From Friday, Nov. 12 to Sunday, Nov. 15, Monmouth University’s Greek Senate organized Greekend, a weekend dedicated to exemplifying the four pillars of Greek excellence: scholarship, brotherhood and sisterhood, service, and leadership. Jenna Hersh, Vice President of Greek Senate, and Amy Rosenzweig, Greek Senate Activities Chair, were in charge of coordinating the weekend’s events.
“It was really fun to plan it, and Amy was awesome to work with! Greekend is all about uniting Greeks and I really feel that we accomplished that this year. We wanted to make it fun, but also empower the Greek community to give back. It was definitely a successful weekend,” said Hersh, a senior economic and finance student.
The first event of the weekend was the Scholarship Dessert on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the intellectual achievements within the Greek community. It was invite-only and guests were selected based upon their grade point average. Later that evening, the sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted its annual Step Show at 8:08 p.m. in Pollak Theatre.
On Friday, Rosenzweig and Hersh planned a trip to Skyzone Trampoline Park at 5:00 p.m. Tickets were sold for $2. Members of each organization were invited to attend the inside trampoline park and participate in its various activities. The park had four core zones for guests to enter, including foam, basketball, trampoline walls, and dodgeball.
Saturday was a day devotedto community service for all members of the Greek community. The event, “Canstruction”, was held at 10 a.m. in Anacon Hall. Each chapter was to build an “Under the Sea” themed structure with the cans they collected for a local food bank. Organizations could use only rubber bands with tape to assist in keeping the cans together. The structures were judged for creativity, number of cans, and the final presentation. The winning chapter will receive a pizza party.
“It was great that this year, members of the Greek community were able to have their own day for service, as opposed to combining it with Monmouth University’s Big Event, as it was last year,” said Mel Lewis, Programming Assistant for Fraternity and Sorority Life.
To conclude the weekend, on Sunday at 2:00 p.m., special guest inspirational speaker Andrea Mosby, was invited to speak to the Greek community about leadership and the power of decision making. Mosby earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Denver. She also has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado. Mosby currently lives in Denver working as a consultant and speaker.
Mosby used the acronym D.E.C.I.S.I.O.N.S to walk through the factors individuals must consider when making important personal choices. At the discovery of her pregnancy as a teenager, her life had changed. The challenges she faced as a teen mother and the “adult” decisions she was forced to make persuaded her to use them as lessons to present to students, businesses, and community organizations about personal development and success.
“I thought the speaker was a fantastic person to speak to all of the Greek organizations. She made me really think about why I joined my fraternity and how each of my brothers would do anything for me whenever I’m in need,” said Tommy Foye, a junior communication major and brother of Sigma Tau Gamma.
Each event of the weekend helped to reflect upon what the Greek community does and what is in store for the future. All organizations were able to participate and fully encompass the four pillars of Greek excellence and what the true meaning of being a member of a Greek organization is.
