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The Daily OrangeSU hires director of greek life | Job filled after eight months of interim director
By Lauren Bertolini
Posted: 4/3/08, 1:40 AM EST Section: News
The presidents of four Syracuse University Greek councils sat waiting for Eddie Banks-Crosson to meet them for lunch.
The presidents of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Latino Greek Council sat on one side of the table, and the presidents of the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association sat on the other, said Michelle Herrera, the president of the LGC.
Banks-Crosson was officially announced as the director of greek life Tuesday. He was interviewing for the position when he met with the four students.
"He walked in and said, 'So I have my white people to one side and my colored people on the other side,'" Herrera said. "It was kind of a reality check that even sitting down, the leaders of the councils can't sit together."
The search for a new director of greek life began after Roy Baker, former director of fraternity and sorority affairs, announced his resignation in July 2007.
Juanita Williams, the associate dean of students, has served as the interim director since Baker formerly left the position Aug. 17, 2007.
"I think everyone was expecting to have the new director within a month of school starting, especially because we had such huge events at the beginning of the year," said Matt Abdifar, the president of the IFC.
Abdifar said a number of different candidates came to visit the campus, but none seemed to fit the needs of SU's greek community.
"They were good candidates but not for us. They were just not good enough," Abdifar said of the first two candidates SU brought in to interview for the position.
Herrera was at the Minority Greek Leadership Conference in Texas when she first met Banks-Crosson. He was serving in his current position of assistant director of Student Life-Greek Life at Jacksonville State University when the two met.
"I actually kind of scouted him out in a conference," Herrera said. "I saw him there and was wondering if he was looking for anything. He was a great, great speaker."
The presidents of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Latino Greek Council sat on one side of the table, and the presidents of the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association sat on the other, said Michelle Herrera, the president of the LGC.
Banks-Crosson was officially announced as the director of greek life Tuesday. He was interviewing for the position when he met with the four students.
"He walked in and said, 'So I have my white people to one side and my colored people on the other side,'" Herrera said. "It was kind of a reality check that even sitting down, the leaders of the councils can't sit together."
The search for a new director of greek life began after Roy Baker, former director of fraternity and sorority affairs, announced his resignation in July 2007.
Juanita Williams, the associate dean of students, has served as the interim director since Baker formerly left the position Aug. 17, 2007.
"I think everyone was expecting to have the new director within a month of school starting, especially because we had such huge events at the beginning of the year," said Matt Abdifar, the president of the IFC.
Abdifar said a number of different candidates came to visit the campus, but none seemed to fit the needs of SU's greek community.
"They were good candidates but not for us. They were just not good enough," Abdifar said of the first two candidates SU brought in to interview for the position.
Herrera was at the Minority Greek Leadership Conference in Texas when she first met Banks-Crosson. He was serving in his current position of assistant director of Student Life-Greek Life at Jacksonville State University when the two met.
"I actually kind of scouted him out in a conference," Herrera said. "I saw him there and was wondering if he was looking for anything. He was a great, great speaker."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
J. Dorough
posted 4/10/08 @ 8:19 PM EST
Eddie came to JSU a couple years into my tenure there as a student. Upon his arrival, I witnessed a notable change in attitude among the Greek organizations and students there. (Continued…)
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