Greek council executives attend Chicago conference
Published Feb. 22, 2008
Members of the executive committees of the Panhellenic Association, the Interfraternity Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council will attend the annual Mid-America Greek Council Association conference in Chicago this weekend. Councils from many colleges and universities attend the event to participate in seminars and take part in competitions that recognize their strengths as leadership councils.
PHA spokeswoman Audrey Danner said the conference is one of the largest gatherings of Greek councils in the Midwest, and the event provides leaders in the Greek community the chance to interact with other councils.
“The purpose is to come and bounce ideas off other Greek councils and see how we can better our Greek community,” she said.
IFC’s leadership plans to enter a competition for the Council Management Award, spokesman Sam Hargadine said. He said the council will present how they have run IFC during the past year and how the community has grown because of the council’s leadership.
IFC President Bryan VanGronigen said this is the first time since the late 1990s that a council from MU has entered this category in the competition. He said one of IFC’s goals has been to compete for the award.
“I am confident we can win it,” he said. “We do a lot of great events within the council and in the community as well.”
IFC last won an award at the conference in 2006. Then-Greek Life coordinator Lauren Farell and former IFC spokesman Matt Sokoloff received first place in the Order of Omega Case Study Competition, which required them to present a plan to deal with a hazing case.
VanGronigen said he is looking forward to the conference because it offers a “unique opportunity to meet with your counterparts at other institutions.”
He said the conference can help the councils learn what they’re doing right.
“If we’re doing things well, we’ll continue those benefits not just for IFC but for the community as a whole,” he said.
Hargadine said members of MU’s council can network with other IFC councils to “use them as a tool” to deal with problems others might have dealt with.”
An NPHC member could not be reached for comment.