Bio of National President, Nikki Yovanof

We continue our series of notes from the National Council members introducing themselves with a note from our National President, Nikki Yovanof!

Dear Sisters,


I’m very excited to help start out the next round on the National Awareness Campaign by introducing myself to you all! By now, you all know that I’m the new National President, but I’d like to share with you a little more about who I am and what I do.

I was born in Chicago, IL and grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronaut, so aerospace engineering seemed like the most logical path forward. I went to Penn State and got my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Engineering Mechanics. Along the way, I heard about the start of an engineering sorority at PSU. After trashing a few of the first emails, one finally caught my attention and I was hooked after one meeting. The PSU-Lambda chapter was founded Spring 2002 and I am proud to have been a charter member, Standards Board member, Vice President, and President of the chapter.

After graduating at PSU, I moved to Huntington Beach, CA to work for The Boeing Company, where I had interned for 2 summers. Since moving to CA in 2004, I have been working in the Boeing Research & Technology organization as a stress analyst and now program manager. I went to the University of Southern California to get my M.S. in Systems Architecture & Engineering. I’m still an aerospace geek and think that I get to work on some of the coolest projects! I’ve also recently begun training to get my pilot certificate and hope to move forward, once I stay in the same city for longer than a week at a time! But I love to travel (I’m writing this from an airport, haha), for work, PSR, or for fun – so sign me up for any cool PSR trips! You should also know that growing up in Pittsburgh and going to Penn State, I am a huge football fan and supporter of the Steelers and Nittany Lions (there’s a great picture of me in a PSU magazine at the Rose Bowl last year where I’m the only one left cheering after we were getting destroyed...).

During my senior year at PSU, I was recruited by then VP of Programming Kellan (Jablonski) Ponikiewicz to get involved in the new Leadership Education And Programming (LEAP) activity she was working on. Since then, I have continued to be involved in PSR at the national level as Leadership Director, VP of Programming, and now President. My favorite part of the opportunities I’ve had with PSR has been spending time getting to know the actives and alumnae I’ve worked with in different areas. I have had a blast at every national meeting I’ve planned and attended, and every LEAP workshop I’ve presented. I hope that as president, I can continue to work with you all and continue to build a strong relationship between National Council and the actives and alumnae we volunteer for!
As president, I have a pretty cool position and a lot of responsibility. My role is to oversee the National Council and help guide the strategic direction of the organization. While keeping in mind the social aspects of our Sorority, we have to keep in mind that the size of PSR means that we also have to operate as a business with smooth execution and future direction. I think that I am most excited about this opportunity to shape our future, particularly through the 2010-2014 Strategic Plan. I see it as my role on National Council to help get rid of some of the roadblocks that the other officers, volunteers, and actives and alumnae have to getting their jobs done and getting the most out of PSR. In addition, I am also the spokeswoman of the sorority serve as a representative of our sisterhood. This means that I also interact with outside organizations like Triangle, SWE, and even our own PSR Foundation. As President, I also serve as the Ex-Officio to the Foundation and serve on their Board of Directors.

I am truly honored to be your 12th NC President! I look forward to working with you all to build great relationships, present a good image of PSR, and help lead us into the future. I am here if you have any  questions, suggestions, or problems. As an analyst, I’m at a computer all the time and pretty easy to reach by e-mail!

In Sisterhood,

Nicolette Yovanof

National President – Phi Sigma Rho 12th National Council
(e) nicolette.p.yovanof@gmail.com

(aim) Starlette741

Also find me on: Facebook, gmail chat, and LinkedIn!

Risk Management Issues and Education

What is Risk Management? Literally, one could say the management of risk. This would be correct, but not terribly informative. Basically, Risk Management consists of policies put in place to make sure that the group's interests are protected. For instance, drug and alcohol awareness seeks to protect the lives and health of sisters. Those policies also protect the image of the group as well as protecting from legal liability (if followed). I've gotten several Risk Management related questions recently, and I thought this post might cover some of the "Frequently Asked Questions" or hot topics.

Tailgating

It's football season, and everyone knows what that means: tailgating season! Tailgating with your sisters can be a great activity. Just remember to follow the Risk Management guidelines, specifically the following:

• No alcohol may be purchased with sorority funds.
• No alcohol may be served if it is doubling as a rush function.
• Alcohol must be either dispensed by a licensed third-party OR brought by a sister for her own consumption (limited to a 6-pack of beer or equivalent).
• Sorority letters and pins may not be worn while drinking.
• Additional guidelines can be found in the governing docs, Policy 3.19-1. These documents can be found on the website, http://www.phisigmarho.org, under Resources > National Documents.

I was recently asked if it was OK to have a banner/sign of some sort with sorority letters on it. Provided all the Risk Management guidelines are otherwise being followed, and this banner/sign doesn't say anything that would poorly represent the group, there's no problem with this. Saying "Phi Sigma Rho supports our team" or another positive message shows school spirit, and it is fantastic PR for your chapter! Name recognition is always helpful for recruitment. Any questions or suggestions on this? Feel free to post a comment or e-mail me.

Swine Flu

The H1N1 Influenza virus has been cropping up at campuses all over the place. A local university near where I live actually had to quarantine a couple of dorms! While this doesn't fall too squarely under Risk Management, it is worth mentioning. The only real effect will be if certain members cannot attend chapter. I would recommend that chapters put a policy in place for this type of thing. If there is some sort of outbreak, and several members cannot leave their dorms, what happens? Each chapter should determine the "what ifs" for this very situation just in case. Suggestions are: Chapter via chat/e-mail (make sure it is private) or conference calls. Do you have another suggestion? Put it in the comments or e-mail it to me! No matter what the chapter policy is, you must notify your RFD if something occurs. She will be able to work with you to make sure deadlines are either still met or extended if necessary.

Programming

As you know, each chapter is required to attend a Drug and Alcohol Awareness Program twice per academic year. Stories surface frequently about binge drinking and drug problems on college campuses. While this may not be the "norm" for a college student, awareness is key. Not all such events can be avoided, but awareness will certainly help. What does your campus do for Drug and Alcohol Awareness? Do you have any other Risk Management programming? I'd love to hear about it - post a comment or drop me a line!

Hazing

Hazing is a terrible practice, but it is one that persists. Who hasn't heard a horror story about one of their local sororities or fraternities? I heard many in my college days. Sadly, most of the things you hear are rooted in truth. One story that I remember was that of candidates subjecting themselves to inspections. They would strip down to undergarments, and their "sisters" would mark what they called "problem areas" on their bodies with a marker. It's a terrible thing. I'm confident that all Phi Sigma Rho sisters know that these practices are absolutely prohibited; however, did you know that, in many staes, they are also illegal? A few examples:

• Arkansas: Hazing is a Class B Misdemeanor (punishable by up to 90 days in prison and up to a $500 fine) and includes expulsion from whatever school the offender attends.
• California: If no serious bodily injury occurs, it is a misdemeanor (punishable by a fine of $100 - $5,000 and up to a year in prison). If bodily injury occurs, it can even result in a felony charge!
• Florida: Depending on the specific situation, it can be either a felony or a misdemeanor and can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison!
• All three states also provide for the victims to file civil suit for damages in addition to pressing criminal charges.

If you'd like to know the laws in your state, let me know, and I'll be happy to compile them. I listed the three above because they were the easiest to find, but I can obtain them for other states upon request.

What can I do for you?
Does your chapter have Risk Management concerns or questions? What can I do to make things easier for your chapter? Is there anything I can clarify? I'm happy to help in any way that I can - that's what I'm here for. I know that sometimes things can get sensitive within a close-knit chapter, but that doesn't mean you can't come to me for help. I can make sure to be very discreet, and your e-mail will remain confidential.

I hope this has been informative, and, as always, I welcome your comments, questions, or suggestions! Feel free to post them here or to e-mail me.

Phi Rho Love,
Becky (Caldwell) Frye
National VP of Standards
VPofStandards [at] phisigmarho [dot] org

National Convention 2009 - The Big Day!

On Saturday at Convention, we had so much fun celebrating that we didn't get a chance to tell you all about the day! What a great celebration it was! Look for more information and details soon - but here are some of the highlights!

We started out the morning with the legislative session where we voted on some proposals and held elections for the 12th National Council of Phi Sigma Rho! Congratulations to our new officers and the ritual committee for a job well done.

After the legislative session, we had a great awards lunch where we got to thank our convention volunteers, present chapter and alumnae awards, and hear from our Founders! Abby, Rashmi, and Christine all took a few minutes to talk about their experiences and their thoughts on PSR. Between some of the awards and their speech, we had a very emotional event and some inspiring moments.

The afternoon was filled with roundtable discussions, meetings, and other activities including the Foundation Hospitality Suite for donors. All day, the Phi Rho Lounge was filled with people and amazing historical items. You could also see a table completely covered with donations for the penguin drive for the Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The final celebration of the weekend was our Pyramid Builders Award Banquet where we honored sisters for the top 25 significant contributions to the sorority. Our MC's did an amazing job - Christine, Kristin, Minna, Leanna, and Lisa were great! And our sisters have been truly inspiring over the last 25 years - we cannot wait to see what the next 25 hold for us!!! (Stay tuned for more ideas for the next 25 years from Convention!)

We found out about a special surprise at the banquet too - Christine Jackson and the Foundation raised $10,000 this weekend! What an amazing accomplishment - thank you to all of our generous donors. We are so excited about the potential that all these donations can bring to future sorority events.

The celebrating lasted well into the evening when the Pitt-Zeta chapter hosted a Murder Mystery night that was quite a hit and the other alumnae and actives hit the dance floor all night! Look for pictures soon - we had a blast! How many other sorority girls can say they danced all night with their Founders?

Congratulations on 25 years Phi Sigma Rho! We hope you all had as much fun celebrating as we did!

GET SET! Gamma Chapter and the Girl Scouts

On March 21, 2009, The Gamma Chapter at the University of Dayton kicked off a new program for the Girl Scouts. The program is called GET SET - Girls Exploring Today's Science, Engineering, and Technology. Although the event was on a small scale this year, it was a success. We had six girls attend the event, which included several activities. The girls started the day with a session to look at the past, present, and future of technology. They then were off on to a tour of the Chemical Engineering lab where they got to see some various manufacturing equipment such as an injection mold. Upon returning, they got an opportunity for some hands on science and created a non-Newtonian fluid known as Oobleck. They then had the opportunity to learn about the experiences of two female real world engineers that came to talk to the girls. They then stayed for lunch with the girls. The girls wrapped up the event with an activity to look at the various designs of can openers. The activities allowed to the girls earn the "Build a Better Future" badge. In the future, we hope to expand this activity to include more girls and more activities.

~Candice Kowicki
Gamma Chapter

Convention 2009 - Early Bird Reigstration Deadline in 1 Week!

We only have one week left to register for Convention 2009 at the early-bird registration rate! After that, the registration fees will go up. This is a great opportunity for you to get to convention at a lower price for meals, social activities, the formal banquet, networking sessions with alumnae and actives, time to chat with our Alpha Chapter, Alpha class and other Alpha Class members, join the legislative session, and hang out with all your favorite Phi Rhos! Hope we can see you all in Pittsburgh!