Asa phoenix vol 92 no 1 winter 2006

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How do you tart your day? I typicall y put gas in my car, pick up lunch and head to the office. I respond to email and telephone calls throughout the day. In the Sharon M. Stemer, TI evening I may watch a favorite cable program or join in a sorori ty conference call . Each experience in my daily routine includes many technologies that my great grandparents did not have and probably would not believe. Everyday our society acce es and th tives on technology.

One such technology is the internet.

While the internet may be one of the greatest inventions in the 20th century, there is a dark side. It is possible for just enough information to exi t about you on the internet that anyone can find you, assume yo ur identity or misinterpret your views, credibili ty or acco untab ility.

With th e liberties of on-line usage, we must be mindful that no communication or image is secure. The content is accessible and subject to examination by individuals, businesses, chatities and the government. Livejournal or Xanga con tent may live forever, since postings cannot be random ly deleted. This may come back to haunt you in the future when an employer undertakes a web search of prospective employment candidates.

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are ve t)' public and presumed a likely hangout for predators. It only takes one wrong photo on WebShots to change someone's perception about you. The content on these sites is already the target of cyber surveillance by employers, campus administration , law enforcement and federal government agencies.

Besides being carefully [or personal reasons when using the internet and other tec hnologies, remem ber to be careful when selecti ng the image you want to portray and the effect that might have on the sorority. As members of Alpha Sigma Alpha, each of us must be purposeful and live up to the highe t in thought, word and deed. It is evet)' members' obligation to positively represent our sorority in the real and cyber world.

CONTENT FEATURES

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Facebook-transforming how college students communicate Since its launch ing in 2004, 85 percent of students are registered Facebook users.

Learn about the challenges and opportun ities that face Alpha Sigma Alpha members with this new technology that's sweeping th e country.

6 Advantage Alpha Sigma Alpha members tell how they are making a difference on their campuses, in their commun ities and in their world .

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Advantage points Useful tips for everyday living.

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2004-0S award winners receive recognition Chapter awards were handed out for 2005 Find out which chapters were selected [or these pre tigious awards.

10 Alpha Sigma Alpha takes a 'Radical Leap' Extreme Leader Coordinator Marna Ridenour-Ward gives us the history behind the 2005 Leadership Development Institute curriculum and the book it was based on The Radical LeafJ.

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Sharon M. Stenw; TI National Vice President of MembershijJ

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PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

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Volume 92, Number 1

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DEADLINES Summer . . . . . ......... March Fall. ................... ................ June Winter .............. ...... ... September Spring ........................ December

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EDITOR Editor/ Director of Communications Teresa Boyer Fishback, IlK lfishback@alphasigmaalpha .org

STAFF Senior Contributing Editor Nancy I.Z . Reese, BY niz_reese@comcast.net

Feature Writer

DEPARTMENTS

13 Foundation news

Tracey Kiefer, BK tracey_kiefer@yahoo.com

Alumnae Editor

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Nancy Inwood , EE inwoodb@hotmail.com

Collegiate Editor

Two members explain why they joined the Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation's Circle of Strength.

Read th e lalest news from th e national organization.

16 NPC news

17 Collegiate and Alumnae Stars

9550 Zionsville Rd., Suite 160 Indianapolis, IN 46268 Phone : 317-871-2920

Learn about th e accomplishments of Alpha Sigma Alpha members.

Fax : 317-871-2924 Email : phoenix@alphasigmaalpha.org

A report on the National Pan hellen ic Conference's bie nnial session.

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Convention schedule The schedule is ann o un ced for th e 44th bie nnial national convention to take place july 19- 23 in Cambridge, MA.

News to note

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District news Read reports from the district leadership, collegiate and alumnae chapters in Districts 2-5.

ON THE COVER

Tara Cardonick Holman , NN asa_advisor@yahoo .com

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA (USPS 430-640) is published quarterly by Alpha Sigma Alpha, 9550 Zionsville Rd .

Suite 160, Indianapolis, IN 46268 . Periodicals postage paid at Indianapoli s, IN, and additional mailing offices . Produced

by Maury Boyd & Associates, Indianapolis. ŠAlpha Sigma Alpha.

Send address changes, death notices and business correspondence to the national headquarters. Address all editorial correspondence to the editor.

POSTMASTER : Send address changes (Form 3579) to Phoenix of Alpha Sigma Alpha, 9550 Zionsville Rd .

Suite 160, Indianapolis, IN 46268 . Printed in the USA.

Members from the Beta Upsilon Chapter, Indiana State UniversiLy, at District 6 District Day.

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

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Imagine being able to connect and communicate with any student on a college

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campus. Let's take it one step further and include locating lost friends and Alpha Sigma Alpha members on other campuses. Welcome to the online world of Facebook I It becomes a part of your daily routine. You start your day checking email, cell phone messages and logging onto Facebook.

BY CHRISTINE STRAPAC THOMAS, _ -\r .\"ationrd I "icP President of M Pmbership

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Face·boo k is a n onlin e direc tory web ite that conn ec ts peo ple through social ne t-works a t coll ege> a nd unive rsities ac ross th e co untn 10 chat. make new fri e nds, fin d peo ple in classe<, andjoin inte res t gro up . "ince ib lau nchin g in Febntar;·

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2004 ,85 percent of stude nts at I ,500 uni,·e rsiti es are registe red Face book use rs.

Stude nts and a lum.1 ae "~th unive rsity e mail addresses ca n registe r and create a p rofil e to include pho tos, co ntact info rm ation , inte res ts a nd fo rm online groups \\ith commo n inte res ts.

Incli\iduals with uniYe rsit:y e ma il addresses co uld be, hut are no t limited to: stude nts, a lumnae, p rofesso rs, adminisu·awrs. po te nti al e mpl oye rs and possibl y law

e nforce me nt pe rsonn e l. This inte rnetbased tool allows stude nts to share informa ti o n abo ut themselves to a wide variety of stud e nts o n th e ir campus and to other campuses. Alth o ug h this form of communi ca tion e liminates face-to-face contact, stude nts like how it accele rates the process o f ge ttin g to kn ow o ne anoth e r. Face book prO\ides a way lO stay in to uch wh e n it is co nve ni e nt. This free, o nlin e service is fin anced thro ugh adve rtising a nd pro~d es

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

tions, email address and personal photos.

Users can then begin to socialize, network and invite other users to be their "friends."

Once a user at your university has agreed to be a friend, you have access to one another's profiles, friend lists and are able to view and post messages. As a Face book friend, you are trusted with the individual's personal information. Users are also able to search and locate users at other universities.

Since anyone with a .edu address can register and become a user on the site, students would be wise to activate the site's security measures to block unwanted users and control the distribution of their contact infonnation. Recently students

Participants were asked to reflect on the following quote from our ritual: "To pledge yourself to Alpha Sigma Alpha then, means that you are to give your word of honor that you will so regulate all your acts that they will reflect credit upon your chapter and your university; that at no time and in no place, shall any act of yours lay yourself, your chapter or your university open to criticism."

Through the workshop the national council was able to collect membership input to develop a national policy on Alpha Sigma Alpha image and internet exposure. To quote National President, Lori White Scott, EE, "We should live our values and ritual in person and online."

It is not the intention of national council to limit the personal online freedoms of members, but as Alpha Si[Jma Alphas we have the responsibility to respect and safeguard the reputation and integrity of our organization and its members.

students the opportunity to make friends and network. Facebook has recently expanded and launched a site for high school students.

After registering on the site, the user creates a personal profile with as much information in the fields as she chooses to share and pursues the site's various features. Possible options might include, but are not limited to: name, birthday, address, class schedule, interests, affi lia-

PHOENIX OF AlPHA SIGMA AlPHA

and parents have expressed concerns dealing with Face book stalkers and harassers. Student life staff members on campuses are educating themselves on Face book and discussing what their role should be when they see inappropriate or dangerous information posted. Users should be mindful of tl1e information that they post.

Over the past year the presidents of the National Panhellenic Conference sororities have been discussing the issues of personal safety and sorority image associated with online computer usage and personal web sites. These discussions prompted the Alpha Sigma Alpha National Council to develop a focus-group workshop on the topic of internet communication that was facilitated at the fall 2005 District Day events in Districts 3, 5 and 6.

Through these workshops, membe rs had the opportunity to discuss the usage of internet posting sites such as thefacebook. com and webshots.com, an online photo album web site. Participants discussed how students use these online web sites, why they are so popular, internet safety, the connection between Alpha Sigma Alpha ritual, core values and online usage and positive chapter uses for these web sites.

The focus-group workshop focused on the core values of balance, enjoyment, generosity, growth, integrity, learning, relationships and responsibility.

It is not the intention of national council to limit the personal online freedoms of members, but as Alpha Sigma Alphas we have the responsibility to respect and safeguard the reputation and integrity of our organization and its members.

National policy for online use and internet exposure will be written and formally shared at the 2006 national convention in July. National council will continue to provide education on the topics of national policy, discretion, good judgment and responsibility of online communication at District Days events. Discussions also will focus on how to use these online communication tools to the chapter's advantage in recruitme nt, marketing, public relations, promoting service and Greek life, networking and.communication as well as internet safety and responsible usage of electronic media.

Online web sites such as Facebook are meant to be fun and a useful networking tool for today's students. We must also be tl10ughtful of tl1e information we choose to post online. Our choices should reflect well on our character, our university, our love and commitment to Alpha Sigma Alpha and our relationships with those who wear no Greek letter badge. We have a responsibility to our founders and future members to treat one another and ourselves with respect, to practice our ritual and core values and to demonstrate tl1at we are women of poise and purpose online as well as off.

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adVilit

ASPIRE ~SEEK ~ATTAIN

BY TRACEY KIEFER, BK Feature Writer In the last issue of the Phoenix, we talked about making a difference-what individual members have done to help out those affected by Hurricane Katrina, as well as what members could do to make a difference in their communities.

For Alpha Sigma Alpha, every member makes a difference and there is no way to measure the significance of that effort.

It doesn 't matter if your action is big or small, just by reaching out and doing what you can, you can change the world!

So now the question is, "What have you done?"

Have you done something, no matter how small, to make a difference, to change the wo rld? If you have not, why not?

Part of the spiritual aspect of being an Alpha Sigma Alpha is the ability to lovewhether it is loving ourselves or showing our love for others. The ab ili ty to love is one of the things that is so special about being human. Being able to express that love through our words and our actions is also a big part of who we are as Alpha Sigma Alphas. It is our ability to love that enables us to attain personal satisfaction through reaching out and connecting with others. Supporting a worthy cause is one way to reach out and connect and to spread that love around.

Erika Oliyarri , ZL, is a prime example of an Alpha Sigma Alpha who has truly stepped up to support a cause. Erika, who is an alumna member living in District 7, contacted a Target store in Houston and worked with one of th e managers to help Alpha Sigma Alpha members displaced by th e hurricanes obtain neces ary items. They set up a program through which di placed members co uld set up a wish list by going into a nearby Target store and / or signing up via th e internet in th e "bridal registry" or th e "baby registry." This enabled members all over th e co untry to go online or into a local Target in their area to donate items.

Erika is still continuing her efforts to help affected member . he recently ent out an email ayi ng th at tl1ere are still members who are in need of Alpha Sigma Alpha' upport. As Erika aid, "Although WINTER 2006

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, It's what you are expected to give which is everything. " - Unkn own it may seem long ago, there are still peo ple who are trying to recover from Katrina."

Other members who continue to help others recover from the hurricane are the collegians and alumnae of District 2, who donated approximately 200 backpacks to the children of Hurricane Katrina through DoSomething.org. Additionally, th e Delta Iota Chapter, University of Delaware, participated in campus fund raising activities and th e Zeta Theta Chapter, Wagner College, donated $300 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts.

Zeta Rho Chapter Advisor Carole Welborn, ZP really made a difference in th e lives of Hurricane Katrina victims.

Be ides running a Red Cross shelter for over 400 people, Carole reunited family members that were separated because of th e hurricane and she even set up a wedding for two special helter residents.

From Aug. 28, through Sept. 15, 2005,

Carole converted her work facility at the Un iversity of West Alabama into a Red Cross shelter. Throughout the time the shelter was open, they served over 400 people. At the highest point, 175 people were sleeping in the shelter. One week after the storm , the shelter had 100 percent of the school age children back in schools.

One fami ly who arrived on Aug. 29th was a mother who had four-year old twin boys and a 14-yea r old. Her name was Michelle and she asked if Carole would help her find her husband Keith. Keith was a deputy in the Orleans Parish Prison.

Carole called, emailed and sent messages through the local police department for almost a week. The following week, at about 1:30 in the morning, the phone rang. The man on the other end was looking for his wife. It was Keith and he was in Mem phis. Carole began making contacts PHOENIX OF AlPHA SIGMA ALPHA

and got Keith a bus ticket to reunite h im with his family.

Another amazing story from Carole 's three-week shelter ordeal came when a male resident asked what he needed to do to get a marriage liscense. Carole immediately started thinking about what she could do to make this a special occasion. Carole asked if he would have the ceremony on campus instead of at a courthouse. He agreed. The couple got married on campus, near the Red Cross shelter and Carole and her shelter staff did everything possible to make this a wedding the couple and the staff would never forget.

Sometimes the best way to help is to make a donation. However, writing a check isn't the only way to give your support. Often, the most satisfying activities are those that you experience first hand. Take a minute and think about the last time you physically went out and did something to support a cause.

Have you ever volunteered at a soup kitchen or gone door to door to get the word out about important community issues? Donated canned goods as part of a drive for the local food depository?

Collected used cell phones or glasses?

Have you eve1路 worked the phones for a telethon or worked gathering signatures for a petition or stuffed envelopes for a political candidate? Have you answered the Christmas wish of a needy child or family through an Angel Tree or letter to Santa program?

Acting as an advisor to a local collegiate chapter or helping a member study for an exam or work on an important project or paper are also good ideas.

Perhaps you participated in a community clean up or beautification project, worked the bake sale table at your child's school fundraiser or dropped your unwanted clothing off at the local Salvation Army or veteran's organization after cleaning out your closet. Maybe you participated in an athletic event such as a walk, race or tournament and collected pledges to support a charity.

Whatever it was that you did, can you remember how you felt while doing it?

How about after you finished? How would you describe that feeling?

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

Satisfying? Fulfilling? Warm?

Connected? Rewarding? Gratifying?

How about, "It just fe lt good?" Part of the satisfaction you get when you help someone is that good fee ling that you get.

Most of us are pretty hard on ourselves, and sometimes a little good can go a long way in helping us love life and ourselves like our creed and ritual ask us to do.

Sometimes just taking a little bit of extra time or interest goes a long way.

As Alpha Sigma Alphas we all have volunteered our time and energy to support chapter philanthropic events. Sometimes participation in these events may seem routine or be seen as a requirement. It is often hard to remember the real reason for these activities-especially when you are getting up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning to be there!

Two members of tl1e Beta Lambda Chapter, University of Central Arkansas, who were supporting their chapter by volunteering at tile Area 17 summer Special Olympic games went tllat extra mile last April, well almost an extra mile!

Jeanie Zelinski and Ashley Rountree (pictured below) decided to give a Special Olympics atlllete a little company when tlley saw that he was tl1e only participant

entered in tile 1,500- meter race. They ran along side tile atlllete to give h im a little bit of extra support as he completed his event!

By sharing the love and choosing to support a cause, you are fulfilling tile part of tl1e Alpha Sigma Alpha Creed tllat challenges us to fi ll our days witll satisfying activity and live each day to its ultimate good. You also are doing your part in helping change tile world. If you're tllinking to yourself, "but how can I change tile world, I'm only one person?" just tllink of what Steve Farber has to say about it in h is book The Radical Leap: "Remember . . . tile 'entire world' is made up solely of people like tile ones you touch in your personal and professional life. So why not start witll your world?"

Why not? Start small, doing j ust what you can witllin your own world. Pick a cause, any cause - it doesn ' t even have to be an organization. You might decide tllat your cause is to just make a difference in tl1e lives of those around you. Give what you can and in doing so you will inspire tllose around you to do tile same.

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Ads increase drinking of teens, young adults A recent study by researchers at the Unive rsity of Connecticut, Storrs, showed that increased exposure to alcohol advertising led to more drinking by 15 to 26 year olds.

A random sample of young people in 24 U.S. media markets was interviewed four times between 1999 and 2001. The study, published in the january issue of Archives ofPediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, measured advertising exposure on television, radio, magazines and billboards.

Each additional advertisement viewed per month increased the number of drinks consumed by 1 percent, according to researchers.

The study also analyzed drinking in relation to advertising dollars spent in each media market. " . . . young people drank 3 percent more per month for each additional dollar spent per capita in th eir market. Youth in markets with high advertising expenditures ($10 or more per person per month) also increased their drinking more over time, reaching a peak of 50 drinks per month by age 25," said th e researchers.

College students more likely to drink Another survey, released annually in September, found that college students were more likely than their peers to use alcohol, binge drink and drink heavily during th e 2004 survey period. Binge and heavy use rates for college students were 43.4 and 18.6 percent, respectively, compared with 39.4 and 13.5 percent for other persons aged 18 to 22.

This compares with binge drinking of 22 percent for th e total population 12 and over and heavy d1inking of6.9 percent.

Rates held steady from earlier reports.

Binge drinkin g is defined as havin g five or more alcoholic beverages on the same occasion while heavy drinkers are defined as th ose binge drinking at least five days in the past month.

Th e National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an an nual estimate of th e ubstance abuse problem in th e United States

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conducted by th e Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse has created a web site with information about college binge drinking: www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

Americans set records in response to tragedies A d eadly tsunami in Southeast Asia, earthquakes in Pakistan and hurricanes in the southeast U.S. pulled at American heartstrings and caused millions to open th eir pocketbooks during 2005.

A record-setting $2.96 billion was donated by individuals, foundations and corporations for victims of Gulf Coast Hurricanes Kau·ina, Rita and Wil ma, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

In addition Americans donated $1.62 billion for Southeast Asian tsunami relief and $64.6 million for Asian earthquake relief.

While there was end-of-the-year speculation about donor fatigue, th ese amounts sti ll equal less than 2 percent of total charitable giving in the U.S. in 2004, which was estimated at $248 billion by th e Giving USA Foundation.

Any effect on non-relief charities should be short-lived acco rding to research don e by th e Center on Philanthropy and other organizations after Sept. 11 .

Mammograms do save lives A recent study published in the New England j ournal of Medicine showed that the increase in mammogram screenings, combined with improvements in treatments, has helped lower the death rate from breast cancer.

The number of breast cancer deaths has fal len by 24 percent between 1990 and 2000. Researchers reported that th e use of mammograms, which skyrocketed from abo ut 20 percent of women over age 40 in 1985 to 70 percent in 2000,

accounted for between 28 and 65 percent of the decrease in breast cancer deaths.

The remainder of the decline was attributed to improved treaunents.

The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms for women 40 and older (and regular self exams for all women).

Happiness breeds success lf you thought that success would bring you happiness, it may be the other way around, say researchers.

In a study published in the November issue of Psychological Bulletin, researchers examined 225 studies of the relationship between h appiness and success.

"Our review provides strong support that happiness, in many cases, leads to successful outcomes, rather than merely following from them, and happy individuals are more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling marriages and relationships, high incomes, superior work performan ce, community involvement, robust health and even a long life," said researcher So~a Lyubomirsky, PhD, of University of California, Riverside.

Happy individuals are predisposed to seek out and undertake new goals in life, which often brings them more happiness as well as success in many aspects of their lives, according to researchers.

They found happy peop le benefit from several characteristics that make th em prone to success, such as: • A positive perception of themselves and others • Creativity • Highly social behavior • A su·ong immune system • Effective co ping skills.

Nancy I.Z. Reese, BY Editor's note: Do you have an idea for Advantage Points? Please contact the Phoenix staff at phoenix@alphasigmaalpha.org or write to the editor at 9550 Zionsville Rd., Suite 160, Indianapolis, IN 46268.

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Crown ofExcellence

Alumnae chapter awards

Phi Phi orthwest Missouri State University

Palm Level Alumnae Chapters

The 2005 Crown of Excellence winner is the Phi Phi Chapter at Northwest Missouri State University.

The chapter was hono red with the award based on a variety of factors, including membership educa tion, scholarship and campus, community and alumnae relationships.

Collegiate chapter awards

Four-Star chapters Alpha Beta Truman State Unive rsity, MO Epsilon Epsilon Emporia State University, KS Zeta Zeta Cenua.l Missouri State Un iversity Eta Eta Pittsburg State University, KS Beta Theta Cenual Michigan University Beta Iota Radford University, VA Beta Lambda University of Cenual Arkansas BetaNu Murray State Unive rsity, KY Epsilon Gamma Virgin ia Commonwealth Un iversity Zeta Gamma Gannon Un iversity, PA Zeta Eta Rockhurst University, MO

Zeta Kappa Minnesota State Unive rsity, Mankato, MN ZetaMu Missouri Western State Unive rsity ZetaNu Moravian College, PA Zeta Upsilon Lyn chburg College, VA Theta Alpha Coe College, IA

Other chapter awards Sidney Gremillon Allen Panhellenic Award Epsilon Epsilon Emporia State University, KS Rnse Mmie Fellin Financial Excellence Award Zeta Iota State University of New York at Stony Brook Philanthrapic Award Beta Lambda University of Central Arkansas

Phi Phi Chapter members and their advisors pose with National President Lmi White Scou, EE (bottom center).

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

Detroit Greater New England Wiscota, WI

Star Level Alumnae Chapters Atlanta Blue Ridge, VA Central Arkansas Greater Rochester, NY Greater Valley Forge, PA Mississippi Gulf Coast Philadelphia Metro Phoenix Virginia Peninsula

Crown Level Alumnae Chapters Alva, OK Baltimore Buffalo Central Pennsylvania Chicago Metro Chicago North Chicago West Cincinnati Clarksville Music City, TN Dallas Dayton , OH Denver Detroit Suburban Fountain City, KS Grand Rapids, MI Hattiesburg, MS Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Laurel Highlands, PA Maryville, MO Mid-Michigan Crown Milwaukee Nortl1ern Colorado Nortl1ern Virginia Pittsburg, KS Richmond, VA Southern New J ersey Southwest Florida Southwest Missouri Springfield , MO St. Louis Tampa Bay, FL Tulsa, OK Washington, DC Windy City, IL

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A Radical Leap for Alpha Sigma "Are you ner-

BY MARNA RIDENOUR-WARD, AA Extreme Leader Coordinator

vous?," a sister

The history

asks, as kick off of Leadership Development Institute (LDI) 2005 is minutes

Mama Ridenour-Ward, AA

away in St. Louis, MO. and Baltimore, MD. Steve and I exchange a glance, gulp, and say ... "Hummm, yes." It was an OS!M (read on for translation)Alpha Sigma Alpha was taking an extraordinary leap with LDI 2005.

u Awesome! 1 am an unabashed Farbe r fan!., _ Tom Pet~n. lnl~ma1 ioo: 1 1 Bc:ll~lln~ Au1 hor of Rt·nn.wnt• 11 nJ In Sttmh o{ E.ml!mct

With a significant financial contribution in the mid-1980s, Emma Coleman Frost had a dream for a leadership school that would foster the enhancement and expansion of leadership education in A~A. From its inception, the Emma Coleman Frost Leadership Development Institute has focused on the personal leadership development of collegiate leaders.

What made the 2005 LDI so dramatically different from its predecessors? It was in the approach . We had developed this curriculum in a new way; we were introducing a new leadership model; it was a new approach to personal leadership development for our collegians and what if it (another gulp) fail ed?

As all these thoughts welled up, one calming, reassuring thought replaced it.

As exciting, as scary and as sweatypalmed as this moment was, it wasn 't really new. It was n 't even really ex u·aordinary because, in truth , th e exu·aordin ary had already been done. When fi ve wo men came toge th er and found ed Alpha Sigma Alpha, imprinting th eir dee pest th ough ts on the principles and aims of A~A. they had done the ex u·aord inary. And when we began looki ng at all the "new" for LDI 2005, we qu ickly realized it was steeped in th e very principle and aims th at make us who we are. ow, all we were doing was just making sure th at eve ryo ne kn ew it, aga in .

A new approach During th e spring of 2002, Steve Dealp h and I met while fac ili tating at a leadersh ip chool fo r T1;angle Fratern ity.

I was work ing as a Gree k adviso r at the Un ive r i[)' of Toledo and Steve was on staff for the North- merican lnterfra tem ity Con ference (NIC) as

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their leadership development dir-ect:or.

We shared a passion for leadership, we continued to work together leading the NIC IMPACT program on several campuses and a session ofUIFI, along some smaller projects. Ironically, at the same time my husband had brought ho:mel• l a new leadership book for me to read, Steve had picked up the same leadership book in an airport and we had the exact same reaction. The book, The Radical Leafx A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership

by Steve Farber had impressed us greatly.

Through our di~cussions, I couldn't shake the fe eling tl1at Alpha Sigma Alpha was where the extreme leadership concepts fit and a few weeks later, a phone call from Alpha Sigma Alpha National President Lori White Scott, EE, one of my me ntors and friends, really put the ball in motion. I was telling her about the book and my sense that it belonged in Alpha Sigma Alpha. Lori read the book and encouraged us to put together a proposal fo r th e upcoming LDI curriculum.

Although th e primary author of tl1e cun; culum wo uld be Steve , a comm ittee of me mbe rs wa d eveloped to direct th e shape of th e curriculum. After reading tl1 e book and hearin g about our vision for LDI, Christine Cappello, E'l', was immedi ately on board as committee member and lead facili ta to r in Baltimore. We the n recruited tl1 ree collegian s, Betsy Koch , EE,J en nie Ho lmes-Lager, ZM and Kr isti ne Plourde, to serve o n tl1 e developmen t com mi ttee and also as imerns for each site. T1·icia Sano k Land rum , 6. -A came o n board as th e o th er lead in Baltimore and Ch1;sty Adams , ilH served as our staff lias io n.

With th e dynamic team in p lace, th e proposal to deve lo p a unified cun·iculum for Alpha igma Alp ha based on The Radical LeafJ, A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by teve Farber was presented to ati onal Cou ncil.

In that proposal we outlined th e im portant d istinctio n be twee n this LDI approac h an I oth ers-this would be a unified curri culu m de igned specifically arou nd the book for Al pha Sigma Alpha, an approach that had no t been do ne PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

"at every opportunity [every conversation, every meeting, every decision] you say, in essence, 'This is who [we] are, this is what [we] believe, this is what I think we can do together if we put our hearts into it. Look at how magnificent our future can be.

Please join me and let's help make that happen. In effect, you become the vision."

This was the turning point within the LDI weekend. The excitement only continued.

Energy = inspiration

before. The un ified curriculum me thod wo uld consist of large grou p sessio ns allowing parti cipants to hear the same concep ts and info rma ti o n first. T he n , thro ugh small gro up facilitation they could discuss, process an d practice th e applicati o n o n th emselves, which wo ul d allow them to better imp lemen t the lessons learn ed into their chapter.

The pro posal was approved a nd th rough several confere nce calls, many em ails, hours of input, and a weekend at headquarters to review, we had the LDI cw·riculum complete.

What was it that had us so excited? Why co ul dn't we stop talking about this book and its leadership mode l? For that answer, you have to start with another bookThe Ritual of A lpha Sigma AljJha. Love and ritual Steve Farber writes that extreme leaders need to take the Radical LEAP- LEAP stands for Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof. Extreme leaders cultivate Love, Love generates Energy, Energy insp ires courageous love-inspired Audacity to create the extraordinary; and extreme leaders must provide Proof tha t their efforts and their visions are worthwh ile through everyth ing they do and say.

Love is the ultimate motivation for the extreme leader. The ver)' first session of LDI, we asked what is the ma in reason for becom ing a leader in Alpha Sigma

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

Alpha? Was it fo r the title, the prestige?

Or was it because yo u love what it stands for? Love the things you do as a group, love its me mbers, love the future you can create togetl1er? Love is th e first part o f the leade rship model but it is also ex pressed th rough the framewo rk. Love generates energy, love inspires audacity, love req uires proof-proof tl1at wha t we love is wo rthwhile, worth taking risks fo r and we have to prove it to o urselves a nd ever)'One around US. Farber co ntinues that a no ther way to think of this is th rough th e extreme leader credo: "Do what yo u love in the service of people who love what you do, make su re that your heart's in your work . . ." T his credo reflects the very core of Alp ha Sigma Alpha in o ur pr·inciples a nd aims of our ritua l. It is refl ected in ou r badge, in o ur creed , in our exemplars. Members d iscovered th is powerful co nn ectio n thro ugh sitting down together in small groups, read ing the Phoeni x Degree and Sanctua r)' Degree together. T hey passed the ritual book from sister to sister "feeling th e in te nt, reflect[ ing] o n the ideals tl1at it represents and ta k[ing] it into [their] own heart." T his involved deeply examining Alp ha Sigma Alpha prin ciples and aims, discussing them, learn ing about tl1em and understandin g th eir in terco n nected ness to LEAP an d love.

And the n , mos t impo rta ntly, unde rstanding that Lo be an extreme leade r,

The powerful session of reading the ritual proved to be a turning point as the participants were "changed" because they now truly unde rstood who we are . That inspires! Tha t's exactly what energy is and the extre me leade r taps into tl10se things that ge nerate Energy and utilizes the m to inspire o th ers. What ene rgizes yo u, we asked ? Altho ugh each list may have looked a little differen t, Farbe r writes of "unive rsal sources of ene rgy th at a re available to all" T he list includes: • Love • Great ideas • Noble principles • Leaping goals • Interesting work • Exciti ng challenges • Compelling visio n of th e fu ture.

Conversely, imagi ne a place where none of those tl1 ings a re present. Does that motivate or inspi re yo u? As an ex treme leader the u ltimate test wi ll be, "What effect does my ac ti on have o n th e energy of the peo ple aro und me?" This is our barometer as to how we are leading.

Are we using the ene rgy builders listed above that are inheren tly part of who we are because of o ur principles a nd aims?

O r are we getti ng caught up in me e nergysuckers like t-sh irt color, gossip, cliques or pages and pages of rul es?

Our understand ing of, a nd love for, the things that Alpha Sigma Al pha stands fo r, a nd our clear understandin g a nd visio n of what Alp ha Sigma Alpha can be if we act o n tl1 ose ideals generates e ne rgy. Ene rgy that an extreme leader uses to inspire Audacity.

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LDI lead facilitatars Mama Ridenow~ Ward and Steve Dealph prepare for the next session at the 2005 LD!.

3) Proof through measurable, tangible signs of progress and 4) Proof t11rough the experience of phenomenal success as well as glorious failure.

Yes, even our fai lures serve as Proof of our Love for, and commitment to, Alpha Sigma Alpha. You be the living, breathing exam ple of a work-in progress so that others .:an develop and grow as extreme leaders from yo ur example. That is LEAP and extreme leadership in Alpha Sigma Alpha.

I can change my world; we can change the World

Audacity-the love-inspired, change the world kind Audacity is "a bold and blata nt disregard for normal constraints." But as Farber points out th at if you look in th e Webster's Thesaurus, you ' ll see that it has a connection to courage as well as " yn onymous with impudence, temerity or brazenness .. . But the difference between the two meanings comes down to love versus ego." For example, egoin pired audacity is running for a position becau e it will look good later on; loveinspired audacity is running for a position because yo u love Alpha Sigma Alpha and what th e chapter can do together with you as philanthropy chairman. See the difference?

Love inspires th e audacity to go for the OS!M, or th e natural built-in human indicator th at tell us this is th e right way because it won't be easy, we need courage to take this on-the Oh Shit! Moment!!!

OS!M we are going to app roac h recruitment through extreme leader hip, will it work? OS!M, we are going to make our elections based on love for th e organization and past record rather than a popularity contest. OS! 1 we are going to rai e our chap ter GPA to over th e all-women's average. OS.M, we are goi ng to do the right thing, we are going to " ... follow the examples we respect and challenge the ones we don ' t. " In essence, we are going to change our world.

Farber defi nes wo rld in two ways: there is the World (notice capital ) meaning the 12

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"entire world" and th en there is the world (notice small case) of the people and things around us like our chapter, our campus, our community, our city that we directly affect. By declaring to take responsibility for and implement th e loveinspired audacious changes necessary to change our world for the better in our chapters, disu·icts, and organ ization, pushing our OS!M meter beyond what we dreamed , we exercise extreme leadership.

Often these changes are all th e scari er because you win or lose in public but our love for Alpha Sigma Alpha demands that we do it. Our love leads us to want to change our world for tl1 e better and inspire others to d o th e same. "A leader's greatest obligation is to make possible an enviro nment where people can aspire to change th e world. " Are we doing that daily?

Proof-leap complete Daily comm iunent to creating that kind of culture, is th e last part of th e model, Proof. Participants were asked: Are you ready to be an extreme leader for Alpha Sigma Alpha? Do yo u want your legacy in Alpha Sigma Alpha to mean someth ing?

And we issued the challenge that as extreme leader we have to prove it. To prove that it's all been wortl1\vhile through: 1) Proof through alignment between word and action 2) Proof through standing up for what's right

As LDI came to a close, each participant laid out their own personal Proof plan of goals answering specific questions around the LEAP model, followed then by each chapter doing the same. During the closing, each chapter presented their chapter goals and th ey were love-inspired audacious testimonies to who we are as extreme leaders in Alpha Sigma Alpha: • Enhance and strengthen rituals by Spring 2006 through having each sister gain more knowledge about each ritual and havi ng active roles for each sister to become more involved- Gamma Rho Chapter.

• Improve sisterhood through developing meaningful relationships and paricipati on by first setting an example through ourselves - review October and Ap1il of each year - Nu Nu Chapter.

When th ese changes are made in love, it generates energy, inspires audacity and requires proof. Inside th e Ritual of Alpha Sigma Alpha lies our aims, principles, exemplars, mo ttos and a vision of who we can be and The Radical Leap just brought us back to tl1at which has defined us from th e start. It is all that we have ever really needed to be an ex u·eme leader and to change the world, we just needed to make sure everyo ne knew it, again.

Authar's note: Credit for the LDI curriculum goes to author Steve Farber and Steve Dealph, cwTent director of the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Leadership at Miami University of OH. Editor's note: If you have an example of how LDI 2005 made an impact on your chapter or on you personally, email national headquarters at asa@alphasigmaalpha.org with your proof

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

FOUNDATION

Meet two Alpha Sigma Alphas whose gifts continue to make a difference ...

BY CINDY FUNDIS SMITH, EE Foundation Board of Trustee M ember

Paige Wymore-Wynn, EE "Someone was always th ere! I was not alone," is what Paige Wymore-Wyn n, EE , remembers most about h er sorOI; ty experience in college at Emporia State Universi ty, KS, where she pledged in 1979.

Paige was chapter president and a leader in many campus o rganiza tions. Sh e moved away, go t married , had ch ildren and continued her career. She is currently th e chief deputy clerk for th e Western District of Missouri, one of th ree consolidated courts in tl1e Uni ted States.

Paige recentlyj oined th e Circle of Strengtl1 by making a pledge ove•· m e next mree years. When asked why sh e decided to give to Alpha Sigma Alpha, she said , "Wimout the nati onal organization , m ere would be no local effo rt (EE chapter) .

My husband and I have do ne a lot fo r om er groups (and still coach for Special Olympics) but I'll never have a daughter .. . and I want my niece an d otl1er wo men to have mis great opportuni ty." vVh en asked to elaborate, Paige continu ed , "Sorori ty experi ence in A'iA rounds out women wim our aims. One area of emphasis was to be social ly responsiblegive back to m e communi ty. ALA provides opportunities women may not have om erwise, especially stab ili ty an d frie ndsh ips.

There was always someone tl1ere for me to eat wi tl1, talk, study, hang out, laugh.

It was great to 'come home' to my sorority sisters."

Paige said that wim the sorority she felt m at d oors weren ' t necessarily opened for he r but because of Alpha Sigma Alpha she co uld always kn ock. She gain ed m e strengm and confidence to believe in herself. "We've all needed help. If yo u have ever received assistance it makes it easier to give back. Al pha Sigma Alpha is a great organizati on ," Paige said .

Paige met her husband, Deryl at ESU too. H e was recently named "Ou tstandin g Alumni" for ESU. They have two sons, Chayce, age 12 and Rese, age 8. T hey live in Kansas City, KS.

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

Kathie Oiler Swaim, BY "Working in, and wim non-profit agencies, makes one sensitive to me philantluopic needs of organizati ons.

Aspi re, Seek, Attain is meaningful for all ages! Alpha Sigma Alpha asked me help support opportuni ties fo r our women.

I am happy to do so! " Going out on a limb to do new things and have fun wim great fri ends is why Kamie (Oiler) Swaim , BY, pledged Alpha Sigma Alpha at Indiana State Un ive rsity in Terre Haute, IN in 1966. She was m e first in her fam ily to go to college, had stereotype views of sororities, but was a Girl Scout and missed tl1 e camaraderie and friendsh ips in college. The women in Alpha Sigma Alpha became her friends an d fro m Campus Review to me mum sale at homecoming, m ey had fun building a sisterh ood .

Kamie is sti ll in touch wi tl1 Beta Upsilon sisters and wo uld like to hear from om ers. "To fi ll my days witl1 satisfying activi ty" is one line from our creed mat Katl1 ie says she tries to live - to do mings m at are fulfi lling.

Kamie and her husband Mark, and three cats, live in Butler, IN. Kathie has had her own consulting firm fo r over 15 years, provid ing training, management assistance and organizational developmen t to no n-profit organizations and other entities. She's held a fac ulty position in

The Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation has an informational booth at most A.rA events. on-Profit Management at Ivy Tech State College and served as Execu tive Director for Greater Indianapolis Council on Alcoh olism/ NCAD D. Kamie has been a loyalty league member supporting the Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation since 1998.

All members make a difference All gifts make a difference! Please join us in me Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation fam ily witl1 your gift · today.

Ways to Give: Heritage Society Wilma Wilson Sharp Society Loyalty League Circle of Strengm Lifetime Giving Roll

For more information, go to me Alpha Sigma Alpha web site at www. alplwsigmaalpha.org and click on Foundation or call at (317) 871-2920, ext. 14, or email fnclstajf@alphasigmaalplw. org Thank you to all Foundation volunteers and donors! Every donation makes a difference!

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TO NOTE=--- - -

The Phoenix of Alpha Sigma Alpha magazine staff met in Indianapolis, last fall, to plan the next eight issues (two years) worth of magazines. Members of the staff are from left: Editor Teresa Boyer Fishback, t:.K, Vice President of Communications Dolly Pun;is Loyd, Bt:., A lwnnae Editor Nancy Inwood, EE, Feature Writer Tracey Kiefer, BK, and Senior Contributing Editor Nancy I. Z. Reese, BY.

Phoenix staff looking to expand The Phoenix staff is looking for a write r for th e Advantage Points page of the Phoenix (see page 8 ) .

This is a commiunent for four issues a year for two years.

This i a volunteer position and experience in writing, editing and journalism is a p lus. For mo re information contact Editor Teresa Boyer Fishback, ~K. at tftshback@alphasigmaalpha.org.

Two new alumnae chapters join Alpha Sigma Alpha family

'Deals and Steals' await on A~A travel site Alpha Sigma Alpha is pleased to offer a new function on its internet-based discount trave l en~ce site called 'Deals & Steals.'

Just log on to www.asatrauel.organd submit your name and emai l infonnation under the Deals & Steals box and you wi ll automaticall receive email update on travel specials. percentage of the booking fees are given back to Alpha igma Alpha so the orOJ-ity may continue to develop outstanding programs for its members.

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T he installation of th e East Central Illinois Alumnae Chapter took place on Sept. 18, 2005. If yo u wou ld like to send a congratulatory note write to: Amy Price, P.O. Box 204, Charleston, IL 61920 or email asprice@eiu.edu.

T he Cleveland Ohio Alumnae Chapter was installed on Dec. 15, 2005 . For more infom1ation or to send a congratulatory note contact Monica Fralick, 11251 Woodview Blvd. , Parma He ights, OH 44130 or email MeeA liCat@aol. com.

Congratulations to these two new chapte rs. If yo u would li ke to start an alumnae chapter email alunmae@alphasigmaalfJha. org for more infom1ation.

Alpha Sigma Alpha national headquarters staff change Alp ha Sigma Alpha says good-bye to a staff member.

Eve nt Planner/ Education Coordinator Christy Adams, ~H . left the Alpha Sigma Alpha staffj an. 6. Christy accep ted a job as a student affa irs specialist at Purdue University in Calumet, IN. Christy worked for Alpha igma Alpha for two years.

Sorority welcomes new affinity partner Alpha Sigma Alpha is pleased to welcome Barnes and oble as one of the sorority's newest affi ni ty programs. Just visit the Alpha Sigma Alpha web site's llA Merchandise page to order books, music, movies and more. Alpha Sigma Alpha wi ll benefit from your purchases as a portion of the sales wi ll go to the sorOJ-ity.

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

NEWS TO NOTE

2006-08 national council slate announced The nominating committee of Alpha Sigma Alpha is pleased to present the 2006-08 national council slate: President - L01i Scott, EE Senior Vice President- Cindy Kelley, BIT Vice President of Finance - Sharon Sterner, ri Vice President of Communications - Dolly Loyd, B~ Vice President of Membersh ip- Kim Benson , ~ -B Vice President of Membership- Nora Ten Broeck, BK Vice President of Membership- Christine Thomas, Af The national council slate wi ll be voted on at the 2006 national convention in Cambridge, MAin july.

A detailed story and bios of the candidates will appear in the Spring issue of the Phoenix.

Recycle cell phone promotion extended

National Panhellenic Conference Badge Day 2006 The 26 member organizations of the Natio nal Panhellenic Conference are celebrating In ternational Badge Day, an annual event during which sorority women everywhere honor their Greek affi liations by wearing their badge or letters. The theme this yea r is "Wear Your Badge with Pride. " International Badge Day is celebrated on March 6, 2006.

PHOENIX OF ALPHASIGMA ALPHA

On Valentine 's Day, Feb. 14, 2005, Special Olympics and Alpha Sigma Alpha, laun ched a promotion to offer cell phone users the opportuni ty to "Share th e Love" by recycl ing used cell phones to raise funds and awareness in support of ath letes with in te llectual disabilities.

The official collection campaign ended jan. 31, 2006. Alpha Sigma Alpha alumnae and collegians across th e counU)' wholeheartedly supported this campaign and have made a significant difference in the lives of the athletes.

Now RMS Commun ication has anno unced it wi ll continue to collect and recycle used cell phones throughjune 30,2006 to benefit Special Olympics. Any phones ntrned in by Alpha Sigma Alpha members or chapters, will be included in our fin al totals, as long as you continue to properly register as an A'LA chapter through th e TotalTrak web site. Chapters should also keep a record of the phones they are n.trning in for this program . lf yo u would like to continue to collect phones and need add itional marketing materials or shipment boxes, log into your chapter's account through the RMS TotaiTrak web site http://www. onlinedonalioncenler. com/specialolympics/. Detailed program and web ite information will remain posted on the Alpha Sigma Alp ha web site under A'LA Resources http://www. alphasigmaalpha. org/asa/chapler/ resoun:es. hlm.

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NPC

Women of vision, women of action

By SUE ZORICHAK, BB

A.J:A second alternate delegate NPC Publications Committee chairman More than 200 women of vision and action convened at the Woodla nds Waterway Marriott H otel and Convention Center just north of H ousto n Oct. 21-22, 2005, for the 59th bienn ial sessio n of th e National Panh elle ni c Conference.

Rep rese ntin g Alpha Sigma Alpha at th e confere nce were NPC Delegate Lynn e Racha l Cha mbers, A; First Alternate Delegate Elle n Funk Mon;s, BA; Second Alternate De lega te Sue Zorichak, BB ; Third Alternate De lega te Eleanor Borbas Williams, A; National President Lori White

Scott, EE; a nd Executive Director Nancy Coleman , XX. Refin ing and voting on th e confere nce public rela tions plan and stra tegic plan took center stage durin g th e ession. In addition , seven resolu tions we re prese nted a nd passed (see sidebar).

NPC Chairman Martha Brown , Delta Gamma, opened the session by a nnoun cing each of th e 26 membe r groups, whose in ter/ na tional president brought he r sorority's fl ag to th e d ais.

In her state of th e co nfere nce address, Brown e mployed a se ri es of headlines to illustrate th e NPC news-making eve n ts each mo nth of th e bie nnium .

Grow, give, lead, succeed Public Relatio ns Committee Chairman Kris Bridges, <IJM, presented the NPC messages and po ition ing platform. With a positioning pitch of"H elping wome n grow, give, lead and succeed ," the platform's compo ne nts co nsist of a "wh o we are" narra tive, five value messages, and an chor messages a nd proof poin ts th at support the value messages. A "PR too lkit" for all me mbe1路s wi ll be available in 2006.

Th e public re la tions platform aligns with NPC's new strategic pla n, which was presented by Long Range Planning Com mittee Cha irman J osette Geo rge Kaufman , Phi Sig ma Sigma, and adopted by the Co nfe re nce during the gen eral sessio n .

NPCinD.C. Kevi n O'Neill , La mbda Chi Alpha, a n attorney with D. C.-based law firm Patto n Boggs, took the co nference on a whirlwind to ur of the Greek age nda in Washington.

Attending the NPC conference from Alpha Sigma Alpha are from left, top row: Past National President Marianne Bullock, B@; NPC Delegate Lynne Chambers, A; Fi-rst Altemate Delegate Ellen Mon路is, BA; Executive DiTector Nancy Coleman, XX and Lori Scott, EE. In the bottom row, from left are: Roanoke College Panhellenic President Jennifer Brenzoich, @B; Second Altemate Delegate Sue Zorichak, BB and Third Alternate Delegate Eleanor Williams, A.

Resolutions A resolute body T he a tio nal Panh elle nic Co nfe re nce passed eve n re olutio ns durin g the bie nni al ses io n in H o u to n . De lega tes and o llege a nd Alumnae Panh e lle nics received th e fin al ve r io ns of the resoluti o n in ove mbe r.

1. Vi io n stateme n t: "The a tional Pan helleni c Co nfe re nce 1vi ll be th e prem ier advocacy and support o n ran izatio n fo r its mem ber , me mber groups, College and Alumnae Pa nhe llenics and a propone nt of women ' frate rnity mem bership. "

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2. Missio n state me nt: "The atio nal Panhelle ni c Co nferen ce exists to pro mo te the values of and to serve as an advocate for its me mbe r gro ups in collabo ra ti o n wi th th ose me mbers, campuses and co mmunitie ."

3. Ad o ptio n of the strategic plan, whi ch e nco mpasses th e yea r 2005-2010.

4. Ame ndm e nt to U na nim o us Agreeme nt VII, College Pan he lle ni c Associatio n judicial Procedures #4 Appeals, A to read : 'Judicial Board Decisio n . A decisio n by th e College Pa n he lleni c As ocia tio njudi cial Board may be appealed by any involved party to th e NPC College Pa nhe lle ni cs judicial Appeal cha irman. An appeal shall be fil ed with the College Pan he lle ni c president using th e College Pa n he lle nic Notice of Appeal fo nn within o ne wee k of the decisio n ."

5. Eligibility of po te ntial new members for qu ota addition placeme nt. Item 3 on Page MR-57 of th e Manual of Inform a ti o n, 14th Edition, shall be dele ted in its entirety and re placed with the fo llmvin g: "Th is procedure shal l neve r include a wo ma n who has failed to acce pt o r a tte nd a ny re crui tment event for wh ich th e re was room in her membe rship rec ruiun ent sc hed ul e (with a fu lly structured or partially stru ctured rec ruitm e nt), or has fai led to list o n he r me mbe rship recruitme n t acce ptan ce agreeme nt all fraternity cha pters appearing o n he r prefere nce sc hedul e."

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

STARS

He touched on the firm 's involvement in Greek gove rnm ent relations.

In a fittin g conclusion to a successful general sessio n, Kappa Delta Presiden t Bonn ie Warren presented the Kappa Delta Order of d1 e Diamond to Mard1a Brown and Ellen Vanden Brink, Alpha Chi Omega. In addition , Mari Ann Callais, Theta Phi Alpha president, was recognized for having received the Distinguished Senrice Award from d1 e Associatio n of Fraternity Advisors.

Outside th e gen eral sessions, delegation members conducted commi ttee business and visited th e record number of ve ndors (more than 60) there to support the confe rence. During two joint Alumnae Pan hellenic and College Panh ellenic committee meetin gs, members discussed several timely topics, including recrui tmen t and th e release figure meth od led by Rie H oehner, Al pha Gamma Delta, and Lau ra MalleySchmi tt, Alpha Phi, th e Facebook phenomenon and teaching and reinforcing ethical behavior.

Several key NPC committees and groups presen ted the resul ts of their meetings in th e fo rm of summary reports durin g th e general session.

The 59th biennial session closed with the awards banquet Saturday n igh t, during which the 2005-2007 Execu tive Commi ttee was introduced .

6. Decision making regarding d1 e setting of quota: "Where quota range is used , quota shall be determined by mu tu al agreemen t of th e Pan hellenic advisor and either the release fi gu res specialist or the NPC area advisor."

7. Inclusion of preference attendees on chapter bid lists: "NPC reaffirms that a fraterni ty should be willing to issue an invitation to membership to any woman who is invited [to] and attends its preference event; and NPC reaffirms that the name of every woman whom a fraterni ty invites to attend and who attends th at fraternity's preference event sho uld appear on the fraterni ty's bid list."

PIIOBIIX Of AIJ'IIA SIGMA ALPHA

Natalie Belmont, EK Millersville University, PA

Natalie Belmont, a senior elemen tary education and special education maj or, was initiated into th e Epsilon Kappa Chapter in th e fal l of 2002. Since h er initiation, Natalie has served on d1e public relations, philanth ropy and homecoming committees and acted as chairman for the scholarship and public relations committees. Natalie attended the Emma Coleman Frost Leadership Developmen t Institute in the summer of200 3 and has served as the vice president of programming and ritual for d1e last two years.

During her time at Millersville Unive rsity, Natalie has also been involved wi th the unive rsity activities board, been a residen t assistant and served as secretary and presiden t of O rder of Omega.

Nata lie Belmont, EK

Lauren Trotta, ET University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD

O utstandin g is defin ed as standing out among others of its kind; prominen t, which is th e perfect descripti on for cu rren t Epsilon Tau Chapter President Lauren T rotta.

Lauren is a political science and history double maj or who is planning on grad uating this spring. In addition to servin g as president, Lau re n is also a recruitment team leader and th e vice presiden t of PHA. In the past Lauren has served as th e PHA delegate, public relati ons chairman, vice president of public relations and recruitment, while balancing two j obs, the tumbling squad and in ternships simultaneously.

As th e model Alpha Sigma Alpha member, Lauren also leads d1 e way with her willingness to devote her spare time to th e rest of th e chapter and to her philanthropic pu rsui ts. She led the PHA team at th e Race for the Cure in O ctober among her many oth er philanthropic activities. Lauren 's exemplary performance in every venue is what keeps the chapter fun cti oning in an effi cient manner and is why the chapter is pro ud to call her our president.

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----~DISTRICT

DISTRICT 2

Visiting New York City are Beta Epsilon Alumnae. From left are Alexandm Da:polito Dunn, Hazel O'Brien Lychak, Denise Bellaria Mishell, Tmcy Steiner McGowan and Laura Wanpler Barker.

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WINTER 2006

District 2 kicked off the new year in August with the third annual volunteer meeting held in West Chester, PA. Many volunteers were able to attend as plans were made for the upcoming year and success and challenges were reviewed.

The disu;ct leadership has grown with several new members and new positions. We welcome Becky Paullin, ZA, as our new Advantage coaching team leader. Vanessa Clark ZA, has moved into the ' finance coaching team leader position and Kelly Lauderman Sprout, EK, was appointed as chapter education coordinator. Carleen Wisniewski, ~1 , continues as recruitment coaching team leader, Janet McGinnis, EK,joins as disu路ict secretary, Marcia Pucci Jacquette, ~N-A, joins as webmaster and Shannon Deery, ~K, has been appointed as dtstrlct meeting coordinator.

Have you visited the newly updated district web sitewww.asadistrict2.corn?The site contains information about happenings in the district important information fo; chapters and volunteers and the most up-to-date information on Dismct Day events.

Dismct 2 has been very gene:o~s in efforts to help the VICUms from Hurricane Kamna, including donations made to the American Red Cross and making backpacks for the ch ildren. The chapters collected cell phones for the Recycle for Special Olympics campaign, with Delta Iota University of Delaware, le~ding the pack with almost 100 cell phones collected!

Several chapters requested dismct volunteers to attend their officer transition workshops this year to plan and facilitate this very important event. Volunteers continue to visit chapters to assist them in

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

DISTRICT NEWS

all areas. If you would like a volunteer to visit a chapter for a specific event, just let the team know.

Kelly McGinnis Morello, EK District 2 Facilitator

Collegiate NU NU, DREXEL UNTVERSI1Y, PA

Memhers have a festive fall On the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005 the members of the Nu Nu Chapter, Drexel University, PA, went to Villanova University for their fall festival. From noon to four, members helped with the Special Olympics events that took place at Villanova's fal l festival. The members were there to help support the players and to help escort the teams to their prospective places. We enjoyed not only interacting with the athletes, but also meeting people from schools outside the Philadelphia area.

Dana Bueb, NN DELTA EPSILO , MANSFIELD UNNERSilY, PA

Philanthropic events aid hurricane victims The Delta Epsilon Chapter, Mansfield University, PA, has many activities and philanthropic events planned for the year. Chapter members' most recent project has been to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The chapter helped with a university-wide project called "From Me to You." The university sent truckloads of supplies to the victims.

Members also are working on local Special Olympics and sending crafts and supplies to the S.June Smith Center.

Gina Riedel, LlE

EPSILON KAPPA, MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSilY, PA

S. June Smith Center benefits from the Charity Queen Sunday, Aug. 6, 2005, 15 women from the Epsilon Kappa Chapter, Millersville University, PA, awoke at the crack of dawn with a mission; to hold a yard sale and raise as much money as possible. With a lawn full of dishes, furniture, books, games and toys, the customers began shopping.

By noon, the women raised $300.58, which supported the chapter's Charity Queen fundraising. Charity Queen is an annual campus event where an individual from a campus organization raises money for a charity. The individual who raises the most money is crowned queen. This year, all money raised will benefit the S.June Smith Center.

Lori Riehl, EK EPSILON TAU, UNTVERSilY OF MARYLAND BALTTMORE COUNlY, MD

Money found in the "f'tSh pond" helps philanthropi.es Every sp1ing, the Epsilon Tau Chapter, University of Maryland Baltimore County, holds the "Fish Pond" event to raise money for the Special Olympics and the S.June Smith Center. A table is set up with six cups of water on one end. Individuals who compete in th e Fish Pond event donate anywhere from $1- $5, depending on how many shots they wish to take and what type of fish they are trying to win.

Members sit with friends and supporters for a total of24 hours. Members enj oy the opportun ity to engage with the campus community. From this event, the chapter raised $400 that went directly to AlA national philanthropies.

Shannon Northcut, ET

DISTRICT 3 District 3 held its second District Day event Oct. 28-30, 2005 at Gannon University in Erie, PA. Friday evening, the district team held a reception at the hotel to welcome participants as they arrived.

On Saturday, the participants had opportunities to attend workshops and educational sessions that were designed using the issues our collegiate and alumnae chapters had been facing during the previous months, in the areas of national policies and procedures, recruitment, chapter finances , risk management and standards. Following lunch, alumnae and collegiate chapters were recognized in the areas of recruitment, scholarship, finances and overall chapter operations.

During the district meeting, chapter representatives voted on tl1e location of next year's event. The 2006 District Day event will be in Pittsburgh.

Saturday evening, participants rolled out the red carpet for a "star-studded" affair.

Members signed stars on the "Walk of Fame" and made cards for the children at the S.June Smith Center.

Members also emptied their wallets to bid on items available at the silent auction benefiting the Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation. Refreshments were served as we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Sunday morning, Amy Baverso was initiated into tl1 e Gamma Psi Chapter. A reception followed before everyone left to return home.

Special thanks to Monica Carpenter Fralick, K<P, who served as acting district meeting coordinator, and the host chapters: Zeta Gamma at Gannon University, PA, and Gamma Psi at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania,

Alysa Diller and Stacey Miller pose for a photo at the Epsilon Kappa yard sale.

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Buffalo Alumnae Chapter members and friends enjoy Crystal Beach Night in Canada. for all of th eir help in making the weekend so much fun.

Thanks also to Kathi Cox Suprek, EY for organizing th e silent auction.

We would like to welcome Missy Sharpe, Zf, who is the district volunteer recruitment and placement team representative, as well as two new recruitment team members: Lindsey Dust, Z'l', and Christi na Paulsen Oval!, fM. We would also like to welcome 13 new advisory board members who wiLl be assisting five chapters. We continue to seek more volunteers to work witl1 alumnae and coLlegiate chapters. lfyou are interested email Missy at onefallangel@ yahoo. com or myself at asawile@comcast. net.

In November, members of tl1 e Laurel High lands Alumnae Chapter assisted Alpha Gamma Chapter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, witll tlleir very first alumnae initiation for J am ie Brandon.

J amie has had a busy semesteras well. ince her initiation

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she has been working hard to reorganize tile Pittsburgh Alumnae Chapter. The chapter's first organizational mee ting was held in December and in January members met to select officers and complete the necessary paperwork to become an official alumnae chapter. lf you live in the Pittsburgh area and would like more information , Jamie can be contacted at asabrandon@yahoo. com.

Shelly Dohey Wile, EA District 3 Facilitator

Collegiate ZETA OMJCRO , MUSKJNGUM COLLEGE, OH

Relay fur Life becomes part of chapters' philanthropic life The women of th e Zeta Omicron Chapter, Muskingum CoLlege, OH, worked with campus o rganizations and otl1er Greeks to participate in tile Relay for Life. All th e members worked to help rai e money for the American Cancer Society. Some mem-

bers walked and others supported those that participated.

The walk lasted 24 hours, so the support of all was very important. Members participating in the walk and those on the sidelines all wore letters to show their unity and support for this wonderful cause.

Sarah Neat, ZO

Alumnae BUFFALO, NY

Alumnae take a walk down memory lane Crystal Beach, Canada is Lake Erie's answer to Coney Island. It is a fun, magical amusement park and is very special to all Buffaloians. It is now only a nostalgic memory to most of us. At the first fall gathering, Bert Sellers, a retired principal and Crystal Beach historian , gave a slide presentation and oral history of Crystal Beach at Mary Beth Wright Orsolits,' IITI, summer cottage at Crescent Beach , Canada. Members enjoyed

pizza, waffles, suckers and loganberry drinks, all of which are typical beach food served in a setting of sand, water and a sunset.

In October,Joan Rindfleisch Runckel, IIII, and Beth Lawrence Lucia, IIII, attended the District Day at Gannon University, PA. In November, the Founders' Day luncheon was held at the Sonoma Grill in Williamsville, NY chaired by Marcia Spitler, IIII, and Susan Shatack Conklin, IIII. December brought members together again at Mary Beth Wright Orsolits,' IIII, city house where we "regifted" past presents for a Christmas exchange to one another.

The chapters annual fourday gift wrapping at Borders solicited contributions for the Kevin Guest House, a hospitality home for families and patients at nearby hospitals.

Members also collected old cell phones to benefit the Special Olympics.

Danelle Pritting Thurlow, III! LAUREL HlGHLANDS, PA

Chapter has full social calendar planned fur members The women of the Laurel Highlands Alumnae Chapter started last summer off with a scrapbooking evening with a "Sex and the City" theme, complete with shoe matching contests! In July, we had the annual outing with a Sunday picnic at Stone Villa Cellar's pond, with live music, plenty of sunshine and fun . This fall, the chapter welcomed two new alumnae initiates-Amy Aversa and Jamie DePastino.

Several of the chapter members attended and presented at District Day, held at Gannon University in Erie, PA. There are many activities planned for 2006. lf you are interested contact Chapter

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President, Sherri Rae at asagx313@hotmail. com.

Kim Benson, LlN-B

DISTRICT 4 Collegiate BETA IOTA, RADFORD UNIVERSITY, VA

Members clean up community The hardworking Beta Iota Chapter at Radford University gets together every Sunday to clean up an area in the city of Radford, VA. Members think it's very important to give back to the community by helping to keep it beautiful. Getting together with members every Sunday to volunteer brings us closer together. We work as a team to pick up trash and make the city of Radford a cleaner and more attractive place to live. fen Webber, BI

Beta Iota members take a break after one of theiT Sunday morning community clean up pmjects.

Alumnae RICHMOND, VA ALUMNAE

Alumnae make collegians feel welcome at all events The Richmond, Virginia Alumnae Chapter had a busy spring last year and decided after the senior tea at Epsilon Gamma, Virginia Commonwealth University, to get together during the summer to keep in touch.

The chapter continued with its project at Comfort Homes, a local home for Alzheimer's patients, by supplying a 4th ofjuly favor for each patient and a pauio tic centerpiece for their dining table. T he end of july members had a great time at World Cup Coffee owned by member M.Jamie Sherry, Ef, who furnished gourmet coffee, tea, delicious sandwiches and pasta salad. We were joined by a group of the Epsilon Gamma

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

Richmond ViTginia alumnae members enjoying a treat at World Cup Coffee are from left: Emily Smith, fJB; Jamie Sheny, EF; Lynne Chambers, A; Laura Allin, EF; and standing Dee Dee Francis, BE.

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DISTRICT NEWS

collegians and Emi ly Sm ith fro m T heta Be ta at Roanoke College, VA. Members parti cipated in the Ukro p 's Grocery charitable gi '~ n g program by earnin g points for grocery purchase and rece i,~ n g a check fo r th e chapter treas ury.

Several alumnae e rve on the advisory board at Epsilo n Ga mma with Lynne Rac hal Cham be rs, A, as the chapter ad ,~so r .

The Sou thwPst Florida and TamjJa Bay Al-umnae Chapters, along with som.e national council special guests, cPlebratul Founders ' Day in Fort M)•ers, FL.

T h e alumnae are proud lO be a Crown Recognition Chapter and d elighted to have Epsilo n Ga mma at Virgin ia Commonwealth nive rsity as a Four- tar Chapter.

Fan.ous Dave's Barbeque was the site of the chapter's fa ll kick-off. Al umnae from seve n coll egiate chapters attendeel and we enjoyed th e food and fe llows hip.

Frances "Dee Dee" Jobson Francis, BE SO UTI !WEST FLO RIDA

I l'asltington D. . Alumnae members enjoying one of their many outings are from left, fron t row: Elizabeth

rlteuble, AA; JllaurPen Hamey, AA;Joan Caperones, guest; j udy Pwflison, Bfl. Back row (llo r): Rowena Cremean, PP; Kathy Burke, 1 1 ; Cretia Rowlelle, c[xf> and Louise P. j ohnson, Bfl.

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A vmiety of events planned f or members in 2006 Last sp•-ing th e South we t FIOI-ida Al umnae Chapter got together to do Easte r bas ke ts for mentall y challenged ad ul ts in the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department. It was a woncleJ-ful turn o ut with d inncr at ecna Reddy Kushne r' , BL, house and everyo ne supplying ite ms such as w ile u-ies, hats and mo re.

Last pril th e gro up go t together for an executi ve meeting. The mee tin g included all members so we co uld also do scrapbookin g at th e home or Debbie Sha•-p Craig, ZZ. It was a grea t time to see all the pictures of even ts a nd 1 eminisce. Me mbers al o p lanned the calendar for th e 2005-06 year.

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DISTRICT NEWS

Last May th e chapte r went to the Ritz Carlton in Na ples

for a high tea. Eve i)'On e came dressed up and had a wonderful time a t this lwwrious hotel. The ch apte r unfo rtunately had to cancel dinne r at an Italian restaura nt in August due to Hurricane Kauina.

In Septe mbe r membe rs had dinn e r at PF Chan g's Chinese Restaurant with spouse . Fun activiti es are plann ed fo r this year so please contact Debbie Craig, president at drcraig2u@comcasl. net if you live in th e Lee o r Collier countie .

Amanda Tmshinger, AB WASH! GTON, DC

Advantage is the f ocus of alumnae chapter meeting The fo cus of th e spring mee ting was a prese n tatio n of th e Advantage Progra m by Maureen H e nin g Harvey, AA, chapte r reco rdin g secreta!)'/ treasure r. The me mbe rs re1~ ewed th e initiatives of philanthro py a nd communi ty senrice e nco uraged by this Founda tio n suppo rted program. The p resen tati o n included a n oven riew of the philosophy, compo ne nts a nd benefits to me mbe rs 11rith emphasis o n alumn ae objectives.

The fall meeting in Septe mbe r was hosted by Rowe na Mayse Cre mea ns, PP, in he r new ho me which gave membe rs a n o ppo rtuni ty to take a ste p back to 18th Ce ntul)' Maryla nd. Rowena is living in a new additi o n attached to a prese rved sto ne farmh o use built in 1780, o n what was th e n conside red "th e fro ntie r," a nd is listed o n th e a ti o na! Registe r of Hist01i c Places.

Cretia Row!Rtle, <PC/J

PHOENIX OF ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA

DISTRICTS Hosted by Delta Nu-B, Ke tte ring University, MI, and Mid-Michigan Crown Alumnae Chapte r, District 5 held Distri ct Day on Saturday, ov. 12, 2005, at Kettering nive rsity in Flin t, MI. The re was a great turn o ut from all of the chapters, Be ta The ta, Ce ntral Michi gan Unive rsity; Delta Sigma, Saginaw Valley State Un ive rsity, MI; Delta Nu A&B, Ke tte ring Un iversity, MI; Ga mma Mu , Adrian College, Ml a nd Zeta Tau, Grand Valley State University, MI, including several of th e alumnae chapte rs. In addition , the re were several o ut of town visitors to suppo rt this wonderful day.

Some of th e topics discussed we re recruitment fo r collegia te and alumnae cha pte rs, caree r discussions, executive board team builders, stand ards committee meeting, "vVh a t Alpha Sigma Alpha can do for collegians and alumnae," Facebook and oth e r inte rn e t web sites, mo tivati o n a nd siste rhood, fundraising and ph ilanthropy a nd a discussion for advisors

and vo lun teers. There was even an etiquette lunch , a fashion show for an open discussion o n proper "pin attire" and "ritual wh ite attire," a Founders' Day Ceremony and a visit to th e planeta1ium for a laser ligh t show in the evening. It was a great educational a nd sisterhood event.

Thank you to the District Meeting Coordinator, Cheryl Bowman, ~ N. for her hard work. She did an excellent j ob in planning this wonderful eve nt. Thank you to all who volunteered, participated and attended.

Kimberly Sites Madigan, Be District Facilitator, District 5

Collegiate BETA THETA, CENTRAL MICH IGAN UN!VERSI1Y

Greeks in the Streets community seroice pmject a success

Stree ts 2005, some members of the Be ta The ta Chapter, went to Rosebush Manor, in Rosebush , MI. Rosebush Manor is a retire ment community. Members visited the people that live th e re, made them lunch , played bingo and listened to th eir st01ies.

Jacqueline Byers, Be DELTA SIGMA, SAGI NAW VALLEY STATE UNNERS11Y, Ml

Homecoming activities include community seroice p-roject The Delta Sigma Chapter at Saginaw Valley State Unive rsity won tl1 e first place trophy for involve ment in th e college 's homecom ing activities. Some eve nts members participated in during homecoming week included a variety show, bu ilding a float, decora ting a bann er and a community se rvi ce project.

Ma.lerie CojJe, Ll2:

During the fa ll 2005 semeste r, the Beta Theta Chapter did a few commun ity service projects. As a part of the chapte r's Big/ Little re treat, members went up and down Main Street and raked leaves.

As a part of Gree ks in the

Members from the Delta Sigma chapter proudly pose with their homecoming t-rophy.

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