Longwood University's Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life hopes to have a Greek Ambassadors program up and running by the end of the spring 2014 semester. Over the past two weeks, student coordinator for the Greek offices, Emily Russell, has been interviewing potential candidates for the new program.
“We’ve had almost 30 applicants, which is wonderful,” said Russell. However, Russell said the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life will most likely accept 15 to 20 ambassadors in order to start with a smaller group.
Ambassadors for this program will be members of one of the Inter-Fraternity Council or College Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities or sororities. A second round of interviews is currently in the works so that members of National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations can also become Greek Ambassadors.
The Greek ambassadors will steer clear of duties related to that of the current Longwood Ambassadors program.
“We’re obviously not trying to take what they do over,” said Russell. “We’re essentially not trying to take over anyone’s position that they have. We’re just trying to help fill the gaps.”
Wolfgang Acevedo, associate director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, echoed Russell’s sentiments. “I don’t think in any capacity it’s like the Longwood Ambassadors program,” said Acevedo. “It’s just more of a Greek life thing ... I think the message we have is just not the same thing; they’re going to be the face of Fraternity and Sorority Life officially for an incoming student, a student that just has a question, even parents.”
While campus tours aren’t on the agenda, the Greek Ambassadors do hope to be able to have an impact on prospective students. Currently, Russell is looking into the program being able to participate in the prospective student open houses. Organizations are able to set up poster presentations during these open houses, and both Russell and Acevedo think that having Greek Ambassadors represented in that space would be very beneficial for the Greek community.
“It really is an opportunity for the students to be able to market and showcase what they have to offer as a Greek community,” said Acevedo. “It makes it easier for men and women to connect to the peers aside from ... the professionals in the office. I think it’s a lot more powerful when a student has another student telling them ‘Hey, these are the benefits I’ve gained from being Greek.’”
Another opportunity that the Greek Ambassadors are hoping to break into is New Lancer Days. All incoming freshman at Longwood University are required to attend this four-day on-campus orientation program where speakers are brought in to educate the students about the aspects of their new college life.
Russell believes that, “having a presentation at New Lancer Days about what Greek life is about and then also visiting some LSEMs about letting them know what Greek life can offer them,” would be key to integrating the Greek and Longwood communities.
According to Acevedo, these LSEM presentations would be a key aspect of the co-curricular nature of the Greek Ambassadors program. “We’ll do a good job of sending out [notices] to LSEM professors saying, ‘Hey, we have the Greek Ambassadors that will come to your classroom and do a 30-45 [minute] or an hour long presentation regarding Greek life here at Longwood,’ and they would create the development of that presentation. ... This is an opportunity for them to put the stuff they’ve learned in their program or their majors into the real world.”
Along with prospective and new students, the Greek Ambassadors program hopes to reach out to current Longwood students who are not involved with the Greek community on campus. “I know there are stereotypes,” said Russell, “and I personally do not like any of the stereotypes ‘cause they’re all wrong.”
Acevedo agreed and thinks that the Greek Ambassadors program might be a vital part of the solution to the problem. For Acevedo, the Ambassadors program will provide a “cool way to show students, ‘Hey, this is what Greek life is about. I know you have an image already because of the media or because of other things or even because of just people that are in it, but this is what it’s really about for us.’”
Russell simply hopes that through this program, the Longwood campus community will gain a better understanding of the Greek community. IFC President Montu Jani is in complete agreement. “I think that Greek Ambassadors will greatly help promote and educate the campus about IFC, CPC and NPHC organizations.” He added, “I am excited to see the group of Ambassadors plan and promote unity.”
While Acevedo said this program is very much a “work in progress,” he says it’s one he’s very much excited about and added that relative uncertainty is how he works best. “I’m about putting things on paper and seeing how they go. So let’s see how this goes.”
