Clemson, South Carolina — At Clemson University in South Carolina, the ClemsonLIFE program gives students with developmental disabilities the opportunity to learn essential skills for independent living.
But as much as the program offered, junior Charlie McGee wanted the full college experience, from alpha to omega. McGee told CBS News he wanted to join a fraternity in order to “have a good time and experience brotherhood and more joy.”
Unfortunately, rushing a fraternity is a process. There are interviews and mixes, and even then there is no guarantee of acceptance. In fact, no Clemson fraternity had ever hosted a student from the ClemsonLIFE program. This was the first year that program members could rush fraternities.
Last month, when McGee found out he had received an offer from Phi Kappa Alpha, he was so excited that he lost his left shoe and found himself in the loving arms of his new fraternity brothers.
“That was one of the coolest moments we had at Clemson was seeing him there,” one of the Phi Kappa Alpha members told CBS News.
Several fraternity brothers told CBS News that at first, some members were doubtful that someone with Down syndrome would fit in with the group. But they were willing to help McGee, only to learn later that it was McGee who was actually helping them.
“The joy and light that we were missing in our chapter, that we didn’t know we were missing from the beginning, is unreal,” said one fraternity member.
“He kind of shattered every preconceived notion of what I thought a fraternity man should be,” said another.
Other Greek life groups came to the same conclusion. This year, a total of six fraternities and five sororities at Clemson welcomed ClemsonLIFE students.
According to McGee, this will be a game changer. He believes that something magical happens whenever you are fully accepted by others. And then he adds that when he’s with his fraternity brothers, “my disability doesn’t really exist.”
Steve Hartman
