2008 Woodie Awards
URI Greek system top in Northeast
Lindsay Lorenz
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: News
03/13/08 - The Northeast Greek Leadership Association on Feb. 23 awarded more than a dozen honors to the University of Rhode Island's Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council, the governing boards for fraternities and sororities.
Sixteen students attended the conference held in Hartford, Conn., which recognizes programming excellence among fraternities and sororities.
URI was up against hundreds of other college and university Greek systems that were all vying for the coveted awards.
Both Panhel and IFC were top contenders, with Panhel taking home eight of nine awards. The councils combined accomplishments rank URI as one of the top Greek communities in the region, as Rhode Island left the conference tied with Cornell University.
IFC, one of the few councils recognized for membership recruitment, took home five out of eight awards.
"It's the most [awards] the university ever won and it's the most [awards] the council has ever won," said Panhel President Tashalyn Cosimo, who personally took home a Leader of Distinction award for her efforts.
Last year the councils won 11 awards together and this year they brought their total to 14.
Cosimo said it felt amazing returning to campus knowing URI's Greek leaders were on top.
"It's great to leave the events knowing that you're going to the school everyone else looks up to."
Cosimo said before leaving, councils from other universities asked URI Greeks to exchange phone numbers, so they could swap advice and ideas for their own fraternities and sororities.
Cosimo credits the community's success to efforts made over the last year alone to remove alcohol abuse and hazing, and stress philanthropy, fellowship and scholarship.
She added that what makes URI's Greek system interesting is the close relationship between IFC and Panhel.
"We work really close together, we do everything together," Cosimo said.
She added that the combined effort adds more people to the mix, making it easier to accomplish goals and raise money.
Sixteen students attended the conference held in Hartford, Conn., which recognizes programming excellence among fraternities and sororities.
URI was up against hundreds of other college and university Greek systems that were all vying for the coveted awards.
Both Panhel and IFC were top contenders, with Panhel taking home eight of nine awards. The councils combined accomplishments rank URI as one of the top Greek communities in the region, as Rhode Island left the conference tied with Cornell University.
IFC, one of the few councils recognized for membership recruitment, took home five out of eight awards.
"It's the most [awards] the university ever won and it's the most [awards] the council has ever won," said Panhel President Tashalyn Cosimo, who personally took home a Leader of Distinction award for her efforts.
Last year the councils won 11 awards together and this year they brought their total to 14.
Cosimo said it felt amazing returning to campus knowing URI's Greek leaders were on top.
"It's great to leave the events knowing that you're going to the school everyone else looks up to."
Cosimo said before leaving, councils from other universities asked URI Greeks to exchange phone numbers, so they could swap advice and ideas for their own fraternities and sororities.
Cosimo credits the community's success to efforts made over the last year alone to remove alcohol abuse and hazing, and stress philanthropy, fellowship and scholarship.
She added that what makes URI's Greek system interesting is the close relationship between IFC and Panhel.
"We work really close together, we do everything together," Cosimo said.
She added that the combined effort adds more people to the mix, making it easier to accomplish goals and raise money.