We often challenge ourselves on ways to bring the OΔK ideal to the campus community. Many have found strategic ways of bridging the gap between circle and greater campus population, but messages can become diluted and the constant question of “what is OΔK, anyway?” may be one of the most frustrating conversations for your dedicated members to have with peers. In an effort to educate the masses and strengthen the presence of OΔK throughout the campus, it is important to solidify your circle’s OΔK brand. Once the brand is established, integrating with campus life is a breeze.
An easy way for an OΔK circle to integrate into the community is to focus efforts into various opportunities that the campus is already offering. By encouraging the circle to register for various service opportunities, trivia nights, neon volleyball tournaments, or campus traditions, not only are you supporting your members in their other endeavors, but you are also establishing your brand throughout campus. Current members will appreciate the circle supporting the basketball team as they take on a major rival or the activities board as they host a lip sync competition, and prospective members will recognize the community and camaraderie built through membership within OΔK.
It’s no surprise that we turn to social media as an effort to connect in simple ways. Capitalizing on the popularity of hashtags to promote daily interaction with students has helped the OΔK brand resonate throughout our campus at Fontbonne University. Using #MotivationMonday and #WebArticleWednesday to highlight famous quotes and articles about leadership helps the circle remind visitors of the basic mission of the society.
#TriviaTuesday and #ThrowbackThursday serve as great outlets to highlight OΔK on a national level by asking questions about the history of the society and highlighting pictures of successful members. And switching between #FanVideoFriday and #FYIFriday allows the group to highlight individual members and the various events they are planning and executing throughout campus. By sharing this information about campus programming, the circle is once again able to engage in all phases of campus life.
Speaking of the five phases of campus life, centering programming efforts on these pillars can prove to be beneficial when launching your OΔK brand throughout campus. Pillar programming provides clear direction on what a circle may want to accomplish in a year. It is a simple way to focus resources and efforts into five different events that not only celebrate the ideals of the society, but also create variety in your programming so that students inside and outside of the circle can find something they are excited to attend. Hosting a “Last Lecture” event to fulfill the “Communications” pillar will excite a different audience than the “Big Pink Volleyball Tournament” that fulfills the “Athletics” pillar – and that’s okay! Each time a student leaves one of the OΔK events having had a great time, you have succeeded in strengthening that brand image throughout campus.
As one can see, there are many simple ways to integrate OΔK into the campus community every day, but the most simplistic, most effective method is engaging a group of student leaders that are passionate about the OΔK ideals and for what they stand. No amount of programming, social media, or campus collaboration can amount to the power of dedicated individuals championing the ideals of the society throughout campus in new and exciting ways. Instill pride in the representation of our letters and that signature OΔK blue, and I promise you will see that pride spread into every aspect of campus life. It really doesn’t get simpler than that.
Joel Hermann is the faculty advisor of the Fontbonne University Circle.
