Monmouth University is home to five Multicultural Greek Council organizations. These organizations are welcoming to members of diverse cultures, whether it be African American or Latinx. These organizations include, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc, Chi Upsilon Sigma, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
Jasmine Cooper is a sister of AKA Sorority Inc. She also serves as Vice President of campus’ MGC. She said, “At the core of multicultural organizations is service and excellence.” This especially shines through all of the philanthropic works that these organizations participate in.
Chi Upsilon Sigma is one of campus’ Latinx organizations. Yarleny Mejia is a proud sister of the sorority, and she serves as MGC’s Public Relations Chair. This is an organization that is extremely involved in helping others.
She said, “One of the reasons I joined my sorority was because within our organization there are so many opportunities to give back to the community and I want to be able to give back to my community as much as possible.”
The organization’s official philanthropy is the I Have a Dream Foundation. This organization gives emotional, social and academic support to children that come from low income families.
However, it doesn’t stop here for the sisters of CUS. Since they cannot raise funds on campus for the organization due COVID regulations, they plan on running a raffle for curly hair products because they are often expensive.
During a normal school year, these organizations typically hold events such as AKA’s “Mr. Pink and Green,” in efforts to raise money for organizations such as the Lions Club. However, due to current circumstances events like this have not been possible. There has been an upside to this. Cooper said, “The positive part about virtual programs is that we are able to partner with other chapters across the country and attend programs at other schools a lot easier.”
These organizations have been able to host a handful of virtual events throughout the semester. These events are not just for individual events. The sense of unity within MGC organizations truly shows, as there are often participants from all five organizations. This especially was true at a recent event called, “Being Me in Greek Life,” in which members of MGC organizations shared their personal experiences with being involved in sororities and fraternities. Cooper said, “It has been great to see the work that all of our organizations are putting in and being there to support one another.”
For anyone that is interested in joining an MGC organization on campus, Mejia offered several pieces of advice. She said, “Do your research! Sisterhood & Brotherhood is forever, so you want to make sure that you join an organization that aligns with your values. Don’t be afraid to reach out to members of any MGC organization. We’re all approachable and personable people.”
For more information about the MGC organizations, be sure to check out their official Instagram, @monmouth_mgc!
PHOTO COURTESY of Mike Lanis
PHOTO COURTESY of @cus_gammabeta
