Greek life doesn’t always end with college

For many UCLA greeks, affiliation with a fraternity or sorority
does not end when their degree requirements are complete.

After graduation, students stay connected to their houses in a
variety of ways. Some join alumni organizations that mail quarterly
newsletters about the status of their former houses, while others
become members of advisory boards that oversee active
members’ affairs.

Some just return to their former houses to sleep on the couch
every once in a while.

Fraternity adviser Scott Carter said there is a distinct
difference between the Greek system and other campus
organizations.

“If you join a club, most people see it as something they
did in college. If you’re greek, it is a lifelong
commitment,” he said.

Though many greeks maintain relationships that they made through
their fraternity or sorority after college, it is also common to
stay connected to the activities of the chapter after graduation,
Carter said.

Students often join fraternities or sororities to enhance their
college experience, but as graduation approaches, many utilize the
networking opportunities that their organizations afford, Carter
said.

Stephanie Greer, a graduating senior and Kappa Kappa Gamma
member, will begin working for the radio station STAR 98.7 this
summer, thanks to an internship she got through her
sorority’s recruitment adviser, Amy Sugarman.

“The only reason I got (the internship) was because of
her,” Greer said.

Sugarman is a Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna from UC Berkeley who got
involved with the UCLA chapter when she moved to the area.

Sugarman also got her first internship through a sorority sister
and has been helping members of Kappa Kappa Gamma find jobs for the
past seven years, though she said positions are not exclusively
offered to the sorority’s members.

Greer said she was grateful for the opportunity, considering the
high level of competition for internships in the entertainment
industry, and said she would like to give back to the organization
someday.

Though alumni often provide opportunities specifically for
younger members of their house, some UCLA alumni have benefited
from their affiliation with the greater Greek community, rather
than with a specific fraternity or sorority.

James Shinobri, a Sigma Chi alumnus who graduated in 2003,
started 575 Productions with two fellow Sigma Chi members.

The company caters specifically to the Greek community, sending
photographers to events and displaying digital pictures online.
Students can view pictures for free and place orders for print
copies through the company’s Web site.

Shinobri, along with recent alumni Craig Harrison and Peter
Trinh, decided to start the company because they wanted to continue
working together.

Shinobri said his affiliation with Sigma Chi has helped his
company expand its customer base. He pitched his product to Sigma
Chi chapters at USC and UC Irvine and found that students from
various houses were equally supportive of his idea.

“Everyone in the Greek community has the shared experience
of being in a house, and everyone (in the Greek community) has
wanted to help us,” he said.

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