The University may soon have a new Greek organization on campus, but unlike others, it is a primarily Jewish fraternity.
Several University students are planning to start a new chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu, also known as Sammy.
Sammy is a nationally recognized fraternity founded in 1909 by eight Jewish students.
“It naturally followed that they attracted to their brotherhood men of similar background,” said Sammy’s official Web site.
Jeff Lahasky, a biological sciences freshman and one of the students working to bring the organization to campus, said he had originally decided to attend the University of Texas because it has a strong Sammy chapter and active Jewish community.
At the last minute, Lahasky decided to come to LSU to help begin a new Sammy chapter. He said the primarily Jewish fraternity will help the University welcome students who share their same faith.
“It gives a group of guys something to belong to, where they feel like they are the majority, not the minority,” Lahasky said.
Lahasky said he hopes the fraternity will help the members have a sense of belonging at the University and give them a group of people to participate in Jewish traditions with.
Although the fraternity was founded on the Jewish faith and a significant number of members around the country are Jewish, Sammy welcomes students of any religion.
The Sammy Web site said that in the mid-20th century, the fraternity amended its constitution to allow male students of any faith to be eligible for membership.
Lahasky said some chapters at other universities have a completely Jewish membership, but others consist of an even number of Jewish and non-Jewish members.
Kyle Goldich, a marketing freshman, said students at the University have tried once before to start an LSU chapter of Sammy, but plans have fallen through. Both he and Lahasky said they are determined for the organization to gain status as an official University Greek fraternity as soon as possible.
Although LSU’s Sammy has not yet achieved this status, it has been recognized as an official colony – a new fraternity chapter – by the national Sammy organization.
Victor Felts, assistant dean of students and director of Greek Affairs, said the Interfraternity Council does not allow more than two colonies on campus at one time. Felts said there are already two on campus.
Lahasky said Sammy already has nine members who are currently paying dues to the national organization and have at least 20 other students who have expressed interest in joining. He said he is very impressed with the growing interest, especially because he began pulling people together less than two months ago.