UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fifty members of the fraternity and sorority community, representing 32 organizations and all four governing councils, attended a leadership retreat with Penn State’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) during the weekend of Nov. 15-17. The annual EMERGE retreat, held at Krislund Camp and Conference Center, brings student leaders aspiring to serve on their organization or council executive boards together with professional staff.
Leaders attending the retreat navigated a variety of facilitated activities designed to implement strategies related to achieving progress through adaptive challenges, understanding the role of interdependence in a collective community of organizations, and developing personal relationships across different organizations and councils. Activities included a ropes course, team and community building activities, and completion and discussion of the DiSC leadership style assessment.
Logan Hage, president of Alpha Xi Delta at Penn State, had an enjoyable experience as she transitioned from attendee to peer facilitator at this year’s retreat.
"Coming back to EMERGE as a peer facilitator after attending as a participant last year has been such a rewarding experience,” Hage said. “Not only did I benchmark my own growth as a leader, but I also got to support the rising leadership of the Greek community and create deeper relationships across councils. As a peer facilitator, I was also able to interact more personally with OFSL and use my experiences as a current leader to develop and encourage growth in the community. EMERGE was such an essential part of my leadership development and it was such a privilege to come back."
Michael Mahaffey, the social chair for Alpha Chi Rho, also reflected on the lasting impact of the retreat.
"What a great opportunity for students from different Greek organizations to come together to improve on their leadership styles and how to implement them in their respective chapters. This goes to show the effort the OFSL is taking to improve those experiencing Greek life here at Penn State," Mahaffey said.
A combination of interactive activities and structured discussions allowed participants to explore personal and organizational challenges. The EMERGE retreat is designed to empower fraternity and sorority leaders to tackle challenges while fostering a supportive and collaborative environment through reflection on leadership styles and personal values which will ultimately help participants to align their actions with their leadership roles. Leaders are encouraged to recognize and leverage the strengths and values of all community members to address shared challenges.
Through this emerging leaders’ retreat, the OFSL aims to build a foundation for ongoing collaboration, mutual respect, and shared success. Students leave EMERGE with a clearer understanding of their interconnected roles and how their actions impact the larger fraternity and sorority system and Penn State as a whole.
Leadership development opportunities for the fraternity and sorority community fosters a greater connection between future fraternity and sorority leaders and campus partners, creating a stronger sense of community at Penn State.