On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Unified Cultural Greek Council kicked their year off with their first “Hang with the Greeks” meeting. Hang with the Greeks is a new series that just started last semester in Spring 2023, giving PNMs (Potential New Members) an opportunity to meet the active members of each Divine Nine and Multicultural chapter.

In the Multicultural Center, the hosts of the event provided guests with free snacks like delicious cookies, cupcakes, and pizza. Guests enjoyed their free meals while joking and sharing with active members, as well as each other. It was a great way for chapters to potentially increase their numbers and have more of an on-campus presence.

Leilani Moreno, President of the Unified Cultural Greek Council and sister of Chi Upsilon Sigma, was very excited to host the meeting. “With this series [Hang with the Greeks], we really wanted to showcase the Greek organizations we have, especially the culturally-based organizations. We’re few in numbers, but the representation we carry extends beyond [those] numbers. We have those values and mission statements that we carry in ourselves and our organizations.”

She hoped that with this event, they could introduce themselves to the new students in a “very informal way because it can be intimidating.” The event is meant to differ from the Yard Show and other events where members are seen performing, but not directly interacting with their audience. It also presented a chance for students to get to know members as people and students just like them, giving them new friendships whether they join a chapter or not— of course, guests are encouraged to join!

Jovin M. Fernandez, the Multicultural Center Director, is in full agreement as a member of the Delta Zeta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Bloomfield College). “This event is a monthly series that we’re [Multicultural Center] putting on, partnering with [UCGC]”, Fernandez said. “It’s a way for the Multicultural Center to support our cultural Greeks, because they have a lower percentage of affiliated students within the organizations. Greek life is down everywhere ever since COVID, so I want to create space for students to see how being involved in Greek life can impact, not just the college experience, but the rest of their life.” Hang with the Greeks will have a different activity every time it is launched, offering community service opportunities to both active and potential Greeks.

Fernandez also added, “We want to help people understand that Greek life isn’t just about what you see on the website, but it really has a lot to do with the people. I know Meet the Greeks is traditionally [showcasing] stepping and strolling, but our version of Meet the Greeks is meet the people, not the performers.” She wanted to clarify that there are differences between chapters, that not every chapter performs, and that all the members are “regular students, just like everybody else. Let’s put the glory to the side and get to know the people that are doing the work and helping to keep these organizations thriving on campus.”

Stalie Sauveur, a junior transfer student, loved the results of the event. “This is very new to me,” Sauveur stated. “At first, I was nervous, but my roommate [convinced] me to come with her, and coming here, seeing everyone socializing, it’s great and I’m glad I came. I haven’t been able to socialize as much as I wanted to since I’ve been here, so this is a great opportunity to do that.”

Sahada Foster, a freshman Literature major with a concentration in Creative Writing, also enjoyed meeting the chapters at the Multicultural Center. “I was with my RA, and she told us that we should come, so we came. It was a great decision and I had a great time here.” She wasn’t previously interested in Greek life despite being a legacy through her mother in Delta Sigma Theta, but meeting the members face-to-face sparked her interest and inspiration to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

The UCGC is comprised of 3 sororities (Chi Upsilon Sigma, Mu Sigma Upsilon, Lambda Theta Alpha) and 3 fraternities (Sigma Beta Rho, Lambda Sigma Upsilon, Lambda Theta Phi). The Divine Nine, or NPHC, are the nine Historically Black fraternities and sororities. You can follow @stocktonnphc and/or @ucgc_stockton on Instagram for more information on the individual chapters and their process for recruitment.