Our existing menu of services was impressive, but was made better. Advising sessions were made inter-society to reduce duplication across student clubs. Our internal IT toolkit was slightly upgraded to consolidate existing tools and streamline the way we maintain and improve our website. More of the well-received professional development services were offered compared to previous semesters, with two rounds of mock interviews supplemented by excellent workshops. A renewed focus on inter-societal relations was pursued and inspired us to put on an extraordinarily successful inter-society sports event and to immerse ourselves in the hierarchy of student leadership to an unprecedented degree. An enormous amount of community service was done over the course of the semester and came in all shapes and sizes; we kept most of our traditional services, such as the blood drive, introduced new ones, such as Relay for Life, and researched a large-scale outreach operation involving local elementary and middle schools. We furthered our services to our college by staffing various events intended to both welcome new students and celebrate the greatness of our university. The list goes on.

But undoubtedly the shining star of our semester was the celebration of our 100th anniversary on April 21st, 2007 at HS Lordships by the Berkeley Marina. With the assistance of the entire officer corps, our district directors, and even national executives, an unforgettable evening was put together by our Alumni Relations committee to celebrate the growth and prosperity of our chapter. The banquet drew over a hundred California Alpha alumni and members spanning countless generations of membership and representing all facets of engineering and our nation. Commemorative speeches, photo albums, hand-made props and decorations, nearly forgotten California Alpha antiques and general good cheer marked this amazing gathering, and demonstrated how our chapter, like fine wine, has aged marvelously over the years.

So with these astonishing successes, where did we go wrong? Our error lay in our comfortable assumption that our chapter was capable of anything, and that the tracks that had previously been laid down were not meant to be followed indefinitely. As we progressed through the semester, our once vibrant and eager officer corps slowly became over-worked, busy and exhausted. Despite well-intentioned lighter activities and programs such as a buddy system, little birthday celebrations and interactive officer-exclusive games, the officer corps, under the weight of numerous projects and the expectations of many, did not ground itself well. Officer-officer bonds were weak, enthusiasm was waning, and while we performed our tasks with excellence and professionalism, the excitement and freshness of being in a student society was beginning to disappear. In short, our chapter was ever so close to becoming a methodical machine.

About three-fourths into our semester, we stepped back and realized the dangerous road we were trekking down. An officer meeting was nearly entirely devoted to an internal investigation into what was happening to us and where to steer our chapter. It was quite honestly the most rewarding discussion I have ever led. Our team focused on root causes, determined fundamental principles to follow, and brainstormed ways to improve. The officer corps came to the same conclusion that I had come to: we were biting off way more than we could chew, and it was time to define who and what we as a chapter are trying to serve. Our group of forty-some students was not physically capable of catering to every single one of our target audiences with flying colors, and the simple solution was to scale down, reduce our ambitions and concentrate on our own health as a chapter.

After this meeting, things did change a bit. While we were still busy as ever, signs of stronger camaraderie within our officers appeared and a sense of mission to set things right seemed to pervade the corps. And even though it was too late into our semester to fully act upon this change of heart, it was certainly an inspiring discussion which I hope will impact future generations of officers.

With that said, I do not regret our chapter's experience in Spring 2007. A wake-up call was surely in order, and no group of people can perform flawlessly without a few bumps and bruises. If anything, I believe our over-exertion and ambition have made us stronger, if only because we pushed our limits and have been to the edge and back. I am extremely optimistic for the semester to come and those after it.

Calculate and innovate. That is what we did in the end. Try, try, try, California Alpha!