The Planner Party
Author: Lauren B. / Editor: Bella B. / Photos: Chapter Provided
Students have a lot to expect with the beginning of a new semester, from new classes to involvement fairs to themed trivia nights. The members of Chi Omega (Chi O) have their own highly anticipated event to keep sisterhood strong and morale high: The Planner Party. Originating in 2021, it’s a highlight of any member's experience.
This semester, the upstairs multipurpose room was adorned with decorations, art supplies, and snacks while Tara M., the chapter’s Director of Career and Personal Development, presented all the relevant chapter and Panhellenic dates for the semester. This allows sisters to spend time together and explore their creativity while also fostering future success. One attendant, Katelyn P, agrees with the sentiment, saying, “I loved the event! I think it is a great way to get the chapter together and get super excited about the upcoming school year.”
Natalie R, the assistant director to the Director of Career and Personal Development, and Tara M. added a modern addition to the Chi O tradition and created an online calendar. In a world where smartphones and laptops rule the academic landscape, this update is more relevant than ever. There’s also the added benefit of allowing members who couldn’t make the event or sisters who prefer to use a digital planner to still reap the benefits. “The biggest thing is to help [everyone] get organized,” Natalie explains. “It definitely helps me to get dates down in order to be prepared for the semester.”
With the Personal and Professional Development team’s events in addition to everything else going on, it can get easy for members to become overwhelmed if they don’t have the information far enough ahead of time to plan their schedules. Tara articulated the purpose behind the planner party, “School can be so crazy busy, so the last thing we want to do is to make a sorority—which is supposed to be fun and is supposed to be something that builds you up—a stressor.”
In this way, Tara believes in taking a personal approach to the position, adding mental health and self-care resources into the rotation of resume-building and networking events. While professional development is a priority, she believes in taking the team a step further so members are more holistically supported in all aspects of life. Moreover, these events also give participants an opportunity to come and spend quality, productive, time together.
Chi Omega’s Planner Party is one event that exemplifies the intersection between sisterhood and scholarship in the way that the values encourage each other. “I think the Panhellenic community really emphasizes the importance of putting school first,” expressed Anabella D., an attendant of the event. The fact that education takes precedence over any Greek obligation doesn’t mean that the two are mutually exclusive. Anabella also articulates how the two go, “hand in hand,” explaining how she’s currently applying for the Public Relations major and how the two people who have helped her the most are two fellow sisters already in the program. Tara had a similar experience: “Last spring, when applying for the English Education program, my sisters were my rocks. They made me feel confident and supported in my academic endeavors, frequently checking in with me on the status of my application and celebrating me when I got into the program!” Academic development can be stressful, both practically and emotionally, but Chi O has fostered an environment that supports sisters so that they’re never alone when trying to achieve their dreams.
Natalie R. summarized, “I think being a Panhellenic woman and student means being involved on campus and being both an active leader and an encouraging peer.” While a Planner Party may seem like a small event, it is a representative of a sisterhood that prioritizes scholarship and of a greater Panhellenic community that works to uplift each in all endeavors: academic, professional, personal, and beyond.