This past awards season five chapters were presented Xi Achievement, one of Alpha Xi Delta’s most sought after awards. Xi Achievement is awarded to chapters who exhibit superior achievement in all aspects of chapter operations and programming, and is based on meeting or exceeding 100% of the standards in the Alpha and Xi Levels of the Annual Progress Report. The Delta Alpha Chapter at the University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse has given us a sneak peek into what helped their chapter attain this prestigious award. Take a look below for some ideas and helpful hints on what your chapter can do to be in the running for Xi Achievement for the 2016-2017 academic year!
All chapter-related questions were answered by Bailey Slater, Chapter President.
1. Sisterhood is one of the four pillars of Alpha Xi Delta. How does your chapter promote Sisterhood in college and beyond?
"While all of the pillars of Alpha Xi Delta are important, this is one our chapter holds very close to our hearts. Sisterhood is very important to us. As a chapter we hold two Sisterhood activities a month. These activities have included ice skating, bowling, photo shoots, DIY projects, and so much more. All of our Sisters look forward to these activities, and we always have a wonderful time at them. Outside of Alpha Xi Delta events Sisters hang out on and off campus; going to lunch, studying, or getting coffee. Our Sisterhood goes far beyond our planned events. Beyond college, we try to keep the Sisterhood alive with our alumnae as well. We love when alumnae come back to visit, and we always make time to see them! Our AXiD families always keep in contact with our alumnae members, because we all know it’s not just for four years, it’s for life."
2. Maintaining a positive presence on campus and on social media is an important factor in chapter success. How do you maintain this positive presence?
"One thing we've been trying to do more and more is promote our name on campus. We love handing out finals goodies bags to students on campus, or candy canes just to get our name out and brighten peoples’ days. In the past, we have teamed up with other organizations for events like community food drives and commencement set up, and we also have some Sisters who are campus tour guides. On social media we really try to show what our Sisters are up to and how we don't fit your average stereotype. We love posting TFJ Tuesday posts, or Throw What You Know Thursdays of our Sisters."
3. Outside involvement is an expectation of all undergraduate members of Alpha Xi Delta. How does your chapter promote leadership?
"Our Sisters show great leadership skills both within and outside of our chapter. Not only is every single one of our Sisters involved in another organization on campus, we have such variety in what our Sisters are involved in. We have athletes, members of major specific clubs, members of honor societies, and Sisters on recreational clubs. More than 10% of our chapter holds leadership positions in another organization and one of our Sisters also won UWL's Women's Athlete of the Year."
4. You went above and beyond what was expected of you to fundraise for Autism Speaks this past year. Tell us more about your AmaXIng Challenge event(s) and participation in the Minneapolis Autism Speaks Walk.
"Our favorite events every year are our AmaXing Challenges and the Minneapolis Autism Speaks Walk. This past year we held two AmaXing Challenges, Puzzle Palooza, and the Step It Up 5K. Puzzle Palooza was new for us, but it was a very successful event! We had so much support from our campus, and it made the event what it was. It was such a great day, and not only did all of our Sisters love it, but so did all of the participants. Our Step It Up 5K is something we have been doing for about 5 years now, and it is always successful for us. Besides the 5K at the event, we also have raffles with prizes from businesses around the community, face painting, and a speaker who has been impacted by autism and Autism Speaks. In the fall we also attend the Minneapolis Autism Speaks Walk, which all of our Sisters always look forward too. We love this event because we get to directly interact with Autism Speaks and the families who are impacted by them. We always do a wide range of jobs while we are there, and Sisters enjoy every moment of it."
5. As a Xi Achievement Chapter, it is also important to recognize the time and talent your Chapter Advisor, Denae Nygren, has dedicated to the success of Delta Alpha Chapter. Please take a moment and write a summary of how this Sister has impacted your chapter.
"There is so much to say about Denae that I don't think any amount of words would do her justice. To start off, Denae is absolutely amazing; she goes above and beyond for our chapter and is completely invested in us. We would not be where we are today without her. She cares so much about us, and she is truly a sister in every sense of the word. She is so knowledgeable about everything and is always willing to research, ask questions, and lend a hand when our chapter needs it. She is always helping us realize our potential and pushing us to be the best we can be. She is near and dear to all of our hearts and has made our chapter reach heights we never thought we could."
The following prompt was answered by Denae Nygren, Chapter Advisor.
Why did you choose to volunteer for Alpha Xi Delta and what have you found to be most rewarding about this experience?
"Initially, I chose to volunteer for Alpha Xi Delta as the Delta Alpha Chapter Advisor because my Big Sister, Danae Maier, encouraged me to. Her encouragement, as well as the encouragement of my Sisters and the Chapter Advisor I had while a collegian, Jen Zipf, lead me to take the leap. I am so glad that I did! The most rewarding part of volunteering for Alpha Xi Delta (so far) has been getting to watch the collegians I work with grow both personally and as Alpha Xi's. It is truly a privilege for me to be able to support them on their journey through their college years, and I am immensely proud of their achievements."
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