“Saturday Oct. 5th, we were proud to host our annual Main Street Cleanup. As in prior years, the Delta Rho chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma partnered with nearly all the Greek organizations on campus to clean a one-mile stretch from McDonald’s to Goodwill,” says Bryson Bugdon ‘25, President of Phi Kappa Sigma. With their rubber gloves and trash bags, students broke off into groups to take on the task of cleaning up Main Street and, according to Bugdon, “This year’s turnout and the strong sense of Greek unity were truly noticeable and appreciated.”
Aidan Nadell ’25, a member of Phi Kappa Sigma, emphasizes the importance that community service holds in the fraternity. He says that Phi Kappa Sigma has been doing Bike-a-Thon, an event to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Main Street Cleanup for as long as he knows. Nadell says, “When we recruit new members, at the forefront of our pitch is, ‘We’re the guys that you see on the bikes late into the night’ and ‘We’re the guys that are spearheading the charge for everybody to clean up Main Street.’” Nadell emphasizes, “Yes, we’re a social fraternity, but we pride ourselves on our academic excellence and philanthropic presence on campus.”
While Phi Kappa Sigma hosted the community service event, they were joined by their fellow Greek organizations to make the event a widespread success. Many participating students recognized the importance of the event in regard to environmental impact and giving back to the community that they call home. Tilly Dumaine ’25, President of Kappa Delta Kappa, Ursinus College’s local gender-neutral sorority, says, “I believe it’s really important for Greek Life to come together for community service events, such as the Main Street Cleanup. As members of this campus, we share a responsibility to care for it, regardless of our individual contributions to any mess.” Evan Chartock ’25, President of the Alpha Delta Phi Society, a gender-neutral Greek literary society on campus, says, “I love living on [the] Ursinus campus, but we all have to admit it has its flaws. As students, there are certain situations we can’t fix when it comes to our environment, but simply picking up trash is an excellent way to make our home a better place.”
This community service event served to bring together a large number of the Greek organizations on campus, and according to Dumaine, “Collaborating as Greek organizations fosters unity and strengthens our commitment to improving our shared space.” She emphasizes that “working together not only enhances our campus but also builds a sense of community among our Greek organizations.”
Main Street Cleanup was also important to many participating students as it demonstrated and embodied the values of Greek life itself. Bugdon states, “In our collective actions we hope to remind our community that Greek life isn’t just about social events, but also about coming together to make a meaningful impact. Through initiatives like this, we aim to demonstrate our commitment to philanthropy and service, both as individual organizations and as a unified Greek community.” This mentality is a shared one, as Chartock explains that “Greek life can be, and currently is, multifaceted on campus. Do certain organizations focus their efforts on partying? Sure, but a vast majority of organizations balance social outings with civic responsibility. Greek life, for me, has served as a motivator for charity and philanthropic work in an otherwise hectic college schedule.”
An event such as Main Street Cleanup is impactful in numerous ways, but it is nowhere near a singular occurrence. Greek organizations host a wide variety of events that benefit students, the campus, the wider community, and even off-campus organizations. Dumaine asserts that “there’s certainly a stigma that Greek life is a negative thing, yet actions speak louder than words, and it’s through our united efforts that we prove the value and impact that our organizations make every day in our community.” With Phi Kappa Sigma leading this recent, very successful event, Bugdon explains that “through these events and opportunities we look to positively contribute to the campus and beyond, breaking the stigma and showing that we are dedicated to making the world a better place as well.”