Greek Camp Facilitators

Volume 4, Issue 8

Greek Camp 2007

John Carter     

New members from across the Greek community took a trip to the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in Crossville, TN, this weekend for MTSU’s annual Greek Camp.  The event was once again a huge success and highly beneficial for the newcomers.  Facilitators, consisting of council officers, veteran chapter members, and Coordinator of Greek Affairs Carrie Youell, covered a variety of topics that are often problematic for all Greeks, regardless of age and experience.  Among those topics were leadership on the personal and chapter levels, avoiding the Greek celebrity stereotype, the quality approach to time management, and what it truly means to be Greek.  The campers also participated in “Giving of Self,” which was a massive service effort in the area surrounding the York Center.

Aside from the valuable time spent on becoming better men and women, participants in Greek Camp 2007 received the opportunity to bond together as a small portion of our community and promote further unity among all three governing councils.  Affiliations were not announced until the conclusion of the weekend, allowing everyone to enjoy the people who represent the letters, and not focus on just the letters themselves.

“Greek camp was not only a great experience for all the newcomers to Greek life, but it also gave some older members like myself a great opportunity to refamiliarize ourselves with our Greek system and its foundation,” said facilitator Todd Smith.  “This is a great event and I hope more young members can participate in upcoming years.”  

Trunk or Treat Attracts a Crowd

Whitney Carr

The annual Trunk or Treat event put on by Alpha Delta Pi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Alpha Phi Alpha went off without a hitch last Thursday night. The evening was complete with a plethora of cars decorated and choc full of candy, a cake walk, giant slide and even a real fire truck thanks to the Murfreesboro Fire Department.

Girls and guys were dressed up to fit the Halloween occasion as were the kids that enjoyed the festivities. There were unicorns spotted and even some real ninjas on the loose! Children of all ages stopped by to play games, get candy and take there picture with their favorite Greeks.

Trunk or Treat began as a family friendly way for children with disabilities to enjoy Halloween and trick-or-treating safely. The Livestock parking lot has served as home to the event for years and provides a designated space so that families can be sure their kids are having fun with no risk of injury. Trunk or Treat is always one of the most exciting service events each year for both the families attending and the Greeks that make it possible!

Greek of the Week

John Carter

Daniel Gammon decided to wait until later in his college years to join the Greek community, but he has undoubtedly made the most of his fraternal experience.  He joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon in spring 2006 and has quickly become one of the most involved members of any organization. 

Gammon was elected the Vice President of Judicial Affairs two semesters ago and has worked hard to give the position more authority and credibility.  He recently developed the “Statement of Judicial Affairs,” which gives IFC J.A. the power to enforce campus rules and regulations on members of IFC organizations on a case by case basis.  It is a massive step toward IFC’s long term goal of eventually becoming self-governing.

“I hope this is the first of many steps for our council of becoming a completely self-regulating body,” said Gammon.  “The progress we have made over the last year will help the next V.P. of Judicial Affairs tremendously.”

Daniel, in addition to his current responsibilities, was commended as the IFC Newcomer of the Year at Greek Awards.  He has served as a senator from the college of Basic and Applied Science, and plans to graduate this December.

First Annual Junior Panhellenic Halloween Carnival

Jonathan Joy

The future leaders of Greek Life proved to be promising on Monday, October 29, as the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) and Student Government Association (SGA) held the first-annual Halloween Carnival in Walnut Grove.

The carnival gave local children the opportunity to trick-or-treat in a safe environment, rather than venturing into Murfreesboro neighborhoods.  Each Panhellenic sorority decorated booths that featured plenty of candy and activities such as face painting, games, and coloring. 

“It’s so awesome to see the community come out and support Greek Life,” said Cassie Venable, President of NPC.  “Plus, the children were so adorable and excited to be here.”

Once the idea was formed, the responsibility of planning and organizing the event was primarily given to this year’s junior panhellenic representatives.  Junior Pans are new members from each sorority that are elected to represent their sorority on NPC.  The idea turned quickly into a learning opportunity for Greek Life’s rising leaders.

“I am glad they have taken the responsibility and the initiative to bring together an even to benefit the safety and welfare of Rutherford County’s children,” said Sunny Schartau, Vice President of Panhellenic and advisor for Jr. Panhellenic.  “We’ve had a good time putting this event together.  I hope they have learned how to create an event and cooperate with another great organization like SGA.”

Greek Speakout With

Dr. McPhee

Sarah Russell

In the past, Greek Speakouts have mainly consisted of a speaker who discusses issues the Greek community often faces.  Ranging from hazing to healthy dating relationships, the topics covered have often been informative and beneficial.  On October 29, however, the Greek community was given the opportunity to speak out about issues they were most concerned about.

An open forum for questioning allowed students to address their questions directly to campus administrators such as Dr. Sidney McPhee, President of MTSU, Dr. Robert Glen, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Patti Miller, Assistant Vice President of Campus Planning.

The speakout began with a greeting from Dr. McPhee in which he emphasized the amount of growth MTSU is currently experiencing.  According to Dr. McPhee, MTSU currently has more money invested in plans for campus improvements than any other university in Tennessee.  Among these improvements are the current construction on the Rec Center, a new student union, a new science building, and a new building for the education program. 

Patti Miller followed Dr. McPhee by explaining the future plans for the MTSU campus, beginning with current construction and ending with changes far in the future.  Miller emphasized the priorities of campus planning, which are to improve parking and traffic flow while maintaining a campus that is beautiful and easy to walk through. 

Once the question and answer portion of the evening began, students were eager to discuss their concerns.  Some of the most popular topics included the possible future of sorority housing, improvements for fraternity housing, a need for NPHC meeting spaces, and the ever-popular issue of parking.

Although everyone may not have always received the answers they wanted, the speakout provided the Greek community with a chance to draw attention to the matters that concern them the most.