Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Tri Delta celebrated with an officers transition and a sisterhood Thanksgiving potluck! 

Upon revealing our new slate of officers, our vice president of administration Emily Dougherty has been organizing transition sessions so everyone can feel comfortable in their brand new positions. A fresh officers council is a great way to make improvements to our chapter and continue our successes.

The Wednesday before the Hokies’ Thursday night game, our sisterhood council provided a turkey and everyone brought a homemade side or dessert to share! Getting together at our cozy house on Oak Lane put us in a food coma bliss, and it was a great way to start the holiday season. We are so thankful to have each other as sisters- that we are all in good health, good spirits, and can spend the best four years of our lives together!

The first Saturday of break, our sisters living in Roanoke, Richmond and Northern Virginia gathered in their respective locations to team up and walk in the St. Jude Give Thanks Walk. We are so proud to support St. Jude and besides our Flapjacks and Football annual philanthropy at Virginia Tech, we look for opportunities elsewhere to show our love for this worthy hospital. Give thanks for the healthy children in your life, and give to those who are not. Let us steadfastly love one another! 

Sisters at the northern VA 

Give Thanks walk for St. Jude

30th Anniversary Celebration for the Virginia Zeta chapter of Pi Beta Phi

It was an exciting weekend for the Virginia Zeta chapter of Pi Beta Phi, the weekend of November 5th! We had our 30th BIRTHDAY this year and could not wait to celebrate 30 years of sisterhood with all of our current sisters and our alumni. Even some of our founding charter members graced us with their presence and it was incredible to hear their stories! It is hard to believe that the Virginia Zeta chapter of Pi Beta Phi has only been around for 30 years; it has only been a part of my life for not long at all in comparison, but I can truly say that Pi Phi means as much to me as it did to them as well!

The weekend included a dinner with the alumni on Saturday, and then a luncheon on Sunday morning. Many of the current sisters of Pi Beta Phi came and we all had so much fun listening to the alumni singing songs and talking about their time when they were members in Pi Beta Phi. It was amazing to see that Pi Phi has not changed a bit in the last 30 years, in the most wonderful way.

No one could have asked for a better weekend with all of our sisters, and now all of the active members of Pi Beta Phi can't wait to see what our chapter will be like when we come back in 30 years, for the 60th year anniversary of Pi Beta Phi, and our 30th anniversary. I wish we could have gotten to meet even more alumni, because, they, too, are our sisters for life.

Bringing Some Luck to Founder's Day

On November 11, 2011 (11-11-11), Gamma Phi Beta celebrated their first Founder’s Day Celebration here at Virginia Tech. Many alumnae came into the area from all over to celebrate our sororities’ achievements and to pay tribute to our four founders who are the reason for the existence of Gamma Phi and why we are all here today. All members came together to share a nice meal and to reflect on our sisterhood. We all came together on what seemed to be the “luckiest day”.  It’s such a coincidence that our founders day fell on this date because we have been a chapter for 137 years which also adds up to be 11, weird? The weekend didn’t stop with just our Founder’s Day celebration. Gamma Phi Beta also held a recruitment workshop and our semi-formals the next day. With the perfect venue, German Club Manor, and a weekend full of sisterhood, nothing could have made the weekend any better. The manor couldn’t have been anymore gorgeous and everyone really enjoyed dancing the night away under the lights. All of the girls and their dates had a fantastic time and said it was good to have a nice break and event with their sisters before Thanksgiving break. 

Kappa Initiation

The sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma could not be more excited to welcome 11 new sisters to our Fall 2011 pledge class! These amazing women have already added so much to our chapter and we are very proud to now be able to call them sisters.

Kappa family with their new additions!

After a week of Kappa dinners, sister bonding and learning about Kappa traditions, we got up bright and early on Saturday morning for initiation. We all enjoyed breakfast together after initiation and then made sure to power nap before Semi Formals that night at the Blacksburg Country Club. Everyone looked absolutely beautiful that night, especially our new sisters!

Meredith and Whitley before Semi Formals

Kappa sisters have had a chance this semester to bond more and more with our Spring 2010 sisters and cannot wait to get to spend more time with our new Fall 2011 class. In addition to new sisters, we also just chose our new officers for next year and we are SO happy with our sisters who will be in leadership positions come spring. Kappa continues to raise the bar every semester and we cannot wait to see what our chapter women have planned for the next academic year!

Sister Spotlight on Kerry Sarver!

Kappa Delta's very own Kerry Sarver is a star! She recently walked on to the Virginia Tech girls basketball team and has been working hard to perfect her ballin skills for the games.  

Kerry has always been a very athletic girl and loves to get out on the court and run around.  But until recently it had just been an outlet for energy and source of entertainment.  However, Kerry is more than just a casual baller.  She's got some serious skills.  In a happy accident, the coach of the girls basketball team got to see her play and liked what he saw.  He approached her afterward and told her he wanted to see more of her.  Before she knew it, she went from recreational fun to serious competition.  

With the new very busy lifestyle, Kerry has been exhausted to say the least.  However she has the support of all of her sisters who are very excited to see her play in the game on Wednesday!  Go Kerry!  Make Virginia Tech proud.  

 

Chi O dances it out!

For the past few weeks, the sisters of Sigma Lambda practiced hardcore for Alpha Chi Omega’s annual philanthropy, Mock Rock. This amazing philanthropy consisted of three nights- rock band, the wing eating competition, and the lip singing competition by all the participating sororities and fraternities! The lip singing competition/ dance the sisters of Chi Omega performed wanted to show our support of women’s empowerment through the decades. We chose to do perform dances of a Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce, four powerful women. Our sisters love dancing, and especially for a great cause! We are so proud of the sisters of Alpha Chi and there amazing success this year at Mock Rock!  

Our wonderful dancers, from all the decades! 

Sigma Lambda’s new executive board has recently been elected, and our chapter is thrilled with the new leaders! We are so proud of our future president, Kaitie Tharin, and the rest of her executive board. We know they will lead us to great success!

This past weekend our National Consultant visited with us and it was such a so much fun!! It was such a fun weekend filled with sisterhood J We loved hosting Nancy and hope she comes back very soon! The sisters of Sigma Lambda hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving break! 

One Hundred and Thirty Seven Years of Sisterhood!

On November 9, 2011 Sigma Kappa celebrated their 137^th Founder’s Day!  Sigma Kappa was founded on November 9, 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.  The five founding members were the first females to ever attend Colby College and joined together to form a society based on the values of personal growth, friendship, service and loyalty.

The five founders of Sigma Kappa Sorority.

To celebrate our Founder’s Day, Sigma Kappa held a brunch on Sunday November 6th at the Holiday Inn, Blacksburg. Nicole Bartoshesky, our Vice President of Alumni Relations, organized the event and did such a wonderful job! Sisters enjoyed a delicious brunch followed by a presentation. The presentation included funny stories from sisters and a more serious presentation about our founders, and the values that they envisioned for us, from our National President. Everyone enjoyed the time together and remembering the amazing founders who created such a remarkable sisterhood for us!

Sigma Kappa also just elected our new officers for 2012. We are so excited for our new chapter leaders and cannot wait to see all of their new ideas put into action! That being said, we are also so proud of our 2011 officers for performing marvelously, maintaining our Three-Star Chapter Status, and for helping us win the Alice Hershey Wick award at COTS!

From Wings to Dancing - Delta Gamma Stays Busy!

Delta Gamma has taken the past two weeks by storm! In between Mock Rock, the initiation of two new sisters to the Delta Rho chapter, the transferring of new executive members to the chapter and semi formals its surprise that chapter women have had the opportunity to relax during sisterhood week.

For weeks if not months now, it has been the hype of the chapter to be a big part of Alpha Chi Omega’s annual philanthropy, Mock Rock. The philanthropy is made up of three main events – rock band, a wing eating competition and a night of performances by fraternities and sororities on campus with a theme of domestic violence prevention. Led by senior Courtney Jones, Delta Gamma put in hours of effort in the form of dance practices for the night itself. Delta Gamma was honored to be part of this year’s Mock Rock and couldn’t be happier for the chapter women of Alpha Chi Omega for Mock Rock’s success.

These past couple weeks have also been monumental because the new executive board for Delta Rho, Delta Gamma have been named and are in the process of transitioning. Led by future president, Eva Delaney the 8 new members of chapter management are in the process of a very successful transitioning.

The past week Delta Gamma also had the opportunity to reach out to another chapter on Oak Lane, Alpha Phi as they were paired together for sisterhood week. In between enjoying dinners at D2 dining hall and movies in Christiansburg together the week was not only a success but a great time as chapter women of both chapters had multiple opportunities to get to know one another better and outreach to the Greek community.

Lastly, this past Friday was Delta Gamma’s semi-formal dance. The event was a success as chapter women enjoyed a night of dancing in the company of their closest friends.

ADPi loves Mock Rock and Thanksgiving!

Eta Pi loves Mock Rock!

ADPi sisters had a wonderful time participating in Alpha Chi Omega’s Mock Rock last week!

To prepare for the lip sync contest, a dance was created way a head of time, and sisters began learning it weeks in advance. The dance practices became more of sisterhood social events, as the 20-something ADPi dancers were cheered on and encouraged by other sisters. At the Mock Rock Lip Sync in Burrus, ADPi sisters enjoyed watching all the other participating organizations and cheering on our girls!

Alpha Delta Pi, Eta Pi chapter would like to congratulate Alpha Chi on an amazing philanthropy, we had so much fun!

Also, a big shout out and thanks to sister Kelly Luker for choreographing our amazing dance and taking the time to teach it to everyone.

Sisters Caroline, Caroline and Kelly (on the left)

On another note, Eta Pi has made individual baskets for the families that are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald house in Roanoke. The baskets have hand-made Happy Thanksgiving cards and toiletries such as lotion, toothpaste, hand sanitizer.

We’re also making community service baskets for the Blacksburg High School to help them raise 500 baskets to give to Montgomery County families.  We will fill the baskets with Thanksgiving-related non-perishable food items and monetary donations which will be used to purchase Thanksgiving Day turkeys.

Eta Pi also voted on new officers and would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to the 33 sisters that will be leading our chapter into a bright future!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Alpha Phi is thankful for…

As Thanksgiving break is quickly approaching, we are taking this time to recognize all the things Alpha Phi has to be thankful for. We are thankful for our outgoing Executive Board for all of their hard work and dedication to the chapter over the course of the past year. We are also thankful for our incoming Exec, elected officers, and appointed officers for their wonderful new ideas and passion they will share with Alpha Phi this year.

On Wednesday, November 9^th Alpha Phi co-hosted a blood drive at the German Club Manor. We had a great showing, and were able to donate about thirty pints of blood to the American Red Cross. Thanks to everyone who helped out with the event by either volunteering or giving blood on Wednesday!

Alpha Phi saves lives, one heart at a time

Lastly, we are thankful for Kipps and Linkous Elementary Schools for allowing us to come in on Mondays and Tuesdays to volunteer in the classroom. We call this “Frat in the Hat”, and every week different girls in the chapter volunteer for an hour of reading, playing games, coloring, and just getting to be around the preschool kids. The teachers and students always express how much they appreciate and enjoy getting to have us each week, but we genuinely love it as much, if not more, than they do.

Megan coloring with the kids at Frat in the Hat

Have a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break! And remember to take time to reflect on just what you have to be thankful for this year.

Love,

The sisters of Alpha Phi 

Alpha Chi Omega presents Mock Rock 2011!

This past week the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega presented their philanthropy Mock Rock that helps the New River Valley Women's Center raise money and collect shelter items for victims of domestic violence. Last year, with the help of 32 participating organizations, Alpha Chi Omega raised over $17,000 to support victims of domestic violence and their children. This year, Alpha Chi Omega is striving to surpass our fundraising goal once again. 


The week before Mock Rock, the sister of Alpha Chi rock out at Kroger, asking people for donation items such as diapers, canned foods, and trash bags. The citizens of Blacksburg are always so willing to help and it warms our hearts! This year both the University Mall and South Main Krogers ran out of the donation items because so many people contributed to the cause. 


Mock Rock is a three-day event that always takes place in the fall semester. There are three separate events, along with a dime wars competition. On Monday, we hosted an event called mock band where each organization gets a group of people to rock out on Rock Band! Tuesday is wing warrior, which is a wing eating contest. The lip sync competition is always the most fun and that took place on Wednesday. Each team performs a dance, song, skit, or a combination in Burruss Auditorium. It is always so much fun to see the acts, all of the organizations put so much time into them. This year 31 teams participated and the New River Valley Women's Resource Center and the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega would like to thank everyone who participated! 

(Shelter Items from "Rocking Out" at Kroger)

(The Sisters of Alpha Chi after the show)

Tri Delta Tribe

This past week we were very busy with Mock Rock, a Linkous Ladies party, a Semi-formal, and our Founders Day celebration. We also took advantage of the gorgeous weather this week by gathering up and taking pledge class pictures in Oak Lane.

Our Mock Rock theme was “Tri Delta Tribe Unites Against Domestic Violence.” We teased our hair,  threw on some tribal paint and busted out our best Zumba moves on stage in Burruss! It’s always fun when the entire Greek community gets together for this much-anticipated talent show.

Our Linkous Ladies party at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School was a fun craft project- mentors took Polaroid pictures with their GLE girls, and then we made frames for them! Nothing better than going back in time to the Elmers glue and colored pencil-filled elementary school days.

Semi-formal was so much fun at 622 North! Grabbing a date, getting dressed up with your sisters and dancing the night away is a recipe for one fun night! (Ok, and the food at 622 is amazing).

Finally, our Founders Day celebration was on Sunday the 13^th at the Blacksburg Country Club. We enjoyed a sit-down meal and listening to our guest speaker- Beta Nu’s own Katie Schafer! Katie is a 2010 Virginia Tech alum, who served as our President and now travels around the country as a Delta Delta Delta field consultant! She gives so much back to Tri Delta and we couldn’t be happier she found time to visit us! 

Kappa Delta Fall Festival

Kappa Delta is proud to have successfully hosted their third annual Fall Festival.  The philanthropy in the fall in which all proceeds go directly to Richmond Children's Hospital.  The event was held on October 29th, from 1-4 pm in the Livestock Arena off of Plantation Road. 

This year there was live music, food, games and best of all a corn-hole tournament, pumpkin carving contest, and a hot dog eating contest!  Leading up to the big event we had two profit share nights.  One at Substation on October 25th, and another at Frosty Parrot on October 27th.  Other events to participate in were: rock climbing wall, inflatable obstacle course, raffle and prize give-aways, pie a KD or pie a friend, carnival games, and Kent Jewelers $1,000 worth of jewelry to give away! 

In addition to a successful philanthropy event and so many people coming out to support the kids, Kappa Delta got the chance to make the event even more personal with a visit to the hospital to personally deliver the money, and visit with the kids. 

Sigma Kappa Enjoys Fall at VT!

Over the past few weeks the sisters of Sigma Kappa Sorority have been very busy participating in Virginia Tech’s Homecoming tradition as well as sponsoring a candidate for Homecoming Court.  Everyone enjoyed the week’s homecoming events, and we are so proud of our candidate for winning the title of Homecoming Queen!

On Sunday October 30th, sisters of Sigma Kappa gathered at the house and headed out to the local pumpkin patch at Sinkland Farms!  It was a great way to celebrate our hard work during homecoming and our wonderful new pledge class.  Plus, everyone wanted to get a last minute pumpkin right before Halloween!  The farm had some amazing views as well as some unusual white pumpkins.  The weather was great as well, while the girls enjoyed a nice afternoon full of sisterly bonding! 

Sigma Kappa 'throwing what they know' at Sinkland Farms.

Sisters with creepy white pumpkins!

Chi O takes on Pumpkin Festival!

In the spirit of Halloween, a group of about 20 Chi O’s volunteered to work at the Salem Pumpkin Festival this past Saturday. We met at the house early that morning and all carpooled the thirty minutes or so to Salem. When we arrived we began to set up. There were many fun activities going on all around the festival, but we set up the face painting and pumpkin painting tables! These were very popular among all the kids, and even some adults there!

The kids were given mini pumpkins and came over to paint anything their little hearts desired on them. This was so fun for all the sisters, because the kids were so full of energy and let us even help! The face painting was an intense job for the sisters involved, but every kid left our table with a smile on their face! All the kids that we met were so great and look so adorable in their costumes! It was such a fun filled afternoon, with everything from the painting to the dancing and costumes contests at the festival. We were happy to volunteer at this festival, and had yet another great sisterhood adventure! 

Despite the cold weather, we all had
enjoyed the time with our sisters and the kids!! 

Sister Emily Lewis gives this boy the
ultimate lion face! He was loving it! 

Gamma Phi Beta Gets Spooky

This week, in celebration of Halloween, the girls of Gamma Phi Beta participated in the Oak Lane Trick-or-Treat on Friday, October 28, 2011. Despite the frigid weather Blacksburg likes to surprise us all with, the girls sent a team out to walk the children around to each house while a few others stayed back at the house to entertain the children on their journey. The girls gave candy and helped the kids color a cute Halloween picture for someone special in their life. Everyone dressed up in things like Ms. America, girl scout, ballerina, and cowgirls which really got the kids more excited to hangout with us. After the Trick-or-Treat was over, Gamma Phi Beta had a fun and exciting sisterhood event at the house. There was candy apple making, a costume contest, food, dancing, and good bonding time with sisters. Gamma Phi Beta is still new to this campus and is enjoying participating in everything the Greek community has to offer. Seeing those kids in their adorable costumes so happy to just be a part of what the community was doing for them really hit close to home. Everyone is ready for that break to go home and see family and being able to help out the families that participated in the trick-or-treat gave us a little touch of home.