IFC ushers in new exec. board to direct Greeks

The InterFraternity Council elected Pi Kappa Phi brother and College junior Spencer Scharff to the presidency of its board last night in Huntsman Hall.

Scharff will take over the position from College and Wharton senior Conor O'Callaghan on bid-signing day next semester.

"The past president has done a phenomenal job and we've seen -- and the campus has seen -- that Conor has taken the IFC to a better level ... and I want to continue that," Scharff said. "In doing so, I want to make sure that we maintain a strong, cohesive unit focused on keeping a positive presence on campus."

Scharff said that he is interested in helping fraternities to foster good relationships with faculty members and to become engaged with politics.

The former IFC judicial inquiry board manager cited his passion for political involvement, saying that he was proactive about encouraging voter registration and working with Penn Leads the Vote.

O'Callaghan pointed to his longstanding relationship with Scharff -- they went to the same high school in Arizona -- and said he was confident in Scharff's leadership abilities.

"I didn't think it would be possible for the presidents to elect a board that was better than the board that I had the privilege of leading, but I think that they did just that tonight," O'Callaghan said.

In reflecting on his time in office, O'Callaghan said he was pleased with the progress the council had made in improving the Greek image on campus and increasing Greek unity.

"I think probably my proudest accomplishment is the way we have improved our standing within the University, as well as the fact that I think there is a much greater sense of camaraderie amongst Greeks now," O'Callaghan said.

Outgoing Kappa Sigma President and College junior Peter Aquart was elected to the position of executive vice president. He said he is excited about working with Scharff, because he thinks that their similar views will make them more effective in tackling issues.

"We have had relations over the past year, and we actually are very similar in our views and the issues that we want to work on," Aquart said.

Other officers included Kappa Alpha brother Patrick Carroll as vice president of rush and recruitment, Phi Kappa Sigma brother Max Dubin as vice president of community service, Alpha Epsilon Pi brother Dan Milich as vice president of 21st century planning, Sigma Phi Epsilon junior Alan Blank as vice president of academics, Phi Sigma Kappa brother Alex Zolan as treasurer, Sigma Nu brother Leo Spaeder as secretary and Pi Kappa Alpha brother Dave Kuhn as judicial inquiry board manager.

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