6 Reasons Spring Semester is the Best

1. Spring Break: 
There may be no other time in your life where you get to take a week off from school to go to the beach and act like fools with all your friends. On SB the party never ends.

2. More singles: 
Quite a few people have fallen victim to the turkey dump which means more dating prospects! (Turkey Dump- When a student returning from college breaks up with their significant other from high school. So-called because it traditionally takes place over thanksgiving break, the first time most students return from college.)

3. Warmer weather: 
You don't need that coat anymore so feel free to wear all of your cute tank tops again; plus no more hiding under layers of clothes

4. Formal: 
You're getting dressed up to drink and party with all of your sisters its like Prom but 10x better.

5. Its almost summer: 
Schools about to be out which means you get to forget about school for almost 3 months; unless your taking summer classes but they still aren't usually as hard.

6: Shedding the winter weight:  
The suns out which means you want to be outside and active. You'll be bikini ready before you know it.

Little Things You May Forget for Formal Recruitment

Soon it will be that time of year again... recruitment season! That means matching outfits, loud chants, and lots of water.

You may think you have everything ready for formal recruitment coming up, but there are some smaller items you might easily forget. Use this checklist to see if you are prepared for any surprises:

Clothing:

• Name tag - if your chapter doesn't hold onto them
• Badge - for pref night
• Safety pins/sewing kit- it happens
• Heels - sometimes you forget you're only wearing Uggs
• Jewelry - not the end of the world if you forget it, but you'll want your favorite watch or Alex & Ani bracelet in your photos

Hair:

• Hairspray - a stuffy room full of women could ruin your do!
• Bobby pins - if you find yourself pushing your hair back a lot, maybe just pin it back
• Comb - or a brush, but don't let your hair get full of static #notagoodlook

Makeup:

• All make up
• Just bring it all

Supplies:

• Scissors - you will probably need to cut a loose string, tape, flower stems, or slips of paper
• Pens and highlighters - to take any notes for future reference and to keep organized
• Hammer and nails or a screwdriver - I don't know how crazy your decorations get

Random:

• Tampons - I'm sure at least one person will thank you
• Deodorant - MANY people will thank you. TIP: get the spray can version to share
• Hand sanitizer - those are a lot of hands you will be shaking
• Mints - lots of mints
• Red Bull (and water)- TIP: put some Red Bull in small cups to make "Red Bull shots" or make "water shots" for recruiters to hydrate in between parties
• Batteries - if you have battery-powered candles
• Napkins - if you're serving refreshments (in that case you will need a slew of other things: cups, trays, plates...)
• Lint roller - for those times when random stuff shows up on your outfit
• Tide-To-Go - for those times when WORSE random stuff shows up on your outfit
• Song/chant lyrics - you should have them memorized already but a refresher wouldn't hurt!
• Recruitment schedule - you'll be needing that
• Steamer - if someone is willing to schlep it, this will help with table cloths or wrinkled outfits
• Coat hangers - a nice touch may be to collect coats and bags if the potential new members come in carrying them
• Snack - make sure it is a "clean" snack that won't stain or leave grease
• First Aid kit - let's hope you won't have to use it
• Music playlist - if you are having music playing/if you have a skit with music
• Cell phone charger - just a suggestion
• Bid cards - to give to your new members!!!
• SMILE - the best thing some women forget is to have a smile on. Not only will it make potential new members comfortable but it will make your sisters happy to see you having a good time.

Have other last-minute items that would be helpful? Comment or tweet at us so we can add it to the list!

Happy recruiting!

A Better You for the New Year!

Every single year people promise a variety of things to better themselves in the New Year. This year I am going to make my goals realistic. I am going to try extremely hard to make sure I can live up to my expectations. 

1. Try my best to get to the gym every week.
I want to try and get there at least 3-4 days a week. Even if I can get there for a 30 minute cardio session, that is better than not going at all.

2. Be more confident.
I tend to be a little worried about perception, but who doesn't. This year I want to grow to be comfortable in my own skin and the person I am.

3. Give up fast food!
I am not talking about the pizza you go get at 2am after a long night out, I am talking about McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell... etc. Although that food might be good in the moment it really isn't good for you. I tend to grab that quick on the go but nope, I am going to try the whole "self-control thing" and go without it.

4. Stress about the things that only matter.
I am always stressed about something, whether it is about perfecting a lesson plan for teaching a class or if it is someone sick in my family. I continue to work hard on anything I do and just know when it is good enough. 

5. Spend time with loved ones.
This could mean your family at home, which I always try to do. This can also mean your friends or sorority sisters at school. You do not need an event to bring you all together. Go out of the way to hangout with someone you lost touch with over the years or a sister you never got to know too well. Make your experience a great one!

6. Try to focus on the NOW!
Come Spring 2015 I am graduating. It is finally starting to set in and needless to say it is one of the most uncomfortable feelings in the world. I love where I am now, I have the best sorority sisters, friends, and I love being at Kutztown University. I do not want to graduate just yet, especially because WHERE WILL I BE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS! I always begin to stress about where will I be? Will I be alright there? Will I love my job? How far away from my family will I be? And all of these questions will drive me insane. This is my senior year of college, and my last semester. I am going to make it count!

Partners-In-Crime

Moving away from family sucks but moving away from your best friend makes it feel like a piece of you has been taken away.

There are some things that only your best girlfriends will understand.

I have three best friends.

I've lived with one of them almost immediately after we were first elected into our positions and we  began serving together on our chapters executive board in December of 2012. It's been two very short years since we began living together and it's been the time of my life! Not long after we moved into our first apartment, I had been having guy problems and was a complete mess after our executive board meeting. I, being an unstable 20 year old, barricaded myself in my room while I bawled my eyes out about a guy who doesn't even matter now. She came home and left the sweetest note and a bottle of martinelli's in the fridge (it was my favorite at the time) and that's how we became best friends.  Our friendship for the past two years has consisted of laughs, many midnight Walmart runs, and countless runs to chipotle when we were too lazy to cook dinner for ourselves.

My other two best friends are biological sisters. One of them is my sorority sister and the other is my panhellenic sister. Initially, we became close friends through another sister and then our friendship went completely nuts. I found out that we were all the same person. We all like the same things and then the two of them got me into gaming. We're constantly smiling, laughing until we cry, gaming, eating pizza, and ranting about everything in our lives.

These three aren't the ones that I'll look back and think that "they were the best friends I ever had," because they'll still be by my side in twenty years living life with me.

Even though I'm leaving to Montana and all of them are staying here, I can promise that they will always be with me. There's nothing that texting, snapchat, phone calls, and Skype won't fix.

Friendship can often be tested by distance but true friendship will always pass that test. .

Christmas, A Magical Time

While I have never been much of winter fan,  I have always loved Christmas. I love buying the perfect gift for someone, I love the lights, and the smell of pine, I even love all the craziness of shopping. It always seemed like people were at their best around the holidays, like the world could actually be filled with peace and love. 

Every soul seems slightly happier during the holidays and thus it is simply a magical time. And sometimes, it is even more magical than usual. 

One of the greatest parts of the holidays is spending time with the family you don't always get to see. You know, your extended family members.

While almost all family parties can be filled with the same 10 questions ( you know the ones I am thinking of) to and from your family members, to me, it was kind of a reminder to think about how much you have grown in the past year. In addition, it is nice to hear about what is going on in your family members lives. 

During this Christmas, our family received some extra special as we found out that one of our family members just got engaged (that day).

To me, this act of love within out family, and the excitement we all experienced for our family member and his new fiancee was a tangible symbol of the true meaning of Christmas, which is love. 

So, during all the craziness called to the holiday season,I urge everyone to take the time to remember the true meaning of Christmas which is family and love, it is a lesson I will always remember after this extra magical Christmas.

Join a Sorority for You and No One Else

I’m going to come right out and say it, a sorority is not for everyone [and I mean that when I say it]. Going through recruitment, making it through a sorority associating new member process, and gaining a plethora of new sisters is extremely overwhelming. You can feel like you don’t know everyone, and that you are close with a select few, and you wish you knew everyone better than you initially do.

Here is where I’m going to tell you that even though all of those things I just listed can seem completely overwhelming, they’re wrong. Yes things will seem overwhelming, but the rush of recruitment is like no other adrenaline rush you’ve ever felt. The excitement of walking into a room and feeling so at home and comfortable is unexplainable. Seeing the professionalism and the welcoming of each and every sister makes it that much more desired. You realize you want it more badly than anything you've ever wanted. But a sorority is a huge commitment that you have to think about thoroughly. Yes there are dues, yes there are mandatory events and meetings, but everything else that comes along with it so 100% worth it.

You want to make sure you’re joining a greek organization for yourself and no one else. Don’t ask anyone else’s opinions about whether they see you in a greek organization because the only way you’ll find the answer is if you ask yourself. Can you see yourself becoming a more active member in the community? Can you see yourself taking on leadership positions? Do you think this will add so much more to your college experience? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you step into that recruitment room because I made the mistake of asking members of my family and friends what they thought about sororities and asked them if they could see me in one but that wasn’t what I needed to figure out. Could I see myself in one was the real question. Countless people I was close to told me no, and said that they couldn’t see me in Greek life but years later I couldn’t be more proud that I asked myself the question and figured out that it was something I wanted to be a part of.

I had asked people I was close to, people who were already in Greek life and told me they could never see me in a sorority, what did that even mean? Seriously? That put such a damper on my positivity to join one, but ultimately became something I needed to figure out on my own. I figured out that Greek life was something I had to get a feel for, it wasn't something I could find out from watching movies or shows like "Greek" or from other people that were in them but my own personal experience and feelings toward it. I took a gamble, walked into that recruitment room and realized that it was something I wanted. All of my worries and fears that people had instilled in me that persuaded me that I wouldn't enjoy it were wrong. So prove them wrong; get your own opinion of it and decide for yourself.

Make sure you do the same for yourself, don’t jip yourself of an opportunity because other people’s opinions interfere with your own goals and dreams. Do it for you and no one else.

Merry Christmas Eve!

        I hope you are all at home spending time with your families this Christmas Eve! It's been gloomy weather here in GA, not really great for holiday spirit. I'm excited for tomorrow morning nonetheless, I started shopping a little earlier than usual this year and cannot wait to see the faces of the recipients! 

        I've gotten some wonderful gifts already this year including a Victoria's Secret sleep shirt, an Alex and Ani bracelet, and some new Nikes. I'm a lucky girl! I also celebrated my 21st birthday in Atlanta this past weekend and went bar hopping in Buckhead!                               I plan on spending Christmas at home in Douglasville. Every year we have treats and presents at my grandparents house and then go to midnight Mass. In the morning we open the presents from my parents and this year we are hosting Christmas dinner at our house, so relatives galore! I love this time of year and cannot wait to spend the holiday with family!

56 Thoughts Every Single Woman Has When She Needs a Formal Date

1. Ugh...
2. I had to get a date for a dance like a month ago.
3. Who on earth am I supposed to ask?
4. A fraternity guy?
5. Or should I change it up and ask someone not in a fraternity?
6. But will he have any friends then?
7. I need my date to have friends there!
8. I wonder who Jessica is taking?
9. Maybe I'll just ask her date's friend.
10. No, no. I can do this.
11. I need to make a mental list of options.
12. Nope, got nothing.
13. GREAT, I HAVE NO ONE.
14. Why does this happen?
15. I'm smart! I'm pretty! I'm a total package!
16. OK, pep talk over.
17. How many more of these do I need to get dates for?
18. Two more crush parties, one more date party, two more formals.
19. Where are these dates supposed to come from?
20. Am I supposed to be more social?
21. Maybe I am supposed to go out more.
22. Or maybe I need to talk to people in my classes.
23. It's too late to meet someone new to ask.
24. That would be terrifying.
25. "Hi, nice to meet you! Be my formal date."
26. It's coming down to that, though.
27. What if I just take a girl?
28. It's 2014.
29. I can take whoever I want!
30. I don't need a man.
31. Who said I need to take a man?
32. Let me brainstorm guys before I commit to that idea.
33. Mark, Chris, Ryan...
34. I'll just ask Mark. And go down the list.
35. Wait, I should check Facebook.
36. Make sure there are no surprises.
37. Ok... ok... looks fine.
38. Wow, I'm creepy.
39. Whatever, it's research.
40. I just need to suck it up and ask someone.
41. But this is crucial.
42. This is the person who will be in my prom-like photos.
43. I pay good money for this dance.
44. I need someone good.
45. Good for pictures?
46. Or like good for dancing?
47. What if I went alone?
48. Would anyone actually notice?
49. You know what, I have my sisters.
50. That's all I need!
51. Music, new dress, and sisters.
52. I have that going for me.
53. I'll just worry about this later.
54. I still have 3 days before the social chair hunts me down.
55. Phew, that was exhausting.
56. Time for Chipotle.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Life, it's great, right? I think that a good majority of the people that I know could point out an issue or a flaw that is happening within their own lives but what about you? Yeah, you, the one reading this right now. What is something in your life that you can point out that's bad?

Let's think on that for a moment.

What about the things in your life that are good. Does the good outweigh the bad? I would honestly hope so.

For me, what is the bad?

I've stressed beyond believe because of finals, just like other high school and college student out there.

What's the good, you ask?

Well, as of yesterday, December 19th, I became a graduate from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

On top of that?

I graduated with my best friend, my other half, my partner in crime, and my person.

The past four and a half years have probably been some of the most difficult years of my life. I had to take the time to figure out who I am as an individual and when I didn't like who I was, I changed to be the person that 5 year old me would be proud of. I took risks and they were all worth it. They all helped me to become the woman that I am today.

Life isn't easy and I think anybody would be lying to you if they told you that it was.
Life is full of twists and turns. It isn't easy and it sure as heck is far from being fair.

When life gives you lemons, turn around and do something great like cut them up and put a wedge in your iced tea. Don't forget to find the positive in every situation.

Life has a funny way of working out just when you believe that it never will.

A Letter to My Pre-College Self: Things I Wish I Knew Then That I Know Now

Dear Young, Scared, and Afraid of Change,

         I want to start off by saying how much fun you are going to have in college. It really is true what they say about college being the best years of your life and finding your forever friends. I know right now joining a sorority also seems like a bit much considering you’ll have to get used to the campus first, but trust me it’s extremely worth it (you’ll thank me later). You’ll regret it if you wait any later to join since it will be the most fun, and exciting part of college since you’ll make so many amazing friendships through it. You’ll also get so much more involved on campus and you’ll feel great while doing philanthropic work. 

        Don’t be afraid of living in a dorm, and roommates. You’ll be just fine and everything will work out. Every one you meet that you live with will teach you something different, whether it be how to get along with others no matter how different you may be, or how to laugh at yourself and create amazing memories with the person who will always be waiting for you on the other side of that dorm room door. You will also have amazing venting sessions with them so don’t fret, it’ll all work out.

        As far as boys go, don’t be too concerned about finding one, the right one will come along I promise. Maybe it won’t be in college, but at some point it will happen for you and don’t try to force it. Also, you will have many fraternity boy crushes but be warned, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be. Just go out and have fun and don’t worry about that at all, it will come in due time.

        For friendships, time will be your friend, and show you who is truly there for you and who isn’t but they will all teach you something extremely important even if it doesn’t seem obvious at the time. Those who do become your greatest friends though will be those who will be forever friends undoubtedly.

       Don’t be afraid of change little one, I know change is a scary thing for you and gives you extreme anxiety but college is a good one trust me. I know you have life planned out, but it will change and it will be scary at times but don’t let it get to you, sometimes there are bigger things out there for you other than what you initially thought, especially when it comes to your career path. I know it may seem scary that you can change your mind, but in the middle of that time you’ll figure out what you truly want to do in life.

       You won’t be going home as often as you will be during freshman year, and you’ll have so much fun at school you’ll forget all about being homesick. When you finally start spending so much of your time at school it will make going home to spend time with family that much more amazing and cherished. But most importantly, don’t worry about your friendships with those in high school changing, even though you will be going down different paths, they will always continue to intertwine and cross at various points throughout the year and in life; those who you know were great friends for you then will always stay great friends for you even throughout college.

      Lastly, don’t lose who you are, always stay true to yourself and don’t let anyone intimidate or frighten you out of what you want to achieve or be. You are destined for greatness and your future looks extremely bright, keep having a positive, go-getter, and open-minded attitude and life will endure for you some pretty amazing things.

  Aim High! (Don’t worry you’ll learn what this means eventually! ☺)

    Sincerely,

   Your future self.

Being on the Right Side of the Worlds Perceptions

Being in Greek Life comes with a plethora of benefits; leadership experiences, indescribable bonds, and a lifetime of memories. However, being a member of a Greek lettered organizations also comes with a lot of opinions and perceptions of what we are.

Generally speaking, people will always speculate about things that are secretive and that people don’t completely understand, including sororities and fraternities.

That being said, it is our duty, to or chapters, to our organizations, to our councils, to Greek Life in general, to help others look pass the misconceptions of Greek Life to see what it really means to be “Greek”.

This responsibility thus requires us to look at the way we portray ourselves and to ensure that we aim to always show ourselves and our organizations in the best and most accurate light. 

To do this, we need to be more approachable and willing to discuss what their organization generally stands for. Individually, each Greek member needs to be aware of what they post for the world to see on the web and, more importantly, Greeks across the globe need to remember that their actions are not only personal but also a representation of the chapter and organization they are apart of as a whole.

At the end of the day, people will always have theories about Greek Life, people will always stereotype and have notions  of what being Greek means, but ultimately it is the responsibility of each brother or sister to fight the misconceptions of Greek Life with the truth.