University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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During Welcome Week, Dawn Janucowicz. Amy Rothschild, and Jana Kantor celebrate their return to the University with a date party in Detroit. Each year, Alpha Epsilon Phi welcomed back members by holding a date party at a local venue. photo courtesy Alpha Epsilon Phi Which member looks most like a cowgirl? The annual Bam Dance was one of Alpha Epsilon Phi ' s most anticipated social events, as seen by the smiles on the faces of these Sisters, photo courtesy Alpha Epsilon Phi I ANENSIAN

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the ' gre By Kara DeBoer Each year the debate continued regarding the following question: was the Greek system, the home and life for many Michigan students, really just a way to buy one ' s friends? Almost weekly, an editorial was published and vehemently refuted in The Michigan Daily, and those inside and outside the system clashed with love and hate-filled sentiments about its true ideology. Talking with members of fraternities and sororities paints a different picture than one would predict from outside slander. Junior Laura Butler was President of Sigma Kappa and listed off several ways her house provided more than just a social life. Each year, we as a chapter donate to the Alzeimer ' s Association, volunteer at Brookhaven retirement home for Valentine ' s Day, and deliver motor meals every Saturday. The Greek system involves students both on campus and in the community at large, she said. Insofar as the social scene was concerned, Butler also argued that the system is trying to better its reputa- tion. We ' re trying to move the social scene out of the fraternity environment and into a more structured and more safe scene. Engineering junior Peter Moes, member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, said he did not dispute the fact that the Greek system buys friends, but argued that there were many other member benefits. I ' ll admit that that is one way to look at it if that is the outlook someone wants to take, then that ' s okay, he said. But the concept is applicable to any organization you pay to join and the friends you make as a result, like an honor society. The Greek system offers students leadership roles both in each house and outside in the community. Moes said the Greek system helped students stay involved at such a busy Uni- versity as Michigan, saying that many students attested to being involved in high school but running out of time in college. The Greek system lays out a lot of opportunities and had groups already actively volunteering, he added. There was no doubt that the debate will continue. A place existed for every stu- dent to be involved at the University, whether it be a club, organization, group of friends, job, or a house in the Greek system. The fact remained, however, that being a part of the Greek system made it easier to become involved with philanthropic events on campus. Shooting a hoop, a student volunteers some time to participate in anchor slam. Delta Gamma was able to recruit students not affiliated with the sorority to help raise money. photo courtesy Delta Qamma GREEKS 343

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After an afternoon of tanning on their balcony at Alpha Epsilon Phi, Heather Meisner, Court- ney Friedman, Usa Greenblatt, and Arielle Haffner unwind at a local bar. After finals, these girts partied each night, spending their last days at school together, photo courtesy Alpha Epsiloti Phi Stop or they will shoot! Stacey Oriofsky and Janice Berkowitz took a break trom their Hal- loween party to show off their handcuffs and pose for a picture. photo courtesy Alpha Epsilon Phi GREEKS 345