Over tea and cookies, faculty and administrators met with Greek students in the Crest Room of the ARCH Auditorium yesterday afternoon in order to recognize Greek academic achievement.
The second annual Greek Week Student-Faculty Tea was also aimed to "show our appreciation to the faculty," said Engineering junior Mark Schilsky, InterFraternity Council vice president of academics.
Faculty from each of the four undergraduate schools were selected and honored as having made an "impact on the students," according to Executive Vice President of the Panhellenic Council and College senior Neha Bansal.
The tea also recognized the students with the top 10 percent of GPAs in the Greek system last semester.
About half of the approximately 200 students who were recognized attended the event.
Executive Vice President of the IFC and Engineering senior Conor O'Callaghan noted that this was the "highest turnout we've ever had."
"I thought it went really well," President of the Bicultural InterGreek Council and College senior Jerryanne Heath said.
It was "really great to see the turnout from faculty and administrators tonight. [There are] stereotypes about Greeks and this continues to improve misunderstanding," she said.
Recognized faculty and administrators were presented with T-shirts and certificates.
Honored students also received certificates for their achievements.
"The Greeks are often maligned," Math Professor Dennis DeTurck said, adding that there is "an association people make with wild parties but there is also the service to the Penn community and Philadelphia community in general."
School of Social Work Professor Walter Palmer added that he was humbled by the recognition he received from Greek students and thought it was "great -- the whole idea of Greeks putting on a different spin."
Students were able to mingle with faculty and with each other over dessert both before and after faculty were recognized.
The event was sponsored by Panhel, the IFC and the BIG-C as part of Greek Week 2003.
