Posts Tagged ‘Pi Beta Phi’

« Older Entries

Great awards follow a great year in Greek Life

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

 

Fraternity members celebrate success in 2010-2011 academic year. (Photo by Daniel M. Reck.)

It’s been a big year for Greek Life at Monmouth College.  Thousands of dollars have been raised for charity, thousands of hours have been given in service, and hundreds of students have enjoyed academic success.

The pinnacle of each year is Greek Week, which recently concluded with the Annual Greek Life Awards.  All seven Greek organizations came together, raised over $1,050 for Haiti earthquake relief, and organized a record-setting blood drive.

“Greek Week this year was a magnificent success!” says Haleigh Turner ’12, Greek Week Chair and President of Pi Beta Phi. “Every chapter came together on multiple occasions to hang out, have a great time, possibly get slimmed, and show campus that no matter our letters we are a unified Greek System.

Through Penny Wars and a Car Bash, Greeks raised $1,054.13, which will go to Lights for Haiti through Citizen Effect. The money raised will help provide solar-powered lanterns to Haitians who are still recovering from the earthquake that devastated the country two years ago.

There were many events during Greek Week, from a Bop-It tournament, Slime-Time, karaoke, trivia, a scavenger hunt, and philanthropies; perhaps one of the most memorable was the All-Greek Candle Pass.

“It really meant a lot to see brothers and sisters from different organizations linked together representing not only our unity during Greek Week but our forever support of one another as we passed a significant item from each chapter as well as sang our songs,” says Turner.

The Greek Week show allowed fraternity members to show off their values, pride, and humor as they put on four 1990s-themed acts. In addition to the shows put on by Greek organizations, the so-called Greek God and Goddess, along with their Demigod and Demigoddess counterparts, competed in talent, questions, and overall participation to win the titles.

The men of Sigma Phi Epsilon and the women of Pi Beta Phi won the Greek Show on Thursday night with their medley of references to 90s television shows and dance numbers. The men of Zeta Beta Tau, teamed up with a mix of women from each women’s fraternity dubbed The Panhellenic Alliance, won the banner contents, which was also announced at the Greek Week show.

Greek Week ended on Friday with the Annual Greek Life Awards banquet. Greeks dressed to impress and to raise awareness for autism. Alpha Xi Delta women handed out blue ribbons for World Autism Awareness Day, which coincided with the awards program.  Outside, Wallace Hall’s famous copula was lit in a brilliant blue as part of the national “Light It up Blue” campaign for Autism Awareness Month. The Empire State Building in New York City, along with many other landmarks, were also awash in blue for the night.

The banquet, held in the specially-decorated cafeteria, brought together fraternity members from every organization to celebrate their successes and the success of their fellow brothers and sisters. The guest list not only included fraternity members, but faculty, advisors, deans, and President Mauri Ditzler.

The women of Alpha Xi Delta won Overall Greek Week for their fourth year running as well as many other chapter and individual awards.

“We have worked hard to better ourselves and to follow our National Fraternity motto, ‘realize your potential,’” says Kim Dwyer ’12, President of Alpha Xi Delta. “It was exciting to see all of our hard work pay off.  Our chapter is more than grateful and proud of one another.”

Although each of the awards are of high honor, the most prestigious award that can be earned at Monmouth College is the award for Outstanding Chapter Operations. This year, Pi Beta Phi earned this award.

Recipients of the 2011 Greek Life Awards were:

  • Academic Excellence Award – Alpha Xi Delta
  • Excellence in Campus Involvement and Leadership – Phi Delta Theta
  • Outstanding Chapter Program – Xi Man, Alpha Xi Delta
  • Award for Excellence in Community Service and Philanthropy – Phi Delta Theta
  • Outstanding Advisor – Denise Turnbull, Pi Beta Phi
  • Emerging Female Leader – Lydia Butler, Alpha Xi Delta
  • Emerging Male Leader – Jeff Skalon, Alpha Tau Omega
  • Outstanding Greek President – Leah Statler, Pi Beta Phi
  • Greek Woman of the Year – Kristen Wyse, Alpha Xi Delta
  • Greek Man of the Year (Cy Reagan Award) – John Cayton, Phi Delta Theta
  • The Richard “Doc” Kieft Award – Rodney Clayton, Phi Delta Theta
  • Outstanding Chapter Operations – Pi Beta Phi
  • Greek Week Spirit Award – Alpha Xi Delta
  • Greek God and Goddess – Andrew Farraher, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Ashley May, Alpha Xi Delta
  • Greek Demi-God and Demi-Goddess – Alex Mackley, Zeta Beta Tau and Courtney Jonsson, Alpha Xi Delta
  • Overall Greek Week Winners – Alpha Xi Delta

“Winning the Chapter Operations Award is a true honor”, said Turner. “Leah, as President, and our executive board, worked hard to excel our chapter to one that adheres not only to a loving sisterhood but one with high standards for our sisters.” μ

Michelle Bruce ‘12

Also of Interest

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Features, News | No Comments »

Greek Week to support Haiti, recognize excellence

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

The 2011 Greek Week kicks off this Friday, March 25. The week will start off with an all Greek dinner and dance party on Friday. Greeks will be expressing their love for the 90s decade, and their pride for their organizations during this week.

“We started planning [in] September,” said Haleigh Turner ’12, head of the Greek Week Team and president of Pi Beta Phi. According to Turner, the group, which includes representatives from all seven fraternities, worked hard this year to create a week with fun 90s-themed games, singing, dancing, and even service.  Representatives from the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils, as well as Order of Omega, also contributed to the effort.

On Saturday, Greeks will come together to clean up the Monmouth College campus and end the day with some games. Monday starts Penny Wars during lunch and dinner, which will continue until lunch on Friday, April 1.

Proceeds from Penny Wars and the other philanthropies occurring throughout the week will be donated to the Lights for Haiti Project through Citizen Effect, an organization that encourages people to create teams and join together to raise money towards a certain project.

Greeks will be raising money to bring lights to Haiti. “What’s interesting about Citizen Effect is that you can actually see what the money is being put towards and how many people it is helping,” Turner said.  Other proceeds will benefit campus programming by the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils, which sponsor Greek Week.

The highly-anticipated Greek Week Show will take place on Thursday, March 31, at 7:00 PM. Four teams  of fraternity men and women will perform skits portraying Greek values using the 90s theme. “It is going to be the best one yet!” said Kim Boyd ‘13, manager of the Greek Week Show and member of Alpha Xi Delta.

The week will end with the Annual Greek Life Awards on Friday, as organized by Order of Omega, the honor society for men’s and women’s fraternity members who excel academically. The banquet, also hosted by Monmouth College, Interfraternity Council, and the Panhellenic Council, will feature a keynote address from Colonel Stephen Bloomer, a senior development officer for Monmouth College, and advisor to Phi Delta Theta.

Awards will be presented by other campus dignitaries, including Vice President for Student Life Jacquelyn Condon, Associate Dean of Students Michelle Merritt, and Assistant Director of Greek Life, Leadership, and Involvement Daniel M. Reck.  The awards recognize a range of accomplishments from outstanding chapter advisors, academic achievements, and excellence in chapter operations.  Order of Omega will also recognize the students who were inducted this year, as well as the faculty and staff members they have selected to honor with membership.

The Greek Week team worked hard to schedule events around class schedules. While Greek members are encouraged to participate in every activity, it is important to attend every class during this week, said Turner.

“It feels really good to see our hard work turning into a reality.” said Boyd. μ

Michelle Bruce ’12 and Annie Soto ‘12

 

Also of Interest

 

 

2011 Greek Week Schedule of Events

Friday, March 25, 2011 – Greek Week Kickoff: Wear Fraternity Letters

  • Noon – Show: All show music/DVDs/videos due, Leadership Development Office
    (late entries will not be accepted and result in disqualification)
  • 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM – All Greek Dinner, Main Dining Room
  • 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM – All Greek Dance Party, Fraternity Complex Social Space

Saturday, March 26, 2011 – Wear Greek Week Shirts

  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – All Greek Campus Clean Up, meet at Dunlap Terrace

Sunday, March 27, 2011- Wear Greek Apparel

  • 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM – All Greek Brunch, Main Dining Room
  • 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM – Legends of the Hidden Temple including Photo Hunt, Huff Center Field house
  • 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM – All Greek Candle Pass, Liedman Lawn

Monday, March 28, 2011- Wear Greek Apparel

  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 12:10 PM to 12:50 PM – Monmouth College Chapel Service, Dahl Chapel
  • 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM – ‘90s Karaoke, Scotland Yard

Tuesday, March 29, 2011- Wear Greek Apparel

  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM– Figure it Out/Slime Time, Dunlap Terrace
  • 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM – Show Rehearsal Periods, Dahl Chapel
  • 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM – Car Bash Philanthropy and Sno-Cones, Lower Dunlap Terrace

Wednesday, March 30, 2011- Wear Greek Colors

  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Greek Week Blood Drive, Huff Concourse
  • 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM – Trivia, Highlander
  • 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM – Show Dress Rehearsal, Dahl Chapel
    (required dress rehearsal with full costumes and A/V, absence will result in disqualification.)

Thursday, March 31, 2011- Wear Greek Week Shirts

  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Trash for Tips, Meet at Dunlap Terrace
  • 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM – Greek Week Show, Dahl Chapel
    (tech crew arrives at 6:00 PM, performers arrive at 6:30 PM, house opens at 6:45 PM)

Friday, April 1, 2011- Dress to the Pin/Badge

  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Penny Wars, Stockdale Lobby
  • 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM – Bop It Tournament, Tartan Room
  • 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM – Annual Greek Life Awards and Banquet, Main Dining Room

 

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Features, News | No Comments »

Greek life builds confidence and success

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

“Greek life gave me the confidence in myself that I needed in order to push me to join other organizations on campus and get involved,” says former Alpha Xi Delta President Kristen Wyse ’11.

This contradicts movies like Animal House and television shows like Greek or Glory Daze, where fraternity and sorority members are often given the reputation of being the slackers among the student body at many colleges and universities.  The stereotype, however, is far from the truth. Those who are involved in Greek Life in college go on to become CEO’s, senators, volunteers, and even presidents of companies and countries. Greeks show a great deal of success both during and after their college career.

This success could be due to the networking involved in Greek communities. This is not unreasonable, as there are over 9 million active and graduated Greeks throughout the United States and Canada, according to Penn State University. However, networking is only one piece of the puzzle.

Through Greek organizations, members learn how to interact with others not only in their brotherhood and sisterhood but with their communities.  Greeks provide, also according to Penn State, the largest network of volunteers in America. Through this work, Greeks experience how to work with people and assist people who need genuinely need help. Volunteering helps build a strong character and contributes to strong leadership skills.

People who hold executive positions in a fraternity experience what it means to be a leader and to be able to work well with others. “It can be easy to want to take charge of things and try to run the show… but that doesn’t work in real life!” says Ryan Brandt ‘10, a Pi Beta Phi alumna, who believes Greek Life taught her how to work successfully in a group.

“In a sorority, you’re always working with other sisters, groups on campus, or the community,” says Brandt.  “The only way to do that successfully is to listen to everyone’s ideas and input, be willing to try new things, and encourage the people you’re working with every step of the way.”

The leadership skills that are learned as a member of Greek Life may promote success. According to Penn State, thirty percent of Fortune 500 executives are Greek and all but three Presidents of the United States since 1825 were members of Greek Life. These statistics suggest a connection between Greeks and strong leaders.

“[Greek Life] strengthened me as a leader and has given me a lot of tools that I have been able to use while being an RA and Career Assistant,” Wyse says.  “It was the first step I took in becoming interested in the career of Student Affairs.” Wyse aspires to enter the field, which focuses on student development at colleges and universities.

There are many aspects of Greek Life that help one become a stronger leader and a well-rounded person. Everything, from academics to philanthropy to the sense of family, helps Greek members develop their own self-identity. The skills and values that are learned after joining a fraternity or sorority help members become successful during and after their college career.

Greek life is not just another activity to add on a resume. Members of Greek life find it to be a learning experience that will prove to be useful throughout life. μ

Michelle Bruce ’12

Also of Interest:

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Features | No Comments »

Facebook and social networks: Friend or unfriend?

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Social media has become an essential part of students’ daily lives. Search engines and websites have changed the way they research, YouTube changes the way they learn, sites like Facebook change the way they talk to each other.

Around campus, students, faculty, and professors are using social networks more than ever. From Twitter to Facebook to LinkedIn, social networking has made it easier to communicate with people throughout the world. It is easier to keep in touch with friends from the past and with family who lives across the country.

“As long as college students are networking, that is the main point,” says Pi Beta Phi member Haleigh Turner ’12, a Career Assistant for the Monmouth College Office of Career Development. “If more students feel comfortable using sites like Facebook that’s fine, but I am partial to face to face networking.”

However, there are some downsides associated with the extremely accessible social networking sites, says Dr. Rey Junco a professor at Lock Haven University and a social media researcher.  He discusses how using social media as a tool in the classroom will help students become more engaged in face to face learning in his blog, Social Media in Higher Education.

“Students who reported multitasking by doing another activity on the computer or another activity not on the computer, were more likely to report academic impairment,” says Junco in his blog. He suggests social networking websites and instant messaging are distracting to students who should be focusing on school work.

“Facebook is not only a distraction to my homework, but to anything I have to do,” says Erin Murphy ’12. “I am never very productive when I am on it.”

Loosing access to these technologically-enabled networks can be a distraction, too.  When the computer network fails at Monmouth College, a student’s main concern might be about reconnecting to the social network instead of how the disruption will affect the completion of coursework.

Students suffering from “Facebook Fever” (the need to check Facebook every time one is on the computer) find that working on homework is extremely difficult.   According to a research study from The Ohio State University, “Facebook users in the study had GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5, while non-users had GPAs between 3.5 and 4.0.”

Beyond personal discipline when using social networking sites, there are also certain threats created by malicious users of social networking sites.  Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity headquarters recently issued warnings about online scams targeted toward women in sororities using social networking sites.  These scams have included people posing as alumnae of the organization and asking for extremely personal information. Such information could be used to steal the woman’s identity, damage her financial stability, and harm her reputation.

“Social networking sites can be really useful when people use them properly,” says Sam Jagust, member of Alpha Xi Delta. “People don’t really use it properly; it’s pretty much a creeper site right now.”

Social Networking sites can be both useful and hurtful to students in portraying a professional image. Future employees can turn to sites such as Facebook to investigate potential employees.

Employers are “becoming increasingly savvy about using social networking sites in their hiring due diligence,” says Wei Du in an article on MSNBC.com. Students’ comments and pictures posted to social networking sites can be easily discovered.

In this same article, Du reports that Van Allen, who runs a company recruiting potential employees and clinics, denied a woman a job because she had posted explicit pictures on Facebook.  Employers are searching social media websites such as Facebook as part of their responsibility to find out information on a potential employee.

However, used well, websites such as LinkedIn can be extremely useful in employment searches.  They can act as an online resume as well as enhance networks and establish connections within one’s field.

“You ought to be getting a LinkedIn profile if you don’t have one,” says Dr. Lee McGaan, Chair of the Monmouth College Department of Communication Studies. “It is the kind of profile you want to show up when your name is googled. You can get easy and convenient recommendations from professors and other people you have shared work experience with.”

While social media and networking make communication very easy, privacy is still a major concern. When using sites like Facebook or MySpace, users may use the built-in privacy settings to control—to some extent—who can view personal information posted on the sites. Helpful guides to privacy settings can be found on Mint.com and 7 Tips to Protect Your Social Media Privacy.

“If you decide to use Facebook for professional networking, take a close look at your profile and decide what you want business contacts or prospective employers to see—and what you don’t,” says Alison Doyle, a job search expert and author, in her article “Facebook and Professional Networking.” It is recommended that users also monitor comments and photos that are posted on personal pages by their friends.

“Professional sites are good,” says McGaan adds. “Take the time to Google yourself and see what is there. It is getting easier and cheaper for potential employers, banks, insurance companies, and even marketers to access information about you. Be careful what you are posting because there is potential for leakage, even with privacy settings.” μ

Michelle Bruce ‘12

Also of interest

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Features | No Comments »

Greeks devote hearts to homecoming

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

With the falling of the leaves and autumn in full bloom, the annual rite of homecoming has visited Monmouth College.  There were a plethora of reasons to be excited for this tradition: the football game, the parade around town, and a celebration of Greek Life.   This is a special time for Greek Life because all the traditions which show Greek Life’s strength on campus were on display for the weekend.

The Spirit Shout on Friday evening featured organizations from all around campus battled to see who had the best dance moves and most Fighting Scots spirit.  Men’s and women’s fraternities were paired together fir this event. The women of Pi Beta Phi and the men of Zeta Beta Tau took first place for the Spirit Shout, followed by Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon.  Even the Theta Chi Fraternity alums made a strong showing at the parade, with a bold red banner displayed outside their old home, which is now the Intercultural House.

Following the Spirit Shout, the homecoming royal court was announced, and the court was loaded with Greeks.  SigEps Ben Morrow ’11 and Galvin Halpin ‘12 won Senior King and Junior Prince, respectively. Alpha Xi president Kristen Wyse ‘11, was crowned Senior Queen. Danielle Kita ’12, also of Alpha Xi, won Junior Princess.

The sunny Saturday morning started with the homecoming parade.  Chapter appeared with floats, shopping carts, and even in a kazoo band.  Pi Beta Phi won first place for their parade float, while Alpha Xi Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma earned second and third place.

Greeks also lead the homecoming banner competition, with SigEp and Alpha Xi tied for first place. Pi Phi was judged to be the overall homecoming champion among all student organizations.

With the celebration of Greek Life, Kappa Kappa Gamma had an extra special homecoming week while they celebrated the 140th anniversary of KKG’s founding.  KKG was founded in 1870 at Monmouth College and is one of the original woman’s fraternities.  Kappa has spread 130 chapters all over North America.

New for 2010, homecoming featured open houses for all seven Greek chapters.  Alumni, current students, and everyone else interested in Greek Life were welcome to visit.  The houses were open to everyone on Saturday afternoon following the football game.  Alums shared stories of their college experiences while members showed off their chapters’ recent accomplishments.

Homecoming is a time that mixes the traditions of old with the excellence of the present.  Theologian Tryon Edwards once said “every reunion is a type of heaven,” and so Greek alums and current Greek members alike were in full force, with hearts devoted to their Fighting Scot’s pride, and perhaps bringing a bit of heaven to Monmouth for the weekend.

Alex Woods ’12 and Michelle Bruce ‘12

Also of interest:

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Kappa’s Lauryn Pearson ’12 wins prestigious award

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Lauryn Pearson ’12, a junior member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, has been recognized for her high academic performance during her time at Monmouth College, as well as her service to Kappa.  She is the current recruitment chair for her chapter.

“It means so much to me knowing that my advisors and the school, since they choose the [recipient], think so highly of me to award me with this prize,” says Pearson says.

The award was presented at the Kappa’s Founders Day banquet last Wednesday, October 13, when Kappa celebrated the organization’s national founding of their very first chapter.  Kappa was chartered at Monmouth College 140 years ago. Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, also founded at Monmouth, were the first-ever national Greek-letter organizations for women.

The generous scholarship awarded to Pearson, which was raised by alumni, the Monmouth Alumnae Association Group, and the Alpha Chapter itself, was drawn from the Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma Anniversary Prize Fund.

Pearson says, “I don’t think words could describe how proud I am to receive this award.” μ

Alex Woods ’12 and Michelle Bruce ‘12

Also of interest:

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Family is more than just biology

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

“Your brothers in your fraternity are just like your family,” says Phi Delta Theta member Matt Verner ’11.

After new Greek members chose fraternity families during recruitment, they were joined by their biological families during Monmouth College’s Family Weekend, September 24-25, 2010. The weekend featured a number of activities for students and their families including a mentalist, a 5K run/walk, and inflatables.

Some Greek organizations on campus hosted their own Family Weekend activities as well. Kappa Kappa Gamma held a breakfast for parents and family. Pi Beta Phi invited families to take part in Monmouth’s Family Weekend activities as a collective group. In addition to Monmouth Family Weekend, many Greek organizations host special family weekends, moms’ weekends, and dads’ weekends throughout the year.

For Greeks, Family Weekend is more than just hanging out with their own families. It’s about connecting two families together: biological and fraternal. Fraternity members are often families away from home.

“During family weekend, my biological family got to meet the family of my little sister in Pi Phi,” says Katie Argentine ’12, a member of Pi Beta Phi.  “I liked seeing how similar my real family and my sorority family are.”

According to Verner, Greek members develop an understanding of why fraternal brothers and sisters fit into the Greek Organization.  This understanding comes from meeting the biological families and seeing where they came from.

“Everyone’s family helps mold the type of person they are,” says Verner.

Meeting the families of Greek brothers or sisters is only part of the experience. Biological families are able to learn about the meaning a particular organization has for its members as well as the benefits one can receive.

Many students on campus are distanced from home. Becoming a part of an organization, like Greek Life, can help students cope with the feeling of being homesick.

Annie Soto ’12 says, “Choosing a school four hours from home was a hard decision for me to make but once I got to campus and joined Alpha Xi, I found the same kinds of bonds in my sisterhood as I could find at home with my family.”

Greek organizations can offer a home away from home. “Whenever I miss my life at home I know that I can always go to my sisters for that home feeling of love and comfort to help me get through the rough times,” says Soto. “I mean, there is a reason why they call it sisterhood, right?” μ

Michelle Bruce ’12 and Jennifer Wheeler ’12

Also of interest:

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Features | No Comments »

New members dive into Greek Life

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

“I got a chance to connect with people that I would have never gotten the chance to meet without the New Member Retreat,” said Cyrus Turner ‘14, a new member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

This is a major goal of the annual Greek New Member Retreat, where men and women from all seven fraternities at Monmouth College spend the day working on team building, Greek unity, and learning how to live up to a positive image for the entire Greek system.  Facilitated by a group of upper class members, the retreat took place at Camp Summit in New Windsor, Ill.

It was a full day at Camp Summit, starting with buses leaving campus at 9 o’clock on Sunday, October 19.  Activities and games included canoeing and the “the wall,” where teams involving every men’s and women’s fraternity worked together to get members over a 20-foot tall obstacle.  Goal-setting sessions were also held within each chapter.  Chapters also discussed how to combat negative stereotypes and set goals. 

Overall, the retreat was an opportunity for new members of Greek Life to come together with their new brothers and sisters.  “I really enjoyed getting to know everyone,” said Turner.

Jeff Skalon ‘12, new member of Alpha Tau Omega was impressed with the team building activities.  Skalon said “we had to work as a team to accomplish throughout the day, especially when it came to the wall.” 

While this was a positive experience for new members, it was the upperclassmen of Greek Life who worked hard to put together the weekend.  Jennifer Wheeler ‘12, member of Pi Beta Phi and president of the Panhellenic Council, attended and helped organize the retreat.  “I believe the new member retreat went extremely well this year,” she said.  “All the new members were really receptive about learning about Greek Life and being able to build their teamwork skills with the other members of the pledge class.”

The retreat also marked the beginning of National Hazing Prevention Week.  Hazing, as defined in Illinois State law, is “any action or situation that intentionally causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule, or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.” 

Hazing, as a stereotypical behavior of Greek organizations, continues to plague the fraternity community even as the groups prohibit it and do extensive education about preventing it.  All men’s and women’s fraternity members signed Greek Life Membership Agreements in which they agreed to prevent any hazing at Monmouth College, and to uphold their fraternal values.

The annual Greek Life New Member retreat reminds everyone that these new members are the future leaders of the Greek System.  “I think the retreat helped the new members become stronger leaders and they are better prepared to take our organizations further,” said Wheeler. μ

Alex Woods ‘12

Also of interest:

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Greek Life kicks off recruitment year with strong start

Monday, September 20th, 2010

With the 2010-2011 school year just beginning, it is time for men’s and women’s fraternities at Monmouth College to recruit their future leaders.   With the end of formal fall recruitment, Greek Life has recharged and reloaded with a new class of young men and women ready to become the new faces of Greek Life.

The women’s fraternities have started off the year well.  Kappa Kappa Gamma was able to meet to meet its annual quota with 15 new members.  The women of Pi Beta Phi have been joined by 16 new members.  Leading the pack among women’s fraternities, Alpha Xi Delta has inducted 17 future leaders with plans to offer more bids as the year continues.

For the men, Zeta Beta Tau recruited eight new brothers.  Alpha Tau Omega has nine new members.  Ten men have joined the brotherhood at Sigma Phi Epsilon.  Phi Delta Theta made a showing by bringing 14 men into their growing brotherhood.

Phi Delta Theta approached recruitment with some new ideas regarding the process.  According to John Cayton, Phi Delt’s Recruitment Co-Chair, “there was a sharing of the responsibility of recruiting rather than one person doing the bulk of the workload.”  He said that this is vital because it takes more than one person to recruit; it takes an entire chapter to ensure that the best men or women become a part of Greek Life.

Lauryn Pearson, recruitment officer from Kappa Kappa Gamma, was very enthusiastic about this year’s recruitment.  “My favorite part about my job was being able to deliver the bids.”  Pearson went on to say, “being there when the girls open their door and have some of them cry because they’re so happy or just be really excited and have a huge smile on their face, definitely made all the late nights of recruitment and long planning throughout the summer worthwhile.”

Recruitment may take many days, weeks, and months, but the end result is what keeps the system going and growing.

While there have been rumors about this being a down year for Greek recruitment, the numbers show otherwise.  The numbers of each fraternity (men’s and women’s) have shown recruitment is on track when compared to recent years.  In fact, more women have joined woman’s fraternities than last year.  While some women did drop out early in the recruitment process, this is a normal phenomenon that happens every year at every college that has a Greek Life system.

Although formal rush is over, it doesn’t mean that someone interested in joining Greek Life has missed out.   Most chapters run year-round recruitment and may offer invitations to join throughout the semester.

Interested students should be on the lookout for upcoming recruitment events for both men’s and women’s fraternity recruitment events and opportunities. Think of this as watching a baseball game.  You can’t declare a winner after the third inning.  There is still a lot of game left to go, and in the same token, there is still a lot of recruitment left.   Formal recruitment was a success according to officers throughout the Greek Life community, but recruitment is a year-long process and is never truly over.  μ

Alex Woods ’12

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Giving thanks to Greek Life

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

There is a trend on Facebook that I’ve noticed last month. The challenge goes something like this: “Everyday this month until Thanksgiving, think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status.  The longer you do it, the harder it gets!”

As I review my friends’ status updates, many of them are citing things for which we are all undoubtedly thankful: a wonderful family, a home to live in, plenty of food to eat, etc. As I consider the things that I am thankful for in my life, all of these things top the list.  I am certainly thankful for my family and all that they have given me.  However, I am also thankful for my second family—my Greek family.  As I consider my experience as a sister in Pi Beta Phi, there aren’t words enough to express my gratitude.

I’m thankful for connections.  Through my experience as a Greek woman, I have made connections with sisters, both those who came before me and those who are just now discovering the meaning of their Greek letters.  I’ve learned from alumni generous enough to share their wisdom, and I’ve had the opportunity to mentor talented, intelligent young women who are now taking an active role in Greek life.

I’m thankful for leadership opportunities.  I began my Greek experience as a young woman, unsure of myself.  Largely, through my leadership experiences on our chapter’s executive board, I became more confident and ready to take on challenges, encouraged by my Pi Phi sisters.  Even today, I use the leadership skills I learned during my Greek experience in my career, drawing on my experiences to better understand how to bring together a team for the good of a common cause.

I’m thankful for fun times.  When I think back on my college experience, the times I spent with my Pi Phi sisters are always some of my fondest memories.  Late night study sessions, initiation ceremonies, spring formal, fall recruitment…the list goes on.

So, for me, the Facebook challenge of posting something I am thankful for each day isn’t a challenge at all.  It’s not hard for me to think of what I’m thankful for and there aren’t enough days on the calendar to list each one of them—they are thousands of my Pi Phi sisters!  μ

Autumn Scott, BA, is the Assistant Director of Admission at Monmouth College. She is affiliated with Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, and was graduated from Monmouth College in 2004.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Faculty/Staff Commentary | No Comments »

« Older Entries