On Wednesday, September 11, alumni from the Melbourne University Greek Association (MUnGA) gathered at The Greek Centre for their MUnGA History and Networking Night. Those attending the event heard about the club’s history, reunited with old friends, and shared their experiences with current students.
The event was organised by the current MUnGA committee led by Christina Savopoulos (President), Jamie Gallos (Vice-President), John Tzelepis (Secretary), Dion Papadopoulos (Treasurer), Danial Oveisi (Media Officer) and Elizabeth Kanterakis (Cultural Officer).
The team began their research of the club’s history at the start of this year and have since collated details about the club’s formation in 1968 and its achievements ever since. Students were also able to network with the MUnGA alumni, hearing about their career pathways and learning about their professions in a variety of fields.
The evening was a wonderful success with over 80 in attendance. It was particularly insightful to hear speakers from each decade of the club who shared their experiences. Speakers included John Petrakis, Helen Hatzis, Theo Markos, Jonathan Angelopoulos, Peter Karakoussis, and Kristian Raspa. The speakers shared documents from their time with the club; constitutions, event posters, letters, the first membership card and photos.
All speakers spoke fondly about their time with the club and the positive impact it had on their university lives. The experiences shared shone a light on how the focus of the club has changed over the years. Political activism and migration took centre stage in the 1960s-80s while in recent years there has been more of a focus on promoting and maintaining Greek culture on campus.
MUnGA Secretary Mr Tzelepis shared how “the night was an amazing opportunity to bring people together from the last 50 years. It was the first time we had attempted to bring past MUnGA committees together to share all of their accomplishments throughout the decades.”
MUnGA President Ms Savopoulos said “an event like this is one of a kind and the support and attendance of MUnGA alumni really shows the impact of the club and the love everyone has for it. This event started with some research and an idea for a small publication and turned into an evening of celebration and connection.”
The MUnGA 2023/24 Committee would like to thank everyone who attended the History and Networking Night. The continuation of the club has only been possible because of the extraordinary work and dedication of committees over the decades. Everyone involved has played a vital role in upholding MUnGA’s legacy as one of the oldest Greek clubs in Australia which will surely continue in the years to come.
