Epsilon Eta Explained

Epsilon Eta
Letters:Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΕΗ
Crest:File:The_crest_of_Epsilon_Eta.jpg
Birthplace:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Affiliation:Independent
Status:Active
Type:Professional
Emphasis:Environment and sustainability
Scope:National
Pillars:Academics, Community, Service
Colors: Kelly green, Navy blue and Sky blue
Nickname:Ep Eta
Tree:Oak
Chapters:18
Country:United States

Epsilon Eta (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΕΗ), also known as Ep Eta, is an American professional gender-inclusive fraternity for students interested in careers in environmental science and sustainability.[1] [2] [3] Founded in 2006 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, it is the first nationwide environmental fraternity in the United States. The fraternity has grown to include chapters across the United States.[4] [5] There is no national organization as of October 2023.

History

Liza Schillo, an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, founded Epsilon Eta Environmental Honors Fraternity in 2006.[6] It was established as a professional, gender-inclusive fraternity for individuals seeking post-graduate positions in the environmental field.[7] [8] The fraternity's mission is "to promote a healthy and sustainable environment and connect students to industries, community service, and academia in pursuit of these goals." Epsilon Eta has three pillars: academics, community, and service.[9]

Beta chapter at the University of Michigan was conceived by Julia Austin, Zach Fogel, Daly Kleaveland, and Julia Wang in the summer of 2014. They recruited Caitlin Climes, Sam McMullen, Josh Musicant, Dylan Nelson, and Matt Sehrsweeney to complete the group of nine founders. Beta chapter was chartered and initiated its first class in 2015.[10]

Originally meeting in a freshman environmental earth sciences seminar, nine sophomores formed an Epsilon Eta colony at the University of Pennsylvania in the October 2015; the colony later became Gamma chapter.[11] Other chapters followed in 2016 and 2017, with North Carolina State University becoming the seventh official chapter in 2017. The twelfth chapter was established at the University of Delaware in 2018. This was followed by chapters at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and San Diego State University in 2018, and Boston University and University of Maryland, College Park in 2019.

By 2000, the Alpha chapter had initiated ninety members, and an executive committee was established to oversee the national fraternity. However, in the fall of 2020 three of Alpha chapter's former members publicly criticized the group "for fostering white supremacy."[12] The fraternity's executive board and Alpha's members decided to close the chapter in September 2020. The Daily Tar Heel shared the chapter's statement: "As a historically exclusive and majority-white institution with semblances of Greek life, we have contributed to the preservation of white supremacy on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus. Our actions have marginalized and silenced BIPOC voices. To address these injustices, we view abolition as the most direct course of action to dismantle white supremacy."

Despite this setback, new chapters formed at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020, the University of Arizona in 2022, and the University of Virginia in 2023. The Alpha chapter was re-established at the University of North Carolina in September 2022 by Tayton Alvis, Sarah Masters, Zachary Miller, Gregory Mink, and Sanjana Venkatraman.

Symbols

The Greek letters Epsilon Eta stand for Science and Morality.[13] Epsilon Eta's colors are Kelly green, Navy blue, and Sky blue.[14] [15] Its original emblem is a sky-blue shield edged in navy blue and decorated with a white three-pronged geometric knot entwined around an oak tree. A later variation of the emblem features a light green shield with a dark green emblem of leaf veins on the right half and an overlaying tree in dark green across the center.

Membership

Membership to Epsilon Eta is not limited by major but initiates must be interested in the environmental field. The fraternity's members are divided into regular, associate, and alumni. Associate members are undergraduates who fail to meet the GPA or service hour requirements. Regular members and alumni may wear the fraternity's insignia.

Instead of "Bigs" and "Littles" like traditional Greek Life, some Epsilon Eta chapters use the terms "Oaks" and "Saplings".

Chapters

Following are the collegiate chapters of Epsilon Eta. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are indicated in italic.

ChapterChartered/RangeInstitutionLocationStatusReference
Alpha–; University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North CarolinaActive[16]
BetaUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganActive
GammaUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaActive[17] [18]
DeltaLongwood UniversityFarmville, VirginiaActive[19] [20]
EpsilonUniversity of OregonEugene, OregonInactive?[21]
DeltaUniversity of PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaActive[22] [23]
Iota, Fall North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North CarolinaActive[24]
KappaCornell UniversityIthaca, New YorkActive[25] [26]
LambdaUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CaliforniaActive[27] [28]
Mu201x ?Drake UniversityDes Moines, IowaActive[29]
Mu, SpringUniversity of DelawareNewark, DelawareActive[30] [31] [32]
, FallUniversity of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUrbana and Champaign, IllinoisActive[33]
OmicronSan Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CaliforniaActive[34]
Pi2018 Boston UniversityBoston MassachusettsActive[35] [36]
Upsilon, FallUniversity of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park, MarylandActive[37] [38]
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VirginiaActive[39] [40]
TauUniversity of ArizonaTucson, ArizonaActive
Upsilon, SpringUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesville, VirginiaActive[41]

Notes

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Home . 2023-02-01 . Epsilon Eta - University of Delaware . en-US.
  2. Web site: Venkatraman . Sanjana . November 4, 2022 . Epsilon Eta: Building a Community for Students with a Passion for Environmental Interests . 2023-02-01 . UNC Environmental Spotlight University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. Web site: February 5, 2018 . Cornell Students Launch 1st Sustainability Fraternity on Campus . 2023-02-01 . Sustainable Campus Cornell University . en.
  4. Web site: About . 2023-02-01 . EPSILON ETA SDSU . en.
  5. Web site: Lecky . Annabel . December 5, 2022 . UA welcomes Epsilon Eta, the first environmental co-ed fraternity to campus . 2023-02-01 . The Daily Wildcat.
  6. News: 2006-12-14 . Ex-Reynold Student Founds Environmental Honor Fraternity . 9 . Asheville Citizen-Times . 2023-02-01 . Newspapers.com.
  7. Web site: Home . February 1, 2023 . Epsilon Eta – Beta Chapter.
  8. Web site: December 5, 2021 . Epsilon Etta Pi Chapter Constitution Boston University Engage . 2023-02-01 . Boston University.
  9. Web site: Apostolakos . Pari . Bradley . Megan . 2018-10-08 . Illinois welcomes professional fraternity . 2023-02-02 . The Daily Illini.
  10. Web site: 2021-01-07 . Founders . 2023-02-02 . Epsilon Eta – Beta Chapter . en.
  11. Web site: Epsilon Eta at Penn . 2023-02-02 . epsilonetapenn.org.
  12. Web site: Haskett . Hunter . September 16, 2020 . 'Not reformable': Members of UNC Epsilon Eta abolish the honors fraternity . 2023-02-01 . The Daily Tar Heel.
  13. Web site: November 7, 2017 . Welcome . 2023-02-01 . Eta Epsilon Iota Chapter North Carolina State University . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2006 . Epsilon Eta Constitution and Bylaws . 2023-02-01 . Heel Life, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  15. Web site: Epsilon Eta Delta Chapter Constitution and Bylaws . 2023-02-02 . University of Pittsburgh - Main Campus.
  16. Web site: Epsilon Eta Environmental Honors Fraternity . 2023-02-01 . Heel Life, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  17. Web site: Epsilon Eta Gamma Chapter at the University of Pennsylvania . 2023-02-01 . Epsilon Eta at Penn.
  18. Web site: Wang . Jenna . November 19, 2015 . Environmental fraternity joins Penn greek life . 2023-02-02 . The Daily Pennsylvanian . en-us.
  19. Web site: Epsilon Eta - Lancer Link . 2023-02-01 . Longwood University.
  20. Web site: Farley . Miranda . January 28, 2017 . Humans of Longwood: Alex Lee . 2023-02-02 . The Rotunda Online . en.
  21. Web site: Epsilon Eta . 2023-02-02 . Epsilon Eta University of Oregon . en-US.
  22. Web site: Epsilon Eta . 2023-02-01 . Pitt Sustainability University of Pittsburgh . en-US.
  23. Web site: Epsilon Eta, Environmental Honors Fraternity, Delta Chapter . 2023-02-02 . University of Pittsburgh - Main Campus.
  24. Web site: Griffonetti . Gabby . August 31, 2022 . Epsilon Eta provides development, community for students interested in conservation . 2023-02-01 . Technician . en.
  25. Web site: Brotherhood . 2023-02-01 . Epsilon Eta Kappa Chapter . en-US.
  26. Web site: 2020-04-21 . Epsilon Eta . 2023-02-02 . Do It Yourself, Do It Together - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library . en.
  27. Web site: Epsilon Eta - CalLink at UC Berkeley . 2023-02-01 . University of California Berkeley.
  28. Web site: Lambda Chapter Epsilon Eta UC Berkeley . 2023-02-01 . Epsilon Eta Berkeley . en.
  29. Web site: Songer . Maia . 2021-02-21 . Epsilon Eta offers Environmental Science opportunities at Drake . 2023-02-01 . The Times-Delphic . en-US.
  30. Web site: Epsilon Eta Student Central . February 1, 2023 . University of Delaware.
  31. Web site: Founding Members . 2023-02-01 . Epsilon Eta - University of Delaware . en-US.
  32. Web site: Lowndes . Julia . April 3, 2018 . Environmental fraternity comes to campus The Review . 2023-02-02 . en-US.
  33. Web site: Epsilon Eta - Involved@Illinois . 2023-02-02 . University of Illinois.
  34. Web site: Student Groups . 2023-02-01 . San Diego State University . en.
  35. Web site: Epsilon Eta Boston University Engage . 2023-02-01 . Boston University.
  36. Web site: Nguyen . Melina . March 4, 2022 . BU's only environmental fraternity returns to in-person events – The Daily Free Press . 2023-02-02 . en-US.
  37. Web site: Neugeboren . Eric . 2019-09-18 . Epsilon Eta fraternity focuses on educating campus about environment, sustainability . 2023-02-01 . The Diamondback . en-US.
  38. Web site: Epsilon Eta - TerpLink . 2023-02-01 . University of Maryland.
  39. Web site: May 12, 2020 . Epsilon Eta at VCU on Instagram: "We're on the hunt for some additional executive board members Please apply if you're interested! All majors are welcome " . 2023-02-02 . Instagram . en.
  40. Web site: Chudoba . Liz . 2020-09-24 . Welcoming Our New CMC Intern, Christell Azuaje . 2023-02-02 . Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay . en . "She loves being involved on her campus serving as the president of the Nature Appreciation & Community Healing Organization and of her university’s environmental fraternity, Epsilon Eta.".
  41. Web site: December 23, 2022 . Epsilon Eta at UVA on Instagram: "We are so excited to announce that Epsilon Eta at UVA is starting up in the Spring! If you are interested, screenshot this post and scan the QR code to fill out an initial interest form. We will reach out to you at the start of next semester for interest meeting details and the (brief) application process and deadline. We CAN NOT wait to meet you all! " . 2023-02-02 . Instagram . en.

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