The Division of Student Affairs will be groundbreaking the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Greek Garden at Unity Circle at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23.
The NPHC is a collaborative organization of nine historically African-American, international Greek letter fraternities and sororities known as the “Divine Nine.”
The NPHC Greek Garden will feature nine monuments recognizing each organization.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., make up the “Divine Nine” at UTM.
Each monument will include important chapter information and organization history.
The garden will give students and alumni the opportunity for reflection, gathering and celebration.
Since UTM NPHC organizations do not have houses to gather in, the Garden will create a physical and symbolic presence on the campus.
Devin Majors, SGA President and member of Alpha Phi Alpha, believes having the garden helps show how dedicated UTM is to supporting the “Divine Nine” organizations.
“Previously, none of our organizations have a house or plot. So it seemed as if every year was a constant battle of having to reintroduce ourselves to incoming students,” Majors said.
“Having an actual site on campus will put NPHC and UTM in the history books and ensure that future generations of students know about the D9 and the great work that we do for campus and the community.”
Myesha Goodwin, a senior Health and Human Performance major from Clarksville and a member of Delta Sigma Theta, says it will help create a legacy and spread more awareness about NPHC organizations on campus.
“It gives NPHC organizations something to call our own because we do not have anything on campus,” Goodwin said. “This shows that the campus cares about NPHC as a whole and lets us know that they recognize our presence.”
“The NPHC garden will reflect the black Greek presence here on campus,” Ragland said. “For UTM to recognize the minority and recognize how beneficial we are to the school means a lot. I feel it’s a great step in the right direction for bigger and better things to come.”
The NPHC Garden serves to create a positive environment for NPHC organizations to unite in efforts to promote their fraternities and sororities while also educating students about the history of these organizations.
UTM is among a very few Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) that also pays tribute to the legacy of African-American Greek Life.
