A new chapter is expanding Multicultural Greek life at Boise State

Boise State’s community has become more diverse throughout the last ten years. Despite this, the traditional Greek organizations at Boise State have not changed significantly to reflect this. 

Multicultural Greek Life was established at Boise State in 2015, and only four multicultural chapters are still standing. Three out of four of these multicultural chapters are sororities.

This year, there are plans of adding another multicultural fraternity by the end of February.

New fraternity, new spaces

Omega Delta Phi, also known as the Knights, are coming to Boise State this spring semester. The Knights were founded nationally in 1987. 

Sergio Orozco, admissions counselor and coordinator for multicultural recruitment at Boise State, was asked to help bring Omega Delta Phi to Boise State by the multicultural student body.

Orozco’s role at Boise State focuses on recruiting students from local schools here in the valley, territories in Eastern Oregon, as well as U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the northern islands. His recruitment work focuses on initiatives that increase numbers for multicultural students. 

Alongside being a multicultural admission counselor, he is also an advisor for the Multicultural Greek Life Council. He has been influential in bringing this fraternity to Boise State. 

Orozco said this is a “full circle” moment for him. In his role of recruiting students from diverse backgrounds, he is also going back to his college roots, as Orozoco himself was once a brother in the Omega Delta Phi fraternity at University of Idaho.

“I think by creating a new fraternity, it creates a new space for students to find something that may work for them,” Orozco said. “One thing that I loved about my organization is the fact that our number one goal was to graduate. There was a really strong emphasis on individuality.”

This commitment to student growth is not just a shared sentiment within Orozco’s fraternity, but also to multicultural students.

“What drew me into the multicultural fraternities was that I think just the conversations like a lot of the people came from like the same background as me and I just felt really understood, you know, and I felt that was one of the biggest thing was like seeing like the diverse community,” said Ismael Mendoza, a national board member for the Knights who’s assisting in bringing Omega Delta Phi to Boise State.

Ingrid Garcia, a Boise State student and the Multicultural Greek Council President, said this idea began when members of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) visited the University of Idaho, and became inspired by how multicultural life on campus was thriving.

Garcia believes bringing this fraternity to Boise State will bring community and a safe space for students.

“I think it will bring a lot of community service involvement. I know there’s a lot of alumni around the area and they’re willing to put in the work and guide these gentlemen like, about  college you know, like if you need someone to mentor,” Garcia said.

Accessibility of traditional Greek life vs Multicultural Greek life

The average cost for a traditional fraternity ranges anywhere from $700 to $1, 200 a semester at Boise State. The cost of traditional chapters can deter students, which can exclude those who are less wealthy.

Multicultural chapters are more affordable, as costs for a multicultural chapter range from $150 to $255 a semester. Multicultural chapters are for all — however many of those who choose this particular chapter are first generation students according to Orozoco. 

Orozco, Garcia and Mendoza, who are first generation students, all mentioned how the costs of their multicultural chapters played a huge role in why they joined. 

Demographics

Enrollment at Boise State has become more diverse over the last 10 years, and Boise State multicultural leaders are hopeful that additional multicultural Greek life will encourage enrollment from all backgrounds.

From 2013 to 2023, the number of Hispanic and Latino students rose from 1,857 students to 3,838 students. The number of students enrolled who are two or more races rose from 605 to 1,394 and the number of black and African American students rose from 336 to 449.

The population in these demographics have doubled, and the diverse range of students Orozco works with are asking for more. 

“You can see, even if it’s a little bit of an increase, it’s always great to see. Students are asking for something new, I think even the students themselves are starting this,” Orozco said.

This new fraternity, Omega Delta Phi, aims to ensure that the campus becomes a space where every student can find their place.