A conversation with Wes Schaub

GD: How long have you been working at Case Western Reserve University as the Greek Life Coordinator?WS: I started working at Case 21 years ago.

GD: What interested you in the position to be the coordinator of Greek Life on campus?

WS: I was a fraternity man when I was an undergraduate and got a little more interested into the advising aspect of it when I was in graduate school and I just decided that that was a career choice that I enjoyed. I liked seeing the advancement of the fraternity community and sorority community. I thought there was a lot to be done out there to improve the image of the community so I sort of went into it as a career.

GD: What fraternity were you in?

WS: I was a member of Phi Kappa Psi.

GD: At what school?

WS: At the University of Toledo.

GD: What is it that you do here (at Case) on an everyday basis?

WS: On an everyday basis, I spend a lot of time meeting with students about things that are going on. Usually checking up on projects and events to make sure that we are making progress in those areas. Keeping membership up to date, making sure that everyone as everything in that they need to have turned in like forms. Checking up on everyone to make sure they are getting their goals done. I'm working toward whatever the common vision is that we are trying to achieve at that time. I answer a lot of questions, a lot of emails, a lot of phone calls.

GD: I bet! How many fraternities and sororities do we have on campus?

WS: Twenty-five.

GD: Do you have to keep up with each one as far as knowing what they are all about? I mean, do you have to do your own personal homework?

WS: Yes, yes I do about one to three hours worth of work that I take home every evening, whether its paperwork to catch up on or magazines I have to read or stuff that's going out that needs to proofread before hand. Yeah ,there is a lot of homework.

GD: A lot of people don't know too much about Greek life and they think all of these things. Some people come to college with all of these perceptions or misconceptions about fraternities and sororities and what could you tell people that already come in with these ideas? I feel that there is more positivity that exists that people don't see as far as stereotypes go.

WS: People have preconceived notions because they get bombarded by, you know, what's newsworthy, what's popular, movies, all those kinds of things that paint a picture for entertainment purposes but are not necessarily reality. I think that in any situation you could find some places that are doing those kinds of things but students in general at Case Western Reserve are a little bit more serious so their fraternity experience is a little bit more serious. They still have fun and all kinds of things but they are also interested in the academic side of it, the service side of it, and becoming a better person, which is what it's all about. There is a balance between those two things (fun and seriousness). It's not just a social outlet, because people want to escape all those other responsibilities.

GD: Tell me about the opportunities that a lot of people don't know about career wise later on in life that benefit you from being in a fraternity or a sorority.

WS: The most interesting thing about it is that you join this group of people who you call brothers or sisters but not everybody in every organization gets along. There's always going to be people that aren't your best friends. The interesting thing about fraternities and sororities is that you learn to work with those people because you can't avoid them. So when you go and find a career, those kinds of people who have difficulty working with in your chapter, are the people in the cubicle next door to you. You're learning how to work with those folks. You're not going to be best friends with them but you're going to deal with them. You have to learn how to get along and survive in a business climate. You can't just quit and that's what being in a fraternity or sorority teaches you.

GD: What would you advise the students as being the best time to look into being apart of Greek life? Is it ever too late as far as joining?

WS: Technically, it's never too late. There are some juniors and seniors who say "Oh, I missed my chance" but it's never too late for fraternities. The women's groups, because they are so much more structured, it's a little but tougher but not impossible. I think it's best for people to look at their first opportunity and decide for themselves if that's what they want to do. To not look from the beginning may mean missing out on an opportunity that you didn't have to miss out on.

GD: Is there research that people can do?

WS: There is a lot of research online.

GD: What type of activities do you promote for community service among the organizations?

WS: We get a lot of outside organizations that request for help with tutoring or other projects so we will distribute all of those things to the chapters. The chapters will do a lot of work with CCEL and get information there since they are a big clearinghouse for community service. Some chapters have their own organization that they have built close relationships with so they will spend a lot of time going to a certain school or service organization and do special things for them. We also set goals and the chapters can put their own ideas together for service and do something that interests them instead of telling them "This is what you have to do".

GD: Is there any advice you would give to incoming students when it comes to choosing?

WS: I think that, the biggest advice that I give to people is take a chance and decide for yourself because its really easy to get caught up in stereotypes or what everybody else says or what your friend is going to do. It's better to decide for yourself so you don't look back wishing you had done different.