IU in the year 2015: Changes to frat row

Unity and service are dominant themes in the long-term objectives for IU's greek community.\nSenior Omear Khalid, vice president of Administration of the Interfraternity Council and active fraternity member, said that by 2015 he hopes to see a bridge the invisible gap that exists between greek and non-greek students.\n"We are all students on this campus and committed to doing something good for the community," he said.\nTo make a connection, Khalid said a step many campus chapters are taking right now is inviting and encouraging independents or students unaffiliated with the greek community to it's philanthropic and social events.\n"I can see the greek system at IU being a very strong one and contributing a lot," he said.\nIn addition, Khalid said he predicts that membership could increase in fraternities by 2015, especially after this year's massive increase -- one of almost 1,000 -- in male pledges. Khalid attributes the increase to the elimination of pledge fees and the need for friends one has a freshman.\n"Pledging gives you the opportunity to make great friends from all across the country," he said. "You diversify yourself in terms of friendships and you have a better, more balanced college experience."\nSenior Erin McKeighan, Panhellenic Association's vice president of Operations, said in an e-mail message IU's greek future should be focused on "greek communities increasing involvement and support of the Bloomington and IU communities as well in our philanthropic work."\nBecause of recent successful fund-raisers -- most notably Zeta Tau Alpha's Big Man on Campus, which raised $60,000 for their national philanthropy -- McKeighan said "with exponential growth at this level the greek community at Indiana University will be a substantial contributor to many national philanthropic causes well before 2015."\nMeanwhile, senior Cameron Beatty, president of the National Panhellenic Council, which includes the "Divine Nine" black lettered organizations on campus, said he also places importance on executing effective programs and philanthropic work. \nFor him, though, a primary concern is increasing membership.\n"We're going through a really tough time as far as decrease in members from three or four years ago," he said.\nAs of now, Beatty estimated about 60 to 70 students are members of chapters in the NPHC. He said membership has fluctuated throughout the history of the NPHC's existence and that it could be down now because of "the low population of black males on college campuses."\nNonetheless, Beatty's enthusiastic about the future of NPHC with regards both to participation and productivity. To increase involvement, Beatty said the council is attempting to portray the council chapters in a positive light and "uphold the principles and values the founders founded the organization on"