Chris' Blog: Southern Style visits Oxford

Southern Style is the official host and hostess group for the University of Southern Mississippi. It is a long standing tradition here at this University and it is also considered one of the most prestigious student groups on campus today. As a member of Southern Style, you may only serve for one full summer. During that summer you are responsible for all freshman, transfer and non-traditional student previews. Southern Style is a group that works on behalf of the First Year Experience Office in order to make new students transitions into Southern Miss as easy as possible. It was by far one of my favorite things I've done to date as an undergrad.

The group is comprised of 20-25 student leaders. The group is responsible for a 300 level course, and responsibilities are not taken lightly. One of the most important characteristics director Wynde Fitts always communicated to us was that we were a unit and must work together to accomplish our tasks.

SROW, or the Southern Regional Orientation Workshop, was one of many opportunities that helped us grow together as a team. SROW, much like Balfour & Boston, was an enriching opportunity to compare notes from other neighboring orientation leaders. We also competed in a Southern Miss themed dance, against 9 other schools, and placed first. Winning made SROW even more exciting, but most importantly it highlighted for us as a team, how much our hard work pays off. We carried this spirit and enthusiasm into the summer long work experience. Even though we were paid a small stipend, it was an excellent example of servant leadership. I would recommend other students to try out for this organization. It taught me so much about myself and working with others who come from different backgrounds than myself.