Whether it comes to philanthropic fundraising or community engagement, IU Indianapolis's Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community on campus is actively growing! With a collective total of 594 members, FSL is home to 23 fraternities and sororities and four governing councils. Throughout the spring, these groups have brought change and engagement to students and organizations near and far.
FSL by the numbers
- The IU Indianapolis FSL community raised more than $62,000 for various organizations locally, nationally and internationally.
- A total of 6,848 hours of community service were completed amongst the 23 groups.
- Membership rates have increased by three percent since spring 2023.
- Recruitment and intake rates — the number of officially inducted members — have increased by 22 percent since spring 2023.
FSL spotlight
La Unidad Latina: Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity
Quotes provided by Mariano Jimenez, president of the Beta Nu Indianapolis Metro Chapter.
What is your fraternity's philanthropy?
Our philanthropy is P.A.T.H.E. (Providing Access To Higher Education), which is an initiative created to help and guide middle/high school students on their journey to higher education. Whether it's through mentoring and tutoring, or being able to provide the students with essential school supplies.
This semester we raised $1,745 toward our philanthropy, aside from all the mentorships and tutoring we do weekly through our community. Currently, our chapter is working with high schools to give students a tour of campus and provide them a day experience of what college life is like and what opportunities they can take advantage of. This semester, we were able to bring over 150 students to our campus and motivate them to seek higher education.
What events can students look forward to?
Keep a lookout for Copa Oro, which is our soccer tournament at Carroll Stadium in September that's open to all students. As well as one of our favorite events every year in the fall, Mi Cultra Night. This event spreads awareness of our culture and the holiday, The Day of the Dead.
One thing we want to point out is our events are open to all. We host events in order to bring the community together and create opportunities for growth and connections. We are a latino-based fraternity, but not exclusive. Anyone can seek to join our organization or join us through events in order to have bigger impacts to all our communities.
Zeta Phi Beta
Quotes provided by Grace'Lyn Preshon, president of Omicron Pi chapter.
What is your sorority's philanthropy?
March of Dimes, Z-HOPE, youth auxiliaries and more. The auxiliaries of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. focus on young girls and teens between the ages of four and 18. Our objectives for these youth groups are to develop leadership skills, foster cultural experiences and social interactions and help with educational growth.
Additionally, we donated over 500 diapers to help support our March of Dimes for state conferences in October and donated around $77 to St. Jude Children's Research and Method.
What initiatives are your organization proud of?
We recently organized an Autism Panel to raise awareness about the stigmas surrounding this disability. Our aim was to shed light on this issue, provide information and connect people with the resources available on campus.
Additionally, each year the Omicron Pi chapter organizes a Homeless Distribution event in November or December where we provide essential items such as food, clothing, toiletries and blankets to individuals experiencing homelessness in the downtown community. This event not only addresses immediate needs, but also fosters a sense of compassion and solidarity within the chapter and the broader community.
Phi Mu
Quotes provided by Karmyn Shelton, president of the Rho Alpha chapter.
What is your sorority’s philanthropy?
Our sorority has two philanthropies. One is Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, so we work closely with Riley Hospital for Children. We are so lucky that they happen to be on our campus! Our second philanthropy is an internal philanthropy called the Phi Mu Foundation, which gives back to other Phi Mu's in need.
Every year, we host a 36-hour event called Teeter-Tooter-A-Thon where we have two girls on a teeter-totter for an entire 36 hours. This year during the event we raised $11,799. We also are heavily involved in Jagathon and love participating in their events! This year we raised roughly $7,000 for IU Indianapolis's dance marathon.
What is your chapter currently focusing on?
We are currently in the process of prepping for recruitment weekend. We are very excited to be meeting new girls that will be interested in the fall!
Fraternity and Sorority Life on campus allows for students to garner lifelong friendships, build leadership skills and create change in the community both on and off campus. Interested in getting involved? Learn more about FSL opportunities and how to join.