College junior James Germi, newly elected president of the* Interfraternity Council*, wants to overcome stigmas of Greek Life, such as its association with controversial issues.
Credit: Fola OnifadeThe Interfraternity Council elected its newest president right before Thanksgiving break. The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with College junior James Germi, a brother of Phi Delta Theta, to discuss his aspirations for the council.
The Daily Pennsylvanian: What made you to decide to run for IFC president?
James Germi: I’m a really big proponent of Greek life and what it stands for. I want to make sure that everyone after me is afforded the same opportunities that I had as a member of the Greek community.
DP: What are your goals for the upcoming year?
JG: I want to reinforce the positive aspects of Greek life. I think the social aspects are very good … but I want to show the community that Greek life is more than just the social aspects. I also want to make freshmen and others aware of all that Greek life has to offer.
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There are some stigmas towards fraternities, and I think it’s largely my job to overcome those misconceptions. We need to increase our philanthropy and place more emphasis on our alumni networks and support systems that are offered through fraternities and through [the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life] to enhance the images of fraternities on campus.
My ultimate goal is to increase recruitment. I think fraternities are positive things and the ultimate goal is to help as many people as possible. No matter what you’re looking for, there will always be [a fraternity] that fits you.
DP: Are you familiar with your other board members?
JG: I’m not that familiar with the new board, but I was on board this year. You work together frequently, so you get to know each other very well and very quickly. I’m confident that our board is going to be really strong this year.
DP: How do you plan to handle any future challenges?
JG: I think that the association between controversial issues and Greek life is largely the problem. You’re going to have issues throughout the student body and I think its our job to show the University and community that fraternities aren’t about just these issues.
There are a lot of good things that come out of fraternities. And these issues just don’t come up in Greek life, but other parts of student life as well.
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DP: What’s your opinion on the two fraternities, Alpha Sigma Phi and Phi Sigma Kappa, that returned to Penn this semester?
JG: It’s only beneficial. There are so many different types of individuals at Penn. If we limited ourselves, it would be difficult to offer something to everyone. As we add more fraternities, it increases diversity between the organizations and it assures that there’s a fraternity that fits what every kid is looking for.
DP: Is there anything in particular you’re excited for in the upcoming year?
JG: I’m excited for there to be a push for philanthropy. I’d like to see large-scale fraternity involvement but also I’d like to see fraternities working with sororities and [Multicultural Greek Council] organizations. I think that it was a big part of Greek Week and I’m looking forward to taking all the progress we made this year and building on it for next year.
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