My first semester as a Panhellenic Officer has been filled with many experiences, some that have helped me and some that have taught me difficult lessons. Through all of the ups and downs that this semester has given me, I know I wouldn't give up my experience for anything, so here are some of the things I've learned in the last 16 weeks.
1. There's actually no such thing as Greek unity.
You'd think that as a council, Panhellenic officers are the ones who are supposed to support and encourage every chapter. Well, I've learned differently. Some days it feels like all I do during meetings is defend my letters because someone else is always bashing on them. As a whole, we are meant to be the face of Greek Unity and know all the good things that come out of every chapter, but in my experience, I've seen the opposite. "No offense but..."
2. Very few people actually take your position seriously.
So if you're not VP of Programming or VP of Recruitment there are few times that people will actually take your position seriously. Which is actually disheartening, especially if you're someone who's trying to make things better for the whole Greek community. But it's important to remember that this is really what Panhellenic is for, to plan Greek Week and formal recruitment.
3. Staying unbiased is easier than you'd think.
One of the questions I was asked during my interview was "how will you remain unbiased when it comes to the betterment of the whole Greek community?" And that question honestly threw me through for a little bit of a loop. I knew that I would have to make decisions that are right for the whole instead of just the individual, but I thought it was going to be harder than it sounds. I was wrong. I quickly realized that it's easy to make decisions for a community, even knowing that it might not be what my individual chapter may have wanted. I am bias to my chapter, there's a reason I joined it, but I can't make decisions that will affect every chapter on campus because I know that my chapter would want it that way.
4. There's a difference between being the voice for your chapter and being bias.
Panhellenic officers aren't just Panhellenic officers, they come from chapters of their own too. The reason we all run for offices is because we want to better our community and make sure that our chapter has a voice. No one knows what is best for your chapter better than someone who is in it. But standing up for your chapter and having bias when making decisions are two different things. Don't confuse the two, but also remember it's a fine line.
5. Thinking about disaffiliating is terrifying.
Over and over again I hear officers talk about how they're so ready to disaffiliate in the fall. Frankly, for me, I don't wanna do it. It terrifies me to think that I'll have to walk around campus and act like the girls that I call my sisters don't exist. I'm not sure why anyone would be ready to go through that. Granted, we're giving up our letters to help other women find theirs but that doesn't make it any less sad to me.
Not all experiences are like mine, and like I said before I wouldn't give my position up for anything.
