UWG NHPC to add Campus Garden

UWG will be adding another historical monument on its campus. The university will be giving the UWG National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) their own garden.  The garden will honor the amazing impacts and contributions the council provides on campus and throughout the Carrollton community.  

 The garden was made possible through the efforts of the Center for Diversity, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, University Advancement, Campus Planning and Facilities, and the University of West Georgia’s National Pan-Hellenic Council. The garden opening will take place on Oct. 14 at 9:30 a.m. The garden will be located at the Oaks Amphitheater.   

The garden will recognize all nine of the NPHC organizations: 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., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc.      

Over the years, UWG’s NPHC has completed thousands of community service hours and has worked with numerous volunteer organizations throughout the local community and throughout the country. The NPHC offers a wide range of educational programs and opportunities for students on campus and at local elementary, middle and high schools.  

Image courtesy UWG Facilities.

When the NPHC goes to the local schools they provide children and teenagers with information about how their council’s history provided their founders a chance to make a positive impact in their country. Then the organizations encourage students to continue their education to college life. They explain the benefits of going to college and how going Greek life has helped them academically and helped them network.  

In 2018, The Tau Chi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., went to Flint, MI to donate clean who were affected by the contaminated water crisis. The Tau Chi chapter also helped build and restore the local parks in Flint. They were even featured on the local news for their contributions to the local area.  

NPHC President Earnest Rainer traveled to Waco, Texas, to visit Baylor University’s  NPHC Garden to gain inspiration for UWG’s garden. 

“It was imperative that we do the necessary research to determine if a garden would create a sense of ‘home’ for our sororities and fraternities,” said Rainer. “After my travels to Baylor, there was no doubt that the Oaks Amphitheater was the perfect location to make this dream a reality.” 

The NPHC Garden is the vision of UWG alumni Jordan Watson ’18 and Wesley Hammonds ’18, who presented the idea and its potential contribution to UWG’s former President Kyle Marrero more than two years ago while enrolled as students.