Written by: Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter at Trine University
Former United States President, Brother John F. Kennedy once said that "only in winter can you tell which trees are truly green and only when the winds of adversity blow can you tell whether an individual or a country has steadfastness." When faced with the many challenges presented with COVID-19, we, the Brothers at the Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, held the sentiment behind this quote near and dear to our hearts. Persevering in unprecedented times, as Brother Kennedy noted, was integral in determining how true we are to our Fraternal values and how successful we will be moving forward.
Chapter performance coach Seth Ware speaks to Indiana Alpha Gamma collegiate members
As COVID-19 cases continued to grow, college campuses had to decide if they should remain open or close operations for the rest of the semester. While we awaited Trine's campus status, our Chapter leadership proactively convened to determine how to prepare for the last half of the spring semester. The two main issues addressed were how each leadership position would conduct their duties like normal and how the Chapter could conduct meetings with all members. With nearly all of our Brothers residing in the house, most of them decided to stay and continue to fulfill their fraternal, intellectual, social, spiritual, and leadership duties. Our Chapter decided to conduct meetings in the basement where social distancing practices could take place. We also utilized Zoom's free conference platform to ensure other Brothers could partake virtually. The continued meetings and virtual calls afforded our Chapter leaders to complete tasks and report results. While the University had transitioned from in-person lectures to online classes, our Brothers' spirit and liveliness remained the same. All of our Brothers were there to support each other in our own personal, fraternal, and even scholastic development as we all shared a common goal–to maintain our Brotherhood. Our efforts transpired well into the end of the semester when elections came around. We held elections virtually while protecting the privacy of each candidate's speeches, the confidentiality of voting, and the secrecy of our Fraternity rituals.
As we moved into the 2020-2021 academic year with a plan to keep our Brothers and our community safe and healthy, we continued to fulfill our chapter duties "as usual" as we were determined to continue to succeed in all of our endeavors. As leaders and as Brothers, it is our duty to stay true to this goal. Our Brotherhood asked, "Where are we going?". It was imperative and ironic to contribute to and have a successful Quo Vadis (QV) given the unexpected pandemic. In years past, the chapter Vice President has set up QV to be a weekend retreat somewhere away from the house, although this year, we decided it would be smart to hold QV at the house while also following our COVID-19 protocols. With the help of our advisor Dr. Sean Carrol, our performance coach, Seth Ware, and our Vice President JJ Whicker, as well as the rest of our Brotherhood, we selected three "SMART" goals of Recruitment, Alumni Relations, and Developing Leaders. Each of these goals had their respective metrics to determine success. When discussing potential plans, we considered them in the best-case and worst-case scenario to ensure we remained flexible to achieve our goals. We knew that communicating our tasks was necessary to reach our goals, so we remained open to the idea of meeting virtually.
Chapters members on a virtual call with various alumni
Operating a chapter, let alone a successful one, is no easy feat, especially in these unprecedented times. We upheld leadership decisions and precedents set in the spring and even considered some new operating norms. Once we were back on campus, our leaders continued to meet through Zoom instead of in the house. For large group gatherings, such as our Chapter meetings, we now utilize a large lecture hall on campus for a safer environment. Additionally, if a Brother or new member cannot attend or wishes not to participate in person, we have followed the precedent set by our University by offering a Zoom conference as an alternative method of attendance. Utilizing the Zoom platform has made it more convenient to meet with our alumni, such as Thomas Pompeii, to help mentor our chapter members. We also look forward to utilizing Zoom to meet with our National Fraternity President, Doug Dilling.
Expressing the importance of our ideals is nearly impossible without conducting our pinning and initiation ceremonies. We did not want to take these experiences away from our spring new member class. We held a formal, in-person initiation ceremony for them at the beginning of the semester. Most of the class moved into the house for this year, and we already established house rules for COVID-19, so everyone was masked and socially distanced.
Recruitment event adhering to COVID-19 policies at Trine University
While we had to cancel events, we successfully coordinated new ones that followed safety guidelines. It was important for us to remain conscious of our community's health and safety. We continue to look for ways to innovate and have explored the idea of conducting a virtual silent auction at the end of the semester.
To secure success now and always, we needed to stay focused on recruiting quality men into our Brotherhood, as indicated by one of our QV goals. With a fall semester starting two weeks earlier than usual, the combination of beautiful weather and a sand volleyball court attached to the side of our house–we figured we were all set to have a successful recruiting semester–and we were right! We had returning brothers, new members, and potential new members playing volleyball every day after classes for the first month and a half. The outdoor, spacious courts fostered an environment perfect for strengthening our Brotherhood. We introduced ourselves to potential new members and found a way to relax during these stressful times while abiding by COVID-19 guidelines. With the success of our informal and formal events for recruitment, we decided to hold a larger event that would still be safe and manageable. We planned a cookout alongside our volleyball games. All aspects of the Brotherhood were present as stories, laughs, and food had been provided around volleyball. Shortly before the midpoint in the semester, our Dean of Students notified us that off-campus events would no longer be permitted. In addition to other policies affecting in-person gatherings, we planned on-campus events and virtual events while abiding under COVID-19 guidelines.
Despite recent challenges and obstacles yet to come, we remain steadfast in our values and duties to our community, each other, and God. Our faculty advisor Dr. Sean Carroll once reminded us that we are "gentlemen and scholars" and that "gentlemen never willingly cause suffering and scholars are always willing to learn." More than ever, these times allow our Chapter to show the world that we truly are Phi Kappa Theta gentlemen and scholars.