The Throwbacks stood on the stage of Boston University Metcalf Hall on Wednesday, throwing condoms out into the crowd.

“Have some sex tonight,” the rap duo said to around 200 attendees. “Safe sex.”

The Throwbacks embodied the message of the Third Annual Safe Sex Party hosted by the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and Student Health Ambassadors to raise awareness and funds for the AIDS epidemic and to emphasize the practice of safe sex.

“The purpose of the event is to educate and help a great cause,” ZBT member Seth Stern, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said. “Students may feel scared to go to the Student Health Center for the information they need. This event is an easier way to learn it.”

Upon entering the hall, students filled up goody bags with condoms, stickers, tattoos, magnets, lubricant and pamphlets. All proceeds went to the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts.

Student Health Ambassador Jamie Metzinger, a dual-degree senior in CAS and Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said the party raised an estimated $5,000.  “[The AIDS Action Committee] is the oldest and largest organization and helps us support a local rather than national approach to the problem. It helps the greater Boston area.”

The party followed a Battle of the Bands theme, with several artists performing for the audience. Besides the Throwbacks, Green Line Inbound, Rapper Steph, Two Hour Change, Gentleman Hall and Allison Francis performed.

“I like how the messages of the music helped reinforce the theme of safe sex,” CAS freshman  Andres Castello said. “Giving out condoms, food and using music to send the message is a good way to connect with the general attendees of this event. I think it shows BU’s personality through the innovative and creative approach of safe sex and AIDS awareness.”

CAS junior Kara Marcello said she thinks the party was “one of the best Greek Life events” she has attended.

While students said they enjoyed the music, AIDS awareness was never far from their minds, with pamphlets available on the display table.

“My family is from South Africa, there, AIDS is a big problem for residents,” College of Communication freshman Romy Levin said. “I relate to this event and feel like I can relate to the awareness aspect. The event was also very informative about safe sex and was helpful.” 

Northeastern University senior Jon McKenzie said he thinks the party did not talk about safe sex enough.

“There needs to be a speech about the cause,” he said. “The idea of the event wasn’t communicated enough.”

COM senior Vicki Kim said she came to support the Greek community, and because she thinks “the cause is important.”

 “The more knowledge you have, the better off you are,” she said. “This is especially important for college students.”

College of General Studies sophomore Dante Castro agreed about the importance of emphasizing safe sex.

“You can’t stop students from having sex but you can prevent bad things from happening by telling them about safe sex,” he said. “I would definitely go to this event again. I love the music, the free condoms and the ice cream.”

Gellena Lukats is a writer for the Daily Free Press.  The original article may be found here: http://www.dailyfreepress.com/1.914187

by Stephanie Bergman, Published Wednesday October 22, 2008

The Boston University Student Activities Office now requires fraternities and sororities to submit paperwork known as “standards binders” to ensure that they are financially solvent and structurally sound, Greek life officials said.
SAO implemented the new standards program this semester to involve BU with Greek organizations on campus, as other universities with similar Greek life populations have already done, SAO Programs Coordinator Su Bartlett said.
“Lots of universities have programs to track the progress in Greek life,” Bartlett said. “It is important to have statistics and information about what is going on, so we can devise tangible goals and be sure that we reach them.”
Sororities and fraternities must turn in documentation on nearly every aspect of Greek life, including explanations of chapter values, organization, recruitment, new member education, philanthropy, academics and their relationship with BU. 
The more than 20 Greek organizations on campus will also need to disclose a roster of all members, including statistics on them, proof that they can pay their debts and an anti-hazing pledge.
Fraternities and sororities will be rated as poor, satisfactory or excellent. Greek Life will put chapters who receive a “poor” score three years in a row on probation. Bartlett said she hopes to expand from the general category system to a number system once the program gains traction.
Though rankings are meant to show which chapters are living up to BU’s expectations, they will initially be kept within the Greek community out of possible privacy concerns. In the fall of 2009, Bartlett plans to release the rankings without private details to BU as a whole.
“I need to know that all the chapters are in good financial standing, but I don’t need to know details,” he said. “I need to know that the chapters are having meetings, but I don’t need to know exactly what happens at these meetings.”
The information fraternities and sororities will turn over is no more extensive than what they are expected to give their national organizations, Bartlett said.
Bartlett said hazing at other schools prompted the call for discussion at BU.
Last April, a BU student was hospitalized with alcohol poisoning after attending a sorority mixer.
“There are things all Greeks need to work on,” Bartlett said. “This will remind us to have conversations about those things.”
Intra-Fraternity Council President Seth Stern said he thinks the new standards program will lead to progress within the Greek community.
“This is a big step, but it will be really helpful,” Stern, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said. “It will help smaller chapters get more recognition and will get positive information out.”
Stern said no one reported concerns about privacy to him regarding the new standards, because almost all of the information is on file elsewhere. He said putting everything in one place would simply make Greek life more efficient.
Kyle Langan, the new member chairman for Sigma Chi, said some  of his brothers expressed an initial aversion to the program, most have come around to embrace it.
“A lot of chapters like to do things their own way,” Langan, who is also IFC recruitment chair, said. “But now it is a point of pride to be the best, and to be the best, you have to prove it.
BU’s Sigma Chi chapter had a problem with scholarships, because members made the minimum grade point average of 2.5 for fraternity acceptance but were not maintaining it. Brothers also work to dispel the “Animal House” mentality, Langan, a CAS junior, said.
“The worst problem at recruitment is hazing,” he said. “BU is a hazing-free campus, but some freshmen don’t know that, or act like they don’t know that.”
When Greek organizations participated a trial run of the new SAO standards program last semester, its members addressed the problem by giving out more awards for high grades and mandating more library and study hours. 
Langan said the new program could make the IFC a more legitimate governing body and help fraternities move from what he described as “malicious destruction” to more supportive competition.
“This could open up much-needed dialogue,” Langan said. “It will help each chapter put pressure on one another to be better.”
 

Stephanie Bergman is a writer for the Daily Free Press.  The original article may be found here: http://dailyfreepress.com/greek_groups_told_to_submit_standards_binders_to_sao

by Susan Zalkind, Daily Free Press

All it took was a shot at the spotlight and a good cause to make students break blocks with their heads, sing in public and joke about drowning Friday at a benefit event in the George Sherman Union.

The Delta Delta Delta sorority, more commonly called Tri Delta, hosted Rock the Stage for Change talent show, in which student groups performed in front of at least 100 attendees to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“My vision for Rock the Stage for Change was for it to be something campus-wide, something for everyone to participate in,” Tri Delta Philanthropy Chairwoman Kim Taylo said. “There would be no cuts and no limitations on what anyone could do.”

Tri Delta aims to raise $10 million nationally within 10 years to support St. Jude’s, Taylo said. Rock the Stage for Change was “about awareness, not so much about profit,” but show raised more than $1,000 for the hospital.
“I can’t be more happy to be able to tell our St. Jude’s rep, ‘[Here’s] what we have for you. Look what we’ve done for you,’” she said.

St. Jude’s is the only pediatric cancer research center that treats patients regardless of their ability to pay, St. Jude’s spokeswoman Shannon Carter said in an email.

“Tri Delta is an amazing partner,” she said. “Because of partners like them, St. Jude can continue its groundbreaking research and lifesaving care for kids battling cancer and other deadly diseases.”

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, Student Union President Matt Seidel and Student Activities Office Programs Coordinator Su Bartlett judged the 18 student acts. The winning act received 10 seats in the Dean’s suite for a BU versus Boston College hockey game this season. Tri Delta also raffled off balcony seats for an upcoming Boston Bruins game.

“Here’s one more example of how our students are engaged with things that are happening outside of the university walls and into the community in general,” Elmore said before the show.  Elmore said in terms of a winner, he was looking for “substance and soul, and a little creativity thrown in it.”

Rapper Steph, also known as College and Arts and Sciences junior Stephanie Domingo, won the grand prize as a last minute addition to the show.   “I take the truth, and I own it,” she told the audience.

The Massachusetts Collegiate Tae Kwon Do Association won the award for “Crowd Pleaser,” after members broke wooden blocks with their bare heads and hands.  Planet Gonsofus, a rock band, won “Most Original” with their songs, “Steal Your Mind” and “Maelstrom.”

The show kicked off with the comedy group, Slow Children at Play, performing “Water Ghosts,” a sketch about an overzealous lifeguard.
“The ocean covers 90 percent of the world’s surface area, so that means there is a 90 percent chance of someone dying today,” troupe President John Welsh said during his act.

In addition to comedy routines and dance teams, a cappella groups, step teams and musical bands competed in the show. Bartlett said she was excited to see the performances.  “I see all those students coming into the office all the time, so I was so excited to see what they actually put on,” she said. “I’m glad to see all the enthusiasm that they have and all the talent.”

Susan Zalkind is a writer for the Daily Free Press.  The original article may be found here:  www.dailyfreepress.com/sorority_rocks%252C_chops_and_rolls_for_cancer_center. 

Congratulations to the InterFraternity Council's seven fraternities who recently welcome approximately 120 members into Greek Life this Fall.  This has already exceeded last years total recruitment, and plan to continue to add to this number come Spring.

It is never too late to Go Greek!  Please contact ifc@bu.edu if you are interesting in joining a fraternity this coming Spring, or panhel@bu.edu if you are interested in Spring Recruitment for Sororitiies!

On Sunday, September 28, Delta Gamma hosted it's first ever fashion show, "Project Delta Glam," with proceeds going to Service for Sight. The runway proved fabulous for fundraising. Almost every Greek organization on campus participated, and the event raised over $2,800 with over 350 attendees. With looks from Boston boutiques, a local band, voter registration, an eye care "walk-off", Benefit make-up counter, and bake sale, these East Coast fashionistas took "doing good" to a new level. "Project Delta Glam," established by VP Foundation Chelsea Alexander and Director of Fundraising Molly Fedick, will no doubt be an annual event.