Sam Davidson’s Programs

Less Fraternity, More Community

The term fraternity (and sorority) has never had a poorer brand perception. With headlines containing stories of hazing, deaths, and parties, it's no wonder chapters are being closed and students are finding value elsewhere. Fraternity is dead. Long live community.

For millennia, humans have been wired for community and the early days of fraternity and sorority played on this notion well to grow and thrive. But we've lost our way because we put community on the back burner in order to chase popularity and thrills. It doesn't have to be like this. COVID-19 offered us a reset and now as things have mostly returned to "normal" it's time for campuses to begin building real community that works for everyone, not just the inner circle of the inner circle.

In this presentation, community expert Sam Davidson will make the case for community and give students the tools needed to go from fraternity to community.

Brick by Brick: Building Real Community After COVID

Did COVID make us worse at community? Probably. After all, it forced us indoors, required us to be socially distant, and made us use our phones more than we should have. Now, as we emerge from the pandemic and try to navigate the "real" worlds of academics, society, and relationships, what should we do to make sure our communities are more resilient than ever? Sam Davidson will use research-backed principles to help your organization or entire community make sure it's building authentic community in ways that strengthen connections, increase member engagement, and deepen your most meaningful values. This is a great new-member program to encourage those students to dive in deeply and get involved to the maximum benefit of their chapter and the entire campus.

Better. Together.

A positive Fraternity and Sorority Life keynote address, Better. Together. discusses how and why Greek organizations can be forces for positive change—both for current members and for the larger university community. Drawing on funny stories from his own college experience, Sam blends humor and meaningful suggestions for ways that any Greek organization can become better by working together with those inside and outside of their particular chapter. As a former president and membership education director in his fraternity, Sam offers practical and proven ideas that any member of a Greek organization (and not just its elected leaders) can use to make his or her chapter better. Best of all, these ideas can then be used so that the chapter as a whole can improve its own campus or community. This program is suitable for Greek weeks or when your community needs the right blend of entertainment and inspiration to achieve greater things than ever before. Sam is willing to tailor some of the applications of this message based on your Greek community’s needs, whether it’s a focus on how to create healthy rivalries, a greater concern for risk management or the motivation needed to achieve academic success.