A new social network Web site called greekstrength.com has been created specifically for fraternity and sorority members.
The Web site's purpose is to enhance the Greek life experience for Greek members. Greekstrength.com, whose motto is "Lead, Inspire, Succeed," offers more than the other online social networks, because it has a professional aspect as well.
It allows for members to stay connected with their organization, find and post jobs, build their resumes, e-mail or text message their brothers or sisters, create events, share news, build a free chapter and profile page, find national news and events and use other features available on the Web site.
Individual Greek members can sign up for the Web site without their organization being a part of it, as long as they still list which organization they are a member of.
"We want it to be a centralized site for you guys," said Jerry Sneed, one of the founders of greekstrength.com. "You limit yourself if you don't get your organization on it, too."
Sneed is one of the five founders of the Web site. All five founders are currently seniors at Johnson and Wales who plan to graduate in May 2009.
The Johnson and Wales seniors are also opening an online store.
Greekstrength.com members will be able to buy everything from lettered T-shirts and sweatshirts to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies to use in their fraternity and sorority houses.
With a majority of their users up North and out West, the Web site is not well known at Auburn.
"It is pretty cool," said Tyler Beckwith, a junior in engineering who had not previously heard of greekstrength.com. "I don't know if I'd use it personally, but if I had it my disposal, I guess I would."
Beckwith, a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, said his fraternity could possibly use it in the future once the online store was up if they were mass ordering, because it would be convenient.
Beckwith said his friends might use it though, especially business majors.
Amory Scott, a junior in finance, said she thinks any outlet willing to help students find jobs is a positive investment.
"I think people would still use Facebook more and wouldn't use it to look for jobs," Scott said. "I don't know how creditable it'd be on that. But, I think at this point, with the way the economy is, any job listing is good, if they're different jobs."
Scott, a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, said a lot of sororities are starting to use the GIN system. It is a system set up for sororities and fraternities to e-mail, post events and order T-shirts.
"GIN is pretty strong in a lot of sororities, so I don't know if they would switch to it," Scott said.
Greekstrength.com began last May, but it took about nine months to get it off the ground, Sneed said. Hundreds of jobs are already posted every week.
"Everything is 100 percent free," Sneed said. "We have over 1,500 users that actively use the site."
Sneed said they have users from every state, including Alaska, but they have more users from New England, Arizona and California right now.
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