Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- Greek organizations at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are giving back to the community of Platteville this semester. Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, Sigma Alpha sorority, Gamma Phi Beta sorority, Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol, Women's Greek Council and Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity are getting involved with the community by participating in a variety of service projects.

The Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity takes part in several community service projects each semester. They have adopted a highway outside of Platteville and clean it up every month. They also shovel snow for the EMS station in Platteville.

Tau Kappa Epsilon will be participating in several community service projects this semester at UWP. These include Relay for Life, an annual teeter-totter-a-thon, Alzheimer's Benefit Golf Outing, and Run for Ronnie.

This semester, Sigma Alpha will be presenting Ag in the Classroom and Farm Safety for children in grades Kindergarten through fourth at the UWP Pioneer Farm.

Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol has a busy semester ahead. They are hosting the annual Greek Carnival in Platteville City Park on April 25. The Platteville community youth are invited to attend and play games while learning about mature alcohol management. GAMMA is also sponsoring a sexual assault speaker who will be presenting on April 28.

The Gamma Phi Beta sorority is assisting with the Yellow Ribbon Project, which promotes suicide awareness and prevention. They also participate in St. Gammies Week, a week full of philanthropic endeavors that include highway clean up, Relay for Life and Egg Smashing. Gamma Phi Beta will be holding brat sales throughout the semester and a portion of the profits will benefit a pre-determined organization in need.

The Women's Greek Council is giving back to the community this semester as well. They are putting on their bi-annual Locks For Love program and planning to support Gamma Phi Beta in their Yellow Ribbon project. Another activity WGC is participating in is the Clothes Line Project, a sexual assault awareness campaign.

Via Simenz, a member of Gamma Phi Beta, GAMMA and WGC highlighted the importance of UWP Greek organizations getting involved in the community, "Greeks are typically targeted both by the media and the community, and usually stereotyped in a negative way," Simenz said. "If we can get out there and do good for the community, people will see that we want to help those who are in need. We're not the people we are portrayed as in the TV shows and movies, we are organizations of people who care."

For more information regarding UWP Greek life, contact Val Wetzel, assistant director for Pioneer Student Center, at (608) 342-1448 or wetzelv@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Valerie Wetzel, assistant director for Pioneer Student Center, (608) 342-1448, wetzelv@uwplatt.edu Written by: Anne Killian, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, killiana@uwplatt.edu