In light of another “interesting” semester of Iota Xi coming to a bumpy end I am thinking back at my experiences since joining Alpha Kappa Psi in my first semester at ASU, fall 2002.

I will be the first to say that I have gained countless leadership skills, professional skills, friendships, and many other invaluable assets through my participation in AKPsi. Furthermore, I have countless everlasting memories from AKPsi events such as my entire pledge semester, meeting my wonderful girlfriend, 2003 National Convention and cruising Chicago all night in a Limo, the Hollywood Nights theme party, the Pirates theme party, happily submitting an ACR with a bottom line of 106,000 points, attending Officer Training Camp 2004 at Chapman University, organizing fall ‘04 rush, playing in the 2004 AKPsi Open benefiting the Stephen Vasquez Scholarship Fund, and attending the 2005 Reno Success Institute just to name a few.

Luckily these memories and skills are important to me, I hold them dear, and I refuse to let my vision be clouded. Unfortunately it is taking an increasingly large amount of effort to put down the persistent drama and haste that seems to be constantly building in Iota Xi. No, I’m not just talking about the membership splitting debate of alcohol and it’s place in AKPsi. I think there are at least two issues quite a bit more grave than alcohol. Namely, I think Iota Xi’s number one problem is the idea that bigger is better and that everyone deserves a chance to become an active, and as a close (and very much correlated) secondary problem is the efficiency with which Iota Xi turns off its greatest leaders.

Like most problems, these are ambiguous at best which is why they have developed to the extent that they have. If you care to read my opinion on how these can be addressed, what led to these issues, what changes need to be made, and why it is going to be an uphill battle which I’m no longer interested in fighting, read on.
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Due to pretty lame reasons, I have moved this to my other site. (sorry, no link - those who know my other site understand)

I have (finally) been finishing up the Chi Omega website over the last couple of weeks, and am getting very near the completion.

If you’d like, take a gander: www.asuchiomega.com.

Let me know if you see any typos, website oddities (ie:dead links), or general constructive criticisms for the site.

“Leadership is a potent mix of strategy and character, and if you must be without one of these, be without strategy.”
-Norman Schwarzkopf
–(United States Army General)

Wow, only minutes after my last bitchy post about My Least Favorite Things, my mood/outlook has come full circle.

It is about 8:00am and I am sitting on the second floor of the Arizona State University Memorial Union where I should be studying and working on my logistics case study that is due Thursday. Instead I am, as you are clearly reading, reflecting on my surroundings.

Last week I mentioned my discussion with Arizona Congressman Harry Mitchell at Educate the State. Being the political novice that I am, during our conversation I asked Mr. Mitchell how I could effectively refute some of the common arguments I was hearing against the issues I was pressing such as increased apropriations from the state towards higher education financial aid.

“What do you propose I say to a politician who tells me that need based aid is unjust as it discriminates against families that have successfully planned financially?” I asked.

After clearing the air with him that I receive little to no need based financial aid he responded candidly with me.

“Honestly, some people are lucky. Some kids were lucky enough to have been born into families that have worked hard, and have been intelligent in their financial planning, and they should value their education that much more. But does that mean that the kid who was born to a younger couple who have worked two medial jobs each for the last 20 years to make sure they could make rent doesn’t deserve the same opportunity?” Mr. Mitchell inquired.

Hmm, I guess in the back of my head I was only asking partly for help in lobbying, but also part because I’m not sure that I’m convinced myself. In fact, that may have only blurred my opinions a little more.

However, while sitting here I have noticed a dozen or more middle aged men in jeans and t-shirts carrying drill cases, saws, and the like around the MU. I can’t help but to think that they probably don’t have college degrees. Maybe they had the opportunity to get a degree and squandered it, maybe they chose to do something they enjoy rather than something they needed a degree for, or maybe they just weren’t lucky and weren’t given the chance to goto college.

In fact, it hits even closer to home for me. My dad once told me that the difference between him and his boss, the owner of the company he worked with for 15 years.

“He has a college degree and I don’t. Simple as that.” he said.

That was about an hour before my high school graduation. While I was long prior to that conversation set on going to college, that put the proof in the pudding as they say. But sitting here, every time I make eye contact with one of the passing workers, I definitely feel like I am pretty lucky. I’m going to get back to my case study.