Panhellenic leadership has high hopes for these new Panhellenic officers.

“The new officers are ready to work, they are so excited and so full of ideas. I have every bit of confidence that this council is going to exceed expectations,” said Erin Lasher, assistant director for the Center of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

The Panhellenic Executive Council oversees all fourteen Panhellenic sororities on the WSU campus.

Newly instated Panhellenic President, Shareni Ojeda-Silva, has ideas she can not wait to absorb into the Panhellenic community, she said.

One of her main goals for the next year is to build a stronger relationship between the Panhellenic community and the Multicultural Greek community, Ojeda-Silva said.

“They’re like a family and I really admire that,” Ojeda-Silva said. “I also want to encourage equity and diversity community-wide. Greek life is historically not very welcoming to people of color, and I feel like I’m taking on this huge responsibility as a woman and as a person of color in a position of power.”

Lindsey McFee, vice president of recruitment, hopes to create an inclusive recruitment environment in August 2023.

“Greek life has something for everyone, and I don’t want anyone feeling like this community isn’t right for them,” McFee said.

Ojeda-Silva also plans to integrate the phonetic spelling of PNM’s names for recruitment. This way the women going through this experience feel more respected, Ojeda-Silva said.

“It’s important that we celebrate their individuality and the diversity of their name,” Ojeda-Silva said.

McFee and  Sage Warden vice president of rho gammas, are the recruitment dream team, Lasher said.

“Lindsey and I are on the same page,” Warden said. “We both have a pretty solid idea of what we want recruitment to look like.”

Hailey Palm, 2022-2023 panhellenic president, is excited to see the new officers work to integrate more inclusive practices throughout the community.

“This new group is really into making recruitment more accessible and affordable for every potential new member,” Palm said.

Sorority recruitment can be a financial burden for many young women, Lasher said.

Last year, there was a PNM closet available to all of the potential new members going through recruitment, Ojeda-Silva wants to incorporate this idea for the recruiting members of WSU sororities as well.

“With this being such a year of change, this is a really good spot for us to rethink how we do things,” McFee said.

Dan Welter director for the center for fraternity and sorority life said, “When I think of this community, I think of women’s empowerment.”

Welter said that the women of the Panhellenic community are not afraid to gather their resources and put their minds together to solve problems. Panhellenic builds leaders, he said.

“I know if I were to go somewhere and need help from someone in the community they’re going to be there and they’re going to help me,” said Kianne Bell, vice president of philanthropy and service.

Aly Whittman vice president of member education, has a sincere love for this community and its members that drove her to apply for her Panhellenic position.

“This is my home, and I wanted to help my community. We’re only young and in college once, and I think it’s important to branch out and make those meaningful connections while we can,” Whittman said.

The Panhellenic Executive Council will begin operations with its new officers at the start of next semester, but much of these women’s winter break will be spent workshopping ideas and prepping for the new year, said Jordan Ahlstedt, vice president of finance and administration.

“These are the women that are going to lead us in the future,” Lasher said.