Discover the Greek organizations at Canisius

By Jenna Gaudino

Features Contributor

The meaning and feelings behind being a part of “Greek life” varies from person to person. Sydney Juzdowski, freshman and member of Phi Sigma Sigma, the social sorority at Canisius, summarizes what greek life means to her, saying, “Greek life is a home away from home.” Similarly, Steven Travale, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s vice president of recruitment, refers to it as a “lifetime brotherhood.”

What we now know as “Greek life” began with a man by the name of John Heath in 1776. According to greekyearbook.com, Heath, a student studying Greek at The College of William & Mary, was rejected by two secret Latin societies at his school. Later, he banded together with friends to create the first collegiate Greek-letter society, Phi Beta Kappa. He also began the tradition of shortening the names of the organizations after the initials of the Greek mottos. Phi Beta Kappa’s motto, Philosophia Bios Kybernethes, translated as “Philosophy is the guide to life,” uses the Greek letters Phi, Beta and Kappa (the first letter of each word). This is how many fraternities and sororities get their names. Now, there are over 9 million Greek members throughout the United States.

At Canisius, there are three Greek organizations: Phi Sigma Sigma, the college’s only sorority, Sigma Phi Epsilon, a social fraternity, and Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed business fraternity. Although each division has their own unique set of values and traditions, they all stand for integrity, community building and professional advancement.

Adam Zakrzewski, Vice President of Programming at Sigma Phi Epsilon, describes being a part of Sigma Phi Epsilon as a way for different, yet like-minded individuals, to come together to help improve one another. Zakrzewski’s sentiment attests to both, the bond he shares with his brothers, and the community-minded values Canisius holds. In addition to the benefits of brotherhood, fraternities like Sigma Phi Epsilon aids in the development of many “marketable skills”, as Travale puts it. Some of these skills mentioned by Travale include: time management, public speaking, and leadership. Beyond college, fraternities can also help with personal and business-related connections. At a conference last year, Zakrzewski even meet a finance student from NYU who he is now close friends with. In addition to the bonds between brothers, Sigma Phi Epsilon puts on several fun events throughout the year. Some of the annual events include: the haunted house, Valentine’s Day chocolate sale, Easter Egg hunt and ‘Coffee in the Clubroom’ (handing out free coffee to students). Currently, Sigma Phi Epsilon is planning a dodgeball tournament coming up in April. Zakrzewski explains, “The event will be designed to contribute all donations to charity.” Although they have not decided on what charity to contribute to, he hopes other clubs will get involved too. For students are looking to join: meetings are held on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in HO201. On joining, Travale adds, “It is not what you see in the movies. I never thought I would want to be a part of it much less hold a leadership role. There isn’t that hazing filled hostile environment that seems to be in everybody’s mind when they hear the word fraternity. It really is an all-inclusive, welcoming environment with a goal to improve each individual man. It changed my life.”

Alpha Kappa Psi, being the only business-oriented fraternity on campus, offers its own unique principles. Peyton Richmond, Vice President of External Affairs and Alumni Relations describes the fraternity’s existence as one that “gives students a unique and distinguished college experience that will help shape its members to thrive as future leaders in the professional world.” One of the main distinctions between Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Kappa Psi is that Alpha Kappa Psi is not a social fraternity. This means that their goals are more central to business-related ventures while also maintaining a strong brotherhood. Some of the fraternity’s  annual functions include chapter conferences and an event called Beat the Professionals, held in the Montante Cultural Center. On joining, Richmond employs, “Just ask anyone in AKPsi about their experience, we love to talk about AKPsi. Got to our Rush events if you have even a tiny consideration of joining. Also, just keep an eye out for events we are sponsoring or so-sponsoring, one of us will be there and are always ready to talk about how much we enjoy our experiences with AKPsi.”

Lastly: Phi Sigma Sigma, the only social sorority on campus. Phi Sigma Sigma, similar to Sigma Phi Epsilon, values a strong sisterhood and aims to inspire the personal development of each sister. Some of Phi Sigma Sigma’s events include philanthropic events such as Phi Set Spike which raises money and awareness for the Kids in Need Foundation. Gearing up for initiation, Juzdowski shares some of the special steps regarding the induction process. She states, “We attend new member education classes every week to learn about our past and current sisters, our founding history and the overall ins and outs of being apart of Phi Sigma Sigma. This is all to prepare us for what it’s like to be in a sorority and so we know our chapter on a personal level.” Juzdowski’s explanation of the induction process emphasizes the uniqueness of this sorority and its extensive history. Similar to Juzdowski’s feelings on being apart of the sorority, Sara Cichon, President of Phi Sigma Sigma, shares what being apart of Phi Sigma Sigma means to her, “When you experience something like this, it’s understandable that you want to find a place that feels like a home away from home, and that’s what sisterhood is about.”

Women looking to get involved should come to Phi Sigma Sigma’s recruitment events starting Feb. 12 at 6:00 p.m. in Regis. Cichon also advises students to follow their instagram account to see what the sorority is all about. You can follow Phi Sigma Sigma at @phisigcanisius. Encouraging the experimentation of something new, the president’s final words of advice are, “If you want to pursue our organization, I want you to know that it’s totally normal to be a little nervous because every time you approach something new, it’ll come with a little discomfort, but don’t let that discourage you.”

Throughout college there are many misconceptions about sororities and fraternities. Movies misrepresent them and can sometimes give them a less than honorable reputation. However, after learning about all three greek organizations at Canisius, it is safe to say that sororities and fraternities are more than just groups of people who just hang out. These groups go far beyond traditional bonds – creating friendships and professional relationships that last their members a lifetime.