Lee University is an outstanding liberal arts campus that is located in Cleveland, Tennessee. Lee recognizes academic growth, diversity, and service learning, and creates insight for students to integrate faith and vocation. Lee emphasizes on core values and living for Christ while it also offers many organizations that help assist in getting involved on campus as well as within the community. Lee provides two Greek clubs that are affiliated with the national Greek organization and 10 that are not affiliated.

If you are a student at Lee and also a part of Greek organization clubs on campus, you can probably relate and identify with some of these points and how non-affiliated Greek organizations play out.

1. Tap Night

Induction face, ready?

Others who are not associated in Greek life at Lee probably will never understand how big this day is to the members in the Greek community. We thoroughly have excitement filling our veins as we hit the alarm clock on this specific Thursday. It doesn’t seem as if it is a "regular day" for us because so many activities lead from this day. You’ve probably prepped for this night and dedicated your time to having the perfect outfit to represent your club. Perfect dress, necklace, shoes, and you can’t forget you have to get your roots touched up. Let’s be real, you probably skipped all of your classes just because it is tap night. Walking around campus and ‘tapping’ the potential new members exhilarates you. Joining in the caf later that night, the atmosphere creates an electrifying emotion within as the variety of clubs run around and "tap" their newest Big Brothers or Little Sisters to represent and support their organization. Graduating from Lee and having your last "tap night" is bittersweet and one of the best memories there is. There's nothing like it.

2. Inductions

Inductions are an unspoken topic because it is a secret within each organization, and for good reason. Inductions serve their purpose. Months of preparation have been contributed to this weekend-long event, and we take it pretty seriously. Mike Hayes and Alan McClung have helped to ensure that future members rushing know that they will be in no harm and no hazing will be involved. If you are in Greek life, you know those two names and know to always wave or say hello to them -- they love Greek life and want it to continue and blossom. Inductions: you either love it or hate it, but in the end you know it changed you to some degree. You also know to zip your lips after because everyone wants to know what happened.

3. Jerseys and Nicknames

You just got in and now you get to wear your club’s letters to your advantage! You begin to get everything designed with your letters: shirts, hats, jackets, bags, stickers for your car, and so on. You name it and you probably have something designed by the end of the semester with your Greek letters attached to it. Your first jersey with your official nickname will forever be cherished, and I can bet you at least one or two times someone will respond to asking why you got it.

4. Dessert Party

These parties are so that the newest "tap" of the club have their opportunity to show us whole club their representation of them. It can be slightly interesting -- and nerve-wracking -- to see how it is played out.

This is something to look forward to as well; bring a date. Never go alone. It used to be a themed party; now many just wear their letters -- or other Greek clubs' letters -- to the event. It’s always fun to bring someone, especially from another Greek club, and to show them a glimpse of what your organization is all about and to laugh over the newest members' comments on active members. Oh, did I mention there is a free variety of desserts? Yeah, if you get invited to go to a dessert party… you don’t turn down the chance in attending. If you do, you must be anti-Greek life.

5. Social Events on Campus

Time and dedication can really make a difference when putting on events at Lee; and when you have other organizations on campus sponsoring you and throwing their ideas in as well, it really impacts the way the event is displayed.

Oftentimes we don’t get acknowledged for the events that we organize, and plan and that can be incredibly challenging though the final outcome is pleasing. There is nothing like throwing an event that drives students to want to learn or be apart of your club. We really want to throw good events for the community at Lee. That’s why we offer delicious free food, good-quality music, and activities that students want to engage in on campus. There is a lot of organization and dedication that makes these events successful. Once everything is in order, you are so thrilled to finally see the outcome and to socialize and repping your club to the max.

6. Service

Whether your president or service chair provides information for the service project, you realize it's time to do what our clubs symbolize: to serve others. Did that hit you in the face or what? You have to admit that at some point in time you have not wanted to do a service project because you have 10 other assignments that must be finished. But in the end you realize that, while serving, you actually enjoyed it and remembered your purpose in doing what your club sets out to do.

As a student at Lee, you are required to have 80 hours of service completed in order to graduate. When you are in the Greek community at Lee, you are also required to be involved with service within the community through your club. In reality, this helps you in the sense that you can gather your service hours through some of the planned service projects your organization is involved with. Being in Greek life really sheds lights on the perspective of service and makes you really stop and realize why you do it for other people around you with your club in which you have gained a sisterhood/brotherhood with.

7. Fundraising

The PCSU is crowded with each Greek club's newest members who have successfully survived induction weekend. All of the clubs have their own tables set up declaring they need additional support in fundraising for their organization. You guessed it… it's usually nothing but sweets at each table.

Fundraising gives you the chance to work at a strategy with your tap individually, without the club's help, and it can be challenging, but everyone always finds a way to bring in the money to help benefit your club.

8. Little Sister Week/Big Brother Week

Each organization club arranges their Little Sister and Big Brother weeks according to their schedules. During each club's specific week, their large wooden Greek letters will be on display in the PCSU as they are decorated with pictures of the newest members of little sisters or big brothers for their club. The Little Sisters and Big Brothers are such an important part of Greek clubs on campus, and it shows how they need that equal balance. Think about it: Do you really want to always be with all girls all the time? Having brothers really helps and they can help by being supportive and someone to rely on during hard times, and vice versa. This week is to really show how much you care for those members who wanted to be a part of your organization and still do everything to do what they can for you.

You know that Little Sister or Big Brother week is specifically dedicated to celebrating them as you set out to spoil them for the entire week. Not only is it exciting for them, but it's fun to show them gratitude and love through letting them know how much they mean to the club as a whole.

9. Big-Little Reveal

This is one of those moments that you have thought about your whole life … well, OK, maybe not really, but it is still extremely exciting!

Each club is different in how they approach their way of revealing Bigs and Littles, but anticipation is so evidently present as you wait impatiently. The enthusiastic emotion drives you insane, as you want to create every single idea that has been contributed to your Pinterest account to match your little’s personality. The thought that you now have a Little Sister or a Little Brother to add to your family tree makes you feel proud and honored. If you have found a Big or a Little that makes you understand more about the sisterhood or brotherhood and everything that your club stands for, you’ve found a blessing from above.

10. Intramurals

Another thing Greek clubs must is being involved in intramurals. Depending on the season, teams are planned and schedules are organized accordingly. You always have a select few who take the game a little too serious and analyze every scoreboard and play; I mean, really, it’s only intramural baseball but some think it is a make-it-or-break-it deal. I guess it’s a big deal when there is a trophy involved. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be the same without them though, right? Intramurals are fun way to get involved with other organizations on campus rather than just your Greek club. Like stated before, it’s a pretty hot topic, and when you see the B.O.B field lit up, you know it's game on.

11. Voting Room

The dreaded voting room session. Oh, the suspense of what will happen during voting room is killer. During this time you should: turn off your phone, bring an entire bag of Doritos, a liter of Coke, a blanket, and maybe two extra pens just in case one runs out of ink. Every club takes voting room seriously because you are voting on new members receiving the honor of new positions, and discussion is vital. Not only are you discussing new members taking positions, you are also talking about the future of the club. Voting room can last up to three or four hours, and I’ve even heard that some clubs take up to a couple of days just to fully discuss every single position in its entirety.

12. Prioritize Your Time

When you are in Greek life, you must maintain a high GPA; therefore, you must do well in your studies as well as following the requirements to be an active member. Now, prioritizing your time can be a bit of a struggle, I think we can all agree to that. When you have been voted and chosen to take a position in the club, you are in charge of that position and must take that into consideration with seriousness because you are also responsible for that area within the club. You definitely have to prioritize your time effectively, but as time progresses, you begin to learn how the high demand of work that is required can strengthen you in your work ethic.

13. Brotherhood/Sisterhood

It sounds cliché, but hear me out for a second. Greek life at Lee is different than Greek life at public universities in the sense that you implement Christian perspectives.

We are not affiliated with the national Greek organization, but we are affiliated with separating ourselves and showing how God can use us in our club and how He works through what we stand for. You were probably a little iffy before you joined, but it’s incredible how God uses ‘taps’ and complete strangers can suddenly form a relationship in which they’ll never forget because of their experience. No, you won’t get along with every single person in your tap or in your club, but there will be some that make you really thank God for, because without their compassion and the bond you’ve both grown together, your club wouldn’t make sense. A community is built with common interests, respect and love, and when God has established a firm foundation, you must always remember to keep him in it for it to grow. Lee’s Greek life is apparent in this way because as time continues, you can still see the additional growth within the variety of clubs not only by taps but their choice of adding people of good character. In the end, you see how Bigs, Littles, Big Brothers, Little Sisters, sponsors, and Alan McClung and Mike Hayes have such a huge role in our Greek life; it is the people who continue to help the Brotherhood and Sisterhood continually grow stronger.

14. Christian Perspectives

Each club is vastly different in their own ways, whether that be in their terms of constitution, what their verse stands for biblically, and who the members of the organization are. Each member is "tapped" during Tap Night at Lee and must engage in induction activities. Greek service organization clubs take their biblical concepts and put it into action through their members -- through service opportunities and representing Christ to the best of their abilities. Each club has their own set of unique Greek letters that symbolize a deeper meaning rather than just that it is letters -- but these members truly are representing Christ in one way or the other.

Greek life at Lee... I wouldn't trade it for the world. You have to admit it, there have been times where you've questioned why you ever joined but you know God is in these Greek clubs and it can be so visual at times when you see simple acts of kindness and love through your brothers or sisters. You can easily be reminded that He purposely wanted you with your club rather than any other because it is where you belonged for the season in which you are currently in.