Leadership Changes

Mitch Grant
Sigma Phi Epsilon

Once a year, every fraternity on this campus holds their own elections to elect their new executive board. Depending on which house you’re in, the last few weeks of the old exec board’s reign can either be a pain or a final push to get things done before their time is over. No matter what, you look back on their time holding the position they did and reflect on what was good and what was bad. The motivation begins to build up from the class ready to take over. Chatter begins to build about who is running for what. The “in-house campaigning” begins.

First, the guys who want to run for a position begin to become more vocal about issues that either the old exec. board didn’t take care of or something they think they can improve on. Guys begin to plan out which position they want to hold and what they can do with it. When it gets closer to elections, you find yourself in conversation at every party, bar, etc. about why you or someone else should get a position. The campaign trail is long, but not many people realize it. See, the campaign really starts the day you join. Depending on what you’ve done for your house so far depends on how the house will perceive you.

The next thing you know, it’s a couple of days before elections and things begin to get awkward around the house. No one really knows who could win a position, but if there are a lot of candidates running, things can get pretty sticky. You hear whispers about who’s voting for whom and you begin to count the votes in your head before you even prepare your speech. Then it happens. You give your speech and it can either turn out one of two ways. Option 1: you give a great speech and people begin to think you could really hold that position. Option 2: “I’m not really sure what I’d do yet, but I know I’d make a great (insert position here)” and next thing you know, you've bombed it.

After the results come in and the next exec. board is elected, the tension is gone. Sure, you may have not gotten what you wanted, but you get over it and look ahead. The sometimes bitterness of opponents in your house is gone. The new exec board starts right away on ways they are going to improve the house tenfold.

A week or so into it, the new exec. board realizes, “this is actually pretty hard.” But no matter how hard the challenges your fraternity faces, you know you’ll get things done. See, in each house there are great leaders in every class, and every class needs to help every classes leaders. One way or another, the house will continue to improve and the combination of the old exec boards wisdom and the new exec boards eagerness to perform creates a special blend. So whether you’re saying goodbye to the position you held, or just getting settled in, get motivated to continue the betterment of your house.

Mitch is a sophomore studying political science. You may contact him at mitch-grant@uiowa.edu.