One of the most important aspects of being an Alpha Chi Omega sister is to embrace intellectual development and further academic achievements.  The Vice President of Intellectual Development in our chapter has the responsibility of encouraging all sisters to participate in Study Hours, Scholarship Teams, the Scholarship Brunch, and newly implemented activities such as the Study Library or Girls' Nights. Full participation in all of these activities not only helps a sister with her studies, but also helps sisters bond with one another through shared experiences. An explanation of each activity is as follows:

• Study Hours: Every semester, each sister must attend 6 study hours, which are held around campus at scheduled times throughout the year. Starting in the spring of 2010, changes will be made to the study hours times to make it easier to accomodate the busy schedules of all sisters, particularly our newest members. 

• Scholarship Teams: At the beginning of each new semester, sisters can sign up for scholarship teams, which are groups of 4-5 sisters (assigned by the VP ID) who can earn rewards based upon their collective academic successes. Each week, sisters report what grades they earned, how few classes they missed, and how many study hours they attended. The team with the best scores in each category, as well as the best overall score, will receive prizes.  New in the spring of 2010, sisters will also be able to earn additional scholarship team points by answering trivia questions during chapter, meeting with professors or tutors for extra help, and various other academic achievements.

• Scholarship Brunch: In the spring and the fall, the Scholarship Brunch is held to acknowledge how well every member of our chapter did during the previous semester. Awards are given out to the sisters with the highest GPAs and to those sisters who demonstrate a strong dedication to academic involvement. 

• Study Library: Sisters can donate old notes to the study library as well as submit teacher reviews for classes they have attended. In this way sisters help one another succeed in their classes.

• Girls' Nights: These events will be organized periodically throughout the semester, particularly surrounding stressful times, such as exams. Sisters will get together at the house to watch a movie, perform relaxation exercises, and in general just de-stress.

It is the responsibility of all AXOs to uphold the pillar of Academic Interest, but it is also part of a members's duty to the chapter to encourage her sisters in the pursuit of their own academic improvement. This can be done by encouraging one another and supporting each sister through all of the Intellectual Development activities. If any sister or potential member has questions or new ideas to share, I can be reached at my e-mail: allison.webb@marquette.edu.

Thank you all,

Allison Webb, Vice President of Intellectual Development 2010

Alpha Chi Omega, Theta Omega Chapter