Cheers to You Graduating Senior

It’s that time of the year again everyone! No, I’m not talking about Christmas season or that awful music that comes during this time each year. I’m talking about the time when the semester is all but over and the senior class is about to graduate. In honor of the graduating seniors, this blog entry is for you.

Seniors, an abundant amount of emotion will hit you on graduation day. A little bit of excitement, a little bit of sadness, a little bit of an “oh shit” moment, and a whole lot of reality will hit you as you sit there at your graduation ceremony. In the span of an hour or two, you will listen to a speaker, you will reflect on a number of memories, and you will undoubtedly watch in anticipation if anyone does anything “funny” as they walk across the stage.

As you await the conclusion of the ceremony and you ponder whether tears of joy will express your emotion or a shout of excitement as you launch your cap in the air, before you know it, the ceremony will be over. The next thing you know, you are being harassed to take 98234 pictures with your parents, grandparents, siblings, significant other, and your best friends graduating with you. Then, you head to a wonderful brunch, praying that you have reservations and enjoy the best meal you’ve had since Thanksgiving. Finally, after you’ve said your goodbyes to the family, you head home and prepare for a night out.

As you prepare for the big night, remember seniors that the night is YOUR night, so make it a good one. Too often our mentality as administrators is to lecture you on what not to do but you are all grown up now. We can only hope that we have educated you enough to make the right decisions on one of the biggest nights of your collegiate career. On this wonderful night, some of you will drink and all I’ll say to that is cheers to you. Keep it responsible and cherish the night with your friends and family. Other graduating seniors will want to hang out with the people closest to you with no alcohol needed and all I’ll say to that is take pictures! It goes without saying but I’ll type it anyways that pictures are worth a thousand words. Finally, for the rest of you, treasure this night with laughter and smiles.

Seniors…congratulations on your accomplishment! Welcome to the real world. Most of all now is your time to shine. Good luck!

What Upperclassmen Can Learn from Betty White

Betty White. BETTY FRICKIN WHITE! The 88 year old female icon has been one of the top 10 comeback stories in entertainment this year. I don’t think anyone would argue that. She has burst back into entertainment relevance by taking part in the hit movie “The Proposal” and appearing in an advertisement for Snickers during the 2010 Super Bowl. After a resounding effort by Facebook fans to get Betty White to host Saturday Night Live (SNL), on May 8^th she did in fact become the oldest person to ever host SNL. Since then, we have seen Betty White everywhere. She has been on talk shows, made special appearances on TV shows, and taken part in various awards shows.

So why am I in awe of Betty White? Two reasons come to mind. First, I still remember her as Rose on Golden Girls and she was hilarious. The other reason, I think upperclassmen can learn something from her. Let me explain.

Betty White’s career could arguably be defined by her role as Rose in Golden Girls that ran from 1985-1992. I mean, she won an Emmy in 1986 for the role. She was that good! After playing in a number of various roles after the Golden Girls ended, it really wasn’t until 2009 in her role in the movie “The Proposal” that she made a comeback. Some would say she just wasn’t as popular during that 17 year hiatus while others would argue she simply wasn’t noticed.

In similar fashion, I feel upperclassmen go through a similar transition. They join as a new member and they are at the height of their collegiate experience at that respective time. Similar to Rose’s character in the Golden Girls, one could argue that upperclassmen as new members are “terminally naïve” in that they believe the first explanation of something. Don’t you remember? As a new member, you took in anything and everything upperclassmen had to say and wanted to emulate their behaviors, mannerisms, etc. In your eyes, your first year in your fraternity/sorority was your “Emmy” moment.

Fast forward to junior and senior year and most members have become disengaged or have taken a so-called hiatus from helping the fraternity/sorority they supposedly loved. The reasons I hear often vary as to why this occurs. Maybe they aren’t as popular or maybe the work they have done has simply gone unnoticed. Whatever the reason may be, it happens and it happens too much in the fraternal landscape.

Upperclassman now is the time to learn from the great Betty White and make a comeback! What I love about Betty White is that she didn’t make a scene when she came back. She didn’t have a parade or ask for the attention, she went about her work with a sense of dignity and class that made people love her in the first place. As upperclassmen, you have the same opportunity to get back to being involved, getting engaged, and making a difference within your organization without making it a large spectacle.

How do you do that? The same way Betty White did – with dignity and class. Don’t overstep your bounds. Know when to offer advice and when to sit back and listen. Know when to challenge and when to support. Recognize that the chapter you joined will have changed to some extent by the time you are a senior. Also recognize that you may not receive accolades for the work you have done because you didn’t set a good example of how to recognize members who have done a great job. Finally, remember that how you finish is how you will be remembered. You may have done a number of great things as a new member but if you are “that senior,” that’s how you are going to be remembered.

In conclusion, upperclassmen can learn a lot from how Betty White has sparked her career at the age of 88. If she can do it, you can certainly do it at the age of 21 or 22. The key is to be humble, remember why you joined your organization in the first place, and continue to live the oath that you agreed to during your new member pinning/initiation ceremony. As an upperclassman, you have a tremendous ability to make a difference and help your chapter. So, finish strong and if you’ve been disengaged, get back in there and make a comeback!

In Honor of Betty White:

Overcoming the "Other Duties As Assigned" Bullet

It’s unfortunate that across the nation, higher education funding is being cut left and right. As you can imagine, this directly affects all of us (particularly those of us at a working at an institution) in various ways. For some institutions, this has meant job loss. For others, this has meant a halt on pay increases. Other institutions are attempting to divvy up the work of ten professionals amongst four professionals. Finally, funding is being cut to help us develop into better professionals. I think it goes without saying that it’s not fun to be part of this economic situation.

Rather than write about how depressing the current situation presents, I’d rather look at the opportunity such a situation provides. Specifically, I want to look at the last two issues I mentioned above: the increased workload and the lack of professional development. In my eyes, we have a better ability to control those two issues easier than we do with the first two issues. My hopes are that in this blog entry, I can provide simple solutions pertaining to a heavier workload and a lack of professional growth that will ease the struggles we are all facing as professionals.

The first is addressing the issue of an increased workload in our day to day responsibilities. When we were hired for our positions, there was the “other duties as assigned” bullet under our job responsibilities at the bottom of the job description that we all agreed to fulfill. Yet, I think we can all agree that we never imagined it would be to the extent we are fulfilling that one little bullet now! Instead of 50 hours, some of us are working 60 hours. Instead of sitting on one committee, some of us are sitting on four, five, or eight. Only working with first year students? Why don’t you add on campus activities board, Homecoming, Greek Life, and transfer students.

This is the reality many of us face but how can we overcome it? To begin, we need to be “all in” or “all out.” What I mean by that is if you are not willing to commit to your added responsibilities, you need to get out while you can. That’s a big gulp to swallow but that’s the reality we need to face. If you are going to take on the added responsibilities, you can’t do it with such distain and resentment that it negatively affects your work, your constituents, and all the other individuals around you. I’d venture to say that the people you complain to have gone through a similar experience and they don’t want to hear it. If you are going to be “all in,” then do it with a sense of grace and professionalism. It is perfectly okay to complain but do it in a manner that it doesn’t bring everyone else down. Find your “person” that will listen and help you through the difficult times. We all need someone but if the added responsibilities are too much to bear, maybe it is in your best interest to find a new working environment. There is no reason for you to stay miserable and go home after work feeling overly stressed and angry.

The other advice in helping cope with the issue of increased workload is to not “yell louder” but to “sound different.” Let me explain. Often times when something happens unexpectedly like your job responsibilities increasing with little explanation most of us get angry and/or pissed off. We will want to vent and cause a commotion. Rather than cause a ruckus, seek out someone high up on hierarchy chart and explain your vantage point. It’s important to understand that this isn’t a bitch session, but an opportunity to voice the direction of the department/unit/area you work in.

I think at times, higher administrators forget about the “front line” workers (us) and don’t realize the impact it has on our daily lives. Furthermore, it doesn’t help that when the opportunity to provide feedback is offered, many higher education professionals decide to state what they think the higher administrator wants to hear rather than provide honest constructive criticism. So, when you are provided that opportunity to offer feedback, don’t yell but state your feedback in a professional manner. Sound different. Heck, given your negotiation skills and your ability to sell yourself, this could be your opportunity to get an extra vacation day, an increase in pay, or a reduction in those “other assigned duties.”

Moving on, I want to address the frustration of not being provided professional development opportunities. Whether that means you weren’t able to go to a national conference or your institution has neglected your professional growth, it’s time to seek out new ways to get professionally developed.

Two suggestions I have to help are simple in nature, but require you to be self-motivated. The first idea that I’ve personally had a great deal of success is seeking out opportunities online. I’m a fan of Twitter and I have been able to tap into amazing resources and business discussions through various #hashtag discussions. Want to learn more about social media? Follow some of the experts in that field. Interested in marketing ideas? Follow some of the best marketing experts in the world. Twitter is a GLOBAL phenomenon and you’d be amazed at the tips you can pick up from business men in Asia to mobile technology trends from women in Europe. Need leadership ideas? You can find various leadership blogs, webinars, and presentations online for FREE. One website that continues to elevate my thinking is www.ted.com. TED’s website provides the best speakers in the world an opportunity to provide their insight on a range of topics all at your disposal…for free! The opportunity is there to increase your professional development but you have to be willing to make the effort.

The second idea I have pertains to your institution neglecting your professional growth. If you aren’t getting the development you desire or expected, create it for your institution. Yes, create it. Make it happen. I’d like to think if you have the time and you have a supportive environment, what boss is going to say no to you taking the initiative to enhance your institution’s professional landscape! What does creating professional development look like at the institutional level? Maybe it’s a full day of workshops. Maybe it’s a once a month “hot topics” break-off session after the department wide meeting. Maybe it’s a webinar. Maybe it’s a weekend conference for all higher ed. Professionals within a 10 mile radius. Regardless of what it may look like, make it happen. How awesome is it to be able to speak on this experience during a future interview. “Yes, I did create professional development opportunity for 200 mid to senior level professionals.” The cost of providing such an opportunity? I think it’s as little or as much as you want. Yet, at the most basic form I think you can get away with just copying costs or light refreshments. So, if professional development is what you desire, take the bull by the horns and make it happen. I also think doing something like this would increase campus relations, help recognize the talent you have at your institution, and show that professional development is a priority at your workplace.

In conclusion, we are all dealing with the hardships of the economy and increased workload and a lack of professional development may be a reality we are facing at this time. Rather than letting the economy bring us down, do something about it and work to overcome those adversities in a positive light. We are all talented professionals and I hope the suggestions I provided are a stepping stone to helping you overcome the adversities you may currently face. Good luck!

Adapting to Our Students in 140 Characters

The day you read this article, there will have been over 90 million tweets posted on Twitter. In access of over 750 tweets will occur each second it takes you to finish this editorial. These statistics, courtesy of Twitter Inc. & Wikipedia respectively as of October 4^th, 2010 will more than likely be outdated by the publishing of this blog entry. Fellow professionals, Twitter has changed the landscape by which people communicate. In particular, students within our fraternal communities have embraced Twitter as another means to socially interact with their peers. It is with information we must adapt our daily work and ways in which we communicate daily with our students.

So where do you begin? First, you must understand Twitter and its purpose. Simply put, Twitter is, “a real-time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover what’s happening now” (Twitter, 2010). Tweets are similar to texts with the limitation of 140 characters that are posted on the originators profile page.

Now that you have an understanding of Twitter, you can learn to use it in your day to day work. To begin, you need to create a username that will be simple to remember such as @FSLProfessionals. Next, you need to commit to posting on your Twitter account daily. Why is this important? It’s because that is the sole reason people (i.e. students, stakeholders) will “follow” you on Twitter. They become intrigued with your tweets and want to know what is going on in your office or with your respective organization. If you neglect your Twitter account, it will be like anything else you neglect, its purpose will be lost and the value of the account will lose merit. Once you have established regularity with your tweet posts, you can then focus on the content of your tweets. An example of a tweet might be, “NPHC Step Show in Perspectives Hall at 7pm. Tickets are $5 at the door” Tweets must be 140 characters and at times, abbreviating words is needed. Finally, as your tweet content becomes impactful you can begin to get creative with the use of your Twitter account.

This is where the fun begins! Are you sick of sending emails? Send a tweet. Want to remind students of a meeting? Send a tweet. Want to hold a contest with the winner receiving a free registration to the AFA Annual Meeting? Do it over Twitter! Forget your camera at the fraternal event you are at, take a picture on your phone and post it on Twitter. You can reach out to potential new members, businesses, and other campus colleagues if you so desire. The sky is the limit with Twitter’s capabilities and as new and improved API’s (application programming interface) are created, you can bet there will be even more unique and fun ways to utilize Twitter.

So how does this impact your interaction with your students? First, it shows that you are willing and able to adapt to the culture of students’ today. While some of you may be anti-Facebook or anti-Twitter, you’d be amazed at the impact opening an account or starting to tweet can have on your relationship with students. Sure you don’t have to do it, but it’s that small step that shows you are willing to relate to your students.

Second, it enables you to inform students quickly about whatever you desire. As I stated earlier, if you want to remind them about that all-presidents meeting at 6pm, send a tweet. Depending on the type of phone you have, you can easily do this via phone if circumstances take you away from your computer. This can save a lot of time and make your work more efficient instead of sending hundreds of emails.

Next, for the personality gurus reading, Twitter allows the quieter/introverted members of your community to have a voice. You can do daily polls, weekly chats, or leave questions for members to answer on Twitter. AFLV is one example of an organization that utilizes weekly chats they call #GreekChat to engage professionals in dialogue and discussion about a topic that is voted upon by AFLV’s followers. For students, this is yet another method to reach out to those that wouldn’t normally make it to a meeting or speak up in a large group discussion. One teacher at the University of Texas Dallas uses Twitter in the classroom as a way to spark conversation and reduce student apathy (Teacher, 2010). This is another example of how professionals have embraced the cultural change and invited technology into the workplace.

Finally, Twitter impacts your relationship with your students in recognizing that it is engaging as well as resourceful. You can post fun pictures of your students at an event (as long as they are appropriate of course). You can tweet thought provoking comments about what you are doing (trying to discover the meaning of Ritual). Specific to Inter/National Headquarters, you can provide a glimpse into your world so that students from afar can identify with you. An example of this could be posting a tweet about upcoming changes to National policy or posting day-to-day progress on a current initiative. In addition, you can follow other fraternal organizations or campus institutions and gain new ideas for your Twitter account. You can post important announcements or news. You can squash rumors when needed. Most of all, you can control what is stated and post something at any hour of the day.

In conclusion, Twitter can be an effective and fun tool to apply in our profession when used correctly. Most of all, it can be used to reach out to our students and fellow constituents which in turn shows that we are willing and able to adapt to an ever changing technological culture.

For more information on Twitter, visit their website at www.twitter.com.

References:

Twitter: www.twitter.com

Teacher: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_one_teacher_uses_twitter_in_the_classroom.php

Undercover Neophyte

I have recently taken a liking to the show Undercover Boss on CBS on Sunday nights. The show’s premise is that a prominent figurehead of a company (typically a CEO or Director) goes undercover to see their company through the eyes of the front line workers. As you might guess, the CEO typically discovers positive aspects of their company as well as areas of improvement. What you don’t expect in the show is the emotional attachment and humbling feeling each episode brings out. Typically, the CEO would develop a relationship with the front line workers and be reminded that the company runs because of these individuals.

As I’ve watched the past two episodes, it made me wonder what if an Executive Director or F/S advisor went “undercover” during the intake process. What would they see? How would they be recruited? Would they proud? Would they be disappointed?

Moreover, would they develop an awareness and emotional attachment that they would have never seen had they not tried to go undercover? What I mean is that I think at times we get caught up in our day-to-day work and forget to bring ourselves to the level of the student. Some are paying their way through school. Some are raising children. For some, this is the first time in college. Others are fighting tooth and nail to save their chapter and behind our desks, we may not see this.

So as we move forward this year, let’s remember to take a moment and be reminded of the “front line” Greek students that are working to keep the fraternal movement going. Let’s take a moment to say “thank you.” Let’s take a moment and be reminded that without our students, we would not be where we are today.

Hazing: Reframing the Conversation

In the spirit of National Hazing Prevention Week, I thought I’d write a little blog about the topic of the week…hazing. Specifically, this blog entry goes out to my fellow professionals.

What are we missing friends? We continue to talk about hazing, but yet the problem still shows its ugly face on our campuses and within our national organizations. This bothers me as I’m sure it bothers you. Thus, as my mind has been focused on hazing this week, I have really tried to think about what we are missing? What are we not doing? What can I do better?

Today, our staff had a great conversation with Kim Novak and that discussion helped solidify some of my thoughts that were always on the tip of my tongue but never had come out about this hazing issue. Here were some of the thoughts that resulted from that one conversation:

Reframe the Conversation – I never knew how to describe this before and I’m not sure why because it is pretty simple but I think we have to reframe the hazing conversation. Students today are very talented, smart, and capable of having some powerful discussions. Their capability to have meaningful discussions in my mind is so much higher than even when I was in school. Back in the day, students were hesitant to come to the table, but now I think the students are craving to the come to the table to discuss issues like hazing.

Yet, what I see as the current problem is that we frame hazing as such a “do NOT talk about” issue. Hazing has become one of those topics that is only discussed when a hazing allegation has occurred. Sure, there may be some proactive and progressive campuses/national orgs but outside of an allegation or National Hazing Prevention Week, how often do you talk about hazing prevention? Moreover, when we do bring up the topic of hazing with students, how often is the conversation surface level? How can we expect college age students to discuss one of the most important topics in a genuine fashion if we are speaking to them as if they are in high school or middle school? We need to make the topic of hazing something that can be discussed over lunch. We need to make it apparent that if students may be having an issue with hazing, that they can find comfort in coming to the Fraternity and Sorority Life office and discussing their concerns without fear of having their chapter closed. Lastly, if and when hazing prevention is discussed within the higher administration, national office, or next staff meeting, we need to make sure students are at the table. This leads me to my next point…

Students must buy in and be at the table – As I’ve read in various blogs and stories posted throughout this week and in the past few years, one thing has been consistent; change cannot be dictated and done right without the students at the table. Is this hard to do? Yes. Is it a pain to schedule a meeting with various students? Yes. Will they “get it” right from the start? Probably not but that is where our job comes into play. Beginning that conversation and opening up their eyes to the issue at hand.

Think about this for a moment. If the institution or national office you work for was going to making a cultural shift/new initiative for their students, of which would affect your Greek population, wouldn’t you want to be at the table? Sure you would because ultimately you’d be one the one to explain, advocate for, and instill the changes to your students. If you weren’t at the table, you’d be resentful, frustrated, and you probably wouldn’t have full buy-in to the changes that were made. You can see where I’m going with this, students feel the same way. How come when we create or implement new risk management policies or hazing initiatives, students aren’t at the table? They are going to be the ones that will truly implement the change. This leads me to the next point…

The discussion cannot be taken lightly and it cannot be dry– Once you have the students at the table, and you have figured out a way to reframe the conversation, make sure you attach importance to the issue at hand. Make it clear as to why you are meeting. Don’t meet just to meet. Have a purpose behind your meeting and make the conversation engaging. Don’t have a dry conversation about why hazing is bad. Bring pictures, local statistics, have the students bring an item that represents hazing in their eyes. Ask them to evaluate their Greek community as it pertains to hazing. If done right, you as the advisor or facilitator of the conversation should speak very little as the students will hopefully be engaged and starting to see that this issue is serious. Which leads to the following point..

There must be an educational component – Too often I see national hazing articles with a headline that states, “Chapter closed due to hazing.” What typically follows in the article is a synopsis of what happened, a few quotes from different people, and then the article is over.

While I am very much an advocate of closing more chapters that don’t espouse the values of our founders, I do question whether or not we are lacking the educational component when serious matters like hazing, sexual assault, or binge drinking occur. If a chapter does haze, how often do we immediately put them on suspension or close the chapter without any real “educational” moment. This may be occurring and I just don’t know about it but it’s just something to think about. I’m not saying keep a chapter open and have an educational program on why they shouldn’t haze but there has to be more of a middle ground when it comes to a chapter getting in trouble for hazing. My thought is that at the end of the day, if we suspend or close a chapter, we have stopped the practice as an organization but have not changed the mindset of the students who were engaging in those negative practices. A prime example of this that I can think of resides in our cultural organizations and this notion of “rogue members” and “paper initiates.” The hazing is still occurring regardless of whether or not the institution or national organization officially recognizes the chapter. Again, just my opinion which leads to my final point…

Do we truly understand hazing? - When you think of hazing, what comes to mind? I’d venture to say that 9 out 10 of you that read this blog will think of physical hazing. Yet, how often as professionals do we discuss emotional or psychological hazing? Would you know the signs of psychological hazing? What type of questioning do you offer to determine if someone is being emotionally hazed? I can’t stress it enough, I’m sure there are some of you who know how to respond to these questions but as a profession, do we all understand all types of hazing the way we should or do we focus more on physical hazing?

In conclusion, I want hazing to end as we all do. As always, these are just some of my thoughts and observations in the profession. My hopes are that this blog entry will have you reflect on how you frame your conversations about hazing with your students. Maybe, just maybe, it will make a difference and prevent a future hazing injury or death from occurring.

FUNtervention

(Insert Little Jon song “Shots” here). Yes, that song. Ladies and gents, let’s talk about drinking. Specifically, let’s talk about drinking to the point of blacking out. For some of you, you may refer to this as getting “blackout drunk” while others might refer to it as getting so “crunk,” you can’t even remember anything. Regardless, of what you may call this effort to rid your brain of blood flow and oxygen, it’s becoming an increasingly alarming issue on college campuses nationwide.

I want to begin by saying that this blog entry won’t be preaching policy enforcement nor will I go to great length to tell you that you shouldn’t drink until your 21. In my eyes, you know the law and you are all grown ass men and women. At the end of the day, I can tell you not to do something till I’m blue in the face but if you choose to do it, then that’s your choice. With that being said, I do want to state for the record that I don’t condone breaking the law or putting you or anyone else at risk. Now that we are clear, I’d like to focus this blog entry on providing awareness to you about some of the things you as students are doing to your body at the parties you attend. Consider the rest of the entry a FUNtervention.

First, let’s talk about how you reach the point of blacking out. One common thread that seems to be readily apparent is the fact that most students like to participate in and play drinking games. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Drinking games provide an opportunity to increase social interaction with the opposite (or same) sex and showcase your unique drinking talents that will ultimately never get you anywhere in life. Yet drinking games are fun and a way to break the ice at the party. I get it.

So how about we examine the top two drinking games more in-depth. Beer pong is a good place to begin. The objective is simple; throw a ping pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in a cup of beer on the other end. While in some parts of the country, the game is known as “Beirut” while in others it is “beer pong,” the fact of the matter is that the game can be played by anyone. No matter your height, weight, sex, or age, anyone can pick up the game in a matter of moments. Naturally then, beer pong becomes a popular game at any party because of these ease in which the game can be understood.

Yet, here comes the FUNtervention. Beer pong is a game that asks you to chug a certain amount of alcohol at a fairly rapid pace. What most students don’t recognize is that if you use standard red SOLO cups and fill your cup up with beer, that is equal to 1 1/3 beers (5). In most beer pong games, the number of SOLO cups used on each team is ten. Therefore, if each player (assuming teams of two) splits the ten SOLO cups, each team player is drinking more than 6 beers per game! Putting that into BAC (blood alcohol content) perspective, a 120 lb woman who drinks 6 beers over the period of an hour would have a BAC of 0.216 (6). For a man who weighs 180 lbs with the same scenario, his BAC would be 0.11 (6). Keep in mind that is only for one game of beer pong using beer. Some of you use jungle juice, straight liquor, etc. Remember those BAC levels for later on in the blog entry.

Flip cup is the next drinking game to inspect. Another fairly simple game to pick up, flip cup consists of “Two teams of an equal number of players stand on opposite sides of a table, facing one another. The players directly facing are opponents. In front of each teammate is a Solo cup filled with a set amount of beer. At the start, the first member of each team drinks their beverage. When finished, the cup is placed open side up at the edge of the table, and the player who drank it attempts to flip the cup, by flicking or lifting the bottom until it flips and lands face down on the table, sitting on its mouth. The player may not use two hands to "guide" the cup to flip over. If player is unsuccessful on the first try, the cup is reset and re-flipped. Only after the first teammate is done flipping successfully can the next person proceed. Whichever team finishes drinking and flipping all its cups first wins” (1).

If you were paying any attention to the amount of alcohol in a SOLO cup for beer pong, the same amount of alcohol is used in flip cup.

Here is the FUNtervention with flip cup. While both drinking games are similar, what makes flip cup more dangerous is the fact that it is a faster pace game than beer pong. When one team wins, you fill your SOLO cup up again and do another round. Depending on the size of the teams, you could theoretically finish a game in less than a minute or two and start again within a few moments. Thus, in a span of 20-30 minutes, you could play 8-10 games and the amount of beer consumed could easily be the same as the number of games played.

Regardless of the game, whether its flip cup or beer pong, you are putting your body at risk and increasing the chances you blackout. Yet, this doesn’t seem to stop students from playing. So let’s look at the neurological effects blacking out has on your body and brain.

According to the Health Services office at the University of New Hampshire, “Blackouts occur when alcohol blocks neurotransmitters that send memories from short-term memory to long-term memory. This is different from passing out or drinking to the point of becoming unconscious. When a person is in a blackout they are functioning as normally as another intoxicated person would be functioning. They are able to have conversations and act in ways that do not indicate that they are experiencing a blackout.” (2)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services outlines various potential neurological damages alcohol can have on the brain, especially if a person begins to or has alcoholism here: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm. What was particularly interesting was that it was reported, “Equal numbers of men and women reported experiencing blackouts, despite the fact that the men drank significantly more often and more heavily than the women. This outcome suggests that regardless of the amount of alcohol consumption, females—a group infrequently studied in the literature on blackouts—is at greater risk than males for experiencing blackouts.” (3)

Despite the risks you may be putting on your body, you might still be thinking, “it’s college, I can get away with drinking heavily and live to see another day.” This may be true but that leads me to my next point; being a responsible brother/sister.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Alcohol consumption among persons aged 12–20 years contributes to the three leading causes of death (unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide) in this age group in the United States.” (4) That is a pretty scary fact considering that “one in five students report three or more binge drinking episodes in the prior two weeks; binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more for women in one sitting” (4). So while drinking may not affect you per say, it could be affecting someone else much differently. It should also be noted that various studies show that binge drinking leads to risky behavior such as unprotected sex and increases the risk of being sexually assaulted (4).

All statistics aside, here is the FUNtervention. The fact of the matter is that while I know you think you are just having fun and playing games, your brothers and sisters lives are at risk. Don’t think you are being a good brother when you give your drunken buddy some water. Don’t think you are being a nice sister by holding your drunken sister’s hair as she vomits profusely into the toilet. If your intoxicated brother/sister looks pale, cold or bluish, that’s not good. Don’t just take their shoes off and tuck them into bed, call 911.

What scares me the most about students today is that they seem to be more worried about getting in trouble rather than worrying about their brother/sisters safety. Call 911 or leave my sister in the lawn of a fraternity house? Risk getting in trouble or risk going to a funeral because I was too afraid to do the right thing? While you may read this and think, “ohh I know what I would do if a brother/sister was heavily intoxicated” I’d really wonder if in that moment, you could make the correct decision.

In the end, here is the final FUNtervention. I will never be able to make you stop playing drinking games. While most, if not all national organizations prohibit drinking game practices, I know you will play games such as beer pong or flip cup. I know you will encounter a member that is either willingly or unwillingly trying to get “blackout drunk.” All I can say is that I hope you know and understand the situation you are putting yourself in. Recognize that you have an obligation to take care of yourself and your brothers/sisters. You have a duty to keep one another safe. You must live with the fact that if something was to go wrong (hospital visit, alcohol poisoning, death), you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. Those shot books you make for members 21^st birthdays; those are a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Ladies and gents, you are entitled to have fun in college. You should go out and socialize with your peers. You should have a wonderful college experience and if you choose to involve alcohol in those experiences, I’m just asking that you are safe. Don’t be another statistic. Don’t make excuses or blame the “administration” because as I said in the beginning, you are grown as men and women. You know the choices you are making. So the next time you go out, think about the decisions you are making and I hope that this FUNtervention will make you think twice before you decide to play a drinking game.

References:

1. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_cup

2. University of New Hampshire Health Services: http://www.unh.edu/health-services/ohep/alcohol_blackouts.html

3. US Department of Health and Human Services: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/family/college/

5. Notre Dame Office of Alcohol and Drug Education: http://oade.nd.edu/educate-yourself-alcohol/dietary-guidelines-on-alcohol/

University of Missouri – Wellness Resource Center BAC calculator: http://wellness.missouri.edu/mybac/

Let Us Remember, Let Us Appreciate

Today is the nine year anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. I, much like those of you who may read this probably remember exactly what you were doing that day. I remember that day in which I woke up to go to class and my roommate hollering, "hey man, something happened in New York. Check out the TV."

At the time, the incident had just been reported and broadcasted on TV so details were still fuzzy. I, being a naive sophomore was more concerned with catching the bus to get to class so I didn't check the TV. Little did I know that the world had stopped not only in New York, but also in little Allendale, Michigan, home of Grand Valley State as well.

I arrived on campus to a somber and quiet environment. Everyone was near a TV and no one was talking. Some students were on their phones while others watched the replays over and over of the planes crashing into the towers. I joined the TV watchers and couldn't help but take my eyes off of the TV. To be honest, I'm not sure I went to class. I was so shocked, upset, and dumbfounded at the fact that this had happened. As more and more details emerged, and more footage was released, I continued to watch the TV. As I'm sure you all felt to some extent, I felt helpless and sad. Nine years later, I still wonder if we could have prevented the attack.

As I continue to write this entry, I want to make it a point to say my thank you to all the brave souls that risked their lives on that day. Scratch that, for all the brave souls that risk their lives that day and every day.

I'm very proud to say that I have a fraternity little brother that has been in the Army, stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan for it seems like forever and he does what he does so we can sleep better at night. I know he would shrug it off if I told him but I'm truly proud of him. I'm proud of all the Greek members who have and are currently serving our country.

I don't know how many institutions or Greek communities celebrate or honor our Greek members who serve our country, but I think its a tradition that should be started. I am proud to say that my undergraduate institution has a specific section on their website entitled "GVSU Greeks in the Military" and it provides a snapshot of those who are in the military that were part of the GVSU Greek community. Friends, lets applaud their efforts and make this a nationwide thing.

In closing, as the title suggests, let us always remember those that have served, those that we have lost, and let us appreciate those that continue to serve and let us appreciate our freedom. I'd also encourage you to watch the movie "United 93." It is such a powerful and amazing example of bravery and doing something greater than yourself.

Greeks March to the Same Beat

For most institutions, the school year has started and that means two things: summer is over and college football is about to begin. Both are inevitable each Fall and with college football beginning this Thursday, Sept. 2^nd, that means band practice is in session. If you have been on campus early in the mornings or late at night I’d imagine you have heard the marching band practicing or at least seem them marching around on the practice field.

As a previous marching band member in college, I love hearing the impressive sounds of the brass, the faint sounds of the woodwinds, and the beat of the drum line. I appreciate their skill set and I can’t imagine a college football game without the marching band being present. Can you?

Recently, I watched a video (below starting at 2:10 mark) of the Michigan State drum line practice (nerdy I know) and as I watched, I couldn’t help but notice how every movement the line made was in perfect synchronization. Their hand speed, their wrist movement, and the height of the drum stick as they played were all the same.

This made me think about our Greek organizations in the Fall semester. Specifically, how do you ensure everyone is marching to the same beat? Maybe a better question is, do you see the importance of making sure everyone is on the same beat as the school year begins?

Think for a moment that most chapter members have had three months away from school. Many have been working, traveling, and probably haven’t thought very much about the chapter. So, should it be a surprise if they come back to school and don’t know everything that is going on for the chapter? How do you get them on the same beat if they haven’t been to a leadership conference, UIFI or an Executive Board retreat?

Furthermore, as many institutions go through recruitment around this time, how do you convey to your new members what the mission and vision is for your organization? How do you get them to be on the same beat as well?

I think often times we struggle with this notion of getting people on the same beat. Too often I see students make assumptions that new members or even older members should know the beat of the organization and just jump right in. However, much like a marching band drum line practice, it takes hours of working together, listening to the metronome, and setting aside private time for those that may not pick up the beat as quickly to get everyone on the same beat.

Strong fraternal organizations recognize this need for practice and ensuring everyone is on the same beat. They make sure to have an all chapter retreat at the beginning of the semester. They make sure at the first chapter meeting expectations and goals are outlined for the semester. They take the time to work with those members who may be a little “offbeat” and help them get back on track. They treat new members with respect and not as a new member, but as another chapter member. Strong chapters talk Ritual because they know in order to have a strong, vibrant beat; Ritual is where the beat starts.

So as you move forward in the Fall semester, take some time to get the feel of the beat of your chapter. Are you all in rhythm? In synchronization? If not, what sacrifices will you make to ensure that the chapter’s beat does get back to being one beat, not 40 different beats?

Hopefully, you will have a strong beat and have a successful Fall. If you are having trouble getting everyone on the same beat, ask for help. That’s what your chapter advisors, local volunteers, inter/national headquarters staff, and fraternity/sorority life advisor(s) are for. Good luck!

Spartan Marching Band Drum Line 2010 from Scott Westerman on Vimeo.

Recruitment Through the Eyes of a PNM

Those of you who know me, know that UCF's Panhellenic community just concluded Formal Recruitment. It was a success to say the least as we placed 604 women into one of the 10 Panhellenic organizations and all 10 chapters made quota.

As I recovered today from sleep deprivation, I thought I'd check out a few things online. Little did I know as I browsed some websites that I would come across a PNMs story about going through recruitment at UCF. I found it fascinating to see recruitment through a PNMs vantage point. So, I thought I would post it.

Below is a transcript of what the PNM posted on another website. I deleted her identity because that doesn't matter. I also decided not to edit any of her posts so that everything you read is from her. Enjoy!

Greek Forum:

So maybe the shorts would have been a better idea, given the whole "sitting on the floor" deal. I love my Rho Gamma and the other ladies in my group--most of us are sophomores--and I can't wait till tomorrow! Starting the day tomorrow at Taxi Driver, and I have to get to school early to pick up my parking permit. I've got my bag packed and my clothes picked out! I'll post about my experience at UCF Day tomorrow night!

Oof! I am so completely exhausted... my day was 12 hours long at UCF today (granted, I'm including the time I was there to get my parking permit). Visited all 10 chapters, ate lunch, and waited 3 hours to turn in our choices.

So yeah here goes!!!!

UCF DAY:

Taxi Driver was the first house of the day. I already knew to expect cheering and stuff from reading the stories on here but OH GOODNESS. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS IN FOR! I was double rushed and bumped twice. One of my rushers actually was my roommate from last year, so it was nice to get to see her =] I didn't have a huge connection to this house today, but I know that I get along with my ex-roomie and therefore I'm guessing there are some others in her group I'll like too.

Rocky Horror was next. I was really excited to meet this group, but not gonna lie, I didn't really get that spark I was hoping for. I hit it off really well with one of my rushers, but only one of the three.

Paper Moon was the first house I really liked. I got along with my rusher so well-- our conversation flowed the entire time, they didn't bump or double rush, and we were a lot alike! The group was really nice and energetic, but not so much so that it seemed fake. You could tell they all really loved their sorority.

Star Wars was a sorority I had a big misconception about. The ladies I talked to were so nice to me and not fake at all. They totally understood where I was coming from when I said I wanted sisters and not just a bunch of people to go to parties with.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind was the second biggest surprise of the day to Star Wars. I didn't know what to expect at this house, I hadn't really heard much about it at UCF, but the second I walked in my rusher and I began talking like old friends. We were so similar! Regardless of where I pledge I totally can see myself staying close with her.

Kramer vs. Kramer was probably my biggest disappointment. I didn't really hit it off with any of the ladies I spent time with, but their philanthropy is so interesting to me. Hopefully I'll get to go back tomorrow for philanthropy day and show my enthusiasm for it.

Jaws was next. This is one of those sororities that everyone wants to join, but I decided to go in with a completely open mind and not let the stereotypes associated with the group sway my opinions. I ended up absolutely loving all three girls who rushed me--they were all big into sisterhood and philanthropy which are my two main interests as far as sorority life goes. I really liked this house and hope I'm invited back tomorrow.

Willy Wonka was crazy. I wasn't feeling too well (stupid Florida heat), and I was double rushed by a girl I had nothing in common with. The other girl being rushed (idk if this is proper terminology but I promise it makes sense in my head) was from the same town, high school, major, etc as our rusher. I just really didn't get a good vibe from her.

Grease was another big surprise. I had so much in common with the girl who rushed me and our conversation flowed really easily the entire time.
LAST HOUSE!!

Rocky was our last house of the day. My first rusher and I didn't really have that much in common, and I can't really say my second rusher and I had a lot in common either; however, the second girl who rushed me had very similar ideas about sisterhood and what a sorority should be to me, and I think that's why I ended up liking her so much.

At the end of the day (well... 3 hours after the end of the day), my rankings went like this:

(in order we visited... we don't rank our top 8 houses)
Taxi Driver
Rocky Horror
Paper Moon
Star Wars
Close Encounters
Kramer vs. Kramer
Jaws
Rocky

------------
9. Grease
10. Willy Wonka

As of right now, I definitely have my top 3/4 (which I'm sure you can tell by reading my descriptions of them), but I'm staying very open to all of my possibilities still. I'll update y'all tomorrow during the day with my list if I can, then I'll recap once I get home. I had so much fun today but I am so completely exhausted! I'm going to bed as soon as I post this, which is wayyyy early for me!

Hope everyone (especially the other ladies rushing at UCF) had a great day today! Thanks for all the well wishes; it means a lot. <3

Philanthropy Day:

So I got a call from my rho this morning while I was drivig to school and couldn't really pick it up. I have four houses today & don't need to be at UCF till 12:30. Great. I'm thinking this means one of my top four cut me and I'll be visiting grease instead of jaws. I'm not going to lie, I was kinda expecting it. I'm a sophomore and a grade risk, so I've expected heavy cuts after day one the whole time. I'll find out at 12:30. One good thing though is that this gives me time to eat breakfast and ~*maybe*~ read a Sookie Stackhouse book. Lol. I hope the other UCF pnms are getting invited back to all of their houses!

Just got my list. Heading back to rocky horror, grease, & taxi driver.

Thanks so much for helping me through the morning. I am so glad that I didn't have to pick one to drop today, I ended up loving all of them so much and can't imagine not going back to any of them tomorrow. So here goes Philanthropy Day!!

Rocky Horror was the first house I went back to this afternoon. I was really relaxed and my first rusher and I had a lot in common. Our conversation was really easy and I had lots of fun doing the craft with her. The second girl who rushed me was kinda awkward, but we were sitting at tables and one of my rushers from the day before was there so we talked a lot as a group.

Grease was where I went next, and I'm so happy that I got to go back. Everything that I had thought badly about them yesterday was totally wrong. I've gotten along really well with all the ladies from here. After today I can totally see myself in this house, something that was totally unfathomable yesterday.

Finally...

Taxi Driver was amazing. Their philanthropy is great--something I really feel strongly about-- so I was able to really connect with the sisters when we were talking about that. Everyone I have met in Taxi Driver has been really nice to me and very genuine. As of right now, I'm hoping I run home to Taxi Driver Saturday, but I know now that nothing is set in stone at all.

I was so frazzled thinking I only had been matched with four other sororities that when I found out I really only had matched three I was really sad. I talked to my Rho Gamma when I got there today and she helped me out a lot. She said the same things y'all did, but looking at it on the screen and hearing it out loud while watching the person tell you their story about how they were cut from their favorites is totally different. I 100% love my Rho and I feel like I was destined to be in her group, as cheesy as that sounds. I was really glad I didn't have to drop any today because I love them all so much now. I (obviously) have a favorite, but I can see myself being happy at any of the houses I have left. I'm glad I don't have to be the one to choose =P

Video Day:

Noon: OMG!!! I just got a call from my Rho Gamma and I'm going in for "four parties" like I did yesterday (I ended up just having the 3 parties plus a break where I got to go inside one of the buildings and chill out). I really hope I got invited back to all three!!!

Thanks everyone for your support! As much as I like going to all of the different houses, I can't wait for it to be Saturday so I can run home!

3:48pm: So I don't have to make any decisions. I'll update later.

6:35pm: I'm already back home from today's party. Yeah, just one. I was invited back to Grease, which on the first day was in my bottom two. However, after watching the video today and talking to even more ladies I can tell this is where I was meant to be. After all of the issues I had on the first day deciding whether or not I could, in good conscience, join this sorority, I'm glad to say my misconceptions have been corrected. I'm debating going ahead and telling y'all what sorority it is, but I'd like to hear what your guesses are first =P

Hope y'all are having a good day. I was having trouble being positive when I first saw my party list but I'm alright now. My Rho Gamma is REALLY the best.

8:56pm: I have no clue how I'm going to think about anything else until I find out if I got called back to go to Grease again tomorrow night for prefs. I want this so badly, and everytime I feel like it's going well and I am clicking with people I get totally rejected. I hate not knowing how this is going to end. D=

Preference Day:

5:26pm: Pref parties were moved up to 4, so now we need to be at school at 3:15. I'm still getting the text messages from my Rho Gamma so I'm assuming that's a good sign =P

I'll let y'all know how it goes later!!! Thanks for being so sweet, everyone. I don't think I've ever felt so connected to and loved by people I don't know before. I really appreciate all of you guys being here for me this week.

Soooo today was pref ceremony at Grease!! As if I didn't already love it, I love it even more now. I had the same girl rushing me today as I did yesterday. Honestly I get along better with her than I do with anyone else I can think of right now. Haha. We looked at her scrapbook, laughed, cried, and talked about tomorrow (which I don't think we were supposed to do. oops!). Even after all the heartache and stress of the week, I honestly can't see myself in any chapter other than Grease and I'm so glad it is working out this way. Since it's the only place I could be accepting a bid tomorrow, I'll go ahead and let y'all know that Grease is...

My original hesitation about this particular sorority was the fact that it is historically Jewish. However, I'll be the first to admit that I was totally wrong about them. I am so completely in love with these ladies, their philanthropies, and their sisterhood that I can't see myself joining anywhere else. I'll let y'all know what happens tomorrow.

Bid Day:

I've been texting my Rho Gamma all morning! They still haven't gotten schedules!! I'm like 99% sure I got in, but that 1% is totally killing me right now!

Hey everyone! I got the text saying to meet at the school at 11:30. I was so rushed trying to get ready. Lol. I'm so ready to run home to aephi!!!!

So the enormous post I've promised is waiting until tomorrow when I can properly form a full sentence. Yes, I ran home to AEPhi today! We went to dinner and a drag show for our bid day celebration. OMG it was so much fun!!! My favorite part was though that they sang songs from *Grease*!!!! We all sang along, got pulled on stage, were groped, etc. My alpha friend is a little weird but lol it's okay cause she's my pref buddy's little and they are always together =P I'm really happy but omg so tired. I see no way I could make an intelligent sounding post tonight. Sorry, but it'll have to wait! =P Thanks for the kind words everyone! I appreciate your support sosososososo much <3

There was another PNM that started to write about her journey through sorority recruitment at UCF and should she finish it, I will post that as well. Overall, I think we can learn so much about what the recruitment experience is like for the PNMs that will in turn, help tailor our efforts in creating an experience that isn't scary or intimidating. It also provides an insight into the chapters and how their recruitment efforts are portrayed by a PNM.

Makes me wonder if every PNM at every institution blogged about their recruitment experience, what would it say?