On Friday, April 11, the National Pan-Hellenic Council held its annual bonfire on campus at Wright State University. Starting at 9 p.m., this event was a time for snacks, community engagement and music. Many people gathered around the fire to talk and share culture and community.
Event and atmosphere
In the dark parking lot, a crowd of people stood between the growing fire, surrounded by chairs and the DJ's station. There were tables filled with supplies to make s'mores, as well as fruit cups and baked goods available for free. Attendees chatted amongst themselves and danced while enjoying the snacks and refreshments.
Jonecia Moore is the President of NPHC at WSU and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She shared that they are working to bring the annual bonfire back to how large it was in the past.
"We used to have, like, food trucks, vendors [and] stuff like that," Moore said. She explained that the last time it was held was two years ago.
Treyah Gray is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. She is heavily involved in the NPHC space at WSU and has served as a leader in many spaces, as well as being an entrepreneur.
"So we do the annual bonfire so that we can have like, alumni come back and celebrate with us, because it's kind of like the end of the year. I know some of the years they've announced like, e-board positions, like they did the BSU e-board positions when I became secretary... yeah, it's just like a big event for everybody to come back together and show you who we are," Gray said.
Imani Williams is part of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a public health major.
"I'm happy that other people outside of the NPHC community [are here]. Like FSC and CPH, it's good to see. This is for everyone," Williams said.
The night was fun and full of energy, with people catching up around the fire and enjoying the free snacks, beverages and the music.
NPHC highlight
The NPHC organizations, also referred to as the Divine Nine, are a group of historically Black four sororities and five fraternities. Now, the organizations are open to everyone, with WSU's NPHC having recently won the Inclusive Excellence Award at the 2025 Student Leadership Awards.
On Engage, six of the nine chapters are listed. Currently, WSU has active undergraduate members in four of the organizations. Through these active members and the active alumni members, the NPHC community is a large and rich space.
"One of the main things is to also really bring the Black communities together and make them stronger, especially with us being a PWI, just making sure that people have that type of community," Moore said.
WSU is a predominantly white organization, as Moore mentioned, making events and community events such as this all the more important.
"Most of the time, we focus on events that help other people," Gray said. "We all focus on service [and] scholarship."
In addition to their award for inclusivity, NPHC won WSU's Community Service Award, proving that this organization truly does what they say, and excel at it.
"I think it gives me like a sense of community," Williams said. "We come together and have a good time and do service."
For more information about NPHC, follow their page on Instagram and attend their upcoming events.
