Something of Value

Hey Friends,

So, remember the post I had about if change in the Greek community is feasible? I challenged everyone to figure out ways to collaborate with other Greek chapters. Today I experienced a change of heart. Today, the program Something of Value was put on by PHA (and wonderfully coordinated by Stacy Duh). The program sought to bring all sixteen PHA chapters together to identify the top three risks this community faces that need immediate attention. After risks were identified, break out sessions had to come up with action plans for managing these risks. Common themes that were heard were excessive drinking, underage drinking, disunity between the chapters, social media concerns, and lack of collaboration with the non-Greek community.

We had an attorney from Atlanta preside over a Mock Trial (yeah, MT!) in which a young woman had pre-gamed before going to a TG at Barley's, gone to the O after the TG. She decided to go home by herself. As she was crossing 15th, she was hit by a car and died. We had to figure out who was liable out of her big sister, the social chair, and the chapter president. Turns out they all have been held liable and given HUGE damanges (upwards of ten-million dollars) in previous real lawsuits. I think that it was eye-opening to see who is held responsible for incidents like that one. We then broke for lunch, and talked about issues facing our own chapters with international representatives and chapter advisers in attendance.

Next, all PHA council members were paired with international representatives from women's fraternities and sororities to facilitate the small groups which were comprised of groups like risk management chairs, social chairs, presidents, recruitment, PHA delegates, emerging freshmen, and emerging sophomores. Within each group, we identified problems within the community. Then the groups ranked the top three high risks, broke into four of five groups and created action plans. After the session, we all reconvened as a group of three-hundred Panhellenic women, and we shared our plans for change.

The group that impressed me the most was one of the emerging freshmen leaders groups. They identified our community problems of disunity, problems with philanthropy events, and other hot topics. They also agreed to host a freshmen roundtable to discuss or to continue a notion that we gained through the event called "Greek amnesty". Basically, nothing that was said within the groups would get any chapters in trouble. What happened at Something of Value stays at Something of Value. They still have new ambition for the Community, innovation that will help it grow and thrive here at Ohio State. And, even more exciting than that is the fact that they are the future leaders of both this Greek community and this even greater Ohio State campus. 

All in all, we identified most of the same issues that need immediate attention and crafted action plans for them. Whether it is making all TG's cash-bar and splitting the venue costs with fraternities or hosting sober events before TG's to get to know other Greeks in a sober environment before going out, a lot of great suggestions were made. PHA now knows what the community wants, and I think that a lot of great dialogue about how to improve ourselves occurred. I am inspired to be a Panhellenic woman at this campus at this current moment in the community's history. We are making changes. And it's not just PHA; today showed the rest of the council and me that women in every single council also want change to occur. Now, we just have to take up the flag and begin our journey of progress.