Academic fraternities offer career opportunities

There is not a single moment when senior Lindsay Swisher, president of Alpha Kappa Psi, walks through the Kelley School of Business and doesn’t know anyone.

Alpha Kappa Psi is an academic fraternity on campus for students interested in business, Swisher said. The organization, like other academic fraternities at IU, focuses on professional development, community service and “brotherhood” activities.

“I walk into the lobby of the business school at any hour of the day and see a huge group of our members,” she said.

Some academic fraternities – such as Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting fraternity – focus more on the professional aspects of their organization.

Senior Scott Raichilson, president of Beta Alpha Psi, said he thinks the fraternity bridges the gap between academics and the real world.

Raichilson said he is also a member of a social fraternity, and the two are completely different.

“The accounting fraternity is focused on the professional aspect,” he said. “Basically, you won’t see us going out to bars and partying. The social aspects aren’t nearly as strong.”

Alpha Chi Sigma, the chemistry fraternity, arranges a research symposium every semester with professors from the chemistry department who talk about research opportunities, said junior Krestina Johnson, vice master alchemist for the fraternity.

Swisher said Alpha Kappa Psi plans resume workshops and speaker events for members of the fraternity to attend.

“The professional aspect is an enormous bonus,” she said. “Along with it comes a community or built-in network. Members have a constant support system at IU.”

Alpha Chi Sigma tries to get younger students involved in chemistry by volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club and at elementary schools around Bloomington, Johnson said.

“One week was bubbles, and we used a solution to make bubbles bounce on your hand,” Johnson said. “We always make sure there’s something edible.”

Members of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, are required to volunteer 30 hours each semester, said Laura Sargent, vice president of communications for the fraternity.

One project the fraternity participated in was volunteering at an exotic feline rescue center, Sargent said. The center is home to 200 big cats for which people could no longer care or that became too dangerous for their owners.

Sargent said the experience was interesting because members were only an arm’s length away from the animals.

Johnson said the social aspects of the organization help in volunteering.

“You make friends while promoting the cause,” she said.

Similar to social fraternities, some academic fraternities hold a two-week-long rush process at the beginning of each semester.

Both Alpha Kappa Psi and Alpha Chi Sigma plan events for pledges to attend to get information about the fraternities. At the end of the process, pledges are interviewed before being accepted.

Alpha Chi Sigma accepts a quarter of the students rushing, Johnson said. Last
semester, 70 or 80 students rushed, and 25 were accepted.

Alpha Kappa Psi does not have a quota, Swisher said. Fraternity members are chosen based on their quality as applicants.

Members of academic fraternities join the organizations for a number of reasons.

Johnson said she thinks most people in the academic fraternity have a common goal in the end, and the organization aims to help with that goal.

“A lot of students get involved because of the professional aspect,” Swisher said. “From the extended standpoint, it seems like profession is our main focus, but the community that we build helps us become professional.”