Students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville gathered at the Markee Pioneer Student Center’s Heritage Hall from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, for the Meet N’ Greek event. All Greek chapters were in attendance for an informal recruitment in order to attract new members and to raise campus awareness of the benefits of Greek life.
Each Greek organization had its own booth in Heritage Hall that had information about their chapter. Current members were in attendance to answer any questions of prospective members and were happy to talk about the benefits of “Going Greek.”
David Davis, junior, was excited about the event and the potential to gain new members for his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.
“Greek life is a really good place to network and looks good on a resume,” Davis said. “It’s a great way to get involved in the community and school.”
The Meet N’ Greek is a no-pressure event where interested students can come and go as they please. It is an opportunity for students to compare all chapters and get a feel for which would be a good fit for them to join.
Students that attended the event were able to ask each chapter questions about their fraternity or sorority and were also able to compare all chapters in a single location. Kolten Kline, a sophomore electrical engineering major, expressed that the event was helpful. “I didn’t necessarily decide that I want to go Greek but I did learn a lot about the fraternities on campus and I may still consider it. It was definitely helpful,” says Kline.
Valerie Wetzel, assistant director of the Pioneer Involvement Center, said that the Meet N’ Greek is important to the Greek community.
“This is an opportunity for students to learn the truth about the Greek community at UW-Platteville,” said Wetzel. “Most students have the image from Animal House and our chapters aren’t like those.” She also talked about how this event can benefit non-Greek students because it helps to clear up some of the reasons that students choose not to go Greek.
“It’s not expensive, it’s not just partying. There are community service opportunities, fundraising events, leadership opportunities and academic requirements,” said Wetzel.
Greek members at the event were happy to raise awareness about their personal chapters and to speak about an overall image of what Greek life at UW-Platteville is all about. The Meet N’ Greek is the only event on campus in which all Greek chapters are represented together. It happens every year on the Thursday of the Involvement Fair and is a much-anticipated event by all chapters on campus.