Leadership:
Outstanding Leadership Profile: Svante Myrick
Svante was recently elected as the City Councilman of Ithaca's Fourth Ward. Also the Vice President of his fraternity and the Vice President for University and Community Relations for the Interfraternity Council, Svante has proven himself to be an exemplary Greek leader. He has been involved in many things from working to develop internships and teach employability skills. He even helped organize the first annual Trick-or-Treat Trail for Halloween to give Ithaca youth an opportunity to go trick-or-treating at fraternity and program houses. Svante is a perfect example of the leadership opportunities available to any student that joins the Greek System.
Svante Myrick - Ithaca City Councilman
"During my time in my fraternity I have watched myself and my brothers grow both as men and leaders. I've seen these fraternity men become leaders by organizing both social and philanthropy events, balancing budgets, managing employees and making connections.I credit my fraternity experience with giving me the education and the skills I have needed to run for Ithaca's Common Council. - Svante Myrick
Leadership Opportunities:
The Greek Community is without at doubt, the greatest place to find leadership opportunities at Cornell. There are positions within each chapter that give members a chance to practice and develop leadership skills. Some of these include:
- President – Responsible for everything in the chapter. The President must oversee the budget, events, and relationships with the University.
- Vice President – Assists the President in his/her endeavors.
- House Manager – Responsible for the chapter house, facilities, and working with the administration to organize projects on the physical house.
- Treasurer – Oversees and manages the budget as well as holds meeting with the chapter’s accountant.
- Philanthropy Chair – Organizes philanthropic events and rallies the brotherhood and surrounding community to participate.
- Recruitment Chair – Organizes recruitment efforts and leads the recruitment efforts in a chapter.
- Steward – Responsible for the meal plan of the chapter. This often means working with the chapter’s chef and sometimes ordering food as well.
- Others – The responsibilities and positions in each chapter differ. The above are general guidelines for what each position involves, but many chapters will have many more positions and leadership opportunities.
In addition to positions within your own chapter, you will be able to find positions on campus available only to Greek members. Some of those include:
- Interfraternity Council Executive Board - The governing body for the fraternity system. The IFC Executive Board oversees all the events and initiatives of Cornell fraternities.
The 2007 Cornell Interfraternity Council Executive Board
- Recruitment Board – Responsible for recruitment initiatives, including this website, publicity, etc.
- Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs – This committee is dedicated to finding ways to educate about substance abuse and find safe alternatives to dangerous practices. They were the original think tank for the Event Management Guidelines, the rules by which fraternity parties and events are governed.
- Greek Week Steering Committee – Organizes Greek Week and all the events activities provided for chapter members.
- Student Management Corporation – Created in 1971, this student-owned company manages the purchases for Greek and Cooperative houses. By ordering food and supplies in bulk, chapters are able to get discounts and exclusive offers. This company is run by a Board of Directors made up of all Cornell Students.
The network of leaders that you will meet in your time in a fraternity will also help you find other groups on campus that you may find interesting and end up leading in the future. The possibilities are endless, but it all begins by joining a fraternity!