From Vision to Action

I think that through this experience I have learned that although we may be wearing different letters and holding certain values to a higher esteem than others...we all in all have similar ideals, practices and beliefs. It is nice to know that everyone in this class has gone through similar leadership experiences that I have and if I have yet to experience some situations I feel comfortable in asking for help or advice and applying it to my chapter. 

I think that we have all developed respect for one another and it is up to us to continue to foster these relationship and take them back to our houses and chapters and continue to foster them with the other members of our greek community. With greek week quickly approaching it will be easy for us to hang out with the other chapters and host events with them. Yet, what we do outside of greek week and how we maintain these relationships is truly what matters. Greek Week is easy. What is hard is continuing to model the way and include all chapters in our commitment to engage the whole greek community. 

We have a common vision: to foster relationships with all members of the greek community. Yet, we must act. It is now our opportunity to lead by example and demonstrate to others in our community how much we can truly learn from each other, collaborate, and engage for the betterment of our community, campus and nation in order to create a better image for greeks across the nation. 

Commitment leads to Success

I think that the most important C is commitment. Commitment is the base and foundation needed in order to kickstart any organization. One must obviously have shared values, be good citizens, collaborate and have a common purpose but none of these concepts will have any effect if their if no fundamental belief in commitment from those in an organization. 

When you have committed members in an organization, they become the example and the role models for an organization. These are the people that make or break an organization. They are the members that area laws willing to sign up to volunteer for events which better the organization and they are the people that you don’t have to worry about representing your organization poorly. 

The difficulty lies in those members who are not as committed and how to make them become more committed. But, we must note that everyone’s 100% varies and that some people may be placed on different zones of the commitment spectrum. How do we get those members who are not as committed, to commit to the cause of the organization? This may be the biggest challenge associated with the Change Agent...

Anyone may be a change agent. It is all about you’re commitment and willingness to devote your time and energy to cause to better your community. Once you have the devotion to partake in such action...go for it!

What are our values and how do we live them?

Values, or what we hold to a high standard in life are things that we were raised upon. Everyone values something different, whether it is academics, faith, friends, or sports we all value something close to our heart. I first and foremost value my faith and second comes my family and friends (including sisters). My faith in God has shaped who I am and how I live my life each day. My values are things which push me to be the best version of myself. I want to do well in school and outside of school in order to make my friends and family proud. I seek their approval although I know that they will love me no matter what. But I look to my values to challenge me and to excite me. With the drive and motivation I put in to my work, I know that the pay off will be great. 

Tangible signs help remind me to stay in check with my values. Whether that is wearing my cross necklace or changing the background on my phone to a picture of my family...little signs such as these remind me of where I came from and how I need to continue living for the better. These are daily reminders to help me work towards being the best version of myself. 

Personal Mission Statment

I was born to serve and make a difference in the lives of others. No matter what the task, I will be there for my family, friends and sisters...

To forgive and to forget, so as to move forward in life. To demonstrate my inner strengths and not keep them hidden. To be guided by my values, beliefs and faith. To praise and give thanks to all whom I connect with each day. To be mindful both body and spirit. To laugh. To be the example of love and compassion in our world. To learn from my mistakes and to move forward. To be the best version of myself each day, so as to live to my fullest potential always. 

Johari Window Link

http://kevan.org/jh/i_gaitan

The Positive Aspects of Controversy

Controversy can be and usually is the downfall of each organization. Yet, approaching controversy and learning ways to avoid controversy are a must in order to succeed as an organization. One must not be afraid of controversy, with so many members in am organization it is bound to happen. Do not ignore it or leave it to be the ‘white elephant’ in the room. Address it. Be civil, Be considerate. Come from the heart and you will be sought out. Refrain from blaming the person who has done wrong. This will not help the situation further. But rather, use ‘I’ statements. Such as: “I felt upset when you [insert action]...” This action made me feel... Expressions such as these can break down barriers and create a more personal conversation. The person at fault will then understand or at least be notified that it was not a personal causation but rather an causation on their behavior and not on them as a person. Keep it direct. Let the person at hand know exactly what they did wrong and why. Do not blame them but let them know how their actions and behavior went against the organization’s values and purpose. 

Controversy is a good thing. It can foster new ideas and in a way it leads to a better understanding of how to approach similar situations in the future. Approach controversy as a learning experience and use it to your advantage. While in college the controversy we experience in our student organizations will help us handle controversy in the real-working world. 

The Challenges of Collaboration

Although collaboration is a true gift and allows many ideas, inputs and outlooks to be observed; collaboration, can also lead to controversy. We must learn about the controversies involved in collaboration in order to avoid them. First, when there are many members of one organization there will be many ideas. Ideas although great in variety can sometimes become overwhelming. 

Everyone wants to have their voice heard in an organization. Although we can ask everyone to partake in brainstorming for events the monsoon of ideas that come after are extensive. Then there comes the point when some ideas must be pushed to the curb, irradiated or compromised to suit the needs of others. One or more of these actions will either offend or sadden one or more members who feel as if their idea was not worthy enough of implementation. Which develops a sense of competition. 

In order to fix this problem of competition amongst members, it is important to address the group members from the beginning and note that all ideas are great and we must compromise in order to achieve all the goals. As sisters and brothers of they should have a common understanding of compromise. We are here to support each other and have our voices heard. Therefore, through collaboration: we must come to a common understanding and compromise on which programs, activities, etc to partake in or dissect in order to make all members not only happy but also enjoy their time together knowing that everyone’s voice has been heard. 

Citizen Commitment: Tank fot Thought

I can admit that I was once not always a good citizen and that I was once ignorant to the idiosyncrasies around me. The most important aspect of being a good citizen, in my view, is that one should maintain a open world view. A good citizen should know and understand how the society around them is functioning and developing; but a great citizen, will understand how the world and all its countries are functioning and developing or not developing. A great citizen will do great things to challenge a falsehood in society and collaborate and act to better the world as a whole. 

It was not until I had entered college and met such a diverse group of people that I soon realized how the world was suffering. Coming from suburbia and going to private school my whole life, I was in a sense blinded from the outside world. I knew about the injustices occurring but I was indifferent to the issues at hand and remained silent. Yet, as I came to college and learned that I could be an active voice against the issues of our society, I began to act and engage in the committees and groups around Columbus that would enable me to change the world we live in for the better. Not everyone was as lucky as I am to live such a wonderful life. Therefore, as a citizen of the world it is up to me to make other’s lives as beautiful and meaningful as my own. So I began to act. Volunteer. Read. Engage. 

This is extremely important. Being a great citizen will bring peace to our world and happiness as well. Therefore, we must being somewhere. So, let’s bring it home. Let’s bring it to our chapters on campus and learn how we can get involved on campus and in the city, in the state and in the nation. Once we partake in being great citizens of our campus we can graduate and emerge into being great citizens of the globe. If you want to reach out to get your chapter to understand this point. Communicate with them. Don’t just tell them to be great citizens with guidelines and expect them to abide by this. You must explain to them what it means to be a citizen and how it is that one becomes a great citizen of the world. You must relate to them personally and engage with them so they can understand your passion for being a great citizen so that they too may be inspired by your passion and love and continue being great citizens in out world. Whether this is through getting good grades, welcoming safe zones, embracing cultures outside their own or educating themselves about social issues and wanting to help illiminate them--we can all help. We can all be citizens, it does not matter the person or time--all it takes is the willingness and determination to do even the smallest acts of kindness. 

"Be the change you want to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

Change will not occur if we sit by idly and wait. Change will not occur if we think someone else will act first. Change will not occur if we do not fulfill our dream. 

Yet, change will occur when we as an individual act as a catalyst towards change. We must inhibit the idea we wish to reach and strive for it. It is through one simple idea that change is able to occur; yet, we must ACT. Action is key. No great change shall remain deferred! 

The desire for change in our world today is omnipresent. It is through all people, young and old, around the world who are inhibiting the pattern of change. Yet, as young people we must not be intimidated by change. We must believe that we have the ability to change our community and the place we inhabit for the better.

For example, young people such as Jason Russell and Larne Poole recently graduated with BAs in filmmaking. They stumbled upon Africa’s longest-running war--a conflict where children were both the weapons and the victims.They produced the documentary Invisible Children: Rough Cut in 2005. At first they just showed it to their friends and family, but it wasn’t long before millions of people had seen the documentary and knew about the “invisible children.” In 2006, Invisible Children, Inc., became an official 501(c)3 non-profit.*

A change such as this is considered second order change in my opinion. These young men have done something significantly or fundamentally different from what we have done before. The process is irreversible: they have introduced a way of thinking to the world that we have never known before. Because of their input the world can now help make a lasting change. 

*citation: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/our-team 

Social Change Begins with ME.

I consider myself and idealist and a dreamer. I am extremely passionate about educating the public about the social issues of human trafficking. Therefore, I decided to become the Anti-Human Trafficking Chair for Unplugging Society at Ohio State. With this position, I am able to plan a few events each quarter around campus and educate students about this horrible epidemic.

I hope to change the world with the knowledge I share and I know that with the little events held each quarter on campus, international change will eventually follow. I contact various professionals from the Columbus area such as social workers, CORRC Salivation Army members or FBI agents who are experts in this subject to come share their information with students and other professionals. 

Planning such an event can be overwhelming when those on the committee have so many different ideas on how to hold each event. Compromise sometimes may not be an option when events must be planned in a timely and fashioned manner. With the location, food orders, speaker information and marketing strategies, communication sometimes becomes lost and their seems to be a downfall in spirits with such failure. 

Therefore, I have committed to imposing weekly meetings one month in advance of each event. Communication is key. If no one has no idea as to what is going on, who is speaking or where the location is, there is no fluidity and all passion and ideals will be lost. The organization will be a mockery and no one will take you seriously. 

So, through the meetings all questions and inquiries will be settled and all will be on the right track. Once on the right track all will be happy and thrilled knowing such events will happen in a timely manner and with the highest of credibility. Therefore, the importance of educating the public on human trafficking will be delivered and the public can take away something new to share and bring to their communities. As they bring the new information they have learned from such events; the snowball effect of sharing knowledge will develop and little by little the world will know of the dangerous effects of human trafficking in our world today.  

Personal Awareness and Social Change

It only takes one person to promote social change. The role of one person has the power to feel socially responsible for issues within the community. With the belief of one’s own self to make a difference and with the collaboration and shared vision of others, social change will take its toll for the betterment of the future. 

I think that there is an uninvolved stigma attached to the theory of social change. By “uninvolved” I simply mean that the people around us associate social change as a huge political and revival-esque ordeal and therefore are driven away from the idea. I must admit that before I had become involved in organizations making differences in small ways, I was naive to the motion of true social change. I learned that I did not have to be as well known as Abe Lincoln or Mother Teresa in order to make a difference in the lives of others. Although it would be nice to be recognized in such a light, it is rarely the case to your average man and woman. 

This truth reminds me of the phrase “think globally, act locally.” As cliched and redundant as it sounds it offers a lot of wisdom. The local efforts we bestow as citizens serve as examples to the community we live in. By personal example we are able to alleviate and promote positive change as an on going commitment to each other. Those who receive will give and those who give will receive this on going cycle evolves and fits to the communities needs in hopes for a betterment in society.