today, tomorrow,
forever greek
issue:4
Your Greek Life Office is not the Enemy When a Greek organization finds themselves in a controversial or troublesome bind, many people look for someone to point the finger at. Lately, fraternity and sorority life offices at countless universities have been taking more heat than ever before, but I cannot figure out why or how. The distrust is somewhat understandable; though, it mostly grows from not fully understanding the administrative positions. Those who dedicate their time working to improve Greek Life across the nation are there solely to fight for Greeks, and do all that they can to help you and your chapter grow to reach your full potential. These directors, coordinators and graduate assistants have a passion for Greek Life often because they see a part of themselves in you. They once were, or in some cases still are, active members of fraternities or sororities. The absolute last thing they want to do is dismantle everything you and your brothers or sisters before you have worked so hard to build.
that you’re stressed, concerned, or just need advice about. They’ve been there and want to help; after all, it’s in their job description.
So instead of having hostile or distrusting feelings towards those who are working in FSL, here are a few tips for building a bridge of trust between your chapter and those people in FSL cheering you on:
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions Greek Life seems to have a ton of rules and procedures -- a TON. If there is one you do not understand or have a question about, simply ask instead of complaining about it. It’s okay to question why something is done a certain way on your campus. You may even come across a policy that is outdated, or no longer pertains to your university, that has just been overlooked. MTSU in particular has gone through a lot of change in Greek Life over the past few years, so there is bound to be something that needs to be updated.
Drop By Their Offices The majority of those who work for Fraternity and Sorority Life have designated office hours. You do not have to wait until you are in a time of crisis before you’re on a manhunt for them--just stop by and say hello. They want to know what is going on in your chapter and if there is anything
Accept Constructive Criticism As much as we love our respected chapters, none of us are running a perfect one. We’re just doing the best that we can. Just about everyone working in FSL has held a leadership position on campus or in their chapter. On top of that, they likely have extensive knowledge in higher education since most pursue a graduate degree in the field. As a result, they’re fully prepared to help you in any way that they can. However, you must go in with an open mind. They’re probably going to tell you some things that you don’t necessarily want to hear; which might suck, but you need to hear it anyway. Process their criticisms, and use them to better your chapter. It’s only going to help you, and increase your chapter’s longevity.
Be Honest This is a super important one. Like we said earlier, none of us are in perfectly operating chapters. So when something goes wrong, do not try to cover it up and act like nothing ever happened. FSL administrators are trained in crisis management. That means the quicker you get reliable, and truthful, information the quicker they can help diffuse the situation. However, you must not confuse this with getting a free pass to commit multiple infractions. Still, though, you need to own up to your mistakes. Trying to lie, or hide it, is just going to cause more damage than good. Share Your Successes Every year Greeks do outstanding work, and that work deserves to be recognized. Whether your chapter received an award at your national conference, or you raised a large amount of money for your organizations philanthropy, let your FSL office know! They’re just as proud of your accomplishments as you are, so don’t be afraid to flaunt them. Recognize Your Mistakes FSL and other university administrators are not out to get Greek life. Greeks contribute so much to a university’s community; think homecoming, alumni donations, community service, etc. Also consider the fact that FSL administrators earn their livelihood by working in that particular field. Closing down chapters left and right just for the heck of it benefits no one, and would leave them out of a job. The fact of the matter is, FSL does not want to close chapters. More times than not, it’s not even the university that closes a chapter, but its headquarters.
Remember why you joined your organization. Sure, many join for social reasons, but also remember those values you agreed to uphold when you took your oath and were initiated into your organization. By placing chapters on probation, administration is simply holding you accountable. They’re not out to get you by any means. By partaking in hazing, underage drinking and other risky behavior, you are jeopardizing the wellbeing of not only your chapter, but all those around you--not to mention misrepresenting Greek life as a whole. If you want to participate in risky behavior, go ahead. However, if you want to call yourself an adult, be prepared to be treated like one, and accept the consequences of your actions. Get to Know Them Personally Guess what? 99.99 percent of the time your FSL advisors are Greek as well. Shocker right? They’re also people too. Who would’ve thought? They have interests and lives outside of the FSL office. By taking the time to get to know them you have the chance to build an amazing relationship that could carry on long after you earn your degree.
Brandon Wiles in Scene on Feb 29, 2016 http://theodysseyonline.com/middle-tennessee/your-fsl-office-is-not-the-enemy/334985
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TUESDAY, MARCH 22 11-1 PM AT&T CIRCLE
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FOOD, MUSIC, & GREEK UNITY BRING YOUR CHAPTER AND YOUR LETTERS AND SHOW THE UIW COMMUNITY WHAT GREEK LIFE IS ALL ABOUT
New Greek Organizations join the MultiCultural Greek Council Welcome to UIW’s newest Greek Organizations! These three organizations have joined the Multicultural Greek Council and plan to have their first line/class in the Fall of this year! If you are interested in learning more about each organization, make sure you reach out to the UIW contact this semester! Sigma Delta Lambda’s Mission SDL is a service and social organization of collegiate and alumnae women committed to providing a support network among women. SDL hopes to aid in the retention of Latinas, and women in general, in higher education. Kappa Delta Chi’s Mission Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc. is a Latina founded, 501(c)(7), national sorority that fosters professional development, academics and lifelong learning, and higher education degree attainment; an organization dedicated to community service to institutions of higher education and the community with an emphasis on the Hispanic/Latino population. Omega Psi Phi’s Mission Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. mission is to bring about union of college men of similar high ideals of scholarship and manhood in order to stimulate the attainment of ideas and ambitions of its members; occupy a progressive, helpful and constructive place in political life of the community and nation; and foster the humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; and aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achievehigher economic and intellectual status.
A T Book Drive AST will be collecting books for locate elementary and middle schools that have a "Grab a Book, Give a Book" library within their school. We hope to collect a minimum of 500 books throughout the month of March and into the month of April. There will be collection books in four on-campus locations, AT&T, Administration, Mabee Library, and Dubuis Student Center. AST will host a pizza party for an on-campus organization that collects the largest amount of books.
Upcoming Events 3/12-3/18 Spring Break 3/20- Alumni Easter Egg Hung (Contact Alumni Relations for volunteer opportunities) 3/20- Cardinal Preview Day 3/22- Greeks in the Circle 3/25- University Holiday 3/26- DXN Food Bank Service Project 3/26- DBX/LXA Mixer 04/2- DXN Habitat for Humanity Service Project 04/2- LXA Watermelon Bash
Greek Updates IMPORTANT: Complete Risk Management by 3/31 The mandatory risk management training is now available. Please follow this link, https://orgsync.com/9997/forms/188708, to access presentation. In order to be compliant, the President, Vice President, and SGA Representative must complete the training, and one of the officers listed will need to upload a risk management worksheet. The deadline to complete this training is March 31 at 11:59 PM. Failure to complete the required training may result in your organization losing the privileges awarded to student organizations. Change in Room Reservation Requests Please contact Elaine Rios eyrios@uiwtx.edu when needing to reserve classroom space for events/ meetings. She has taken over the role from the previous individual in charge of room reservations. Cardinal Preview Day Admissions is hosting Cardinal Preview Day on Sunday, March 20, for prospective students. We are looking for Greek members to help promote and educate these students on the benefits of going Greek at UIW. The academic fair will take place from 1-3 pm in the convocation center. Please contact Paulina Mazurek pmazurek@uiwtx.edu if you are interested in representing the Greek Life Community on this day. 1 GCP point will be awarded if someone in your chapter participates. All Greek Community Service Project and Greek Week A committee of Greek members met on Monday, March 7 to discuss several action plans for both of these events. Details will be shared by the committee as they become available.
Omega Delta Phi Fraternity Inc. The Incarnate Knights of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity Inc. was established April 13, 2015 at the University of the Incarnate Word campus. Men of Vision encourages the mindset of constant service and chivalry in the form of social and volunteer events in the areas surrounding the University of the Incarnate Word. To dedicate our efforts to the needs and concerns of the community, and to promote and maintain the traditional values of Unity, Honesty, Integrity, and Leadership. The knights of Omega Delta Phi continue their commitment to the community with their two recent service events. Andrew Ramirez and Roberto Burns joined other organizations at the JBSA Fort Sam Houston to support the Wounded Warriors Program by walking through the barracks and providing our great warriors bags of snacks, valentine cards and other goodies as a small token of appreciation. The Knights which consisted of Ivan Dominguez, Steven Reyes, Joshua Guerra, Max Guajardo and Roberto Burns also assisted the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio with their 2016 San Antonio Regional Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament. The event was organized by and benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio.
San Antonio Pets Alive Wish List
Quart size Ziplock bags Heating Pads Multifunction Blender Mothers Comfort Heartbeat Pet Pillow 13 Gallon Trash Bags Laundry Detergent Unscented Baby Wipes Pet Beds Fleece Throws Spray Bottles Pet AG KMR (kitten milk replacer) Pet AG Nurser Nipples for Cats Pet AG Nursing Kit Canned Cat Food Dry Kitten Food Non Clumping Cat Litter Bleach Four Paws Easy Feeder Tomlyn High Calorie Nutritional Supplement NutriCal for kittens
To see full wish list please search San Antonio Pets Alive! under Wish Lists on Amazon or visit our website, www.sanantoniopetsalive.org
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March 23
Music Dance Paint Twister Fair-Trade Gifts Food Truck SPONSERED BY CAMPUS LIFE & INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS www.uiw.edu/iss | intl@uiwtx.edu | 210.805.5705
Dubuis Fair: 11a – 3:30p Lawn Holi Festival: 3:30p