GeraldOliver

　　TheNationalPan-HellenicCouncil(NPHC)arrivedonDuke'scampuswhenGeraldOliverwasasophomore.Byhissenioryear,hewaspresidentofNPHC,theumbrellaorganizationfortheninehistoricallyblackfraternitiesandsororities,sixofwhicharerepresentedatDuke.

　　Astheleaderofayoungorganization,OliverworkedtostrengthenNPHC'svoice,establishitsplaceintheGreeksystemandsmoothoutcommunicationbetweenDukeadministratorsandblackGreeks.Thatentailedgoingtolotsofmeetingsandspeakingup,hesaid.

　　"Ihaven'tbeeninvolvedwithbigstuffthatmakesthepaper,"Oliversaid."Ididn'torganizeasuperprogram;itwasmoreday-to-daythings."

　　Oliver,whoisalsoamemberofCampusCouncil,madetimeforweeklymeetingsoftheCommunityExecutiveCouncil,wherethepresidentsofthefourGreekcouncils--NPHC,theInterfraternityCouncil,theInter-GreekCouncilandthePan-HellenicAssociation--discussedsuchissuesashousing,recruitment,hazingpoliciesandcommunityservice.

　　"ThethingsthatIFCandPan-Helldoaffectus,andthethingswedoaffectthem,"Oliversaid."Wemadealotofeffortinthatgrouptomakesurewewereworkingtogethersinceourfatesaretied."

　　Fraternitiesandsororitieshavebeenviewedasself-segregatingorganizations,butOliversaidthatblackfraternitiesandsororitieshavehelpedliftuptheblackcommunitythathistoricallyhashadadisadvantageinhighereducation.

　　"Itwouldbeinaccuratetosaythereisnocolordivision,"saidOliver,apsychologymajorwhoisapplyingtobusinessschoolsforthefall."Butjustbecausetheorganizationsservedifferentpurposesdoesn'tmeantheycan'tinteractandunderstandeachother."

　　Thestudent-runCenterforRaceRelationshashelpedopenlinesofcommunicationbybringingtogetherOliver'sfraternity,AlphaPhiAlpha,andthealmostall-whiteKappaAlphafraternitytodiscussissuestheypreviouslyhadn'thadavenuetoaddress.

　　"Wehadalotofgoodconversations,"Oliversaid,"butitdoesn'tmeanmuchifnobodybeyondtheleadersbuysintothat."

　　ThediversityofDukeprovidesanopportunityforethnicandculturalexchangethatmanystudentsmightnothavehaduptothatpoint.WhenhereturnstoDukeovertheyearsforhomecoming,hewouldliketoseeracerelationsremainapriorityandmoremembersinvolvedinthediscussions.

　　"Aslongasconversationslikethatcontinuetohappen,"hesaid,"racerelationsoncampuswillgetbetter."

　　KatieMitchell

　　TheGreeksystemstillneedswork,saidKatieMitchell,presidentoftheDukechapterofDeltaDeltaDeltasorority.Butchangeswon'tbeeasytomakebecausetheGreeksystemisamicrocosmofthelargerworld.

　　"Theworldiscompetitive;theworldisexclusive;theworldhasstandardsthathavelittletodowithwhoyouare,"Mitchellsaid.

　　Mitchell,andtheTri-Delts,forgedaheadanyway.

　　Thealcohol-freecasinonighttheTri-DeltssponsoredinNovemberwasopentoeveryoneoncampus.Thepartyattractedacross-sectionofthestudentbody,raisedmoneyforcharityandmaybecomeaTri-Delttraditiontohelpshrugoffareputationofexclusivity.

　　OncetheWomen'sInitiativereportadded"effortlessperfection"tothecampuslexicon,Mitchellgatheredthe170womeninherchapterforadiscussionabouteatingdisorders.