Greeks perform comm. service

and Josh Sherman More than 500 Greeks joined forces with the Partnership for Student Community Involvement and headed into the streets of Philadelphia for the second annual Greek Community Service Day Saturday morning. InterFraternity Council Executive Vice President Tim Lash, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, organized the event with members of PSCI. Lash, a Wharton junior, explained that the partnership served as a liaison between the service sites and himself. Fraternity and sorority members visited close to 20 sites in the West Philadelphia area, ranging from The Caring Center to Fairmont Park and the Southwest Community Center, Lash said. Sixty Wharton freshmen from last semester's Management 100 course also participated in the service day. The course's teaching assistants, Wharton graduate students Mousami Shaw and Rob Lemasters, said they wanted to organize a reunion for their groups in honor of Wharton's Founder's Day, which coincided with the community service day. Davis said she hoped to educate students about the socio-economic and environmental issues that challenge urban neighborhoods such as West Philadelphia. Volunteers picked up trash, painted over graffiti and helped to maintain gardens at a downtown food bank. They also answered phone calls at the Philadelphia-D.C. AIDS Ride -- a bike race between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., held to raise money for AIDS research. The Management 100 students worked with the "Baltimore Avenue in Bloom" group of the Spruce Hill Community Organization and the Community Education Center in Powelton Village. Lash added that chapter participation was voluntary, and approximately half of IFC and Panhellenic houses were represented. "Considering the fact that it was voluntary, there was a tremendous amount of people there," he said. "The weather was beautiful, we had a great turnout and we got a lot of work done." Delta Kappa Epsilon pledge and College freshman Jason Fabrikant visited the Community Enrichment building and picked up trash and prepared the ground for a garden. "I thought it was an excellent experience," he said. "You don't realize you live in such a big city -- you've got all kinds of people and all kinds of problems." Service activities ended at 4 p.m., according to Lash, when the group rejoined for pizza and soda. Participation increased by nearly 100 students this year, and the Service Day will continue to be a part of the University's spring schedule, Lash said.

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