On July 20, VSU announced plans to create a plaza to celebrate the historical organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).

The NPHC was founded May 10, 1930 and is historically made up of nine African American fraternities and sororities. According to the NPHC website, “The primary purpose and focus of NPHC member organizations remains community awareness and action through educational, economic and cultural service activities.”

The NPHC chapter at VSU has been around since 1971 and to celebrate its 50 years on campus, the plaza will be a visual tribute to the each of the nine chapters’ commitment to educating the campus community on diversity and embracing inclusion.

According to Dr. Vince Miller, vice president for Student Affairs, this plaza, after years of discussion, is now able to begin fundraising.

“The plaza idea has been discussed among students for several years, but until recently, we did not have the joint coordination with local alumni representatives to help initiate the fundraising process,” Dr. Miller said. “It’s the generosity of our NPHC alumni that will make this project happen.”

Nfiniti Pierce, president of NPHC at VSU said that the plaza will show current and future VSU students the positive impact these organizations have made on campus.

“As the president of the NPHC, I am overjoyed that all nine of our organizations will be showcased on campus,” Pierce said. “It will be a common place on campus for us to unify and come together. As a member of my respective organization, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., it will be monumental to have such a significant piece of history permanently placed to gather around and bring family and friends to see for generations to come.”

NPHC at VSU hopes to raise $110,000 to complete the project. An online fundraising campaign to support the project started July 20 and will end Aug. 20. Anything over that amount will be used for scholarships to support NPHC students.

For this project, NPHC created a commemorative brick paver program. Any NPHC alumni who donates $200 or more, will be given an opportunity to personalize a paver for a location within their organization’s section of the plaza. Friends of VSU who donate $100 or more will be given an opportunity to personalize a paver along the path to the plaza.

VSU plans to begin creating the NPHC Plaza beginning Sept. 18 and hold a ribbon-cutting celebration during Homecoming Week in early November. The plaza will be located near the intersection of Patterson Street and Brookwood Drive.

To Support the NPHC Plaza go to: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/ValdostaStateUniversity/nphc-plaza

Written by Isabella Schneider, Copy Editor. Images courtesy of VSU.