Although the University recognizes them as official Greek organizations, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and Sigma Alpha sorority are set apart as agricultural organizations.
While the two organizations are not as well-known on campus as many of the other Greek organizations, both recently have had major reasons to celebrate.
SA moved in to Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity’s old house at the start of the fall semester after Pike moved into the former Delta Chi house.
While SA has been an official campus Greek organization for 14 years, it has never had an official house on campus, said Noelle Stiegler, SA recruitment chairperson.
“It makes us feel like more of a sorority,” Stiegler said. “We feel much more connected to LSU sorority life.”
Stiegler said the house gives the sorority more credibility and visibility. She said she hopes it will help SA recruit new members.
While SA has a significantly smaller membership, the organization still participates in many campus Greek activities.
Stiegler said SA participates in several philanthropic activities, homecoming week events and exchanges with fraternities.
Although many of the members are agriculture majors, the sorority is not required to only recruit from the Ag School. Stiegler said the sorority’s national organization recommends it has 80 percent agriculture majors and 20 percent non-agriculture majors.
Alpha Gamma Rho Vice President Jesse Guillory said the fraternity’s membership usually includes agriculture, business and engineering majors, but their numbers are not restricted.
While AGR is also a small Greek organization, with about 21 members, Guillory said the fraternity is very involved in campus and Greek activities including formals, interfraternity sports and philanthropic events.
The fraternity’s alumni board recently gave away two prestigious scholarships to two current members.
Dexter Fontenot, a horticulture senior, received the Lonnie Fielder Memorial Scholarship and AGR President David Ponson received the Warren “Tuffy” Neal Memorial Scholarship.
The Fielder Scholarship is named after a former AGR adviser for the LSU chapter who helped reorganize the fraternity after it was re-chartered in the 1970s.
The Neal Scholarship is named after a former AGR member and officer in the LSU chapter who died during his time at the University in a welding accident.
Ponson said this is the first year for the AGR alumni board to give away each of these $500 scholarships.