Cheney, Washington, a relatively small town located twenty minutes west of Spokane, is home to 13,000 college students according to Eastern's webpage. Never heard of this college town? I don't blame you; when I transferred as a sophomore in fall 2013, I was shocked as I drove from Seattle into the countryside. I saw cows and horses, and a lot of wheat fields — not the most eye-catching scenery. But giving it a go was the best thing since cake and ice cream.
Though the campus is small, it offers a range of activities similar to those of larger colleges like UW and WSU. One of the options is a diverse Greek community: with various Greek organizations in the Diversified Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council, EWU offers a tailored Greek Life experience.
To make it easier for non-Greeks, Diversified Greek Council (also known as DGC), houses both multicultural fraternities and sororities. Other universities may call this council by other names. National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is home to the "Divine Nine," otherwise known as the historically African American fraternities and sororities.
"As a council, we try to assist and support the development of each culturally diverse fraternity and sorority at EWU, and hold each organization to high standards in the field of academics, community service, and remove the stigma attached to Greek organizations," stated Audel Rosas, DGC Vice President and member of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Here is a list of sororities for women looking to join a diverse organization at EWU:
Alpha Pi Sigma Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1990, San Diego State University - DGC
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1913, Howard University - NPHC
Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1993, Arizona State University - DGC
Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1987, Texas Tech University - DGC
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1975, Kean University - DGC
Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1990, University of Iowa - DGC
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. - Founded 1920, Howard University - NPHC
Here is a list of fraternities for men looking to join a diverse organization at EWU:
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. - Founded 1963, Morgan State University - NPHC
Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc. - Founded 1987, Texas Tech University - DGC
Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity - Founded 1986, University of Iowa- DGC
Melanie Murphy, President of DGC and member of Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc. said that since 2014 NPHC has been functioning under DGC: "They decided to join forces to help grow Eastern's non-traditional Greek community. As historically known, DGC & NPHC fraternities and sororities do not participate in formal recruitment, which means their more intimate recruitment brings in smaller numbers." Nevertheless, Murphy stated that NPHC still wants to be recognized as their own council, even though they are under the DGC umbrella.
It is important to note that every organization has different principles. Therefore, as you search for an organization to call home, it's imperative that your paradigms align with those of the fraternity or sorority. The best way to know which Greek organization is best for you is by attending their rush events and informational sessions.
Murphy had this to say about her involvement as President of DGC: "Having the chance to be part of this non-traditional council has been a great experience. My favorite part about it is having the opportunity to work with individuals from different organizations, and hear what ideas everyone has to bring to the table. Also, our Greek community at Eastern has grown exponentially over the span of a couple years, and it has been really exciting to be a part of that."
To learn more about what sets Multicultural Greeks apart from "Traditional" Greeks, click this link to access my other article, Why Multicultural Greeks Stand Out.
To finalize, I would like to give a special shout out to Beta Gamma Chapter of ODPHI; and to all my brothers of Omega Delta Phi nationwide, stay hype!
Go Eagles!
