Megan Holzmeister

LDST 535 Peer Consultation

1/22/20

A leadership challenge that I am currently facing in my community life is within my

sorority. For numerous years, we have had reoccurring issues plaguing the chapter house parking
lot. We have notoriously had too few parking spots to accommodate the number of members who
are living in the house. In order to address this problem, the house had assigned parking spots.
There was a set number of parking spots for sophomores with the highest GPA’s and
involvement, for members on the Executive board, for all live-in juniors, and a group of spots for
the remaining live-out juniors and seniors. This was felt by all to be a good compromise. To our
surprise this year, we returned in August to find out that five of our live-out parking spots had
been taken from us and given to underclassmen. The decision was made by House Corp, without
input from any of the current members or officers. This was upsetting news, but we accepted it.
Fast forward to early January, and we are informed that now the remaining live out spots have
been confiscated from us and redistributed to more underclassmen, leaving us only two live-out
parking spots for both the junior and senior classes. Once again, this decision was made entirely
by House Corp. This was infuriating to many of the live-outs because we pay our member dues
with the expectation that we are receiving access to the chapter house and its benefits, and yet
here is House Corp taking our money and limiting our access with no regard for officer or
member opinions.
The House Corp board is the group of alumnae women that have volunteered/ been
designated to help run the chapter. However, it has long been believed by members that they
exercise powers far outside of their jurisdiction and have previously been infamous for
overriding executive member’s decisions. For years, we have put up with their needless rules and
have conceded to the fact that we are powerless to them. Until now. I have decided to rally the
senior class behind me, majority of whom feel the exact same way that I do on the matter.
Specifically, my house mates who are also in my sorority. Two of whom pay for their chapter
dues out of their own pockets. We need these extra live-out parking spots so that we can easily
go to the house for study hours or to join our fellow sisters for a meal. One of the largest perks of
our sorority, is the proximity to campus. These perks are now being robbed from us.
In order to take action against this challenge, I am going to write the House Corp board a
strongly worded, yet respectful letter addressing the live-out members concerns with the parking
lot. I will also address other concerns that the members have had with the communistic style
government that the House Corp board is running throughout the chapter. I will inform them that
due to their actions, I currently have no intentions to donate any money back to the chapter upon
graduation and in later years. I plan on presenting this letter to the House Corp board after the
next monthly chapter meeting. Although, I doubt that my letter will make the House Corp change
their mind, I hope that it at least gives them some things to reconsider in their actions.
Unfortunately, as a previous officer and current member, I do not think that my role
individually is very large. Yet, I am determined to have a voice and stand up to this injustice. The
question I am posing to myself is to find the proper actions and get the right people behind me,
so we can potentially make a change in chapter leadership before we graduate in the May.