Waiting for the announcement, Bill Read shook his foot and paced up and down the hallway and Luke Pierce rocked back on his heels, hands in the pockets of his suit.
Both Pierce (junior-economics) and Read (junior-economics) talked nervously to each other about their respective fraternity houses and video games, among other things. They were waiting for the decision of who would be the next Interfraternity Council (IFC) president.
After about 40 minutes of informal discussion among the IFC chapter presidents, the votes were tallied and Kelsey Gingrich, current IFC president, came into the hallway to let the candidates know the outcome of the election.
With a vote of 33 to 8, Pierce was elected the next IFC president.
In his speech, before the voting, to the other chapter presidents, Pierce explained that he would be able to draw upon his experience as chapter president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to make the necessary changes to the IFC.
"Many good things go unnoticed in the fraternities," he said. "In order to improve our image, we need to work closely with the media and student organizations. We need constant assessment to promote healthy and positive change in the IFC."
Pierce had the support of Gavin Keirans, UPUA president, Chris Morell, executive director of Safeguard Old State, and Tom Shakely, president of The Lion 90.7 FM, at the Presidents' Council meeting.
While waiting in the hallway, Read said if he did not get elected to the position of IFC president, he would still want to become involved in the IFC, though he said his role would be determined later.
Read's role in the IFC was determined sooner rather than later. He was nominated for the position of IFC executive vice president and he secured the position with a majority of 25 votes. In his speech for IFC president, he said he wanted to participate in something he was passionate about -- like the greek community -- describing his time in a fraternity as the best experience of his life.
The chapters also elected a new vice president for finance, Bill Lawler (junior-mechanical engineering).
Graduating this winter, Gingrich said he will miss the interaction with all the fraternities. He said he hopes the new IFC council learns from the problems the executive council before them encountered and understands them so they can do things differently.
"We elected three great guys tonight," he said. "I want to see them get started correctly, then I'm done."
Roy Baker, director of fraternity and sorority life, said Kelsey and the IFC executive council did a great job and he is looking forward to the new council.
"I'd love to see a positively aggressive IFC, not simply an IFC that repeats what ones before them did," he said. "They need new ideas, a new focus and to look at the greek system everyday and see what they can do better."
