Volume II, Issue IV Setting the Campus Ablaze Spring 2009 A Publication of the Office of Greek Life Go Blazers! Go GREEK!!! Inside this issue: The Fraternity and Sorority service! Not only does our com- Next fall we are looking for- community makes up just over munity achieve excellence in ward to extending our campus CPC StepShow 2 11% of the undergraduate community service, we are also by two sororities and two fra- Safe Spring Break 2 population at Valdosta State above the all student grade point ternities. It is such an exciting Council News 3 University. We are so proud of average. Currently, the all soror- time for Greeks at VSU, Go our 22 Greek-letter social or- ity average is 3.06 and the all Blazers and Go Greek! Council News 4 ganizations and our three Greek Greek average is a 2.91. In addi- Chapter Highlights 4 Honors Societies. tion, Strategic Research and This year we raised a total of Analysis reports that the 4-year Jennifer Jones, M.Ed. Chapter Highlights 5 retention and graduation rates $115,567.00 for philanthropic Assistant Director of Student Chapter Highlights 6 for Greek students are 14% causes and performed more Life for Greek Life and Organ- higher than its non-affiliated than 8,630 hours of community izational Development Chapter Highlights 7 counterparts. Greek Assembly 8 Greek Week Overall Winners Interfraternity Council: 1st place Sigma Nu 2nd place Pi Kappa Phi 3rd place Kappa Sigma Greek Week is a week set aside held the week of April 13 also about raising money for for fraternity and sorority through the 19, is for each our community. This year pro- College Panhellenic members to come together to council and society to show ceeds from the Greek Week t- Council and women’s compete in real athletic compe- their athletic abilities. The shirts went to Take Back the National Pan-Hellenic tition, serve the Valdosta com- events included: basketball, Night, a sexual assault aware- Council: munity, and most importantly, dodgeball, volleyball, tug, flag ness event. We are so proud have fun. Through a strong football, and softball. Because that over 800 people came out 1st place Kappa Delta sense of community, Greek the competition was so close to cheer on their teams! nd 2 place Chi Omega Week strives to promote aca- this year the second place over- Through service, hard work 3rd place Phi Mu demic excellence, athletics, and all winners of Greek Week and dedication Greek Week service. Each fraternity and were decided by the number of 2009 was a great success and CONGRATS! sorority member works hard all an individual team’s first place brought Greek Unity to the year long to prepare for this wins! Greek week was not VSU campus. exciting week! Greek Week, only about competition, it was Page 2 Volume II, Issue IV CPC Steppin’ for a Good Cause The College Panhellenic Coun- Because of the high number of was the second runner up re- cil’s Annual Step Show is an attendees, CPC was able to ceiving 250 dollars towards event that the entire Greek raise over $4000.00. The funds their charity of choice. community looks forward to that were generated was do- all year and this year on April nated to the first, second and We had four judges that judged 8, 2009 CPC held its 3rd An- third place winner’s philan- the competition. Three are in nual Step Show in the PE thropic causes, the local Val- the graduate chapters for our Complex. The turnout was dosta Cancer Fund, and the NPHC Sororities and one was great, we had of over 800 peo- prevention of sexual assault. a faculty member here on cam- ple in attendance. Zeta Tau Kappa Delta was the 2009 Step pus. Alpha, Chi Omega, Kappa Show winner receiving Delta, and Phi Mu all did an $1,000.00 towards their na- Next year, we plan to invite amazing job with their rou- tional philanthropy. Phi Mu local high school teams to par- tines. Needless to say, the was the first runner up receiv- ticipate in our show making crowd was very entertained! ing 500 dollars and Chi Omega this annual competition an even greater success. Safe Spring Break Greeks Advocating for the Mature Manage- neying. Hints that can easily be forgotten such as ment of Alcohol (GAMMA), a new student sunscreen and remembering to hydrate were given. organization GAMMA seeks to composed of educate Greek - social and risk lettered organizations management and students about chair from each alcohol related issues, sorority and promote sexual fraternity, en- awareness, to encour- couraged stu- age learning more dents to pre- about general health pare for the issues, and to pro- safest spring mote a better life for break possible Valdosta State Uni- with tips, pam- versity students by phlets, and free providing programs condoms. Stu- in conjunction with dents were encouraged to stay in groups for various campus departments in the upcoming fall safety and secure their homes before jour- semester. Volume II, Issue IV Page 3 Interfraternity Council During the spring semester, The men of IFC have also IFC has accomplished and helped the community by do- participated in many events nating time and energy to help throughout the campus and the the city in a time of need by community. IFC participated helping the water and sewage in Safe Spring Break, an alco- plant hold off flood waters. hol awareness program teach- Without these efforts more ing students how to be respon- than half the city of Valdosta sible with alcohol. The IFC would have been without clean chapters on the campus have water. Want to be a chapter also helped raise thousands of IFC has been changing this advisor? dollars for charitable organiza- past semester, and will con- tions by hosting different types tinue to change. Attending the The following organizations of events such as a softball Southeast Interfraternity Con- are looking for an on-campus tournament, Philanthropy ference has taught the IFC advisor. Week, a home run derby, and executive council a great deal *Delta Chi also a bowling tournament. about how to better the coun- IFC will also participate in the cil. With the hard work and * Phi Sigma Kappa annual Relay for Life walk, dedication that these men have * Sigma Nu held to raise money for cancer devoted, the changes put forth *Sigma Gamma Rho research. will continue to better the council now and in the future. College Panhellenic Council The women of the CPC have been your body healthy, recruitment extremely busy this semester. Each sessions, and the dangers of drink- of the five chapters have planned ing and driving. Over 1,000 other or held their annual philanthropy Panhellenic women attended the and have all done a wonderful job, conference from all over the South. raising funds for their respective It was beneficial to talk to other charities. The women of CPC also councils and exchange ideas on participated in the annual step how to improve our council. show, the show was held in April CPC is getting excited for recruit- and fundraising event. The pro- ment with the addition of our new ceeds will be given back to each Gamma Chi’s to assist and guide chapter’s philanthropies and Take potential new members during the Back the Night. In March, the CPC recruitment process. Recruitment Executive Board attended the will be held on campus this year, a 2009 Executive Board South Eastern Panhellenic Confer- new challenge for our chapters, but ence in Atlanta for three days. At we believe this change will benefit Meg Kesler President the conference, the board attended both the potential new members Lauren Lyautey VP Panhellenic Development many helpful and interesting ses- and the chapters. The extension sions with keynote speakers that process is still in the developing Allie Sanders VP Communications provided each officer with infor- stages, but we are looking forward Alex Yarbrough VP Recruitment mation to bring back to our cam- to new prospective chapters visit- Brittany Wallace VP Community Service pus and share with the chapters. ing our campus. The officers learned pointers on Aubrey DePriest VP Finance how to make rituals “real”, keeping Page 4 Volume II, Issue IV National Pan-hellenic Council The National Pan-Hellenic has had quite a busy 2008-2009 year and is currently preparing for Fall 2009. In April the new executive council was voted in by their peers. This new executive council is reworking the current NPHC constitution and executive board position descriptions to be enacted the Fall of 2009. Already the board is planning for more NPHC events as well as a guest speaker to speak on the his- tory and mission of the NPHC. Congratulations to our newest executive board! President: Michael Gibson Vice Presi- dent: Brandie Allen Vice President Secretary: Jamie Dekle Treasurer: Desmond Holmnes Parliamentarian: LaRon Connely. Thanks to all our past officers and members for a outstanding year! Bring together the members of NPHC to focus on the mission and vision of our organizations and pushing us to strive for excellence in all that we do. Greek Stock 2009 Once a year the Greek community gets together for some music, food, fun and games. This year Greek Stock was hosted by the Greek Ambassadors and all councils were in attendance to celebrate our Greek community. The students had a cookout accompanied by the band RedLine. The event took place on the front lawn of Valdosta State University from 4pm to 9pm on March 5th. Games such as cornhole, latter golf, horseshoes, Frisbee, football and volleyball covered the front lawn.