Fraternity and Sorority Life Blog -

Fraternity and Sorority Life Blog

Mental Health Awareness Event

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On Tuesday November 9th, PHA, IFC, and FSLSA hosted a mental health awareness event. This event was located in Glass Hall and also had a zoom option available to students. Senior Emily West, is the Director of Social Awareness on the Panhellenic Executive Board and she took lead in executing this event for the FSL community.  

 “I wanted to tie in IFC because when it comes to mental health issues, people never think of how they can relate to males,” West said. “I feel like that also adds to the stigma of mental health of not wanting to reach out and get help, so making sure that we are starting to break down that barrier so that guys know that mental health issues happen to anyone and it’s okay to get help. I decided to bring in FSLSA because they are all about furthering social awareness in our community.” 

 Tammy Dixion, from the Missouri State Counseling Center, was the speaker for this event and she discussed a holistic viewpoint of mental health with students. Dixion had previously spoken to the Pi Chi’s during PHA recruitment, which is how West knew she would be a great speaker for the event. The goal of this event was to reach everyone involved in the FSL community and express that it is crucial to take care of your own mental health, along with making sure those around you are supported with their mental health as well.  

 “As a senior, I have seen people go through freshman to senior year and they have their own struggles and I had my own struggles so I think that talking about it and not being afraid to talk about it makes a huge difference,” West said. “If it wasn’t for having the strong support system that the FSL community has, it would be hard to have this conversation. I think people have been open about it, but I am hoping that this conversation leads us to bettering as a whole and making sure people in our community are okay.” 

 Moving forward, the goal is to have the FSL community along with the Missouri State community be more engaged with conversations regarding mental health. Making sure that everyone is supported and taken care of is a priority, and the event was a step in the right direction of making this happen.  

FSL Celebrates Its 100th Homecoming

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The week of October 11-16th, Missouri State University celebrated its 100th Homecoming. Students, staff, faculty, and alumni all came together to celebrate this very special Homecoming. This year’s theme was “Celebrating 100 Years” and each of the teams and pairings were able to individually express what 100 Years of Homecoming was to them in the events.  

 “We thought hitting the milestone of 100 years of Homecoming was an important mark to celebrate, especially this year,” homecoming advisor, Addy Emmons said. “As we social distanced the last year and half to protect our fellow Bears and greater community, the student body sacrificed a lot. When social distancing restrictions lifted, we wanted a homecoming theme to celebrate past, present, and future bears.” 

 Each day of Homecoming week has a specific event tied to it. The events are scored by judges who base their score off of creativity, originality, and how well the team tied the theme into what they did. At the end of the week, all of the scores are added up and the overall Homecoming winners are decided. This year, Alpha Chi Omega placed first, Delta Chi placed second, and Pi Kappa Phi took third place for Fraternity and Sorority Life.  

 “A weight was definitely lifted off my chest,” Delta Chi Homecoming chair Garrett Vernon said. “I felt great knowing that the work I put in paid off and I could contribute in my own way to Delta Chi’s success.”  

 Because Homecoming week is filled with many activities every day, there is a lot of hard work that goes into the planning of it. Advisors Addy Emmons and Debbie Letterman were responsible for leading the Homecoming Committee throughout the week. The Committee consisted of a group of students who coordinated the events and made sure the overall week ran smooth from all Bears participating past, present, and future.  

 “My favorite part was working with Committee,” Emmons said. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes for months in advance to make each event successful. It was fun to watch their months of hard work come together.” 

 Homecoming Court was crowned during half time ceremony of the Homecoming football game. The student nominees on Homecoming Court worked hard the weeks prior to the week of Homecoming, to campaign and showcase themselves and their involvement on campus throughout their time as a Bear. This year, Homecoming King and Queen were a part of our very own FSL community! Colin Weber from Theta Chi and Katie Sulzner from Alpha Chi Omega.  

 “As soon as my name was called, a huge wave of relief came over me,” Weber said. “I knew that all the time and work I put into Homecoming had finally paid off. I truly was in awe. It’s a weird thing to say, I was crowned as the 100th Missouri State Homecoming King and I personally can’t describe how it makes me feel other than I couldn’t be more excited to represent Missouri State and my fraternity with that title.”  

 During the week of Homecoming, Fraternity and Sorority Life was able to showcase University spirit in unique and creative ways. Chapters already cannot wait for next year to continue to showcase the community, personality, and members.  

Check out the recap of FSL winners below:

 Decorate Downtown: 

  1. Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa Sigma 
  1. Sigma Sigma Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon  
  1. Sigma Kappa, Sigma Pi, Phi Gamma Delta 
  1. Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Zeta, Xi Omicron Iota, Kappa Alpha Order  

 Chalk-n-Rock: 

  1. Delta Chi, Alpha Chi Omega, Pi Kappa Phi 
  1. Gamma Phi Beta 
  1. Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Zeta, Xi Omicron Iota, Kappa Alpha Order  

 PSU Window Painting:  

  1. Delta Chi, Alpha Chi Omega, Pi Kappa Phi 
  1. Alpha Sigma Alpha, Sigma Nu, Pi Kappa Alpha 
  1. Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa Sigma 

 Can We Build It: 

  1. Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi, Pi Kappa Phi  

 Rockstar: 

  1. Alpha Omicron Pi  
  1. Theta Chi 
  1. Alpha Chi Omega  

 Maroon and White Night: 

  1. Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa Sigma 

 MO State Live: 

  1. Delta Chi, Alpha Chi Omega, Pi Kappa Phi  
  1. Alpha Delta Pi, Theta Chi 
  1. Alpha Sigma Alpha, Sigma Nu, Pi Kappa Alpha 

 Field Day: 

  1. Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi, Pi Kappa Phi 
  1. Alpha Sigma Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu  
  1. Theta Chi, Alpha Delta Pi 

 Parade Walking: 

  1. Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa Sigma 
  1. Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu, Alpha Sigma Alpha 
  1. Sigma Sigma Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon  

 Parade Car: 

  1. Alpha Delta Pi, Theta Chi  
  1. Delta Chi, Alpha Chi Omega, Pi Kappa Phi 
  1. Sigma Kappa, Sig

A Recap of Panhellenic Recruitment

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Coming into the 2021-2022 school year, there were many unanswered questions. Students, teachers, and faculty all stood in question on how this school year would differ from last school year. People wondered if the mask mandate would still take place, if classes would be in person, if we would have all of the normal events and activities that occur during the year, and ultimately if students would be able to stay on campus for the full year. 

One thing that did remain constant from previous years was Panhellenic Recruitment. Recruitment took place on August 26th-29th. The first two days were online through Zoom, and the second two days occurred in person. Rebecca Neumann, Vice President of Panhellenic Recruitment, was responsible for planning and executing the recruitment process for both the new members and the active members. Maggie Fix, President of Panhellenic Association, was able to support and help Neumann with anything she needed. 

“I thought of myself as the cheerleader or the manager,” Fix said. “Becca was the one running the show, I just made sure she felt supported and on track. We always had a really good time together, even though there were times that were stressful.”

Day one of recruitment is split into two days which consist of showing the potential new members of each of the eight National Panhellenic chapter houses, learning information about recruitment as a new member, and talking with women from each chapter. The second day was in person and  the potential new members were able to go into up to five houses and have deeper discussions with the women in the chapter and learn about their sisterhood. The third day, the potential new members were able to speak with a maximum of two houses and have longer, more in depth conversations with the active members. 

“I was so happy to have in person recruitment because I felt like I made a true connection with the girls I talked to in person,” new member Alyson Embleton said. “I feel like I would not have gotten the same connections if the whole thing was over Zoom.”

Following recruitment was bid day. Bid day was in person this year, allowing the new members to ‘run home’ to their new chapter. Over 450 women met at the north mall and were able to open up their bid cards at the same time. Once they were opened, the new members got to go celebrate with their new chapter at the chapter house. Panhellenic Association was very happy to have an in-person recruitment and bid day this year, and they hope to keep the in person activities going throughout the year. 

“I was really happy with how recruitment went,” Fix said. “I think the numbers were identical to last year, even though we expected it to be smaller. Becca’s number goal was hit and i think everyone is super excited for her. I’m glad we got to do some of it in person and getting to see people go home on bid day instead of everything on zoom was really exciting. I’m hoping that next year things will fully return to normal.”

The Panhellenic and Fraternity and Sorority Life community are really excited about continuing in person events this school year and are looking forward to growing stronger as individuals and as a community.

MSU Council Executive Boards Attend AFLV

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Over the weekend of January 30th, the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association executive boards had the opportunity to attend the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. AFLV regularly sees 3,600 attendees each year and offers programming tailored for all councils (PHA, IFC, NPHC & NMGC) and “exists to accelerate progress within Fraternity and Sorority Life”. Each year, members from Missouri State have attended this conference near the beginning of their executive terms, which allows for bonding and collaboration. 

Many of the students in attendance commented on their experience. Panhellenic President, Emma Drace said, “The most impactful part of AFLV was the break out sessions. I learned a lot about how we can become a more diverse community and how to include everyone. I learned about the biases of sororities and how to break down those walls, especially during recruitment. I am looking forward to using the activities that we participated in and to show the rest of the community how we can grow!”

The students were able to acquire new knowledge on the state of the FSL community that they are eager to use throughout the year. Andrew Jackson, who is serving as the IFC Vice President of Administration said, “I thought the most impactful part of AFLV was seeing the volume of organizations and individuals trying to positively help their communities. I think everyone there was really transparent about the great things happening in the FSL community but still acknowledged that there is work to be done to continue to improve Fraternity and Sorority Life nationwide.”

Due to the number of students who attend AFLV each year, MSU student leaders were able to hear about different campuses’ experiences across the country. IFC President Rami Issawi commented, “My favorite thing I learned at AFLV is how tight-knit the FSL community is all around the country. No matter how big or how small a university is the issues that we are dealing with are all similar on every campus. Being lucky enough to be in the position that we are in, it is our job to help improve this culture one day at a time.”

AFLV provided practical knowledge for councils to use during their terms, including how to take care of themselves during their terms. Vice President of Membership Development for PHA, Bella Orlando said, “The most impactful part of AFLV was a speaker named Corey Ciocchetti. I attended three of his ED session blocks: Stress management, Self Authenticity and  How to Be a Leader. Corey was very insightful on how to find your passion in college and work towards it. He also gave 20 tips on how to manage your stress better while balancing classes and your social life. I left Corey’s talks feeling inspired and ready to make an impact on the new members I will be working with this term.”

The Director of Plaster Student Union, Terry Weber, who is currently advising the Interfraternity Council attended the conference with the executive boards this year. “Attending AFLV has certainly been one of the highlights of the 2019-20 academic year for me.  Not only did I get to reconnect with colleagues I have not seen for some time, but I was also able to attend programs that educated me on the trends within Fraternity/Sorority Life that are most pressing, at this time.  Staying updated on these trends is vital to supporting our FSL community in the best way possible.  AFLV is not just a conference for fraternity/sorority leaders; it is THE conference to attend.  Over 3600 people attended the conference, from all over the country, demonstrating a draw significantly larger than the ‘Central’ part of the country and the quality of programming afforded to students who attend.  While we sent a large delegation this year, I challenge our FSL community to send an even larger delegation next year and extend the reach of this tremendous conference.”

Included in the ALFV conference is an awards ceremony where councils from around the country receive awards recognizing the outstanding achievements from the previous year. This year, Missouri State Panhellenic Association was awarded a 3-star Collaboration award. This award recognizes “the ability to work successfully among the council, chapters, staff, and larger community”. 3-star is the highest level of achievement in each category.

Overall, this experience created more unity within the council executive boards and gave council members inspiration for goals within their position and an idea of where our community stands across the nation.

FSL Celebrates Homecoming: Welcome to Bearadise

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On October 20-26, Missouri State University faculty, staff, students and alumni celebrated Homecoming Week. Homecoming is a beloved tradition that FSL enjoys participating in each year. The theme this year was Welcome to Bearadise, and each team was able to creatively express this theme through multiple events for points. The judges for these events judged on originality, creativity, correlation to the overall theme, and amount of pride for MSU!

 

Members of FSL were also crowned Homecoming King and Queen this year: Jaymes Dickinson from Theta Chi and Lauren McDowell from Xi Omicron Iota.

 

Check out our recap of FSL winners below:

Decorate Downtown

1. Delta Zeta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Chi

2. Alpha Delta Pi, Pi Kappa Alpha

3. Alpha Omicron Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Alpha Sigma Phi

Chalk-n-Rock:

1. Alpha Omicron Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Alpha Sigma Phi

2. Gamma Phi Beta, NPHC

3. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

PSU Window Painting:

1. Delta Zeta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Chi

2. Gamma Phi Beta, NPHC

3. TIE: Alpha Sigma Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta | Sigma Sigma Sigma, Xi Omicron Iota, Pi Kappa Phi

Can We Build It:

1. Gamma Phi Beta, NPHC

2. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

Rockstar:

1. Theta Chi

2. Pi Kappa Phi

3. Alpha Chi Omega

Maroon and White Night:

1. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

2. Sigma Kappa, Kappa Sigma, Kappa Alpha Order, Sigma Pi

3. Alpha Omicron Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Alpha Sigma Phi

Yell Like Hell:

1. Pi Kappa Alpha

2. Sigma Phi Epsilon

3. Alpha Chi Omega

Field Day: 

1. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

2. Alpha Delta Pi

3. Alpha Gamma Rho, Delta Sigma Phi, Sigma Tau Gamma

Parade Walking:

1. Alpha Omicron Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Alpha Sigma Phi

2. Sigma Kappa, Kappa Sigma, Kappa Alpha Order, Sigma Pi

3. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

Car Entry:

1. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

2. Delta Zeta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Chi

3. Gamma Phi Beta, NPHC

Parade Float:

1. Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu

2. Delta Zeta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Chi

3. Gamma Phi Beta, NPHC