By Robert Rinehart
SC Contributing Writer
On October 26, over 100 Greek Life members came together on the quad before venturing out to various streets that connect to our campus. The event began as an idea when council presidents spoke about the Good Neighbor Program at ESU.
Two councils govern Greek Life at ESU. The Interfraternity Council governs the fraternities, and the Panhellenic Council governs the sororities.
Candice Cantore, a senior here at ESU, is president of the Panhellenic Council. Robert Rinehart, also a senior here at ESU, is president of the Interfraternity Council. Together, after numerous discussions and planning sessions, they were able to make this event happen.
This year was the first time ESU Greek Life came together to do a community cleanup like this. The event worked out so well that they are in the process of making it an annual service project after each homecoming.
They also plan to clean the campus at various other times throughout the year. During this service project, they were able to collect over 18 bags of garbage.
They focused their cleanup on key roads that commuters, faculty, staff, community members, and prospective students may use. Prospect Street, Ransberry Avenue, Normal Street, Analomink Street, North and South Green Street, Smith Street, and Ridgeway Street, were all targeted and cleaned up by Greek members.
Several Greek organizations have taken it upon themselves as individual groups to adopt neighboring streets in the community to clean up.
As recently as last week, Theta Chi took it upon itself to adopt Hallet Street. They plan on cleaning the street as many times as possible throughout the semester.
Delta Chi adopted North and South Green Street back in 2011 and was recently recognized by the township of East Stroudsburg with their own sign placed on the street.
Alpha Sigma Tau, a sorority, adopted Lincoln Ave by WalMart and has been cleaning this street for several semesters.
Other Greek organizations that clean streets around the East Stroudsburg area include Sigma Sigma Sigma: Lackawanna Street, Kappa Alpha Psi: First Street in Stroudsburg, Lambda Iota: Crystal Street, Alpha Omicron Pi teamed up with the Psychology Association to clean Smith Street, and the Greek Honors Society, Order of Omega has adopted Emerson.
These are just some of the service projects that Greeks do throughout the fall and spring semesters. They volunteer at soup kitchens, build homes with Habitat for Humanity, organize 5ks, and hold food and clothing drives for the needy.
Greek Life hopes to get a message out that they are not that they are not like what the media may sometimes portray them to be. They about their community and hope to keep it both scenic and beautiful.
For any questions regarding Greek Life, contact Candice Cantore at ccantore@live.esu.edu.
Email Robert at:
rrhinehar@live.esu.edu