Three Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity members stomped and clapped as they step-danced during a presentation of their fraternity at the "Meet the Greeks" event Monday night.
More than fifty people attended "Meet the Greeks" in HUB Heritage Hall. The event is an opportunity for the Penn State and the surrounding community to be introduced to the Divine Nine. The Divine Nine are the fraternities and sororities recognized by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), said Keturah Figueira, NPHC executive vice president.
"The purpose is to be able to inform and educate the community about our events, community service ... to give people insight into who we are and what we do," Figueira said.
The event consisted of presentations made by members of each fraternity and sorority chapter, three short skits and a panel question-and-answer session. The presentations gave the history of the national organization and the history of the chapter at Penn State as well as other various facts.
The three skits: "Pillow Talking," "Don't Break My Line" and "How to Express Your Interest," were meant to teach the audience proper etiquette of being or attempting to be in a greek organization.
For example, "How To Express Your Interest" showed that it is disrespectful to purchase and wear greek letters if one is not a part of the organization. It also illustrated how to be discreet when contacting members about how to be in a greek organization.
The panel discussion featured eight of the chapter presidents answering questions submitted by the audience.
The questions ranged from "How much can I expect to pay for dues each semester?" to "What stands out about a potential interest?"
Anthony Estes, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity president, said they looked for a strong work ethic, involvement on campus, a high GPA and "a desire to go above and beyond."
"Don't join a fraternity or sorority to party. Join a fraternity or sorority to help your campus," Estes said.
Many of the attendees said they came to learn more about fraternity and sorority life.
"I thought it would be interesting to see all the frats and sororities and what they're about -- learn more about the history behind them," Nicole Miller (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said.
Amirah Heath (sophomore-business) said she came because she was interested in learning about the black culture at Penn State.
"I don't think Penn State has a lot of minorities, so it's great to see so many minorities come together for a common cause. It seems like a good environment, but I haven't seen a lot," she said.
