By Greg Anderson, MGC President
The Multicultural Greek Council has finished its first year at Lehigh University! In order to promote unity amongst its members, the MGC hosted a leadership retreat at the ropes course before the start of the fall semester. This was a time to begin forging new relationships, develop an understanding for one another, and establish the specific goals that the council hoped to accomplish by the end of the year.
One of the initial goals of the council was to not only build a foundation for itself on the campus, but also make their name known to the entire Lehigh community. With this objective in mind, the council hosted one of its first events in the fall: Meet the Greeks. This event focused on informing students about the traditions and history of each of the organizations comprising the council. It also served as a time to highlight each fraternity and sorority’s accomplishments and goals for the upcoming year.
Weekly meetings ensured that all council members were aware of not only events that individual MGC organizations were hosting, but of programs being held throughout the entire campus. By utilizing the meetings, members were able to voice their opinions and promote activities that further bonded the council while also serving as positive events for students and faculty. Each organization hosted workshops and presentations to inform those interested of exciting concepts and topics that may not have been discussed otherwise, including programs dealing with sexuality, violence against women in the form of the event “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes”, and a presentation on different rites of passage used in cultures all across the globe.
One of the biggest accomplishments for the MGC was their role in Dancefest. Members from the council served as instructors and were able to teach different steps and strolls to students comprising both the IFC and Panhel. They were also given an opportunity to perform at Dancefest and represent their organizations with pride. This event served as a way to strengthen the Greek community as a whole, and showed that great things can happen when various groups work together.
The MGC has accomplished its goal of establishing its name on campus. It was not always an easy task, but every member upheld the ideals of the council in the highest regard and worked towards promoting a stronger Greek community. With their continued work and dedication, there is nothing that this council could not accomplish with the next upcoming year.