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Wednesday, April 21, 2010Volume 95 | Issue 50

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Greek organizations strive to give back

Program helps � nd jobs for those with disabilities

Group promotes disability awareness

Three fraternities, sorority unite to cut hair for cancer

PHOTO BY ALEX SCOTT/PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO BY MARIA WEBSTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO BY ALEX SCOTT/PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO BY AGNES WYSOWSKI/PHOTOGRAPHER

Members of the Pi Kappa Pi fraternity are raising funds on campus for Push America, a nonpro� t organization that serves people with disabilities.

Theta Chi, Lambda Chi and Sigma Chi fraternities set up their philanthropy on the campus green asking for donations for the charity Wigs for Kids.

From Monday to Thursday, the fraternity members said, they are aiming to en-gage the UNT and greek community through a series of competitive events that will raise awareness in the UNT community.

Chairperson Linda Holloway and director Martha Garber are apart of the de-partment of rehabilitations, social work, and addictions, and are in charge of the open house launching of JOB FIT that will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today in Chilton Hall 218.

BRIANNE TOLJDesign Editor

Pi Kappa Phi, UNT’s newest fraternity, is presenting the first Push Week in hopes of raising awareness and money for people with disabilities.

From Monday to Thursday, the fraternity members said, they are aiming to engage the UNT and greek community through a series of competi-tive events.

“It’s a great opportunity to help people, who normally get overlooked,” said Lucas Babbit, a radio, television and film sophomore and presi-dent of Pi Kappa Phi. “It’s just a really amazing eye opener. There are a lot of people that need help.”

Pi Kappa Phi is the only fraternity to own and operate its own philanthropy, Push America, with the purpose to “build leaders of tomorrow by serving people with disabili-ties today.”

Fully supported by frater-nity members, Push America is providing six team-event programs, such as Journey of Hope, where 81 undergrad-uate and alumni members cycle from San Francisco, Calif., to Washington, D.C., and Build America, which is a six-week summer program where members will construct accessible options that support people with disabilities across the nation.

“It is important that we all find a way to learn more about each other, to have greater respect for each other and to raise money for causes that are beneficial to the community,” said Jaime Blanton, coordinator of Parent Programs at UNT and Pi Kappa Phi’s staff adviser.

Locally, registered groups like Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Gamma will take to the campus green with Pi Kappa Phi for four days to compete in Quarter Wars.

Groups ga in points for every quarter received from a student, yet any coin other than a quarter will decrease their points.

Each team will design and create a color poster board tying in an interesting fact about people with disabilities.

BY ALEX CALAMSStaff Writer

Theta Chi expanded its second-annual philanthropy effort, Cut the Chi’s, to include support f rom fraternit ies Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Chi and sorority Chi Omega for extra help earning money to donate to a nonprofit organization.

Wigs For Kids uses donated hair and money to provide wigs for children affected by chemo-therapy.

“This year, some of the frater-nities have experienced some bad publicity from mistakes where someone did something

stupid,” said Sean Carter, a Sigma Chi member and a mechanical engineering freshman. “Even though there’s always going to be grudges between frats because of things like that, we really just wanted to come together for a good cause and show that we’re all still brothers in the end.”

Carter said that the frater-nities joined forces to rebuild greek relations.

Andrew Vannerson, the philanthropy’s organizer, said the alliance was also formed to provide as many donations as possible for the nonprofit.

“We’re trying to do things bigger and better this year,” said Vannerson, a Spanish and emergency administration and planning junior. “Last year, we raised $1,800, but because more fraternities are on board now, our goal is to raise $2,400 this time around.”

Supporters last year raised $850 to shave marketing soph-omore Theta Chi member Cameron Jean’s Afro, but Vannerson said this year Jean will not participate.

“It costs a thousand dollars to make one of the wigs,” said economics junior Sigma Chi member Yousuf Al Khan. “So this year, we’re trying to raise enough money for at least two wigs.”

Donations will be accepted in front of the University Union on the campus green through Thursday to “save or shave” the heads of those involved, Vannerson said. He said it would cost $5 to donate toward shaving half of a volunteer’s head and $10 for the full head.

“If someone’s girlfriend doesn’t want them to shave their head or something like that, they can donate to save it,” Carter said.

Kellie Hill, an international studies sophomore and Chi Omega member, said that she will donate 10 to 12 inches of her hair Thursday.

“I really wanted to do it last year, but I was too nervous,” Hill said. “I’ve been growing my hair out for a year now though, and I’m ready now. It’s for a wonderful cause — we’re offering relief to children experi-encing negative effects of cancer and also raising cancer aware-ness at the same time.”

BY STACY POWERSContributing Writer

Denton job seekers with disabil-ities will have a service to assist them in finding the right job to fit their skills and abilities starting today at the open house to launch JOB FIT.

With a $112,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation, UNT’s department of rehabilitation, social work and addictions was able to provide the service.

“We are finding good jobs for good people,” said Martha Garber, director of the department. “It’s really fitting the person to what they can do, what they want to do and what job is out there in the community that makes that match.”

The department will use its rehabilitation students to help with the program while teaching them how to match people with the right jobs. They will gain first-hand experience in working with

employment and disability.Lisa Argo, a rehabilitation

studies senior, is doing her practicum with JOB FIT and said she is anxious to start making a difference and help people find jobs.

“I am so happy UNT is doing something like this because it’s a service that this county really needs,” she said. “These people can work. They just need a little help getting to work, and that’s what this

program is going to do.”Businesses will benefit from

the program as well. They will not have to spend money or take the time to go through the process of screening and training people. They will also not have to worry if they found the right person for the job.

“We do that at no cost to the employers,” said Elizabeth El Aiady, a business services coordinator. “It usually costs employers money to get that kind of service.”

UNT has partnered with reha-bilitation providers and coun-selors through the rehabilitation master’s program in the past, but this program takes it a step further.

“The project was started to bridge the gap between the number of people with disabilities who need customized employ-ment services in North Texas and the relatively few providers

offering the services in the area,” Graber said. “This project takes the university, the local commu-nity and Texas to that next level. In JOB FIT, the training and the education move from a theoret-ical base to a practical hands-on application of services.”

The Meadows Foundation members said they chose to participate in this program because they wanted to help those with disabilities be successful and gain self-esteem.

“We believe that the JOB FIT program at UNT will provide supportive employment services to persons with mental illnesses in the North Texas area,” said Bruce Esterline, the Meadows Foundation vice president for grants in an e-mail. “The align-ment of vocational services with medical treatment will ensure that multiple needs of program participants are met and outcomes of successful employ-

ment are improved.”The open house launching the

start of JOB FIT will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today in Chilton Hall 218.

“The open house gives us an opportunity to host our funders and introduce our new project to the community, including the community resource and service providers who will recommend people to us for services,” Garber said.

Those expected to attend the open house include repre-sentatives of the Meadows Foundation, members of the Regional Directors, professional staff of the department of reha-bilitation and assisted service, UNT faculty, board and staff, and other community service providers in the area.

People from the department, including students, will give guided tours of the suite where the services will be provided.

The posters are displayed all week on the campus green and in the University Union. Members from each group will present their posters at 2

p.m. today to a panel of judges from different UNT offices. Points will be added to the groups’ total for the final three posters.

Students have the option of purchasing a Push Week T-shirt and Thursday, group members wearing their specia l ized T-shirt can sign in at the Pi

Kappa Phi table on the campus green for 20 team points.

Participating groups are eligible for three checks worth $100 for first place, $50 for

second place and $25 for third, all made out to the winner’s chosen philanthropy.

Wor k i ng c lo s el y w it h t he Of f ice of Disabi l it y Accommodation, Pi Kappa Phi will host The Pushing for Awareness event, a member’s only event, which will include six members going through

“It’s important for us all to understand some of the

challenges that we face that other people don’t think about.”

—Jaime Blanton Parent Programs coordinator

their daily school routine in wheelchairs.

“What we’re trying to do is to raise awareness about the access issues that are still existing on the UNT campus and have empathy for people

that have wheelchairs and use them regularly,” Blanton said. “It’s important for us all to understand some of the challenges that we face that other people don’t think about.”