(no subject)
Tonight is my last night as president of Alpha Phi.
click to read more ----->
One year ago, I remember sitting with Seth, (one of my best friends who also happens to be the president of his frat) and both saying how we couldn't wait until we were done, and that we only had 365 days left to go. We were partially joking, of course... but we both knew that we had such a long road ahead of us.
When I was elected into the position, the sorority wasn't necessarily in bad shape, but various things had just recently happened, where the dynamics of the group were all messed up and there was a lot of conflict among members. It was a really hard time for me, especially because somehow in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, I was dragged into it, so everything I had to do to fix things, came from the inside and eventually expanded out. The entire Spring semester was the hardest for me because I constantly felt as if I was being judged and talked about. Although certain people said that they would always be there for me, they really weren't. It felt like a few of the members constantly talked behind my back and complained to each other without letting me know the problems so I could actually do something and fix it. and those who I expected to support me the most (mainly because of their previous positions) were nowhere to be found. I felt completely abandoned and didn't really know where to turn to. Because of the nature of the position, there are always certain things you can or can't say, and you always have to watch what comes out of your mouth because people are always listening and your words can come back and haunt you.
It wasn't always bad during the first semester though. My executive board is phenomenal, and I honestly couldn't ask for better people to work with. Each person had their goals set out and knew what needed to be done, and by when. Things were done efficiently and effectively, which made my job so much easier because I didn't have to worry that much about things not getting done. Being in the music department didn't help either, because I decided that it was better to keep my position within the sorority a secret from the department because since they are very much against greeks in general, I didn't want to give them another excuse to complain. Consequently, I practiced twice as hard and twice as long, and because of my surgery the semester before, prepared a 45 minute junior recital in half the time people usually take to prepare.
After the first semester, I knew that things were going to be just fine despite the obstacles of the previous semester. I went to the Alpha Phi international convention, which took place in Palm Springs (Missed 3 days of summer school to go...) That was such an amazing experience, and probably the biggest turning point where I realized that I wasn't the only one who was facing problems, and that there were over 200 other presidents who were dealing with similar issues as I was. A support network was quickly built among the presidents from my region and we would send each other updates throughout the year.
The Fall semester was an amazing semester for me and the entire chapter. We started off the year well, focusing on bringing our girls together for recruitment. one recruitment meeting every week leading up to recruitment, the week before recruitment we had a 4 hour workshop every day, and then recruitment for 5 days (where usually the recruitment team and I put in 6-12 hour days just on recruitment alone). We came up with adjectives to describe and how we wanted to portray ourselves on campus. Chapter morale hit an all time high and friendships were so tight. In past years, recruitment has been a rollercoaster in numbers and member retention. The year before, even though we pulled amazing members who stayed, our numbers were not as strong. This year, we pulled off the best and most competitive numbers in relation to quota, and had one of the highest new member retention rate over the past 5 years, and if that weren't enough, every single one of those new girls brought a new dynamic and energy to the group without even compromising who we were and what we stood for. Our calendar was packed with events, and everything was so well budgeted.
Probably the most rewarding aspect of it all is when you have members come up to you and tell you that they have "never been happier to be an Alpha Phi" The chapter has grown so much over this past year. Alpha Phi is a part of all of these girls' identities and I'm glad that they are beginning to realize that. I don't think anything can compare to the sense of pride I have for the chapter and all of its accomplishments. I certainly had my share of obstacles to overcome, but there were always people who believed in me and supported me. The chapter is in good hands now, and I have no doubt that they will continue what I began. I can only hope and pray that I am leaving the chapter in a better state than it was when I first took on the role as president, and that I have given to the chapter as much, if not more, than it has given to me.
click to read more ----->
One year ago, I remember sitting with Seth, (one of my best friends who also happens to be the president of his frat) and both saying how we couldn't wait until we were done, and that we only had 365 days left to go. We were partially joking, of course... but we both knew that we had such a long road ahead of us.
When I was elected into the position, the sorority wasn't necessarily in bad shape, but various things had just recently happened, where the dynamics of the group were all messed up and there was a lot of conflict among members. It was a really hard time for me, especially because somehow in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, I was dragged into it, so everything I had to do to fix things, came from the inside and eventually expanded out. The entire Spring semester was the hardest for me because I constantly felt as if I was being judged and talked about. Although certain people said that they would always be there for me, they really weren't. It felt like a few of the members constantly talked behind my back and complained to each other without letting me know the problems so I could actually do something and fix it. and those who I expected to support me the most (mainly because of their previous positions) were nowhere to be found. I felt completely abandoned and didn't really know where to turn to. Because of the nature of the position, there are always certain things you can or can't say, and you always have to watch what comes out of your mouth because people are always listening and your words can come back and haunt you.
It wasn't always bad during the first semester though. My executive board is phenomenal, and I honestly couldn't ask for better people to work with. Each person had their goals set out and knew what needed to be done, and by when. Things were done efficiently and effectively, which made my job so much easier because I didn't have to worry that much about things not getting done. Being in the music department didn't help either, because I decided that it was better to keep my position within the sorority a secret from the department because since they are very much against greeks in general, I didn't want to give them another excuse to complain. Consequently, I practiced twice as hard and twice as long, and because of my surgery the semester before, prepared a 45 minute junior recital in half the time people usually take to prepare.
After the first semester, I knew that things were going to be just fine despite the obstacles of the previous semester. I went to the Alpha Phi international convention, which took place in Palm Springs (Missed 3 days of summer school to go...) That was such an amazing experience, and probably the biggest turning point where I realized that I wasn't the only one who was facing problems, and that there were over 200 other presidents who were dealing with similar issues as I was. A support network was quickly built among the presidents from my region and we would send each other updates throughout the year.
The Fall semester was an amazing semester for me and the entire chapter. We started off the year well, focusing on bringing our girls together for recruitment. one recruitment meeting every week leading up to recruitment, the week before recruitment we had a 4 hour workshop every day, and then recruitment for 5 days (where usually the recruitment team and I put in 6-12 hour days just on recruitment alone). We came up with adjectives to describe and how we wanted to portray ourselves on campus. Chapter morale hit an all time high and friendships were so tight. In past years, recruitment has been a rollercoaster in numbers and member retention. The year before, even though we pulled amazing members who stayed, our numbers were not as strong. This year, we pulled off the best and most competitive numbers in relation to quota, and had one of the highest new member retention rate over the past 5 years, and if that weren't enough, every single one of those new girls brought a new dynamic and energy to the group without even compromising who we were and what we stood for. Our calendar was packed with events, and everything was so well budgeted.
Probably the most rewarding aspect of it all is when you have members come up to you and tell you that they have "never been happier to be an Alpha Phi" The chapter has grown so much over this past year. Alpha Phi is a part of all of these girls' identities and I'm glad that they are beginning to realize that. I don't think anything can compare to the sense of pride I have for the chapter and all of its accomplishments. I certainly had my share of obstacles to overcome, but there were always people who believed in me and supported me. The chapter is in good hands now, and I have no doubt that they will continue what I began. I can only hope and pray that I am leaving the chapter in a better state than it was when I first took on the role as president, and that I have given to the chapter as much, if not more, than it has given to me.