Greeks work to improve community relationship
Maribeth Boyle
Issue date: 4/1/04 Section: News
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One group of students is working to make the relationship between Greek organizations and the Kirksville community stronger.
In its third year, the Greek Community Relations Board, consisting of members of Truman fraternities and sororities, is working to improve the relationship between the Kirksville community and Greek organizations.
"The GCRB made a relationship based on common goals between the two groups possible,"said senior Nathan Underhill, Interfraternity Council president and member of GCRB.
Underhill said he thinks the efforts have not gone unnoticed since the installation of GCRB in the fall 2001 and negativity between the two communities is not prevalent.
"There is definitely a different kind of student at Truman than there has been in the past, so I don't think perceptions are always negative," Underhill said. "I think the community understands that we do a lot of great things, but we don't always publicize what we do."
Dave Lusk, assistant dean of student affairs, said that in 2002, Greeks and community members helped raise more than $10,000 to help the Kirksville Fire Department purchase a thermal imagery camera and more than $3,000 in 2003 to help the Adair County Ambulance District purchase resuscitation devices.
This year, the GCRB is raising funds to purchase emergency-response equipment for the Kirksville Police Department.
Money from this week's Greek Week fund-raising will go toward this equipment.
Kirksville Police Department Captain Tim King, who works closely with GCRB, said the department is appreciative of what the GCRB has done for it so far and thinks the community will appreciate its efforts.
"We've got to continue having that constant contact with the community, and that's the good thing about the Greek Community Relations Board," King said.
Although parties and noise will always be an issue, King said he thinks the community's attitude toward partying has changed.
"One of the biggest complaints, obviously, is the parties, except all of that has dropped dramatically over the past few years," King said. "And I think it is a combined effort, and we have curbed a lot of that negative attitude."
Underhill said the new Adopt-A-Fraternity program between the police department and the fraternities is another step that aims to develop positive communication with the community.
The program gives fraternities the option to have a police officer assigned to their organization as a contact.
King said the idea for this program has been in the works for a while. He said that by knowing officers by name, fraternities can feel comfortable contacting them because of problems.
"We know that when we get there, we are going to get cooperation in case anything gets out of hand," King said. "And that just helps build everyone's confidence that everything is going to go well."
GCRB also has tried to improve relations with local businesses through the Dawg Fest during Truman Week. Businesses sponsor the event, which includes bands, games and food.
"It's just a way for businesses to interact with new students, and that received an excellent response," Underhill said.
Herb Sieren, Kirksville resident and owner of Sieren's Place, said he thinks the community now has a more positive attitude toward the students and would like to see more involvement between the two communities.
"The relationship probably needs to be improved," Sieren said. "It's good, but we as businesses need to reach out to the students, and the students need to do the same with us."
Sieren said he and other businessmen have thought of ideas to reach out to students, and they are open for new ideas as well.
"If you students have ideas, bring them up, we'll listen," Sieren said.