There are few experiences that changed me as a person and
empowered me like the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute did this
summer.
The five-day program is held at Indiana University in
Bloomington, Indiana. There are several
sessions throughout the summer with about 80 students in each, and I was lucky
to meet and become friends with extraordinary Greek students and leaders from
across the country and Canada.
During the program, we learn who we are as leaders, the values
that guide us, the problems facing our own Greek communities and those on a
national scale, and how as individuals, we can confront these problems. I left with a deeper understanding of who I
am as a leader and person and an invigorated passion to lead my chapter and
Greek community.
In this past, I have been guilty of shying away from issues that
seem impossible to change. But with the program’s theme of “start with
you”, I learned that even as an individual in my chapter of 100 women and Greek
community of about one thousand, I can set a standard and start conversations
about the issues we face—unity across chapters, alcohol and drug abuse, and
hazing.
I am not sure exactly when it all clicked—that these issues
could in fact be conquered, and that it is not only within my power, but is my
responsibility, to help establish culture change.
We were split up into ten person chapters for small group
discussion, and I was inspired by my chapter members, among whom are a
refounding father, someone who wants to start a colony of his organization on
another campus, and someone who trying to institute culture change in his
struggling chapter. I was inspired and
motivated by these students as well as my facilitators, who are professionals
in the fraternity and sorority field, throughout the week.
From a conversation with a new friend about the terminology of
“frat”, “TSM”, and “TFM”, and how they are degrading to our Greek chapters, to
an emotional and passionate group debate about whether Greek life deserves
to continue (the jury decided it does not), I learned that little actions and mindsets
amount to and cause the larger problems.
Besides confronting and discussing the big issues, I left with
many take aways and self-checks to guide my new path. I now will remember
to ask myself, “If our founders were in the room right now, would they be proud
of what we are doing?”
While there were countless powerful moments throughout the week,
when I think back to my time at UIFI I will remember our general session about
ritual. Our session facilitator was
discussing how we keep our chapter ritual so secret, but we should be proud to live
and communicate our values to others. He
recited the opening pledge of his fraternity and then encouraged us to stand up
and do the same. Listening to other
sorority and fraternity creeds made me realize that we all stand by similar
values, and reinforced the fact that we are values-based organizations, and
must live by them.
-Kerry Mallett, Alpha Gamma Delta
