Move Your Phi't 2007

The Alpha Phi Sorority is currently advertising "Move Your Phi't 2007". This is a 5 kilometer walk/race that the group puts on annually at the University of Maine. Alpha Phi encourages everybody from the university campus and beyond to attend this event. There is a $5 registration fee, but all proceeds are given to the Alpha Phi Foundation, which funds research for womens cardiac care. Among the actual events will be a free barbeque where all participants can grab something to eat. In addition to this Alpha Phi will throw the fraternity with the highest participation in this event a private party at the beginning of the next fall semester. This of course is all driven towards getting as much money as psooible for their cause. The event begins April 22nd at 12:00pm, with registration for the walk/race at 11:30. For more information on this event you can visit the group's website at http://www.umaine.edu/alphaphi/ .

Service Chapters at UMaine

At the University of Maine there are Greek organizations that are only focused on participation in the community. These organizations are known as “service fraternities“ amongst the Greek community. Alpha Phi Omega represents the largest service fraternity on campus, it is also the largest service fraternity in the United States. Alpha Phi Omega follows in the footsteps of the Boy Scouts of America and has adopted the Boy Scout oath as their own. Their mission, as stated on their fraternity website, is to “develop leadership, to promote friendship and to provide service to humanity; and to further freedom that is our national, educational and intellectual heritage.” This, and other information about the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity can be found on their website at http://www.umaine.edu/apo/ .

Phi Mu in the Community

The Phi Mu Sorority is one of those Greek organizations that stands out amongst the rest when talking about community service. Their dedication can be seen first-hand by simply reading their sorority creed. The very first line of their creed states, “To lend to those less fortunate a helping hand.” The one community service project they are involved in that they are most proud of is with The Children’s Miracle Network. The Children’s Miracle Network is on the front-lines of in finding preventative medicines for life-threatening diseases and treating those children already impacted by incurable ailments. The Phi Mu Sorority’s national headquarters has actually considered the Children’s Miracle Network as their “national philanthropy event” and encourage all chapters throughout the United States and Canada to get involved with the program. More information of the UMaine chapter of Phi Mu can be found at http://www.phimupichapter.org/index.html . Additionally, more information about The Children’s Miracle Network can be found at http://www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org .

Delta Tau Delta on the Forefront

The Gamma Nu chapter of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity is no stranger to community service. They can be seen among the many UMaine Greek organizations trying to make a difference in the community. One event they are particularly proud of is a program called the “Adopt-A-School” program. This program requires that they travel to Old Town Elementary on a weekly basis to help students with schoolwork, and provide them with a positive role model to look up to. Also, fraternity members help teachers and administrators by rearranging rooms and doing other time-consuming work. For more information on this or other events that the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity is involved in you can visit their website at
http://www.umaine.edu/delts/communityservice/communityservice.asp .

Getting Involved With MPBN

The Kappa Sigma fraternity recently participated in the Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s annual fundraising telethon. They manned phones and computers collecting donations from MPBN’s loyal viewers. Why volunteer time to collect money for a television network? Sean Sormanti, treasurer of the fraternity, said that they like to get involved with groups like MPBN because of the large impact that they have on the local and state community. He said that they are able to reach a larger number of people by working with MPBN then they would have been able to reach otherwise. MPBN’s schedule consists of programming for children, unbiased news coverage, and documentaries about the world around us. An upcoming special they are excited about, which airs April 15th, is titled America at a Crossroads, which strives to educate people about the post 9/11 world. Information about this and MPBN’s other broadcasts can be found at http://www.mpbc.org/.

The Interfraternity Council's Impact on Community Service

The North-American Interfraternity Council (IFC) has been representing fraternities on college campuses since 1909. Information on the group can be found at http://www.umaine.edu/greek/councils/IFC.htm, on the University of Maine’s Greek Life website. There one can find that the IFC serves 66 fraternities on more than 800 college campuses in the United States and Canada.
At the University of Maine the IFC manages 14 fraternities. The IFC holds weekly meeting with fraternities making sure they represent the standards expected of fraternities at the University. Among the standards that the IFC promotes among fraternities is that they must strive to “protect the health and safety of all members of the community.” The IFC annually hands out rewards for the fraternities that show the most dedication to serving the community, and encourage every fraternity and sorority on campus to involve themselves with the community as much as possible.

One Fraternity Making a Difference

Members of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity have made it one of their key goals to participate in community service events while at the University of Maine. As a member of this fraternity I can say that Kappa Sigma has strived to have a positive impact on the college campus, and the community that surrounds it. Each member is required to participate in a certain amount of community service projects each semester. Among some of the events Kappa Sigma has participated this year are the pledge drive with the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, serving food at the Manna food kitchen in Bangor, directing traffic for the Maine Mental Illness Awareness Walk, and many others. The goal of each program is to get people involved in the community and to help those who are less fortunate. Participating in community service is a goal of the majority of Fraternities and Sororities at the University of Maine. There is no doubt that their combined forces have had a great impact on the local and state communities.