Temple’s Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) has been a staple of the campus community for years. The brother and sisterhood that they offer students are one of the easiest ways to find connections and make friends on campus.
With the school’s first full semester online, some are wondering how will fraternities and sororities go on?
One of the largest appeals of Greek on campus is their in-person gatherings: socials, philanthropic events, bonding opportunities, and more.
“In general, we’re finding new ways to connect, whether that be virtually or social distanced. We’re doing what we can to stay together without being together” said Panhellenic President Jenna Matteo.
Chapters have taken to Zoom sessions and small, socially distanced meetings for this semester. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council are setting new rules to help their members stay safe from COVID-19. These councils have set in place social moratoriums in order to keep the community at large safe.
“The biggest piece of it [social moratoriums] is that no gatherings are permitted in any way. So no matter how we frame it, if someone says there’s a gathering, a social, a party tonight, it’s not acceptable in any way. […] part of this too is looking out for each other in this process” said Vice President of the IFC, Brian Ostaszewski.
The moratoriums enforce strict rules, such as the ‘no-social-gathering’ policy. The respective councils are said to take action against any members of the community who break these rules, though nothing like this has happened yet according to Ostaszewski.
Greek life is still, above all, about community. Though the recruitment process has changed this semester, many are still interested in joining. Mat Greer, the Program Coordinator for FSL, thinks that now more than ever people are attracted to Greek life.
“We are all about community, right, that’s what people are looking for currently. They want that sense of community they might not have or might not have the ability to gain in an in-person session” he said.
Like many, fraternity and sororities members are looking forward to getting back to normal life.
When talking about the current safety guidelines, Matteo commented, “We’re doing things now so we can be together in the future”.
If you’re interested in learning more about FSL, the moratoriums, or the recruitment processes, visit the Panhellenic and IFC websites.
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