Two governing councils in MSU’s Fraternity and Sorority Life were recognized at the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) Central at the end of January. Per AFLV, the conference, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the largest and most diverse gathering of fraternal stakeholders in the country, with thousands of participants from more than 150 campuses.
Earning recognition for MSU’s fraternities and sororities amongst so many on such a national stage is a big deal, says Tavyn Smith, coordinator in MSU Fraternity and Sorority Life for the Panhellenic Council (PC). Smith encouraged then-council president Cydney Eberhard to apply.
"I was specifically encouraged since I was President and understood what was going on with every one of my council members," said Eberhard. "As I was putting together the applications and reading the levels and requirements, I started realizing that we met a lot more requirements than I originally thought, which made my motivation for finishing the application extremely high."
The council won two one-star awards in the categories of collaboration and education. Awards vary in levels, from one to three stars. The council was awarded in collaboration for its ability to work amongst the council chapters, staff and the larger community. In the education category, the council was recognized for its ability to educate all members about necessary, relevant and progressive topics.
While the council didn’t walk away with a two- or three-star award, Smith thinks this is certainly something for the councils to build on. The National PanHellenic Council (NPHC) at MSU also earned a one-star award in collaboration. Eberhard was elated to hear the news for them too.
"I was so excited when Tavyn sent us a photo of our award recognition! I was even more elated when both Panhellenic and National Pan-Hellenic were awarded the same star in the same category. Our councils worked so hard this year and it was so motivating to see that hard work being recognized, showing us that we made a difference in our terms."
Likewise, Xavien Johns, coordinator for the NPHC also thinks these recognitions allow the students some important momentum.
“It 100 percent gives them a hunger [to acquire two- and three-star awards]. This community has been through a lot. I think the one-star award was able to give them the validation for the work that they do,” says Johns. “We’ve had all these different conversations at our executive board meetings, where we’re talking about these broad pictures of how we want to impact change in various communities.”
Current NPHC president and kinesiology senior, Kendall Turk, notes the hard work through collaborations with entities like the MSU Federal Credit Union and Counseling & Psychiatric Services as well as the Black Students’ Alliance and the Neighborhood Student Success Center as key efforts that led to the recognition; this, on top of cross-council and inter-council collaborations between the historically Black fraternities and sororities.
“I feel like all the hard work that I, as well as my council, have been doing, putting in countless hours outside of e-board meetings and stuff — for that to pay off means a lot,” says Turk.
Yet the recognition, which she believes is the first for MSU’s NPHC, is more than just a testament to their hard work. It’s historic and says something more about fraternity and sorority life specifically at MSU.
“Getting recognition for events and community service — that’s the purpose of our organizations — was really nice,” Turk says, acknowledging how awards like this help against harmful misconceptions and stereotypes about students in fraternities and sororities.
“I think it helps to counteract stereotypes that all we do is stroll and party. Having an award like this shows, first of all, that we all get along as a community. But it also shows that we are actively working to better our community.”
Smith and Johns say they too know the stereotypes associated with fraternity and sorority life and believe these awards set a new standard for FSL at MSU. They show a page is turning and that expectations have risen. Students will be eyeing more collaboration, and stars, in the future.
While Turk will be graduating soon, she sees the awards as a bit of a battery to push the FSL councils and organizations into new heights. But it started with these awards.
“I told [the students,] ‘There are a lot of schools that came to AFLV. We’re talking about 3,500 students. But 3,500 students did not leave with recognition,’” declares Johns. “I think it's always great for students trying to set new expectations, goals and milestones for their communities to have a second, a pause in the middle of their term heading into the spring programming, and just get a pat on the back, right? To get a, ‘Hey, you're moving in the right direction.’”