Greek life directors bring new
energy Jenna Hill
/ Reporter
There’s a whole new vibe in the Greek Life Office with
new Director Jay Anhorn and Assistant Director Gina
Dowell.
Anhorn and Dowell have yet to make waves across campus, but
their main goal is to watch out for the students.
“Keeping health and safety of the students is number
one,” Anhorn said. “I want to spend time making
sure they understand [the] rules,” he said of
recruitment regulations and restrictions on
organization-sponsored parties off campus. He said he wants
everyone to have a positive Greek life experience, like the
one he had at Lehigh University, which has a comparable Greek
system.
Before coming to Elon less than a month ago, Anhorn
was the assistant dean for Greek Affairs at UNC - Chapel
Hill, where the Greek system is more traditional and the
student body is comprised mostly of students from North
Carolina. Anhorn said he really noticed these differences
from the beginning.
The biggest difference is the amount of involvement from
parents and alumni, according to Anhorn. With a higher
percentage of local students, chapters at Chapel Hill
sometimes have a twelve-person advisory board.
Anhorn said he wants to focus on creating more of this
family atmosphere. “The students want it,” he
said. “They need people they can lean on. Gina and I
are only two people.”
Dowell and Anhorn said they are happy with their new
home in Elon’s Greek life system. “The
administration here is extremely supportive and the students
know it,” Anhorn said.
Dowell agreed. “You have an audience,” both in
the student body and in the administration, she said.
“This community is in a good place because the
administration believes in you. We just want to see the
students make it happen.”
Anhorn said the fact that students are involved in so
many different activities on campus helps strengthen the
Greek community. “You’re Greek, but you’re
not just Greek,” Anhorn said.
Dowell said she wants to see Greeks living their rituals.
“I think we’re doing great things in service and
great things in philanthropy,” she said, but students
should believe in the rituals and ideals of their chapter.
“They should know you’re Greek because you have a
sense of pride.”
“I would like to see the majority of our Greek
students have some kind of leadership training,” she
continued, whether that is a conference, a class, or other
programs Elon offers.
Between informal fall recruitment, planning for formal
spring recruitment, philanthropy events and service, Anhorn
and Dowell are behind the students 100 percent. Dowell is
confident, “This is going to be a good year.”
Contact Jenna Hill at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247.
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