When Russ Lindsay first rushed to join an LDS fraternity in 2004, he wasn’t exactly sure why he was doing it.
Now Lindsay is the president of the inter-chapter council for fraternities geared toward members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he said he’s glad he joined.
Hundreds of students seeking involvement, friends or a future spouse participated in activities last week as part of Rush Week for the LDS fraternity Sigma Gamma Chi and the LDS sorority Lambda Delta Sigma.
“All the friends that I hang out with and all the girls that I date I met through Sigma Gamma Chi,” said Lindsay, who is a graduate student in business.
Lindsay estimates that more than 150 men will join Sigma Gamma Chi this fall.
Kyler McCarty, a senior in philosophy and mass communication, attended Rush Week activities in hopes of meeting new people. More than anything else, McCarty said the brotherhood found in fraternities is most important to him.
“It’s good to meet a bunch of guys you can count on and you can trust — people you can turn to in times of need or just have a good time with,” McCarty said.
Last Wednesday, the ten chapters of Sigma Gamma Chi held “room tours.” Students looking to join a fraternity had the opportunity to see how each chapter is different and find the one that best suits them.
“Anybody who rushes will be able to find a chapter with a personality that fits them,” Lindsay said.
Although neither Sigma Gamma Chi nor Lambda Delta Sigma have official fraternity or sorority houses, Lindsay said he thinks the LDS Institute of Religion, with its two basketball courts, is a great makeshift house.
James Swift, a junior in biomedical engineering, said a fraternity provides social opportunities he otherwise wouldn’t experience at the U.
“Biomedical engineering is cool and all, but I want to have people to wakeboard with and people to play paintball with,” Swift said.
As with other Greek organizations, in addition to promises of food, fun and parties, members also take part in various service projects and fund raisers throughout the year. Last year, Sigma Gamma Chi and Lambda Delta Sigma teamed up to raise $3,500 to fund a literacy program for an elementary school in Lehi.
This year, fraternity and sorority leaders hope to team up with other Greek organizations around campus for larger, more coordinated service projects.
For more information on LDS fraternities and sororities, visit www.lds.org/institutes
Students RUSH to join LDS Greeks