Sorority & Fraternity Life Spring Newsletter
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Brothers, Sisters, & Siblings,
With the arrival of spring on the hill, we embark on celebrating the accomplishments of the past, and look forward to new beginnings for Cornell SFL. Students recently enjoyed spring break, and staff is hard at work preparing for the final weeks of the semester.
As we emerge into a new normal with regard to COVID-19 and public health, our community stands with a unique ability to create new paths forward and the ability to reimagine what the sorority and fraternity experience could provide to members. Within this newsletter, you will find glimmers of the hope our future provides. You will find welcome back information about three organizations, Sigma Alpha Epsilon (IFC), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (MGFC), and Sigma Nu (IFC). You will also find introductions to newly elected council officers, Rebekah (PHC) & Jordan (IFC), as well as new SFL staff in Maddy Field (Panhellenic Advisor) and Alexander Breitling (SFL Intern).
Finally, I would be remiss not to acknowledge my own spring season as the Associate Director. This new role has provided me with a new beginning- new goals, and a renewed sense of creativity and ideas I am excited to share with each of you. I look forward to partnering with you more to create new avenues of impact for our community.
Fraternally,
Dee Hawks
Associate Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life
drh239@cornell.edu
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Sigma Alpha Epsilon's
Initiation Ceremony
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We are pleased to welcome Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) back to campus this spring. New members were initiated by alumni and national staff members at Sage Chapel this March.
Chapter president Amar Vyas says:
“I am excited to assist in bringing back SAE to Cornell. The alumni organization has been very helpful in its efforts to fundraise and support the founding class, as has Cornell. I look forward to seeing the progress made in the coming years.”
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Welcome Back,
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
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Founded by seven educators on November 12, 1922 at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Mission: To enhance the quality of life for women and their families in the U.S. and globally through community service, civil and social action.
Over the past 100 years, Sigma Gamma Rho has served as a home for thousands of collegiate and professional women looking for a place to share inspiring life experiences, learn new things, conquer life challenges, thrive in society, and uplift the community through sisterhood, scholarship, and service. These dynamic women have built and sustained a well-known and highly respected reputation for leading positive change. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. is 500 chapters strong in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates.
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Delta Gamma Supports
the Women's Resource Center
by Gifting an Annual Speaker Series
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Brittany Coffman ’22, MBA ’23, former VP of Foundation for Cornell’s Chi Chapter of Delta Gamma says:
“Delta Gamma chose the Women’s Resource Center because their mission aligned with the legacy we wanted to make as a sorority at Cornell. From the beginning, we emphasized well-being and mental health for college women as an essential topic that offers a breadth of benefits for our audiences. Our goal to reach a range of people in the Ithaca community is fervently shared by the WRC.”
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Sigma Nu is Back and Giving Back to the Community |
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Sigma Nu returned to campus with 6 brothers at the start of the ’21-’22 academic year. In spring 2022, they recruited 21 new brothers for a total of 27 men.
This Semester Sigma Nu has hosted three major philanthropic events—Deal or Nu Deal, SNuper Bowl Squares, and 0321 Day—which have cumulatively raised thousands of dollars for charitable organizations such as the American Cancer Society, United Way of Tompkins County, and the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation.
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Alpha Chi Omega Participates Yearly in
Healthy Relationship Week
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Alpha Chi Omega has the privilege of raising money for organizations benefiting survivors of domestic violence, like OneLove (of which Cornell has its very own chapter!), and RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). Alpha Chi Omega also partners closely with the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County.
Our goal is to educate our community about the signs of a healthy relationship, while also raising money for the Advocacy Center. We spent two days tabling in Willard Straight Hall, giving out pins, information about the Advocacy Center, and selling Baked By Melissa cupcakes that we brought in from NYC!
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Phi Sigma Kappa Participates in
the Great Polar Plunge for Local
Special Olympic Athletes
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Student Leadership Spotlight |
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Alpha Phi Alpha's Mar'Quon Frederick
Earns a spot in the Summer Program in D.C.
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Mar'Quon is a sophomore at Cornell with a major in government and two minors in Inequality Studies and Crime, Prisons, Education, and Justice. This program only takes 13 students and it offers African-American male college students a chance to meet with prominent public and private sector leaders, along with participating in internships and leadership workshops.
Mar'Quon says:
"I wanted to learn more about how government works and how policy impacts the economy, And I know that it will help me develop a strong network."
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Introducing Phi Delta Theta's
New Chapter President Spencer Quan
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In August of 2021 as a transfer student, I could not have imagined that I would join a fraternity, much less be tasked with running one just a few months later. Within days of meeting the brothers at Phi Delta Theta, I knew I found my place here at Cornell.
The once foreign campus quickly turned into a familiar home with friendly faces everywhere. As President, I'm honored to have the opportunity of keeping Phi Delta Theta a welcoming and warm environment while also implementing changes that will improve the house for future generations to come. With the incredible guidance of seniors in the fraternity and the reliable support of my executive team, we're already off to a great start.
Our century-old house will soon have state-of-the-art study space and a quiet video-call room installed - just in time for our new member class of 14 amazing gentlemen. Although I've only held this responsibility for two weeks, I'm truly humbled to have the faith of the brotherhood and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Proud to be a Phi!
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Council Leadership Spotlights |
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IFC Exec Board President: Jordan Fuentes '23 |
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Hello! My name is Jordan Fuentes. I am a Junior in CALS, a proud member of Phi Kappa Tau, and the 2022 IFC President. As a first-generation low-income student, I am ecstatic to tell my future kids about my time as IFC President. Greek Life won’t have to be a complete mystery to them like it was for me. It can easily be a part of their world growing up now that I have come to find such a great home within the Cornell Greek community.
I want students of all walks of life to be able to find a home here as well. I am excited to work with the new executive board to continue supporting and growing the community we have in place so that current and future generations get to benefit from the unique experiences, people, and perspectives that Cornell Greek has to offer. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to make this happen.
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MGFC Exec Board President: Ashley Acosta '22 |
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Hey Everyone! My name is Ashley, I am a Senior studying Industrial and Labor Relations, and a proud Hermana of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. I have also served as the President of the Multicultural Greek and Fraternal Council for the past year.
I initially decided to become involved in the executive board after serving as the President of my own chapter, seeing the work that the MGFC executive board had been doing, and knowing that the work was essential to the livelihood of our community. I have always been extremely passionate about serving others and bringing the MGFC organizations closer together so that we could best serve others.
However, since being in this role, my passion has transformed into something much larger as I find myself being an advocate for underrepresented students on a larger university scale. I have thoroughly enjoyed shining light on all of the work that our organizations and members do, while also educating the broader Cornell community on all that Multicultural Greek life has to offer. I look forward to transitioning our next President into the role, and seeing what else MGFC has in store even after my time at Cornell has come to an end!
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PHC Exec Board President: Rebekah Ten Hagen |
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My name is Rebekah Ten Hagen, and I am the President of the Cornell Panhellenic Council for the 2022 calendar year. I am a junior in the ILR school studying Economics. I have found my involvement in the Cornell Greek community to be extremely valuable (participating in the Junior Panhellenic Council and serving as my chapter’s Panhellenic delegate), and I want to help future generations of Cornell women find the same value.
Having gone to an all-girls school for thirteen years, I understand the importance of communities of strong women who support each other. My executive board and I have decided to target our programming towards community building, focusing on inclusivity and the overall well-being of all our sisters. I am absolutely thrilled to work with the wider Cornell community and to enact positive change within a community that has been so meaningful to me.
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Spring Educational Program Highlights |
Panhellenic new members engaged in an in-program on February 6, 2022 with Tina VanSteenbergen. Tina shared her inspiring message as a framework for new members embarking on their sorority experience:
"We are far more empowered together than we can ever be alone. Together we can become better friends, better sisters, and better women. Together we can redefine what it means to be in a group of women. And together we can create a sorority experience that every woman wants and deserves."
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Lawrence Ross, author of Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses spoke to sorority and fraternity members on campus February 20, 2022. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is featured in a photo with members of the Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. from Cornell.
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Introducing the New Assistant Director of PHC
Maddy Field!
Maddy joined us, part-time/virtually beginning March 28 supporting the Panhellenic Council E-Board, and full-time, in Ithaca on May 23!
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Maddy graduated from Western Illinois University in 2019 with a B.A. in History. After graduation Maddy worked as a Leadership Consultant for her organization, Alpha Sigma Alpha. She served in this role for two years both traveling to different chapters in person and virtually supporting chapters across the country. Maddy has spent the 2021-2022 academic year at Iowa State University in the M.Ed in Student Affairs program. While in the program she served as the Leadership Education and Development Advisor in the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement and worked directly as the IFC Advisor.
During her time on staff at Alpha Sigma Alpha Headquarters, Maddy worked in all aspects of collegiate services including recruitment, ritual, scholarship, DEI, chapter coaching, standards, and more. At Iowa State University she served as the IFC advisor and coached the executive board to plan large-scale educational programming, philanthropic events, risk management initiatives and more. Additionally, she currently serves as a national volunteer for Alpha Sigma Alpha and has volunteered her time for several fraternal organizations as a facilitator for their various leadership development conferences. Welcome to the team, Maddy!
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Meet our SFL Intern
Alexander Breitling!
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Alexander (Alex) received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Sport Management from Troy University in Alabama. He is a brother of Alpha Tau Omega. He spent two years working in Troy’s Athletics Department where he developed his passion for working with students in a professional role. This led him to his current role at Oklahoma State University as the Graduate Teaching Assistant for student organizations while he completes his master’s degree in College Student Development. Alexander is hopeful for a life-long career working with diverse student populations in a student affairs position. He has enjoyed his time working in our office here at Cornell in a virtual capacity thus far and is eager to continue meeting students from the Cornell Sorority and Fraternity community. |
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The Order of Omega is Accepting Applications
for its 84th Tapping Class Now!
Requirements to join The Order:
- Junior standing or higher
- Current or previous office in an MGFC/IFC/Panhellenic executive board or chapter, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Continuing dedication to the Greek community at Cornell University
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The application can be found here: https://forms.gle/qG48SvBwnUQXddCA8
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Please reach out to Nicolas Sweet at ncs76@cornell.edu with any questions.
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Upcoming Events & Trainings |
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SFL Mid-Semester Update Webinar- April 14, 2022 at 4:00 PM (Zoom-click link to register)
- MGFC Greek Freak- April 17, 2022 at 7:00 PM (Barton Hall); Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
- House Managers Meeting (univ. owned houses only)- April 21, 2022 at 5:00 PM (Goldwin Smith Hall 181)
- Slope Day Summit- April 27, 2022 at 4:30 PM (Uris Hall G01)
- MGFC Gala- April 29, 2022 at 8:00 PM (Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room)
- End of Year Live In Advisor Gathering- May 4, 2022 at 6:00 PM (The Regent Lounge)
- End of Year Award Winner Gathering- May 9, 2022 at 4:30 PM (Willard Straight Hall 519)
- Slope Day- May 11, 2022 (Libe Slope)
- Senior Days- May 22-26, 2022 (Various Locations)
- Senior Convocation- May 25, 2022 at 12:00 PM (Barton Hall)
- Commencement- May 28, 2022 (Schoellkopf Field)
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The Cornell Outcomes Dashboard is an interactive tool that allows you to view the wide variety of paths Cornellians take after graduating. You can filter by year(s), degree level(s), college program(s) and major/field(s) and explore salary statistics, postgraduate activity, employer sectors, geographic distribution, and more.
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CUeLINKS Projects
Are you looking for brief, short-term projects to build work skills? Are you interested in meeting Cornell alumni in the process? Check out “Projects” in CUeLINKS. These unpaid experiences can help students gain career readiness skills. Students can sign up for CUeLINKS and then go to the “opportunities” tab.
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Have questions or concerns?
(607) 255-2310
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