Lilly Finds a Cheerful Way to Decompress and Give Back During Finals

During the home stretch of the semester, Lilly, president of Zeta Phi Beta, felt herself losing track of what’s really important about the holiday season. When an opportunity to collaborate with Omega Delta Phi on an event came up, she saw a chance to help herself and her fellow Huskers take the time to do something for others. 

“This time of year, especially between finals and the holidays, it can be easy to just focus on everything you’ve got going on rather than helping others,” Lilly says. “We wanted to create an event with the intention of getting away from the hecticness of finals and into the holiday spirit, but we also wanted to be able to give back to the Lincoln community as well.” 

Lilly and her team landed on a “Santa’s Workshop” event, where students came together to watch a holiday movie, have some sweet treats and craft ornaments and write cards with messages of support and holiday cheer for residents at a local nursing home. 

“I feel like any little brightness around the holidays can help someone. Not everybody gets to celebrate the holidays with their families or have that sense of feeling at home, but sometimes a small kindness from a stranger, however random, can be really special.” 

Lilly, who reactivated Nebraska's chapter of Zeta Phi Beta with another student, credits her sorority’s emphasis on service for helping her see more chances to give back. 

"As a single student, I had ideas of how to give back but needed more resources to achieve things.  I'm glad I can do this with the name of Zeta Phi Beta and bring those ideas to life.” 

It’s part of the larger benefits of Greek life for Lilly, who sees it as a way for Huskers to organize and make impacts on a larger scale. 

“For me, Greek life has really helped me do more with my ideas,” she says. “I’ve always loved volunteering, but having the backing of my sorority chapter and the support of other houses on campus really helps you realize that you’re part of something larger than yourself.” 

Lilly Brown is a senior communications major from Omaha, Nebraska.