Club & Greek

IFC Lends a Helping Hand at the Shore

Members of the Inter-Fraternal Council (IFC) came together in the spirit of “Greek Unity,” and hosted a beach clean up in Sea Bright, NJ on April 14.

There were 30 members of two fraternities on campus that came together to help restoration efforts on the beaches of the shore community. This was the first clean up sponsored by the IFC since Hurricane Sandy, however, the IFC felt it was the perfect time to host a clean up because the beach-goers could benefit from a clean beach as the summer season is approaching, but most importantly benefiting the environment and the local community that was devastated due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy.

This is not the first time members of the Greek community at the University have sponsored clean ups throughout the Monmouth community.

Before and after Hurricane Sandy, members of Tau Kappa Epsilon helped benefit the community and surrounding areas with beach clean ups in areas such as Long Branch, Pier Village and Sea Bright, as well as helping many others in the community clean out their homes after the hurricane. Students of the University have been very active in the community since Hurricane Sandy. Many students have engaged in solo or group efforts to help members of neighboring communities preserve their homes and summer homes, as well as with restoration and renovations of the community.

“In my opinion, the best part of this clean up was not only the unity amongst the fraternities, but coming together to have such a positive impact on our surrounding communities was my favorite aspect of the whole clean up,” said Vincent Vento, junior and Vice President of the IFC. Having two fraternities come together as one large group gives the sense of brotherhood a new meaning as two completely different organizations are able to share the same experience together and form bonds and relationships while simultaneously impacting the community in a positive manner.

Joseph Dellera, junior and President of Tau Kappa Epsilon, felt the beach cleanup was “a great opportunity to work with another fraternity and establish a better relationship while working together to achieve a common goal.” The two organizations were able to unify and were successful at working towards the goal of cleaning up an area.

A combined 30 members from both Theta Xi and Tau Kappa Epsilon came together to extend a helping hand in the University’s backyard in the borough of Sea Bright, NJ. Sea Bright took a tremendous toll of devastation due to Hurricane Sandy, and while the storm has long been over, restoration efforts are still in full effect, especially as the summer is gearing up. The individuals were able to work together and have a positive impact on the environment, and benefit a lot of people while also having a great time in each others company.

Freshman James Pipitone, biology major and member of Theta Xi, says he attended the event to support his fraternity. Pipitone also feels that it is “important to save marine wildlife by keeping debris commonly found on beaches out of oceans, and keep the local beaches an attractive spot for local residents to go to.”

This was the only beach clean up the IFC has ever hosted, but the possibility of hosting another is very probable. Members of the University and community are urged to partake in the efforts, as this is not limited to just members of Greek life. Vento said, “We all can make a positive impact on our community if we come together. The strength in numbers allows us to achieve almost anything.”

PHOTO COURTESY of Taylor Copp