Philia is the official publication of Florida State University’s Panhellenic Council, a part of one of the four Greek councils, that takes perspectives and narratives from a variety of the 17 chapters. The first issue of the magazine aspect was released in August of Fall 2018 and delved into topics such as the new member experience, thrilling philanthropy-driven events and even photos of previous President Thrasher throwing up letters with sorority women. The publication also has a digital aspect taking space in a blog that discusses the history of different chapters, service events and more!
With a bustling and high-paced community such as FSU’s Panhellenic, keeping up with everything that is going on takes a full staff. Sophia Pendleton holds one of the top positions within the organization. A current junior majoring in Retail Entrepreneurship in the product development track with a secondary major in Media/Communications Studies, Pendleton is Panhellenic’s Vice President of Public Relations. She says, “This is my first semester as part of Philia actually! Part of my role as Panhellenic’s Vice President of Public Relations is to help the Editor in Chief. I was drawn to the role overall because I saw it as an opportunity to bring to light the incredible things going on in the Panhellenic community.”
Pendleton has always been interested in fashion and media and sees the two fields (especially expressed through her majors and now her work with the print and digital publication) as tapping into both the analytical and creative sides of her brain. “We really are part of a community with such diverse paths of thought and interest that it’s hard to get a true grasp of. But through Philia, you can be exposed to this diversity beyond your own individual chapter. I think that’s incredible!” she shares.
Along with her involvement with the magazine and blog, Pendleton’s position also tasks her with things like keeping the Panhellenic’s social media and website up to date through new content and interaction, writing agendas for the council, taking chapter minutes and more. While she says the workload can vary each week, she had prior experience serving as Alpha Gamma Delta’s Vice President of Marketing. She feels honored to experience so much of what’s going on in her community.
Pendleton reflects, “What I didn’t expect was the level of growth that this role has catalyzed. The level of collaboration both internally with the rest of the [executive board] as well as with the Panhellenic and Greek community at large has been unparalleled. I cannot extract the duties of the role from the overall experience it has provided me. It’s been meeting people, forming new friendships, widening my perspective on Greek life, developing my emotional intelligence and learning how to value myself. It’s been an opportunity to learn about myself and grow as a person as much as it’s been an opportunity to learn about my role.”
While the VP of Public Relations said she was very nervous to take on the role of overseeing a publication that not only means so much to a community overall, but also the people who make it up, she could not have done it without her right-wing woman: Grace Castilow. “I was quite nervous entering the world of Philia because I didn’t have much experience with it prior to this role, so I owe a tremendous amount of thanks to [Castilow] for all her help this semester. She’s made it so easy to grasp and has made me feel so confident continuing in this role!” Pendleton gushed.
Castilow previously served as the Editor in Chief but is currently graduating this semester with her Bachelor’s in Editing, Writing, and Media as well as Media/Communication Studies. Castilow was a loyal part of the Philia staff for six semesters, and while very emotional to pass down the responsibility, she is excited to see where the organization will head next!
Pendleton left the lasting remark that the collaborative efforts with the Editor in Chief taught her a variety of lessons on a personal and professional level, and the Philia experience has brought her “in conjunction with a greater appreciation for the community in general.”
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