Hello and welcome back to Conversations with Karla! Last week, we discussed the role social media played in a student’s decision to switch her major. This week, I met with Luke Semanie, a fourth-semester history pre-teaching major. In another issue, I met with a different student to look into how social media depicts sorority life. With Semanie, we talked about social media’s depiction of fraternities.
Semanie shared that he chose not to rush in the fall of his freshman year. He said that he wanted to navigate college life on his own before allowing outside influences such as a fraternity into his life. However, he said that becoming a part of a fraternity was something he always wanted to do.
His choice to rush in the spring was influenced both by his own interest and by the experiences his father shared about being in a fraternity at Bryant University.
Semanie gave insight into the rushing process for fraternities as it is different from that of sororities. From his perspective, he views fraternity recruitment as more “personal.” “You get to represent yourself in a light you want to be seen in,” he said.
The recruitment process encapsulates a variety of events ranging from barbecues to hot chocolate to “Meet the Brothers” gatherings. Semanie explained how there are two main types of event categories: open-rush events and invite-only events. The open-rush events are posted on @uconnifc and @uconncfsd on Instagram and details for invite-only events are shared among the fraternity members and potential new members through text. Semanie said that invite-only events pave the way for more personal connections.
Semanie ended up joining the Alpha Kappa Lambda chapter, and when asked why this was the house he decided to join, he shared, “When I was rushing, [Alpha Kappa Lambda members] told me to find somewhere I felt comfortable, whether that be with them or someone else.” He continued on to say that the connections he felt with the members of Alpha Kappa Lambda differed from those he had elsewhere and felt as though he could see himself being a part of it.
Since being in a fraternity, Semanie has noted the negative and positive aspects of participating in Greek life. He said that the negative connotations associated with fraternities are highlighted more than the good things that fraternities do. He said that social media accounts such as the NELK on YouTube paint a picture that suggests all fraternities don’t care about anything besides themselves and partying. “That’s not the reason I joined, and it clumps me into that stereotype, and that’s not something I associate myself with and it’s not something that I strive to be,” he said.
One of the reasons Semanie chose to join Alpha Kappa Lambda was because he felt touched by their philanthropy, These Hands Don’t Hurt, which supports domestic violence victims. This is a cause that Semanie has advocated for his whole life. Alpha Kappa Lambda is also one of the biggest contributors to HuskyTHON — a streak that the chapter as a whole takes much pride in. Highlighting these good acts is one of the methods that Alpha Kappa Lambda uses to steer the negative stereotype away from their chapter.
As an individual, Semanie combats the stereotype during the rush process. He seeks out potential new members that he believes will positively contribute to the fraternity. “If someone seems like a genuine person, I think they should join because why wouldn’t I want to surround myself with other people who strive for greatness and want to be men of character?” he said.
Semanie said that being a member of a fraternity has made him feel like he is a part of something bigger than himself. Whether it be a wave while walking to class or always having a workout buddy, he said that being a part of a fraternity makes him feel like he belongs on campus more than he would have had he not joined.
The conversation closed out with Semanie offering advice to incoming freshmen and current UConn students who are considering rushing this fall. He urges these groups to check out the houses and meet the members for themselves despite whatever predispositions they may have.
That’s all for this week’s edition of Conversations with Karla! See you next week when we’ll meet a new student to discuss a new social media topic.