Maybe this is what happened:

A quote to start off this post:

"Each of us has much more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us."
-Muhammad Yunus

I'd like to think that this quote sums up the goal of this class and our responsibilities as Greeks. But on with the show:

The mission: Interview Greeks from different councils and get the scoop on what values and rituals mean to them and return to Mission Control by 5:30pm.

Our Strategy: Walk down 15th avenue and start knocking on doors while calling our contacts from other councils.

The Debrief: Team MCGC, down 2 vital members, managed to interview 3 PHA members, 3 IFC members, 1 NPHC member, and 3 MCGC members. During our mission, we came across the same general answers such as service and brotherhood/sisterhood. One response was even partying. Which makes me wonder, do we as a community truly understand our values? Ritual was also a tough question. The first response was "Ritual? Uhhhh..." The consensus was that it was a way for current members to connect with past generations and strengthens the bonds between members. What I did not have a chance to ask was, "What does it do for you, personally?" Nor did they offer their own opinions.

The Conclusion: I'm not too sure that our community walks the talk. Are we living the ritual? No one I asked told me their mission statement/creed unprovoked. Now, I know I'm not perfect, so I can't be the one to point the finger. I'm just as guilty as the next person. But I'm willing to work on it. It's one of the reasons why I took an e-board position on my council. I have no choice but to start walking to talk if I'm to gain the trust of my council members and peers.

So what happened? I think a re-evaluation of our values and the meaning of the Ritual happened. It broke my heart to hear someone say that his chapter's values were "sex, drugs, and fraterol." That is a huge giant step back and if our own members aren't willing to challenge and change the Greek stereotypes, I don't know how much we can do. It was disheartening to hear that. A group of us sat there, thinking, "This guy for real?" Here we are, a dynamic group of students, but I feel as if we're preaching to deaf ears.

But on a lighter note, I did feel that we bonded as a council. Walking out of Stillman, we were thinking "uhhhh we don't know any of the houses." We thought we would just walk around and call friends we had. But we had a mission, and the three of us marched toward 15th. We decided to knock on doors and go up to people. Surprisingly, we did pretty well for just 3 people. It was a total team effort and I was happy to walk back with the results we had. Granted, it might not be as much as the other councils, but I am more happy with the fact that I feel closer to them as a council than I had before. It makes me that much more excited to start our positions and lead our council.

And, last but not least: This mission was a microcosm of the next 52 weeks and on, of going out into our community and trying to bring awareness to what Greeks stand for and our potential as future leaders. Friday was focusing on values, but we have so many other aspects to focus on. Our work is just beginning!! This activity was just a taste of what we can expect, especially what obstacles we're going to face. If Greeks think that their chapter values partying, we have a long road ahead of us. But I know we're all up to the challenge!