Sororities show unity
Panhellenic council hosts Badge Day celebration, donates to charity
By REBECCA MARTIN
Celebrating sisterhood, scholarship and friendship, along with about 470 items of clothing for the Marjoree Mason Center, were the high points of the Fresno State Panhellenic Council’s main successes at 2005 Badge Day.
Badge Day, symbolized by each of the Panhellenic Council’s six sororities wearing black and their respective sorority badges throughout the day on Monday began at 7 p.m. in the Residence Dining Hall.
Six sororities comprise the council: Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu and Kappa Alpha Theta.
“It’s important to show the good things Greeks do, because there’s a bad light on Greeks across the country,” Lauren Chalmers, the council public relations director, said.
Chalmers said that opposed to the reputation of Greek organizations currently throughout the country, the Panhellenic sororities are non-hazing.
While a large part of the Council’s focus is on fall recruitment for the sororities, Chalmer’s said badge day celebrates how the six sororities in the Council, which are also the six social sororities with houses in the fraternity mall, help to improve the Fresno community.
For example, Delta Zeta, of which Chalmers is a member, sends money to a local elementary school from the fundraising it does. To do this, the sorority has events that other sororities and fraternities attend.
“We attend other Panhellenic events,” Chalmers said. “It’s how we stay united.”
Badge Day began with a brief history of the beginnings of the event, followed by an introduction of people in attendance. The president of the Council introduced the executive board and the presidents of each sorority.
In addition to the Panhellenic council sororities, presidents from fraternities which are members of the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) were in attendance.
Frankie Moore, the interim Greek adviser, and Suzanne Cobb, a guest speaker, spoke on the benefits of being in a sorority.
“I’ m proud to say the experiences were beneficial with my friends and family,” said Moore, who rushed a sorority in college.
Now a second grade teacher, wife and mother, Cobb agreed with Moore. A legacy, a person with a family member already in the sorority of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Panhellenic Council, Cobb said the people she met during her time in a sorority still help her today.
The event closed with awards going to each sorority for a variety of reasons, and with the announcement of the 467 items of clothing donated by the sisters. Bins were set in each sorority house for collecting clothing to present to the Marjoree Mason Center.
Kappa Kappa Gamma won a prize for the most clothes donated by a sorority, but other awards weren’t as serious. Other awards for the sororities in attendance included Phi Mu winning an award for their sorority house most in need of being painted.
The Council began in 1902 with 26 organizations in Chicago to set up guidelines for pledging and to set up a way to make decisions for the joined organizations. Later, Badge Day became an annual event, which celebrates joining both the sororities, sisterhood and philanthropy.
“Badge Day is a great day to show being united,” Chalmers said. “We work hard for the badge. “It’s a great way to celebrate.”
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