UMaine Sorority Leads Charge for All Chapters to Go Green

April 8, 2008 Archives

Contact: Stephanie Palmer, 207-650-0457, Ashley Hoskins, 944-9519, or Casey Johnson Bromberg, 949-0497

Delta Zeta Brings Resolution for Sororities to Join Together to Fight Global Warming by Acting Locally

ORONO — In anticipation of Earth Day later this month, the University of Maine’s Delta Zeta Sorority will present a resolution at this Thursday’s UMaine Panhellenic Council meeting to encourage all sororities and their members on campus to adopt environmentally-friendly practices in their day-to-day lives and in their chapter rooms. If the resolution passes, UMaine’s Panhellenic Council will be one of the first in the country to officially become “green.”

The Panhellenic Council is the UMaine organization that represents women students in Greek organizations.

“This is something that’s really important to us, and we know a lot of women in other sororities care about what they can do to reduce global warming,” says Delta Zeta’s Chapter President Ashley Hoskins. “One person can make a difference, but if every one of the more than 300 sorority women on campus starts to pitch in, we can make a significant difference. We’re even helping the other chapters get started by giving them canvas shopping bags and CFL light bulbs.”

The resolution states that all sororities and Panhellenic-sponsored programs will make an effort to be “green” through chapter recycling plans, community service activities, campus awareness initiatives and group purchases.

“Going green doesn’t just make sense from a global perspective, it’s also going to help our chapters save money,” says Panhellenic Council Treasurer Stephanie Palmer, also a Delta Zeta sister. “This resolution encourages us as a Panhellenic to think about the choices we’re making. We also know that reducing, reusing and recycling more means we’re going to find ways to spend our money more efficiently.”

Chapter members were inspired to bring the resolution forward after attending a regional conference with other Delta Zetas from throughout New England. The keynote speaker, human rights activist and Delta Zeta alumna Dr. Lee Ann DeReus challenged the women to find something that they cared about and find ways to make a difference on campus as well as in their everyday lives.

Delta Zeta’s national organization also recently launched an initiative to encourage all its chapters and alumnae to go green. The program has generated a lot of discussion among chapter members about how they could take responsibility for their person carbon footprints.

The six UMaine National Panhellenic Conference sororities (Alpha Phi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Zeta, Pi Beta Phi, Phi Mu, and Chi Omega) and local sorority associate member organization Delta Rho Epsilon will initially consider Delta Zeta’s resolution at the Panhellenic Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday at UMaine’s Memorial Union.

Proposed Resolution
To be brought before the University of Maine Panhellenic Council
By Delta Zeta Panhellenic Delegate Casey Kenahan

Resolution

  • Whereas, the faculty, administration, and student body have a demonstrated long-standing commitment to improving the campus and community through policies, programming, and beautification initiatives;
  • Whereas, students at the University of Maine have increasing concerns about their role in preventing global warming;
  • Whereas, Greek organizations are inherently socially responsible groups dedicated to improving the world around them;
  • Whereas, sorority women at the University of Maine have unique opportunities to show leadership and inspire other students on campus;
  • Whereas, many of our collegiate and alumnae members are already taking personal strides to become more environmentally-conscious by “going green” in their daily lives;
  • Therefore, be it resolved that members of the National Panhellenic Conference on the University of Maine campus shall
  • adopt and encourage environmentally-friendly practices with their chapter members, campus, and surrounding community;
  • review policies for chapter houses, chapter rooms, shared chapter spaces, and chapter events to find better ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle;
  • purchase and utilize environmentally friendly products whenever possible;
  • promote individual efforts for reducing the carbon footprints of its members through periodic educational programming;
  • initiate and/or participate in beautification projects at chapter houses, on campus, and throughout the state of Maine;
  • communicate the importance of eco-friendly practices to fellow students, family, friends and community members.

About Delta Zeta at the University of Maine

With 55 undergraduate members, the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Delta Zeta was founded on the University of Maine campus in 1924. Chapter members perform hundreds of hours of community service each year and established a scholarship for local families to receive assistance from the Conley Speech and Hearing Center on campus. The chapter also donates throughout the year to the Delta Zeta Foundation, which supports speech and hearing services worldwide and the Painted Turtle Camp, one of actor Paul Newman’s “hole-in-the-wall gang” camps for children with life-threatening illnesses.

On campus, Delta Zeta members are also part of numerous campus organizations and honor societies, including the prestigious All Maine Women, and in Fall 2007 had the highest grade point average of any National Panhellenic Conference-affiliated sorority at the University of Maine. The chapter recently received the Delta Zeta Region 1 Crest Award for all-around chapter improvement. Chapter President Ashley Hoskins also received the Karen Kind Veitch award for outstanding achievement by a senior collegiate member for all of New England.