Valpo FSL recognized for leadership achievements

Annie Liemohn Feb 27, 2023

Valpo’s Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) won big this February. Both Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council (IFC) attended the Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values’s (AFLV) annual ‘AFLV Central’ Conference run from Feb. 2-5, 2023 in Indianapolis, Ind. This year, the governing councils scored at the three-star level in many award categories.

The conference invites FSL leaders from over 150 colleges and universities across the U.S. to collaborate in workshop settings, listen to speakers and coordinate with others across council affiliations. Breakout sessions served as one of the primary focuses of the conference in order for attendees to learn more and hone in on the purpose of their respective positions.

“I thoroughly enjoyed [the conference], it allows you to become a more well-rounded leader because there’s so many different educational blocks,” said Emily Heggeland, president of Valpo’s Panhellenic Council. “I got to go to ones that, yes, will help me run meetings better — because that’s part of my position — but I also got to go to ones that I think will just help our overall community. There was one [session] I went to about performative action, or how to be a leader as a woman and the struggles that come with it and how to be empowered, so I really liked it because you can kind of choose your own path — and it’s that way for everyone on our council. So we went and we learned more about ways to be better in our specific position, but also just how to be better humans and better leaders.”

In addition to breakout sessions, there were also numerous opportunities for connecting with FSL student leaders from other schools, such as at meal times or between other scheduled commitments.

“I would say that the biggest takeaway for me personally is being able to network and communicate with other schools because other councils are run so differently and they oftentimes have a lot of good ideas that we can take away from [talking with] them, and then once we get back on campus apply to our own community,” said Sam Denaer, the Valpo’s IFC president.