man On Campus raised $75,975. Zeta Tau Alpha here at Auburn received the 75,000 level, awarded by the International Office at their 2018 Convention in Orlando,Fl because of the successful outcome this year. The fundraising team was able to get sponsors such as: Raw & Rebellious, Capstone Building Corp, and Free Textbooks on board to help raise all of this money for breast cancer education and awareness. This was the highest amount of money raised this year from an organization's philanthropy event at Auburn!

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The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

Aug. 30, 2018

r e t t e l

here’s to the next four years of your life

By SADYE BALL

President of Auburn Panhellenic Hello to all those PC ’18 gals and War Eagle! My name is Sadye Ball, and I have the incredible honor of serving as the 2017-2018 Panhellenic president. I hope you have all quickly recovered from the crazy week of recruitment and are adjusting to your new lives as college students. Freshman year is arguably one of the most exhilarating and exciting times of college, and I would give anything to be in y’all’s shoes and do it all over again.

I remember back in the fall of 2015 when I opened my bid and excitingly ran home to my sorority. The week of recruitment had been exhausting and overwhelming; I am from out of state and didn’t know the first thing about sororities at Auburn. When my new pledge sisters and I arrived at the chapter room for our bid night, I expected to instantly become best friends with all the girls I met. After all, isn’t this where I was supposed to “meet my bridesmaids?” I quickly realized how out of my comfort zone I was, however, and how unrealistic an idea that was. I became discouraged when I realized that I didn’t feel as though I had met my go-to-gals after that one night in

the chapter room.

Perhaps some of you are feeling the same way. Maybe you feel as though you aren’t clicking with your sorority as well as you thought you would, or you are struggling to find a solid group of friends to surround yourself with during the transition and uncertainty of freshman year. I’ve got news for you: you’re not alone. That girl in your pledge class who already has a group of 10 best friends and seems to have college all figured out? It may not be what it seems. Freshman year is fun, but the transition is hard for everyone. Even for that girl that looks like she has it all together. I’ll let you in on a little secret — nobody in college has it all together, no matter how much it appears that they do.

It took me quite some time to develop a solid group of friends in my pledge class and to feel like I truly belonged as a member of my chapter. I put a lot of pressure on myself to feel this way early on, and I didn’t realize that a little time and patience is what I would need before I would be able to develop the relationships and friendships I have now. If right now you feel even a little bit like how I felt back then, out of your element and struggling to feel as though you belong, I can tell you from experience that it gets better. Don’t worry if you

haven’t found your best friends or your “place” here in the first month of your freshman year; you have four years left in this incredible place, and the things that are in store for you down the road are greater than you can imagine.

I’d like to end this letter on what I think is an important note. It’s so easy, especially as new members, to get wrapped up in your identity as a sorority woman at Auburn. I want to put so much emphasis on the fact that your sorority letters do not define who you are at Auburn or in any other aspect of your life. Sororities are wonderful organizations to be a part of and can offer incredible experiences and opportunities, but in no way, shape or form does your sorority or the letters you wear determine your worth.This can be an easy thing to forget, but personally, I think it is one of the most important things to remember for all sorority women, and especially new members.

I am so excited to begin this semester with all of our incredible new pledge classes. I am looking forward to seeing y’all around and hopefully getting to know some of you. Good luck with your freshman year, and don’t blink, because you’ll be a senior before you know it! Here’s to the next four years of your lives, War Eagle always!

letter

welcome, new members

By GAVIN MCGETTIGAN President of Auburn IFC New member classes of 2018, welcome to Auburn! I hope y’all enjoyed syllabus week and are settling into this incredible place you will soon call home.

There is an exciting semester ahead full of new friends, new experiences and new opportunities.

This year has already been riddled with positive change in our Greek community, and I am looking forward to having y’all take part in it.

One of the big changes that we have made is a liquor ban that has been in effect since May. We are hoping this adjustment to our risk management policies at

fraternity house events will make your time here a little safer. Please know that we are educating not only our fraternity men but as many of your potential guests as possible. Working together as a community is something that is going to be crucial to Auburn’s success and the longevity of our Greek system. While things are not always going to be easy, I am confident in each of you and the rest of our community to constantly work toward leaving Auburn better than we found it.

Now, with the seemingly endless distractions, please remember that there are also plenty of new member resources to help you all succeed academically.

Whether it be IFC-sponsored tutoring on Mondays and Tuesdays in Mell or the study hours/study partner programs in your chapter facilitates, know that there are people here who are willing to help you with your studies and are rooting for you to perform well in your first

semester of college.

Lastly, it would be hard to write this letter without mentioning staples in Greek life like gamedays, swaps and the special bond you form with your pledge class.

The memories you form now will be ones you will value throughout your collegiate experience. If you want to learn more about the outstanding things the community members are up to (and things you can be a part of), please check out our brochure.

I will leave you with this last thought, “Drink deep the cup of life; for it passes round the table only once.”

This is the beginning of a special time in your life, so I hope you cherish it as much as I have.

Aug. 30, 2018

The Auburn Plainsman: Greek Life

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Delta Zeta’s Beta Xi Chapter was founded on May 11, 1940, making us the second out of 18 chapters founded at Auburn. Delta Zeta’s mascot is the turtle, and our flower is the Killarney rose. There are currently 166 collegiate chapters in the United States and Canada. This year, the Beta Xi Chapter has already completed 6,751 hours of community service and has maintained a 3.4 overall average GPA.

What Else Have We Been Up To? — Claire Kidd finished her year as The Big Event President for 2017, and for 2018, Delta Zeta Julia Dickenson has assumed role as the new president.

— Olivia Taylor has wrapped up her time as 2017’s Beat Bama Food Drive president.

— Delta Zeta’s representative for Big Man on Campus 2018 (Christian Smith) won first place.

— MB Smith, member of Lambda Sigma, won one of five National Lambda Sigma scholarships.

— Three girls made Top 20 for Miss Auburn 2018 (Miranda Grigas, Lauren Brands, and Mary Spencer Veazey) and a Top 5 Miss Auburn Candidate (Mary Spencer Veazey).

— We had 8 members on staff for AUDM this year, and our Delta Zeta team raised $20,915.98!

Our V — Delta Zetas Lauren Campisi and Grace Anne Latimer were awarded ice P resid scholarships at the Auburn Panhellenic Convocation. ent has j ust b of New M een em e y led th Head named o ber Educ menwa team ne of ation Cam m e H t p Co Keali dance unse he the ne Rhy thm lors f U x A t or Ca ain mp W as capt r. ar Ea last yea gle!

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