• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2010-08-20_Vol76_No10_09

Page 9 WESTERN CAROLINIAN August 20, 2010 BA URES What you should know Shelby Harrell | WC Editor Many WCU students who arent familiar with Greek Life probably assumes that being in a fraternity or soror- ity is just like being in a fancy club where all members wear matching secret letters. What they probably dont assume is the amount of pas- sion and dedication that goes into becoming a Greek. They dont know that these clubs formed are really a lifelong bonds of brotherhood and sis- terhood. And wearing these matching secret letters is a way of showing pride to their organization, which means the world to each Greek member. With that being said, there are many reasons to become Greek at Western Carolina University. Greek Life at WCU consists of 19 national fraternities and sororities that students are able to choose from. These eleven fraternities and eight sororities are all committed to the growth and success of their Greek Com- munity. Still many students are quite unsure about the opportunities and benefits that being a part of Greek Life has to offer. Many find themselves doubting the ex- perience simply because they arent well enough informed about it. The truth is, being a part of the Greek Community is an excellent opportunity to become involved with cam- pus as well as form bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime. The bonds that are established. are some of the. most rewarding that an un- dergraduate student could ex- perience at Western Carolina. Greek Life is divided be- tween three different coun- cils, each which consists of different chapters of organi- vations, and these chapters may apply to different rules and requirements based on the council they are under. College Panhellenic Council (CPC) consists of the following five sororities: Al- pha Xi Delta, Delta Zeta, Phi aa Lex Menz | Staff Writer College is not like in the movies. It is not a free-for- all party with no rules, no limitations, and no non-stop carelessness. You know that song I Love College? Yeah, well welcome to the real world. Here at Western Carolina University, students come from all different back- grounds, walks of life, races, genders, families, heritages, and more. A different opin- ion among students is like hair on a polar bear, there are a lot of them. To make sure all of these opinions are spoken for and that every- one can agree, the university created the Western Caro- lina University Community Creed. In it are five bullet points on how students are expected to practice, re- spect, demonstrate, en- gage, and celebrate while on and off campus as a West- em Carolina Catamount. This creed is a list of respon- sibilities, not laws. Laws are to be upheld everywhere on every day. The creed is to encourage and remind Cata- mounts that as a Western stu- Mu, Alpha Gamma Delta, and Alpha Chi Omega. Fall 2010 Recruitment is scheduled to begin in August for CPC. The council will be participating in a Meet & Greet at 5 p.m. in the UC Grand Room on Monday, Aug. 23. If you are interested in being a part of the CPC sorority community, this Meet & Greet is a great opportunity to become better acquainted with the women from each chapter, as well as the rest of Greek Life that will be attending. Inter Fraternal Council (IFC) is made up of the fol- lowing eight fraternities: Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Lamb- da Phi, Kappa Sigma, Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Delta Sigma Phi. IFC will begin recruiting in early September where each frater- nity will be hosting several interest parties for their chap- ter. These events, as well as the Meet & Greet, are an op- portunity to get to know the men from each fraternity and let them get to know you also. National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is made up of the following sororities and fraternitys: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Del- ta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, and Zeta Phi Beta, These organizations participate in membership intake in which they select, educate, and initiate their new members into a NPHC chapter. Each organization conducts intake at different times and will be holding separate informational meet- ings throughout the school year. sth yp ad sa wee aT pe aie Tf you would like to learn: more about NPHC and its chapters at WCU, please at- tend Times of the Divine Nine taking place on Sept. 17 in the UC Multipurpose Room. All in all, if you are imter- ested in becoming a part of Greek Life, there will also be plenty of information and the opportunity to meet some WCU Greeks at this upcom- ing Valley Ballyhoo on Sat- urday, Aug. 21 from 4:30-7 dent, this is how one should behave, and he or she will be expected to maintain their re- sponsibilities as listed below: { will practice personal and academic integrity. { will respect the dignity and rights of all persons. J will demonstrate concern for others and live up to my community responsibilities. ] will engage myself in the arts, culture and intellectual life of my University. { will celebrate and take pride in Western Carolina University. In charge of it all is Wal- ter Turner, director of the Department of Student Com- munity Ethics, and his staff including Holly Taylor (As- sistant Director), Miles Ko- muves (Coordinator of Al- cohol and Drug Education. In the early 2000s, Turners predecessor directed the De- partment of Judicial Affairs, but the name was changed due to the word Judicial. The term just did not have i) p.m. In an attempt to meet po- tential new members, the Greeks living at the Village on campus will be hosting a Village Palooza on Sunday, Aug. 22. This Palooza event will allow any interested person into all the sorority and fraternity houses to see the decorative home of each organization. It also offers the Greeks the opportunity to meet some potential new members and offer them a variety of information about their sorority/ fraternity. What most people do not know, is that all Greek Let- ter Organizations at WCU are built upon five basic val- ues: Scholarship, Leadership, Community Service, Brother- hood/Sisterhood, and Ritual. Scholarship: WCUs Greek Community reflects the uni- versitys high level of scholas- tic achievement. Many Greeks get personal guidance in plan- ning their curriculum and may even get assistance with regis- tration and financial aid. Also, Greeks are acknowledged for their academic successes through Greek scholarships and award programs and hon- or societies. Leadership: It is widely known that Greeks are some of the most involved and con- nected students on campus. The Greek community at WCU is known for produc- ing student leaders for cam- pus organizations, commu- nity groups and events, and chapters. There are also op- portunities for leadership. in chapter authority and chapter representatives or officers for councils groups. Community Service: A Large part of being Greek at WCU is dedicating time and energy to others. The Greek community is constantly giving back to the Jackson County community and its surrounding region. Through- out the academic year, the combined Greek community at WCU contributes more community service and phi- about WCU Greek Life Photo by Jarrett Frazier Contestants participate in a Watermelon Bust game - one of many events Greek Life hosts annually. lanthropy hours than any other organization on cam- pus. Greeks have participated in events such as: Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, Childrens Miracle Network, March of Dimes, Community Table Soup Kitchen, TUCK. River Clean-Up and many more. Brotherhood/Sisterhood: Being Greek also involves maintaining a good balance between academics and an active social life. To develop as a whole person, it is es- sential that you connect with people inside and outside of the classroom. Being a part of the Greek community offers many social opportunities that can enrich your college life. Friendship continues to be one of the most important social values of the Greek commu- nity. As a Greek you will learn to combine your own indi- viduality with mutual support, cooperation and teamwork. Ritual: Ritual is the most important aspect of a Greek man or womans experience. The bonds formed through a particular chapters ceremony are lifelong. Ritual is the set of guidelines set for each chapter, and every member of a Greek Letter Organization should strive to live to their ritual not only every day they attend WCU, but for the rest of their lives. All Greeks at WCU strongly encourage this experience, no matter which chapter a person may decide to become a part of. The ex- perience of being Greek alone establishes a bond between every member of Greek Life, despite the fact that they all may wear different letters. Being Greek also involves maintaining a good balance between academics and an active social life. To develop as a whole person, it is es- sential that you connect with people inside and outside of the classroom. Being a part of the Greek community offers many social opportunities that can enrich your college life. _ Friendship continues to be one of the most important social values of the Greek commu- nity. As a Greek you will learn to combine your own indi- viduality with mutual support, cooperation and teamwork. Inthe end, Greek Life has so much to offer. It can be a lite changing experience that can challenge and motivate you, preparing you for the future and offering opportu- nities that help you grow as a person. If you are interested in Greek Life at WCU and would like to know more, please look at http://gogreek.weu. edu, on Facebook or follow Greek Life at WCUGreeks on Twitter. and regulations to follow on campus the right sound to the stu- dents. The name of the depart- ment was changed to better represent the work that we do, said Turner. We work with students within the community. We are not just a judge and jury court. Turner explained that the word judicial could be in- timidating. A student would visually imagine a judge and jury-type court, but the DSCE is nothing like that. We dont function like a court, explained Turner. Our process differs from the court process in a few ways. {We} work with alleged vio- lations of student conduct not the law, though someone could simultaneously violate both... When dealing with a case, the important phrase to re- member is more likely than not. If a student does not uphold one of their respon- sibilities, his or her case will be individually reproached in the attitude of more likely than not. No one is there to judge a student, find him or her guilty, and charge them, next case. There is no reason to walk into a session with a hearing officer and assume the voice of student will not be heard. While consequenc- es are based on a minimum standard set by Western, stu- dents are more or less dealt with on a case by case basis. The university wants to pro- fessionally and personally address and correct misbe- haviors in correlation to the Community Creed and Stu- dent Code of Conduct. {Integrity} is a prac- tice, Turner stated. Were all humans. We all make mistakes. Thus the Creed was in- vented to encompass the wide range of opinions and beliefs that come with West- erns large body of students. Turner explained, We're all here in one great commu- nity...what is it that makes us the same? I would say our creed... We think everyone within the community can agree to and be held to itasa standard. An important bullet. in the Creed is being proud of and becoming involved in Westerns university. There are a lot of grumblings about the size and limitations of Cullowhee and _ sister city of Sylva. However, if one looks around, the university provides many activities to enjoy. Data shows an engaged student is... more success- ful, academically, insisted Turner, I learned a lot of my social skills in college. The more engaged a student is... the more fun theyre going to have with their college expe- rience. And the sooner, the bet- ter! The Week of Welcome is the best place to start hunting and discovering the niches, activities, and friends that will become a part of a stu- dents every day college ex- perience. Plagiarism, which carries a significant consequence for stealing someone elses words or thoughts, and alco- hol abuse, these are the most academic and non-academic common offenses on West- erns campus. Alcohol, how- ever, is constantly a concern, and regularly and _ illegally makes its rounds throughout dorms where it should not be. Also making the Most Popular List is illegal drugs, illegal downloading (which could lead to losing your Internet), and violations of resident life regulations. University Policy 91 is the restriction of weapons on campus. Unless it is a three inch, retractable blade, there better be no weapons hid- ing under the dorm bed. Cell phone use and eating/drink- ing in class is typically a pro- fessor preference so keep cell phones tucked and eat snacks earlier until you get to know your professors pet peeves. If a student wants to get a bit rowdy before a football game, tailgating is allowed as long as individuals par- ticipating in tailgating activi- ties... conduct themselves in a manner of respectful of the nature and character of the University, according to the Student Handbook, Univer- sity Policy 103. Alcohol is allowed during tailgating but only in certain areas, such as the Field House lot, Ramsey Creek Lot, and FPAC. A full list of allowed al- cohol areas during tailgating, along with all of the univer- sitys policies, is available to view on the online Student Handbook.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2010-08-20
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 12.5"
  • Pages: 20
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2010-08-20_Vol76_No10
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library