On February 1, the annual Meet the Greeks event took place at Harwood Arena from 7 to 10 p.m. This event allowed students to get to know each fraternity and sorority they may be interested in and see what each organization is about. As the event started each organization had a chance to introduce themselves to the crowd and present their principles.
In Greek life, not only are the current members important to the organization but also the alumni presence is highly valued. Previous members who return to represent their organization continue to lend a helping hand in building the brother/sister relationships and develop legacies for years to come.
Marcus Evertz ’23 Kean Alumnus graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice, and Leonardo Polo ’22 Kean Alumnus graduated with a Mathematical Sciences degree. Both Alumni came out to represent the Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc.. They explain how their fraternity has shaped them into the people they are today.
“Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. really impacted me with community and knowing my place as a Latino. As a Latino American, it felt different whether to be American or from my heritage, but Lambda Sigma definitely showed me the path and I’m glad I was able to do something so great like this,” said Polo.
Evertz explains the impact of his fraternity post-graduation.
“Something that I feel like the organization has shaped me and still helps me to this day, is alot of my time management skills, alot of the basic life skills that you need. I feel like there a lot of things I learned as an undergrad that I use in my professional field and I’m very thankful for the organization. I’m just tryna give back now, myself” said Evertz.
Sophie Seidman, Vice President of Recruitment for Delta Phi Epsilon, gave insight into the sorority's points including the organization’s humanitarian efforts.
“Our philanthropies are the Anorexia, Anorexia Nervosa, and Associated Disorders Organization, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Delta Phi Epsilon Education Foundation. And our foundations are justice, sisterhood, and love,” said Seidman.
Seidman explained what it meant to her to participate in the Meet the Greeks event. “It feels like a blessing to be here and to be able to represent our organization. We’re really looking for women who will continue our mission and who will fit our org.”
President of Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Inc., Jocelyn Herelle, proudly represented her organization as a current member and discussed the history of the sorority.
“We were founded by sixteen enchanting women at Montclair State College, now University,” said Herelle. “And we basically pride ourselves on women empowerment, the overall welfare of children, and we are a multicultural sorority so we welcome women from all walks of life.”
When asked how it felt to take part in this event and represent the organization, Herelle went on to say,
“I feel very prideful. I love my chapter and I’m proud of everything we’ve done, especially being a senior and this is my last Meet the Greeks. I wanna put it all out on the floor and I’m just here to represent my org that I love,” exclaimed Herelle.
Meet the Greeks was a great turnout and start to the Spring 2024 semester. Each member, current and past represented their organization with great pride. All students in attendance got a chance to see what greek life is all about.
