February showed us all that Mother Nature still had some weather surprises in store as record cold temperatures and snow blanketed Fayetteville. Students took time to get out on campus and have some fun in the snow sledding, playing with their dogs, or just taking in the beauty. Check out our photo essay to see what campus looked like. It has certainly been a while since we’ve seen this much snow on The Hill.
The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry is celebrating its 10th birthday. The staff and students who run the pantry every day are to be commended for their amazing work. This pantry has served as a model for many other food pantries on college campuses across the nation. We are very excited and thankful that the Food Pantry has received a $100,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation. This grant will allow the incredible staff and students to expand the pantry programs to better serve the campus community.
Despite the pandemic, our Greek community has pushed forward with successful recruitment and fundraising events. Community service and philanthropic efforts are a very large part of the Greek community’s engagement and involvement every semester. The COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop the Greek community from doing what they do for others including fighting homelessness, promoting child literacy efforts, and more.
Our staff and student Q&As this issue come from the area of Greek Life. Helene Wommack is the office manager for Greek Life. She said she loves working in Student Affairs at her Alma Mater and with the Greek students who “devote so much time” to their organizations and community. Khalil Buckmire is one of those committed Greek students of which Wommack speaks. Buckmire, a Senior Geology and Physics major from Grenada, is the president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. His goal is to attend grad school and work in the renewable energy sector.
And last but not least, I would be remised if I didn’t mention the 150th anniversary of the University of Arkansas. The sesquicentennial celebration will kick off virtually on March 27, the day that the state’s first land-grant institution and flagship university was born in 1871. Help us highlight what makes the U of A special by joining in that virtual celebration and sharing what the U of A means to you.
Thanks for reading the March issue of the Student Affairs Bulletin. If you’re interested in more information about anything you see here, please email Scott Flanagin, executive director of communications at sflanagi@uark.edu.