Simpson College is no stranger to Greek life, with its first chapter starting well over a century ago with Pi Beta Phi in 1874. Today, campus is home to three sororities: Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG), Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi) and Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta), and four fraternities: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), Kappa Theta Psi KOY), Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) and Lambda Chi Alpha (Lambda).

Fall recruitment has just come to a close on Simpon’s campus, leaving once empty rooms in Greek houses full of fresh new faces. 

Part of the recruitment process is finding what is right for each individual, and each house embodies that within their own sets of customs and values, ensuring each member finds a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood. 

What drives how a Greek house operates is who is elected president of the house. But what does it mean to be president of a Greek house here at Simpson?

Most houses follow a typical democratic election process: nomination, acceptance of the nomination, election, etc. Lambda follows this process on a yearly basis in December, as does Pi Phi through a similar slating process. 

Scott Krueger, the current chapter president of Lambda, explained how he decided to run for the presidency.

“I chose to become president not because I wanted to but because our chapter needed me to,” Krueger said.  “It’s a labor of love, and I wanted to give back to my house since I first rushed.” 

Kennedi Wright, the current chapter president of Pi Phi, had a similar experience. 

“I served as vice president of finance and housing prior to this and knew I had grown as a leader and wanted to continue so,” Wright said. “The year prior, I had transformed from a shy and quiet girl to a real leader within the house. I had lots of friends encourage me to apply for president and I decided to do it.” 

Just as in any position of power, it is a lot of responsibility to be the president of a Greek chapter. It’s about upholding the name of the organization and the values it stands for, but also making sure day-to-day responsibilities are upheld.

Chapter presidents often serve as a point of contact for residence life, as well as upholding house traditions, ensuring the house is being run as efficiently as possible and that every member is able to enjoy their experiences on campus as members of Greek life.

Part of the upkeep of a Greek chapter is making hard decisions.

“Disciplinary reviews of members are the biggest challenge. My closest friends are in the fraternity, and having to bring the hammer down on them is often difficult but necessary to uphold our values,” Krueger said.

Overall, Greek presidents serve as the main face of the chapter itself. They do whatever is necessary to make things run as smoothly as possible. 

“I have a foot in everything. Any position that needs help, whether it’s finance needing help looking at the budget, or our social charities help planning events; I will step in and help with that,” said Drew Lundquist, the current chapter president of KOY.

Greek life is a huge part of the Simpson experience; it may create a sense of belonging for some, and it can bring about so many opportunities for growth and enjoyment. 

“One of the main reasons Greek organizations are good is because we hold each other accountable and, through that, become better people,” Krueger said.