IFC and PHC donate $12,000 gift to DPS


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The USC Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council presented a check for more than $12,000 to the Dept. of Public Safety’s Explorer Program on Thursday night. The program allows at-risk youth ages 12 through 21 to explore careers in law enforcement and public service.

The donation, raised during the Greek Carnival put on by IFC and Panhellenic in the fall, will provide funds for participants in the Explorer Program to go to leadership camps in the summer and gain other skills through the program.

“We’re truly excited,” said Deputy Chief Johnnie Adams, who heads the Explorer Program. “[This donation] gives us the opportunity to grow our program because the more funds we have, the more we can do. We can do more outreach and have more kids join the program.”

Each fraternity and sorority chapter donated money to the carnival, and IFC and Panhellenic reached out to the Undergraduate Student Government and nearby businesses to sponsor the event. Last fall was the first time the Greek system held the carnival, and it has plans to continue the philanthropy.

“It was just a natural partnership pairing up with DPS and the Explorer Program because they do so much for us as a Greek community, whether it be education or keeping us safe on The Row,” Panhellenic President Caroline Cannan said. “We’re looking forward to the next few years and expanding the event and making it even more successful.”

DPS Chief John Thomas called the Greek system DPS’s most consistent supporter in his nine years working for the university. The groups have collaborated more in recent years, and now, IFC and Panhellenic have weekly meetings with Adams.

IFC President Jake Simon commented on the growing relationship between the members in the Greek system and DPS.

“Over the last year, the relationship between DPS, IFC and Panhellenic has been growing to an amazing degree,” Simon said. “We have a lot of dialogue, which helps us stay safer as a community.”

Ryan Lopez, a freshman majoring in chemistry, is serving his third year as a cadet with the program. He is also the post commander, tasked with overseeing the cadets and making sure that enough people are working at events.

“My experience with the cadet program has been an incredible one,” Lopez said. “Being a kid from the neighborhood, it’s given me a chance to explore something that I really didn’t think I’d like. It’s given me an opportunity to be exposed to more of a college atmosphere and develop relationships with the people on campus.”

Sergeant Rick Gonzalez was also part of a cadet program before he came to work at USC, where he has headed the program for the past 10 years. His favorite memory of the Explorer Program is when USC hired 15 out of 20 cadets from the local community after they went through training.

“When I was a cadet, what helped me was that I was able to interact with someone who was just like me from the neighborhood,” Gonzalez said. “Having somebody at that young age walk you through the process of becoming a law enforcement officer is really beneficial.”

Adams explained that Thomas has promoted community engagement throughout his time at USC and that DPS has a goal to reach out to the nearby community as a Trojan family. In the future, DPS hopes to have its cadets more engaged with the campus and serve more actively alongside DPS in promoting public safety.

“[The donation] is really great because it shows the kids that the community cares about them,” Gonzalez said. “Not only does our department care if they’re successful, but it’s the USC community that is also contributing.”