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Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers Wharton freshmen Sloan Wilson, left, and Javier Davila, and College freshman Brian Savage, back, participate in a community cleanup on Chestnut Street as part of Greek Weekend. [Chau Lam/The Daily Pennsylvanian]

Carrying trash bags, wearing work gloves and getting dirty, Penn's fraternity and sorority members showed on Saturday morning that there is more to being Greek than partying.

Office of Student Conduct "investigations have left a sour taste in the mouths of many Greek members," said InterFraternity Council Executive Vice President Conor O'Callaghan, a Wharton and Engineering sophomore. "Everyone wanted to come out and show the Penn community the positive side of Greek life."

Hundreds of members of Penn's fraternities and sororities came together with the University City District to clean up the streets of both the campus and West Philadelphia neighborhood.

The Greeks worked on the area between 34th and 50th streets, from Chestnut Street to Baltimore Avenue, as part of their annual Greek Weekend -- which also included a series of parties on Saturday night and a study session on Sunday afternoon.

"It was a great opportunity for Greek members... to clean up the area," said Panhellenic Council Civic Committee Co-Chairwoman Kathryn Florey, a College junior. "We were able to cover a huge amount of ground."

The event was organized by the IFC, BiCultural InterGreek Council and Panhellenic Council.

The UCD strongly supported the event through its "Clean and Safe" program. It indicated which areas were more in need of intervention, handed out the necessary tools to students and gathered a group of West Philadelphia community members to help with the operation.

The UCD "made it so doable for us," said Florey, an Alpha Phi sister.

The Greek organizations came up with the idea of forming clean-up groups to show their support to the people living in West Philadelphia.

"It is a good way to mobilize a big group of people," said College sophomore Jon Pomeroy, a Sigma Phi Epsilon brother who helped organize the event. "We weren't really sure about the number, but this is more than we expected."

In fact, organizers were very pleased with the large number of people who decided to participate in the clean-up.

"I'm really satisfied with the turn-out," said Panhel Civic Committee Co-Chairwoman Sara Chan, a Wharton junior and Sigma Delta Tau sister. "I think everyone is really excited."

The project took several weeks of careful planning, but the efforts were rewarded by the "unbelievable" number of participants, according to O'Callaghan, a Phi Kappa Sigma brother.

The Greek organizations are now working with the UCD to plan future events.

According to O'Callaghan, a group leader for the blocks on Chestnut Street between 34th and 50th streets, "We really are about doing good things for the community."

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