The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 35, Ed. 1, Friday, February 7, 1997 Page: 3 of 8
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Presidential address
Pi Kappa president Jackson Griggs sophomore biology major from Abilene talks to
club members during a weekly meeting. Griggs worked to structure the newly found-
ed dub with the same principles as Promise Keepers.
Listening to their leader
Alpha Phi Omega president Melanie Fitzgerald
Louis speaks during an officer meeting.
Singing together
Kenye Kay Butts sophomore corporate fitness
Delta Theta sing with her dub sisters during
club meeting on Wednesday nights.
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sophomore biology major from St
major from Midland and president of
the devotional which b part of their
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The majority of sophomores on campus
involved in clubs start out their year
as pledges. Dut three sophomores started
their fall semesters as club presidents.
Two of those students Kenye Kay Butts
sophomore corporate fitness major from
Midland and Jackson Griggs sophomore
biology major from Abilene started their
own clubs this year. Butts along with 12
other sophomore women rechartered the
womenls social club Delta Theta while
f?1 ten8 with 15 other sophomore
men stRed. the menTs social club Pi
Kappa. Melanie Fitzgerald sophomore
biology major from St. Louis was elected
the president of the service club Alpha
Phi Omega at the end of last year.
Cynthia Cooke dean of students ex-
plained reasons behind the recent surge
of students in leadership during thier
sophomore year.
She said "Since on this campus that is
when students have the initial opportuni-
ty to be involved with social clubs It
seems that that Is when interest typically
peaks." i
Both Griggs and Butts did tye majority
of the planning for their respective clubs
during the spring semester. They set up
the structure - Delta Theta has officers
and Pi Kappa has a set of standing com-
mittees - and they worked on the ideals
they wanted for their clubs t
Fellow sophomores Kevin Thompson
Bible major from Nashville Tenn. and
Kevin Linderman biology major from
Belmont were among the U6 charter
members who began Pi Kappa and orga-
nized its ideals with Griggs. Built on
many of the same tenets as the nation-
wide mens organization Promise Ke-
epers the club works on building God-
based relationships while holding one
another accountable for his actions.
Delta Theta first began in 1925 also
with 13 girls all Abilene natives. It went
off-campus in 1991 and several times
since groups of girls have come to the
I feel that God
has put me it
this position now
for a reason? He's
put me there so I
can be a fresh
new voice.
administration attempting to recharter.
Butts has been the first to successfully
complete the process.
Advantages of a new voice
W5
en each group worked on its
clubs It experienced an advantage
Page 3 Friday Feb. 7 1997
- 4 . V"- f f I H '-'
Young
Sophomores
demonstrate
leadership as
club presidents
Story by Jessica Gray
Viewpoints Page Editor
j -' Photos by Amanda Relter. T
' Chief Photographer 4 :l
Page Design by Tiffany Kondrup
Managing News Editor
that all three presidents have as sopho-
mores: a fresh attitude.
"When you're going into something
totally fresh you're not bound by any
preconceived ideas. You're not bound
with "Well thats the way itis always
been done'" said Cooke.
This attitude was especially helpful
Because we were
coming from
a blank slate
we were able
to say 'Here's
what we want for
pledging...'
during pledging.
"Because we were coming from a blank
slate we were able to say 'Here Is what
we want for pledging and this is what
pledging should be.' We didn't have to
deal with history" Griggs said. "We did-
n't have to do what the years before had
done. We could just go with whatever
we thought fulfilled those goals."
Another advantage to sophomore sta-
tus as president is the experience that it
offers. As a sophomore president each
student has gotten a chance to move into
areas of leadership that most sopho-
mores do not experience.
"Its helped me to get out of my comfort
zone and not think of Just what I want to
do. It helps you to think 'Maybe If Its not
going to go just the way 1 want to I need
to look at how Its going to benefit the
club as a whole.' 1 need to work toward
their good" said Fitzgerald.
Butts said she appreciates the learning
aspects of the job: "I think I've grown as
a person in the last year."
Disadvantages of inexperience
Although building experience Is a
bonus to the job current inexperi-
ence is a big obstacle.
Griggs listed "not having a model not
having anything to compare to" as being
an obstacle.
Butts described starting out in that
high a position as "very overwhelming."
"I didn't know what to say 1 didn't
know what to do Us really hard trying
to have rushes and teas when you've
never been to one" Butts said of starting
out and the pledging process
One obstacle that only Fitzgerald had
was winning the trust of upperclassmen
within her organization who had been in
there longer than she had.
"There were a few veterans In club who
felt like someone more experienced
should be president but shes definitely
f J
handled It" said the Alpha Phi Omcgfr
vice president of service Lela Sadler
junior education major from Abilene.
Pledging was one obstacle to success
that the three presidents share with all
social club leaders.
One distinction that Griggs and Butts
share from these leaders is the fact that
neither have ever pledged a social club.
"It was hard because I'd never been
through pledging before but 1 had to put
them through all of it" said Butts.
One1 pledging concern that'rnost3 clubs
'have 16 d&l with' wTiTch' Pi Kippa'ctldhot
was what traditions to keep and what to
discard when it came to activities - both
those that involved pledging and others.
"They've had to start all the traditions"
said one Pi Kappa adviser James Town-
send. "Every decision that is made could
or could not become a tradition."
Job benefits ;
D
espite their differences each stu-
'dent has put a great deal of wrk
into their job. J
When weighing all of the advantages
with the disadvantages the test of suc-
cess is whether that work paid off in (he
eyes of their co-workers and most
importandy in their own eyes.
"He has put in a tremendous amount of
work" said Linderman Pi Kappas vice
president "He has committed himself to
do everything possible to make this club
meet its potential."
Townsend described Griggs' job perfor-
mance so far as "incredible."
Griggs said "We really wanted our club
involvement to be something that bene-
fited not just our own social life but the
ACU campus and the kingdom of God"
Fitzgerald said "I've Jcamed a lot
about dealing with different kinds of
people. I feel that God has put me in this
position now for a reason. Hes put me
there so 1 can be fresh new voice."
I didn't know
what to do. It's
really hard trying
to have rushes !
and teas when j
you've never beek
to one.
Butts said "I've learned a lot I'm so
glad 1 did it now. I don't know what 1
would have done If 1 hadn't. )
Regarding Butts leadership so far Cooke
said: "She has risen to meet her responsi-
bilities. She had never held an ofuce'vln
any other organizations but she realizes
now that this is a leadership role."
i
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 35, Ed. 1, Friday, February 7, 1997, newspaper, February 7, 1997; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99723/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.