By Shira Kipnees II Senior Staff Writer
Last Monday, Feb. 2, Dan Porterfield, president of the College, welcomed the newest fraternity members on campus, congratulating them on their bid acceptances and extending his well-wishes for the second year in a row. Also joining Porterfield at the welcoming ceremony was Margaret Hazlett, dean of the College.
According to Mark Rooney ’17, president of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), both Porterfield and the IFC wanted to share their vision for what the F&M Greek community could be — one based on honor, pride, and tradition, as well as one that looks out for everyone’s best interests.
“We want F&M’s Greek community to serve as a model for the nation,” Rooney said.
He also explained that Porterfield’s speech included pointing out that the new members were joining great organizations on campus that preach high ideals and values, and that the new members need to live up to those expectations and become leaders on campus.
“Dr. Porterfield said that we need to be the men on Saturday nights that we are on Tuesday mornings; men with honor, integrity, intellect, and compassion,” Rooney said. “Dr. Porterfield also spoke a bit about bystander intervention and sexual assault, and that we all have an obligation to be an active bystander and help those who are having a problem or are in an uncomfortable situation.”
Rooney noted that Porterfield’s message was well-received and reiterated by the IFC, saying that they were important. “It was great to have Dr. Porterfield stand behind us as we move forward as a Greek community,” he elaborated.
“The IFC also made sure to impart to the new members that while they represent their specific fraternities, they represent all Greek life at F&M, as well as the school as a whole,” Rooney said. “That was received very well, that we are all in this together.”
Rooney also noted that the trend of having Porterfield speak to new fraternity members is a tradition the IFC would like to continue in the coming years, as it shows the new members that the Greek community is a collective unit and that Porterfield stands behind F&M’s Greeks.
“It’s great to get all the new members in the room together and show them that we are in fact a whole community and not fragmented,” Rooney said. “It’s also meaningful to show that Dr. Porterfield stands behind our
community.”
Shira Kipnees is a Senior Staff Writer. Her email is skipnees@fandm.edu.
Photos by photo editor sophomore Emma Brown.