FLOs provide freshman leadership opportunities

By Kristen Murphy

Contributing Writer

With so many organizations on campus, it is easy to get lost in all the acronyms. One that is particularly being thrown around at this time of year is "FLO." The FLOs include EL, FAB, FC, FF and freShGA.

What is a FLO anyway? It is not some sort of chart, nor the way a river moves. In the midst of all the enigmatic acronyms, people might wonder what kind of fresh fruit freShGA is selling, or maybe that FAB is an organization for interior decorators.

Amidst all of the stereotypes and confusion around campus, there is no better time than now to set the record straight. FLO stands for Freshman Leadership Organizations, which are typically competitive, application-based student organizations run by freshmen, for freshmen.

Each FLO serves a different purpose for the freshman class. For members and nonmembers alike, FLOs provide a wide variety of experiences, including fun and free events that the freshmen on campus can enjoy. For more information on each FLO, check out the descriptions to the right.

Emerging Leaders (EL)

Emerging Leaders is a unique organization that strives for a balanced approach to leadership. Each year 25 guys and 25 girls are chosen through the application process. Members are educated on leadership and spend time attending seminars and learning about leadership from mentors. Emerging Leaders emphasizes the application of leadership and focuses on projects and service.

The best part? Funded by Auxiliary Services, Emerging Leaders controls a big budget. "Emerging Leaders is a fun and well-rounded...organization," said Chris Olson, a second-year Industrial Engineering major. "It gave me a lot of great opportunities for networking, leadership and community service."

Freshman Activities Board (FAB)

FAB focuses on planning events for freshmen while developing the leadership of its members. Made up of 15 guys and 15 girls, FAB chooses applicants based on an application and interview process. FAB controls a $10,000 budget from the Freshman Experience Program, which goes toward activities throughout the year for first year students-nearly 1200 of whom participated last year.

FAB also includes advisors who guide members through event planning and put on activities such as a fall retreat, spring banquet and Fresh Formal for all of the members.

The best part? FAB's events reach a large part of campus, and members gain invaluable experience while planning them. And since there is already a budget, all of FAB's events are free.

Freshman Council (FC)

FC is the oldest freshman leadership organization on campus-and the most open-ended. Comprised of 15 girls and 15 boys, FC has no rules or guidelines. There is no set budget and most of the money is raised by the council. Members are chosen by five sophomore advisors based on their creativity and intellect, but the advisors do not influence the ideas or plans of the group. Members of the council are given the freedom to plan events or become involved as much as they want.

"Freshman Council is what you make of it," said Jessica Juneau, second-year FC advisor. "It reflects solely on the creativity of the freshmen chosen to make it up."

The best part? The freedom to do absolutely anything that the Council decides to do.

freShGA

As the only freshman leadership organization affiliated with SGA, freShGA prepares its members for later involvement with SGA while encouraging the development of leadership through involvement on campus. FreShGA consists of 18 to 25 freshmen who are selected through an application process.

FreShGA responds to issues on campus specific to each new school term. Last year, freShGA helped support One Night Stand, an event which opened the CRC from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for athletic activities such as basketball, volleyball and dodgeball, and started a program called Tickets for Tech to supply discount tickets to museums and attractions around Atlanta to residents.

The best part? FreShGA is closely involved with SGA and members have access to all SGA resources.

Freshman Foundation

One of the newer organizations on campus, Freshman Foundation was created as part of the Georgia Tech Student Foundation (GTSF). Twenty freshmen are selected through an application and two-part interview including both individual and group interviews. Once selected, members benefit from the opportunity to be mentored by a third, fourth or fifth-year student from the Student Foundation Board of Trustees.

"The Freshman Foundation has the unwavering support if the Student Foundation Board of Trustees," said Brittany Copeland, Freshman Foundation advisor.

The best part? GTSF has an endowment of almost $800,000, and Freshman Foundation helps to allocate these funds to campus student organizations.