Sadye Ball, junior in sociology, was recently selected to be the next Auburn University Panhellenic President.
As the Panhellenic President, Ball will lead individual chapter presidents and work with Auburn University Panhellenic Advisor Jill Martin and additional faculty in student affairs to ensure Panhellenic is representing Auburn well and existing harmoniously with other organizations on campus.
“Pretty much my main responsibility is to make sure that the Panhellenic Council is running smoothly and efficiently,” Ball said. “I will also make sure that the chapters have the resources to run themselves on campus, recruit girls during recruitment, and be successful Panhellenic organizations that represent the larger Panhellenic organization in a positive light.”
Panhellenic executive board members, including the president, are voted on and selected by the Panhellenic Council following an application and an interview before the entire Council.
The Panhellenic Executive Board leads the Panhellenic Council which is comprised of the presidents, delegates and junior delegates from each sorority including the Panhellenic Cabinet and the Recruitment Executive Board.
Coming from out-of-state, Ball knew little to nothing about sororities or Panhellenic when she arrived at Auburn, Ball said.
“An upperclassman I had met in my brief time at Auburn who actually was the Panhellenic President at the time texted me around September of my freshman year and encouraged me to apply for Panhellenic Cabinet.” Ball said. “I said, ‘Well, I have no idea what this is, but sounds great to me.’”
Ball applied and earned the position of assistant director of extension. Part of her role was working alongside the director of extension in ensuring the newly chartered sorority Tri Sigma experienced a smooth transition onto campus and a successful first year of recruitment.
“I loved working in Panhellenic, and I loved getting to see Auburn sororities in a different light outside of my own organization,” Ball said.
Ball said she thought she wanted to apply for Cabinet again, but an opportunity arose for her to apply for the position of executive vice president on the Panhellenic Executive Board.
“I really didn’t know if it was something I was ready for,” Ball said. “I was only a sophomore, and that is generally a role that goes to a junior but I just went for it and accepted that whatever happens, happens–if I was meant to get it, I would.”
Whatever would happen happened and Ball was elected by the Panhellenic Council to serve as their executive vice president.
Ball said she thoroughly enjoyed getting to serve as vice president and attributed part of her inspiration to apply for president to working alongside outgoing Panhellenic President Alex McFadden.
“Part of my role as EVP was to work very closely with Alex, who is so wonderful, and I got to see what she did day-to-day and knew that I love, love, love Panhellenic,” Ball said.
As President, Ball hopes to make Panhellenic as a whole more approachable and accessible for individual sorority members.
“I’ve talked with a lot of girls inside and outside of my sorority and the sad thing is some of them don’t really even know what Panhellenic is,” Ball said. “My whole thing is I want to really be a resource to the individual sorority member- not just the presidents or the Panhellenic Cabinet."
Ball said she wants girls who are in sororities to know what Panhellenic is and understand it is there to serve them as a place they can turn to with concerns.
Ball will be installed the Monday following Thanksgiving.
“I’m really excited for this year,” Ball said. “I’m really excited to serve Auburn and to represent Panhellenic and the rest of the Auburn community.”
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