Psi Iota Xi announces 2019-2020 Psi Ote of the Year

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Chapter president Cori Shambaugh (left) presents Michelle Buescher with the 2019-20 Psi Ote of the Year Award. submitted

GREENFIELD – The Upsilon chapter of Psi Iota Xi recently honored Michelle Buescher as its 2019-20 Psi Ote of the Year.

Buescher serves as the recording secretary for the chapter. Her duties include taking minutes for the meetings and keeping a record of attendance. This year, Buescher took on the role of Cheeseball Committee chair, which required coordinating a chapterwide volunteer day, ordering of supplies and accounting for the funds. The 2019 project started out with an obstacle: The price of cheese had increased enough to significantly impact profits. Buescher led the committee to make calculations and recommended that a $1 increase in the selling price per ball was warranted.

“This was a bold recommendation since our chapter hadn’t raised our cheeseball price in many years, but it worked out wonderfully,” said Cori Shambaugh, chapter president.

Nevertheless, the group netted around $5,500 to support philanthropic projects in the community.

Another challenge Buescher embraced was the addition of another cheeseball flavor. The chapter has offered one flavor for decades. Last year, they introduced a dessert cheeseball in small batches. Due to the positive response, the chapter decided to make a full batch. Buescher navigated the new logistics with precision for a successful sale.

Buescher’s efforts also expanded the chapter’s market for its cheeseballs to craft bazaars and expositions where members could set up a booth and sell cheeseballs. The booths included a tasting station and direct cheeseballs sales on the spot.

Buescher is well-respected by her fellow sorority sisters.

“Our chapter wouldn’t be the same without Michelle,” Shambaugh said. “She goes above and beyond in everything she does and takes so much pride in our charitable work in the areas of speech, hearing, literature, and the arts.”