Fraternities and sororities at the University of Wyoming are seeing an upswing in membership numbers.
UW Greek organizations offered 187 membership invitations, or bids, to interested students this year.
Greek Life Program Coordinator, Kate Steiner says that’s the most in several years.
Several fraternities and sororities nationwide have reported a drop in membership in recent years. Steiner says UW students might have associated Greek life with partying, and felt they didn’t need to join in order to have fun. But she says Greek organizations are dedicated to scholarship, volunteer work and fundraising for charities.
When Laramie’s Gryphon Theater decided to host a non-university sanctioned “frat” themed showing of National Lampoon’s Animal House, the university’s Greek community felt it should respond.
“The community was upset about the Animal House movie that’s being shown,” said Steiner, “so they’re hosting an alternative event, which is sober, with education about who our community really is.”
Steiner says they will lead a discussion about Greek life at UW before screening the movie themselves at 7 pm on Friday in the university’s Education Auditorium.