Summer of Fun for Diane Meifert

     Diane Meifert is an Alpha Chi Omega and this summer she has gone to Paris, France and Chambery, France. Diane got to go to these cities for her study abroad program through Utah State University. Her main goal while here was to become a more proficient French speaker. Also she was able to add this to her list of countries she has been to. Diane has been to France, Switzerland, Italy, and England.

     While there Diane was immersed into a new and different culture which was exciting for her. She said, “I learned something new every day about the French people and their ways.”  Another way she experienced the culture was by seeing all the amazing landmarks and just by walking the streets. While in Chambery she experienced canyoneering and paragliding. Diane had an amazing experience and loved every minute of it. 

Summer Fun for Trent Morrison

High Ropes Course

Trent Morrison is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon here at Utah State University. This summer Trent received an amazing opportunity to go to Ruck Leadership Institute. At this leadership event only the top 150 undergraduates of SigEp are selected through an application process, Trent was one of those selected. The leadership weekend was in Richmond, Virginia and is one of the six Sigma Phi Epsilon’s member exclusive leadership events. Ruck leadership Institute is designed as a personal leadership experience.

First Composite

Trent’s plans for the leadership weekend include; learning more about his leadership capabilities and how to better impact his Greek life experience. Trent said, “I’m excited to be in the top 150 brothers from across the nation.” He also mentioned that he is excited to learn more about other traditions chapters have as well as differences and similarities his own chapter has compared to others.

One thing Trent loved was that the leadership weekend was in a beautiful setting and that he got to see the beautiful outdoors of Virginia. Another thing that Trent enjoyed was walking on the campus where his Fraternity was founded. Trent really got to learn about SigEp in a different capacity and has gained so much more knowledge about his Fraternity.  

Summer Adventures of Samantha Burrow

Group Picture

Samantha Burrows is a Greek woman in our community and this summer she has gone to Vietnam, China, and South Korea. Sam went to these places to participate in a study abroad program through the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at USU.  As a part of the program, her and a group of students traveled throughout Asia for a month and visited 30 businesses.  These businesses were both multinational companies and companies that solely operated in one of the Asian countries they visited.  In addition to their professional visits, they had the opportunity to explore cultural sites such as the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam, the Great Wall in China, and the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea.

On her trip Sam was looking forward to the opportunity to share this experience with like-minded Utah State students.  She had the opportunity to travel with incredible individuals on this trip; their knowledge and insight enhanced her experience and helped her learn a great deal about herself.  She also looked forward to the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City because she loves Mulan so much!  

Tai Chi 

A goal Sam had on this trip was to learn more about the nature of international business, discover opportunities available to her in the region, and partake in a kind of personal discovery as she submerged herself in an unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable setting. While in Asia Sam tried a lot of interesting food...most of the things she will probably never know what they were.  She did try a fish that was simply fried whole-skin, bones, eyes, and all.  Another thing Sam ate was donkey which at the time she ate it she was unaware of what it really was. Overall she tried new things and fully submerged herself.

Lastly, Sam enjoyed the opportunity to visit three countries that are at various stages of economic development.  The context set by exploring an undeveloped, a developing, and a developed country all in one trip was an incredible learning opportunity.  She said, “It was powerful to have access to a trip that provided insight and information on international developing economies.”

Kappa Delta Shamrock Week

Kappa Delta had their annual Shamrock Week February 28^th-March 2^nd.  During this week, they raised a total of $3,545 where 80% of these proceeds went to the Cache Child and Family Support Center and 20% went to Prevent Child Abuse America. The Cache Child and Family Support Center provides a facility that offers tools and support services to help parents in the community successfully raise their children. Prevent Child Abuse America builds awareness, by providing education and inspiring people to get involved in the effort to prevent the abuse and neglect of the nation's children. Throughout the week they helped raise awareness of these causes at the events.

     Kappa Delta started off the week on Thursday with their Pancakes and Pinwheels breakfast which was on the Taggart Student Center Patio. They made pancakes and sold them with hot chocolate and a pinwheel for $5. The ladies continued this on Friday as well.They chose to sell pinwheels because they are the new symbol for Prevent Child Abuse America and they stand as an uplifting reminder of childhood and the bright futures all children deserve. To find out more information about the pinwheel campaign you can visit: www.pinwheelsforprevention.org.

     KD’s Sweet on Shamrock Bake-Off was Kappa Delta’s major event, held the Saturday of in the Taggart Student Center Sunburst Lounges.

At the bake-off, they had members of different organizations on campus bake goods to enter in the competition. People paid $3 a ticket to attend and taste baked goods, enjoy music, play games, and take pictures in a photo booth. Jacob Scott, Ryan Johnson, and Heidi Smith were the judges and spent a lot of time tasting and picking a winner. The winner of the bake-off was was Pi Kappa Alpha.

Eating Disorder Awareness Week

     Our Panhellenic Council for the Greek community (pictured below) put on an Eating Disorder Awareness week the week of March 4-8.

Our Panhellenic Council wanted to put on this week because they felt as though eating disorders are a big issue for many and wanted to bring attention to the cause. To get the week started, the ladies released a video talking about eating disorders, the statistics, and what we should be doing now. 

The Greek women on campus got involved by passing out bows to wear throughout the week to raise awareness.  While passing out the bows, they explained to people what they were for, brought attention to the cause, and talked about eating disorders and how they are out there. Over the course of the week the women were wearing the bows as a reminder that you should be kind to yourself and others.

On Wednesday during the week, there was an Eating Disorder Awareness panel where people could participate in an open discussion and have questions answered about eating disorders. Sitting on the panel was Brooke Parker- a dietitian for Utah State University. Brooke has specialized in eating disorders for nine years and works with local therapists and physicians in caring for out-patient eating disorder individuals. Another guest was Kelly Morse who helps with the therapy aspect of eating disorders. She has a master’s degree in her field and has been practicing in a variety of specialties to give greater understanding, expertise, and effectiveness to the therapeutic process. The third member on the board was Eri Bentley who works for the Universities Counseling and Psychological service. She is a licensed Psychologist and helps individuals in therapy who have had problems with eating disorders.  

Another activity that was organized during the week was an Instagram campaign.

 During the week, the sorority women were asked to create “I am” statements or statements promoting a positive body image and take a picture with the statements. All of the pictures can be found on Instagram with the hashtag #bekindtoyourself. This was a very effective tool because it got many of the women thinking about positive ideas they had to offer and helped to get the word out.

The week was a success and many people are now aware of eating disorders and the effects they can have on people. The women learned many concepts from this week, but the main one being that you need to be kind to yourself and others and that a weight does not define who you are. 

We want YOU a part of our Greek Community!

Welcome to Utah State University Greek Life!

There are so many opportunities for you to get involved and to leave your legacy. 

At Utah State University, we have three sororities; Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, and Theta Nu Xi Multicultural, and five fraternities; Sigma Chi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Sigma Phi, Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural, and Alpha Tau Omega Colony.

We have over 300 members in our community and can’t wait to add more members this fall! Check out our fall recruitment schedules and register for recruitment at usu.edu/greeks.

We want YOU to become a member of our Greek Community! 

What are USU Greeks Involved In this Upcoming Fall?

At Utah State, there are a variety of ways to get involved in clubs, organizations, student activities, and honor societies. Membership in a Greek chapter will provide you with the foundation necessary to become a leader and a driving force for positive change on campus and in the community. Each fraternity and sorority strives to create well-rounded individuals through leadership training, innovative programming, and life-skill development.

Here are what some USU Greeks are involved in the Fall 2012 Semester:

Associated Students of Utah State University 

Christian Orr (ΣΦΕ), Jordan Hunt (ΣΦΕ), Hannah Blackburn (ΚΔ), Trent Morrison (ΣΦΕ), Sloan Bailey (ΚΔ), Chaise Warr (ΣΦΕ) and Ben Wilson (ΣΦΕ – not pictured) all have positions serving on Associated Students of Utah State University [ASUSU]. Look out for many fun events they will 

be planning this school year. 

Service and Philanthropy are a main part of Greek life and many members just can’t get enough and have chosen to give additional time to serving our community.

Laura Gunnell (ΚΔ) - Best Buddies Volunteer

John Stankiewicz (ΔΣΦ) – Volunteer in the Val R. Christensen Service Center

Drew Vaughn (ΣΧ) – Common Grounds Volunteer

Douglas Fiefia (ΨΣΦ), Emme Pugmire (ΚΔ) and Chandell Culley (ΚΔ) serve together on the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business Student Council and Phillip Nenni (ΔΣΦ) serves on the Science Council.

2012-2012 A Team

Anthony Pratt (ΨΣΦ), Douglas Fiefia (ΨΦΣ), Shelby Frauen (ΘΝΞ), Sonina Hernandez (ΘΝΞ), Charley Riddle (ΣΦΕ), Brian Isom (ΣΦΕ), and Cade Robinson (ΑΤΩ) are all members of the Utah State A-Team. Members of the A-Team facilitate SOAR [student orientation, advising and registration] help new students learn about USU policies, the registration process, and student services.

With the many different clubs and organizations on campus there is always something that will suit you. Whether its is the awesome USU Band or politics, there is something for everyone.

Josh Tucker (ΣΧ) USU Bands

Thomas Crandall – The Music Club

David Smith (ΣΦΕ) – Athletic Tutor + Campus Recreation and Intramural Department.

Kevin McCutheon (ΣΧ) – Student Health and Wellness Center

Laurel Humble (ΘΝΞ ) – College Republicans

Justin Hinh and Jens Bowman (ΔΣΦ) – Students for Liberty

Greeks are all about getting involved in every aspect on campus, and The Access and Diversity Center is a great place to start.

Garrett Erickson (ΣΦΕ), member of Diversity Council.

Garret Bates (ΨΣΦ) – International Student Council

Jonathan Mejia (ΨΣΦ) – Multicultural Recruitment Council and Latino Student Union.

Ami Meite (ΘΝΞ) - Black Student Union and African Student Association.

Ana Gutierrez (ΘΝΞ) and Jessie Gilpin (ΚΔ) – Polynesian Student Union

One great way to get involved is to join clubs within your major.

Justin Zizumbo (ΣΧ) – National Association of Social Workers, Nick Almanza (ΔΣΦ) – Accounting Club, Kurt Mantz (ΣΧ) – Reach Peer Program, Stefanie Stack (ΚΔ) – Public Relations Student Society of America and Tyler White (ΣΧ) – Wildlife Society.

Many Greeks volunteer for events at Utah State such as The HOWL, Mardi Gras, and End of Year Bash. These Greeks include, Kristina Blesh (ΑΧΩ), Caitlyn Lewis (ΑΧΩ), Becca Glover (ΚΔ), Carlos Murrilo (ΔΣΦ), Will Fulton (ΣΧ) and many more.

Going Greek provides many leadership opportunities within the Greek Community but also on campus. One way to start is to go with a friend to club meetings and see if that is the right fit for you. The Greek Community provides a conference each fall called, Greek Leadership Weekend, which is a great way to become a leader in the Greek Community.

If you are interested in any leadership positions or being involved on campus or in the Greek community contact Whitney Negrete, Greek Council Public Relations at whitneynegrete@gmail.com or any other member of Utah State Greek Council.