Greek Life at RPI Shows Signs of Revival in Spring 2023

After enduring several years of COVID-19 restrictions and administrative challenges, Greek Life at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is making a remarkable comeback. The road hasn't been easy, with hurdles including changes in recruitment policies and the impact of the Arch program. However, the arrival of a new administration led by President Marty Schmidt and recent developments signal a positive trajectory for the fraternity and sorority system.

Navigating Past Challenges

Before the pandemic, RPI's Greek Life faced a significant setback when the Greek Life Task Force mandated that first-year students couldn't join fraternities and sororities until their second semester. This not only hurt recruitment efforts but also limited the duration of students' membership in these organizations.

Changes in IFC membership with relation to major school policy changes.

The Arch program brought further challenges by requiring students to attend summer classes post-sophomore year, reside exclusively in campus housing, and spend a semester away from campus during their junior year. This had major financial implications, with chapters losing a semester of rent for those with houses, and created leadership turnover among juniors.

COVID-19 added yet another layer of complexity, as students became more isolated, distancing themselves from fraternities, sororities, clubs, and student government. This isolation led to a decline in recruitment numbers. Additionally, RPI's decision to close fraternity and sorority houses to student living had a significant impact on involvement, engagement, and finances.

Growth and Progress within the Greek Community

With the pandemic subsiding and a new administration under President Marty Schmidt, there is a noticeable shift in attitudes toward Greek Life, and progress is evident:

New Faces: The addition of key personnel is a notable development. Ethan Stubbs, the newly appointed Associate Dean for Fraternity and Sorority Commons, is actively working on reforms to bolster chapter leadership and education. Furthermore, Mel Daley has taken on the role of Assistant Dean for Fraternity and Sorority Commons. Notably, Nate Crowell, a member of Epsilon-Eta, contributed as a part-time intern in their office during the past semester.

Representation in IFC: Epsilon-Eta brothers Peter Crisileo and Nick Khoo have been elected to the positions of IFC President and IFC Vice President of Finance respectively, and are actively working to represent the greek community at RPI.

Number of active members in RPI Fraternities in Fall 2023

Membership Growth: Fraternity membership is on the rise, with the IFC president reporting a 10% increase from the previous year, bringing the total fraternity membership to around 500. This positive trend has been aided by Ethan Stubbs' efforts to enhance recruitment structures and planning across chapters. However, it's important to note that the Greek community remains relatively small, with an average of about 20 members per chapter. There is also significant variation in chapter sizes, with the top 5 chapters accounting for over 50% of the community.

Legislative Changes: In a significant development, RPI has relaxed its regulations concerning alcohol use. The consequences for fraternities caught with alcohol have shifted from a mandatory minimum two-year suspension to a "suggested" two-year suspension.

Improved Relations with Public Safety: The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has introduced a program designating liaisons within each chapter. This initiative has significantly enhanced communication and collaboration between chapters and the DPS, ultimately rebuilding trust within the Greek community with the hope of reducing anti-Administration sentiment.

Community Showcasing: To celebrate the vitality of Greek Life, both the IFC and Panhellenic Council (Panhel) jointly organized "Fraternity and Sorority Spirit Week" towards the end of the semester. This event provided a platform to highlight individual chapters and the Greek system as a whole.

Diverse Representation: The Greek community at RPI is actively pursuing inclusivity. The establishment of the Multicultural Sorority & Fraternity Council (MSFC) supports culturally based organizations on campus.

Advocacy for Autonomy: The IFC has been proactive in advocating for the creation of their own Judicial Board. This entity aims to assist in disciplinary hearings and potentially grant the Greek community more autonomy from the school.

Challenges Facing the Greek Community

While positive strides have been made, significant obstacles persist in the efforts to rebuild Greek Life at RPI:

“These kids are the least interested in Greek Life I’ve ever seen at any campus..”

— An international Tau Kappa Epsilon recruiter

Student Demographics: One of the primary roadblocks faced by the Greek System at RPI is the demographic of students the institution typically attracts. The average RPI student is primarily focused on their academic pursuits, with limited enthusiasm for community involvement or social activities. As an international TKE recruiter noted, RPI students are often regarded as among the least interested in Greek Life when compared to other campuses. It's not a question of capability; many of these students have the potential to be leaders and socialize, but they simply do not prioritize it. This lack of initial interest in fraternity participation presents ongoing recruitment challenges, impacting many chapters.

Apathy Toward IFC: Another enduring issue is the lack of active engagement from chapters with the Interfraternity Council (IFC). Many chapters demonstrate hesitance to fully support IFC events and initiatives. This reluctance can be attributed to the prevalent mindset of prioritizing individual chapter interests over contributing to the broader Greek community. This perspective, often characterized as a "zero-sum" mindset, obstructs the sense of unity necessary for the collective advancement of the community.

Communication Within Chapters: Diverse chapter sizes and leadership capabilities have given rise to ineffective communication about new initiatives. Consequently, trust issues persist among members, as many feel disconnected from the larger goals and intentions of individuals like Ethan Stubbs. This communication gap perpetuates a sense of skepticism among the average member toward both the Greek community and the Administration.

The Judicial Process: Despite some recent legislative improvements, RPI's policies continue to be notably stringent and rigorously enforced. This is exemplified by instances in the past semester where three chapters faced interim suspensions due to disciplinary infractions. The Judicial Process remains shrouded in opacity, leaving the community with questions about the extent and manner of punishments for various infractions.

Hope for the future

Greek Life at RPI is slowly but surely emerging from the challenges posed by the pandemic and institutional policies. While the state of Greek Life on campus remains far from perfect, with the support of a new administration, dedicated leadership, and ongoing efforts to enhance community relationships, there is an air of optimism as Greek Life aims to regain its former strength.

Fall 2023 Food Drive

This September, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter once again partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 2369 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from our High Theta Rob Podesta and Alpha Phi’s Katherine Barney. A huge thank you to all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

High Alpha addresses alumni in Spring 2023 "State of the House" Letter

Alumni Brothers,

I’d like to give you all a broad overview of how the active chapter is doing - from recruitment to philanthropy to just a sense of the character of the house. 

In the 2022-2023 school year, Epsilon-Eta recruited 23 new members, bringing our total undergraduate membership to 77 at year’s end. This made us the biggest house on campus with 15 more brothers than runner-up Pi Lambda Phi. We maintain a strong emphasis on recruitment principles and seek to bring in high-quality men, many of whom didn’t originally consider joining Greek Life. With regards to Philanthropy, the chapter rolled out two major new events in the Spring 2023 semester. We hosted “Bowls on Sunset” with Phi Kappa Theta, selling rice and macaroni bowls across campus. The chapter also held a field day on ‘86 Field with Alpha Phi to support the Autism Self Advocacy Network. We also ran our semesterly food drive with Alpha Phi, where we collected 2,469 pounds of food for Hope-Seven. Epsilon-Eta also continues to hold a place of prominence on the IFC with brothers holding the Executive Vice President and VP of Finance positions. Two brothers also won the RAA Emerging Greek Leader Award, continuing a long-standing tradition of Lambda Chi’s winning the award every year since its inception.

In Fall 2022, the chapter replaced the traditional committee system with a more streamlined tri-team. It consists of the involvement team, the biggest team ran by the High Beta charged with planning events- from recruitment to social to alumni events; the High Kappa’s education team centered on member education and pre-initiation experiences, and the House Manager’s house improvement committee. This tri-team system has led to a more refined operation with improved cooperation between officers, and allowed more brothers to become involved. The house improvement committee in particular has noticeably improved the cleanliness and repair of the chapter house, working with the Board of Directors to roll out renovations in just one semester. In general, the atmosphere around the house is fraternal- enthusiastic and friendly but also focused, hard working, and stalwart in upholding our values. We look to continue to upbuild Epsilon Eta’s excellence going forward with our amazing group of brothers.

The undergraduate brothers would like to thank our High Pi Roger Grice and Board of Directors President Geoff Seber for another year of service to the Chapter. One cannot speak highly enough of them and all they do for the chapter. Outside of his tremendous help running the house, Roger continues to serve as President of the Alumni Fraternity & Sorority Council, furthering Lambda Chi’s presence and activity in the alumni community. Geoff is ever-conscientious, working with the actives to improve the chapter house and was instrumental in finding our amazing new chef Eddie after Bonni’s retirement in December 2022. He truly cares and is always available and willing to provide advice for the house or even just listen to someone who needs to talk. These two advisors give a lot to the house and rarely get the recognition they deserve.

I hope this short letter gave you a glimpse into life at the active chapter. For those curious to hear more, I am more than happy to speak with you- feel free to reach out.

- High Alpha Carl Steffens, EH 1506

Spring 2023 Food Drive

This April, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 2469 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from Rob Podesta, our High Theta, and all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

Pumpkin Bash 2022

The chapter hosted its annual Pumpkin Bash this fall during RPI’s Parents Weekend! Turnout was excellent, with 15 participating teams and over 200 pumpkins. Thanks to the great turnout, the chapter raised $870.69 for Feeding America!

Fall 2022 Food Drive

This September, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 2469 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from Sai Avula, our High Theta, and all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

Spring 2022 Food Drive

The Lambda Chi Brothers and Alpha Phi Sisters proudly smile in front of the food ready for donation.

This March, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 3769 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from Dale Roe, our High Theta, and all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

Winter 2021 Food Drive

Epsilon Eta Brothers pose next to the food they collected from donations the local area.

This winter, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to visit over 3000 houses and collect 2869 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from Matthew Carluccio, our High Theta, and all of the brothers who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

Congratulations Spring Class of 2020!

Congratulations to the Spring Class of 2020 on being initiated! Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming 7 new brothers: Sai Avula (1456) , Dylan Bednarski (1457), Danny Bierman-Chow (1458), Pete Bria (1459), Matt Carluccio (1460), Owen Kelliher (1461), and Aiden Smith (1462).

Congratulations Fall Class of 2019!

Congratulations to the Fall Class of 2019 on being initiated! On November 23, 2019, we had the pleasure of welcoming 6 new brothers. Pictured is Jake Chekian (1450), Teddy Clark (1451), Giulio Fiorentini (1452), Justin Hubbard (1453), Nate Sullivan (1454), and Pietro Tomei (1455).