Just this past semester, shortly after stepping foot on Longwood University’s campus, Montu Jani was elected president of the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC).
“I just happened to come to campus at the right time,” Jani said of his impressively quick stride into leadership. As IFC president, he resides over the governing body of all the fraternities on campus where Jani states the council will, “oversee jurisdictions, set regulations [and] make sure we’re providing resources so that fraternities on campus can grow and stay safe.”
A former Monarch, Jani spent his undergraduate career at Old Dominion University where he served as vice president of the Eta Chi chapter of Sigma Nu.
While at ODU, he also helped establish Greek Ambassadors, an organization which, according to the official Facebook page of ODU Fraternity and Sorority Life, acts as a promoter of Greek life, giving it a positive portrayal on campus.
The Facebook page states, “The ambassadors will execute proactive initiatives directed at portraying the positive image of Fraternity and Sorority Life on campus and assisting in providing the opportunity for students at Old Dominion University.”
Jani now joins the Lancer family as a graduate student studying Counseling with similar initiatives in mind.
Namely, he commented that he hopes to eradicate the “stigma that’s associated with fraternities,” not just on Longwood’s campus, but in the Farmville community.
When asked about his goals, Jani stated he wanted to “advocate, collaborate and educate the community,” a step better achieved “by highlighting what our fraternities do and emphasizing the leaders we create.”
According to Jani, IFC is currently in collaboration with both Student Health Services and Campus Police to create an event surrounding Sexual Awareness Day, the day of action, in early April.
The event would strive to educate people on healthy sexuality, especially concerning sexual violence and consent.
This is just the first of many positive initiatives the IFC president is behind.
He also tries to reach out to many on campus departments, including but not limited to, Health Services, Academic Resources and Judicial Affairs, in order to diversify the perception of fraternity men on campus.
“I think of a ‘fraternity man’ as being well-rounded ... in all aspects,” Jani
commented, reiterating his statement on the IFC page on the Longwood website, which promotes ideal fraternity men as “cordial” and “all around gentlemen on campus.”
Jani encourages non-fraternity men to be open-minded.Jani said, “For the men that don’t know what a fraternity actually does, definitely come out, check out the IFC website, come into the Greek Office ... someone is always [willing] to chat with you.”
Ultimately, joining a fraternity was the best decision Jani said he’s ever made, effectively preparing him for the future. His proactive efforts to improve community outlook on fraternity men extend to the campus at large.
By attending town meetings and meeting with local leasers like Walk2Campus about recent noise violations, Jani has given IFC and the Longwood student body a community presence, as well.
