Student Organizations Paint Benches

By Broadside News Editor Asma Chaudhary

Friday, numerous George Mason University student organizations gathered outside of SUB I in order to represent their groups and paint the spirit benches that lead to Fenwick Library.

• See a gallery of photographs from the bench painting by Connect2Mason photographer Kyle Rowland.

With each organization, an application must be submitted in order to be chosen to paint a bench. In the application, the student organization must represent a positive involvement with the Mason community as well as an exciting design for the bench itself.

According to their application, Chi Psi has worked with various events such as Light the Night, which was a walk created in order to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Also, the fraternity was involved with H.A.R.T., which involved a local pet store that provided animal rescue and adoption for homeless animals. The event encouraged others to protect and adopt animals. Recently, the organization teamed up with sorority sisters in Chi Omega’s Battle of the Sexes event to raise money for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Also, Chi Psi has helped with the Head Start Program, St. Jude’s Children’s Hopsital and Relay for Life. With the Head Start Program, the fraternity was able to work with students in Arlington, Va., which consisted mostly of underprivileged preschoolers who engaged in educational activities in the community. In order to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hopsital, the organization was able to raise donations based on inviting others to attend a Noodle and Company benefit night. On that particular night, the restaurant gave 10 percent of its profits direcltly to the cause. Another event, Relay for Life, was able to raise $1,600 in order to benefit the American Cancer Society in the 2008 relay.

The next section of the bench painting application asked why the organization wanted to paint a bench. As a response, the fraternity said, “Painting a bench on the George Mason campus is a huge honor for any organization at GMU. For Alpha Omega Delta of Chi Psi Fraternity, painting a Student Activities bench allows us to show pride in our organization, our university and also in the ability for our organization to give back to the mason community.”

In addition, the organization discussed how the university has affected the fraternity with school pride. “Mason has given so much to the brothers of Chi Psi and through painting a bench on the SUB I lawn, it allows the brothers and alumni to physically represent the pride that each of us shares in our organization and in our University. We have also applied for the bench every year we have been a recognized organization because we recognize the value of such an award and recognition.”

For the final portion of the application process, the organization was asked to describe the design layout for the bench. The fraternity said, “Our design incorporates many of the things that help identify our organization. It contains our national name, Chi Psi; our local alpha, [which is Alpha Omega Delta] and the essential qualities that help establish our fundamental goals and objectives such as [Promoting Gentlemen Since 1841]. It also contains our web page where more information can be found about our fraternity.”