Honors and Greek Life

Finding Enrichment in the Mix

By Jack Racki

I had just finished helping my social fraternity’s philanthropy event in downtown Iowa City when I looked over and saw the treasurer counting the money we raised. He looked up to me with an ecstatic grin. 

“This is the most money we’ve ever raised for a philanthropy event,” he said. “Great work tonight, Jack.”

I had helped set up and organize the event, offering passersby food, ice cream, and the opportunity to hit people in the face with shaving cream. Using the skills I’ve developed through the University of Iowa Honors Program, I had suggested ideas that led to new heights for my social fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, or AEPi. 

The critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication from my unique honors coursework and experiential learning made seamless incorporation into a real-world situation. It was something I couldn’t have envisioned when I began college.

When I stepped foot onto the UI campus as a first-year, I was already enrolled in honors, yet I knew I also wanted to rush social Greek life. I had been a part of a brotherhood throughout my entire life playing football and wanted something that could replicate that.

However, that was a month away, and my first university class was beginning the next day. This was when I began my Honors Primetime seminar, a one-week class I took before school even began.

The Primetime class, Life Design: Making the Most of Ambition and Happiness, was so rewarding as it was hands-on work and various activities instead of just sitting with a pen and paper — emblematic of the honors experience as a whole. This was the start of the realization I really would be able to handle myself through the next four years in the program, aided by welcoming and personable professors.

After a few weeks of class, nailing my routine down, it was time to rush a social fraternity. It was a long and tiring week, talking to many different people, exploring new parts of the campus — in addition to my honors coursework. 

I quickly realized being in a social fraternity, especially at the beginning, is much more time-demanding than coursework. I applied something my father had taught me —a  phrase I tell myself throughout the day: “Time management is the main reason I’m able not only to balance everything but do it successfully.” 

By prioritizing tasks, setting clear goals, and creating a structured schedule, I divided my time effectively. I used valuable skills I learned in Honors Primetime to balance so I could complete everything with maximum effort. Despite tackling more semester hours than most, prioritizing, planning, and dedicating time allowed me to finish the fall semester with a 3.5 grade point average — for a dean’s list honor.

It wasn’t easy, but it was a goal of mine entering college, and it gave me an overwhelming feeling of success.

After my first semester, I was taking honors sections of core classes such as Intro to Law and Intro to American Foreign Policy. But my participation in both AEPi and the UI Honors Program helped one another pay off — especially in this philanthropy event.

I proposed a strategic approach to promote our charity and raise awareness to the people of Iowa City. Through my honors coursework, I learned the legalization of permits, which helped us plan where we could set up our event. After moving around and finding a legal place to host, we raised more money than ever before for our philanthropy — a local cancer research.

Greek life taught me the value of community and the importance of giving back. The honors program instilled a passion for knowledge and a commitment to lifelong learning. Together, they provided a holistic college experience that continues to nurture both my personal and intellectual growth.