POV: Fraternity and Sorority Life Post-COVID

Looking forward to a fun-filled and safe semester

Charlotte Ferguson / Assistant Feature Editor / The USD Vista

After a year without in-person events, or even any face-to-face interactions, Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) is more than ready to be together again. Just as excited as USD  students and faculty are for the opportunity to start bringing the university’s community together again, so is FSL. 

USD senior, and president of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, Jake Ryan, is thrilled to be back on campus and is looking forward to an eventful semester. 

“I’m looking forward to hanging out with everyone face-to-face. It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited to be back in person,” Ryan said.

Yet, Ryan knows that it is important that they maintain and uphold both university and the San Diego community COVID-19 guidelines.

“We are allowed two events by Interfraternity Council (IFC) guidelines. We plan to stay as up to date as possible with DJ Mahoney (Associate Director for FSL) and the others on the IFC executive team regarding COVID guidelines and protocol,” said Ryan.

Similarly, Tyler Young, USD senior and Vice President of Brotherhood in Beta Theta Pi, is also extremely enthusiastic about everyone being back together again. 

“We just had our first in person chapter which was really exciting. The energy in the room was unlike anything else I’ve seen since I’ve joined,” said Young.

One of the most important things with coming back to the campus community for FSL are the in-person events. These range from “date dashes,” where a fraternity or sorority is hosting members who are allowed to bring a date to a themed event. “Formals” are where everyone dresses up for an occasion, typically at an off-campus venue and dates are welcome as well. There are also philanthropy events, where each chapter will have an event for their charities of choice to raise money. There are also brotherhood or sisterhood events, which are smaller gatherings where members of the chapter bond.

“We have a date dash, a formal, and a bunch of brotherhood events, so I’m excited for the entire Panhellenic community to be involved again,” Young said. 

USD senior, Marti Fromm, is the president of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She explained that she is ready to share the university’s FSL experience with those who missed out over the past year. 

“Having as much in-person activities as possible for the sophomores and juniors, especially, who haven’t been able to have any in-person experience so far in the FSL community, is especially important,” said Fromm. 

Fromm explained that the sorority is ready to foster connections amongst members who have been apart for so long. She is also excited to be back with her executive team, fulfilling their leadership roles together at last. 

“I’m looking forward to making deeper connections with the women in my chapter and being able to have a much more hands-on approach to the way that my executive board and I felicitate everything in GPHI,” said Fromm. 

Fallon Judy is a USD senior and the president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She is thrilled for what in-person events bring in terms of sisterhood and in supporting their local and national philanthropies.

“In October, we’ll be hosting our favorite philanthropy event, “Walk a Mile”, which is held for domestic violence awareness,” said Judy. “It’s a lot of fun and it really brings out the best in our community.”

Judy is prepared for “Walk a Mile” to return to its former glory, with as many people participating as possible and the men on campus wearing high heels in honor of the women that are survivors of domestic violence. Yet, she also noted how important it is to maintain COVID guidelines within the community. 

“All of our chapter events are mask-mandatory and anything indoors we do as required by nationals (the national sorority level in which a team of executives make decisions and protocol for other chapters around the nation),” said Judy. “We’re happy to participate in keeping our community safe and healthy.”

FSL is ready, more than ever, to enjoy each other’s long awaited company. The community is happy to be back to what they have all missed so much; serving their philanthropic causes, attending events together, and strengthening their communities.