Through a new campus-wide speaker series, SigEp brothers at Wake Forest University are working to break down stereotypes and construct a community of tolerance and acceptance. On March 1, 2016, the chapter hosted its first speaker, Imam Khalid Griggs, an associate chaplain for Muslim life at Wake Forest.

Griggs, who adopted Islam in his senior year at Howard University, partly as a result of the civil rights movement, spoke of his experiences with the faith, its role at Wake Forest, and the importance of recognizing privilege as a university student and a member of a Greek-letter organization.

“The event was organized largely by one of our members, Faraz Ahmed [Wake Forest ’18], who is a member of the Muslim Student Alliance,” said Chapter President Austin Nissen, ’17. “He pitched the idea of promoting positive dialogue among students of different backgrounds.” The executive board thought this was a perfect opportunity to make a difference on campus.

“I was inspired by my brothers in my Fraternity,” said Ahmed. “Ever since I joined, my Fraternity has been asking questions about Islam and Muslim life on campus. … I thought it would be great not just for the Fraternity, but for anyone else who wanted to get to know the Muslim chaplain and learn more about the Islamic faith,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we want everyone to live in a safe, friendly and loving environment, and that can only be done if all of us work together to put apart our differences and look at what our similarities are,” said Ahmed.

Building on the success of its first event, the chapter went on to host a debate between the College Republicans and College Democrats and cohost a panel discussion with Spectrum, an LGBTQ student organization.