Homecoming week saw the Greek community at UW-Platteville come alive on campus and strut their stuff to Decades of Rock in different competitions and challenges.

During Homecoming, organizations compete against each other in different challenges and games to earn points and ultimately win the top organization prize.

Homecoming is a way for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia to showcase their talents to the rest of the community, Jason Vaaler, president of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, said.

“Homecoming is kind of our way of triumphing over adversity,” Thomas Pence, member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said. “It builds our brotherhood connections and it’s a lot of fun.”

Homecoming is a time to remember for the alumni of the organization, Tom Nordeg, a Tau Kappa Epsilon alumnus, said. It brings back the alumni and gives them a chance to get to know the younger generations and strengthen ties within the organization.

Even though the Greek chapters compete against each other, they use this time to connect as one community.

Ceres, a woman’s fraternity, works with another organization because of smaller numbers, Liz Campbell, president of Ceres, said. It’s a good way for them to get to know the rest of the Greek community and gain friends and connections with other chapters.

There are nine Greek men’s fraternities on campus as well as two women’s fraternities and four sororities. Some organizations are based on agriculture, like FarmHouse and Ceres, while others are musically specialized like Phi Mu and Sigma Alpha Iota. However, they are open to members of all majors.

SAI is a women’s fraternity because the founders decided that the title of fraternity was more professional than the title of a sorority at the time, Tiffany Willis of SAI said.

There are a variety of Greek organizations at UW-P and each provides different values and benefits with membership.

“My sorority is definitely like my family,” Danielle Norman, a member of Zeta Beta Chi, said.

“They are my friends for life,” Olivia Simenz, an officer for Gamma Phi Beta, said.

Going Greek can help students meet people, Caitlyn Connelly, treasurer for ZBX said. “But, honestly, being Greek is not for everyone.”

Joining a fraternity or sorority can be a big decision because of the time, money and commitment required to become a member.

Dues for Greek organizations vary. Members of SAI pay $260 their first semester, while members who have finished the pledging process pay $65 a semester, Susan Luznicky, SAI president, said.

In the spring, TKE members pay about $150 a semester, but in the fall that fee jumps to about $400 because of yearly insurance costs, Jeremy Mark, TKE member, said.

Required GPA ranges from a 2.4 to a 2.6 for active members, and a 3.0 high school GPA for incoming freshmen.

“Being Greek kind of sets you apart on campus but it doesn’t segregate you,” Campbell said. “You get a sense of pride in being part of a campus known organization.”

“Joining my fraternity was honestly the best decision I’ve ever made,” Trevin Martin, a chairman for TKE, said.

Some Greek organizations are working against the negative stereotypes that have been attributed to Greeks.

Sig Ep works to abolish the frat boy image, Pence said. Sig Ep does not allow alcoholic parties and tries to respect the community.

Fraternities would prefer not to be called “frats” because of the negative connotation that movies and television have associated with this label, Stephan Tillmann, member of Sig Ep, said.

Students can find out more about Greek life by visiting the United Greek Council office located in the Pioneer Involvement Center in the Pioneer Student Center or by accessing the student organization list on the PIC’s Web site, reslife.saf.uwplatt.edu/pic/.