Dominick Cirillo is a junior majoring in Business with a dual concentration in Finance and Management Information Systems. He is from Matawan, New Jersey and is 20 years old.

Dominick joined a fraternity because he wanted to get involved on campus. “I was also looking for an organization where I could actively participate in offering community service.”

Dominick is Chapter President of his fraternity, Junior Class President for the Student Senate, a Resident Assistant in Cypress Hall, and an Albert Dorman Honors College scholar.

Dominick’s fraternity has helped him assume leadership roles, communicate effectively, and participate in great community service programs. “I also got to meet a lot of bright individuals who encouraged me to get involved with other NJIT programs I would have never known about.”

Dominick’s favorite part about being in a fraternity is offering service to people who really need it. “I feel good after I help clean up a Newark park for 5 hours, or raise money for victims of catastrophes.”

His advice to someone interested in joining Greek Life is: “If you have the opportunity to join a Greek Organization you should do it. You meet a ton of friends, acquire useful skills, and are given an opportunity to make a positive difference.”

Dominick Cirillo is a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity.

DRINA DURYEA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The typical signs of pledging a Greek organization are now visible; pins, ribbons, and even uniforms now dot the canvas of campus life. However, these quiet goings-on are just the dust that has settled after the storm that was the Greek recruitment season for the spring of 2010. Prior to this, campus was a flurry of Greek letters, organization colors and coats-of-arms, fliers, and table after table in the Campus Center filled with eager Brothers and Sisters vying for your attention. Thus Greek life brought NJIT out of its’ deep winter sleep in a chaotic maelstrom of excitement. The first week back in a new semester brings on chaos en masse for both staff and students alike. Greek life on campus is represented by nearly six percent of the population on NJIT’s campus. Although this may seem like a small number that represents nearly three hundred and fifty members on campus, who are all swinging into action to bring new Brothers and Sisters on board this semester.

Recruitment during the Spring semester is a particularly big deal on NJIT’s campus. Freshman are not allowed to join a Greek organization during their first semester, and so now is the time for Greek organizations to reach out to some of the most enthusiastic and promising future new members. Some groups also only recruit during this time, as many potential new members are freshman, thus making it economical to recruit only once a year. Recruitment is only the first step along the way though. During this time, eager starry-eyed neophytes learn what a true commitment “going Greek” really is. Becoming Greek is an intricate back and forth dance between the potential new member, and the organization he or she wishes to join.

First there is the recruitment process. Recruiting spans about the first two to three weeks of the semester. During this time organizations plan game nights, parties, and philanthropic events to draw in interested students. For the sororities on campus there is formal recruitment during which all sororities all participate in the same events, with slight variation depending on the group. Fraternal recruitment is somewhat more free-form, as is that of the coeducational fraternities on campus. Upcoming fraternity rush events include Pie-a-Brother, S’mores and Hot Chocolate, Frisbee and Football on the Green, and Superbowl parties. The point of this recruitment period is to get to know each of the interested students to determine not only how serious they are about joining, but also if they will fit in with the current members, and be committed to carrying on the existence of that group in the future. It is after this time that Greek organizations hand out what are called “bids.”

A bid is a formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority. A bid can be accepted or denied by the recipient. A bid generally last a year, so that if the recipient is not able to or does not wish to begin the new member process during the semester they receive it, they may do it the following semester. Both the extending and accepting/denying of a bid are generally marked with a ceremony, upon which recipient who accept begin their new member process. Many people may know this as “pledging,” and many schools still recognize it as such, NJIT endorses the term “New Member.” The New Member process which the student has now begun can be likened in many cases to adding a three credit course onto one’s schedule. After which, most organizations hold an Initiation ceremony to mark the entrance of a New Member as finally being a Brother or Sister of their chosen Fraternity or Sorority.

In addition to the traditional social fraternities and sororities, there are professional and service oriented groups open the student of NJIT. The service groups are sorority Delta Phi Omega and fraternity Alpha Phi Omega . NJIT’s only professional Greek organization is architecture fraternity Alpha Rho Chi. The latter two mentioned fraternities are co-educational, but refer to all members as Brothers in order to maintain a sense of equality among all members.
So “why go through all of the trouble to join?” one might ask. One freshman, Ivan Enriquez, explained why he is now rushing a fraternity. “I didn’t know about Alpha Rho Chi until this August” he said.  In addition as an architecture student, joining an architecture fraternity, he will benefit from the academic wisdom of potential older brothers. That is not to say however that the same does not occur in other Greek organizations. For many, a Greek organization is not only a means of showing responsibility and leadership during college it truly is a home away from home. A Greek organization is the family you choose, and definitely extends beyond one’s years at college. Greek life is a lifelong commitment and experience. So to Ivan, and all those rushing, I wish you the best of luck.

Author’s Note: Ivan was given a bid, has accepted, and is now currently pledging Alpha Rho Chi.

Drina Duryea is a sophomore in school majoring in Communications and Media. She is the Rush and Events chair of Alpha Rho Chi.

Ivette Rodriguez is a 5th year Architecture and Business Major. She became a member of Greek Life in Fall 2006.
To Ivette, going Greek wasn’t just about joining a Greek Organization, but also about joining a family. Coming into college she didn’t even know what “being Greek” was all about; it wasn’t something she planned on doing.
Ivette first met the sisters during move-in day, and after getting to know them she couldn’t help but consider joining their sisterhood. They understood and accepted her, and acted like her sisters even before she chose to join. After growing up as the only girl among eleven male cousins, it was a welcomed change.
After joining the sorority, Ivette met many new people and became extremely involved on campus. She worked with the previous Greek Advisor, at the Campus Center Information Desk, the Bookstore, the Highlander Pub, and with other departments creating promotional flyers and campaigns. Most of her connections on and off campus came through the sisterhood; they always look out for each other.
There have been so many exceptional moments in Ivette’s life since she joined a Greek Organization, but Ivette says her sorority’s weekly meetings are most exceptional. Yes they are tedious and long, and sometimes very dramatic and messy, but it’s a time when they are all together. No matter what happens in the meetings, be it yelling, crying, or laughing, they always leave as sisters. That’s the best part of it all; the bond of sisterhood is there just like it would be in a real family.
Ivette’s favorite Greek event is Greek God and Goddess. It is one of the few events where all the Greeks come together and support each other; it’s also extremely funny to see everyone in different outfits and performing their talents. This event is part of Greek Week, where all Greek Organizations have friendly competition and act silly with all their brothers and sisters.
To Ivette, the four pillars of Greek Life: Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Brother/Sisterhood, are daily reminders of what the Greeks stand for. Many people think of Greek Life as the stereotypical images portrayed on television, but there is so much more to it than that.
Greeks learn how to hold their own in real life situations through the skills they gain while holding leadership positions in their organization. To Ivette, academics always come first.
Maintaining a solid GPA and still being active allows Ivette’s sorority to develop amazing time management skills which are a necessity in the real world. They also learn that it is not always just about “me, me, me,” but about “US” as a whole.
Her sorority’s events let them help the community and each other in ways that teach them about the city they live in, and the struggles that people face every day. The four pillars are a standard of living that Greeks learn to portray in their everyday lives.
After being in a sorority for the past 4 ½ years Ivette has come to realize that each organization has its own personality and beliefs. She would tell anyone interested in joining Greek Life to look at all their options before making a decision; it is a lifelong commitment and you should be sure that it is the right fit for you. When you find the organization that is right for you, you will realize it; it will never seem burdensome.

Ivette is a Sister of Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority.

To be featured in Greek Member Spotlight, contact Vincent Scarfo, IFSC Male Recruitment Chair, at vs69@njit.edu.

Vincent Scarfo is a Senior Civil Engineering Student; he joined Greek Life in spring 2009.

Vincent has known his brothers since his first year at NJIT. He used to go down to the house every time they had an event, but he never thought he would join. Eventually he looked around and saw that all his friends were Greeks and saw how much they enjoyed being a part of Greek Life. Vincent decided he would join Greek Life, and it only seemed natural that he would choose his current fraternity.

Vincent is extremely active on Campus. He is the Java House Chair for the Student Activities Council, which is in charge of planning Thursday pub nights. He is also a Resident Assistant and Vice President of the National Residence Hall Honorary. He is on the Senior Class committee, and also helps plan pub nights, trips, and The NJIT Semiformal. Vincent also created the Annual Powder Puff Football Game while serving on the E-Board of Spectrum and has worked with several performing arts groups on the NJIT and Rutgers Campuses.

Vincent’s favorite moment in Greek Life was the first week back at school after the summer. It was the first time he had seen his brothers in months. After lots of singing, dancing, and goofing around he realized how much he missed hanging out with them and how much a part of his life they had become.

Vincent’s favorite Greek Event is Greek Week. It is a weeklong event and the most fun he has ever had at an on campus event. He got to be on a team with his brothers, and got to compete against other organizations. He even got the chance to chance to talk and hang out with people from other the organizations whom he had not met.

To Vincent, being in a fraternity is mostly about Brotherhood. Vincent loves his brothers and believes they are the best part of being in a fraternity. However, Greek Life has also provided Vincent with many opportunities.

Vincent has had many leadership opportunities as a new member and as a brother. As Philanthropy Chair he has the opportunity to plan events and raise money for the less fortunate, and to do some community service. Before he went Greek, Vincent rarely had the means to do large scale community service projects. Vincent also gained academically from being in a fraternity. His grades have gone up since he joined a fraternity. No matter what class he is taking, one of his brothers has already taken it and is willing to help.

Vincent would highly recommend joining a Greek Organization. Not only is it a great social opportunity, it is also great for networking with alumni. Being part of a fraternity or sorority is also a great way to become active on campus and learn to lead. He believes the number one reason to join is the people. The people in the organization you join will become your best friends and they will always be your Brother or Sister.

Vincent Scarfo is a Brother of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity.

When Michael Bernardo came to college, he was not committed to joining a Greek Organization. It was something that he considered, but it wasn’t something that he thought he had to do. Quite soon, however, he started to look at different organizations and realized that he wanted to be a part of the Greek lifestyle. He realized that you are only in college once and that he wanted to experience it to its fullest.

He decided to join a fraternity because he was able to truly connect with its brothers. Once a member of a fraternity, Michael Bernardo was able to utilize his leadership positions both in the fraternity and on campus to help improve the community. He served as the rush chair, vice president, president, and custos of his fraternity.

Through working these positions, Michael was able to strengthen his fraternity so that it was better able to serve the campus. In addition to this, he also served in IFSC for two years, one as treasurer. He has served on Senate as treasurer and has organized charity events on campus.

Michael’s favorite moments in Greek Life are the Friday mornings when everyone wakes up and talks about the events of the previous night. His favorite Greek life event is the Greek Carnival because it allows for all of Greek Life to establish its presence on campus.

When all of Greek Life is together, one can truly see its scale and how each chapter has its own uniqueness. Greek Life to Michael is more than just hanging out with his brothers and doing Greek Life events, his commitment to the lifestyle has its roots in the four pillars.

To Michael, the four pillars are the essential building blocks that all organizations are built upon. They create a solid foundation which shapes the character of all Greeks through showing their dedication to the campus community, their studies, leading the pack, and their loyalty to their brothers and brotherhood.

Michael’s advice to anyone considering joining a Greek Organization is to make sure that Greek Life is right for you. There are dozens of chapters on campus and there isn’t a one size that fits all chapter. There is, however, a chapter that will suit you. You need to find the chapter that fits you, and then find out what you can do to improve the chapter, not what the chapter can do to improve you.