Annual service week gets Greeks involved
The fraternities and sororities of USU teamed up for their annual service week, performing various acts of service throughout the community in what is becoming a Greek tradition.
“We’ve been doing this for at least three years,” said Marissa Campbell, a volunteer from the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Tyler Gregerson, a volunteer from the fraternity Delta Sigma Phi, said the turnout has been about the same as previous years.
Among those helped were the hungry, deployed soldiers, senior citizens, blood recipients and people with disabilities.
The Greek chapters hosted a canned food drive on behalf of the Student Nutrition Access Center, located in TSC 333, from Monday to Thursday.
“There are places set up throughout campus for people to donate,” said Ricardo Jimenez, another volunteer from Delta Sigma Phi.
Other events kicked off on Monday with participants in the TSC Auditorium writing letters to deployed soldiers.
“During the monthly all-Greek meeting, we decided to show our appreciation for them,” Jimenez said. “Every member of the Greek system wrote a letter.”
The Greeks met at the Carl Inoway Senior Housing Center on Tuesday as part of the “Friends of the Elderly” project, which provides socialization for senior citizens on a weekly basis.
“We got to meet cool people, and we played ‘Sorry’ and a bunch of board games,” Campbell said. “It was cute. We’re playing bingo tonight.”
A blood drive was held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the TSC International Lounge. The drive was put on by the American Red Cross and hosted by Delta Sigma Phi.
“We’re involved in national philanthropy, so we took the reigns on this,” Gregerson said.
“A lot of people showed up,” Campbell said. “I think it’s been pretty successful.”
The Greek communities also partnered with an organization called Best Buddies which, according to its Utah chapter’s website, strives to create “opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
“We’re going bowling with them just for fun,” Jimenez said.
The fraternities and sororities will gather from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday for an all-Greek pizza party to celebrate the culmination of the week.
“(Service Week is) a time for all the Greek houses to gather as a community, not individual chapters,” Campbell said.
“It’s more of a Greeks-give-back thing than lots of non-Greeks to come do service for us,” said Kevin Webb, assistant director of the Student Involvement Office of the USU Student Association.
Campbell said service week events have varied from year to year since its inception.
“The Council PR decides what happens,” she said. “Last year we worked with the recycling center, and the year before that we participated in National Hug Day.”
– c.r.nicholson@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @alien236