Student redefines Greek life

By Ryan May
Daily Forty-Niner

Ali Holm is in the middle of a busy day.

Vice president of risk management for the local chapter of the National Panhellenic Conference – a national organization of sororities – and president of Political Science Students Association at Cal State Long Beach, Holm started her day around 9 a.m.

In the following 12 hours, she will meet with an adviser for the PSSA, work in the Greek Life office, attend two meetings for the Panhellenic council, one for the PSSA and a meeting at her sorority, Sigma Kappa. Somewhere in there, she finds time for classes, maintaining a GPA of 3.79.

Despite these obligations, Holm, 21, takes time to sit across a table on the third floor of the University Student Union and answers questions with unaffected candor, as though talking to a friend.

"It's the best opportunity that I've ever had in my life to really learn to know myself," Holm said of her many sorority commitments.
 Holm is one of those now taking an active part, transforming the Greek system from within.

"It's becoming more of a leadership opportunity," Holm said in regard to the evolution within Greek life. "We're going back towards the original purposes that our founders had for the organization and it's becoming less of a party scene."

Reflective of this change, Holm wrote the CSULB Panhellenic Substance Free Resolution based on guidelines established by the NPC.

The resolution states that no sorority under the NPC will co-sponsor an event with a fraternity unless it is completely substance free or held at a third party location.

"Every sorority and fraternity was based on their [founder's] ideal and with that ideal came values that they wanted to impress on their members," Holm said.  "Lots of times, members will lose sight of that but, for me, the most important times are when we're together and we're really working on those values."

Originally from Chico, Holm was drawn to CSULB for the dance program, after devoting much of her life to studying dance. Following an accident the summer before her freshman year, in which Holm tore muscles in her upper leg, she was no longer able to dance and unwillingly gave it up.

Now pursuing law school, Holm has taken the drive and ambition she had previously devoted to dance and turned it toward her studies, earning herself a spot on both the Dean's and President's lists.

"She's been very determined to make sure that everybody knows what's going on," said Amy Geist, coordinator of Student Life and Development for Greek life. "She'll listen to people's concerns and try to fold that into the work that she's doing."

Caroline Limuti/Daily Forty-Niner

Ali Holm