By Chanae Pitts Richardson, Staff Reporter
Hardin-Simmons University offers nine Greek clubs; five women’s clubs and four men’s clubs, which students can join to build relationships and get involved on campus. Each social club harnesses a unique set of values which ensures that students can join the club that is best for their individual personality.
Junior Lucas Lopez, who serves as the Social Chairman for Kappa Phi Omega, shared his own reason in becoming an active member in the Greek life community.
“When I met the people involved with Kappa, I also met a lot of people that I really respected. One reason I think people join social clubs is because they see these people who they admire, and they not only want to do what they can to be like them, but they also want to be involved in what they are involved in,” Lopez said.
Greek social clubs in particular are noted for promoting a fostering of relationships among fellow HSU students.
“During pledging you establish long-term friendships with both your pledge class and the club as a whole in a fairly short amount of time. Recently HSU was hosting a 50-year reunion for alumni, and I met a man who was in Kappa 50 years ago. The connections that a person makes in Greek life last years upon years,” Lopez said.
Students rush for Greek clubs during the fall semester and pledging officially begins during the spring semester. Although the prospect of pledging may be a source of concern for some students, Student Life and all Greek clubs continuously work together to ensure that pledging is an enriching experience for all participating students.
“The schedule for pledging has to initially be approved by the social club’s faculty or staff sponsor, and then further approved by the Dean of Students. The schedule includes not only the times and dates of all the events and traditions, but also the significance and purpose. Everyone wants pledging to be an enjoyable and safe experience,” Lopez said.
Greek clubs are a prominent source of service on campus, often hosting both club and HSU events and participating in many campus functions. Most social clubs end the year with a formal banquet and take part in HSU’s campus wide SING.
“The fruits of the physical and mental commitments involved with pledging a social club, attending the many late night SING rehearsals and being present at the multiple meetings throughout the semester far outweigh the toil of your efforts,” Lopez said.
Although joining Greek life is not the only method in which an incoming student can get involved within the HSU campus, social clubs allow students to develop long-lasting relationships, which not only enhance a person’s college experience, but also benefit the entire HSU community.
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