Greek leaders retreat to boat on Delaware River

In an effort to dispel stereotypes and strengthen unity among the Greek umbrella organizations, fraternity and sorortity presidents and the boards of the umbrella groups spent Saturday together at a retreat on a boat on the Delaware River. The goals of the retreat was to give chapter presidents the opportunity to get to know each other and to ask each other questions. "Just because we're Greek doesn't mean we understand everything about each other's systems," said Black InterGreek Council President Marisa Sifontes. Interfraternity Council President Jim Rettew said organizers wanted to "challenge our own members to support their actions," which he felt everyone did. Discussion topics included how rush and pledging works in each system, and what each organization did beyond the obvious IFC fraternity party or BIG-C step show. About 50 people participated in the Saturday afternoon retreat. Rettew said people tend to impose their values on other groups and these values do not always apply. Sifontes said this is true for Greeks and non-Greeks. "Don't be so critical of our traditions when you don't understand the meaning behind them," she said. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., President Grafield Johnson, a Wharton junior, said the retreat created an atmosphere where people felt comfortable addressing the problems. "We could at least come to some understanding of each other's organizations," he said. Leaders said the Greek system at the University is in a unique situation this year in that all three umbrella presidents work well together. "We are capitalizing on that fact and are asking the [chapter] presidents to do that also," said Panhellenic Council President Maureen Hernandez. "We have really expanded to dealing with the whole system rather than just the umbrella organizations," added Rettew. Hernandez said she wants to see this unity spread past the chapter presidents. "Our big aim of the semester is to filter down to the average, newest members," said Hernandez. "We are trying to make it cohesive enough so when new people get in office they can't pull it apart." Almost everyone said in a questionaire completed afterward that the retreat surpassed their expectations. Many said they learned that the three organizations need to work together. "It was a great joint effort," said Beta Theta Pi President Dave Wessels, a Engineering and Wharton senior. "It's fantastic to see the three leaders working together." Plans for joint social and community service efforts were made by some chapters, as were follow-up programs involving rank-and-file Greek members. Chi Omega President Julie Han, a Wharton senior, said although the retreat helped break down stereotypes, she was disappointed because nothing concrete was accomplished. She also said that because the Greek groups are so large and so diverse, it is difficult for the ideas to filter down to individual members. Despite this, the umbrella presidents were very positive. "I think we turned a lot of closed minds inside-out," Rettew said.

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