With 9 million members in the U.S. alone, the Greek experience allows members to connect with a global community that includes presidents, supreme court justices, congressmen and Fortune Five Hundred CEOs.

What we want to make clear is that the pronouns (“we” or “our”) in the stories at the top of the profiles do not necessarily apply directly to those individuals pictured in the profile.  Instead, the “we” is referring to the greater Greek community — whether that be at Northwestern, or at any other school with Greek life.  What ties all these stories together is the underlying values that “we” all have committed to by going Greek.  While everybody has a story, every member of the community is connected through the shared Greek experience.

The beginning of the “…and we are Greek” stage of the campaign coincides with Greek Week, the annual celebration of the Greek community through a week of friendly competition. Chapters from each of the four councils have teamed up to compete in events that highlight the four pillars of the Greek community: service, scholarship, social, and brotherhood/sisterhood. Each team will be awarded points for participating in and/or attending events. See below for a full list and description of the schedule. In addition to the events, teams can win points by taking part in the “Greek Tag-A-Long.” This week long event encourages the community to upload photos of themselves wearing their letters to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The hashtag “#AndWeAreGreek” (or tagline “…and we are Greek”) will be utilized throughout the week in these posts in order for teams to get points. Throughout the entire week, flyers that highlight the benefits of being a member of the Greek community will be released through the four councils’ social media platforms, posted in a gallery on the website, displayed across campus, and marked with the hashtag #AndWeAreGreek as a continuation of the original “…and I am Greek” campaign.

For a complete schedule of events for Greek Week 2012 please see below or check out our Facebook event.

Sunday, October 7

Greek Tag-A-Long Kickoff; Various Campus Locations & Social Media; All Week

As described above, to kick-off Greek Week, social media will revolve around the tagline “…and we are Greek” (or similarly, the hashtag #AndWeAreGreek). We encourage everyone to take pictures of members wearing their letters throughout the week incorporating the theme of the day. Any team member of a team can upload a picture to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the tagline/hashtag of #andweareGreek as well as tagging the page of the council they are a member of (@NUIFC, @NorthwesternPHA, @NU_MGC, @nuNPHC). Each photo must have at least two Greek members wearing letters in the photo. Multiple teams may be present in the same photo, earning a point for each team.  Each day of the week has a different “theme” (Sunday: Service, Monday: Scholarship, Tuesday: Involvement, Wednesday: Brotherhood/Sisterhood, Thursday: Northwestern) that gives individuals a little direction as to what they should be tweeting about/uploading to social media.

All Greek Day of Service; Various Locations; 10:45am-2pm

Members from all four councils will participate in community service at different sites throughout the day. Each Team will be awarded 30 points for fulfilling the participation requirement. Participants should reflect different chapters of the team. Check-in is at Harris Hall 107 at 10:30 AM where free pizza will be provided.  Presentations from NCDC and GreekBuild regarding future service opportunities begin immediately after check-in, with service starting at 12 and lasting until 2 PM.  Reminder to please dress for the weather and to please wear close-toed shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. You are strongly recommended to wear your letters or otherGreek related shirts!

Monday, October 8

Greek Pride Day & High Five for Letters; Campus Wide; All Day

Show your pride in your organization and the Greek Community by wearing your letters. When you pass by a fellow Greek wearing letters, stranger or old friend, give them a smile and a high five!

Greek Week Yoga; Norris Louis Room; 11am-12pm, 1pm-2pm

Greek Week 2012 sponsoring two free yoga sessions lead by NU Fitness instructors. Bring your own mat or towel. Members earn points through attendance and wearing Greek letters.

Letters at the Library; University Main Library; 7pm-10pm

Members of the IFC, PHA, MGC, and NPHC executive boards will distribute candy to members wearing Greek letters in the Main University Library. Members earn points through attendance and wearing Greek letters.

Tuesday, October 9

Greek Eats: Chipotle; Evanston Chipotle; 4pm-6pm

Visit the Evanston Chipotle wearing your organization’s letters and buy one burrito and get one burrito free! Members earn points by bringing their Chipotle receipt to Greeks Got Talent that same evening.

Greeks Got Talent; Ryan Auditorium at Tech; 7pm-9pm

Each team must provide a talent to represent their team in this talent show. The talent may be performed by an individual or by groups of less than 10.

Wednesday, October 10

Greek Four Square; The Rock; 12pm-2pm

Come and play Four Square at the Rock with members of other chapters and councils. Members earn points through attendance (playing for 10 minutes= 5pts) and wearing Greek letters = 1pt.

Top Chef: Greek Edition; Kappa Kappa Gamma; 3pm-5pm

Each team will be randomly assigned a theme in which to prepare their dish for the judges, like the show Top Chef. Each team must prepare their dish in advance and bring it to the competition with enough portions for a six-eight person judging panel. Additionally, Greek Week 2012 will provide an array of  ingredients for the quickfire dessert competition. Teams must send 3 members with whatever utensils they will need for this portion of the event. Points will be awarded to teams finishing in first or second place in each round.

Thursday, October 11

GreekBuild Kickoff BBQ & Bags Tournament; Ford Lawn; 3pm-5pm

GreekBuild will host a kickoff BBQ to share more about their philanthropy and service opportunities with the Greek Community. Members earn points through attendance and wearing Greek letters. For the Bags Tournament, each team must consist of one fraternity and one sorority member.

Stroll Competition & Awards Ceremony; Norris McCormick Auditorium; 7pm-9pm

Teams will be coached by a member of an NPHC or MGC chapter to do a stroll. Strolling is a historical component of Black Greek Life and is a tradition treated with great pride and respect. No more than 25 team members can participate in their team’s stroll.

Greek organizations have a rich history based in tradition. Since the first fraternity was founded in 1776, individual chapters have been performing the same ritual, such as chapter meetings and initiation ceremonies, connecting current members with alumni and founders.

This past year, IFC and PHA sponsored free pancakes for breakfast, and free pizza for lunch, on Dillo Day for all Northwestern students.

The college transition can be challenging, but joining a fraternity or sorority gives students the opportunity to form lifelong friendships based on their organization’s values.  When school work gets tough, personal problems become overwhelming, or a shoulder is simply needed to lean on, Greeks turn to their brothers and sisters for the necessary support.

Nationally, Greek students achieve higher GPA’s than those that are unaffiliated. At Northwestern, the all-fraternity and sorority average GPA of Spring 2010 was 3.48 with over 40% of students receiving a 3.65 or higher.

Chapter leadership offer numerous ways to gain valuable experience — from treasurers managing budgets exceeding 200,000 dollars, to chapter philanthropy chairs planning large-scale events for nationally-recognized organizations. With executive boards typically composed of ten or more officers, as well as committee chairpersons and minor positions, chapters offer a variety of ways to get involved.  There is also larger scale leadership opportunities and inter-chapter collaboration on council executive boards such as the Panhellenic Association, Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council and National PanHellenic Council.

Going Greek helps students form close bonds with upperclassmen, who act as role models and help their younger sisters and brothers navigate college and beyond.  From the “big/little” system to having older students act as tutors and academic advisers, upperclassmen are an invaluable resource in the community.

Greek social events give students the opportunity to experience a night out on the town in Chicago. Whether it’s a formal, date night or crush party, members have tons of fun attending special events with their brothers, sisters and friends. Not to mention, the location of these events can be truly awesome, ranging from The Drake hotel to WhirlyBall to Hotel 71 where scenes in “The Dark Knight” were filmed.

In addition to providing Risk Management and encouraging members to get Red Watch Band Training, the Greek community funds an ambulance and water station to help keep our student body safe on Dillo Day.

The Greek community recognizes academic achievement by inviting members who excel scholastically to join Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Academic Honor Society. Additionally, the Order of Omega unifies exemplary Greek leaders who have made significant contributions to their community.

At Northwestern, the average Greek member raises $182 for philanthropy each year, in addition to priceless hours of community service through chapter events and organizations such as Greek Build.  This money is raised through a variety of philanthropies that include bake sales, fun competitions, and carnivals.

Each year fraternities and sororities pair up and participate in Dance Marathon to raise money for charity. In 2012, our chapters raised a total of $377,496.22 for the B+ foundation, about one third of the grand total of $1,107,670.

Check out our member’s moves in last year’s Dance Marathon promo video here!

Between studying abroad  in  a Buddhist monastery in India last fall and traveling  to Israel on Birthright this summer, Alyssa has been exposed to diverse cultures around the globe. On campus she is actively involved with Hillel  by helping lead the Black Jewish Freedom Seder and completing the  Community Engagement Corps internship. Despite her global ambitions and having visited 40 cities worldwide, being part of Greek life has helped Alyssa find a home here at Northwestern.

Last Spring, students were given the opportunity to nominate fellow Greeks who positively represent the community and have an interesting story to tell. Each profile emphasizes a unique, one sentence teaser story—These profiles will be featured across campus, in both The Daily and North by Northwestern advertisements, on social media platforms, and in a digital photo gallery at nugreek.org, where you can learn more about each individual’s personal story.

The campaign addresses the assumption that the Greek community is a homogenous body of students by humanizing its members.  It encourages everyone to ask themselves if the individuals in the campaign align with their concept of students affiliated with Greek letter organizations.  People from a variety of backgrounds who positively contribute to the greater good, both on and off campus, compose the Greek community that adds depth and diversity to Northwestern. The campaign demonstrates that being Greek does not define its members, but rather brings them together in an inclusive community to broaden their experiences and deepen their connections with each other, both inside and outside of their individual chapters.

The Fraternity and Sorority community at Northwestern University was started in 1859. Today, the community consists of 42 chapters and four governing councils. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) consists of 17 chapters, the Multicultural Greek (MGC) council has 5 chapters, the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) has 7 chapters, and the Panhellenic Association (PHA) has 12 chapters. At the end of spring quarter, over 3,000 Northwestern students were affiliated with fraternities and sororities on campus. For more information on Northwestern Greek life, please visit: www.northwestern.edu/gogreek

Originally born around Chicago, Andrew grew up in the heart of Big Ten country in Toledo, Ohio. Having grown up a Northwestern fan, he is enjoying his time at school as he majors in History and International Studies. Andrew has kept busy with Wildcat Welcome as a Peer Advisor, Dance Marathon and most recently brought late-night programming to campus as President of NU Nights. He has especially enjoyed getting involved in the Greek community with people that care about community service and philanthropy just like he does. Serving as philanthropy chair and IFC Vice President of Membership Development has allowed him to live out these passions.

Kerease Epps is a first generation college student from the SouthSide of Chicago and a proud alum of Chicago Public Schools. She is currently a senior in the School of Education and Social Policy double majoring in Social Policy and African American Studies. She has made her mark through a number of different organizations on Northwestern’s campus, having served as the Fundraising Chair and Secretary of For Members Only, Northwestern’s Black Student Alliance, and President of Minorities in the Pursuit of Law. In the Spring of 2011, she expanded her love for service and joy in sisterhood as she became a member of her sorority. She currently serves as the Chapter President and has held past positions as the Treasurer and NPHC liaison.

Elliott, a senior in Weinberg, comes to NU from Indiana.  Along with being one of the founding members of Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault (MARS), and a peer educator for the program, he is a counselor for Project Wildcat and loves the opportunity to be outdoors and bond with others.  Additionally, he is co-captain of A•NU•Bhav, one of Northwestern’s Indian dance teams, which he has been dancing with throughout his college career.  He does all of this on campus while maintaining strong connections to his fraternity, previously holding the position of recruitment chair and currently living with many of his brothers in a house off campus.

John calls Los Angeles, California home, so it’s safe to say he’s more accustomed to sunshine than snowy winters. Leaving home and everything he knew behind was a difficult transition, but joining the brotherhood of his fraternity has made his experience at Northwestern incredibly positive. Currently a Junior, John is studying Psychology and History, while working on his research in the Cognitive Development Laboratory.

As the Assistant Director for New Student and Family Programs, Josh works with Katie Radtke and the rest of the Wildcat Welcome Board, as well as peer advisers such as Andrew Christy, to welcome each new class of students to Northwestern. Famous around campus for his bow tie and southern drawl, Josh joined his fraternity chapter at Middle Tennessee State University before obtaining his Masters of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of Southern Carolina. Josh’s favorite aspects of Northwestern are the students’ excitement for Dance Marathon and their deep purple pride.

After being named Northwestern’s winner of the BigTen Network’s LiveBIG Scholarship for Outstanding Service, Laura immediately donated the $5,000 prize toward the philanthropic project for which she had been awarded it. Laura’s philanthropy, The Bracelet Project, funds opportunities for child victims of domestic violence to attend a Minnesota leadership camp where she herself spent her summers. In addition to selling her homemade bracelets, Laura serves as president of her service fraternity and participates in her sorority chapter’s annual philanthropic events. Going Greek has expanded her opportunities to do good and better her community.

Find out more about Laura and The Bracelet Project in this Daily Northwestern Article 

To Jessica, her sorority chapter is not just a Greek Organization; it’s a way of life. She not only serves as President of her chapter, but also on the State and National Board. Outside of participating in her organization, Jessica volunteers and advocates for foster youth just like herself.  You can also catch her watching over the candy jar and working in the Student Affairs office in the School of Education and Social Policy.

As a 21 year old professional dancer, Grace was not the typical potential new member going through recruitment. After dancing professionally around the world for companies in Los Angeles and Copenhagen, Grace came to Northwestern to pursue her academic passions. Despite her unique background, joining a sorority has helped her find a home at Northwestern.

Check out Hercampus’s interview with Grace!

When Talia’s parents immigrated from Mexico to America, her father had only a high school education and her mother had only a sixth grade one. They ingrained the importance of education in her early on, teaching her to read and write before she even entered kindergarden. According to Talia, if it wasn’t for her parents she wouldn’t be at Northwestern today.

Meghan took to the mound last May after winning Northwestern Class Alliance’s NU Day at Wrigley trivia and talent competition (her’s was photo-bombing!) A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and a chapter president, Meghan demonstrates what it really means to throw like a girl.

Find out more about Meghan’s pitch in this Hercampus article. 

Hailing from Herndon, Virginia, Michael plays five musical instruments (trombone, guitar, piano, euphonium, and tuba- admittedly some worse than others). A former Dual Degree student in the Bienen School of Music, he now studies Environmental Science and plans to attend medical school. He participates in the Outdoors Club and as a Dance Marathon team chair for his fraternity. Michael never originally planned on joining a fraternity, but now agrees that Greek life can appeal to anyone at anytime.

During her freshman year of college, Alma not only joined a Greek organization, but also founded the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter at Evanston Township High School. Her SHPE team participated in the science and math bowl and ended up going to Washington DC to win third place nationally. Beyond SHPE, Alma stays busy with Council of Latino Admissions Volunteers for Education (CLAVE) and Rho Lambda, the Panhellenic leadership honor society.

Larry, the Assistant Director for Engineering, Science and Entrepreneurship at University Career Services, earned his bachelors and masters degrees in Psychology. During his undergraduate years, his Greek involvement gave him the opportunity to learn about different cultures and participate in campus and community projects. Through his fraternity, Larry established lifelong friendships, made meaningful contributions to his community, and developed effective communication, teamwork and leadership skills. Going Greek was a life changing experience that allowed Larry to develop his potential. Today, he helps Northwestern students discover and market their talents so they can secure fulfilling career opportunities.

As a first-generation Nigerian-American, Amanda takes great pride in her heritage. When she came to Northwestern, she  found a home in the African Students Association where she now serves as the Vice President. In the  Fall of 2011, Amanda expanded her family to include new sisters and brothers by  joining the Greek community. Today, she not only serves as  Historian and Technology Chair of her chapter at Northwestern, but was also  recently appointed to the statewide PR Committee.

Proud of his upbringing in Atlanta, or as he calls it, “Hotlanta,” Mark’s music taste and dance skills reflect his Southern background. Along with being Vice President of his fraternity and Vice President of Risk Management for the Interfraternity Council, Mark puts his dancing skills to work during Dance Marathon. When he’s not pursuing his Art History major with pre-med on the side, Mark volunteers at a hospital in Evanston. Additionally, he stays active by playing IM sports and is a counselor for CATalyst.

After Emily was born in Texas, her family moved over seas for the first 12 years of her life. While she lived all over the world, travel became one of her greatest life passions. Visiting 27 different countries has taught Emily to value individuals and cultural differences. Despite having met people from across the globe, Emily was drawn to the Greek community by the diversity of its members has develop friendships with unique people who she may never have met otherwise.

Matt spent his years prior to Northwestern living in Lockport – a small town in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. Since philanthropy and community service have always been a significant part of his life, he was immediately drawn to Dance Marathon – although some may say his dance skills are lacking. As an Economics major and member of ISBE, Matt joined the finance team, eventually becoming Finance Co-Chair for DM 2012. Matt now serves as the Executive Co-Chair of Dance Marathon, one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the country, and is grateful that Greek life introduced him and many others to these opportunities

Last April, twelve years after Cesar Chavez Day became a national holiday, Anthony organized Northwestern first ever Cesar Chavez Day of Service to recognize the work of activist Cesar Chavez, a Mexican American farm worker fought to protect the rights of migrant workers. Outside of social activism, Anthony studies history and Latino studies and serves as a political fellow at the Illinois Senate Democrats Victory Fund. As an advocate for undocumented immigrants and the DREAM act, Anthony has been quoted by campus publications, including The Daily Northwestern, The Protest, and Northwestern News Network.

After her mom submitted her photograph to a modeling company, fourth grade Stephanie was chosen to model for National Geographic. Stephanie’s photo was included in an article about a science project in an astronomy book for education in the classroom. When asked about her experience, Stephanie says, “I remember being so bored and hating wearing the shirt they picked out, but it was my first $50 and that at least made me happy!”

Applause for a Cause inspired Northwestern students for the first time at the red carpet premier of it’s first feature length film, RUΣH in 2011. Sarah Jane Inwards’ and Alec Ziff’s philanthropic student production company leverages film students’ passion for the greater good, raising thousands of dollars for charities such as the Ronald McDonald House and the Make a Wish Foundation. In addition to directing annual films for Applause, SJ serves as VP of Social Standards of her sorority, whose members proudly support her creative philanthropic efforts.

Brad and the Associated Student Government (ASG) President, Victor Shao, are more than political counterparts–they are fraternity brother. Both men balance their dedication to Northwestern and their chapter. Since coming to NU Brad has served as president of his chapter, Director of Public Relations for the Interfraternity Council, while double majoring in journalism and political science. Despite his accomplishments, Brad considers his greatest Northwestern achievement to be the fact that he has never done laundry on campus.

Check out the Shao and Stewart Express Yourself campaign that took over campus last Spring!

Growing up, Spanish was the only language spoken in Yomaira’s home. As the years went on, she perfected her English with the help of Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer, and began studying French. As a premedical student, Yomaira aspires to put her language skills to good use as a trilingual reconstructive surgeon. Today, Yomaira is active a member of her own chapter and serves as VP of Programming for the Multicultural Greek Council Executive Board.

Raven, a Southside Chicago native majoring in Chemistry, prepares herself to become Dr. Smith as a member of One Step Before, NU’s minority Premedical Society. When she isn’t study for Orgo, Raven can be found on stage, performing with Soul4Real, Northwestern’s premier African American a’capella group, or interning for Multicultural Student Affairs.

Andy, a native of Buffalo Grove, Illinois studying economics and political science, keeps busy with involvement in not two, but three exec boards. He currently serves as the Vice President of his fraternity, the Vice President for Administration of the Interfraternity Council, and the Treasurer of the Hillel. When he isn’t on campus, Andy teaches tennis and drives ski boats as a counselor at North Star Camp for Boys. He’s earned the nickname, Andy “Crazy Legs” Rodheim, but no one is really sure why.

As a woman majoring in manufacturing and design engineering, Rachel can hold her own in a traditionally male dominated field. However, when she needs a break from the busy life of an aspiring engineer, Rachel turns to the Greek community where she has met a diverse collection of students with majors and interests different than her own. Joining a sorority has been a great source of support and encouragement. According to Rachel, “Being surrounded by a group of such smart, talented, and driven girls is really motivating”.

Learn more about women in engineering from the Society for Women Engineers

Every Northwestern student takes part in Wildcat Welcome once. Some Peer Advisors participate in it two or three times, but Katie has been involved with Wildcat Welcome all four years she has been at NU! As the returning Director of Staff Training and Dynamics, Katie prepares four hundred PA’s to welcome new students to Northwestern. A floutist in Northwestern University Marching Band (NUMB) as well as a proud sorority woman, Greek life has further deepened Katie’s connection to Northwestern.

Emily hails from a rural town in northwestern Wisconsin that is officially home to more cows than people. Needless to say, she didn’t know much about Greek life before coming to Northwestern. Despite her humble beginnings, today, Emily serves as President of the Panhellenic Association. Additionally, she was a Peer Adviser and sings in the X-Factors co-ed a cappella group. She proudly states that going Greek was the best decision of her college career, demonstrating that the Greek community can be a fit for people from any background.