LEARNINGTO
WIELD THE GAVEL Redef iningf raternity through leadingothers By Zachary Kaiser '18 Past Chapter President, Mu Upsilon- Robert Morris
M
? e, in a fraternity? Absolutely not, I would never join a fraternity.? ?Alright, alright, so I joined a fraternity... now what? You want me to be the President? You want me to be the President of this totally new organization on campus and you expect me to lead these men to become a chartered chapter of the National Fraternity? Okay, sign me up!" That is merely the prologue to the story which I now label as my experience in Phi Mu Delta. On August 29, 2016, I answered a phone call during which I was asked whether or not I was interested in becoming a part of something new and exciting coming to campus. On September 7, 2016, I said yes. On September 24, 2016, I started my journey down a path of unfamiliarity and of unknown potential as the President of the Mu Upsilon Colony, now chapter. I had no clue what I was really getting myself into. I understood that a great deal of responsibility 35
Fall 2018 | The Triangle
was to be placed upon me. However, I had no clue that my life was going to be forever changed by Phi Mu Delta and my learning to wield the gavel.
Life or what it meant to be in charge of a brand-new fraternity among the six that were already present on our university?s campus.
I joined Phi Mu Delta despite my lack of desire to be a part of Greek Life because I found empowerment in knowing what Phi Mu Delta stood for. When I learned that our organization was the first to accept all men regardless of their race, color, creed, or position in 1918, I was blown away by the fact that an organization could be so progressive in a time of such high racial tension, prejudice, and hatred.
I had to learn so many things in a little period of time: how to run chapter meetings, how to lead an executive board, how to recruit like-minded men, how to operate within the Greek community. And one of the biggest lessons I learned in the very beginning of my tenure as President, was how to delegate rather than do.
I met with, at the time, Director of Chapter Services and Growth, Jackie Hackett, multiple times to ask questions about the fraternity and what it truly meant to be a fraternity man. When I was elected President of the Colony, I believe I talked to Jackie on the phone more than I talked to my own mother. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn?t know the first thing about Greek
I have always been the type of person that believed in the phrase ?if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.? Having that mentality made leading a colony extremely difficult, because I had to alter my mindset to ?we? instead of ?I.? When it came to chapter operations, planning events, and arranging service projects and mixers, the role of the President allowed me to overcome the anxiety related to letting go and
