Unleash your creativity to stand out among the crowd - Phi Chi Theta

THE IRISFall 2011Get CreativeUnleash your creativity to standout among the crowd+ A Roadmap to SocialMedia Success+ A Rushing Success+ ‘Tis the Season ofJob Searching+ Crafting an EffectivePresentation+ Tips for a Successful Rush

Picture YourFutureFall 2011 | CONTENTS8Remembering KayKim Gary, Dallas alumna, pays tributeto Kay Durden, a PCT leader, mentorand friend.15‘Tis the Season ofJob SearchingThree tips to find motivation when jobsearching this holiday season.18A Roadmap to SocialMedia SuccessLearn how your chapter can use socialmedia to establish a campus identity.20Crafting an EffectivePresentationLearn how to engage your audienceand craft an effective presentation.5 Fraternity News11 A Rushing SuccessSAVE THE DATE2012 National MeetingHyatt Regency RochesterRochester, NYAugust 1-5, 2012Fraternity • ProfessionalSocial • Leadership • Community12 An In-Debt Education16 Tips for a Successful Rush23 A Different ViewConnect with Us!Join the social media revolution and registernow as a member at www.phichitheta.org. Anddon’t forget to connect with us on Facebookand LinkedIn.Cover: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image Opposite page: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net3

FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT - GARY HODGEEach Founders’ Day, we take a few moments to honor and rememberour founders to pay tribute to those who came before us andto thank them for giving us our great fraternity. It also gives us anopportunity to reconnect with our past and remember the truepurpose of Phi Chi Theta. In today’s modern world, we can at timesbecome lost in the clutter. We can become too focused on progressor the next best thing and lose sight of why we are here. Please takea moment this Founders’ Day to remember and reconnect with ourpast. Remember why you joined Phi Chi Theta in the first place. Thiswill help us to remain true to our purpose as we chart our course forthe future.As we celebrate Founders’ Day, also take a moment to remember allof our members who have served and supported our fraternity andhave advanced our cause. Remember the members who helped toform, grow and support your local chapters. Everyone plays a rolein our success as an organization. In particular, I would like youto remember Dr. Kay Durden. Kay was life member and a formerNational President. She passed away on November 30, 2010, after acourageous battle with cancer.Kay was an active advisor to our Beta Chi for many years. She wasinvolved at both on a local and national level. Although she was notan initiated member, her involvement was so outstanding that shewas initiated by Beta Chi on May 25, 1964, by a special resolution ofthe National Executive Council that created a one-time exception tothe bylaws membership requirement. As an initiated member, Kaythen went on to serve in many positions at the national level includingtwo terms as National President from 1995 to 1998 and againfrom 1998 to 2000. Most importantly, she helped govern our Fraternityduring very tumultuous times.In the summer of 1989, there was a resolution pending to dissolvePhi Chi Theta. We had fallen on hard times, membership numberswere decreasing and there was a general lack of interest in continuingon as an organization. Lucky for us, a number of alumnistepped up to lead Phi Chi Theta into a new era. Kay was one ofthese alumni. She was instrumental in re-establishing Phi Chi Thetaas a successful organization. For these efforts, I consider Kay a “newfounder” of Phi Chi Theta. To commemorate her years of service anddedication to Phi Chi Theta, the Phi Chi Theta Educational Foundationhas established a scholarship in Kay’s name. Kay greatly enjoyedand understood her responsibilities as an educator. A scholarship inher name is a fitting way to honor her life and memory. Please considerdonating to this scholarship. The Foundation plans to awardthe first Dr. Kay Durden Memorial Scholarship at the 2012 NationalChapter meeting in Rochester, NY.The IRISFall 2011© 2011 Phi Chi Theta. First published1963.EDITORDavid Casey, Houston AlumniE: dwcasey13@hotmail.comC: 713.560.9721ARTICLE SUBMISSIONSSend articles and photos via email todwcasey13@hotmail.com Photographsmust be in jpeg fomat.Submission DeadlinesFall- October 15Spring - March 1PHI CHI THETA HEADQUARTERS1508 E. Beltline Road, #104Carrollton, TX 75006Tel: (972) 245-7202E: ExecutiveDirector@ phichitheta.orgEXECUTIVE COUNCILGary Hodge, National PresidentAbby Lieberman, VP of Internal AffairsMary Ellen Lewis, VP of ExpansionBrandon McArthur, Central RegionalDirectorMonica Connor, Western RegionalDirectorBill Schutte, Southern Regional DirectorMelissa Hall, Eastern Regional DirectorPOLICY BOARDBetsy Brasher, Policy Board ChairGary Hodge, National PresidentEric Lui, Policy Board MemberSaundra Finley, Executive DirectorDavid Casey, National IRIS EditorFOUNDATION BOARD OFDIRECTORSFrances Spencer, PresidentAnnette Stewart, SecretaryMary Ellen Lewis, Treasurer andScholarship ChairMissy Bolin, Assistant TreasurerGary Hodge, Phi Chi Theta PresidentWhitney Davison, Chair of 50/50,Calling CampaignDavid DurhamPeter Miller, Editor of eEdNewsAndrew NohDo You Want toLeave a PositiveImpact on Phi ChiTheta?In January, Phi Chi Theta launchedthe National Mentoring Program.This is the first official year of thePhi Chi Theta National MentoringProgram and within our first yearwe had 55 alumni and 119 activessign up. We were able to match 72actives with alumni this year acrossvarious industries such as consulting,real estate, human resources,healthcare, and aviation. Part ofour commitment as members is topromote the cause of higher businesseducation and training for allindividuals and in order to bestachieve this standard, the NationalMentoring Program has establisheda mentor and mentee relationshipbetween alumni and actives. Activesand alumni get the chance to learnfrom each other and build relationshipsthroughout the 12 week program.We are fortunate to have suchsuccessful alumni who can providesome insight on what its like towork for companies such as McKinsey& Company, Deloitte, Ernstand Young, Cisco Systems, J.P. Morgan,Morgan Stanley, Accenture,and many more. Throughout the 12week program alumni and activesare given weekly topics that they canuse as guidelines to discuss certainaspects ranging from resume critiquesto understanding each othersdemographics and interests. Thegoal of our program is to build lastingrelationships through learningand communication during these12 weeks. We have over 10 differentuniversities participating and wehope this number will continue togrow as the mentoring program allowsPCT network to become closerby connecting alumni and activesthroughout the nation. If you haveany more questions, please feel freeto reach out to us!fraternity | newsPhi Chi ThetaFoundationWelcomes NewPresidentThe Phi Chi Theta foundation haselected Frances Spencer as President.As one of her first acts as president,Spencer thanked Greg Holden,Immediate Past President for hislong-standing service to the foundation.She stated, “I would be remissif I did not start off my term of officewith a ‘Thank You’ to Greg Holden”She mentioned given the recent and4 5

fraternity | newsfraternity | newscurrent economic climate overall and the negative impactthat has had on personal charitable giving duringthis period,Greg kept the Foundation focused on providing pertinentinformation about the Foundation and its fundraisingefforts even amid a sizeable reduction in ourcontributions. She went on to say that his leadershipprovided the Foundation with a solid direction.Spencer states though many charitable organizationshave struggled, the Foundation has been fortunate tohave experienced growth and noted the usual numberof scholarships were granted this past summer despitethe economic downturn.She says, “We have tried very hard to make sure ourdonor base realizes the Trustees of the Foundation areall personally involved with the activities of the Foundation;we are not a nameless, faceless fund raisingthird party ‘hired’ by an organizationto augment contributions.” As2012 approaches, Spencer says theFoundation is planning for the biennialnational meeting to be held inRochester, New York. She encouragesanyone who is interested in workingwith the Foundation in regards to itssilent auction, professional presentationor other activities to contact theFoundation at FoundationInfo@phichitheta.org.About Frances SpencerFrances Spencer is Principal at The Pendulum Partners.She is a trustee and president of the Phi Chi Theta EducationalFoundation, president of the Chicago alumnichapter, a Phi Chi Theta Naomi Satterfield AchievementAward recipient and a Phi Chi Theta Hall of Fame member.She is a lifelong resident of Chicago.ing, fundraising, professional activities and outreach.Phi Chi Theta Announces NewVP of Internal AffairsIn national news, National Vice President of InternalAffairs, Bill Crane has stepped down for personal reasons.He stated that he wants to devote more time to hispersonal life and responsibilities.Crane was an effective member of the executive counciland previously served as Central Regional Director.Gary Hodge, National President, nominated Abby Liebermanto fill his vacancy and the executive councilhas approved her appointment. Lieberman, a former regionaldirector, has recently chaired two national committeesprior to her appointment. She is well-versed inthe procedures of Phi Chi Theta and understands theemony, which will take place after Gamma Iota’s PledgeInitiation Ceremony. A barbecue was also planned forthis past summer. During a delightful breakfast preparedby Mary Ellen, a myriad of topics were discussed.The PCT Educational Foundation’s 50/50 campaign,the importance of alumni presence at Rush, upcomingFounders’ Day activities, the “buddy system program”and the upcoming Western Regional Meeting inSan Mateo, California were all important items on theagenda. The meeting was very productive and kicked offthe beginning of a successful semester for the DenverAlumni Chapter.needs of our chapters.2012 National MeetingTo Be Held inRochester, NYKick-off MeetingSpawns IdeasSave the date. The National Meeting willbe held in Rochester, New York at theHyatt Regency on August 1-5, 2012 atthe Hyatt Regency Rochester. The meetingwill include the Phi Chi Theta EducationalFoundation’s biennial luncheonand silent auction, bylaws and budget reviewand regional meetings. In addition,there will be workshops and guest speakerson networking, career developmentand chapter sessions on rushing, pledg-Earlier this year, the DenverAlumni held their chapter kickoffmeeting for the Spring semester.Over a dozen alumni met atthe home of Mary Ellen Lewis anddiscussed several ways to engagethe Gamma Iota chapter at Universityof Colorado Denver. Ledby past chapter president RandyTerrell, meeting ideas included aspecial alumni welcome meetingand the Alumni Initiation Cer-67

LEGACY | Kay Durden 1950-2010Remembering KayA Tribute to Dr. Kay Durden -- a PCT Leader, Mentor and FriendIn December 2010, Phi Chi Theta lost an amazingwoman, a dedicated member, a mentor and a friendto a myriad of students, fellow members and faculty.Dr. Kay Durden, professor emeritus of informationsystems, was actively involved in Phi Chi Theta andthe University of Tennessee family for over 50 years.In 2008, she retired from the University of Tennesseeat Martin. Kay was an animated teacher, advisor, mentorand friend who set high standards and expectationsand who always encouraged those aroundher to do their best. As a Phi Chi Thetamember, Kay joined the Beta Chichapter at UT Martin and aftergraduation, remained activelyinvolved in the Martin AlumniChapter. In addition, Kayserved in many local and nationalpositions, includingNational VP of Internal Affairsand National President.In 1992, I had the privilegeof meeting Kay at the NationalMeeting in Atlanta, where I waselected Central-Western RegionalDirector. From the minute I metKay, I thought she was a neat and wonderfullady. We quickly became friends and I instantlyrealized she would always be one of my supporters.At the meeting, Kay was elected National Vice Presidentof Internal Affairs, which meant she would bethe direct liaison to all the regional directors. Eachtime I ran into a road block or had something to celebrate,I would call Kay. She was always there with asmile on her face and words of encouragement for meand every Phi Chi Theta member who sought her out.In 1995, Kay was elected National President at the NationalMeeting in Dallas and served in that positionuntil 2000. Being National President of Phi Chi Thetafor five years definitely shows the dedication Kay hadfor her beloved fraternity! She was one ofthe most dedicated members to PhiChi Theta that I have ever known.During her last year as NationalPresident, Kay was diagnosedwith breast cancer. She foughtbreast cancer, or “the beast,”as she called it, with totalclass. Kay never let cancerget her down and in fact, sherelied on her amazing senseof humor to wage her battleagainst cancer. If you were talkingto Kay and she forgot something,she would always blame iton her “chemo brain.” She never let thecancer get in the way of her work, Phi ChiTheta or her family. At the 2000 National Meeting inNashville, Kay was honored with a travel gift certificatefrom her Phi Chi Theta brothers and sisters to honor herfor her dedication to our fraternity and for her courageousbattle with cancer. Additionally, she was awardedthe Naomi L. Satterfield Alumni Achievement Award.In 2000, I became National President and was honoredto continue working with Kay in her position as ImmediatePast National President. Kay was always there forme and was a mentor during my tenure as National Presidentand again during my time as Past National President.My most challenging year as a national officer wasduring my term as Immediate Past National President.Even though Kay was no longer serving on a nationallevel, she was always a phone call away. She never turnedme away when I needed advice and was always there withwords of encouragement to tell me what a great job I wasdoing as a national officer. Although Kay was no longerserving on the national level, she remained extremelyactive in many capacities. She graciously served for fouryears as the Chairperson of the By-Laws Committee.he Phi Chi Theta Educational Foundation ishonored to announce that a memorial fund hasbeen established in memory of Dr. Kay Durdenfor her many years of support and service as a leader,teacher, mentor and friend to many students, membersand faculty in Phi Chi Theta Fraternity and the Universityof Tennessee community. The Board is pleasedto be able to honor this remarkable woman, who hasmade significant contributions and an impact on a myriadof members including alumnae, students and businessprofessionals who she has touched over the years.The Foundation is raising funds now so that theycan begin awarding scholarships from this from memorialfund at the 2012 National Chapter Meeting.Make your pledge today Memorial ScholarshipIn August of 2010, unfortunately I received an emailfrom Kay just prior to the National Meeting in Orlando.Kay told me that she wasn’t feeling well andwould not be attending the meeting, but to give everyoneher love and to please send her photos. Evenwhile Kay was sick, she had Phi Chi Theta on hermind and worried about us. This was the first nationalmeeting that Kay had missed in many years.In October of 2010, we learned, with much sadness,that Kay had been diagnosed with stomach cancer.As I look back at all my Phi Chi Theta scrapbooks, Ithink of all the great times I had with Phi Chi Theta,especially with Kay. She was a wonderful, kind and aloving friend who will be missed dearly. Kay was notonly a Phi Chi Theta Sister, but she was a true friendto me and I am extremely honored to have servedon the Phi Chi Theta board with her for 14 years.Kay, I want to thank you for all your love, compassion andsupport for me and our Phi Chi Theta family. Your guidanceand care will never be forgotten. You will be missedby all of your Phi Chi Theta brothers and sisters and by everyonewhose life you have touched. God Bless you, Kay.Kim Gary, Alpha Nu, is a Life Member of Phi Chi Thetaand has been involved in Phi Chi Theta at the local,regional and national level for almost 20 years, includingserving as National President (2000-2002). Gary isa Senior Agency Field Specialist with State Farm in Dallas,TX. She can be reached at kimgary@gmail.com.Fund by going to www.phichitheta.org and donateunder the Educational Foundation tab. You can alsouse your credit card to make a secure 100% tax-deductibleonline donation through JustGive at www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=31-1672618.Your contribution to the Dr. Kay Durden MemorialFund will ensure that her spirit, dedicationand impact that Kay made to Phi Chi Thetaand its members will never be forgotten.89

FOUNDATIONIN MEMORIUM2010-2011 HONOR ROLL OF DONORSMary M. SeymourIota chapter at Wisconsin University. Initiated onDecember 11, 1940, Mary was a member of the Madisonalumni and a past national president from 1956to 1958. Mary was born in 1919 and passed away onSeptember 22, 2011. She was a 1941 graduate of UWMadison Business School with a degree in accounting.She worked as an audit supervisor for the State ofWisconsin Department of Health and Social Servicesfor 38 years until her retirement in 1979 and was a lifemember.Ann M. MannoAlpha chapter at Columbia University. Initiated onMarch 2, 1950. She passed away on April 2, 2011.Susan StepanDelta chapter at Northwestern University. Initiatedon June 10, 1972, Susan was a member of the Chicagoalumni. She passed away on March 25, 2011 at the ageof 66. Susan was a professional writer and receivedmany awards.Hope MoralesColorado Alpha & Denver alumni. Initiated onDecember 5, 1964, Hope was a Colorado Alpha and aDenver alumni member. She passed away on March16, 2011 from lung cancer.June G. RuthDelta chapter at Northwestern University. Initiatedon May 10, 1963, June was a member of the Chicagoalumni. She passed away November 21, 2010 at the ageof 90.Kathryn Jean StagerOregon Beta chapter at the University of Oregon.Initiated on November 5, 1952, she was born on July18, 1932 in Portland. She passed away on October 26,2010. She was 78.Dorothy Brooks O’CallaghanUpsilon chapter at Georgia State University. Initiatedon February 8, 1948, Dorothy was a member of theAtlanta alumni chapter. She passed away on October25, 2010Lavender ($10-$99)Madelyn and Mike AlbertRachel AmiceAshleigh BowenAmelse BrookePauline CheanCarolyn R. ChristyMonica ConnorWhitney DavisonKatie GriffinRick HansmannElise KiddGreg LandersLynette LemkeJoe LiDanity LittleLance MarquezSara MitchellAnna NguyenNancy RinkerJanet RothLily SnyderNancy StallingsAnnette StewartLisa TrujilloSandra TuresonMeridith WeinrichGold ($100-$149)Betsy BrasherW. Carolyn EdwardsSaundra FinleyJerold (Bill) HaleySummer WejrochZeta Gamma ChapterPearl ($150-$199)Dawn GabrieleKim GaryAndrew NohMartin AlumniIris ($200-$499)David DurhamGary HodgeGreg HoldenMartin Alumni ChapterPeter MillerFrances SpencerPresident’s Circle ($500 -$1,000)Booz Allen HamiltonMary Ellen LewisMichael NichollsSpecial DonationsT-Shirt Sales at the 2010National Convention - $351Raffle Tickets at the 2010National Convention - $213Transfer from Phi Chi ThetaFraternity - $500 for theAnna Hall/Helen Snow MemorialScholarships.A Rushing SuccessDelta Chi Explains How to Plan A Successful RushFor the past three semesters, Delta Chihas seen extraordinary growth in the sizeof its pledge classes. What attributed totheir success were classroom announcements,tabling and non-formal events.For example, classroom announcements are one ofthe most critical, but seldom done marketing techniquesto market towards potential pledges. Not onlydo chapters reach a large audience quickly, but currentmembers gain valuable business experience.During these classroom announcements, membersspoke about their personal experiences with Phi ChiTheta. We noticed how students were more interested injoining because of the way our members delivered themessage. Personal selling plays a big role in this marketingtechnique, so it is good to have members practice infront of an audience such as chapter meetings. Memberswill feel more at ease and deliver the message in a clearand concise manner. After the announcement, memberspassed around fliers with online links to our Facebookpage and event dates. On the Facebook page, we postedthe chapter flier and recent member photos. We also invitepotential members to “like” our chapter Facebook page.Members also encouraged students to visit them andmeet other members at their rush table. Tabling gaveDelta Chi the opportunity to establish a relationship withstudents and get their contact information. Once studentscame to their rush table, we had them sign-in sheetprepared to capture potential pledges’ names and phonenumbers. Capturing phone numbers were important sothat we could use mobile marketing to send out masstext messages, informing them about upcoming events.Delta Chi had three non-formal events in one week.Non-formal events allowed our chapter to show off oursocial aspect. In addition, it takes the edge off and it iseasier to build rapport. Our first event was Meet theChapter, where we rented out a room on campus andserved snacks and beverages. This was a great opportunityfor students to become more familiar and connectwith our members before Information Night. DuringInformation Night, we had a presentation about ourchapter along with a Q&A session. We had our membersintroduced themselves and their current positions.During the presentation, members shared their ownpersonal story of how Phi Chi Theta has affected theirlives. Our final event was Game Night, where we hadour members bring various games that worked withlarge groups, such as Catchphrase. Game Night has alwaysbeen a blast because we can show off our chapter’spersonalities. This event is a pivotal event because at theend we invite students to sign up for entrance interviews.Events such as these coupled with solid and well-conceivedmarketing techniques can strengthen the effectivenessof any rush campaign. A strong chapterhas the ability to allow potential fraternal candidatesan inside look and help them feel welcomed. Beingable to engage others and allow them to see whoyou are as a fraternity is the key to a success rush.Andrew Roth, Executive Vice President Delta ChiChapter1011

MONEY | MATTERSAn In-Debt EducationHow to cut your student loans in half and manage your student debt.You don’t need to be afinance major to knowthat debt can be harmfulif used inappropriatelyand student loansare no exception. The FinancialTimes states that, “US universitystudents and graduates are facinga double whammy of ballooningdebts and high unemployment,raising worries that a potentialdelinquency crisis could bleed intothe wider economy.”Just think about it. When I checkedthe current federal student loanrates, they were running at 6.8percent on my loans. Currentprime rate mortgages are usuallylower than that (4.625 percent ona 30-year fixed as of July 22, 2011).They typically have a longer repaymentperiod—30 years versus thestandard 10 years for student loans.With education expenses soaring,it only takes a short amount of timeto accumulate a staggering amountof debt. I estimate the current fullcost of tuition for both undergraduateand graduate school at theUniversity of Colorado at Denverto cost around $56,300 includingtextbooks at about $100 each. Thisestimation is based on one beinga state resident and the ability totake the College Opportunity Fundtuition credit (a state tuition reimbursementprogram). Over a 10-year repayment plan at 6.8 percent,the monthly payment would be$647.90. That is more than my rent!Once you get around $100,000, thepayment is looking about the size ofa mortgage payment, but with noneof the equity asset benefits. Andthat is only if you are able to get allfederal student loans and are able toconsolidate them. Typically, privatelenders do not consolidate studentloans, so if you have to borrow privately,it can be even more difficultto pay off the debt since you will bemaking separate payments to eachlender.However, this article is not intendedto scare anyone. As mentioned,debt can be a very useful tool ifused appropriately. I have usedmany of the suggestions below anddropped my student loans frompotentially close to $50,000 (wentto community college) to under$27,000 using a few, smart financingtips. Control of your studentloans now, as with any debt, willreap many benefits for you later onin your lifetime.Get someone else to pay for yourentire educational experience.Parents, family members or evenfull-ride scholarships are greatsources when it comes to paying foryour education. However is theseresources are not available to you,the military and various employerswill also pay for all or partial tuitionreimbursement.Work your way through school.Try to pay as many “operational”expenses from your paycheck aspossible and to use your studentloans only for tuition. Even payingfor one textbook out of yourpaycheck here and there adds up. Itis also helpful to pay student loanrefunds back to student loan debtif you are not using them for livingexpenses or other necessary costs. Iwas able to make extra loan paymentsfrom my paychecks after Igraduated with my undergraduatedegree. My loans came out of defermentfor a while between degreeprograms. Since I already had thepayments budgeted in, I continuedpaying them during graduateschool and that reduced my principalbalance drastically. But if youcan’t work a full or part time job,there are many unique ways to earna little extra money here and there.Odd jobs such as pet sitting, babysitting,or seasonal work aroundthe holidays can provide additionalincome. I used a second job to payfor each of my summer classes,eliminating the need for summerstudent loans.Apply for as many scholarships asyou can. The amount of scholarshipsyou apply for canincreased your chancesof meeting your goal ofpaying for education anddecreasing your schooldebt. By paying a majorityof your tuition costsin the beginning, youwill have fewer studentloans to accrue intereston. Though studentloans are tax deductible,the interest that accruesis money that will increaseyour overall debtand not help reduce it.Regarding scholarships,there are several placesto try. First, and mostobvious, there are the PhiChi Theta Educational Foundationscholarships given out each year.You can find a scholarship applicationonline at www.phichitheta.org.This is a great resource and an under-utilizedresource. Most membersdo not apply, so your chancesof being awarded a scholarship isgreater than average. Another greatresource is your school’s financialoffice or faculty department. Forinstance, I applied for the Finance’sdepartment scholarships in myexact program that can be foundon the Business School website andwon them repeatedly. They are notwell known, but they are easy toapply for. Every $1,000 helps. Thereare also scholarship search enginessuch as fastweb.com that sends youemails when you qualify for newlypostedscholarships. The key is tomake your student loans as small aspossible.Consolidate as many loans as possible.If all of the smaller loans arelumped into one big loan, it will beonly one payment per month andit will be smaller than it would beotherwise. However, keep in mindthat you can only consolidate theloans once. That means, if you areplanning on going to grad school,you may want to postpone it, sothat you consolidate your loans1213

MONEY | MATTERSCAREER | MOVESafter you finish—unless you don’t mind having twopayments instead of one for the next 10 years.Have your loans forgiven. Instead of repaying themthe hard way, there are many professions that offerstudent loan forgiveness including teaching or workingas a public defender.Communicate with your lenders if you are unableto pay as agreed. As a loan officer, I recommend thisfor any other type of debt. Let lenders know that youcannot pay as agreed and work out a plan with them.For student loans, this may include economic hardshipdeferment or forbearance: reducing or suspendingpayments due to unemployment or low income. Sometimesthe repayment period can be increased to 20 or25 years. Another option is income-based repayment,so your payment never exceeds a certain percentageof your income and it naturally increases over time(hopefully). These plans can also include student loanforgiveness after 25 years of payments are made. However,do not make the decision to modify paymentslightly. Not paying as agreed can have adverse consequencesfor your credit score and has the potentialmake lenders less willing to lend to you in the future.14In short, I recommend going with the advice givenin the beginning. Do whatever you can to keep fromincurring the loans in the first place. If you must incurstudent loans, manage them as much as possible andtry to keep them as small as possible. If all else fails andthey become unmanageable, talk with the lender. Studentloans are exempt from bankruptcy, so once theyare there, they are very difficult to get rid of any wayother than paying them off.For more information about federal student loans andrepayment plans, please visit: https://www.dl.ed.gov/borrower/BorrowerWelcomePage.jsp#main_content_starts_hereMelissa (“Missy”) Bolin (Gamma Iota) is currentlypresident of the Denver alumni. She has a Bachelorsdegree in International Business and a Master of Sciencein Finance. She is the Graduate Advisor for the GoldenKey International Honor Society. Professionally, she isa loan officer of a credit union in Boulder, CO. She wasa former winner of the Naomi L. Satterfield MemorialScholarship.Images: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net‘Tis the Season of Job SearchingWith the holiday season upon us andthe uncertainty of our economy,many will be searching for a job.Here are three quick tips that hopefullybring you some holiday motivationto find your next job:Go for your dream job.Try to target at least five to seven dream companiesthat you want to work for. The next step is to thoroughlyresearch your dream companies with criteriabeing location, company history, current projects andcompany culture. Keep a daily or weekly log of new jobopenings or developments and apply on their websitefor future openings. Many companies keep databasesof résumés to search when filling positions, but itdoesn’t mean that you should apply once and forgetabout it. You should monitor each dream company ona regular basis for developments.Get on the social bandwagon.Online tools can be helpful with your job searchstrategy. I can’t count the number of times that someonehas told me that they think Twitter is stupid andhas no real use. On the contrary, Twitter can be veryuseful. I follow a select number of recruiters and mydream companies via my Twitter account. Most often,employers and recruiters will list open positions thathaven’t been posted online except for Twitter. Tweet-MyJOBS (www.tweetmyjobs.com), aimed at Twittermembers, provides instant notification of job openingsvia text messages.LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is another great andsometimes an underappreciated online tool. LinkedInhelps you manage your professional identity andengage with industry professionals. Some may say thatit’s no more than an online résumé. This is where I disagree.It’s much more. It allows you to network withincareer-specific contacts and networking groups. Itconnects you with industry professionals that you mayhave never crossed paths with. It also is a great startingpoint to find out about local and regional networkingevents.Step out and be social.There is no doubt that most of your job search willtake place online or using your computer, but that isjust half the battle in finding your next job. You needto network. No, I don’t mean social networking. I’mtalking about networking within your peers. There aremany opportunities out there to network and almostone event every day of the week. Networking eventssuch as industry conferences, informal gatherings,mixers and church events are good sources of potentialjob contacts and jobs. Networking is crucial to jobsearch success and to job longevity.Job search alert.Global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmaswants to help job seekers overcome the struggle oflong-term unemployment. The firm’s 26th annual twodaynational job search call-in takes place on December27 and 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST). The call-innumber is (312) 422-5010. Job seekers can get moreinformation about the call-in at firm’s website (www.challengergray.com) and blog (challengeratwork.wordpress.com).15

STRATEGIES | TACTICSTips for a Successful RushSpring of 2011 was a very successful RUSHfor Gamma Iota chapter at the Universityof Colorado Denver. There were 28prospective members in attendance dueto the leadership of the Marketing Committeeand the dedication of chapter members. Marketingdirector David Oakeley developed a simple yeteffective plan and implemented his vision as follows:16Target business majors.Compile a master schedule of classes from the businessschool and economics department. Chaptersneed to choose classes consisting of the targeted demographic.In this case, the demographic is madeup of mostly freshman and sophomore classes.Gamma Iota’s goal is to recruit members who willbe in school for the long term so that can replenishchapter leadership roles as seniors graduate.Go to the masses (or classes).Get chapter members to sign up to speak in businessclasses to promote Phi Chi Theta. Members are expectedto speak in front of business and economics classesthat they attend. Chapters should write a script andflyers promoting rush onhand to pass out to prospectivemembers. Both the script and fliers should be tothe point and convey a consistentmessage. Using a script can helpchapters stay on point and illustratethe benefits and purpose ofPhi Chi Theta while staying onmessage. Make sure you rehearseand keep your message no longerthan 5 minutes. As an alternative,one Gamma Iota member createda video instead of a speech. Flierscan be conventional or you canstray away from the norm and becreative. For example, one year,business cards were used instead ofa flier. It was different and workedas an effective marketing tool.Marketing, marketing and more marketing.Post fliers all around campus. Make sure the websiteis updated and that your chapter’s web address is displayedpromiently on all materials. Make sure that rushmeeting information is current and on your website.The Gamma Iota chapter has access to a bulletin boardin a main area in the business school and keep it stockedwith fliers and information about upcoming events.An estimated 150 fliers were posted around campusor handed directly to students who expressed interest.Give it away.Entice prospective pledges to rush with free food andfree stuff. The marketing committee obtained somegreat giveaways to get people interested into talkingto us about rush and Phi Chi Theta. Giveawaysincluded gift cards for local restaurants and iTunes,a school packet, a coffee mug and board games.Get to know each other.Start bonding with prospectivemembers from the moment theywalk in the room. Engage themwith ice breakers such as “peoplebingo” or a scavenger hunt, withinteresting facts about membersso that prospective memberscan start the conversation. Allowplenty of time for networkingprior to starting the informationsession. This can be a critical timefor retaining potential members.Don’t let the cat out of thebag.Wait a while before talking aboutthe price of membership. Instead,emphasize the benefits ofmembership. Talk about planned events, chapter operationsand networking opportunities. You can mentionat rush that there is a cost associated with membership,but avoid specifics until the first meetingafter rush. Furthermore, emphasize that the fraternityis more than just another club, but it is like family.Notice that the direct marketing theme is consistentthroughout. It is helpful to get current members involvedwith rush recruitment. By following the tipsabove, Gamma Iota hopes that your rush will be justas successful. It is important to remember that peopletend to drop off as the semester progresses. By startingout with as many people as possible, your chapterwill has a greater chance of retaining members. Andthat means a great future for the whole fraternity!Melissa (“Missy”) Bolin (Gamma Iota) is currently presidentof the Denver alumni.17

SOCIAL | MEDIAA Roadmap to Social Media SuccessAs a member, I thinkthat chapters sometimescan find it hardto establish an identityand try to use socialmedia to solve this problem usingvarious social media channels. Ihave no doubt that members aren’tmasters of the social media universe,but creating a social mediastrategy or plan needs to be specificto your chapter’s needs, resourcesand campus visibility. A social mediastrategy is unique. It has specificneeds. You may use the same toolsand tactics that everyone uses, butyour strategy requires particularresources and needs that are differentfrom everyone else’s. Followingthese seven steps will guidetowards creating a successful socialmedia strategy that can complimentyour brand and/or message:Evaluate your resources.Determine how much time youcan spend on your social mediastrategy each day. Next, determinewho will be responsible for maintainingthe social media conversation.Conclude what materialsyou have and which of them youwant to share such as videos, fliers,photos, etc. If you are tweeting,do you have your chapter’s brandingmessage down so that you canconvey it in 140 characters or less?Evaluate your market.Do some research by creatingGoogle alerts and doing searcheson SocialMention.com, Addictomatic.com,HowSociable.com and/or Search.Twitter.com to see wherepeople are talking about Phi ChiTheta. This will give you an idea ofwhat networks might be a good fitfor your chapter and what socialmedia channels you need to be on.Define your goals.What do you expect social mediato do for you? If you don’t haveclear and defined goals, you’ll findit will be hard to solidify your socialmedia strategy and your overallbranding message will suffer.You need to determine whatit is you need to accomplish.Explore social networks.Every social network has its ownunique characteristics. You need tofind the networks that are a goodfit for your chapter and your brand.Take your time and find out whichones will work for your chapter. Perhapsyour school uses social mediain a way that benefits your chaptermore than Facebook or Twitter does.Chapters should ask themselveswhich social networks will membersengage with each other more.Make a plan.Now that you have done the legwork,it’s now time create yourplan. Your plan should designatewhich social networks you’re goingto start with and who is goingto be responsible for what tacticsyou are going to apply. You needto craft the overall message thatpeople will see when they find youon your designated social network.Start talking.Once your plan is in place, you areready to start the social conversation.Social media is about engaging yourmembers and the people who followyour conversation. It’s a give and take.Listen.Chapters should spend at least 50percent of their time on social medianetworks gathering informationand listening to what people aresaying about your chapter and thePhi Chi Theta brand. You have to be willing to answerfollowers and keep your social network updated in atimely and relevant manner. Chapters can use some ofthe social media tools previously mentioned to monitorwhat is being said about the social media strategy.Use what you learn and apply to future endeavors.Following these steps will help your chapter build asuccessful media strategy, but it just doesn’t end there.If your chapter expects to just tweet or Facebook fora few weeks and triple your rush recruitment success,then your chapter is in for a real shock. Creatinga social media strategy isn’t about quick results.It’s about creating a long-lasting relationship withyour audience and maintaining your chapter’s brand.David Casey is the marketing communications managerat the Ammerman Experience. David serves asNew Professionals chairman for the Public RelationsSociety of America’s Houston Chapter. David graduatedfrom Texas State University with a degree in mass communicationand is a Delta Omicron alumni member.Image: jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net– social media1819

TRAINING | PRESENTATIONSCrafting an Effective PresentationTalking is easy for me. Ilove to talk. If you askanyone, they will tellyou that I could talk forhours and that I probablycould given the opportunity.Any subject is fair game. I can talkto anyone about business, socialmedia, pop culture or anythingthat is on the brain. The only problemis that I freeze up in front ofan audience, especially my peers.Recently, I was asked to do a presentationabout social media at aregional meeting. I had preparedfor weeks and even made revisionsabout what I was going to say anddo a myriad of times. The day hadarrived and I was ready to give mypresentation (or so I thought). Theystarted to do my introduction andas I rose up from my seat to makemy way to the podium, it happened.I froze. I could feel everyone’s eyesas I started to introduce myselfand the topic I was presenting. Ikept thinking, to myself, why did Isay I would do this and then it occurredto me that my gift of gab hadput me in this mess. I eyeballed theexit, just waiting for my opportunityto run. But then I looked upand realized that it was too late.So as I reluctantly started my presentation,the inevitable happened.My PowerPoint presentation didn’twork as I had rehearsed. Maybe itwas that I had a newer version ofWindows and someone just didn’tlike me. So I decided to move onand try to get through therest of this disastrous attemptat a presentation. Itcertainly didn’t help that Ikept repeating that I didn’tusually give presentationsand was nervous. Finally,the presentation endedand I took audience questions.As soon as thatwas over, I couldn’t movefast enough to step awayfrom that podium and sitback down in the back.A few weeks later, I decidedthat I needed a refreshercourse in presentationskills. Ironically,the company I work for is knownfor its great presentation skills training.So I signed up for the next availablecourse, where I learned a greatdeal about giving a presentation andlearning to have confidence in myselfas a speaker. The following is whatI took away from my experience.Before Your PresentationBe on time. Make sure you getto the venue, where you are givingthe presentation, early. Try toarrive at least 45 minutes beforehand.Check out the room to geta feeling for the room and to letyour nerves settle a bit. You wantto be able to relax and gather yourthoughts so that you aren’t feelingrushed. Consider walking aroundthe room to gather your thoughts.Danger, Will Robinson! Anotherreason to arrive early is so that youcan check the audio and visual equipment.Equipment failure is guaranteedto destroy your confidence andusually is a factor in why presentationsgo wrong. Use this time to testall AV equipment and know how touse it. If you a have a MAC, the facilitywill probably be using Windows.It’s just part of Murphy’s Law, whereit states, “anything that can go wrongwill go wrong.” So be prepared foranything. Call the logistics person,conference coordinator or whomeveris in charge to let them knowwhat your needs are ahead of time.Don’t do the dew, Mountain Dewthat is. Don’t rely on stimulants oralcohol to calm your nerves. Theycan only harm your overall performance.They can slow downyour audience reaction, makeyou slur your speech and possiblymake you lose your balance.Doggone It, People Like Me! Tellyourself positive affirmations. Manypeople approach their presentationwith a negative attitude. Theyconsider all the things that can gowrong. They will tell themselvesthat “I’ll probably fail” and “Mypresentation is not strong enough”.You need to tell yourself that you arethere to share your knowledge, ideasand expertise with an audience andthey will benefit from listening.Visualize. Use positive reinforcementby visualizing that the presentationwill go well. Think of apast presentation that was successfulto help you balance your fearsand reservations about failing.What’s my line? Know exactlywhat your opening line or openingstatement will be beforehand.Knowing what you are going tosay will help you open with confidenceand give you an edge.During the PresentationI’m a nervous wreck! If you have“butterflies in your stomach” or “afrog in your throat”, don’t announceit. If you do, your audience will losefaith in you and will worry aboutyou. You won’t inspire confidence.Let’s talk. You want to make surethat you talk to one person at atime. Make eye-contact with oneaudience participant at a time.This will help you with yourconfidence and help you relax.Double dream hands. Take thetime to gesture naturally. Thiswill help release anxiety. Moving,but not pacing, during yourpresentation accomplishes thisas well. Gesturing can also improveyour ability to recall importantpoints in your presentation.Straighten up. Correcting your posturebenefits your ability to breatheeasier which, in turn, makes it easierto get your words out naturally.Did I say that? If you mispronouncea word, lose your placeor train of thought, don’t draw2021

TRAINING | PRESENTATIONSA Different Viewattention to it by announcing it to your audience.Most times, it won’t register with your audience becausethey may not be paying attention. In this case,you should simply pause and then continue on.You can always address omitted material at the end.Make them laugh. Using humor is one of several ways tohelp you connect with your audience, but be careful. Badjokes and failed attempts can destroy your confidence.Try to use humor that ties in to your theme. The best storiesand/or anecdotes come from personal experience.Illustrate your point. People respond to visual aids.Visual aids are designed to enhance your presentation,but not be your whole presentation. Be careful not tooverdo it and use too many visuals. Using a few wellconceivedvisuals willwork. Visuals such as piecharts, bar graphs, flowdiagrams and photos aregood candidates. Usefewer words to illustrateyour point such as headlinesand short phrases inbold type that can be seenclearly from the back row.When possible, use yourhand to point to visualsand talk to your audience,not to your visual.Here you go! Handoutsare a great way to help youraudience retain informationfrom your presentationafterwards, but distributeat the end of yourpresentation. If you distributematerials at the beginning of your presentation,people will read them instead of paying attention to you.Presentations aren’t an exact science, but I hope thatI have shed some light on how to give a great presentation.Presentations can illuminate a myriadof topics and give your audience a new perspectiveto see. Furthermore, presentation skills are valuableassets that can be used in many professions.David Casey is the marketing communications manager atthe Ammerman Experience. David graduated from TexasState University and is a Delta Omicron alumni member.Image: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net – Opposite page; Image:Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net - This pagePhi Chi Theta EducationalFoundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Whatdoes this mean to you?It means that donor contributionsto the Foundation are deductiblefor Federal Income Tax purposes.This represents a savings toyou and a benefit to the Foundation.The 401(c)3 designation is grantedto a wide variety of organizations,including disease specific concerns,a variety of animal rights groupsand educational programs to namea few general categories. Whensomeone hears the word “foundation”,many times they think oforganizations such as the RockefellerFoundation, the MacArthurFoundation or the Gates Foundationwith their vast resources, wellknown honorary chairmen anda star studded roster of trustees.But the Phi Chi Theta EducationFoundation is different. Its trusteesare all fraternity members who volunteertheir time and efforts to furtherthe mission of the Foundation –to promote and provide scholarshipand educational opportunities forcollegiate and graduate members.These trustees include the currentpresident, a past national president,a chapter advisor, two alumni chapterpresidents and a past Foundationscholarship winner. The trusteestruly represent all ages and allstages of Phi Chi Theta life. Thereis no paid staff for the Foundation.The business matters of the Foundationare addressed by trustees whovolunteer their professional expertisefrom a variety of professionaldisciplines to carry forward thebusiness aspects of the Foundation.The Foundation is different in anotherway. To date the Foundationhas awarded 36 scholarships with atotal value of $35,000. All of thesescholarships were funded by contributionsfrom trustees, chapters andemployers with matching grant programs,friends, family members andothers. Foundation scholarships arerestricted to existing chapter members.Because of this fact, the Foundationis not eligible for many grantsfrom corporations which only givefunds to 501(c)3 programs whichoffer scholarships on an unrestrictedbasis. However, by awarding scholarshipsonly to Phi Chi Theta members,there is a direct advantage tothe membership in that they receivethe full benefit of funds received ascontributions to the Foundation.The Foundation is sponsoring a50/50 campaign as an ongoing fundraiser.The terms of this campaignare very simple to understand.When chapters hold a fundraiserfor the Foundation or donate asum to the Foundation, fifty percentof the total contribution goesto the Foundation. The remainingfifty percent is credited to a specialFoundation account in the name ofthe chapter. It can be used at a futuredate for a chapter-sponsoredbusiness or professional activity thatrepresents the chapter’s educationalprogram. It is simple – make a contribution,complete a form documentingthe purpose for which thechapter wishes to utilize their fiftypercent. Once the form is approved,the funds are released to the chapter.The Foundation looks forward to aneven better year in 2012 and continuingits recognition and support ofcollegiate chapters and their membersby awarding five additionalscholarships and sponsoring an educationalactivity at the 2012 biennialmeeting in Rochester, New York.To make a contribution, go to www.All contributions to the Foundationare acknowledged for tax purposes.About Frances SpencerFrances Spencer is Principal at ThePendulum Partners. She is a trusteeand president of the Phi Chi ThetaEducational Foundation, presidentof the Chicago alumni chapter, a PhiChi Theta Naomi Satterfield AchievementAward recipient and a Phi ChiTheta Hall of Fame member. She is alifelong resident of Chicago.Image: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net2223

Phi Chi ThetaAttn: Saundra Finley1508 E. Beltline Road, Suite 104Carrollton, TX 75006Give back and make a donation now!There are many giving programs thatare available to you for supporting theFoundation and its educational andscholarship programs; including individualdonations, corporate programs, endowments,and estate planning. Your tax-deductiblecontributions enable the Foundation tooffer increased opportunities to award morescholarships and provide quality educationalprograms and tools that are necessary to trainand educate the next generation of businessleaders and professionals.To make a gift today, go towww.phichitheta.org and click the EducationalFoundation tab for more information.