August 2016
Amidst warm summer days in St. Louis (The Gateway City), Phi Dex brothers from across the nation gathered for the 2016 Leader
Development Seminar. Every other year, hosted by PLEI, the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute, the Leader Development Seminar is an opportunity to develop crucial skills with other pharmacy students while networking on a national level.
Driving over 13 hours from Gainesville, Florida, brothers Douglas, James, and Daniel from the newly found Delta Delta Chapter made
their way to St. Louis for 5 life-changing days on how to become a better leader.
Various lessons were taught during the seminar through a PLEI workbook, from achieving a work state in flow, and positioning one’s self in a player mindset versus a victim mindset. Working in flow was a key point in the first few days at the seminar, where flow is an optimum point of skilled excellence and challenge. Flow is a state of being, where there is enough interest in completing task while
balancing a sense of control. On the opposite spectrum is apathy, where there is an apparent lack of challenge along with a low sense of control. As for establishing a player mindset versus a victim mindset, a player is one that owns up to situations and exhibits control over what happens rather than blaming others. For example, if one is late to work, a player would own up and state that being late was possibly due to one’s own lack of time management, while a victim would blame their tardiness to traffic or other variables outside their control.
While there were many opportunities for leadership development, there were also times of relaxation and fraternal bonding. Exploring downtown St Louis was always and exciting experience, from riding on up to the top of the Gateway Arch, to escaping locked rooms at the Mastermind Room Escape. Brothers from the Delta Delta (UF) chapter, Gamma Upsilon (LECOM), and Beta Lambda (NOVA) chapters worked together to escape their room before a serial killer returned to finish them off. Of course, a trip to St. Louis would not be complete without some St. Louis barbecue. From tasting the ribs at Sugarfire Smokehouse or trying out Pappy’s Smokehouse, St. Louis treated the brothers real well.
On the last evening of the seminar, a banquet was held to present awards to distinctive chapters, along with introducing the new Delta Delta chapter to everyone in attendance. In addition, despite only being active for half a year, the Delta Delta chapter received the Dale W. Doerr Achievement award for 100% completion of chapter reports. The banquet also offered a time for remarks for the good and welfare of the fraternity. Among the speakers was chapter adviser Dr. Rhonda Cooper DeHoff, Pharm.D., MS, FACC, FAHA,
who addressed the growth and development of the 100th chapter at the University of Florida. Following her remarks, brothers Daniel and James Winslow challenged the other chapters by reminding them of our determination to win the Thurston Cup Award.
Overall, being able to experience LDS for the first time was an enlightening experience. From traveling around the city trying out foods and spirits to building connections with brothers from across the nation and learning valuable skills in leadership, one might say no one was a stranger with each other at all.
BY: DOUG TAM
Amidst warm summer days in St. Louis (The Gateway City), Phi Dex brothers from across the nation gathered for the 2016 Leader
Development Seminar. Every other year, hosted by PLEI, the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute, the Leader Development Seminar is an opportunity to develop crucial skills with other pharmacy students while networking on a national level.
Driving over 13 hours from Gainesville, Florida, brothers Douglas, James, and Daniel from the newly found Delta Delta Chapter made
their way to St. Louis for 5 life-changing days on how to become a better leader.
Various lessons were taught during the seminar through a PLEI workbook, from achieving a work state in flow, and positioning one’s self in a player mindset versus a victim mindset. Working in flow was a key point in the first few days at the seminar, where flow is an optimum point of skilled excellence and challenge. Flow is a state of being, where there is enough interest in completing task while
balancing a sense of control. On the opposite spectrum is apathy, where there is an apparent lack of challenge along with a low sense of control. As for establishing a player mindset versus a victim mindset, a player is one that owns up to situations and exhibits control over what happens rather than blaming others. For example, if one is late to work, a player would own up and state that being late was possibly due to one’s own lack of time management, while a victim would blame their tardiness to traffic or other variables outside their control.
While there were many opportunities for leadership development, there were also times of relaxation and fraternal bonding. Exploring downtown St Louis was always and exciting experience, from riding on up to the top of the Gateway Arch, to escaping locked rooms at the Mastermind Room Escape. Brothers from the Delta Delta (UF) chapter, Gamma Upsilon (LECOM), and Beta Lambda (NOVA) chapters worked together to escape their room before a serial killer returned to finish them off. Of course, a trip to St. Louis would not be complete without some St. Louis barbecue. From tasting the ribs at Sugarfire Smokehouse or trying out Pappy’s Smokehouse, St. Louis treated the brothers real well.
On the last evening of the seminar, a banquet was held to present awards to distinctive chapters, along with introducing the new Delta Delta chapter to everyone in attendance. In addition, despite only being active for half a year, the Delta Delta chapter received the Dale W. Doerr Achievement award for 100% completion of chapter reports. The banquet also offered a time for remarks for the good and welfare of the fraternity. Among the speakers was chapter adviser Dr. Rhonda Cooper DeHoff, Pharm.D., MS, FACC, FAHA,
who addressed the growth and development of the 100th chapter at the University of Florida. Following her remarks, brothers Daniel and James Winslow challenged the other chapters by reminding them of our determination to win the Thurston Cup Award.
Overall, being able to experience LDS for the first time was an enlightening experience. From traveling around the city trying out foods and spirits to building connections with brothers from across the nation and learning valuable skills in leadership, one might say no one was a stranger with each other at all.
BY: DOUG TAM