By Melissa ClarySenior Staff Writer
While most students are preoccupied with planning their weekendactivities or finding a profitable job, Interfraternity Councilmembers are figuring out how to best represent an expansive greekpopulation at San Diego State.
The IFC panel consists of approximately 13 fraternity memberselected for leadership positions by peers from their chapter.
These men are the masterminds behind many of the greek charityevents and socials viewed on campus and throughout the community.
What makes this year’s IFC panel stand out from past councils arethe amount of new ideas, professionalism and improvements the membershave instated in the greek population at SDSU.
IFC has worked on multiple events this year, several includingPanhellenic Council sororities.
The greeks helped manage a designated driver program for San DiegoCounty by providing safe transportation to people who drink too muchat the bars and are unable to drive home.
Mike Firenze, IFC risk management chair, said every weekendfraternity members drive their own vehicles to provide freetransportation to anyone who needs it.
Phi Kappa Psi fraternity recently held a successfulRusty-sponsored fashion show to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundationand to fulfill the wish of a leukemia-stricken boy, Jea with hisfamily. Local bands Agent 51 and Offset were on hand to play at thefashion show. The event was picked up by Fox News, among others, andraised approximately $22,000.
Whether it’s greek block parties, tailgate events in support ofSan Diego State football, father-son golf tournaments or chariotraces in the Homecoming halftime, these greeks are busy all semesterlong.
The abundance of charitable events IFC has sponsored showcases notonly their time and commitment to the community, but their successfulplanning and leadership skills as well. Good relationships withfraternity alumnus are also a key factor in accomplishing IFC’sgoals.
The panel is aware of the university’s crackdown on underagedrinking and what it finds acceptable. IFC has sponsored severalalcohol awareness events for their greek members, including GAMMA -Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol. The program is partof IFC’s involvement in alcohol awareness week this month.
The Junior IFC program, implemented by IFC this year, aims toteach younger fraternity members how to run a greek organization toits greatest potential and how to fully involve its greek members oncampus. These members will learn what it means to be on IFC and toplan philanthropy.
Political science junior and IFC Vice President Jason Arnold saidthe Junior IFC program consists of one younger member from each ofthe fraternities who may one day want to hold a position on IFC.
“They get together and I sort of lead them, and we talk about thesame issues that the regular IFC is facing,” Arnold said. “Theybasically learn about the IFC and what it entails,” he said.
Four Junior IFC members attended the IFC executive meeting onTuesday to absorb the strategic planning and leadership of theexecutive board members. These greeks will learn the planning processby managing an event for a charity of their choice this spring.
In addition to the philanthropic events they plan, IFC hasimplemented a fully functioning and improved executive panel. IFCmembers take their positions seriously this year as opposed toseveral IFC panels in the past.
Nick LeBail, IFC public relations chair said, “When I got on theboard, I noticed that nothing was really getting done. The greeksystem was really going nowhere at all. Nothing was gettingimplemented.”
LeBail said this year’s IFC has worked to improve the greek imageon campus and in the community.
IFC helped elect a greek Homecoming king for the second year in arow. This year’s winner was IFC Associated Students Liaison LeeTousignant.
IFC is also working to elect an all-greek slate for A.S. next yearto better represent the greek community.
“The exec board that’s made up this year is just remarkable. We’vegotten so much stuff done – it’s crazy,” LeBail said.
IFC has given more reasons for people to go greek. It increasedmembership evenly among the different chapters and encouraged housesto raise their grades through new scholarship incentives andcounseling programs.
“We’re just trying to promote our biggest, positive image – andthat’s going greek,” LeBail said.
