More than just another fraternity

For those who didn't get to experience Greek life at Lehigh, it is hard to appreciate the wide variety of opportunities that exist within our community. With twenty-three fraternities and nine sororities it is understandably difficult for outsiders to differentiate between organizations. After living in a fraternity for three years, however, I can say with the utmost confidence that every fraternity at Lehigh is unique in its own right. And while it can be a bit overwhelming determining what each organization has to offer, it didn’t take me long to decide that the fraternity for me was Chi Phi.
Although every fraternity where I spent time during rush had attributes that appealed to me, there was something different about Chi Phi. I immediately noticed that the brotherhood was an extremely eclectic group of individuals. This remains the case to this day, and in my opinion, is the driving force behind the success of this chapter. Every member has something different to offer but despite our differences we share a steadfast bond rooted in the values we live by as Chi Phis. Some brothers enjoy sports while others enjoy music. Some brothers are engineering majors while others study business. Regardless, our support for one another is constant and can be seen within the house and all over campus; most notably at wrestling and tennis matches, crew races and hockey games where we go to cheer on our brothers who play on athletic teams.
Our commitment to Lehigh and the greater Bethlehem community is exemplified by our numerous service initiatives. In the past year alone Chi Phi brothers have hosted numerous philanthropy events, introduced the Adopt-a-Family program to the Greek community, helped to bring speakers to campus and much more. We seek local causes because we value being able to interact with those we are helping. Our largest philanthropy project was a kickball tournament that raised money for local man who is paralyzed and couldn’t afford his medical bills. We also spent over a $1,000 buying Christmas gifts for a needy family that moved to Bethlehem so that the father could receive treatment for cancer.
With a house GPA of 3.03 last year, our dedication to education is impressive. This GPA was the fifth highest of the twenty-three campus fraternities. Our superior academic performance can be attributed to our scholarship plan which places brothers on teams that compete based on GPA.
Perhaps more important than any single thing we do as a chapter is the pride we have in each other and in our house. Our brothers can constantly be seen on campus wearing their letters and the physical condition of our house reflects our hard work. I know that long after my days at Lehigh are over I will still be as proud as ever to be a Chi Phi and call these men my brothers.
This article appeared in the December 2004 Young Alumni Newsletter