Programs & Events
Member Programs
Aimed at equipping fraternity and sorority members to become their best selves, member programs and workshops provide experiences focused on a variety of topics including leadership development, empowerment through community building, and bystander intervention skills training focused on health, safety, and wellbeing.
Events Open to the Public
The LSU Greek Life experience extends into the greater campus and Baton Rouge area through public events aimed at sharing the fraternity and sorority vision for community, philanthropy, leadership, and safety. Join meaningful programs and traditions like Hazing Prevention Week and Trick, Treat Down the Row, or Songfest.
Member Programs
Empower Weekend
Open to Greek Life New Members
Empower Weekend is a leadership retreat for new fraternity and sorority members to help kick-start their leadership journey and find their community within the larger Greek Life community.
"Empower is an overnight Greek leadership retreat during the spring semester for the newer fraternity and sorority members. The goal of Empower is to support individuals who want to grow in leadership regardless of their chapter. The retreat fosters relationships in the Greek community and focuses on developing leadership skills. It is a weekend full of fantastic speakers, small group bonding, fun games, leadership development, and s’mores. Throughout my time at LSU, I have had the honor of being involved in Empower in several different aspects. It has been a life changing experience for myself and for many other Greeks on this campus. Empower has taught me about my own leadership skills while collaborating with other Greek students to solve problems within our community. I have developed a deeper appreciation for Greek life because of this retreat. I have also met some of my best friends who share the same love and passion for LSU Greek life through this retreat. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Empower, do it! I promise you will not regret it. Geaux LSU, Geaux Greek, and Geaux EMPOWER!" - Heidi Reed, Zeta Tau Alpha
New Member Foundations
Open to Greek Life New Members
Each semester, new members are onboarded and welcomed to Fraternity and Sorority Life through the New Member Foundations program. Education and development focuses include community overview, standards and expectations, campus resources, mental health, sexual assault prevention, hazing prevention, community building, and leadership training.
Officer Institute
Open to Greek Life Officers
Each January, the over 300 new chapter leaders participate in Officer Institute to prepare and get equipped to manage and lead their chapter. Education and development focus includes chapter management, standards and expectations, policies and procedures, health and safety, event planning and registration support, and campus resources.
Greek Week
Open to All Greek Life Members
Since 2004, the Greek community has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge to build homes for families who need them. Over the years, the community has donated over 12,000 hours of service, raised over $2.5M through year-long fundraising efforts, and built 36 houses. Greek Week brings together the aspects of brotherhood and sisterhood, service, and leadership. Members of our community are given the opportunity to be leaders in the greater community while bonding with fellow Greeks through service in the largest Greek-wide philanthropic effort of the year.
Events Open to the Public
Hazing Prevention Week
Open to the General Public
LSU Greek Life participates in National Hazing Prevention week each September as a part of the community hazing prevention and awareness efforts. All councils participate to bring awareness through programs, speakers, and social media.
Michael Zibilich:
Suicide Prevention Speaker
Open to the General Public
Michael’s son, Keller, lost his life to suicide. Keller was a member of Sigma Chi at LSU. Greek Life invited Michael to speak to the community for the first time in spring 2022. Michael will return to share his son’s story every spring.
Trick or Treat Down the Row
Open to the General Public
Held the Sunday before Halloween, this free event brings hundreds of families to campus. West Lakeshore Drive, also known as Sorority Row, is blocked off for this two-hour event. Children and families can go door-to-door to all sorority houses and get candy from chapter members. Many Panhellenic sororities partner with IFC fraternities, MGC and NPHC chapters to sponsor activities, games, and more!
Step Shows
Open to the General Public
NPHC Wild Out Wednesdays
On the first Wednesday of every month during the semester, NPHC hosts Wild Out Wednesdays (WOW) in Free Speech Plaza. Chapters from the Divine 9 step and stroll and showcase the unique culture specific to the Historically Black Greek Lettered Organizations with energy, passion, and community.
Songfest
Open to the General Public
In the spirit of competition, the Greek community has held Songfest for over 100 years. What originally began as a men’s singing competition has evolved into a choreographed dance competition among LSU fraternities and sororities. Guided by a yearly, central theme, each team has complete creative control over their more narrowly tailored theme, choreography, costumes, and set design.
