The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) held its Meet the Greeks event Wednesday, providing an opportunity for chapters governed by the council to recruit new members and educate interested students.
Meet the Greeks is an informational recruitment event showcasing the five sororities, Gamma Rho Lambda, Delta Phi Lambda, Lambda Theta Alpha, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Lambda Theta Nu, and two fraternities, Lambda Theta Phi and Sigma Lambda Beta, that make up Multicultural Greek Council.
Gabrielle Comstock, a senior studying psychology and the treasurer for Sigma Lambda Gamma, said she loves the diversity within her sorority.
“We’re very diverse, and so you could pretty much find any identity in our sorority, and that’s really cool just to get to know people that might have similarities with you, but also learning more about their culture and stuff like that,” Comstock said.
Comstock said she is excited for this year’s recruitment and the opportunity to teach new members about Sigma Lambda Gamma.
“I feel like we really focus on academics and cultural awareness, just being at a predominantly white institution,” Comstock said.
According to the MGC website, each organization has its own requirements set by its international and national organization and the Iowa State chapter. Chapters also have their own set of unique values and standards.
Osman Ortiz-Rivera, a senior in chemical engineering and the recruitment officer for Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc., said although the chapter’s numbers are lower than usual, the brotherhood is strong.
“That’s one of the things that I really enjoy about being here,” Ortiz-Rivera said. “The brotherhood never fades, and it just grows stronger over time.”
As a recruitment officer, Ortiz-Rivera aims to make connections by talking to students and asking them about themselves.
“If somebody comes by on their own, we just start breaking things down for them,” Ortiz-Rivera said. “Like ‘Hey, my name is this, my name is that, what major are you? How are you liking ISU?’ I think it’s about connecting with the person first essentially before just trying to sell them something.”
Meet the Greeks provides an opportunity for chapter representatives to answer questions from students who are unsure about the recruitment process and connect those who are interested with organizations within the council.
“As a person of color, it’s really hard to find others of the same heritage at a primarily white institution,” said Alexandra Hurtado, a transfer student and freshman studying criminal justice. “ I just want to find other people that I can kind of relate to and hopefully find a sisterhood.”
Hurtado said she is keeping an open mind when considering her options.
“Honestly, I have no idea what they have planned for us,” Hurtado said. “I heard it seems like a very inviting community. I’m just super excited to see what’s going on.”
