Day 2

Hello again friends! Today was a very busy day at NGLA. Shout out to everyone who braved the line at Starbucks this morning (I’m not waiting THAT long for anything less than Dunkin) before our opening speaker. Coey Ciochetti, a lawyer and ethic’s professor, spoke to us about building happiness through our ethics and values. He reminded us that as Greeks, we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard than most students, and to let our values and integrity drive us toward our goals.

The first session I attended today was Improving New Member Activities with Dan Worna, and after that session I feel confident that my chapter’s new member process is moving in the right direction. He recommends that in place of stark memorization, a new member process should have meaningful outcomes based on the values of the organization, which is what I had in mind while revising our new member process. Although it’s only a small change for now, I hope that future members will grow on these ideas.

My second session of the day was “That’s So Gay! – Discovering the Gifts of the LGBTQ Community” led by Campus Speak representative Shaun Sperling. Not only was this session highly entertaining but also informative, even for someone who knows a lot about the LGBTQ community. It was incredible hearing all the stories of inclusivity in chapters, and I was happy to be able to share my story as well.  Gender inclusivity is something which is extremely important to me, since I identify as non-binary (not male or female) and I’m proud to say that my brothers in Phi Pi Delta have been supportive of me since I joined. It was great to see that so many other organizations are moving in that same direction and including LGBTQ members in their fraternities and sororities. Through this workshop, I learned new ways to improve inclusiveness in Greek life, which I hope to utilize with my chapter as soon as I get back.

The final session which I attended today was Social Media Land Mines for the College Greek Life Student with Robert Hackenson Jr. (the speaker I mentioned yesterday who includes magic tricks – I still can’t figure them out!!). This edutainment (education/entertainment) session warned about the common mistakes that college students make in representing themselves and their organizations on social media. In this day and age, technology is so integrated into our everyday lives that it’s easy to forget about the consequences, but in order to maintain a positive image of ourselves, we have to start thinking more consciously about what we say online. I know it’s a message many of us have heard before, but Robert’s presentation of the concepts through magic tricks gives a new perspective which really helped to drive the point home.

Following the education sessions, our delegation headed to the Black Bear Saloon (which my dad is apparently jealous about, it’s his favorite restaurant in Hartford) and then back to the hotel for our Pajama Jammy Jam. We had a blast playing Catchphrase, and some people even won coffee vouchers for Seattle’s Best! The grand prize Dunkin gift card however went to yours truly for the best pajamas!! Pink spots are awesome, what can I say?

I can’t wait for tomorrow (is it already the final day?) but for now me and my prize winning pjs are headed off to bed. Updates tomorrow about more education sessions, affiliation luncheon and our final Keynote speaker!