NPHC celebrates Olympic-themed week

The National Pan-Hellenic Council held a cook-off and toga-making.

By Maggie Nestor

Published Oct. 2, 2009

The National Pan-Hellenic Council put its own twist on Greek Week with an Olympic-themed week of service and unifying activities for the NPHC community.

The NPHC started the week with a cook-off between the fraternities and sororities and will end with a day of community service Saturday.

The Olympic-themed week is derived from a common goal among the NPHC community.

"The reason we chose an Olympic theme is because we wanted to unify as well as foster healthy competition amongst the NPHC community," NPHC Social Chairwoman Lauren Grant said.

Another call for unity is rooted in the demolition of Brady Commons, where the NPHC used to meet.

"The NPHC's goal this week is to unify campus, more specifically the black community, especially in attempt to reunify after the demolition of old Brady," NPHC Treasurer Brennen Duvall said. "We hope to join people of different values and different cultures through the fun events this week and create new bonds and relationships between the sororities and fraternities."

After the Top Chef Cook-off between an NPHC fraternity and sorority in the Black Culture Center, NPHC took on a more serious topic of sexual health and awareness in Memorial Union.

The "Sex Mythology" forum included guest speakers from the Sexual Health Advocate Peer Education organization and open discussion among the presenters and participants about a range of topics from protection to homosexuality to the portrayal of black sexuality.

"The goal of this forum was to raise sexual awareness for men and women around campus, especially for those who may not have been educated on it in high school," NPHC Vice President Whittley Jones said.

Because NPHC does not have formal recruitment like the Panhellenic Association, Tuesday night's NPHC Informational "Meeting on Mount Olympus" helped to provide resources and information about the six active fraternities and sororities on campus and specifically, the service activities and events of each chapter. Presentations by members of each chapter as well as alumni chapters provided those interested in NPHC with information on the values, lingo and mission of the NPHC on both a local and national level.

Wednesday helped provide a break for relaxation and fun for the community with a "Hump Day" celebration and toga-making workshop that evening.

"Hump Day was an opportunity for students to be able to stop in, get snacks, complete assignments, talk and relax," Jones said. "Hump Day (and) Toga Help Session was to offer help for any students who are going to come to celebrate the conclusion of the week and are going to wear a toga, but they do not know how to make one and so we had members there to provide instruction."

The "Olympic Games Night" held Thursday was another opportunity to further the week's theme of "friendly competition," Jones said. The unofficial climax of the week, the Toga Party Friday night in the Mark Twain ballroom, is an opportunity for the NPHC community to show off the togas made earlier in the week and partake of a Greek tradition.

NPHC plans to test the MU community to break Central Missouri Food Bank's record of 62 people packaging more than 2,800 pounds of food in record time Feb. 5, 2008. As emphasized at the informational meeting, service is a huge part of the NPHC's mission.

"We fulfill our purpose as fraternities and sororities as providing service for the community," Grant said. "Ask any chapter of the NPHC and they will say service is the main point, it is the common denominator."