WEDNESDAY | 4.12.2017 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 60, Issue 23
Geeked-Out Greeks Relay For Life
Ross Reelachart Technology Editor
Managing the technical intricacies of a fraternity or sorority can be a daunting task, but it can be made simpler by using a web-based online management system made and managed by two of ODU’s own student self-starters. With help from the Strome Entrepreneurial Center, Jon Henson and Dane Howard built the fraternity/sorority management system known as Greek Global. I sat down with the two to learn about them, Greek Global and what
it’s like growing their own start-up from scratch. Howard described himself as having been “entrepreneurial since high school,” and had honed his skills since then as well. Even before college, he had developed a system for a local insurance agency and a ride-sharing service. During his high school years, Henson was involved in DECA, an organization that “prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.” So he
was more than prepared to handle the business side of launching and running Greek Global. They both joined separate fraternities and eventually met over their shared entrepreneurial interest. Howard, as vice president and treasurer of his fraternity, had experienced firsthand what it was like managing a fraternity. “We used multiple sites to manage everything from recruitment to finance to file storage,” Howard said. Seeing how messy the manage-
ment was, Howard created an early prototype of Greek Global that allowed him to fulfill all of his duties from a single place. While Howard handled the development of Greek Global as a way to serve fraternity/ sorority management, Henson made sure it got in front of chapter leaders. Like many other start-ups have reiterated before, a product or service is just a cool idea if no one is using it. Henson got people to use it, Howard made sure it was good to use. see STARTUP, page D3
We've Got
SPIRIT Brittany Reigelsperger Contributing Writer The Old Dominion Spirit Squad Cheerleading Team made history on Friday. The team traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida for the two-day competition and returned as the NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) Intermediate All-Girl 1A National Champions. Head coach Carmen Harris and assistant coach Dr. Melvin Farland took over the Spirit Squad in 2013.
It has been the goal of both coaches to transform ODU’s Cheer and Dance team from sideline-based to competition-focused. They led the Cheer team to the national competition in 2015, but were eliminated after one day of competing. They would not return to Daytona Beach for the 2016 championship in part due to their poor performance at the 2015 competition and also not being able to obtain a higher paying bid at a championship qualifying
camp. Harris and her 26 studentathletes, however, worked tirelessly through the summer preparing for this moment in earning a Silver Paid Bid at the NCA college team qualifying camp. “Two years ago was very beneficial for them. They’ve been there and down that now and have a completely different outlook on the competition,” Harris said. The 26-member team range from
freshmen to veteran seniors with varying majors but despite their differences, they came out on top. On the first day of competition, the Lady Monarchs finished in third place with a score of 91.7 on a 100-point scale after losing a few points for dropping a few stunts throughout the routine. All routines are scored on the same aspects including pyramids, stunts, jumps and tumbling. see CHEER, page C1
Tracey Buyrn Contributing Writer There are approximately 15.5 million U.S. citizens who have survived the deadly grips of cancer since 2016. There are more people around you affected by cancer than you know, which is why Relay for Life is presented every year on campus to celebrate those survivors and be there for those still afflicted by the disease. The seventeenth annual fundraiser kicked off Friday night outside the Student Recreation Center. AJ McCafferty, Executive Director of the event, commenced the ceremony, followed by remarks from Dr. Ellen Neufeldt and President John Broderick. The event is sponsored in cooperation with the American Cancer Society to help raise money for cancer research, help find new treatments and support those who have been diagnosed. The event began at sunset, which has significant meaning. Hearing the words, “you have cancer” for the first time can feel like the sun is going down on you. The relay then lasts through the night to signify how fighting cancer, or watching others fight it, can often be lonely, dark and cold. Finally, the relay wraps up as the sun rises to represent when a survivor goes into remission. Before the first lap of the relay, Broderick spoke on how cancer connects those at the university more than we might recognize. There have been several professors, some who are currently fighting the disease and a few that have recently passed on. Relay for Life helps remember those who have survived and those who are still afflicted see RELAY, page A4
HELTPED WAN
see page A2