This year, the Luther College community welcomed another organization to its Greek life roster. Tri Omega (Tri-O), a fraternity, is one of many Greek life organizations that once called Luther College home but disbanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the group is back with a fresh coat of paint.
In an Instagram post on November 6, 2024, the organization announced their recertification as an official part of Greek life on campus. Soon after, they began tabling and advertising to try and attract members, which culminated in a rush-style event in the spring semester of 2025.
Tri-O’s president, Noah Jorgensen (‘27), spoke about what spurred him to restart the organization and why it’s important to campus.
“We want a place where people on this campus can feel involved and have a community,” Jorgensen said. “A community that is outside of other extracurriculars like music ensembles or sports teams. It’s also [an opportunity] to do community service and gain a sense of community or brotherhood.”
One of Tri-O’s goals is to help the community through a partnership with the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa (HSNEI). A partnership that, according to Jorgensen, this iteration of the fraternity is continuing on from its predecessors.
“It’s our way to give back to the community as our philanthropy,” Jorgensen said. “And right around Christmas, we raised over $500 for the Humane Society before we had even started.”
Tri-O’s partnership with the Humane Society involves helping in the shelter and the community to raise awareness and fundraise. Working in the shelter means that members of the organization went through a training process to understand the work behind animal care and to handle the animals at the Humane Society properly.
To member Samuel Scheffler (‘26), the service aspect of Tri-O means a way to do something important for campus and the local community.
“The idea [is] being part of a group of guys that will hang out, host events and get to know each other,” Scheffler said. “But also have a commitment to doing service every semester and doing something that contributes beyond the community of the fraternity and Luther College, too.”
However, Tri-O is not only about service for the community; the organization also provides a space for people to connect.
“It’s introduced me to, and fostered relationships with, people that I would not have normally interacted with,” Scheffler said. “Because it’s a bunch of different guys from different majors or in different clubs or activities than I am. This is a space where you could just be yourself and it’s not dictated by your performance athletically or musically, and I think the campus is better off for it.”
The reintroduction of a fraternity to campus will allow for some variety in the current Greek life slate as Tri-O joins the two sororities that already exist. Inter-Greek Council President Alana Newell (‘25) is excited to have the frat join the already existing sororities as Greek life on campus grows.
“We’ve [Greek life organizations] all kind of chipped in,” Newell explained. “Like with the International Women’s Day flowers, we helped them with setting up and then they handed them out the day of. That was really cool. But we’re all chipping in right now. We always joke that ABY and Tri-O are siblings and TDG and Tri-O are cousins because we’re all just kind of one big group right now as we grow.”
Despite the bad reputation that fraternities can sometimes receive, Newell is insistent that this group is breaking stereotypes.
“They’re just great,” Newell said. “They’re always so nice and always willing to help and just kind of be there as we’re figuring everything out.”
For more information about how to start up Greek life organizations on campus, contact the Inter-Greek Council. Follow Tri-O on Instagram for updates on the organization.
