As the new year rings in, the Auburn Interfraternity Council rings anew with it, accompanied by a new executive board taking a fresh approach to the prior board’s unitive endeavors.
According to Josh Ellis, incoming IFC president and last year’s vice president, the council intends to advance the previous executive board’s focus on transparency and inclusion by encouraging a stronger collaboration with both Greek and non-Greek organizations within the community through larger programming with other Greek councils and increasing partnership with other organizations on and off campus.
“IFC plans on maintaining last years’ work and building off of it so that we as fraternities can further engage and welcome all students at Auburn University,” Ellis said.
One such partnership comes with aiding the Auburn National Pan-Hellenic Council in the construction of the NPHC Legacy Plaza, which would be the first architectural indication of NPHC’s presence on campus if erected. IFC joins other organizations backing the NPHC in its endeavor, including the SGA Senate, which stated its support in its final Senate meeting in December.
“We recognize that diversity and inclusion play an integral role to any educational experience and strongly believe that the legacy garden is a special opportunity for Greeks to work together for the betterment of the entire Auburn Family and student experience,” Ellis said.
Ellis, senior in mechanical engineering, ran on a presidential platform advocating for a more active and visible IFC presence on Auburn’s campus and within the community. According to Ellis, IFC accepts the responsibility for connecting fraternities to the University and local community, allowing both the Greek experience and the Auburn experience to work in an emboldening harmony through the upheld values of the Auburn Creed. In this way, Ellis said IFC offers a platform for personal improvement that the incoming board intends to sustain.
“My experience at Auburn University, specifically in the fraternity community, has had a major impact on my life,” Ellis said. “Through my fraternity experience, I’ve made lifelong friendships, found mentors who have challenged me and have grown in more ways than I could ever have imagined while here at Auburn. I wanted to serve as IFC president, so that I could improve the Auburn fraternity community just as it has improved me and ensure that every incoming new member has the same opportunities that I had when I was a freshman.”
As the year begins, IFC has three major goals in mind concentrated on bettering collaborative efforts with other Greek councils, improving risk management policies and judicial processes and developing a stronger relationship with all members of the Auburn Family, regardless of whether they are a part of Greek life or not.
Joining Ellis on the 2019 executive board is Walker McCrary as executive vice president; Mason Blevins, vice president of risk management; Connor Jones, vice president of administration and Luke Anderson, vice president of recruitment.
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