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Mental Health Awareness Event

November 15, 2021 by Allison Cavato

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.  

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: FSL, IFC, Mental Health, PHA, Tammy Dixion

MSU Council Executive Boards Attend AFLV

February 7, 2020 by Laura Stewart

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.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: AFLV, IFC, PHA

Recruitment Rundown: 2019

September 16, 2019 by Laura Stewart

Panhellenic Recruitment

The beginning of a new school year brings a plethora of activities on campus to assist new students to get involved on campus and meet new people. The first weekend of the semester, August 22nd through the 25th, Panhellenic Primary Recruitment took place. Potential New Members (PNMs) were guided through the process with the help of their Panhellenic Counselors (Pi Chis). 

Pi Chis play a big role during the recruitment process. Selected early in the year, Pi Chis spend time training on how to guide women through the recruitment process which can be stressful at times. Pi Chis are disaffiliated from their chapter during this time in order to act as an unbiased role model during the recruitment process as well as answer questions and give advice to PNMs.

Each woman who goes through the primary recruitment process has the chance to spend time at our 8 National Panhellenic Council sororities on campus. Day 1 is split between Thursday and Friday evening, where PNMs are able to get a tour of the chapter house, meet women in the community and learn more about sorority life. Day 2, women are able to get a deeper look into chapter’s sisterhoods and philanthropies. The final day is Preference Day, where PNMs get to spend the most amount of time at a maximum of two houses, being a part of a special ceremony. Each day allows women to spend more time at chapter houses, enabling them to develop deeper connections with chapter members and discover their values.

 

Photo credit: The Standard

The finale of recruitment is Bid Day where chapter members and new members have the chance to celebrate the hard work and excitement of recruitment. PNMs and  Pi Chis meet on the North Mall to witness Pi Chi reveal and open their bid cards. Senior members from each chapter are also present to run home with the new members. This year, Men’s Basketball coach, Dana Ford spoke encouraging words to the PNMs before opening their bids, congratulating them on finding a ‘team’ to join on campus. This year, over 500 women found their home within Panhellenic life. Our local sorority, Xi Omicron Iota is also holding their recruitment September 9th through the 14th.

 

 

Interfraternity Council Recruitment

August also brings IFC recruitment events as well. During the first two weeks of classes, men have the opportunity to attend recruitment events such as BBQ’s, service projects and intramural games. Men have the choice of what recruitment events and chapters to go to.  Between the 19 recognized IFC chapters on campus, over 400 men joined Fraternity life this fall.

We are so excited to have welcomed over 900 men and women into Fraternity and Sorority Life here at Missouri State! To stay up to date with our community, follow @mostateFSL on Instagram and Twitter.

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: FSL, IFC recruitment, Panhellenic Recruitment, PHA, Recruitment

2019 FSL Award Winners

March 22, 2019 by Megan Asbury

Each year, Fraternity and Sorority Life has the opportunity to award chapters and individual members for their achievements over the past year. Judges from Missouri State University and college and universities across the country review each award application to determine the recipient. The following chapters, students, and advisors received awards. Congratulations to you all!

Chapter Awards

Outstanding Academic Achievement- Xi Omicron Iota 

Outstanding Academic Achievement- Theta Chi 

Outstanding Community Relations and Philanthropic Work- Alpha Delta Pi 

Outstanding Community Relations and Philanthropic Work- Sigma Phi Epsilon 

Outstanding Community Relations and Philanthropic Work- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

Outstanding Chapter Leadership and Management- Alpha Sigma Alpha 

Outstanding Chapter Leadership and Management- Lambda Chi Alpha 

Outstanding Chapter Leadership and Management- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

Outstanding Membership Development- Delta Zeta 

Outstanding Membership Development- Lambda Chi Alpha 

Outstanding Membership Development- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

Outstanding Risk Management and Social Responsibility- Alpha Chi Omega 

Outstanding Risk Management and Social Responsibility- Alpha Sigma Alpha 

Outstanding Risk Management and Social Responsibility- Lambda Chi Alpha 

Outstanding Risk Management and Social Responsibility- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. 

Outstanding University Relations- Delta Zeta 

Outstanding University Relations- Lambda Chi Alpha 

Outstanding University Relations- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. 

Chapter of the Year- Lambda Chi Alpha 

Chapter of the Year- Delta Zeta 

Chapter of the Year- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

Green Dot Award- Delta Sigma Phi 

 

Individual Awards

Man of the Year- Jackson Giebler Sigma Phi Epsilon

Woman of the Year- Megan Asbury Alpha Chi Omega

Outstanding Interfraternity Council President- Logan Sunnarborg Lambda Chi Alpha

Outstanding National Pan-Hellenic Council President- Jon Moore, Jr. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Outstanding Panhellenic Association President- Shelby Whitaker Alpha Sigma Alpha

Outstanding Campus Leadership- Stephanie Bube Alpha Sigma Alpha

Outstanding Fraternity Freshman- Gabriel Palmer Lambda Chi Alpha

Outstanding Fraternity Sophomore- Dominic Meyer Theta Chi

Outstanding Fraternity Junior- Abdillahi Dirie Theta Chi

Outstanding Fraternity Senior- Dane Haugen Sigma Pi

Outstanding Sorority Freshman- Anya Jones Alpha Sigma Alpha

Outstanding Sorority Sophomore- Payton Mercer Delta Zeta

Outstanding Sorority Junior- Kyra Treible Alpha Chi Omega

Outstanding Sorority Senior- Michelle Wichmann Sigma Sigma Sigma

Outstanding Community Engagement- Haley Swanigan Alpha Sigma Alpha

Living Your Values- Analyse Sauerwein Delta Zeta

Outstanding Faculty/Staff Advisor- Jimi Sode Pi Kappa Phi

Outstanding Alumni Advisor- Steven Backer Lambda Chi Alpha

Outstanding Interfraternity Council Officer- Carter Williams Sigma Nu

Outstanding National Pan-Hellenic Council Officer- Brittany Buchannon Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Outstanding Panhellenic Officer- Emily Heinlein Alpha Delta Pi

Outstanding Pi Chi- Anne Morgan Alpha Chi Omega

 

FSL Programming Report Awards

2018 Highest Interfraternity Council GPA- Alpha Gamma Rho   

2018 Highest National Pan-Hellenic Council GPA- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. 

2018 Highest Panhellenic Association GPA- Alpha Delta Pi  

2018 Highest Interfraternity Council New Member GPA- Alpha Gamma Rho  

2018 Highest National Pan-Hellenic Council New Member GPA- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 

2018 Highest Panhellenic Association New Member GPA- Alpha Omicron Pi 

2018 Most Improved Interfraternity Council GPA- Alpha Kappa Lambda

2018 Most Improved National Pan-Hellenic Council GPA- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

2018 Most Improved Panhellenic Association GPA- Alpha Omicron Pi 

2018 Most Interfraternity Council Community Service Hours- Pi Kappa Alpha  

2018 Most National Pan-Hellenic Council Community Service Hours- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 

2018 Most Panhellenic Association Community Service Hours- Alpha Delta Pi  

2018 Most Interfraternity Council Philanthropic Donations- Sigma Phi Epsilon  

2018 Most National Pan-Hellenic Council Philanthropic Donations- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 

2018 Most Panhellenic Association Philanthropic Donations- Sigma Kappa 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Award, Award winners, Awards, chapter awards, chapter of the year, IFC, NPHC, PHA

MSU Leaders Take on IMPACT

February 4, 2019 by Megan Asbury

During the weekend of January 19, seventy student leaders including IFC, NPHC, and PHA chapter presidents and council executive boards headed to Windermere Conference Center for a beginning of the year leadership retreat called IMPACT. IMPACT is a program from the North American Interfraternity Conference and is a campus-based leadership institute designed to foster improved relationships among campus leaders through an intensive interactive program. The program also emphasizes problem solving, leadership and community development, effective communication, and values-based decision making. During the weekend, leaders also identified and confronted issues facing their chapters and the Fraternity and Sorority Life community as a whole.

Many of the participants commented on their favorite part of the weekend. Brittany Buchannon, NPHC Chapter President and member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. said “my favorite part about impact would have to be our break away sessions. This gave us the opportunity to speak freely and more candidly without much pressure from the entire retreat population. We were able to specify strategies to improve our councils as well as build more personal comfort and relationships with one another.” Alpha Chi Omega Chapter President, Alyssa Kohrs said, “I enjoyed the networking opportunities that I gained while I was at IMPACT. Getting to know all the other amazing people from the PHA, IFC, and NPHC community was so beneficial and making those connections will be useful for this upcoming year.”

The attendees gained lots of tools to help them conquer the upcoming year and make an impact on the community. Morgan Drury, Gamma Phi Beta Chapter President said, “I am most excited to make effective changes in our community this year. After having time to collaborate as leaders, we have talked about a few different things that we would like to accomplish together. I can’t wait to help improve not only my chapter but the FSL community as a whole!” Carter William, IFC President and member of Sigma Nu Fraternity said he learned a great deal about “creating cohesion across all of FSL.” He also commented about one of the sessions they attended saying, “we as FSL members truly dove into what our image is as a community[…] also addressing the harsh realities that our FSL community is encountering and working with others to plan strategies to address those realities.” Elliot McComas, Theta Chi Chapter President, shared, “I’m excited for the chance to put my chapter in a place where they can flourish into the best version of themselves. I want to use my position to empower our members to make an impact on campus and in the Springfield community and turn our culture into one that is built on service.”

We are so proud of the impact these leaders will make not only in their chapters, or in their councils, but across our campus and Springfield community this next year!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: IFC, IMPACT, Leaders, Leadership, NIC, NPHC, PHA, Presidents

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