Motivating the Lack-Luster Unicorns of Greek Life: Seniors

By Adam Rakestraw, University of Southern Indiana

We all have them in our chapters. You know, mythical creatures, who even if they attend chapter, sit in the very back. They are the unicorns of Greek life only a lot less magical. Kicked back with their feet up, nit-picking every officer report one right after the other. Who is this mystical all-knowing creature I speak of? The Senior.

Too often it has become the trend in our chapters to allow these seniors to fade into the background of operations. Obviously, priorities have changed when students reach their pinnacle fourth (some of us fifth) year of college. Seniors are focused on their future career, turning their degree into action, and coming up with never-ending elevator speeches for the million dollar question: -"What are you going to do next?" With so much focus on the future, it's easy to see why seniors fade into the past.

But why? Why do we let our seniors fade away during their last year of school? Sometimes it is necessary for these individuals to focus on their future, but it doesn't mean chapters should ignore what seniors can offer. The biggest role a senior can fulfill is that of a mentor. If seniors do truly care about the sovereignty of their local chapter, they should want to help; and that goes both ways, chapters should try to support seniors in their newfound roles as mentor.

Let's address the root causes of these, “lack luster” seniors first before addressing the solution. Let's be real: Seniors are half the problem. They come to chapter, with a "too cool for school" mentality and a “I put in my hard work already” attitude. They become irrationally reactive to every proposal given by a member, using phrases like, "that's stupid," or, "This chapter has changed," and the ever popular, "well this isn't how we did it." That last line represents the mentality that urgently needs to be addressed. Too often seniors see themselves as a product of their time, drawing from their personal experiences and often rejecting the change current members are trying to accomplish. This creates a separation between what seniors created during their time and the current direction of the chapter.

I say this boldly, "seniors embrace change, stop sitting in the back, and if you want to contribute to the change; become a positive mentor." By becoming a mentor, you can influence our younger brothers and sister with your guidance; let’s view mentorship as a positive experience for our last year of college. Our younger members do not have as firm of a grasp on chapter operations as seniors do, but there was a time when the senior was in the exact some position. So instead of demeaning our younger members, seniors as mentors, should support other member’s ideas and lead by positive example. Seniors, "be the change you want to see."

Now to address the second half of the issue: our chapters. Chapters should drop the mentality of seniors being, "a product of the past." In truth, no chapter belongs to anyone, but every chapter belongs to the hundreds to thousands of members who have played a role in what the chapter is today. Just because seniors are on their way out, doesn't mean chapters should push them out the door. Instead our chapters should program for the mentorship roles our seniors take on; this includes programs like an alumni transition program or creating a senior-member committee position. Chapters, embrace your seniors, honor and recognize them for their contributions, and motive/program for them in their last year.

Seniors, let's give back in a positive manner to our chapters that helped developed your professional, social, and educational characters. Let’s guide future generations to live through our ritualistic teachings and promote their "coming into adulthood." Chapters, give your seniors the opportunity to be active and contribute in their final year. Celebrate your seniors and recognize the hard work they did for you to enjoy the path you're on. Together, let’s turn our seniors from reactive mythical beings into proactive, positive mentors.

Meet the Spring 2015 AFLV Student Bloggers

Adam Rakestraw

Adam is an undergraduate senior double major in studio art and anthropology at the University of Southern Indiana with an emphases in sculpture, art history, and cultural studies. During his time at USI, he served on the IFC council and was the chairman of Fraternal Values Society-Xi Chapter. Adam is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and served in various educational offices such as ritualism, academic, and alumni chair(s).

 "I look forward to addressing issues and situations Greek students currently face on college campuses as well as in their local chapter.  I would like to change perceptions of Greeks and progress our community."

Abby McCollom

Abby is a second year higher education administration master’s student at the University of Kansas. She currently is serving as a graduate assistant in the Student Involvement and Leaderships Center, working as the Multicultural Greek Council adviser and oversees multiple community-wide programs. Abby was initiated into Alpha Delta Pi at Oklahoma State University, where she studied journalism and broadcasting. 

"I am excited to put my bachelor’s degree to work and write about something I am passionate about with others from around the country. Writing for the blog will provide me the opportunity to engage students with critical issues and important topics regarding fraternity and sorority membership."

Clair Lindsey

Claire is a third year at Cal Poly San Luis Obisp studying english with a minor in linguistics. While at Cal Poly, Claire has been an active member of her sorority, Alpha Phi, serving as Guard, on various committees and even writing for the Alpha Phi International Blog. Currently, Clair servers as the Vice President of Communications for Panhellenic Council where she acts as the liaison between the Panhellenic sororities and the Cal Poly community.

"I am so excited to be a part of the AFLV Blog Committee, and I am really looking forward to sharing my experiences as a sorority woman with other Greek members. I believe that it is my obligation as a writer and a Greek member to share those experiences as reinforcement to others of the incredible opportunities fraternities and sororities offer."

Ryan Miller

Ryan is a junior at Oklahoma State University studying apparel merchandising with minors in marketing and ethical leadership and is a member of Sigma Pi. Ryan ultimately wants to obtain a graduate degree and work within the fraternal movement. While at Oklahoma State he has written for The Odyssey, served as president of his fraternity, and worked for Undergraduate Admissions. He is also a graduate of the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute and served as a mentor at the Jon Williamson FuturesQuest. Ryan is currently serving the Interfraternity Council as the External Vice President.

"I am excited to write for the AFLV Blog because I want to give back to the Greek community and help create a positive change within the fraternal movement. You never know how you can influence someone and the AFLV Blog is a gateway to creating positive change. I am also excited to work with other students across the country and learn more about their institution’s Greek communities."

Darcy LeDoux

Darcy is senior studying public relations at Texas Tech University. She is a member of Kappa Delta sorority and currently serves as Vice-President Public Relations. Darcy also works as a social media intern in Texas Tech’s Office of Communication and Marketing and is a member of the university’s student-run advertising team. Previously, Darcy served as Public Relations Chairman for Panhellenic Council where she created a blog that recognized in National Panhellenic Conference Chairman Jean Mrasek’s monthly newsletter. Darcy is also a summer 2014 graduate of the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute.

"My past three years as a sorority woman have provided me with challenges, opportunities and experiences that have shaped me into a more confident and driven individual. I am excited to combine my passion for writing and sorority life to share insight with fraternity and sorority members nation-wide!"

Inspiring leaders, what do they think about?

In honor of National Ritual Celebration Week and International Badge Day, AFLV asked well known and respected fraternity & sorority professionals an important question:

What do you think about when you put on your organization’s badge or letters and why?

Their responses are inspiring and demonstrate lifetime commitment to their fraternal organizations.

“Other than the lifelong friendships, I think of the first stanza of my organization’s creed which says, ‘I believe in Delta Tau Delta for the education of youth and the inspiration of maturity so that I may better learn and live the truth.’ Truth will serve everyone who will adopt it in everything they do.”

- Ival Gregory, Delta Tau Delta alumnus

Manager of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs, Oklahoma State University

“Today, when I put on my badge, I am grateful that it is my mother's badge and she passed along the gift of AOII to me.  I also think of four young founders in college in 1897, decades before women had the right to vote, creating a women's organization.  Do I begin to have their vision? I think of their depth and wonder if we were charged today with writing a ritual, could we write something that would transcend time like they did?”

- Lori Hart, Alpha Omicron Pi alumna

CAMPUSPEAK Speaker

“Every single time I put on my Phi Delta Theta badge, I immediately think back to that moment it was first placed on my chest.  That was more than 20 years ago, but the feelings, the emotion, the pride all brings me back to that moment. It then takes me to a place where I am so grateful for that experience, not only as a Phi Delt, but as a member of the larger Fraternal Community. The Fraternal experience has impacted my life in so many amazing ways – and I am incredibly grateful for the entire Fraternal family I've had the pleasure to be a part of.  Those people have influenced me, guided me, challenged me, and supported me all through my adult life.  My founders had a vision for Phi Delta Theta.  I’m proud to be part of both that ongoing tradition as well as connected to the entire Fraternal movement!”

- Mark Koepsell, Phi Delta Theta alumnus

Executive Director, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values

“Whenever I wear my shield or letters, it reminds me of the commitment I made to Lambda Theta Alpha. The commitment to uphold the principles of Unity, Love, and Respect at all times and to always remember that Lambda Theta Alpha is and will always be a way of life.”

- Jennifer Morales, Lambda Theta Alpha alumna

Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Kennesaw State University

Tweet us! 
So, what do YOU think about when you put on your organization’s badge or letters? Why? Tweet your response to @fraternalvalues. Kick start the values conversation that should be taking place year-round.

Five leadership “lifehacks” that can make your job easier

By Shana Makos, Fraternal Values Society Coordinator

As a member of the Fraternal Values Society, it’s a given that you are actively involved in your own organization and likely several others. Managing time and staying organized is crucial and sometimes hard to do. These five “lifehacks” are tools that might make your job a little easier.

Get organized

Dropbox

This service allows you to upload your documents to a server and access it anywhere. No more complaining because you left your homework on your computer at home. Everything’s in the cloud.

Google Keep

This app will help you manage your tasks and anything else you need to keep organized. Make lists and cross off tasks as you navigate your day. And, it’s already integrated to the rest of your Google products.

Stay (or get) focused

WriteMonkey

This tool transforms your computer into a full-screen writing environment that blocks your access to your typically distracting computer interfaces. Work without interruption!

Be informed

Feedly

Feedly is an easy to use news aggregator that puts all of your favorite news stories in one place. Don’t waste time tracking down news from a bunch of different websites.

Get creative

Are.na
This app allows you to collect and combine a bunch of different information, including text, images, and video, and either keep it to yourself or share it with others. By collaborating with other users, you can get new ideas for different projects, events, or papers.

Say "Goodbye" to Useless Class Assignments

How many times have you had to complete a class assignment you didn’t really want to do? You've sat there and stewed, thinking, “Why do I have to take this class? It doesn’t apply to me. I’m never going to use this again. This assignment is so boring!”

Because you’re reading this, you have officially lost all excuse to say that about a class assignment ever again. Instead…

Use your class assignments to build your resume.

With the start of a new term around the corner, this is your opportunity to use papers, projects, and group assignments as ways to build your resume and market yourself to future employers.

Don’t believe me? Consider this. You’re a communication studies student and you have to take a statistics class. Complete a project that uses statistics to inform people about a specific communication problem. You’re a biology student and you have to write an English paper. Write a paper about a topic related to science and demonstrate your writing ability. Or, say you’re a finance student and you have to do a big project for your required marketing class. It does everyone good to understand different sides of a business, so complete a project that promotes a new financial firm to the community.

These assignments might not be your favorite thing, but they will help you demonstrate that you are talented in several areas, not just your desired field.

Not convinced yet? Take the following next steps and give it a try:

1. Ask yourself: What am I interested in? What might I want to do after graduation? What kind of experience do I want or need? Before you decide on what your class project topics will be, consider what you need in order to advance yourself.
2. Review your class syllabus at the start of the term and highlight your opportunities. It doesn’t matter if it’s a paper, a group project, or a bunch of small assignments. Anything on that syllabus is fair game to craft and develop for a future employer. Select your assignment topics by considering the questions included above.
3. Produce your best work. Check in with the professor during office hours to make sure you’re hitting the mark. You wouldn’t slack on a project if you were getting paid for it, right? Think of it this way… you’re paying to do this project, so you better make it good.
4. As soon as you’re done, put it on your resume. This is especially great if you’re feeling like your resume has a bit too much white space. When you start applying for jobs or internships, you will be able to highlight the assignments that helped you understand the different components of a field you want to be in.

Your education provides you with more professional experience and opportunities than you think. It’s all about how intentional you are with selecting your topics for assignments and how you communicate the results. Think big picture and make your classes work for you. 

Divergent: Just like recruitment and our new member processes?

For those of you not in the Divergent loop (don’t worry, half of us weren't either), the plot of the movie centers around a society broken into five factions:

• Abnegation (selfless)
• Erudite (intelligent)
• Amity (peaceful)
• Candor (honest)
• Dauntless (brave)

Following the results of a special test, teenagers are forced to make a binding decision of which faction they want to join. Should they follow their test results, which are meant to tell them the faction they fit into best? If they disagree with their test results, should they follow their hearts and choose their own factions? What about those who fit into multiple factions? Those folks are Divergent and are meant to be eradicated, as they cannot be controlled or manipulated by the government that put the faction system in place.

Choosing a faction is strikingly similar to recruitment and intake processes held annually year (the factions names are even in a different language!). Once you join, it is rare (if not impossible) to leave the organization to join another group that fits your needs better. Based on limited interaction, information, and experiences, thousands of college students each year make a lifelong decision to join a group they ultimately know very little about. Many students feel like they could fit into one or more groups and choose their fraternity or sorority based on superficial reasons like a group’s colors or social status.

Take what happens after Divergent’s protagonist Tris chooses to join the Dauntless faction following her divergent test results. She leaves the choosing ceremony with all of the new Dauntless initiates and is forced to jump off moving trains onto high buildings and off high buildings into an unknown abyss. It is immediately clear that Tris wasn't necessarily meant to be part of Dauntless, but her instructor works to help her fit in and stay alive. Those who fall to the bottom of the initiate class in Dauntless are cast away to become “factionless”: jobless, homeless, and ultimately forever at the bottom of the food chain. “Faction before blood” is the motto of the society (seriously), meaning those who leave their families for a new faction are cut off from their family and former lives, even if they are ultimately not accepted by their newly chosen faction.

They weren't this "frat" before recruitment.

Countless fraternities and sororities follow this method of bringing in their new members. They tell potential members just enough during the recruitment and intake process to make the organization seem appealing, but the moment someone becomes a new member the truth comes out. New members are oftentimes subjected to strenuous physical and mental tests. They need to change their wardrobes, interests, and friends to fit into the mold of the organization they joined. Being outside of the fraternity/ sorority community is for outcasts, and befriending members of other fraternities and sororities can be frowned upon if they’re not in the “right” fraternity/sorority.

This is the antithesis of the experiences relevant fraternities and sororities should be providing to their members. Recruitment or intake should be a time where the real membership experience is conveyed to members. By the end of the recruitment period, interested students shouldn't feel conflicted or nervous that they will not fit in. New member processes should be about building brotherhood and sisterhood through positive interactions and mutual learning. Fraternity/ sorority communities should be united together and with the greater campus community, forming positive and impactful relationships.

“Divergent” potential members possess many great skills and qualities that would make them a valuable asset to any organization. How can you improve your chapter and campus operations to be less like the society in Divergent, and more like the relevant fraternity/community new members deserve?

Getting the Most Out of Your Conference Experience

They are happy because they read these tips!

The new year has arrived, and with the new year comes new opportunities to learn and engage at a variety of conferences, academies, and institutes hosted by institutions, inter/national fraternities and sororities, and interfraternal organizations.

How can you make the most of these opportunities in 2014? Be sure to pack these seven tips I’ve learned along the way to maximize your conference experience:

1. Check Your Attitude: Before you even arrive at the conference, be sure you’re mentally ready to be there. The wrong attitude can ruin the entire experience. Head into the event expecting to learn some new information and generate new ideas, make new friends and connections, or just get some time to recharge. If you don’t think you’ll gain any of outcomes before going, you probably won’t.
2. Eat, Sleep, and Keep Warm/Cool: We’re talking about some basic Maslow needs here, but they need to be met before you can get the most out of that session you so badly want to attend. Take advantage of the meal times that are allotted; if you don’t want to skip a session to eat, be sure to pack some snacks. You’ll probably want to stay up all night meeting new people, but remember: you need to be up early for tomorrow’s sessions. Dress in layers so you can be ready for any temperature situation. Being too hot or too cold can make you zone out and miss some great information.
3. Network: We’ve all heard a thousand times about the value of networking, but it’s worth repeating. Networking, however, is something deeper than just collecting business cards or shaking hands. The people around you at this conference truly care about what they do. Learn from them. To do this, you've got to learn about them. Figure out what positions they hold (if any), where they've succeeded and where they've failed, what are their struggles and so on. By learning this information, you’ll better understand who might be able to help you when you need it most.
4. Divide and Discuss: If you’re attending the conference with others from your chapter or campus community, it’s important that you don’t stick together the entire time. There will likely be a session that many of you would like to go to, but I encourage you to split up. You may want to plan out ahead of time who will attend what sessions. Send one, two at max, to the fabled session. Later, over a meal or in the evening, get back together and share what you learned at your sessions. Now, instead of several people talking about the same topic, you all have different perspectives and ideas to bring back.
5. Repurpose Rather than Recreate: You’re going to hear a lot of great ideas at these conferences. The presenters and main speakers have been chosen for a reason—they are good at what they do and have found something that works for them and their campus. With that said, avoid taking their ideas or programs and immediately recreating it in your organization. Instead, identify the core components of the idea and figure out how to repurpose it so it can be successful on your campus.
6. Reflect on Your Experience: This is probably the most important tip of all, and one I’m pretty bad at doing myself. Reflecting on your conference experience allows you to process all the new information you received and really figure out how you’re going to use it. This process also helps to keep your conference high going. After you've reflected and determined what the most important outcomes are, you’ll be able to make the proper connections and move your chapter, council, or community forward. A basic place to start is to answer three questions: What? So What? and Now What? Essentially, what happened, why did it matter, and what will you do now?
7. Have Fun: I think conferences can sometimes become a burden. They see it as just another responsibility of an office they hold or a way to get the next best idea for their chapter, council, or community. I encourage you to have fun and make memories. The individuals you attend this conference with may never all be together again, so take some time and create something worth reminiscing about later down the road.

Whether this is your first conference or one of many you've attended in your lifetime, I challenge you to take these tips to heart. Electing not to put these tips to use won’t necessarily ruin your conference experience, but they will make it more enjoyable, and you’ll walk away appreciating the experience so much more.

Nick Estrada is the Director of Leadership Development for the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. Find him on Twitter: @nestrada89.