The National Pan-Hellenic Council held a Greek Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 4 for all students interested in joining one of the six active NPHC fraternities and sororities at the University of Mississippi. 

“The Greek Forum is something we do every semester to give interested students a chance to come to the forum and learn about some of our organizations to see which will be best fit for them,” UM NPHC President Jatoni Donelson said. 

This event consisted of an introduction to the NPHC leadership, a speech by Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Dean and NPHC alumna Ethel Young Scurlock and was followed by presentations from the active NPHC chapters on campus. Prospective members then had the chance to speak to representatives of the chapters. 

 “I’m pretty sure coming into college (that) being Greek is something that’s on a lot of people’s minds — especially coming to Ole Miss because Ole Miss is known for its Greek community,” Donelson said. “They get to learn the type of community service that each organization does (and the) type of requirements, philanthropy, values and principles that go into making that organization what it is.” 

The NPHC intends to promote a sense of comradery between its members, Donelson said.

“NPHC’s purpose on college campuses is to … provide a safe space for African American students to kind of gather and be in a group of like-minded people,” Donelson said. “NPHC has basically given me a home away from home. It has provided me with a tremendous amount of networking opportunities and has also helped improve my professional skills.”