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Name: Ray Comer, president of Fraternity Council
Class: Senior
Major: Pre-med, biology
Hometown: Rock Hill
Tell me about your position as president of Fraternity Council. I have the task of governing and acting as a resource for all fraternities on campus. I’m a spokesman for the fraternities, and as a resource, I’m able to interact with all the fraternities if they have any questions or concerns. I’m also a liaison for anyone who wants to get in touch with any of the fraternities. I work with a lot of chapter presidents. We do a lot of risk management. We discuss the upcoming year and do a lot of planning so that things run smoothly. The Greek organizations are a large number of students, and organization is very important. Communication is very important, too. My job is to make sure everyone is on the same page, that everyone knows what events are coming up, and that everyone is living up to the standards of Greek life. I also make sure that things go correctly. We have certain standards that we uphold: scholarship, friendship, and community service. I make sure that every chapter is doing its best to uphold those virtues. I also am on the governing body.
How many fraternities are on campus? We have about 16 to 18 fraternities on campus, and we just added a predominantly Jewish organization, Sigma Alpha Mu, and also Tau Kappa Epsilon is coming back. We have opportunities for everyone. We have fraternities that are very strong academically and very strong intramurally. Everyone does his best servicewise. Everyone can find his niche here.
How did you get involved in Greek life? I have a friend, an older brother, who was in a fraternity here. I’ve always been over involved in things. I like to be busy. I wanted to find a place where I could commit myself to community service and high academic standards and be part of a group that does positive things of campus. I pledged in fall 2002 with Sigma Alpha Epsilon. I had 30 pledge brothers. A lot of them are my best friends now. Being in the Greek community, you’re automatically tapped into a large network of people. I have friends in every chapter and in every sorority. It’s been a great web and network. I’ve been able to participate in leadership positions, which I really enjoy. I enjoy helping out in the community and upholding strong academic standards. It’s been a great experience for me.
Any community service projects coming up this fall? We have the annual Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive, the largest blood drive in the state of South Carolina. We annually collect between 2,700 and 3,000 pints of blood. It also enhances the rivalry. Anyone who is a Gamecock fan knows that we want to beat Clemson in anything. We’ve won the past three years. I chaired the event two years ago. The number of people on campus who get involved is just amazing. We have several events planned with the Girls and Boys Clubs of Columbia. We just did Trick-or-Treat with the Greeks. We brought in 200 to 300 children and had a carnival and let them trick-or-treat in the Greek Village. It gives them a safe place to trick-or-treat. It’s really good to see a couple of thousand college students who will devote their time and have a great time interacting with children. People here like to give back to the community and do good things. That’s evidenced here in the Greek community.
What other activities are you involved in? I attend leadership conferences. I’ve given several talks for President Sorensen. I worked with the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program this summer at the medical school doing research with tissue engineering. I’m a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, an honors society. We do community service.
What are your after-graduation plans? I’m excited about the opportunity to practice medicine. I’m ready to get geared up. I’m applied for the fall ’06 semester. Specifically, I’d like to do something in pediatrics. I love working with kids—a lot of that has been through my service in the community as part of the Greek community, interacting with children.
11/05
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President of the Fraternity Council Ray Comer, senior, pre-med/biology, right, and President of the Sorority Council Kendall Robinson
