Hello everyone!
I hope this post finds everyone well and eagerly anticipating the upcoming holiday season. I am more than excited to bake, craft and partake in all holiday festivities. In other words, get my Martha Stewart on. Before I do that, however, I am continuing on my ELC journey! With just a few visits left before our holiday break, I am savoring every moment.
So, the other day, as I sat doing something I don’t remember, I pondered a random thought. Everyone knows the ‘six degrees of Kevin Bacon’ right? You know, the game where everyone in the world(I think?) is somehow connected to Kevin Bacon with only six degrees of separation. Apply that to the world of AOII. (Without the Kevin Bacon factor, obviously. Although, that would be pretty interesting.) Anyways, playing that game in the world of AOII is pretty fun. Every sister is connected to someone through an advisor, network volunteer, chapter sister or headquarters’ staff member. Even if they haven’t met, every AOII sister is somehow connect to another sister through six degrees or less. So at this revelation, I’m pretty pleased with myself. As I giddily connect one AOII to another, I come upon the grand-daddy of revelations. We can connect any AOII sister to another through one degree of separation merely because we are sisters. Merely because we share ritual together. How cool is that?!
Your mind=blown.
And if it’s not, sorry for getting you all excited for the punch line you apparently knew all along. I’ll do better next time. Although, my next post will probably feature step-by-step instructions of my latest holiday craft. Consider yourself warned. ;)
All my love,
Taryn
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Loud and Proud!
Well, I’ve obviously been a bit behind in the blog-o-sphere world! So much to blog about…so little time! I am so impressed with my fellow ELC's (or Elks, as I've began referring to them...what woman doesn't want to be called an elk!?;) ) and all of the blogging they've done! Taryn's most recent blog post made me laugh so hard, she has such a great attitude in life and is never "too cool for school"...I really admire that about her. (For those of you "Marcell the Shell" fans.... "And I really like that about myself" haha).
Anyways, as for my blog post! I could go on for hours and hours about every chapter I’ve visited, and all the women I’ve met, but I’ll spare you all and just share some thoughts I’ve had and several pictures (each worth a thousand words...or more!). First, I’ll fill you in on where I’ve been!
The beginning of my journey started at Iota Sigma, Iowa State University, my very first visit! Followed by;
Delta Beta, University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana;
Lambda Tau, University of Louisiana at Monroe in Monroe, Louisiana;
Delta Xi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana;
Epsilon Alpha, The Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania;
Theta Psi, University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio;
Tau Lambda, University of Shippensburg in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania;
Delta Psi, SUNY at Albany in Albany, NY
Lambda Upsilon, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA;
The beginning of my journey started at Iota Sigma, Iowa State University, my very first visit! Followed by;
Delta Beta, University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana;
Lambda Tau, University of Louisiana at Monroe in Monroe, Louisiana;
Delta Xi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana;
Epsilon Alpha, The Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania;
Theta Psi, University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio;
Tau Lambda, University of Shippensburg in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania;
Delta Psi, SUNY at Albany in Albany, NY
Lambda Upsilon, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA;
And finally my current location, Alpha Nu, Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ!
Somehow we’ve already made it more than halfway through the semester and are in the home stretch before the holidays sneak up! Though at times this life catches up with me and I find myself getting tired, each chapter rejuvenates me with their unique sisterhood; not to mention the Starbucks visits that help me feel like I'm back at home in Seattle ;). Each sisterhood is indeed unique, yet each also a feeling of familiarity to the previous chapters I’ve visited, sharing so many similarities in AOII.
Leaving the chapters is always hard. I can’t imagine what a mess I’ll be dropping my children off at their first day of school if I’m having this hard of a time leaving my sisters that I’ve only known a week! I guess that just goes to show what an impact they each make on me, let alone their chapter sisters, their prospective campuses and AOII as a whole. Looking back at all of my time on the road so far, it will never cease to amaze me how much they’ve taught me and how much sharing this AOII sisterhood really means.
Being on the road, I’m constantly meeting new people, AOII’s and non-AOII’s! I recently received an email from a gentleman, Juan, that I spoke with while I had a layover in Philadelphia. He is from Argentina, a place my sister and I would love to travel this summer (we’re planning a trip to Peru mainly, but might explore more!)! We chatted about his home and he shared with me (in very broken English/Spanglish) all the tips he had for our trip to Peru this summer. He asked me everything about my job and AOII, and it was so fun explaining it to someone who knew so little about Greek Life. By the end of the conversation he picked up that “it’s no like the movies then? Animal house?” to which I firmly assured him…”No, it’s not just like the movies!”.
Every time I travel and sit on a plane, next to a man especially, I find myself dreading the time it will take to explain my job; especially to the “Greek-life Haters” as I sometimes think of them. Once you mention the word “sorority”, you’ll often get an eye-roll or a laugh. (Don’t get me wrong, there are always people who are respectful and curious and want to know more; it is just hard to know what you’ll get with each new plane ride!) The conversation with my new friend Juan reminded me that every minute lost of that precious plane nap-time or time to myself at the airport is worth it if I can help someone think differently than what the media has told them about Greek life!
I have always been proud to be an AOII, and I always will be, but being proud to be Greek is just as important. The more people we can bring into this world of sisterhood and brotherhood the better our organizations and our world can be! Each chapter is only as strong as the weakest chapter on their campus. This is something that is lost sight of when we are competing for members during recruitment, or bragging rights during Greek Week! In the end, however, we have more in common than not. We have our flaws, and to these we cannot be ignorant, but we need to talk the amazing things we're doing in our communities.
A simple conversation reminded me how important it is to always stand tall and never let anyone make you feel that what you believe in is not worthwhile or important to others! One of my all-time favorite quotes, not only for its message but also because of who said it, is Eleanor Roosevelt’s “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”. Pretty simple concept, but one that can easily be forgotten.
So much more to blog about! I’ll save the rest for later so I don’t bore you to death ;) Below are some pictures from my visits! Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera for a few of the visits, so pictures are sparse, but I did purchase a new camera and have been having wayyyyy too much fun using it! I like to think of myself as an AOII paparazzi at times. Some of the chapter members can attest to this being true I'm sure...
Enjoy!
Preference day with Lambda Tau!
Epsilon Alpha women hanging out in the suite before a day of recruitment!
Some of the Theta Psi women on their Bid Day! Anxiously awaiting the new members!!
A few of the Tau Lambda women after a Ritual performance during my visit!
Four Alpha Nu women (front row) and countless Lambda Upsilon women after a day of open houses for recruitment!
"Fall for AOII" Such a great slogan for Fall recruitment events! Good work Ariel from Lambda Upsilon!
Lots has happened since I originally wrote this post, so look forward to a few more from me in the next week!
Happy Fall to everyone in the AOII world!
Love,
Nicole Claudon
Friday, October 14, 2011
My Recruitment Cup Runneth Over...
Hello all!
Long time, no post! I would first like to commend my fellow ELC, Jessica, for so bravely posting pictures of her suitcase and belongings a while back. I do not have the courage to do so. In fact, it takes a great deal of courage for me to have such a large suitcase to begin with. Since my family are frequent fliers, I was trained at a young age to pack only the bare essentials. So whenever I pull my (large) suitcase off the baggage carousel, I cringe because I just know the WHOLE world is staring at my bag.
Anyways, as the title of my post may suggest, I am still knee-deep in sorority recruitment! Big, little, frills, no frills- I’ve seen them all! Each chapter and recruitment is as unique as the next. My recruitment adventures started with the amazing ladies of Xi Omicron, who had record-breaking recruitment numbers and received a new member class of 137! You read that right…1-3-7. They still managed to welcome me into their sisterhood even though they barely had enough time to eat and sleep during recruitment!
Then I traveled to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to visit my lovely Chi Theta sisters before heading to the West Coast! I visited some of the AOII's out in California at the University of La Verne and California State Long Beach. By the way, I am THAT touristy person that created a ‘California’ play-list on my Ipod to jam to on my travels there. I totally blended in with the locals. Totally.
I then headed East to Louisiana- Northwestern State University to be exact! Kappa Chi chapter was eagerly preparing for recruitment and they were joined by their sisters from Southeastern Louisiana University, Kappa Tau chapter. What inspirational women to volunteer their time for their fellow sisters!
Kappa Gamma chapter at Florida Southern College just finished their recruitment on a strong note, welcoming 19 new members to their chapter and making quota! I met so many amazing AOIIs on my visit here, I feel spoiled! Speaking of spoiled, I then got to witness the legendary sorority recruitment at Ole Miss! People wait their whole lives to experience this event(okay, an exaggeration, but you get the idea) and it was everything I hoped it would be and more! Nu Beta handled their record-breaking numbers with ease and welcomed 132 new members into their chapter on bid day.
So far on the road, I have witnessed many inspirational, awe-inspiring moments, as well as emotional break-downs and spells of exhaustion. In addition, I have been introduced to another realm of embarrassing moments I will never seem to avoid. Such as when I forgot I was wearing my nametag in the airport until a security guard pointed out to me that it could be a safety issue that strangers knew my name. If you’re reading this, thanks Bob! Saving one ELC at a time…
I love sorority recruitment. Love, love, LOVE it. Yes, the outfits, songs, and philanthropy activities are nice, but, to me, it’s the sisterhood that forms in-between parties and into the late nights. The sisterhood that shows through in conversations and convinces women to join our organization. To me, that’s what it’s all about!
-Taryn
Long time, no post! I would first like to commend my fellow ELC, Jessica, for so bravely posting pictures of her suitcase and belongings a while back. I do not have the courage to do so. In fact, it takes a great deal of courage for me to have such a large suitcase to begin with. Since my family are frequent fliers, I was trained at a young age to pack only the bare essentials. So whenever I pull my (large) suitcase off the baggage carousel, I cringe because I just know the WHOLE world is staring at my bag.
Anyways, as the title of my post may suggest, I am still knee-deep in sorority recruitment! Big, little, frills, no frills- I’ve seen them all! Each chapter and recruitment is as unique as the next. My recruitment adventures started with the amazing ladies of Xi Omicron, who had record-breaking recruitment numbers and received a new member class of 137! You read that right…1-3-7. They still managed to welcome me into their sisterhood even though they barely had enough time to eat and sleep during recruitment!
Then I traveled to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to visit my lovely Chi Theta sisters before heading to the West Coast! I visited some of the AOII's out in California at the University of La Verne and California State Long Beach. By the way, I am THAT touristy person that created a ‘California’ play-list on my Ipod to jam to on my travels there. I totally blended in with the locals. Totally.
I then headed East to Louisiana- Northwestern State University to be exact! Kappa Chi chapter was eagerly preparing for recruitment and they were joined by their sisters from Southeastern Louisiana University, Kappa Tau chapter. What inspirational women to volunteer their time for their fellow sisters!
Kappa Gamma chapter at Florida Southern College just finished their recruitment on a strong note, welcoming 19 new members to their chapter and making quota! I met so many amazing AOIIs on my visit here, I feel spoiled! Speaking of spoiled, I then got to witness the legendary sorority recruitment at Ole Miss! People wait their whole lives to experience this event(okay, an exaggeration, but you get the idea) and it was everything I hoped it would be and more! Nu Beta handled their record-breaking numbers with ease and welcomed 132 new members into their chapter on bid day.
So far on the road, I have witnessed many inspirational, awe-inspiring moments, as well as emotional break-downs and spells of exhaustion. In addition, I have been introduced to another realm of embarrassing moments I will never seem to avoid. Such as when I forgot I was wearing my nametag in the airport until a security guard pointed out to me that it could be a safety issue that strangers knew my name. If you’re reading this, thanks Bob! Saving one ELC at a time…
I love sorority recruitment. Love, love, LOVE it. Yes, the outfits, songs, and philanthropy activities are nice, but, to me, it’s the sisterhood that forms in-between parties and into the late nights. The sisterhood that shows through in conversations and convinces women to join our organization. To me, that’s what it’s all about!
-Taryn
Sunday, October 9, 2011
One Birthday, To Go!
Last Saturday I celebrated my 23rd birthday and I’m pretty sure it was my first birthday being away from home, and definitely my first birthday out of the country. Several friends and members from several chapters I visited commented on how hard it must be to not be home for my birthday. Although I didn’t really know what to expect, the sisters at Kappa Lambda chapter in Calgary, Alberta, Canada made my day special and many friends, family members, and sisters made it a special week! Not only did I get to experience Preference with Kappa Lambda on my birthday, but they took me out for a delicious dinner (and dessert) to celebrate that evening. I received so many cards from members of my church at home, my family, my chapter’s CA, and my best friend during the rest of my week in Calgary, as well as an e-mail of a video of my chapter singing “Happy Birthday” to me in that week’s chapter meeting.
Dinner with some Kappa Lambdas!
Yum!
On top of that, when I arrived at the Alpha Phi chapter house at Montana State University, I had a package waiting for me from my fellow ELCs and a card from my Sigma Alpha sisters, and a few days later another package arrived from my coworkers at HQ! While some may consider these straggling gifts “late” I just think of them as helping me celebrate longer! I was so blessed that although I was not able to spend my birthday with my family and friends at home, I was still able to be with my AOII sisters and felt the love from home even when I was so far away.
Roses,
Jessica
Dinner with some Kappa Lambdas!
Yum!
On top of that, when I arrived at the Alpha Phi chapter house at Montana State University, I had a package waiting for me from my fellow ELCs and a card from my Sigma Alpha sisters, and a few days later another package arrived from my coworkers at HQ! While some may consider these straggling gifts “late” I just think of them as helping me celebrate longer! I was so blessed that although I was not able to spend my birthday with my family and friends at home, I was still able to be with my AOII sisters and felt the love from home even when I was so far away.
Roses,
Jessica
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun!
Oh my goodness, time is flying on the road! We are officially hitting the half way mark of our first semester. After 8 chapter visits, 22 flights, and 2 broken suitcases later, I am definitely having the time of my life!
The best part of being an ELC is getting to meet sisters all over the country, both collegiates and alumnae. I was so thankful to spend a couple days with Cindy and Luis Visot in Tampa, Florida! Cindy arranged for us to go to lunch at the historic Colombia Restaurant with some fellow members of the Tampa Alumnae Chapter and I even got to spend some time in her office at the University of South Florida! In September I was able to see some family in Chicago, IL and my good friend, and Xi chapter alumna, Lindsay Houston, in Kansas City! Of course, during one of my long layovers in St. Louis I had to make a trip to see the famous Arch!
One of the hardest parts about traveling alone is that you never have a reliable photographer! I’m not sure I successfully communicated exactly what I was going for with this shot but I made sure to take a picture of the full thing just for proof!
Because our chapters are so spread out across the country, it takes all forms of transportation to make your way around. Whether it was a car, bus, plane or train, nothing seemed to bother me…until my trip to Quincy, Illinois. Everyone had warned me that I would be taking a very small plane into Quincy, but don’t think I realized how small it actually was going to be. As soon as I laid eyes on that little thing my heart rate was beating full speed ahead! I am pretty sure it continued to race throughout the entire 45 minute flight and at least fifteen minutes after! It is always so comforting when the airline has to ask you how much your bags weigh with you included to make sure the plane is balanced! I swear that plane was no bigger than a minivan. Needless to say, the six other passengers and I got to be very good friends by the end of our trip!
Every single chapter that I have visited so far has been truly unique. Everyone has their own events, sisterhoods, and traditions that set them apart from chapters across the nation, yet somehow we are all united by our incredible sisterhood and ritual…and our love to craft! Now I have only been traveling for a little over two months, but I am pretty sure that the amount of poster board, tempera paint, glitter, scrap book paper, scissors, balloons, ribbon, yarn, puff paint, duck tape, hot glue, Elmer’s glue, and glue sticks that AOII’s purchase across the country is enough to keep Hobby Lobby in business on our own! Whether they are making skit backgrounds, Bid Day signs, big little gifts, or just cute things in general, I can definitely say that we have got some creative and talented artists in AOII. Seeing all the amazing things that our sisters have made makes me want to do nothing but craft as soon as I get home!
Zeta Pi’s beautiful ‘Wall of Glitter’! What A Great Time To Become An AOII! (University of Alabama-Birmingham)
I think all of the ELC’s can agree that we love going places and doing things that we have never experienced before. I had my first experience with “Low Country Boil” in Aiken, South Carolina! Being an Arizona girl myself, I have never heard of such a thing, but the Turner family was quick to introduce me to it! They made an amazing mix of shrimp, oysters, crab legs, sausage, corn and potatoes all boiled together all afternoon. It was like Heaven in a pot! But nothing beats the moose sausage that I had while in Waterloo, Canada. It was interesting to say the least, but I was thankful for the true Canadian experience!
One thing is for sure, chapters of Alpha Omicron Pi, near and far, are doing amazing things. I have been touched by the love that our sisters have for the fraternity and each other. I can’t wait to meet more of you on the road!
Alpha Love and Mine,
Clarke
The best part of being an ELC is getting to meet sisters all over the country, both collegiates and alumnae. I was so thankful to spend a couple days with Cindy and Luis Visot in Tampa, Florida! Cindy arranged for us to go to lunch at the historic Colombia Restaurant with some fellow members of the Tampa Alumnae Chapter and I even got to spend some time in her office at the University of South Florida! In September I was able to see some family in Chicago, IL and my good friend, and Xi chapter alumna, Lindsay Houston, in Kansas City! Of course, during one of my long layovers in St. Louis I had to make a trip to see the famous Arch!
One of the hardest parts about traveling alone is that you never have a reliable photographer! I’m not sure I successfully communicated exactly what I was going for with this shot but I made sure to take a picture of the full thing just for proof!
Because our chapters are so spread out across the country, it takes all forms of transportation to make your way around. Whether it was a car, bus, plane or train, nothing seemed to bother me…until my trip to Quincy, Illinois. Everyone had warned me that I would be taking a very small plane into Quincy, but don’t think I realized how small it actually was going to be. As soon as I laid eyes on that little thing my heart rate was beating full speed ahead! I am pretty sure it continued to race throughout the entire 45 minute flight and at least fifteen minutes after! It is always so comforting when the airline has to ask you how much your bags weigh with you included to make sure the plane is balanced! I swear that plane was no bigger than a minivan. Needless to say, the six other passengers and I got to be very good friends by the end of our trip!
Every single chapter that I have visited so far has been truly unique. Everyone has their own events, sisterhoods, and traditions that set them apart from chapters across the nation, yet somehow we are all united by our incredible sisterhood and ritual…and our love to craft! Now I have only been traveling for a little over two months, but I am pretty sure that the amount of poster board, tempera paint, glitter, scrap book paper, scissors, balloons, ribbon, yarn, puff paint, duck tape, hot glue, Elmer’s glue, and glue sticks that AOII’s purchase across the country is enough to keep Hobby Lobby in business on our own! Whether they are making skit backgrounds, Bid Day signs, big little gifts, or just cute things in general, I can definitely say that we have got some creative and talented artists in AOII. Seeing all the amazing things that our sisters have made makes me want to do nothing but craft as soon as I get home!
Zeta Pi’s beautiful ‘Wall of Glitter’! What A Great Time To Become An AOII! (University of Alabama-Birmingham)
I think all of the ELC’s can agree that we love going places and doing things that we have never experienced before. I had my first experience with “Low Country Boil” in Aiken, South Carolina! Being an Arizona girl myself, I have never heard of such a thing, but the Turner family was quick to introduce me to it! They made an amazing mix of shrimp, oysters, crab legs, sausage, corn and potatoes all boiled together all afternoon. It was like Heaven in a pot! But nothing beats the moose sausage that I had while in Waterloo, Canada. It was interesting to say the least, but I was thankful for the true Canadian experience!
One thing is for sure, chapters of Alpha Omicron Pi, near and far, are doing amazing things. I have been touched by the love that our sisters have for the fraternity and each other. I can’t wait to meet more of you on the road!
Alpha Love and Mine,
Clarke
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