Hello Seattle

UW Colony, University of Washington

I officially had my bag lost for the first time this year. Not an exciting first, but at least exciting that I made it all of fall semester without it happening. It was kind of a pain to deal with but they did deliver it out to the AEΦ house for me.

                     

                                              UW's mascot, Dubs the Husky

The ladies of the UW colony do sisterhood events every week and this week the vp-programming decided to do True Colors. It is a personality inventory that categorizes you into four different colors, or personality types. I love doing True Colors because of how accurate it can be and everyone who does it for the first time is amazed by the realizations of themselves and their friends. Anyone who has done True Colors before and knows me well, knows I am a gold, which means I am organized, dependable and value responsibility.🌟

                                     Tower activity in True Colors groups

This was my second visit to UW but on my first I didn't get the chance to see much of the city outside of the University District because it was so short. So this visit I planned around all my meetings to go various places in the area. I spent some time at the HUB, their student union, and walked through Red Square, where on a clear day you get a great view of Mount Rainier. I also found the University Village, a nice outdoor shopping center, which had a Red Mango- my favorite frozen yogurt place. 

My favorite day by far was Friday, when I got to go downtown and explore some of the cooler places in Seattle! I went to the original Nordstrom and on the same street is the Paramount Hotel, where prom took place in my favorite teen movie, 10 Things I Hate About You. From there I went down to Pike Place market, where I had an amazing crepe at Crepe de France, went to the original Starbucks (now to you get their Pike Place Roast?), and walked through the open market of fruit and fish vendors. Right nearby, on Pier 57, is The Seattle Great Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel with a fabulous view of Puget Sound. I'm a little afraid of heights and was pressed for time so I decided not to ride the wheel but I did get some great shots of it.

                   

                  

                  

After I got through everything downtown, I made my way up to the neighborhood called Queen Anne. This is where I would want to live if I ever moved to Seattle. The only downfall is that it is up on the highest hill in the city but that also makes for a beautiful view. The neighborhood developed as the place where early elite built their mansions but today there are also very nice apartments throughout the area, because of all the young single people who live there. I also liked it because it has a more community feel than downtown. The reason I went up to Queen Anne was to go to Kerry Park, the place with one of the best views of Seattle. I stumbled across the park online when I was deciding where I would explore because the park's view is the opening scene in 10 Things I Hate About You. Yes, I'm obsessed with the movie, but the view was too great not to go see for myself. It was one of the most gorgeous landscapes I have seen in a while. From up on the hill I could see downtown, West Seattle, the bay and, since it was a clear sunny day, Mount Rainier in the distance.

Seattle is definietly a very cool city that I would love to visit again. I also learned that it doesn't rain as much as everyone thinks it does, so it might actually be a fun place to live!

Hello Seattle by Owl City

Beautiful Ohio

Rho, Ohio State University

I was so excited to return to Ohio State after working with them last semester! I knew I was coming for recruitment so I was really looking forward to the fabulous things the president, Lisa, and vp-recruitment, Lilly, had planned. I was welcomed right as I arrived by women asking if I was going to sleep in the same room as last time and offering to get me a bed so I didn't have to sleep on the couch again. They started imediately by bringing an extra mattress from the third floor to the basement chapter room and pulling an extra bed frame out of storage. They made the bed for me and I had my very own crib. I kid you not! It was apparently an extra top bunk so I had a metal safety guard all the way around my bed. Additionally, I was in the chapter room, where I stayed last semester, but now it had turned into the recruitment office. The room was piled high with center pieces, candy and plastic champagne glasses. Everytime a new person came in to get something or work on recruitment they were so confused by the bed and made a joke about Lilly moving in down there. Some ladies even began referring to the recruitment office as Hannah's room.

Unfortunately I developed a really bad cold the day I arrived and spent the week days in the chapter room taking zinc and vitamin C. I had meetings down there and hung out with the ladies painting the bid day banner. It was the perfect remedy because by the weekend I felt 90% better and was so ready for sisterhood day and preference! Because I was sick, I decided not to drink coffee all week and I actually ended up going the rest of my visit with zero caffiene. That is SHOCKING to anyone who knows how much I love coffee, especially during formal recruitment. But I think it was helpful in getting rid of my cold.

The rest of my visit was filled with recruitment rounds, lists, and late nights in the chapter room. The women of Rho Chapter worked so hard and it was certainly the best recruitment they have done in a long time. It was such a great feeling to be around everyone that was so proud of their chapter and of themselves for recruiting so hard. I loved hearing their advisors talk about how far they have come and I could tell how genuine they were.

                 

Lilly and Lisa were by far the biggest recruitment stars! They worked their butts off to get Rho to where they are now and they were finally able to see their success when their bid list came. Though I could not stay for bid day, I looked through all the pictures and was so happy to see everyone looking so elated. What really made it special was getting emails from multiple members telling me how much they love their new members and thanking me for my help. That's definitely been rare throughout my visits so that meant so much to me. I am so excited to hear from them throughout the semester about how their fabulous new members are doing!

Beautiful Ohio by Ballard MacDonald

Indiana, Here I Come

Epsilon Epsilon, Indiana University

I had been to IU before but never into the AEPhi house so I was very excited to finally visit the chapter! I hadn't been to campus since I interned at UIFI a year and a half ago but everything on North Jordan was exactly as I had remembered it. The picture below is of my home for the week. I think I literally left the house three times in the week I was there, but it was recruitment and they had everything I could need!

Because of the snow storm that hit the midwest the previous week, Panhellenic Recruitment was pushed back a day. The changes were pretty significant from the year before but the recruitment team was very good at making those last minute adjustments. They were complete recruitment rockstars! I had a great time getting to know the chapter through the craziness of 24 skit rounds and now I really want to watch Bring It On.

While at IU, I also had the chance to meet some really great people outside of the chapter. I met seven sorority consultants from all different chapters during my visit, and that wasn't even all that were there! I always love the opportunity to meet other consultants on the road and, since IU has 21 sororities, there were so many on campus. Panhellenic took us on rounds to other houses' skits together and I also had lunch on my last day with a few of them. I also really enjoyed meeting the Panhellenic leaders in charge of recruitment and the Fraternity & Sorority Life graduate assistant because we had so much in common to talk about. In addition to meeting new people, I also got to see a friend! Michael Goodman is the Panhellenic advisor at Indiana but I first met him a couple years ago when he was an IU HESA student. After meeting him on my UConn Greek Alternative Spring Break (UCGASB12) trip, we met again (and bonded) at UIFI when he was a facilitator and I was an intern. It was so inspiring to see such a great fraternal leader in his element and the respect my AEPhi ladies have for him.

                                    

Even though we had very little sleep and ate way too many cookies (or maybe because of this?), Indiana was such a fun visit! I really bonded with a lot of the women and re-met a couple girls from my camp. I even had a few great moments where I felt really needed and very confident about my job. It's definitely those little moments that make me realize how much knowledge and experience I have. This was such a fabulous first visit of the new year, and was exactly the kind of visit I needed to get re-energized for the new semester!

Goin' Back to Indiana by Jackson 5

Just can't wait to get on the road again!

All the universities I visited Fall Semester

I accomplished so much over my winter break at home. I relaxed, spent time with family, did a few crafts, and finally finished my graduate school applications. Yup, after months of editing resumes and tormenting over each personal statement, I finally finished! It was such a relief and certainly the biggest success of my time off. I also got to have fun and see my best friends from school. We got together in West Hartford and then again in Boston for new years. I also really enjoyed spending time with my family, especially over Thanksgivukkah and Christmas. The AEPhi staff also had a fun reunion in San Diego for the URJ Biennial, where we met lots of alumna and had fun exploring the Gaslamp Quarter. I was so great to spend time with the other TECs again and I cannot wait for our next reunion at Presidents Academy!

Here are some highlights of my break:

For my last day home I continued what kind of became my ritual last semester each time I was leaving again. I got a mani/pedi, did a couple last minute errands and finished packing (that means I really did all the packing today and had previously only made lists and piles of things to pack). This time was especially hard because winter clothes are so bulky. I also need recruitment outfits and some warmer weather outfits (yay!) so that added to the challenge. But I did it! Everything was rolled super tight then squished into my suitcase and everything I need for the next month has been flattened in too. I have come to like my "last day rituals" because it is my time to operate however I wish. I am still very strategic but work at a more relaxed pace because I'm on my own schedule. And since it has become a sort of ritual, it also feels like it's time to go.

After a nice long time at home, I am definitely ready to hit the road again. Over the next couple of weeks I am looking forward to recruitment (and springtime in the more distant future!). I am eager to return to universities I've already visited, and look forward to meeting many new women at more schools as well. I know it will be another great semester of growth and I am excited to continue spreading my love for AEPhi and the sorority experience!


On The Road Again by Willie Nelson - I think Donkey sings this briefly in Shrek because I always think of the movie when I hear this song!