Most students over Winter Break will prepare for another academic semester. But some students will also be preparing to take over the leadership positions for the social fraternities and sororities on campus when the new semester begins.

Both the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association executive boards recently elected new leadership for the upcoming calendar year.

Panhel delegates approved the slate for next year’s executive board Monday night, now consisting of 13 new members. The board also approved several new positions, including a community service chair, a membership development coordinator and a junior Panhel coordinator.

While the board approved the slate of new members, the current board members won’t finish serving in their positions until Feb. 8, the day recruitment ends with Bid Day.

The Panhel board is responsible for overseeing the 12 social sorority chapters. Primarily, its members chair separate subcommittees such as recruitment and risk management.

Missy Morrison, the outgoing vice president of risk management and a senior musical theatre major, is pleased with the diversity among houses on the next year’s board.

‘We have nine out of 12 houses represented, which is absolutely fantastic,’ she said. ‘It’s hard because not every house has members who apply.’

The IFC board has two returning members, a routine number after its Nov. 21 elections. The new members are younger than in the past, with more sophomores participating. Charlie Walker, the newly elected IFC president and a junior religious studies major, says this aspect will benefit future boards.

‘Even though the board is younger overall, they’re more prepared than in previous history,’ he said.

The IFC board offers eight executive positions with three alternate positions. Terms for the positions last one year, beginning next semester.

‘The main goal of IFC is to serve its 18 chapters,’ said current IFC president Tom Toole, a senior finance and accounting major. He hopes that the future board will continue to move in a direction that promotes self-governance.

‘It’s about serving the fraternities, not about the university,’ he said.

While Walker said he wouldn’t hesitate to change future problems, he has no current plans to drastically change the way things are run. He feels that the board already hit a turning point last year, overcoming low rush numbers and bad publicity.

‘With all the work the board did last year, it set a stronger basis for leadership this year,’ Walker said. ‘Toole laid the groundwork. Now it’s my job to make sure everything gets done that needs to be done.’

Walker did outline areas he plans to continue improving, especially making the rush process more efficient.

‘We’re interested in getting our numbers up,’ Walker said.

He hopes to encourage the board’s two new rush chairs to publicize spring rush more. He also feels the process will be more organized because he and Matt Goodman, the newly-elected vice president of communications and a junior newspaper major, are former rush chairs.

‘We can be a guide to the next rush chairs,’ he said.

Walker added that the current IFC allocated more money to this year’s recruitment effort.

Published on December 1, 2003 at 12:00 pm