Fraternity and Sorority Life

Archives for March 2018

2018 NPHC Yard Show

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On March 21st, members of Missouri State’s National Pan-Hellenic Council came together for their annual yard show. “A yard show is a display of the NPHC or multicultural greek letter organizations steps and strolls on a college campus,” says NPHC President, Walter Kayesse. Walter adds, “Yard shows are great displays of the state of the chapters and how active they are on the campus. It could also be seen in a competitive fashion to see who “runs the yard.””

Brittany Buchannon of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc reflects on the importance of the yard show, “the yard show was many things for me. It is number one, a bonding experience for chapters and their entire council. It gives us the opportunity to come together and do something we love and represent our [organizations]. We get to cheer each other on and just have a good time.”

Walter shares, “The yard show is a symbol of Black Greek Unity on campus and an opportunity to show MSU what Phi Beta Sigma is all about. The yard show is something my chapter takes very seriously. We make sure to practice long and hard for each and every one.”

Yard shows continue to be a special part of the NPHC background; it is where NPHC can continue to show off new things that they are working on and also present traditional crowd favorites that the audience may know. For the Fraternity and Sorority Life community, this is a time where we as a whole get to enjoy the background and hard work of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

 

What is UIFI and Why You Should Apply!

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What is UIFI?

The Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute, otherwise known as UIFI, is a five day institute held in Bloomington, Indiana on Indiana University’s campus where students from all over the United States come to learn with and from peers who belong to various organizations and councils. Through exploration of critical issues in thought-provoking activities, the program is intended to help you identify the leader you want to be and where you can make the most impact in your chapter, council or community.

Brandon McCoy of Theta Chi, reflects on his experience this past summer at UIFI, “My favorite part of UIFI was getting to work with a variety of students and FSL professionals to create a tangible plan of action for our chapters and communities. We didn’t just discuss problems; we brainstormed solutions and created step-by-step plans to tackle the challenges we identified.”

Megan Asbury of Alpha Chi Omega says, “My favorite part of UIFI was getting to meet and interact with fraternity men and sorority women from all over the United States. During UIFI, you get put into a small group with approximately seven other individuals from different councils and schools. You spend so much time with them throughout the session and get to share goals and bounce ideas off of one another. I still talk to the individuals in my small group on a regular basis. I got to make friends out of some extremely inspiring individuals. Since UIFI, one girl in my group now serves as the Texas State Panhellenic President, a guy in my group is now in charge of underwriting his fraternity’s petition to charter, and another is serving as the IFC President at University of Nebraska-Omaha. It’s awesome to see these people succeed in their communities.”

Brandon McCoy shares, “The biggest takeaway for me was an exercise where the fraternity and sorority system as a whole was examined and put on trial. Students had to present benefits and consequences of the system, and it was eye-opening to experience the debate that college and state decision-makers have been going through for years. It was motivating to make our experience in FSL as positive as it can be, and share that with others to sell the value of having fraternities and sororities on campus. It’s up to our actions if we want to see fraternities and sororities to continue to exist on college campuses.”

 

Megan shares, “My biggest takeaway was learning how to turn our “big R” (ritual ceremonies) into a “little r” (living the lesson of my ritual in my everyday life). An overall theme of UIFI is centered around using our values, which typically align with our organizations, to live out our lives authentically. Leaving UIFI, I felt inspired to teach this lesson to my chapter. Additionally, we were taught to discover the purpose of leadership: not what we do (chapter meetings, recruitment, etc), but the why behind these activities (sisterhood, professional development, networking, personal growth, etc).”

Why Should You Apply?

Brandon shares, “UIFI is a great learning experience that I would encourage others to attend. It’s an uplifting environment of others who deeply care about fraternity and sorority life. I now have friends I keep in contact with from around the country who I can go to for advice about my chapter and our campus.” 

Megan shares, “If you are a collegiate leader or aspire to be one, I encourage you to attend UIFI. You get to examine not only your leadership abilities, but your role in Fraternity and Sorority Life as a whole. You dig deep into issues our communities are faced with, while learning how to combat the stigma that we as sorority/fraternity members are often confronted by.”

How to Apply:

Register online!

Missouri State FSL is offering a scholarship for UIFI for the 2018 summer. You can find it online here, on the right side of the page under Applications. If you have any questions, contact the FSL Advisor, Kate Roessler at KRoessler@missouristate.edu.

Make sure to check out and see if your national organization offers scholarships to help ease or pay for the cost of attending!

Celebrating International Women’s Day

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To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked sorority members in our community the following question:

“How does being a sorority woman empower you?”

Lauren Lewis, member of Alpha Delta Pi, shared, “being a sorority woman means so much to me! It is so empowering to know that at any given moment, you have an army of friends beside you that will help you accomplish your goals. Before joining a sorority, I would second-guess myself and be hesitant to try new things, but my sisters have taught me that we are all in this together and that we all have a purpose. Without Missouri State FSL, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today!”

Tobi Ponnle, 2017 Associate Chief Justice on PHA says, “The ladies of Xi Omicron Iota have empowered me in so many ways. They gave me opportunities to shine and room to grow into the person I am today. The difference between me now and  as a new member is that now I have the faith and confidence in myself to try new things, while knowing my sisters will be there for me to cheer me on or catch me when I fall.”

Abby Rittenhouse, 2016 Alpha Chi Omega Chapter President reflects, “Being a sorority woman empowers me because I am constantly surrounded by women who encourage me and push me to be my best. Whether they pick me up from the library late at night, send me a card after a bad day, or just listen, there is always somebody there. Somebody there to encourage, motivate, and inspire me.”

She states, “A sorority woman is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m grateful to be a community surrounded by them.”

Emma Edwards, member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, shared, “Imagine being in an FSL community that supports and cherishes the differences you were always self conscious of. That’s what being in a sorority is here at Missouri State. I smile every time I see a girl wearing their letters, even if they’re in a different sorority. But every time I see a girl in my sorority I give an awkward wave, a huge smile, and a laugh. All the ladies in my sorority are so graceful, inspiring, and hilarious. My time here at Missouri State wouldn’t be the same without these girls!”

 

     Today and everyday, we celebrate the women of a community so impactful on our lives. We are empowered by opportunities and the potential for growth. We strive to better ourselves through scholarship and to better our communities through service. We are inspired by our networks and deep friendships. We stand together, empowered by sisterhood and bonds strengthened for eternity. So as a wise woman once said, “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”