This week’s Campus Celebrities are brothers, Austin Lastinger and Darren Hollak! You may be thinking to yourself, “Brothers?” Yes, fraternity brothers! This power duo started their own company to enhance the positive side of Greek life. Want to learn more? Read on!
Her Campus (HC): How did you guys meet?
Darren (D): Thanks for asking, Taylor. It all began back in our younger years. I believe it was the Fall of 2014. Austin was rushing Lambda Chi Alpha and was wearing an American Flag shirt, so naturally I couldn’t help but strike up a conversation with the guy.
Austin (A): Right you are, Darren! It was actually on September 11th and I wanted to show respect for the day and our country. After talking for a few minutes, we knew there was a great friendship brewing.
HC: Austin, how would you describe Darren?
A: Darren is an overall gem, he is a standout guy and always lights up the room with his presence.
HC: Darren, how would you describe Austin?
D: Austin is tall. You can’t help but notice him when he walks into a room. But what truly sets him apart is his ability to bring a smile to anyone’s face with a joke or a story.
HC: Tell us a fun fact about yourselves!
A: I’m a lot smarter than I look.
D: Honestly? My two favorite foods are bacon and ranch and am a fervent believer that these are foods, not condiments.
HC: Tell us about Sorority Relations!
A&D: We think the best way to answer that is to share our mission statement: “Sorority Relations aims to actively counter the liberal media’s sensationalization and condemnation of Greek life.”
HC: How will your business benefit people?
A: We provide a resource for Greek members to share candid moments interacting together in a positive manner.
D: We feel that too often the negative aspects of Greek like are given far more attention and coverage, which overshadows the positives… despite these negative moments being incredibly infrequent.
HC: Where do you hope to see Sorority Relations in five years?
A: We are excited to watch our ambassador program grow within USD, and hope that we can have this expansion begin throughout campuses nationwide. If anyone is interested in joining this program, we encourage them to contact us!
D: Another area of growth we are focused on is our line of apparel. We are beginning to create unique and aesthetically pleasing clothing for fraternity and sorority members alike, and want to continue on our current trajectory with this initiative.
HC: What is your favorite thing about Greek life?
A: I think it’s great how friendships are able to extend outside of one’s own chapter, and provide a sense of unity for those involved in Greek life as a whole.
D: My favorite part is being able to witness all of the awesome philanthropic events that different chapters put on, and knowing the positive impact they have on the local community.
HC: What is your favorite thing about USD?
A: I love USD being a Changemaker Hub, and all the opportunities this provides our students. I think our mission here at Sorority Relations really embodies this.
D: I love the amazing study abroad program the university offers. The experiences I had studying in Oxford and traveling throughout Europe with all of my friends were a once in a lifetime opportunity.
HC: What other things are you involved with/interested in?
A: I’m the External VP of Lambda Chi Alpha and Director of the Ambassador Program at GreekRush. When not promoting Sorority Relations, I’m often hitting the links at the prestigious Mission Bay Golf Club.
D: I’m the Philanthropy Chair of Lambda Chi Alpha and am also the Controller of the Associated Students Budget. In my free time I can be found surfing or shootin’ the breeze with my buddies.
HC: How do you feel about being nominated as this week’s Campus Celebs?
A&D: We’re honored to have this recognition and hope that all the readers go and follow our Instagram account @sororityrelations to stay up to date with all the exciting things happening in Greek life. Lastly, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters, without your help our dream of creating this company would never have come to fruition.
What amazing men! You heard ’em, go find their account on Insta and contact Austin or Darren for further info about Sorority Relations!