But more consequentially, due to the administration’s funding rules, A.S. Council can no longer provide necessary funding for charitable events that charge admission. Think about that.
Ticketed PC ballroom philanthropies have definitely served their purpose. But instead of doubling down on donations and raffle tickets to raise money at the same kind of events, the new funding changes mean that we should finally shift away from hosting philanthropies that only engage Greeks. The ability to host an event that can pack a PC ballroom with wildly cheering students, including otherwise checked-out upperclassman, is something that Greeks should be proud of. This is especially true given that it’s Greeks who are out showing a commitment to charity — not to mention how few other campus communities can rally this kind of attendance without the use of copious student-fee-funded swag. But many students outside the Greek system don’t know how big of a deal Greek philanthropies really are. Greeks should use the momentum they can build up around charitable causes to start new annual philanthropies that engage students who otherwise wouldn’t interact with this side of Greek life.
Staying real here, there are a lot of bro-haters on campus who just straight-up don’t like the idea of Greek life. Just look at the incisive comments on Confession #794, which is a complaint from a frat bro that he’s tired of partying with the same sororities. I’ve found that, generally speaking, people who are against Greek life are people who don’t get it. Interacting with Greeks in a philanthropic context will combat stigmatization far better than flame wars on Facebook.
You’d be surprised, but philanthropies are actually more than a competition to see how many pitchers the judges can crush before the event. UCSD Greeks raise tens of thousands of dollars a year for charity. Though given that there will no longer be A.S. funding for ticketed charities, if UCSD Greeks want to keep raising the same amounts of money for charity, there’ve gotta be changes.
New annual philanthropies can still be see-and-be-seen events for Greeks. Like at Bear Garden, there are ways to do that without leaving out a big chunk of the campus. True, each chapter will need to get creative to come up with its own engaging and high-publicity charity. It’ll also take a lot of impetus and guts to convince an entire sorority to move away from an event it’s been putting on annually for years. But for better or for worse, revenue from ticket sales is no longer available. We might as well use this change to add a little more oomph to student life at UCSD while helping the student body see what our Greek life is all about.
