Adviser says more can be done working together

Chelsea Triche said she is used to doing things with her own sorority. She said it’s not every day she gets to work with hundreds of other Greeks.

“That never really happens. We never really come together to do something as a whole. It’s usually just every man for themself,” Triche said.

Triche is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority who participated in ULM’s Greek Life Campus Clean-up on Saturday.

Hundreds of other Greeks joined her sorority to pick up trash on different areas of the campus.

Triche admitted she didn’t like putting her hands on cigarette butts and empty bottles, but she said it felt good cleaning her campus while also building relationships with other Greeks.

“Getting all the Greek organizations and showing the diversity of students at ULM is what people need to see,” said Triche, a senior toxicology major. “People working together no matter what organization or race they are.”

Garry Butler said that’s what it’s all about. Butler was hired on as ULM’s Greek adviser in March and has made it his goal to increase Greek unity.

“Together we can do a lot of good things,” said Butler, also coordinator of student development. “In order for us to affect the community we first have to start at home and home is right here on ULM’s campus.”

Butler comes to ULM from his former job at Arkansas State University, which he said he misses dearly.

“But I understand the need here and being here has made it feel like a home away from home,” Butler said.

Hunter Binns is just as excited to have Butler here. He loves his idea of bringing the Greek community closer together.

Binns said when Butler reached out to his fraternity about the clean-up day, they were eager.

“We took it full steam,” said Binns, a senior psychology major. “We didn’t have any hesitation about doing this project.”

Binns said he is even more excited about the future projects Butler has lined up.

He said he is also determined to stay positive, even in spite of some of the recent negativity involving Greek life on campus.

“That’s not what it’s about, we have much more good than bad,” Binns said.

Butler agrees with Binns, but said there is still more room for improvement.

“Greek life can do more than what they have been,” Butler said.

Butler said he also understands that for that progression to happen, his role is just as important.

“It starts with me,” said Butler. “Anything I ask my organizations to do, I do it with them. It’s not about the title I have but it’s about having leadership and showing that to them.”

Butler said the Greeks’ next project will take place at the Northeast Louisiana Food Bank on Nov. 17 and 19.

He said they will be “packing boxes for the families who are in need.”

He also said ULM’s Greek community currently has a total of 6,000 community service hours collectively and that their goal is to reach 15-20,000 by the end of the semester.