The Greek life community at Mississippi State University consists of four main divisions: the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and the Multicultural Greek Council. Two of these councils, the Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils, are experiencing some growth this fall. 
Sigma Phi Epsilon, or SigEp, a fraternal chapter at MSU since 1938, was removed from campus in 2014 after having their charter revoked. According to a previous Reflector article, the fraternity’s charter and house were revoked following hazing violations. They returned to campus in the fall of 2017 and have been working to get their house back ever since. 
Austin Wesley, a junior electrical engineering major and vice president of communication for SigEp for the 2021 calendar year, joined the chapter in 2018 and said the chapter has been working on rechartering with their alumni association.  
“Nationals told us that we needed to be at 80 guys to move into the house,” Wesley said. “We got to 88, so it’s time to move into the house.”
Another SigEp executive member, Chapter President Ryan Ware, a senior majoring in international business, said it is really important for Greek life to be centralized on campus. 
“Greek life can really provide a good place for inclusiveness, and having fraternity houses on campus can really create strong bonds and brotherhood and really strong relationships with members of each organization,” Ware said. “Multiple organizations being located really close to each other really allows for a lot of interpersonal relationships and community building.”
SigEp has already reached the number required to move back into their house and expect that membership number to grow through both the spring rush, happening this week, as well as the fall rush of 2021.
One of the sororities on campus, Alpha Delta Pi, is currently living in SigEp’s fraternity house. They will be moving into their new house which is currently under construction, and SigEp will move back into their house for the first time since the fall semester 2014.
This is not the only change that will be happening for sororities this fall, as a new chapter, Alpha Chi Omega, will be joining MSU’s Panhellenic community in the fall of 2022. 
Martha Anne Dyer, a sophomore member of Pi Beta Phi majoring in fashion merchandising, is currently serving as Panhellenic Vice President. 
Dyer shared her personal experience in Greek life and how it has benefitted her and many of her peers. 
“I can say that I’m seeing growth even in the first few meetings this semester that I’ve gotten to attend with Panhellenic Exec, with the delegates and with the other Greek councils,” Dyer said. “I am really excited about the way that we are all working together to acknowledge our faults in the Greek system and to focus on addressing those so that we can continue to spread the love and empowerment that the Greek community creates, without the exclusion and hurt that it has caused.” 
Aside from the new Alpha Chi Omega chapter bringing more opportunities for members to join a sorority, leading to more inclusion, Dyer also said the introduction of Alpha Chi Omega provides an additional opportunity for philanthropy. 
“I think that adding another philanthropy, adding another perspective into our Greek community as we are trying to improve our community and improve those aspects that we need to be working on, adding another group of leaders to that community is going to be very beneficial,” Dyer said. 
When Alpha Chi Omega joins in the fall of 2022, they will bring the number of sororities at MSU to a total of nine chapters and will be among Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, Pi Beta Phi, Phi Mu, Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Gamma and Kappa Delta. 
In an article on Alpha Chi Omega’s website, they stated after joining MSU, they will officially be part of 13 out of the 14 schools in the SEC. 
“We cannot wait to expand our community of real, strong women in the state of Mississippi and join the eight other Panhellenic sororities on the MSU campus,” the article stated.