Not a house, but a home; Memorial Garden created for historically black fraternities and sororities this spring

Sarah McGlinchey / Reporter

The members of Elon’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) fraternities and sororities are constructing a Memorial Garden by purchasing plots of land behind Moseley Center. The garden will serve as a general gathering place for the NPHC Greek organizations.

The idea was first proposed in October 2004 by the members of NPHC.

The garden will be fully paid for by Elon University, which spent several months finding a cement company, determining a location and completing the architectural design. A completion date has yet to be determined.

According to Cameron Davis, NPHC president, the idea was originally formed about five years ago. Only one of the seven Greek organizations currently has a house in the Loy Center, the fraternity Phi Beta Sigma. This leaves the other organizations without a place to hold meetings, rituals, commemorate achievements and a place to call “home.” NPHC fraternities and sororities are traditionally smaller than other Greek organizations on Elon’s campus, averaging six to ten members. The other NPHC Greek organizations include sororities Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta and fraternities Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi and Kappa Alpha Psi.

“I believe that the NPHC Memorial Garden is an honest attempt by Elon’s administration to promote diversity among its community,” said NPHC treasurer Raphael Garcia. “It is a great place for the NPHC groups to show pride in their organization.”

The NPHC Memorial Garden will be located behind Moseley Center, between Ellington Health Center and the sand volleyball court. Each organization has a commemorative monument and will have a bench and a plaque with the organization’s name and national and local founding dates. Upon completion, students, faculty, prospective students, alumni and community members will be able to walk through the garden and learn more about each of the organizations.

All NPHC organizations will be able to have a personal monument pending good standing with their national organization and Elon University. The Greek life annual review will review the organization and determine its eligibility for a monument, and the monuments will be monitored by the Office of Greek Life. Physical Plant will be responsible for all maintenance of the monuments, yet each organization will responsible for the neatness of its monument.

“It (the Memorial Garden) will make people more aware of the presence of NPHC on campus, and it’s something for people to take a look at,” Davis said.

Contact Sarah McGlinchey at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.

Krista Naposki / Photographer

Each fraternity and sorority has their name, date and location, first chapter founded and the name of the chapter and date of formation at Elon on the marble stones.

Krista Naposki / Photographer

The Memorial Garden, when finished, will have flowers surrounding the marble stones and benches at each fraternity’s station.