A Day in Our Lives

On our 17-person Leadership Consultant team, no two days look the same. We can all serve in various roles, depending on the needs of the Fraternity. You could be a “road warrior,” traveling to a new chapter in a different state every 5-7 days. You could be stationed at one chapter for long-term support, or you could be helping to reestablish a ZTA chapter. Some LCs experience a mix of all three!

We (Rylee Leong and Mackenzie Perez) are the two LCs supporting the reestablishment of our Iota Tau Chapter at the University of Utah. We are grateful for the in-person support of other consultants—Corbin Wilson, Lauren O’Bryan, Serenity Leal, and Mclaine Kenney—along with the continued love and support from the rest of our LC team around the country. While each day can look different depending on campus activities and Fraternity/Sorority Life events, here is a glimpse into what a “typical” day looks like during our recruitment period.

6:45 a.m.: Good morning, Salt Lake City! We start the day by getting dressed in our tabling gear: athletic shorts or jean shorts paired with a ZTA shirt or tank top if it’s really hot. On tabling days, comfortable shoes are a must since we’ll be on our feet all day.

7:45 a.m.: Our day continues with breakfast in the car on the way to campus. Salt Lake City is full of drive-thru coffee shops like Beans & Brews and Java Jo’s. We’ve made it a goal to try as many local shops as we can (though we still go to Starbucks often!).

8:30 a.m.: We arrive on campus before 9 a.m. every morning; otherwise, we’d spend hours circling for parking! Since tabling doesn’t start until 11 a.m., we use the time to catch up on administrative work and prepare for the day in the Fraternity and Sorority Life Office.

10:30 a.m.: We load up our wagons with everything we need for tabling: our tent, table, snacks, and plenty of ZTA Utah swag (sunscreen, cups, buttons galore!), then head to our tabling spot for the day. Once there, we set up our table with photos of Zetas, apparel, and of course,our signature Think Pink® ribbons. We try to make the table as inviting and aesthetic as possible by using pictures from a variety of events and chapters so PNMs can easily envision themselves as part of ZTA.

11 a.m.: Tabling begins! Two of us stay at the table while the other four take the “swagons” (swag + wagon = swagon) around campus to connect with more women. We quickly learned that on the Utah campus, students LOVE SkinnyPop, Bloom energy drinks, and fruit snacks. The goal during tabling is to spark an interest in joining ZTA and share what the ZTA experience could look like as a Founding Member of Iota Tau Chapter.

3 p.m.: Tabling wraps up for the day! We pack up our supplies and head back to the FSL office, buzzing with excitement about all the amazing PNMs we met. On the way back, we can’t help but share stories about the PNMs we not-so-secretly hope will choose to join ZTA.

4 p.m.: We leave campus for the day after cooling off in the FSL office; it’s been almost 100°F every day! We load up the minivans and head to one of the most popular places in Utah—Swig. Each of us has a different go-to order, with the Spring Fling, This Bliss, Riptide, and Ring King being favorites.

5 p.m.: We arrive back at the apartment and unload the car. This is our time to debrief the day, talk about how we thought tabling went, and discuss which snacks and swag engaged PNMs the best. We create a plan for what tasks need to be accomplished for the rest of the night.

6:30 p.m.: After working on some administrative work, we head out to pick up dinner from another LC favorite, Flower Child. Most of us tried it for the first time during training back in Carmel, IN, and loved it, so we were excited to find one in Salt Lake City. The steak plate with broccoli and mac and cheese is a must! Then we head to Sugarhouse Park and have a picnic while taking in the greenery and beauty of the mountains.

8 p.m.*: Time to head back to the apartment to do some prep work for the next day. Our group divides and conquers tasks. Normally, wehave a show or some music playing in the background while we work. Our nightly tasks include putting ZTA Utah stickers on all the snacks and beverages for the next day, cutting out flyers, updating various spreadsheets, and finalizing decor for our upcoming events.

11:30 p.m.: We start wrapping up for the night. We make our to-do list for the next day and game plan what everyone will be responsible for. Then we load up the “swagons” and head to bed!

*Wednesday nights: Wednesday nights are what we look forward to every single week! We always try to finish all our work for the night quickly, whether that be making balloon arches or doing inventory, because that is when we watch the new episode of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” We are all Team Conrad, obviously. This is our time to relax and reset with a sweet treat while snuggling up on the couch together.

We are so honored and grateful to help bring Iota Tau Chapter back to the University of Utah and cannot wait to see how the chapter will grow over the next year!