by Emma Shields
At Simpson College, Greek life is more than social events, it is a community of students who all work together to serve through their philanthropy projects. Members of sororities and fraternities across Simpson’s campus are actively getting involved to give back to others. Each sorority or fraternity has a different project that benefits the community and campus.
First-year Bailey Stewart, a member of Pi Beta Phi, mentioned how she never initially planned to join Simpson Greek life.
“I initially had no thoughts about joining Greek life,” Stewart said. “I already knew a handful of the girls that were in Pi Phi and thought they were very sweet, so deciding to sign up for formal recruitment was a last-minute decision, but overall a really good one because of all the meaningful relationships I have formed.”
Already, Stewart has jumped into a leadership role as the Director of Service and Philanthropy to help organize the sorority’s philanthropy events. Pi Beta Phi’s philanthropy project is centered around literacy through an initiative called “Read> Lead > Achieve,” to promote reading as a foundation for success.
“We are committed to creating a more literate and productive society,” Stewart said. “Literacy allows for the barrier to success to be taken down and opens more opportunities for individuals.”
To raise money for their philanthropy, the sorority hosts fundraising events to support their specific project.
“Our goals are usually set at least a little bit higher than the previous year’s earnings,” Stewart said.
Pi Beta Phi still has events planned for this year, including their Star Wars-themed dinner.
Simpson junior Joseph Wollum is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), and joined Greek life in his first year.
“One of the members reached out and invited me to a recruitment event, and I went and liked all the guys and decided to try it out,” Wollum said.
Since joining, he has held leadership positions and now serves as the chapter President.
SAE works with and supports organizations like the National Marrow Donor Program, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Movember Foundation.
“We work to try and get people to join the registry to possibly save lives,” Wollum said.
Another sorority chapter on campus, Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG), focuses its philanthropy project on mental health advocacy. Senior Memphis Dunsdon discussed their chapter’s initiatives.
“We work to make sure all the girls are participating and able to understand and educate others on mental health,” she said.
Rather than focusing strictly on fundraising totals, KKG emphasizes education and awareness.
Dundson said KKG takes part and hosts events locally and nationally. The sorority also hosts a local event called “KFC – Kappa Fried Chicken.”
“All the proceeds will be going to one of our partners: the Jed Foundation, NAMI, Talk Space, NEDA or Active Minds,” Dunsdon said.
All of these organizations are involved in mental health awareness, and some focus on specific aspects of mental health. At the national level, the chapter participates in the annual National Alliance on Mental Illness Walk.
Through philanthropy, Simpson Greek life gives back and makes a difference on campus and throughout the world. It helps members to build leadership and service skills, all while being committed to making a difference for causes they are passionate about and building relationships that will last a lifetime.
