"My family's crazy," Panhellenic Council President Cynthia Anderson '99 said about her upbringing in the small town of Barrington, Ill. "But, I have to include myself in that too ... I am related to them."
While Anderson often displays her "crazy" nature, she also involves herself in some serious endeavors at the College.
After serving as the Panhell programming chair last summer, Anderson, who is a sister at Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, was elected president last month.
As president, she said she hopes to "improve communication among the different houses and with the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council."
Anderson heads weekly Panhell meetings, organizes programming for the sororities and still keeps time for other activities she finds important.
She has combined her position as Panhell president with her desire to advance sexual assault awareness at the College. "I know more than one person who has been unhappy with the [Committee on Standards] for their sexual assault investigations."
Anderson said the issue needs to be talked about all the time, and she is trying to help through her leadership position. "Panhell is supporting this financially and requiring education for its new members," she said.
In addition, Anderson also volunteers at the Hannah House for pregnant and parenting teenagers and is involved with the student fellowship program at her Lutheran Church.
Anderson decided to come to the College because she liked East Coast life and wanted to be away from all major airports. "My mom won't fly on small planes into Lebanon ... I really like Hanover," Anderson explained.
Anderson said her mother is a flight attendant and visited her every week during her time abroad on Foreign Study Programs.Her mother's job does have its advantages. "We get great travel benefits and can fly just about anywhere." This includes a recent trip to Sweden, where the Andersons surprised their cousins who they had not seen for 15 years.
"This was just one example of my crazy family," she said. "My mother also used to come into school all the time and start dancing in the halls just to embarrass me."
Anderson has also participated in two FSPs -- one to study German in Berlin and the other in Russia as a nanny for the program's director.
"They were great experiences and I had a great time," Anderson said, "I loved my host family."
The feeling seems to be mutual since her German host sister stayed at her home in Barrington last year.
Anderson is a linguistics major and hopes to find a job working with computer programs and speech recognition. "Unlike most people, I knew exactly what I wanted to major in before coming [here]," she said.
While her accomplishments have been numerous, Anderson does have other goals in life. "I want to learn how to snowboard," she said, laughing. "I love playing and jumping in the snow."
Despite Anderson's carefree and helping exterior, she also has a more mischievous side. "My most memorable experiences with Cynthia include smuggling McDonald's [food] into the movie theater," long-time friend Sara Zrike '99 said.
Anderson also admitted how she got one of her dormitory room's conversation pieces. "I stole a German 'Romeo and Juliet' Poster from a marquee in Berlin," she said.
The admiration Anderson has on campus is evident in Zrike's comments. "She is the most giving person I know," Zrike said. "She is responsible, hardworking and is a positive role model for everyone she comes in contact with. She is a wonderful asset to Panhell."
Anderson's roommate, Catherine Maxson '99, described Anderson's confidence as courageous. "I think she is a perfect model of someone who focuses on what they want, doesn't worry about what other people think and in turn demands respect from everyone because of what she accomplishes."
