Story by Emma Hardesty
Photos by Lauren Howe and Kaitlyn Webb
Design by Hanna Kronfeld
Editor’s Note: This article was originally released in Issue 17 of the WKU Talisman print magazine. Click here to read more articles from the Talisman’s semesterly print.
Being in a Greek organization can be an impactful part of a student’s experience when attending college. Greek life provides students with opportunities to connect with like-minded people and give back to their peers and their community through philanthropic events.
So, it’s no surprise that many Greek alumni are excited for their children to follow in their footsteps and participate in their organizations themselves.
Legacy students, whose family participated in their organization before them, have a unique look at Greek life. They have opportunities to learn about the organization before they ever get involved. In addition to growing closer to their chapter, legacies of Greeks have different opportunities to bond with their family members who wear the same letters.
Kappa Delta (KD) legacy Ali Payton is the spirit chair for the WKU Delta Gamma chapter of her sorority. Both her mother and aunt were members of KD before she ultimately decided to join the organization.
“I live in Florida, so she drove really far to initiate me, and she got to pin me,” Payton said. “It was really sweet. We both got matching outfits (for) initiation, and so I think that was a really sweet memory.”
Being a legacy student initially had Payton worried.
“When I was first going through recruitment, I thought they only picked me because I was a legacy,” Payton said.
Payton said after joining her chapter, she learned that wasn’t true.
“That’s actually not how it works anymore,” Peyton said.”They didn’t pick me because I was a legacy, like at all. They actually just picked me because they wanted me to be at Kappa Delta.”
Peyton finds that being a legacy has made her Greek Life experience all the more greater.
“I think just that being legacy is just a really positive, impactful thing, and it’s a great thing,” Payton said. “When (my mom) was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re in the same sorority,’ it was (a) super impactful moment. It’s a really great experience, and I love sharing the bond.”
Baylee Ervin, president of the WKU Omega Delta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (Zeta) also said she struggled with the pressure she felt from the strong legacy before her.
Ervin is not the first person in her family to hold a high-ranking role within her organization. Her grandmother and aunt both served as regional directors and state directors for the organization respectively.
Being a legacy of two high-achieving women has made Ervin nervous at times.
“Since they both had their own names in the sorority, I feel like now I need to be able to have my own name in the sorority,” Ervin said.
Along with the pressure of continuing her grandmother and aunt’s legacy, other people’s perception of Ervin has also been a challenge for her.
“A lot of people do look at you more often, because you are a legacy,” Ervin said. “So they’re hoping you keep continuing on that legacy, and you keep doing what you need to do to continue what you’re doing now.”
Even with all of the challenges, Ervin said she wouldn’t trade her legacy status for anything. She believes being a part of Zeta allows her to give back to her community in ways that her family before her has done.
Ervin explained how she has given back to the community through Zeta. She shared that the organization hosts Mental Health Monday events, which they have bi-weekly. They provide activities that can help aid in mental health, such as creating stress balls or hosting a Paint ‘n Sip.
When it comes to Greek legacy, the focus doesn’t have to be strictly on the legacy parents left for children. Some of the Greek organizations present on campus have been around for many years, leaving behind them a strong footprint with notable members. This legacy can impact students just as much as the legacy of their parents.
Talor Crenshaw, vice president of the WKU’s Epsilon Zeta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), also reflected on the notable members of her sorority. Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, is an alumna of AKA.
“With Kamala, I feel like she’s done nothing but show the greatness of my sorority and how we always strive to do the best and to be the best in any and everything that we do,” Crenshaw said. “To me, she’s exemplified strength and grace throughout this entire candidacy, and I feel like that shows kind of like the basics of Alpha Kappa Alpha.”
Kappa Sigma (KΣ) is the oldest Greek chapter on campus, founded on Feb. 5, 1965, according to WKU’s website.
The President of the WKU Theta Theta chapter of KΣ, junior Caleb Tally, shared how his chapter continued on the legacy of their founders. Their founders, who created the fraternity’s four pillars: leadership, scholarship, service and fellowship that the fraternity still holds on to.
“I would say we take a lot of pride in not necessarily knowing that we’re the oldest, but knowing that the values we hold are some of the most important here for us,” Tally said. “These guys take a lot of pride in knowing that these four pillars are what we believe in.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the youngest chapter, Delta Tau Delta. The WKU Epsilon Xi chapter was recolonized in 2021 after being suspended in 2014 due to a lack of membership, according to an article by the WKU Herald. With the recolonization on campus, Chapter President Maksim Zapefel has bright hopes for building the legacy of the chapter.
“Right now, our task at hand is to find quality people to build and use their skills to shape the chapter, and kind of lay a foundation before we get an established chapter house again, and that’s a year out from now,” Zapefel said.
Zapefel believes that the chapter will soon be granted a chapter house due to the hard work they have put in. He noted the chapter’s high overall GPA and their chapter numbers. He was proud of all they have done since their previous existence on campus.
“It’s a little disappointing what happened previously,” Zapefel said, “but I think now we’re a different chapter. We’re back to where we need to be.”
Whether discussing family legacy or the history of a chapter, the legacy of Greek life is impactful — no matter the form it takes.
Ethan Price is a junior and Vice President of the WKU Eta Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha), which is historically an African-American fraternity. Price discussed the legacy of his fraternity and the history of the fraternity members.
“We are in the history books,” Price said. “We have made changes in the United States, especially in the era of civil rights. Dr. Martin Luther King, he was an Alpha. He made changes. Duke Ellington was an Alpha, and he changed jazz. Not only for the Black community, but for the community of Western Kentucky. I want to carry that legacy.”