Between the Columns March 2011
The Auburn University Fraternity Newsletter
Spring Issue
A Look Ahead from the IFC Exec
I believe that Auburn’s Greek system is one of the best in the Southeastern Conference. This semester has been very complementing to that claim as we have achieved great things and are working toward many more. So many positive things have taken place and we have been hard at work to move our fraternal community in a progressive direction, all while staying true to our deep tradition on Auburn’s campus. I’m pleased to tell you that our IFC was awarded seven awards at the annual Southeastern Interfraternity Conference just last month. For the first time in years we took home the most premier of the tokens, which was the “Fraternal Excellence Award,” given to the best allaround IFCs in the Southeast. I was excited to bring that award back to the Plains and believe our fraternal community was very deserving of it. Even with the upmost of successes, I believe there’s always room for improvement. With that being said and understood by our IFC, we’ve been hard at work to build on our successes and identify areas where improvement can occur.
We have restructured IFC Cabinet, made technological advancements in regards to party registration and roster management, worked to enhance this year’s summer and fall rush, and begun many other projects that will make lasting impressions on our Greek system for years and generations to come. Does our Greek community have our share of issues that sometimes don’t compliment our many successes? Sure, we definitely do. But, all in all, I am correct in saying we have an excellent Greek system and I’d put it up against any in the country. I hope you share this pride with me, as I believe that we should pride ourselves on our successes and strive to hold ourselves to the upmost virtues set forth in the Auburn Creed. I am excited about the year ahead and look forward to leading our Interfraternity Council to many successes. I hope you enjoy this issue of Between the Columns. Interfraternally, Johnny Blankenship 2011 IFC President
Party Done Right Phillip Albright, Vice President of Risk Management The weather continues to get warmer, classes increasingly become more tempting to skip, and now that Spring Break has drawn to a conclusion, one thing can unanimously be agreed upon: spring has officially arrived. In response, pools become more crowded, gatherings in the front yards of fraternity houses seem second nature, and more specifically, many Greek organizations will begin hosting spring social events. While virtually everyone knows what a phenomenal time spring social events can be, many people are unaware of how to handle the numerous risk management challenges associated with a social event. Therefore, in preparation for these upcoming events and any others that may occur this year, the Interfraternity Council will be working in collaboration with the Panhellenic and National Pan-Hellenic Councils to host the third annual Party Done Right. This year’s Party Done Right will take place at the Sigma Nu Fraternity House on Thursday, March 31st, from 8-11 PM and will feature a live-music performance by Tim Tyler. In attendance will be some of Auburn University’s premier Greek Leaders, accompanied by various other guests and administrators. Aside from stressing the major dangers that can arise during a social event, the primary objective of the Party Done Right is to better educate the Greek Community on the proper legal and Council-oriented policies and procedures to follow when hosting such an event in order to minimize risk for the organization and ensure the safety of all parties involved. This event is meant to prove that, while many risk management precautions may be undesirable, social events can be just as safe as they are fun through the right planning and implementation. The collective hope shared by each Council is that by proactively providing a golden example, such as the Party Done Right, all persons in attendance will be inspired to take the same guidelines on display back to their respective organizations and apply them to social events in the future. With that being said, Party Done Right cannot be successful without the support of the Greek Community. Therefore, I highly encourage each and every guest that has received an invitation to come out and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. With such terrific live entertainment, coupled with a great venue and perfect weather, this year’s Party Done Right promises to be a blast.
Current Spirit Point Standings as of 3/11/2011 FarmHouse Phi Gamma Delta Alpha Tau Omega Kappa Alpha Order Chi Phi Alpha Phi Omega Honors Congress Sigma Nu Phi Kappa Psi Sigma Pi Pi Kappa Phi Phi Sigma Kappa Lambda Chi Alpha Sigma Phi Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon Delta Tau Delta
7701 6805 6594 6133 6102 5563 4321 4148 4023 3431 3235 3128 2803 2320 2318 2258
Theta Chi Theta Xi Phi Kappa Tau Phi Delta Theta Beta Theta Pi Sigma Chi Delta Chi Alpha Kappa Lambda Delta Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma Alpha Gamma Rho Black Student Union (BSU) Sigma Alpha Epsilon NPHC Pi Kappa Alpha
2080 2063 1709 1522 1494 1355 1345 1236 1196 1114 1104 1008 917 824 369
SEIFC Awards Drew Wilson, Director of Public Relations The Auburn University Interfraternity Council (IFC) was recognized at the Southeastern Interfraternity Conference (SEIFC) Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 19, 2011. The organization received seven fraternal excellence awards in the following categories: Educational Programming, Outstanding Educational Program, Campus & Community Relations, Community Service, Outstanding Philanthropy, and Outstanding Service Project (honorable mention). The IFC was also recognized with an overall Fraternal Excellence Award. The Southeastern Interfraternity Conference is an association of fraternity governing councils in the Southeast. Its goal is to bring together different fraternal men from several different campuses devoted to fraternal excellence. These awards show that Auburn’s IFC is among the top in the country, excelling in all areas of fraternal life.
Photo by: Emily Adams
Chapter Spotlight of the Month: Kappa Alpha Order Matt Carlisle, Vice President of Public Relations Auburn’s Nu Chapter was awarded the Carl Albert Most Improved Chapter Award from the Kappa Alpha Order National Office for 2010. Nu Chapter was selected for the award from 131 KA chapters nationally. During the award presentation, Nu Chapter was specifically commended for their implementation of a “No Hazing Contract” which all brothers and pledges must sign and agree to, as well as their philanthropy work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. “It’s a great honor for Nu Chapter to win the Most Improved Chapter Award,” said KA President Charlie Humphreys; “We are looking forward to building on our positive momentum from 2010 and making 2011 an even better year for KA.”
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Between The Columns
IFC Cabinet 2011 Drew Wilson, Director of Public Relations
Members of the 2011 IFC Cabinet IFC Cabinet is the workhorse of the Interfraternity Council. The Cabinet is chaired by Stewart Parks, the IFC Administrative Vice President, and has 10 directors and two assistant directors. Each director is responsible for a specific purpose that advances the Greek Community, gives back to the local community and to Auburn University. IFC Cabinet works to bring together men from different fraternities to work towards to common betterment of Auburn’s Greek system. Cabinet will utilize men with an innate sense of leadership to reach outside of their respective fraternities to foster a stronger Greek community as a whole. The members are as follows:
Director of Academics: Director of IFC Carnival: Director of Greek Week: Director of New Member Education: Director of the Philanthropy: Director of Public Relations: Director of Recruitment: Asst. Director of Recruitment: Director of Relations: Director of Risk Management: Asst. Director of Risk Management: Director of Spiritual Life:
David Serra John Young Carter Hawkins Sam Benham Justin Artim Drew Wilson Cole Jacobs Logan Shelton Blake Jackson Anh Duong Garner Lee Thompson McMurtie
A X X AT AE N B X X
IFC Court 2011 Drew Wilson, Director of Public Relations
Members of the 2011 IFC Court The IFC Court for 2011 has been selected and is ready to take on the coming year. The court is chaired by Paul Stone (Farmhouse) and consists of nine other members: Scott Martin (Sigma Alpha Epsilon), Adam Stovall (Pi Kappa Alpha), Dylan Digmon (Alpha Tau Omega), William Toothaker (Alternate, Theta Chi), Casey Painter (Alternate, Phi Kappa Tau). The court is structured to not only ensure that Auburn fraternities consistently uphold the standards expected from every Auburn man, but also to help solve problems facing fraternities on campus. The court’s purpose is not to solely reprimand fraternities, but to provide a means for fraternities to solve their current issues. By working with the IFC Court, fraternities can find solutions to the concerns that are most important to them. IFC Court has an open-door policy and encourages all fraternities to consult them if a fraternity wants help resolving an issue facing them such as chapter GPA, etc.
Philanthropy Challenge Matt Carlisle, Vice President of Public Relations Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in our January bowling tournament at AMF Lanes. Congratulations to Theta Xi for taking the first place position and to FarmHouse and Alpha Tau Omega for taking the second and third place spots! That was the first philanthropy challenge event of the year, which will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County. Our next event, the volleyball tournament, will be tentatively scheduled for Sunday, April 3rd at Pi Kappa Phi. Sign-up sheets for the IFC Golf Tournament will also be out after Spring Break, which is going to be hosted at Auburn Links on Sunday, April 17th, after A-day. We look forward to continually having events that promote fraternal unity and welcome any suggestions on events that the Greek Community would like to have available. Thanks for the continued support, with your help we are looking forward to a successful year. 5
Between The Columns
The Final Word: The Spirit of Auburn University Trevor Ramsey, SGA Director of Spirit The Spirit of Auburn is often referred to, yet rarely defined. In order to further understand, let’s start at the origin of the word “Auburn” itself. Oliver Goldsmith of Lissoy, Ireland coined the name Auburn for the “loveliest village in the plains” from the Latin word alburnus, meaning pure or white (we now know it mean off-brown/burnt orange due to a mistranslation into English). He wrote his poem, The Deserted Village, out of disgust for greedy aristocrats unnecessarily buying land, leaving farms, families, and homes deserted. Goldsmith’s message of concern spread throughout the country, and eventually made it into the hands of Miss Lizzie Taylor, the lady who named the City of Auburn. Goldsmith was a free-spirited guy (a frequent at the pub), trying to make his country better and take care of those around him. Many have attempted to describe Auburn: “I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body, and a Spirit that is not afraid” -George Petrie, 1945 It is a spirit. It is an attitude. It is a way of looking at life and at one another. It is, almost, a way of living. Unless you have experienced it, you will never know what it is; you will never understand it. Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. A part of you will, forevermore, be an Auburn man or an Auburn woman. -David Housel, 1980 It is a small child seeing Aubie for the first time, a student coming to Auburn knowing four people and then graduating with thousands of friends, a Saturday 2:30 kickoff in the fall, the drum major throwing his stick into the ground while Jordan Hare Stadium explodes with cheers, an eagle flying in a circle around the stadium and landing in midfield, the number one student body singing with all of their might “Lean on Me “while false rumors were circulating about their star quarterback, that same star quarterback coming to the student section to simply say thank you, an orange and blue sunset, a friendship that will never die, an administrator taking the time to see how your day is going, and it is the VP of Student Affairs coming home with you to see where you come from and to meet your family. -Kurt Sasser, 2011 My passion for Auburn is sparked by the Spirit of Auburn, which lives on in innumerable ways across the world. Alumni carry the Spirit of Auburn as they exemplify Auburn in their workplaces and homes. Those who have passed carry on the Spirit of Auburn in their glowing memories and lasting impressions. Auburn students today carry the spirit as they strive for intellectual, spiritual, social, and moral excellence; they fuel the Spirit of Auburn by continually making it a better place to learn and live. We have a unique institution, a home away from home, where the passionate emerge as leaders, students take the time to support the passions of their fellows, faculty and administrators are members of the family, and, despite our occasional differences, the Auburn Family will always be united. May we always greet each other with War Eagle, may the Spirit continue to live on, and may the Lord, our God, continue to bless the students of Auburn University. War Damn Eagle, Trevor Ramsey