Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Cassandra Adams agrees with this statement wholeheartedly; that’s why she was elected to be the president of Greek Philanthropy Organization. Between exams, friends, family, her sorority, and her classes, Cassandra has a busy life as it is. After being elected president of GPO, her priorities shifted to even bigger things like helping huge organizations like the Humane Society and Ronald McDonald house.
HC: Tell me about Greek Philanthropy Organization.
CA: Well, it was founded in the winter of 2005. Basically, our goal is to provide more community service opportunities for the Greek community. IFC, Panhel, MGC and NPHC are all involved. We also try to break down the stereotypes that Greek Life has about not being involved with the community by providing them with great opportunities for community service.
HC: How often does your organization meet?
CA: We meet one Wednesday every month. We also do a service project every month outside of the meetings. The meetings aren’t long, so it’s not a huge time commitment, and they’re really fun. Plus, there’s always candy and a fun little project to do there, as well! And, you can meet tons of new people from other Greek houses. I think that’s awesome, too!
HC: What made you decide to run for president of Greek Philanthropy Organization?
CA: My mom has always taught me that it’s important to be involved in the community. So, when I came to college, I wanted to continue doing community service. When I was told about GPO as a freshman, I joined it, and, when the position opened up for president, I was thrilled. I really wanted to make it something bigger than what it was. I want to completely change it into this huge organization that everybody on campus knows about and is enthusiastic about.
HC: What are your responsibilities as president?
CA: I have so many responsibilities. I have to keep everybody in line; I need to make sure they do what they’re supposed to be doing. I’m the face of GPO, you know? So I have to represent GPO in a positive light and make sure everybody else is, as well. Also, I contact other organizations to make sure they come to our meetings. It’s a lot of work, but it’s completely worth it. I hope soon everybody else will be as excited about GPO as I am.
HC: Is being president everything you thought it would be?
CA: Not at all. It’s definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be. It’s difficult to get Greek Life to participate in activities because everybody already has so many other things they’re involved in. At times, it can get really frustrating. I’m hoping soon we can change that, though, and get everybody to want to be extremely involved.
HC: How has your experience with Greek Philanthropy Organization been?
CA: It’s made me realize how hard it is to get people enthusiastic about getting involved. It has also allowed me to branch out and meet new people. I’ve become really good friends with the old president of GPO, and she’s helped me a lot through this whole process. I’m really grateful for her and all that GPO has brought me. It’s a ton of fun helping out the community. Last month, we made dinner for 40 people at Ronald McDonald house, which supports families whose children or family members are in the hospital for a long period of time. The families were so grateful that we gave them dinner. It made me feel so great about helping the community. I think GPO makes you really appreciate the things that you have and makes you feel great about helping everybody else.
HC: How do you balance GPO with school?
CA: The nice thing about GPO is that it really isn’t a huge time commitment. Being president of GPO isn’t as difficult as it would be to be the president of my sorority. It has definitely forced me to make some alterations to my time management skills, as far as balancing schoolwork and presidency requirements go.
HC: If somebody were on the fence about getting involved with GPO, what would you say to him or her?
CA: Community service is always really great for your resume. It’s also an amazing way to meet people. If you want to get involved in GPO, all you have to do is show up to the meetings. They’re only once a month and they’re honestly really fun. Everybody laughs, smiles, and has a great time!