This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LMU chapter.
Name: Jaqueline McCool
Year: Junior
Hometown: Los Gatos, CA
What are you involved in on campus?
Aside from being involved in Greek Life, I work in the Student Success Suite on campus as a first year programmer! I help to plan things for out of state first year students, transfers, and commuters. A part of my job was to be an August Orientation leader. I love working in the office for student success, because I’m able to help students who are exactly where I was three years ago. Watching them grow and become more involved as the year has gone on is something so rewarding, and has made me value my time at LMU even more.
You are the current President of Delta Gamma, what goals do you have for DG in the upcoming year?
Within Delta Gamma I really hope to work on creating a cohesive culture. I want everyone to feel like their voices are being heard. In relation to DG and the rest of LMU, I really want us to have a positive impact on campus and be there for the rest of the Greek Life community. Overall, I just hope to continue Delta Gamma’s growth and be able to say I left our chapter better than I found it.
Are there any stereotypes or misperceptions about Greek Life that you wish didn’t exist?
There’s a lot of misconceptions about Greek Life that I wish didn’t exist, but I’m continuously amazed by how Greek Organizations everywhere defy those stereotypes. I think as a society, we love drama, and we love to feed into this narrative of fraternities and sororities being breeding grounds for crazy parties or awful behavior, but all I can say is I have never experienced that. I have felt the safest when surrounded by my Greek peers. I have seen other organizations, as well as my own, raise thousands of dollars for those less fortunate. I have witnessed our LMU Greek Life community rally around our members in the times where they needed it most, so it’s difficult for me to hear those stereotypes and misperceptions. However, I personally feel like this can make us, as a community, work harder to change these misconceptions.
What advice do you have for the men and women on campus who may have just joined Greek Life?
I would tell them to relish in every moment, because your life has just changed in so many ways! The most important thing I think to remember is, while Greek Life is an amazing addition to your life, it shouldn’t consume your life. The friends you made first semester are still your friends, and school is still important (and why you’re here). I know it seems strange coming from me, but I think it’s easy to get wrapped up in the more competitive aspects of Greek Life, especially coming right out of recruitment where you’ve just joined an organization you feel so passionately is the best. The biggest thing I hope new members can realize is that Greek Life can change your life in so many positive ways if you let it, but it’s important to have a balance and meet people in and out of your new community to make your college experience all it should be.
What legacy do you hope to leave behind at LMU?
I just really hope I am able to leave a positive impact on this campus. I hope I can inspire people individually, and leave a legacy of someone who truly cares about this school. LMU, Greek Life, and Delta Gamma, have given to me in so many ways, and I hope I can somehow pass that on to the generation of LMU students that come after me. If I can relay even a fraction of the knowledge and appreciation I have gained within my years here, then I will have left the legacy I wanted.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I am absolutely obsessed with Olaf from Frozen. Not the whole movie, pretty much just the snowman.