VSU installing plaza: Groundbreaking planned for Panhellenic Council project

Published 1:06 pm Tuesday, July 20, 2021

VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University announced the coming construction of the National Panhellenic Council Plaza.

Valdosta State is scheduled to break ground on the project in September and plans to host the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the homecoming celebration in November, university officials said Tuesday.

“The NPHC plaza has been a conversation amongst our undergraduate chapters, as well as conversations amongst our alumni community,” Dr. Vince Miller, vice president for student affairs, said. “We thought to put the two groups together and lets really put a plan in action to help make this type of project a reality for our campus.”

The design was comprised of collaborative ideas involving Valdosta Alumni NPHC, VSU NPHC and the Valdosta State plaza committee to execute a design that was cohesive. 

“As the survey went around we chose the best design. As an undergrad I would say we are definitely happy with the design and how it turned out,” Nfiniti Pierce, president of the NPHC at VSU and an elementary education major, said.

Alumni, undergraduates and affiliates of NPHC and Valdosta State University can purchase a brick paver that will be permanently placed inside of the plaza.

The NPHC Plaza location will be along the Azalea Trail near the Fine Arts building which is adjacent to the old basketball courts which are a historic spot for NPHC.

Ronald Skrine, president of the Valdosta Alumni Chapter of the NPHC and battalion chief with Valdosta Fire Department, said, “That is where several NPHC lines were presented in their probate show. All the students could gather on the basketball courts and see everything that was going on and celebrate the accomplishment of those that were becoming members of the NPHC family in their respected organizations.”

The plaza will be a location for programmed events by the NPHC organizations that are active on Valdosta State campus.

“The mission of the project is to help celebrate the legacy of our NPHC chapters and the future that these chapters are going to bring to this campus,” Madison Beaumarchais, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, said. “They do a really great job of being supportive of the university, hosting events and getting involved in the community. This is just a physical representation of all the amazing things they do every day.”

The National Panhellenic Council is comprised of the Divine Nine Greek organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.

Each of the Divine Nine organizations will be represented in the execution of the project and will be a celebration of 50 years of NPHC organizations on the Valdosta State University campus.