With less than 1 percent of Portland State’s student population involved with sororities or fraternities, it may not be clear where exactly the Greek community fits in on campus.
To bring some cohesiveness and organization to this small community, a Greek-life adviser is currently being hired by the university. Wendy Endress, dean of students and associate vice provost for student affairs, has been heading up the search and hopes to announce the new adviser by the end of next week.
Endress noted that the decision to create a Greek-life adviser was made “for a variety of reasons.” A few members of the Greek community brought the idea to Endress back in the fall.
Eventually, the position of a Greek-life adviser was paired with the duties of the ASPSU adviser. The Greek system had “more commonality, as far as advising, with ASPSU,” Endress said.
Before it was announced that PSU would be hiring a Greek life/ASPSU adviser, the Greek community had already begun strengthening itself from within.
PSU’s Greek Council, the council made up of members from each sorority and fraternity on campus, began establishing a constitution and electing chairs after the beginning of the 2002-03 academic year.
Ana Johns, a Greek Council delegate and member of Phi Sigma Sigma, saw Greek Council as a way to “strengthen the Greek system by uniting the houses.” She admits that the Greek system as a whole could be stronger, but says, “Greek Council has the best interest of the Greeks and PSU students in mind.”
PSU’s Greek system has seen its share of highs and lows as far as membership goes, but it is currently made up of three national fraternities (Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta and Tau Kappa Epsilon) and two national sororities (Alpha Chi Omega and Phi Sigma Sigma). It also has an African-American fraternity (Kappa Alpha Psi) and sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha).
Kappa Sigma and Alpha Chi Omega both have houses on campus, though all chapters have regular meetings and functions like any other student organization on campus.
Many Greek members cite getting involved and making friends as reasons for joining a fraternity or sorority.
Jennifer Spirgen, a senior who transferred from Western Oregon University last year, made the decision to join Alpha Chi Omega when she wanted to meet more people in Portland.
“I made a ballsy move,” she said. “I didn’t know anybody and (the Greek system) seemed like a good way to meet people.”
Both Johns and Spirgen recognize the positive and negative aspects of having a small Greek community.
“We bond more, we’re just closer,” Spirgen said. “I know the first and last names of all of my sisters, and you don’t get that in bigger sororities and fraternities.”
Johns adds, “It’s more enriching because we are smaller.”
The fact that there are so few Greeks at PSU does limit the presence of the Greek community.
“We don’t have a large voice on campus,” Johns said.
Spirgen sees this as adding to the stereotypes of the Greeks.
“It’s not like MTV’s sorority life and fraternity life,” she said. “They don’t get to see the good stuff we do.”
Every fraternity and sorority gives to the community through philanthropy. PSU’s fraternities and sororities also have many members involved at PSU in other areas of student life, such as ASPSU and intramural sports.
Johns hopes that the hiring of a Greek-life adviser and the continued growth of Greek Council will only help the Greek system. She believes that the Greek system “is a way to get your foot in the door and has a lot of opportunities,” though is already planning for improvements.
“Public relations and advertising will be big next year,” she declares.
More information about Greek life at PSU can be found at greeklife.pdx.edu.