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magine being a prominent fraternity, but being the only fraternity on Olivet’s campus to not have a home to call your own. Then, try recruiting pledges and hosting open parties. Mu Omega Pi (Mu) faces this reality every year when pledging comes around, but recent strides have been made to find a home. With Eric Ewing, senior and president of Mu working with the college, the thought of a house is no longer just an idea, and may become a reality.
Negotiations have been ongoing since the school year started, with college officials and with alumni. Most recently, a group of Mu members and alumni sat down with President Steven Corey, and mapped out steps and ideas to make the house a reality. Other socieities, most recently Elite, have been through the same process. Kappa Sigma Alpha just opened its new home on Main Street.
Jacob Jordan, sophomore, pledged Mu Omega Pi last year said, "I have been in the fraternity for almost a year now and not having a house has had its up and downs. When alumni came back for Homecoming, they (as well as us actives) didn’t really have our own place to chill and celebrate. It is also a challenge to figure out where we will hold our meetings and where we will go for pledging."
"Having a house in the future would impact my brothers and I in a positive way. It will give us an established home, a place to host events, and a place to pretty much work out of. It will make things easier on us to get what we need, done. It will also look good for us not being the only fraternity on campus without a house," Jordan said.
Ewing has been in the forefront of the process to get a house for his fraternity.
"It has been a difficult process searching for a house because all our previous attempts were unsuccessful but, having a house on campus will be huge! Once we finally get the house, all Greek societies will have a house on campus and it’s been a while since that has happened. Now people won’t ask ‘Where is your house?’ and that will be a relief," Ewing said, "I hope the house takes Mu to the top. [Mu has] better alumni support, more people knowing us and wanting to pledge with us, will finally make Mu a recognized Greek society on campus."
Former president, alumni and the official DJ of Olivet College, Travon Tatum worked hard to get his fraternity a home during his time at Olivet. Although unsuccessful, he left a path for the actives here to build off of the progress he made.
"It was hard trying to get a house. We tried every way possible before, it feels like to get a house, trying to go through the school to just get a room to have a spot to establish ourselves on campus. There were even times where we felt that the school didn’t back us. We felt like the odd ball out of everything."
"Which is why I hope it brings great pride from Mu Omega Pi and campus having a place to establish ourselves, not only as an organization, but a place we can finally call home."