The Circle Fall 2015

fall

2015

Servant Leadership Continuing through O∆K’s Second Century

inside

Departments 8 Campus News New Circles Installed Circle Recognition Awards 12 National News Save the Date for the Biennial National Convention and Leadership Conference!

24 O∆K Leaders Meet the 2015 Leaders of the Year

Features

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Leading Through Diversity How O∆K leaders played a role in the integration of institutions of higher education

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Performing Arts Members serve their communities through music

In Every Issue 04 Trending Now 06 Q&A 24 Making a Difference 25 Member News 26 The View from HQ

SAVE THE DATE!

Biennial National Convention and Leadership Conference June 16 -19, 2016 Greater Grand Rapids, Mich.

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president’s letter

Dear Member, Look around. Be inspired by those around you.

Whether it’s your kids, your neighbors, your friends and colleagues, your parents or siblings, veterans, survivors, competitors, complete strangers or lifelong acquaintances, whomever – be inspired.

On nearly 300 college campuses this past academic year, Omicron Delta Kappa welcomed 8,532 new members – the most in our Society’s history.

Almost 9,000 opportunities to be inspired by the men and women we welcomed into our Society’s ranks.

I’ve had my fair-share of O∆K-filled inspirational moments in my life, but none quite as inspiring as being able to personally inform Jacquline Plyler that she had been selected as the O∆K’s National Leader of the Year during the board’s summer meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

She was definitely surprised.

Setting aside for a moment Jacquline’s reaction when I told her the news--here was a young woman who had just graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in biomedical engineering and minors in biological sciences and chemistry. She is studying biomedical engineering and veterinary medicine at the University of Georgia this fall. She served with great distinction on the Society’s Student Advisory Board (SAB), all the while leading her circle this past year while also being actively involved on campus as president and founder of the Gamecock Pre-Veterinary Association, secretary of Tau Beta Pi Honors Engineering Fraternity, fundraising chairman of the Society of Women Engineers and an active member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority and its philantropies.

Jacquline didn’t get on the Skype call to find out if she had been selected as the Gen. Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year. I’d suspect that that wasn’t even on her mind that afternoon. She got on the call to share a white paper she had co-authored with the other members of the SAB about strategies for continuing member engagement with recent graduates with the Board of Directors.

Her reaction was priceless. As silly as it may sound, I still get chills (and chuckle a bit) when I think about it. Her mom was in the next room, so we even witnessed a very tender motherdaughter congratulatory moment before the Skype call ended.

Now if Jacquiline is not inspiring, I’m not sure who is. You read more about Jacquline on the O∆K website and in this issue of The Circle.

So, be inspired and while you’re at it, do some inspiring of your own.

After all, if you’re in O∆K, chances are you inspired someone along the way.

Yours in O∆K,

Michael N. Christakis, Ph.D. O∆K National President

Connect with us!

The Circle® is a publication of Omicron Delta Kappa Society, Inc., and it has been published since 1923.

How to contact The Circle: The Circle, Omicron Delta Kappa 224 McLaughlin Street Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 458-5348, Lindsey@odk.org www.odk.org

Trending Now Leading Today. Leading Tomorrow.

How to update your name or address: Please visit the O∆K Website, odk.org, click on the update tab and submit your updated form. You can also email odknhdq@odk.org.

A note to parents:

Our new member service called Leading Today. Leading Tommorrow continues this fall. This biweekly email is a review of prominent leadership articles and resources. Contact Nat Vaughan, nat@odk.org, to subscribe.

Your son or daughter’s magazine is being mailed to their home address while they are in college. If your child has graduated or is no longer living at home, please send us their updated address, as indicated above.

How to receive The Circle: When you become a member of O∆K, a digital subscription to The Circle is included in your membership. If you are no longer receiving The Circle and wish to do so, please contact our National Headquarters about a subscription.

Where to send a notice of a death: Please contact Brenda Coleman, brenda@odk.org, with the news of a recent death of any member of O∆K.

Editor Lindsey Cline Sweet Briar College

Creative Director Amy A. Newman, PUSH design LLC University of Louisville

Contributors Tara S. Singer, Brett Huddleston, Katy Datz, Nathaniel Vaughan

Welcome New Staff Katy Datz In July, Katy Datz joined O∆K as the Associate Executive Director for External Relations. She brings ten years of experience in development and alumni relations in higher education and nonprofits to her position. Previously, Katy was the director of development and assisted the Rockbridge Area Health Center with all of its fundraising and outreach efforts, including the successful completion of transitioning from a free clinic model of business to a community health center.

Michael N. Christakis, Ph.D., National President Alfred University

Nathaniel Vaughan

Tara S. Singer, Ed.D., O∆K Executive Director University of Louisville

Nathaniel “Nat” Vaughan joined the O∆K staff in September as a Leadership Consultant. He graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Old Westbury with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. Nat will work to support existing O∆K circles and grow new circles.

The Omicron Delta Kappa Society, Inc., the National Leadership Honor Society for college students, recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character. O∆K® was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. by 15 student and faculty leaders. Omicron Delta Kappa was the first college honor society of a national scope to give recognition for meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities; membership in Omicron Delta Kappa continues to be a mark of highest distinction and honor. The Society is now present on the campuses of more than 300 colleges and universities around the country.

Omicron Delta Kappa is a proud member of the Fraternity Communications Association The Circle Publishing Deadlines: Fall November 15, 2015 Winter February 1, 2016 Spring April 15, 2016

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Kayla Lyons Kayla Lyons joined the organization as the Membership Services Assistant in October. She is currently completing a degree in Human Services with which she plans to pursue a career in tribal social work.

campus news

National

Day of Service

O∆K’s seventh annual National Day of Service unites our organization as students from across the country participate with one goal—to serve others. Circles built or joined a variety of program activities on their campuses or in their communities.

The National Day of Service offers students the opportunity to give back to their institution and community, partner with other campus organizations, and gain new experiences.

If you would like more information about the National Day of Service, contact Brent Anderson, Brent@odk.org. If you have a service project to share, please contact Lindsey Cline, Lindsey@odk.org.

Southern Utah University Circle sponsored Campus Beautification Day and worked on landscaping projects.

National headquarters staff cooked and served lunch at the local community service center.

The Furman University Circle hosted a Putt Putt Tournament to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease.

Hamline University’s circle sorted clothing at Arc’s Value Village, a nonprofit that supports adults and children with disabilities.

Nicole Cato, LaGrange College Circle member, gathered students from across the campus to plant 57 trees in the Hillside neighborhood.

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The SUNY Oneonta Circle made cards for a local nursing home.

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 5

How has the field of coaching changed during your career?

Certainly, the game and the coaching profession changed as our world changed. Advancements in technology have greatly impacted the game. With that said, I believe the most important aspects of football and coaching, the foundation of the sport, remain the same – hard work, dedication, intelligence, teamwork, selflessness, and effort. Technology has advanced the coaching profession by providing more data and intelligence. However, coaches must continue to relate, motivate, and inspire the players to become a true team—which has always been the case.

How has being a parent changed your approach to coaching?

I believe that coaching has made me a better parent and that being a parent has made me a better coach. Both demand discipline, responsibility, consistency, empathy and selflessness to be the best parent or coach you can be. My goal was to treat my players like I would want my children treated by a coach. That often included making tough and at times, unpopular decisions. My players may not have initially agreed, but over time they understood that I made those tough decisions with one goal in mind – to make them the best players and people they could be.

Coach Jim Caldwell James “Jim” Caldwell is the head coach of the Detroit Lions. In his first season as the Lions head coach, the team finished 11-5 and clinched a wild card berth. Caldwell was previously an offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and helped lead the team to a 34–31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.

Did the experience of coaching in the Super Bowl influence your perspective on leadership in any way?

It certainly exemplified how important leadership was throughout each of those seasons. Leadership does not start when you qualify for the Super Bowl. Championshipcaliber leadership truly begins on the first day of the offseason program and carries into training camp, through the preseason, the regular season, and into the playoffs. I had the fortune of coaching teams with two of the greatest leaders to ever play in the NFL – the Colts’ Peyton Manning and the Ravens’ Ray Lewis. Both players were exemplary in their approach throughout the season. They were the hardest workers on their respective teams, and their standard of play on the field and their leadership on and off the field undoubtedly carried us not only to the Super Bowl but to victory.

Caldwell joined Tony Dungy’s staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001 as quarterbacks coach. He followed Dungy to the Indianapolis Colts in 2002 and helped lead that team to a Super Bowl win. Caldwell became the Colts head coach when Dungy retired in 2009 and had one of the best debut seasons for a head coach in NFL history, finishing with a 14–2 record.

Caldwell began his career as an assistant coach for institutions such as Northwestern University, University of Louisville, and Pennsylvania State University, and served as the head football coach at Wake Forest University. He was the first African-American head football coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He was initiated into the Omicron Delta Kappa Circle at Wake Forest.

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Q& A

Q&A What is your personal philosophy of leadership?

I believe that the best leaders are those whose personal values mirror those of the leader they aspire to be; for me, leadership is constant. It never ends. It never takes a timeout. A great leader learns and improves every day, and a great leader is selfless enough to learn from the very people he or she is leading. Most importantly, the traits of great leadership should be equally prominent in one’s personal life and professional life. Great leadership creates opportunities to accomplish any individual or collective goal. I believe the most important tenants of great leadership are discipline, fortitude, civility, and toughness. I believe those characteristics are accomplished through competence, humbleness, authenticity, motivation, passion and service. Collective greatness is an attainable goal when a leader embodies these characteristics and those he leads aspire to the same. In team sports, it’s also critical for a leader to impress upon his team that it’s the whole, not just the sum of the parts, which will ultimately determine success.

After all, selfless leadership leads to a selfless team – which ultimately leads to a successful team.

Who is a leader who inspires you and why?

I believe that a great leader is truly selfless – someone who focuses on the collective benefit and not on personal achievement. Fortunately, my profession has afforded me the opportunity to work with many great leaders, one of the best being Tony Dungy. He was a selfless leader, and his personal characteristics paved the way for his professional success. Players and coaches alike not only flourished under Tony’s leadership but also tried to emulate his leadership style and persona. There are many great historical leaders who I admire, but it would be hard to find any leader who embodied selflessness more than Abraham Lincoln. His life of selfless service is remarkable, and his contributions to our nation are among the greatest in history.

Tell us about the work of Jim and Cheryl Caldwell Foundation.

The Foundation was established in 2009, and it is committed to the educational empowerment of children through digital technology. The Foundation’s mission is to prepare young minds for advancement in the 21st century. To achieve this, we are providing community centers with an integrated digital technology that serves as a catalyst to impact, change, and enrich a child’s learning proficiency. We have provided six learning centers for young people to date, and we hope the Foundation continues to make a positive impact in the future.

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New Circle

Installations 1

1. Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, Md. April 16, 2015 Installing Officer: Frank Krimowski, Leadership Consultant

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2. Pace University

Pleasantville, N.Y. April 6, 2015 Installing Officer: Colonel Thomas Hiebert, Society Board of Directors

3. Long Island University Post

Brookville, N.Y. April 12, 2015 Installing Officer: Jesse Chen, Society Board of Directors

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campus news

1. St. John’s University - Staten Island

Staten Island, N.Y. April 21, 2015 Installing Officer: Benjamin Williams, Society Board of Directors

2. Belmont University

Nashville, Tenn.

May 8, 2015 Installing Officer: J. David Gibbs, Foundation Vice President

3. Pfeiffer University

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Misenheimer, N.C. April 24, 2015 Installing Officer: Benjamin Williams, Society Board of Directors

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campus news

Circle Recognition

Awards

Circles that earn the Presidential Award of Excellence have earned a Circle of Distinction designation for five consecutive years, Superior Circle for three consecutive years, or some combination of both for five consecutive years.

nomination for a national award.

Superior Circles are those that have sent delegates to the Biennial Convention and Leadership Conference or to a drivein meeting; participated in the National Day of Service; and fulfilled at least two of the following requirements: selected a circle Leader of the Year, submitted an application for the Maurice A. Clay Leadership Initiative Grant, or submitted a

Circles that receive these awards are the embodiment of the best practices in coordinating O∆K activities. They provide inspiration and examples of how circles can thrive at their host institutions.

Circles of Distinction are those that have completed annual reports, submitted their affiliation fee, and initiated new members.

Presidential Award of Excellence

18. Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

5. Berry College

19. Pittsburg State University

7. Davidson College

1. Florida Southern College

20. Rider University

8. Denison University

2. Grand Valley State University

21. Samford University

9. Georgian Court University

3. Morningside College

22. St. Mary’s College of Maryland

10. Guilford College

4. SUNY, Oswego

23. Stephen F. Austin State University

11. Hastings College

5. University of Maryland, College Park

24. SUNY, Oneonta

12. Maryville University

6. University of Richmond

25. SUNY, Plattsburgh

13. Middle Tennessee State University

26. Texas Woman’s University

14. Salisbury University

27. University at Albany

15. St. Lawrence University

28. University of Akron

16. SUNY, Brockport

29. University of Georgia

17. Transylvania University

Superior 1. Adelphi University 2. Ashland University 3. Austin Peay State University 4. Concordia University Irvine 5. East Carolina University

6. Carson-Newman University

30. University of Mississippi 31. University of North Carolina, Wilmington

18. Trinity University

19. University of Baltimore

6. Elon University

32. University of South CarolinaColumbia

7. Florida A&M University

33. Virginia Commonwealth University

8. Florida Atlantic University

34. Virginia Military Institute

9. Fontbonne University

35. Washington and Lee University

10. Georgia College and State University

36. Wright State University

20. University of Maryland, Baltimore County 21. University of Pittsburgh 22. University of Texas, San Antonio 23. University of West Alabama

11. Georgia Institute of Technology 12. Georgia Southern University 13. Grove City College 14. Hamline University 15. Indiana State University 16. Martin Methodist University 17. Marymount Manhattan College 10 | odk.org

Circles of Distinction 1. Albion College 2. Auburn University 3. Auburn University, Montgomery 4. Ball State University

The Circle Summer • Fall 2013 | 1

Circle Programs Celebrating those who make academic success possible is time well spent. While many campuses acknowledge strong teaching, appreciation toward those involved in academic advising often goes unnoticed. The West Chester University of Pennsylvania O∆K Circle wanted to change that—partnering with the division of Undergraduate Student Support Services to hold an event that recognizes the contributions of academic advising.

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

In the spring semester, the circle asks students to nominate individuals who they believe “go above and beyond in their duty of providing academic guidance.”

The circle then plans an awards ceremony to present the honored faculty with framed certificates, and most importantly, an acknowledgement that they had a positive impact on the student.

Championed by University President Greg Weisenstein, this annual event celebrates the devotion of faculty who embrace the developmental nature of students as they navigate the path from admission to commencement. “I write many private letters for my advisees, advocating for scholarships, internships, graduate school, and employment,” said one award recipient. “I never expected a thank you.”

Students sharpen their leadership skills, for example, by planning the event process, but more than that, students learn the value of service to enrich a community.

“My advisor serves more as a life coach,” said one student nominator. “I wrote him thank you notes in the past, but being part of seeing him receive public recognition for all he has done for me and others over the years made me really proud.”

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Education transforms lives. A great education for all will create a great future for all.

Teach For America partners with organizations like O∆K to address educational inequity, an issue that affects 16 million children growing up in poverty. There’s a role for you to play.

Visit our website at www. teachforamerica.org to get involved.

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 11

leadership opportunities

Career Opportunities We are proud to partner with educational, service, and learning organizations to bring career programs to our collegiate and young professional members.

Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs

The Coro Fellows Program uses the city as a classroom to train the next generation of change makers. Today’s complex urban environments present constantly evolving challenges and opportunities, creating an increasing need for versatile leaders with the ability to forge connections and lead across the non-profit, business, and government sectors. Competitively selected applicants will join an intimate cohort of 12 participants for the nine-month program, with each cohort encompassing a wide range of communities, interests, ideologies, and experiences. The $75 application fee is waived for O∆K members.

The Washington Internship Institute

The Washington Internship Institute’s semester-long academic internship program is carefully designed to provide college sophomores, juniors, seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students from the U.S. and abroad with practical, hands-on experience and academically rigorous courses emphasizing personal and professional development. O∆K members receive a $500 scholarship.

Washington Scholars Fellowship Program

A semester in the Washington Scholars Fellowship Program can be a great opportunity for politically minded students and recent graduates to be placed in premier internships in government agencies, media outlets, and certain non-governmental organizations. These positions offer a unique look at Washington and how the political process works from a hands-on point of view.

Teach For America

Teach For America is a national corps of outstanding college graduates and professionals of all majors, backgrounds, and career interests, who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural low-income communities and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity.

City Year

City Year believes education has the power to help every child reach his or her potential.

However, students in high-poverty communities face external factors and obstacles every day that can interfere with not only their ability to learn, but even their ability to get to school.

City Year works to bridge the gap in high-poverty communities between the support students need and what their schools are designed and resourced to provide. At City Year’s 27 locations across the country, highly trained young adults, AmeriCorps members, work fulltime in schools for 10 months providing individualized support to at-risk students.

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 12

Ann Marie Klotz

Dr. Ann Marie Klotz is the dean for Campus Life and chief Student Affairs officer on the Manhattan campus of the New York Institute of Technology. Ann Marie studied the career trajectory and leadership styles of ten female university presidents in writing her dissertation to attain a doctorate from DePaul University. She will speak about developing your own leadership brand and will moderate the presidents’ panel. She is an initiate of the Grand Valley State University Circle.

Kevin Kruger

Dr. Kevin Kruger has been the associate executive director of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) since 1994, and he became the first executive-level president in 2012. Kevin spent 15 years at the University of Maryland working in orientation, student activities, leadership development, admissions, and student affairs before joining NASPA. He is an initiate of the Sigma Circle, and he will be moderating the trustees’ panel at the conference.

Bree Boyce

Bree Boyce first made news when she was crowned the 75th Miss South Carolina in 2011 after losing more than one hundred pounds.

Bree now travels the country as a motivational speaker on health and wellness. In addition to speaking at the convention, Bree will be the honorary starter for the 5K and Fun Run. She is a 2015 initiate of the Francis Marion University Circle.

Night on the Town

Plus…

Our theme night celebrates O∆K circles at the Grand Rapids Art Museum followed by an evening out in downtown Grand Rapids

The Parade of Circles

An Evening to Remember Dress in your best, celebrate award recipients, and enjoy special activities!

Visit odk2016.org on December 15 to learn more!

Concurrent sessions featuring topics such as circle best practices and professional development Circle meet-ups and networking And more!

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2015 NATIONAL LEADER OF THE YEAR

Recipients

T

he Gen. Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year program honors five outstanding members of the Omicron Delta Kappa community. Recipients demonstrate exceptional academic performance and leadership capabilities. Among current students, five are recipients of O∆K’s highest student designation and receive a scholarship toward furthering his or her pursuit of graduate education. The Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation, Inc. sponsors the Dougherty Leader of the Year program and currently

SERVICE Jacquline Plyler University of South Carolina Next Step: University of Georgia Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program “If asked today what my purpose in life would be, I would express my desire to expand education, pioneer discoveries, and to use both of these experiences to further educate and improve the lives of others. To fulfill my purpose, I require more extensive schooling and research experiences in order to obtain a doctorate in biomedical sciences and engineering and a veterinary degree.

However, my drive to obtain such high standards has motivated me to become a leader in my field and in my community, which is why I am applying to be the Omicron Delta Kappa Leader of the Year.”

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distributes $4,000 to the National Leader of the Year and $1,000 to each additional recipient.

Interviews with these five outstanding students reveal many unique qualities. Each embodies a particular area of campus leadership and are worthy of recognition for accomplishments that bring Omicron Delta Kappa much honor. They are loyal members who demonstrate excellence in the five celebrated areas of campus life: scholarship, athletics, service, communications, and arts.

“My drive to obtain such high standards has motivated me to become a leader in my field and in my community which is why I am applying to be the Omicron Delta Kappa Leader of the Year.”

SCHOLARSHIP Lauren Simmons Pittsburg State University Next Step: Wichita State University Physician Assistant Program “I am looking forward to learning even more about the body as well as illness, disease, injury, diagnosis, and treatment. Throughout my time working with my father, working at the hospital, and shadowing PAs and physicians, I have developed a love for primary care. I have lived in southeast Kansas my entire life and would love to return to this area or a similar area to practice as a PA. Making people healthy is my ultimate goal.

I hope to encourage patients to live a healthy lifestyle by taking care of their health and helping manage conditions such as diabetes and obesity. A scholarship would be very helpful in my journey to becoming a PA. This would help ease some of the burden when I am doing clinical rotations and would allow me to do more rotations in rural areas where I will have extra money to help with housing and living expenses while far away from my home.”

AT H L E T I C S Jillian Katterhagen Washington and Lee University Next Step: Law School at Stanford University “My undergraduate study of history and politics and my chance to see our political system at work for two summers while working for Congress in Washington, D.C. have exposed me to the very real shortcomings of this system and the effects that it has on citizens in this country. Although I do not know exactly how my career path might look, I hope to one day be in a position to affect this sort of change in the lives of my fellow citizens, whether in an elected office, working in our political system in some other capacity, inspiring students to use their talents to change the world, or any other number of other careers that might have this kind of meaningful impact.”

scholarship Journalism, Speech, and Mass Media

COMMUNICATIONS Hannah Hecht Morningside College Next Step: Summer Publishing Institute

“A National Leader of the Year Award scholarship would go a long way toward helping me to finance my graduate education. Through my experience at Morningside College and with O∆K, I have learned how to become an effective leader. I’m ready to take my skills in English and in leadership out into the world, but first, I need to spend a little bit more time at a university learning about the industry.

For me, the exciting thing about the publishing industry is the opportunity to change the way people see the world. I want to work in the book industry as an editor because I firmly believe that fiction can make every facet of the human experience accessible to readers. I want to be a part of the process and help writers craft effective and poignant works that make people re-evaluate the ways they act or think. I want to help writers find that exact word, character, or sentence reconstruction that will strike chord with readers and move them to laughter or even to tears.”

Creative and Performing

ARTS

Bethany Mullins Missouri Southern State University Next Step: Master in Music Education, emphasis in Wind Conducting “Being a part of Omicron Delta Kappa has been a privilege and has taught me many things about being a leader. Participating in several different organizations during my time at Missouri Southern State University has given me a new perspective on service and leadership. I understand the importance of my education and how leadership and service are related. I would be honored to receive this scholarship because it would aid my work ethic, willingness to do whatever needs to be accomplished, and future accomplishments as it would present me with the opportunity to have less of a financial burden.”

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 15

LEADING THROUGH

Change

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DESEGREGATION AND O∆K

by Brett Huddleston

uring the 2015-16 academic year, The Circle is taking a look at the role that members of Omicron Delta Kappa have played in advancing diversity and inclusion on college campuses and in their communities. This article is the first in the series, and it specifically explores how O∆K members were involved in the efforts to desegregate several public universities in the South in the 1960s. The second piece will examine Title IX and the final article will focus on how members’ involvement is enhancing opportunities for members of the LGBTQ community.

Omicron Delta Kappa and other leadership organizations have a unique opportunity to provide spaces for discussions and conversations that promote positive change. As leaders, our members find understanding, empathy and acceptance of others that leads to a more inclusive society.

Omicron Delta Kappa has long played a role in the on-going process of diversity and equity in American universities. While records do not clearly indicate the time that O∆K first initiated members of color, history shows that many O∆K members were influential during desegregation in the 1960s. Dean William Tate, a University of Georgia Circle initiate, was acting dean of students at UGA during the tumultuous days of desegregation. When U.S. District Court Judge William Bootle ordered Georgia to integrate in 1961, Tate went with the two new African American students, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes, through the registration process. By doing so, Dean Tate set an example of inclusion for students and other administrators.

Elsewhere, O∆K members continued to play integral roles in the civil rights movement. In 1963, the University of Alabama selected Melford Espey, Jr. as one of 19 students to help coordinate integration. Espey was eventually the vice president for student affairs at Alabama, served O∆K as the editor of The Circle and as a member of the Foundation Board of Trustees. Jim Vickrey, a 1962 initiate and a former Student Government Association president at Auburn University, helped his alma mater peacefully integrate in January 1964.

Though some members of O∆K originally opposed desegregation, including Alabama Governor George Wallace and Georgia Governor Ernest Vandiver, through the efforts of other O∆K members, campus leaders and others, universities became racially desegregated and the steps toward diversity and inclusion began.

UGA Dean Tate and Hamilton Holmes walk through UGA’s campus.

When Omicron Delta Kappa was founded in 1914, admission to most institutions of higher education was limited to white males. However, in the subsequent 101 years, through great efforts, college campuses have become increasingly diverse.

While desegregation occurred historically more than 50 years ago on the campuses of American universities, great change has not necessarily swiftly followed in all areas of campus life.

A blurry line has grown between admission and inclusion, between desegregation and acceptance.

Paul Gaston, historian and professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, states, “The Southern civil rights movement gradually liberated southern white people from the inherited beliefs and patterns of behavior that circumscribed their lives. Some of them, inspired by the vision, courage, and sacrifice of their fellow black Southerners, seized the possibility of acting on their better natures to become themselves champions of integration in their own universities.”

As Gaston asserts, historical and cultural context help facilitate change.

The experience of James Meredith, the first African American student admitted to the University of Mississippi, is emblematic of Gaston’s points.

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Meredith returned to his undergraduate alma mater to speak during his campaign for the U.S. Senate and received a standing ovation. At the conclusion of his comments, one student asked him about “the difference between the students today who gave you a standing ovation and the students who rioted” when he enrolled as a student just ten years prior.

Meredith said, “If you had been here ten years ago, you would have acted just like those students. If those students were here today, they’d be acting like you were acting. The difference is time and an understanding of events.”

Vickrey didn’t become fully aware of the situation in his home state until during his first year of graduate school at Auburn. He was stunned when he heard to stories of the daily atrocities happening in Selma, Ala. on the radio. He recalls that he had become radicalized and his view was cemented for the duration of his professional career in higher education. Vickrey went on to develop affirmative action plans at numerous schools and was noted for the significant number of African American faculty members he hired as president of the University of Montevallo.

Time to reflect on situations helps us gain insight, grow and understand that not everyone with similar identifiers has the same experiences. Yet, across geographic regions, races, religions and other differences, we often find commonalities in the human experience. Gradually, we hope that awareness of diversity can grow into understanding, tolerance, and eventual acceptance and celebration of each person’s different experiences, different values and different beliefs.

As Vickrey says, “It is rarely very hard to figure out the right thing to do; the hard part is doing it and being aware of the opportunities to do it. Leadership matters, especially behind the scenes—that’s where all the grit is.” Individuals must explore issues and address their own values and beliefs, scrape away layers of interpellation and look for moments of clarity and relative autonomy to find the right thing.

Organizations like Omicron Delta Kappa can provide an environment in which people are comfortable enough to talk about these efforts. Much of the leadership in O∆K, its direction and focus, comes from individual circles and individual members. Melvinia King, a member of O∆K’s Society Board of Directors and a faculty officer at Morehouse College, says that O∆K is not “monolithic,” and as such, transformation, even within O∆K, occurs when individuals develop enough empathy and learn to look beyond simple labeling.

As Vickrey notes, O∆K invites the crème de la crème of campus leaders, leaders who represent all other student groups.

He states that the students should say to themselves, “I ought to step up because I represent” [so many others].

In discussing his Jim Vickrey and Auburn First Baptist Church role as a student at Pastor Dr. John Jeffers, who was a key behindAuburn, he says, the -scenes player during Auburn University’s “We should have integration in 1964. been more sensitive to the power” that they had as student leaders—the power to influence how others acted.

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This commitment to transformative leadership—to leading ethical change and recognizing the right thing to do— continues to be the charge for O∆K members nationally and locally. Through active, intentional leadership, O∆K members continue to transform their lives and others’ lives on their campuses and in their communities.

It remains a fact that on many campuses, African American students and other minorities are underrepresented in student government, residence hall leadership, Greek organizations and other campus life groups. In March 2015, Elliot Spillers became only the second African American student to be elected SGA president at the University of Alabama. The first was Cleo Thomas, a 1975 O∆K initiate of the circle at Alabama who went on to graduate from Harvard’s law school and now practices law in Anniston, Ala. V’Lecea Hunter, an academic advisor at Grand Valley State University and 2015 O∆K initiate, offers a potential explanation for this underrepresentation of minorities in campus life activities. She says, “Research shows that students of color, unconsciously feel intellectually inferior to their white peers and may question their academic ability to succeed in college. Often, students of color feel a sense of uneasiness at historically white institutions on campus or in the classroom due to the lack of trusting relationships built and availability of appropriate resources.”

Many of us may not be fully aware of the sluggish nature of progress. We may see the world through the prism of office and classroom windows, witnessing the growing movement

diversity

Charlayne Hunter sits in the library at the University of Georgia During the transition at UGA, students rioted and threw bricks towards the residence hall where Hunter lived. Tensions grew so high that Hunter and Holmes were temporarily suspended and escorted by state troopers from the Athens campus to Atlanta for their own safety. Georgia governor and O∆K member Ernest Vandiver, Jr., who had campaigned as a segregationist, did evolve his views to condemn the violence in Athens. Georgia Judge Bootle ordered both students’ suspensions be lifted. Today, in recognition of the struggles of Holmes and Hunter, the University of Georgia’s academic building has been named the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building.

toward equity in academia but not realizing the extent to which students of color may feel excluded at times.

for an organization’s actions and what it can offer students, is “to make a difference.”

As Charlayne Hunter notes, research indicates that the completion rate of an undergraduate degree for students of color continues to lag far behind the graduation rate for white students. A 2010 Department of Education report noted that after starting college just 27% of minority students completed bachelor’s degrees, while nearly 73% of white students received one after starting college.

Many institutions have programs designed to enhance the engagement of minority students in leadership activities.

The University of Louisville Circle partnered with the institution’s cultural center to develop an initiative to increase and improve the retention and graduation rates of African American male students through academic engagement, mentoring support, peer connection and student involvement. In addition to introducing these students to leadership and service opportunities, the cultural center promotes membership in O∆K through sponsorship of two students per semester who are participants in U of L’s African American Male Initiative.

Hunter says that while many primarily white institutions are very good at recruiting students of color, the institutional leaders and campus organizations need to do much more to “create a climate of welcome and inclusion. Students of color need more than academic support; they may need different outlets and campus experiences” to feel connected to their universities.

One challenge is that minority students at predominantly white institutions may not benefit from the campus connections with professors, administrators, and other students that ensure successful completion of their degree programs. By not having these connections, these students may not be encouraged to participate in co-curricular opportunities.

As leaders and O∆K members our efforts to be aware can change the course of students’ lives and create change.

Our roles as leaders go beyond recognition and honors; it should include understanding and service to others. Vickrey, states that while the notion of the “laboratory of student leadership is all true and very important,” the true purpose

Cleo Thomas, the first African American SGA president at Alabama and O∆K member, said in an interview, “We have to create values and create a community that embraces diversity.”

In shared appreciation for this sentiment, the O∆K Society Board of Directors announced its intent to establish more circles at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in its long-range plan. At present, O∆K has active circles at Morehouse College and Florida A&M University. Previously, circles were in place at Morris Brown College, West Virginia State University, North Carolina Central University and Dillard University. The national headquarters staff is working with O∆K’s Membership Committee, as well as the Diversity and Inclusion Work Group, on developing strategies to re-engage these institutions as well as other HBCU’s. ● The Circle • Fall 2015 | 19

O∆ K

Arts

“In many ways, Northern California Flute Camp has become my life’s work. My job as director has utilized my leadership skills more than any other aspect of my career. Not only am I responsible for 45 students for a week, but I also manage staff and plan an enriching curriculum including solo performance, flute choirs, master classes, chamber music, and elective classes. It has been both rewarding and enlightening to witness what a profound affect NCFC has had on hundreds of students in our 21-year history.”

As a teacher, Van Dyke has also learned how to conduct an ensemble. “The most challenging part of conducting is conveying what you want to musicians to do with the music without talking to them. This took me several years to truly master.”

Karen Van Dyke

Karen Van Dyke began playing the piano when she was five and took up the flute at age eight. She says, “The minute I heard the sound of it, I knew it was the instrument for me. We had a constant backdrop of classical music playing in our house, and I was always drawn to the beautiful nuances of the flute tone.”

From a young age, she knew her career would be in music.

She went on to perform as a soloist for the Baltimore Symphony, play in the orchestras of the Berkeley and San Jose Symphonies, and serve as the principal flute at the Anchorage Festival of Music. Van Dyke has collaborated with eminent flutist Jeanne Baxtresser and released a solo album, Mouvements Perpetuels: Music for Flute and Guitar.

In addition to performing, Van Dyke has taken a leading role as a teacher—she founded and directs the Stanford University Flute Ensemble. She has also served as the Director of the Northern California Flute Camp since 1994.

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Van Dyke counts herself as “very lucky” to teach world-class students at Stanford University and explains that their drive to progress forces her to improve as well. She has worked hard to master her role as not only a performer, but as a mentor, a teacher, and a conductor.

“Ninety percent of a conductor’s responsibilities happen during rehearsals. Getting an ensemble to play in tune and together while communicating what the composer wanted requires hours of dissecting the piece, a knowledge of the compose, the period, and the piece, as well as good conducting technique. I work on which gestures to make, without talking, that will trigger the greatest response from the musicians.”

When asked what advice she would give to young people today, Van Dyke has three suggestions: view failure as a challenge, put your ego away in a broom closet, and consider yourself to be a perpetual student.

“No matter what your GPA is at graduation, where you went to school, or what accolades you may have achieved when you graduate from college, everyone experiences failure at some point in life. Pursue your passion doggedly, knowing that you may fail again. There is no limit on the number of tries you get. If the Wright Brothers had given up after their first twenty failures, none of us would have flown.”

Burr Datz

Within the first few minutes of meeting W. C. “Burr” Datz, Catholic Campus Minister at Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute, it’s clear his approach to music is much like his approach to life. Datz believes that to lead others he must also serve them, and his music is another opportunity, along with his many anecdotes and his faith, “to lift people up.”

He plays in approximately five local bands and has a long list of musicians that he calls friends. At the drop of the hat, he could assemble a band to fit any number of genres: bluegrass, blues or folk.

When asked about his love for music, he explains, “A passion is something that you are willing to suffer for. It is about finding a special place outside yourself. Frederick Buechner explains it best, ‘Passion is where your deepest longing meets your deepest gladness.’ Music can change people’s mood,” explains Datz with a twinkle in his eye.

performing arts

While in college, Datz asserted change that altered the course of his life. His father expected him to graduate from W&L and then go St. John’s law school, returning to New York and work for the family law practice. Yet, he knew that law was not a good fit. He changed his major to Spanish and began loving his studies. Datz knew that he wanted his life to be simply about helping people, and servant leadership became his method.

“Today’s college students have grown up in a narcissistic celebrity culture—a glorification of material excess or family fights. But, when you look at Jesus’ life, you see a life of service, not of celebrity.”

“There is a difference between leadership and a leader.

Leadership isn’t just about everyone following one person.

Anyone can step up and be a leader in their own way. It’s about each of us finding a way to serve the world.”

When Datz is not playing music, he can be found serving as president of Main Street Lexington and other boards, holding services at St. Patrick’s Church, or advising college students.

The latter became a large part of his career when he was named the director of leadership development at Washington and Lee in 2001.

When asked about the biggest challenge in advising students, he identifies how different the problems young people face today are than the struggles of their parents’ generation. “They’ve lived through one tragedy after another—first Oklahoma City in 1995, then 9/11, then Sandy Hook. These days, children grow up with a constant threat of attack.” Perhaps these tragedies led to ‘helicopter parents,’ those well-meaning parents who guide their children every step of the way.

Datz is uncritical; yet, he tells this story. He said, “One day a boy saw a caterpillar cocoon in the forest. He sat and watched the cocoon sway and shake for a long time. After much effort, the boy saw the tip of a wing break through the cocoon. For hours, the boy watched the butterfly struggle to pry open its shell. Finally, two wings pushed the cocoon apart, and a beautiful butterfly emerged.”

“The next day, the boy saw another cocoon swaying. So, he pried open the cocoon to save the caterpillar from struggling. Yet, when the boy opened the cocoon, an immature, partly-formed butterfly fell to the ground. The butterfly was too weak to fly.”

He explains that personal growth results from change— from stepping outside of your comfort zone. This change is uncomfortable, but struggling is part of growth. Not one to take himself too seriously, he laughs and says, “the experience of failure is a great teacher.”

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 21

Linda Stone Linda Stone, a much-loved pediatrician in Birmingham, Ala., has always enjoyed singing. Though she never had formal voice training, she reads music and sang in the church choir, concert choir, and ensemble in high school. For Dr. Stone, music is a path to give back to the community.

Dr. Stone also served the Auburn University community in many capacities while an undergraduate student. “My years at Auburn were some of the best of my life. I was active on campus, serving in the SGA and in the President’s cabinet.

I was secretary of the O∆K circle and attended the national convention in Williamsburg, Va. While studying hard and participating in several campus organizations, I came to appreciate the wisdom of pieces of the Auburn Creed: I believe this is a practical world and that I can count on only what I earn.

Therefore, I believe in work, hard work. I believe in a sound mind and in a sound body and in a spirit that is not afraid...”

After graduating as the Outstanding Graduate of the School of Arts and Sciences, music took a back seat to medical school at the University of Alabama, and then her career and family life.

“About ten years ago, when my three children were old enough to behave in church sitting with just one parent, I joined the church choir, and soon after the Junior League of Birmingham Choral Group.”

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The JLB Choral group has about 50 volunteers ranging from mid- thirties to the mid-eighties. Dr. Stone says, “We are committed to our mission of bringing joy through music to nursing homes, hospitals, under privileged schools, supervised work places for the disabled, and shelters for abused women and children, and recovering addicts. I think every one of us would say we receive equal, if not more, joy in return.”

She still manages to balance the group’s performances— from local events to an event at Carnegie Hall—with her career as a general pediatrician.

“I have been fortunate to have a rewarding career influencing the lives of many young people and their families. I count them as ‘my’ children. I revel in their successes and provide help and support during the hard times. I am part of a remarkable practice of women, including Auburn’s first female O∆K president, who practice exemplary medicine, raise families, and serve the community. We have accomplished this by working together to create flexible schedules and by a willingness to cover for each other when the need arises.”

When asked about leadership, Stone replies, “I believe the best leaders are servant leaders. They are committed, hard working, and willing to do what is needed not for recognition and reward, but because it is the right thing to do. Their decisions and actions are marked by honesty and integrity.”

leadership opportunities

Career Opportunities We are proud to partner with educational, service, and learning organizations to bring career programs to our collegiate and young professional members.

Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs

The Coro Fellows Program uses the city as a classroom to train the next generation of change makers. Today’s complex urban environments present constantly evolving challenges and opportunities, creating an increasing need for versatile leaders with the ability to forge connections and lead across the non-profit, business, and government sectors. Competitively selected applicants will join an intimate cohort of 12 participants for the nine-month program, with each cohort encompassing a wide range of communities, interests, ideologies, and experiences. The $75 application fee is waived for O∆K members.

The Washington Internship Institute

The Washington Internship Institute’s semester-long academic internship program is carefully designed to provide college sophomores, juniors, seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students from the U.S. and abroad with practical, hands-on experience and academically rigorous courses emphasizing personal and professional development. O∆K members receive a $500 scholarship.

Washington Scholars Fellowship Program

A semester in the Washington Scholars Fellowship Program can be a great opportunity for politically minded students and recent graduates to be placed in premier internships in government agencies, media outlets, and certain non-governmental organizations. These positions offer a unique look at Washington and how the political process works from a hands-on point of view.

Teach For America

Teach For America is a national corps of outstanding college graduates and professionals of all majors, backgrounds, and career interests, who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural low-income communities and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity.

City Year

City Year believes education has the power to help every child reach his or her potential.

However, students in high-poverty communities face external factors and obstacles every day that can interfere with not only their ability to learn, but even their ability to get to school.

City Year works to bridge the gap in high-poverty communities between the support students need and what their schools are designed and resourced to provide. At City Year’s 27 locations across the country, highly trained young adults, AmeriCorps members, work fulltime in schools for 10 months providing individualized support to at-risk students.

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 23

making a difference

A Time of Progress

A message from the Foundation President O∆K strives to assist the campus leaders of today to become the community leaders of tomorrow. One way that we continue to engage O∆K members after graduation is through service and philanthropy to our organization. The Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, and it uses the money it raises to support leadership development programs and provide scholarships to O∆K members. O∆K’s Foundation is governed by its own leadership board, comprised of 15 members, including the current O∆K national president and one additional member of the Society’s board of directors.

As President of the Foundation Board of Trustees, I want to introduce you to three of our newest board members who continue to invest in the future community leaders of tomorrow through their philanthropy and service.

David Gibbs was initiated into Omicron Delta Kappa while earning Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond. He previously served his alma mater as a member of the Richmond Council. He went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from Emory University’s School of Law. David is the chairman and co-founder of E-SPACES, Inc. In addition, he is principal of consultancy with The West Bridge Group and is an active angel investor in Nashville, Tenn.

As a volunteer, David is a member of the Board of Directors of the Brehm Foundation and the Brehm Preparatory School, and he is the chair of the Brehm Capital Campaign.

He was chairman of the Board of Trustees for Klingberg Family Centers. Also, he is a Life Member of the Safari Club, the National Rifle Association, and the Boone and Crockett Club. David joined the O∆K Foundation Board of Trustees in 2013 and was elected vice president in 2014.

Terry Kungel is a 1969 initiate of the Purdue University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. He served as president of the circle as an undergraduate and became a member of the O∆K Foundation Board of Trustees in 2015.

Terry is currently chairman and chief executive officer of the Maine Coalition to Fight Prostate Cancer. Before his current position, Terry was the co-founder and CEO of a biotech 24 | odk.org

company that utilized 10,000+ DNA samples to identify disease-associated genes. He also served as the CEO of an advanced materials company that was focused on spacebased applications.

Terry currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at Purdue’s Honors College. During non-reunion years, Terry serves as the class secretary for the Harvard Business School MBA Class of 1976.

Sally K. Albrecht is a popular choral composer, conductor, and clinician, especially known for her work with choral movement. She was initiated into Omicron Delta Kappa at Rollins College where she earned her undergraduate degree and was active with Phi Mu, Chapel Choir, and many theater productions. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in drama and Master of Music in accompanying from the University of Miami.

An annual recipient of the ASCAP Special Music Award since 1987, Sally has more than 535 popular choral publications in print, 70 larger elementary songbooks and musicals, plus has developed 17 choral movement instructional DVDs. Sally has conducted hundreds of honor choir events including festivals at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center.

She has served the Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation as a member of the Scholarship Selection Committee, and she was the recipient of the O∆K Pillar of Leadership Award in Creative and Performing Arts in 2014.

We want our members to invest in the future of the organization in the same way that Sally, David, and Terry have. Your continued contributions allow O∆K to excel as a leadership organization. Thank you for assisting us in the effort to support the collegiate leaders of today so that they may become our community leaders of tomorrow.

Russ W. Chambliss, President Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation

The Circle • Fall 2014 | 1

member news

O∆K Members become University Presidents Crutcher Appointed University of Richmond President Ronald Crutcher—a national leader in higher education, a distinguished musician, and an accomplished administrator—was recently inaugurated as the university’s 10th president.

Crutcher was previously President Emeritus of Wheaton College, where he raised the institution’s profile, increased enrollment and diversity of the student body, created new interdisciplinary faculty positions, and new programs in film and new media studies, bioinformatics, neuroscience, business, and management. He also led the most successful campaign in Wheaton’s history, which secured more than $137 million for the college. He is a 1968 initiate of the Miami University Circle.

Chopp Named University of Denver Chancellor The University’s Board of Trustees named Rebecca Chopp, most recently president at Swarthmore College, as chancellor. Informed by a campus-wide listening tour during her first 100 days, Chopp announced a community-wide strategic planning effort called Imagine DU. Chopp has emphasized the importance of community—among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the university—and creating a welcoming and inclusive campus where people from all backgrounds can thrive.

During her tenure as president of Swarthmore College, the school ranked as the third-best liberal arts college in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. She is a 2001 initiate of the Emory University Circle.

Mahony Announced as Winthrop University President Daniel Mahony, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University, was unanimously selected as the new president of Winthrop University.

As Kent State’s dean and professor, Mahony oversaw 57 degree programs, more than 180 full-time faculty, and about 5,400 students. Prior to his appointment at Kent State, Mahony was the Associate University Provost for Academic Planning and Accountability and professor at the University of Louisville. The Virginia Tech Circle initiated him in 1985.

Huebner to Serve as East Mississippi Community College President The EMCC Board named Huebner as president of the college in May 2015. Huebner previously served as dean of student services at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Huebner has been a leader at Shelton State for five years and served as interim president of Bevill State Community College in Jasper, Ala. Before moving to Alabama to be closer to family, Huebner served as vice president at Logan State University in Chesterfield, Mo. He is a 2007 initiate of the Carson-Newman University Circle.

The Circle • Fall 2015 | 25

the view from HQ

Civility and Leadership In the same way that the start of the official winter holiday season has moved up from Thanksgiving to Labor Day in our society, the official start of the political season has expanded from election years to being something of an all-the-time phenomenon. It’s hard to escape the continual commentary about who might be the next president of our country.

In under a year, the 2016 presidential election will take place, and between now and then, there will be lots of conversation about the direction of our country. Some of it will be just noise and not necessarily productive in facilitating dialogue about the requirements of modern day leadership.

Opinions and statements will be made that will have the potential to make one’s blood boil. In these cases, what is an O∆K member, a leader, supposed to do? Here are my recommendations: Practice civility.

Communicate well.

Remember the responsibilities that accompany our rights.

For the moment, I’ll resist the urge to suggest wearing earplugs for the next 12 months.

Leadership achievement in journalism, speech, and the mass media is the fourth phase of campus life recognized

by O∆K. The ability to communicate with respect for others, clearly, and responsibly is something that I hope our members learn through their experience with our organization.

The noted author, Stephen Carter, discussed the relationship between civil behaviors and effective communications in his book Civility (1999). Carter wrote about how practicing civility does not require us to hide our differences and beliefs.

Instead, he said that civility only requires us to keep an open mind and to cherish the community around us more than our need to be right in any given circumstance. According to Carter, practicing civility means allowing for other voices to be heard and facilitating dialogue between parties.

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Good leaders seek out multiple opinions, gather information, and process ideas with the good of the overall organization in mind.

Good leaders also understand that honest, direct, and clear communication is cherished by those who follow us as long as we articulate our thoughts and messages kindly.

Harsh, hateful, and denigrating communications can have a tremendously negative impact. Difficult but forthright conversations can be held with compassion and decency.

Communicating with a sense of responsibility is something that exceptional leaders also practice. While I fully agree with Supreme Court Justice Black’s statement, “I do not believe that it can be too often repeated that the freedoms of speech, press, petition and assembly guaranteed by the First Amendment must be accorded to the ideas we hate or sooner or later they will be denied to the ideas we cherish,” I do think that in the community of leaders, we have an obligation to talk with those who follow us about how words and symbols may deeply hurt others. Free use of expression does not happen within a vacuum, and for this reason, we are all responsible for the causal effects of our speech.

As was noted in the previous pages of the magazine, The Circle is exploring topics related to civil rights, diversity, and inclusion this academic year. As this series shows, leaders through the years have tuned out the noise to listen to differing viewpoints and engage in responsible conversations about how to better improve our society and to advance the organizations we serve. I hope that each of you will have a fascinating year of civil, thoughtful, and meaningful conversations about the upcoming presidential election. And if the volume does get to be too much, buy earplugs.

Tara S. Singer, Ed.D. Executive Director

4 WAYS TO STAY SAFE AROUND A FLOODED ROAD When rains swell rivers and streams, these tips may help you stay safe and dry.

Brought to you by Nationwide Insurance® April showers might bring May flowers, but they also trigger hazards on the road. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that 620,000 crashes across the country occurred in rainy conditions in 2009, the most recent year for which annual data has been published. “ This represents millions of dollars in damage that could be avoided,” says auto expert Dean Fisher, owner of CARSTAR, a leading auto body repair company. “Just by slowing down and being more cautious, drivers can dramatically reduce their chances of being in a costly wreck.”

Fisher offered the following guidelines to help drivers safely navigate wet weather and flooded roads: 1 Create a pre-drive checklist. Take time to check your vehicle in dry weather. Replace old, brittle wiper blades and make sure light bulbs are working properly. Keep your headlights on at all times while you’re driving in the rain, regardless of how well you can see. “ Anytime you use your wipers, you need to have your headlights on,” Fisher says. “It helps you see better in rainy, foggy or overcast conditions, and allows other drivers to see you.”

2 Drive cautiously. Keep more than the standard “3-second” distance between you and the vehicle ahead and try to steer in the existing tire tracks to maximize traction in wet conditions. Also, avoid using cruise control, because it reduces the amount of control you have over the vehicle. “ Stay in the middle lanes because water tends to pool on the outside,” Fisher says. “When you need to stop or slow, avoid a skid by braking lightly and not locking the wheels. Maintain mild pressure on the brake pedal. Or, if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.”

3 Avoid low-lying areas. Don’t drive on a road if you can’t see the ground through the water. Be extra careful in areas where floodwaters tend to rise. “This includes low-lying roads adjacent to streams,” Fisher says, “and those that dip under rail or highway bridges.”

Avoiding deep water isn’t simply the safe thing to do—it’s a way to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape. “Flooded conditions can damage an automobile electrical system and leave all kinds of dirt, rust and mildew deposits,” Fisher says.

4 Hydroplaning hints. Hydroplaning happens when water in front of the tires builds up faster than the vehicle’s weight can push it aside, prompting a complete loss of traction and control. Factors such as speed and tire tread depth play a part, so reduce your speed in wet weather, and check the condition of your tires throughout the year. If you still find yourself hydroplaning, don’t panic. “ Don’t brake or turn suddenly,” Fisher says. “Instead, ease your foot off the gas until the vehicle slows and you can feel traction again. If you skid, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid to recover control, then gently straighten the wheel.”

To find out more about the OΔK and Nationwide partnership, and how Omicron Delta Kappa members could save with a special discount on auto insurance, call 1-866-238-1426 or visit nationwide.com/OmicronDeltaKappa today!

& Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance and the Nationwide framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. ©2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved.

AFO-0856AO (02/14)

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Freeport, Ohio Permit No. 21 Omicron Delta Kappa National Headquarters 224 McLaughlin Street Lexington, VA 24450-2002

Support O∆K With the support of philanthropic individuals, corporations, and foundations, Omicron Delta Kappa hosts a Biennial Convention and Leadership Conference, with delegates representing our circles across the country. The convention allows current collegiate members an opportunity to hear nationally significant speakers, network and learn best practices, and provide community service.

O∆K is thankful for the support of the John and Mary Franklin Foundation of Atlanta, Ga as well as the E. A. Morris Charitable Foundation of Durham, N.C. In addition to the philanthropic support of foundations, O∆K appreciates the generosity of individual members. Rick Williams of Grand Rapids, Mich. is a 2001 initiate of the Grand Valley State University Circle. Epitomizing the ideals of O∆K, Rick showed his willingness to invest in leadership by making a gift to help underwrite some of the costs of the speakers at the 2016 convention. Gifts from donors like these allow Omicron Delta Kappa to continue to excel in assisting our campus leaders of today grow into community leaders of tomorrow.

Make a gift to support the mission of O∆K Gifts to the Omicron Delta Kappa Annual Fund may be used to support the future of O∆K through a variety of initiatives: • Scholarships • Convention support • Leadership development programs To make a gift, contact Katy Datz, associate executive director of external relations, at katy@odk.org or (540) 458-5344.