Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Summer Spotlight: Eliza Dent at UIFI






Eliza Dent, sister of Mu Sigma Upsilon, tells us what she learned during her time at UIFI...

Over the course of my year in the Greek community, I have participated in a variety of experiences that are meant to teach me how to truly be an effective leader. However, I would say that the previous experiences do not compare to the UIFI in the way we were expected to critically think about issues in our community. We took the general conversations in the Greek community about our issues and took them to a deeper level than I had ever experienced before.      
To begin, one of the ways we discuss general issues is by breaking down problems from the surface level to their root. First you must identify the true problem, then the symptoms of a problem. They compared this to a person having the flu. The actual problem is that the person is sick, and the symptoms are the physical signs of that problem, such as a fever. Then, there’s the apparent cause. The apparent cause is what you think the reason for the cause is. We often misinterpret these as the root cause, address them, and get caught up in cycles of the same problem and apparent causes. However, to fully analyze a problem, we must look at the root of it. If the root cause is addressed, then a problem can actually be solved for good. We used this way of think when analyzing problems in our own communities and how exactly to go about fixing them. Personally, I focused on the fact that Greeks on our campus don’t realize the difference between philanthropy and service. Therefore, a counselor and I discussed that there should be a point to educate people on these differences and work to implement more service into our plans.

During UIFI, we also took a look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We applied it from a chapter point of view, and truly asked ourselves if our chapters fulfill each need. Personally, I believe my chapter could do a better job with making sure members’ basic needs are filled first. For instance, some sisters put chapter work before getting a full night’s rest or eating three meals a day. In order for our chapter to run effectively, we must fulfill our basic needs first and then move forward. I think every chapter could work on this, and we should put more emphasis on the self-care of members throughout the year.

These lessons along with others have motivated me to make even better change in my chapter, council, and overall Greek community to rebuild our reputations, values, and relationships with the greater community.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Congratulations to Student Life Leadership Award winners!

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An amazing 14 individuals (23 awards!) of these recipients (italicized) are members of the Greek community, so be sure to give a big congrats next time you see them!  For the full story, click here.
University Service Award
Yuan Gao
Matthew Rothberg
Michael Schwab
Bosey Reiter Leadership Cup
Ian Davis
Divya Sirdeshpande
Lindsay Wilson
Deborah Pearsall Prize
Anne Henry
Lauren Fosbenner
Lauren Schlegel
John W. Smeaton Pillar of Integrity
Liyala Dickens
Contribution to Student Life Award
Lidia Breen
Victoria Campbell
Jamal Connelly
Cole Geryak
Maura Henderson
Karlynn Miller
Stacie Nadel
Mary Newport
Angelene Rizzo
Katie Teitelbaum
Weijing Wei
James J. Duane III Student Life Leadership Award
Molly Bankuti
Alison Bergin
Ryan Bonshak
Daniel Colville
Ian Davis
Liyala Dickens

Benjamin Hamblett
Quinci Mann
Taj Blount-Oden
Anastassiya Perevezentseva
Alyssa Riporti
Matthew Rothberg
Samantha Scaccia

Michael Schwab
Divya Sirdeshpande
Emma Strong
John Tolbert
Lindsay Wilson
Outstanding Educational Programming Award
The Be Your Own program
Excellence in Entertainment Programming Award
The Latin Carnival (in collaboration with Lambda Theta Alpha)
Exemplary Cultural Programming Award
The FUSION program
Student Club/Organization of the Year Award
International Voices
Student Club/Organization Advisor of the Year Award
Dr. Emory Zimmers, advisor for the Lehigh National Society of Leadership and Success
Student Senate Leadership Award
Gary Schick
Residence Hall Association Character Award
Katie Teitelbaum
Ujima Award
Jamal Connelly
Jamir Connelly
Anastassiya Perevezentseva
Service Above Self Award
Dalyan Kosar
Linette Caudillo Zavala
Allegiance Award
Daniel Beadle
Harrison Birabaharan
Ryan Bonshak
Taj Blount-Oden
Matthew Rothberg
Mae Williams
Lindsay Wilson
Alumni Association Undergraduate Merit Awards
Klaudia Jazwinska
Rachel Okun
Matthew Rothberg
Samantha Scaccia

Friday, May 4, 2018

Feature Friday: Joe Guzikowski, Theta Chi




Check out Joe's reflection on starting a new philanthropic event in the community!

Coming into the second semester of my sophomore year, I came to the realization that I hadn't really done anything besides programming, hitting the gym, and playing Fortnite. Though I always had the feeling that I wanted to engage the community in some way, nothing ever held my attention long enough to get me to stay interested. After this realization, I knew I wanted to create something brand new for both myself and the Lehigh community.

St. Baldrick's, a non-profit organization, provides monetary support for childhood cancer research through a fundraising campaign, which raises money off the promise of people going bald. Participants, namely 'shavees', pledge to shave their heads completely, and get monetary donations from friends and family to support their decision to go bald.

Through St. Baldrick's, I aimed to branch away from the status quo of Lehigh philanthropy and give an outlet for students at Lehigh and locals within the Bethlehem community to give something that was truly and entirely theirs; their hair. I had participated in the event in middle school so I figured I'd give it a shot on a college campus.

As a general member of my chapter it was initially intimidating to propose a new event for the chapter, as most of our philanthropy events are proposed and executed by members of our Executive Board, however, with the help of a handful of brothers the event was an overwhelming success. Despite my small initial goal of $5,000 and 8 participants, the event garnered 14 participants, as well as being the highest-grossing philanthropy event in recent chapter history, raising over $13,000 total. This was also the highest grossing philanthropy event out of any IFC chapter this year. This result not only exceeded my expectations, but has helped me realize what sort of things can be accomplished when you have a distinct goal in mind.

The biggest takeaway I had from organizing this event is that what's most important about inspiring change is believing in what you’re doing. While I wasn't always completely sure of what I was doing, believing in myself and accepting the support I received from brothers who shared my vision is what lead the event to its success.

We couldn't have made this event possible without the support from those outside the chapter. Thank you to all of those who participated in the event, it was truly a pleasure to see so much joy and positivity in a single room. I'd also like to give a special thanks to the Behind-the-scenes crew: Nick Christy with the office of Student Engagement, David & Lexi at Sodexo, and the LU Sound crew.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Congratulations to the 2017-2018 Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Award Winners!


We celebrated the following award recipients at the annual Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Awards dinner on Tuesday May 1, 2018.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Distinguished Service Award
Anne-Marie Anderson, Ph.D.

Advisor of the Year
Josh Greenberg, Alpha Epsilon Pi

Emerging Leader of the Year
Gaby Montes. Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.

Emerging Leader of the Year
Christy Cullen, Zeta Tau Alpha

Greek Leader of the Year
Molly Bankuti, Zeta Tau Alpha

Greek Leader of the Year
Ian Davis, Alpha Epsilon Pi

Outstanding President of the Year
Arianna Pineiro, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.

Outstanding President of the Year
Matthew Tracy, Alpha Epsilon Pi

Traditional of Excellence 
Erin Garrity, Pi Beta Phi
Empowering Others

Erin Hank, Zeta Tau Alpha
Inclusive Leadership

Nick Furgason, Phi Sigma Kappa
Living the Ritual

Djenne Dickens, Mu Sigma Upsilon
Inclusive Leadership

Dana Teach, Kappa Alpha Theta
Inclusive Leadership

Malini Ray, Zeta Tau Alpha
Living the Ritual

Emily Brown, Alpha Omicron Pi
Inspiring Change

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Outstanding Philanthropic Effort
Phi Sigma Kappa

Commitment to Service
Alpha Epsilon Pi

Program of Distinction
Lambda Theta Alpha
Appropriation ≠ Appreciation

Most Improved Chapter 
Kappa Alpha Theta

Tradition of Excellence
Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc.
Empowering Others

Zeta Tau Alpha
Inclusive Leadership

Special Feature: Faculty Advisor Dr. Kenneth Sinclair




Many thanks from the Psi chapter of Chi Phi for Dr. Sinclair's 40+ years of service! 

On Saturday, April 28, 2018, the Psi chapter hosted a retirement barbecue and golf tournament for our long-standing Chapter Advisor, Brother, Professor and Dr. Kenneth Sinclair. Brother Sinclair is retiring from Lehigh University effective this May, and has served as the Chapter’s advisor since 1973. With this being said, it was our mission as a chapter to bring together alumni, active brothers, school officials, and other members of the community to celebrate his eternal commitment to Chi Phi.

The event started at 8:45am, with the first tee time at Wedgewood Golf Course. Here, active brothers, alumni, and family played in an 18 hole golf tournament. 27 alumni, 16 undergraduates, and 8 fathers of the undergraduates played in the tournament. Awards and bragging rights were given for guests who achieved the longest drive, the drive closest to the pin, and lowest stroke count. A beautiful morning on the green was a great start for the day to come.

Starting at 2:00pm, the barbecue at the Psi Chapter House began. The barbecue featured food grilled by House Chef, Steve Novak, alumni and guests, lawn games such as cornhole and horseshoes, as well as conversations and connections that transcended decades of the Psi Chapter. 4 members of the Lehigh administration, 1 faculty member, 65 alumni, 7 parents of actives, and 40 active members took part in this memorable day to pay thanks to Brother Sinclair and many gave speeches to honor Brother Sinclair’s long lasting impact on their lives. Over 108 individuals with a love for Chi Phi were in attendance.

Alumni and brothers bonded both on the course and in the Chapter House by sharing stories of memorable things that occured during their time at Lehigh and their appreciation for Chi Phi, particularly those that related to contributions from Brother Sinclair. Alumni told stories of how, in some cases even fifty years after graduation, they still are in close communication with Brothers, proving their ties to Chi Phi to be everlasting. Each interaction with alumni left active members with a sense of confidence that the values instilled in us during our four years at Lehigh will extend into our everyday lives outside of the boundaries of our involvement with the Psi Chapter. This experience as a whole gave the active members a great sense of pride and appreciation for the strong values taught and bonds formed within the Psi Chapter, as well as with the Briarfield association, through which events such as this are made possible. Dr. Sinclair’s retirement celebration heightened our brotherhood’s appreciation for the fact Chi Phi has been an integral part of the lives of hundreds of Brothers before us, and will continue to be for hundreds after us.