Update 11/4

To all members of the Fraternity & Sorority community:

During the power outage Lehigh originally committed to feeding the members
of the Greek community who are on a board plan through Sunday dinner. Once
power was restored, a second email went out to fraternity & sorority
leadership which explained that meals would be offered through Thursday
dinner. This change was made based on power restoration occurring on
Wednesday and information that we received in consultation with FMA and
several cooks that food programs within the houses would be up and running
by Friday morning. Tim Wilkinson, Director of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs
sent a communication to house leadership explaining this change on
Wednesday. We apologize if this information did not filter down to all
chapter members. We did our best to accommodate you during the power outage
and throughout your return to campus, but now that the campus is back to
normal operation and activity, as of this morning, your board plan is your
chapter house responsibility. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
David Joseph
Executive Director of Student Auxiliary Services

Faculty Advisor Spotlight- Alpha Phi- Professor Walsh

Name: Vincent A. Walsh

Department: English

Chapter You Advise: Alpha Phi

As a faculty/staff advisor, why did you become involved with Alpha Phi? 

Two of my former freshman English 1&2 students, Jenny Ingalls and Bari Mogil, both members of Alpha Phi, approached me during the fall term of 2008 and asked if I would be willing to serve as faculty advisor for the sorority. Since I had developed a great relationship with both Jenny and Bari as students, I readily agreed. I am very interested in Greek Life here at Lehigh, as well as nationally; I’m also an enthusiastic supporter of student activities, particularly initiatives that develop strong leadership and critical thinking/problem solving skills, and also activities that promote intellectual life at Lehigh. I serve as faculty advisor for a student club on campus -- one that formed just last year -- called The Music Box, which provides a forum for Lehigh musicians to stage performances on campus and at local Bethlehem venues that showcase the amazing musical talents of Lehigh students, particularly those who are not formally involved in Zoellner’s music program. I’m also working as a mentor for student mentors who will be working with local inner-city students in Allentown and Bethlehem; this mentoring program is being organized and directed by Christa Wessels from OFSA and Maria Asayag from Admissions. In general, I feel that Greek Life has so much to offer our students and our campus community that is truly exemplary! I want to help develop these positive aspects of fraternity and sorority life, at the same time as we interrogate and challenge some of the less savory aspects of Greek Life, which unfortunately get a lot more press. It has been a true privilege to work with Tim Wilkinson and all of the staff at OFSA, and to feel part of the amazing work all of you are doing to transform Greek Life on campus, so that it can realize its optimal potential, and also serve as a model for how Greek Life should be promoted and transformed nationally.

As a faculty/staff advisor, what are you expecting from Alpha Phi in regards to communications with you?

Kaitlin Slattery is our scholarship/intellectual development chairperson this year, and she’s doing a great job. We keep in steady contact via email and phone; we are planning one jam session (seminar style conversation) each month for the rest of the year; our first session in early September focused on the topic of sexism, and we’ve all decided to stay with that topic for the year, especially considering this is the 40^th Anniversary of Women at Lehigh. Kaitlin has also worked with me to get Alpha Phi on board as a sponsor for the special Women’s Concert at Lamberton on Nov. 5 -- which will feature all women performers; this event is being sponsored by the Women’s Center and President Gast’s 40^th Anniversary Celebration of Women at Lehigh Celebration.

As a faculty/staff advisor, how would you like to get involved with Alpha Phi?

I see my main role as helping develop the intellectual achievement of Alpha Phi, and communicating the importance of this crucial aspect of Greek Life with other Greek houses at Lehigh, and across the campus generally. I also want to help connect Alpha Phi to events like the Nov. 5 concert, and also elicit their continued support for Lehigh’s outreach effort to connect with students in nearby inner-city schools. We had our first jam session at Lehigh with the Latino Leadership Club members from William Allen H.S. in Allentown last spring; Alpha Phi provided a huge stack of fresh hot pizzas and a small lake’s worth of a variety of soft drinks. The jam was a huge success; in January, we will be kicking off a mentoring program run by Lehigh Latino undergraduates who will be working directly with the William Allen Latino leadership Club; we hope to expand this program to Bethlehem schools next year.

Do you have any specific interests or areas of expertise that you would like/be willing to share ?

I bring a wide-ranging scholarly research base of knowledge that can help promote intellectual discussion on numerous levels, particularly issues connected directly to students’ individual majors and specific career and research interests.

Do you have any specific interests or areas of expertise that you would like/be willing to share with the entire Greek community?

I would like to help promote serious intellectual discussion among all members of the Greek community at Lehigh -- both about crucial issues affecting the world at-large, and in particular issues right here in the Greek Life we share at Lehigh regarding hazing, sexism, the out-of-control drinking “culture,” racism, and homophobia.

Any other additional comments?

I feel proud and happy to be part of the OFSA and Lehigh’s vibrant, evolving Greek Life; I really think we can create a model here at Lehigh that will serve as a lodestar for Greek Life across the country.

UPDATES

Good Morning All,

I hope the last few days have been as smooth as possible. We all appreciate your cooperation and flexibility as we worked through this most unique circumstance. Please forward this update to all chapter members as soon as possible.

Power has been restored to campus this morning and we are asking students

to return to campus after 4 p.m. today. We understand that this is a

compressed time frame, but we are doing all we can to return to normal

operations at the university as quickly as possible.  Classes are canceled

for today, Wednesday, but will resume tomorrow, Thursday, November 3rd.

Four o'clock exams scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd will be moved to

Tuesday, November 15th.  

Please reiterate to chapter members the need to not return to the facilities until 4 p.m. Staff members have been continuously working to ensure the safety of each facility as the power comes back up. I can only imagine how badly you all want to return to your homes, please work with us little while longer.

Upon your return to the facility, if you have a specific building-related issue to

report, please contact Facilities at 610-758-3941. After 5 p.m., emergency calls should be directed to LUPD by calling 610-758-4200.

Most chapter cooks have confirmed that food shipments will be up and running tomorrow morning and dinner will be served in the facility tomorrow night. Please check in with your chapter president and/or steward regarding the status of your organization. Meals will still be served to chapters without food service through tomorrow night's dinner (Thursday, November 3rd). Meals will be served to chapter members on a fraternity/sorority board plan. Please bring your ID with you in order to verify student status. Please note: meals will be served in Rathbone Dining Hall only.

Although custodial staff was able to discard most of your perishable items from your refrigerators and freezers, some were locked or inaccessible. Please take the time to evaluate your refrigerators and freezers and dispose of any leftover perishable items as soon as possible.

We understand that most of you left your chapter house in a rush and did not have the time to clean the areas of the house for which you are responsible. Please take the time today or tomorrow morning to address these areas.

OFSA will be up and running as of noon this afternoon. Your Assistant Directors will be in touch regarding resuming activities and answering questions. Please compile chapter related questions for your Assistant Directors so as they check in with you, they can be thorough as possible.

Thank you again for your cooperation and flexibility. Keep checking your e-mail and the #LUGreeks twitter account.

Best,

Tim Wilkinson

Important Memo

To all Fraternity and Sorority Leadership-

This email is a follow up to our previous communication regarding the status on campus at Lehigh. As previously mentioned, the university lost power on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at approximately 1 PM. Unfortunately, power is still off and it looks like it will remain off for at least the next day. As a result your houses have now been without power for almost 3 days.



Some updates:




•
As previously mentioned, all food in refrigerators and freezers is lost and beginning to smell.  In order to avoid excessive odor issues, we have begun to work in your facilities to dispose of kitchen trash and food that has spoiled within your facility.



•
We understand that once the University reopens, your kitchens may not be able to function until new food deliveries are made. Again, Lehigh plans to offer all fraternity and sorority residents access to University dining halls for meals through Sunday evening, November 6, 2011. All students need to do is show their Lehigh ID and will be able to enter and eat for free.



•
Please understand that students cannot return to campus until all power has been restored to the entire campus and all safety concerns have been rectified. We will update more on this as information becomes available.



•
You should be working with your various billing agencies to coordinate timing for new shipments of food.



•
As of right now, students should prepare for classes on Thursday, November 3. If classes resume on Thursday,please be prepared for exams unless instructed otherwise. Please note this is subject to change pending updates on power on campus.



•
Parents’ Weekend is currently still schedule to occur. Once power is restored we will re-work existing needs for that event: tailgate registration, events, etc.






Again, thank you for your patience and understanding. Please call Residential Services at 610-758-3500 or e-mail either one of us with any questions.



Ozzie Breiner 

Director of Residential Services

lb05@lehigh.edu



Tim Wilkinson

Assistant Dean and Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs

Tsw205@lehigh.edu

FALL OPEN HOUSES

Interested in joining a Fraternity at Lehigh? The Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) will be hosting their Fall Open House events next week for all interested men. Events will run from 5-8pm at individual chapter houses or the Ulrich Student Center. This is an awesome opportunity to get to know the many different chapters that Lehigh has to offer!

The schedule is as follows:

Monday October 24:
Psi Upsilon
Delta Upsilon

Chi Psi
Kappa Alpha
Delta Phi
Delta Chi (Ulrich Student Center)

Tuesday October 25:
Lambda Chi Alpha

Phi Gamma Delta
Theta Xi
Theta Chi
Alpha Tau Omega
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Pi Kappa Alpha (Ulrich Student Center)

Wednesday October 26:
Kappa Sigma
Phi Kappa Theta
Phi Sigma Kappa
Chi Phi
Sigma Chi

Lambda Sigma Upsilon (Ulrich Student Center)

If you have questions please contact: 
IFC- John LeDuff-jpl312@lehigh 
MGC- ArmandoBerdiel - arb512@lehigh.edu

Order of Omega: Now accepting applications

Written by Kimberly Preusse, Kappa Alpha Theta

The Zeta Lambda Chapter of the Order of Omega was re-activated in spring 2011 with 12 new members. One honorary membership was also given to Professor Terry Hart, faculty advisor of Delta Upsilon, for his overall commitment to the fraternity and sorority community at Lehigh University. The current active membership is planning for a great year, but we need you! Applications for this junior and senior class standing Greek leadership honor society are now available and due by 12:00 noon on Friday, October 14^th.

Zeta Lambda’s Chapter goals are based off the results of a survey that was given to juniors and seniors at Greek Council Meetings at the end of the spring 2011 semester. These goals include providing networking opportunities with Greek alumni in terms of mentoring and career aspirations; bridging the gap with faculty and administration; providing a service to chapter presidents; engaging in service; and programming related to transitioning out of Lehigh University. Exciting possibilities related to these goals are already being discussed for the fall and spring semesters. Leadership positions are available within the organization!

Throughout the year, Order of Omega Headquarters awards members with scholarships. Since 1985, Order of Omega has awarded $721,850 in undergraduate scholarships, including $63,150 during the 2010-2011 academic year. Graduate fellowships are also available! Zeta Lambda is currently in the process of nominating two active members to apply for scholarships ranging from $300 to $1,000.

We are very excited for the future of the Zeta Lambda Chapter of the Order of Omega!

For more information, please see the below timeline. Applications for membership can be found on the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs website under “Policies and Forms.”

Timeline:

-Completed applications are to be submitted by 12:00pm on Friday, October 14th, 2011.

-Notification of membership will be communicated by email on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011.

-If accepting membership into the Zeta Lambda Chapter of the Order of Omega Greek Honor

Society at Lehigh University, two separate payments are due. A check in the amount of $50 to

Order of Omega and a $25 check to the Lehigh University Chapter of Order of Omega is to be

submitted to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (Warren Square E.) by 5:00pm on

Monday, October 24th, 2011.

-An Order of Omega Initiation ceremony and program will take place at 5:00pm on Monday,

November 7th, 2011.

Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention: Erin Wildeman

I attended the Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention this summer. I feel as though my experience at the institute was pretty unique compared to most of the people who went. I come from a chapter that has recently gotten in trouble for hazing, so before last semester, hazing prevention was not something that was even on my radar. I always equated hazing to the stereotypical events such as forced alcohol consumption or paddling, but beyond that I feel as though my definition of hazing was very narrow. Because of this, the biggest thing I took away from the institute was a whole new definition of hazing. I learned that hazing isn’t about the task you are being made to do, but it is an attitude. The attitude stems from the hierarchical structure that can be found in most our organizations, as well as that mindset of dominance or power.  

As an undergraduate student, I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve heard that “hazing is a grey area.” When we think about our new member education plans, whether they are our official or unofficial plans, we tend to look at each activity individually. For some of the activities it’s simply hard to understand why OFSA thinks its hazing. The institute taught that we need to take a step back and truly think about the major goals of our member plans.  If we keep in mind “attitude” and then reflect on the member plan as a whole, rather than trying to analyze each activity individually, much of the “grey area” surrounding hazing is eliminated.

My chapter has been presented with a difficult challenge, to stop hazing. One of the hardest parts has been gaining universal chapter support. Hazing is part of our tradition as a chapter, and it is fueled by the fact that hazing has been so normalized across all of Greek life at Lehigh. It is hard to go from chapter that hazes, to one that does nothing over night, but when it really came down to it last semester, everyone chose to keep our charter over continuing with these traditions. I am proud to tell you that physically, my chapter has stopped hazing, but mentally, not all of our members have fully grasped it yet. They are willing to stop hazing because they could see how critical our situation was, but it is hard to understand why we are not just channeling our efforts into brainstorming better and more clever ways to hide what we are doing from OFSA, because that would definitely be easier.

I would say that the biggest thing that has helped our chapter move forward has simply been to have a more open dialog about hazing. I know that several members, as well as myself now feel comfortable having these discussions with people in OFSA or conduct officers at Lehigh. Furthermore, I learned that it only takes a couple of members who are willing to lead their chapter to turn the attitude of hazing around. We now have the unique opportunity to be an example for the other chapters on campus. I think that we are on our way to proving that we can be just as close and have just as much fun without hazing in our chapter. 

-Erin Wildeman