Alpha Kappa Alumni Stories

Isn't it crazy to think that we live in a house that was built in 1927? It seems that life back then is not even comparable to how we live today. However, the past women of Alpha Kappa encountered and experienced many of the same things that we do today. They had to do house duties, they had their own unique boy problems, and they love food just as much as we do today. The alumni of Alpha Kappa were even just as silly and crazy as we are. This summer, junior Kristen Anderson contacted Alpha Kappa alumni to hear about their personal stories from their amazing years in Alpha Chi.

What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it? -Jenny DeVries

            Over the summer I contacted  some alumni to ask them about their memories of Alpha Kappa and the history of our house.  Linda Shineman helped me compile some memories of ladies in Alpha Kappa.  Alpha Kappa was the only chapter of Alpha Chi Omega to own 2 houses at the same time and after the completion of the second house in 1927, moved into our house that we are in now.  Our earliest memories we have from members start in the 1940’s during WWII.  Members remember mending their sweaters with their own human hair because resources were so scarce. Men were also scarce on college campuses  because they were either in Europe or in the Pacific.  According to Nancy Chase, girls dated seniors at Eugene High School during the war, much to the dismay of the local high school girls.  After the servicemen returned to campus, girls would check to see if they had any wedding bands on, just to be sure.  Some servicemen became houseboys at AXO after the war and Joann McClintic married one who used to sneak her extra desserts.  We all know how much Alpha Kappa like their food, especially bread!     

            Members remember painting their rooms each year as well. Even though all members slept on the sleeping porches  til the 1980’s,  every room had an owner, just like it does now.  The owner stayed in their room all year and changed roommates every term to get to know more girls in the house.  The owners got to personalize their room with their choice of paint and decorations. It was something girls looked forward to each year. Unfortunately for us, the walls have over 100 coats of paint  and are too fragile to paint that often anymore. 

            The members of Alpha Kappa also had house duties just like we do now but were a little different.  Wake up Duty was one of the differences  we have today.  No alarm clocks were allowed on sleeping porches except for the person who had wake up duty.  A map outside the sleeping porches showed where each girl  slept  that they had to wake up.  When doing wake up duty, members had to remember who needed to be shaken, who you barely touched or whispered to and who would try to sneak back into bed and pretend they had never been woken.  Knowing your sisters’ sleeping habits is truly bonding.  Alpha Kappa also used to have Greeter Duty.  That meant a sister  sat at the table in the lobby and answered the door as well as the phone.  Pay phones were located  in booths on the second and third floors where Shauna’s closets are now.  When a call came in, the member on duty contacted the member by pressing her “buzzer signal.”   Mollie Brantley remembers her signal was “long, long, short, long,”  Then the member being called would come to the top of the stairs to see if they were paiged for a phone call or a visitor. Mollie said she liked phone duty because she got to meet and greet all the guys coming to see their girlfriends.  

            Alpha Kappa did not always have  key codes to come inside.  Whoever was on House Duty  would open the door to let girls in. Girls had to be in my 10pm on weeknights and 1 am on weekends in the 1960’s and if they were late they would have to appear before standards, which is like our CR board today.  We all know what the beau room was used for, the only room boyfriends could be in, but members also remember watching  some of their favorite tv shows in there and President Kennedy’s inauguration. 

            Despite the many changes Alpha Kappa has gone through throughout the years, we still carry on some of the same traditions. For example, the awards we receive at the end of the year from the seniors.  Charlotte DuChamp remembers getting the “Worst Haircut” award which she said was well deserved. She also received the “Most Risque Statue” award based on the statue of 2 nudes embracing her boyfriend had given her. She ended up marrying him and they still have the statue today!  Some older members might remember the prank wars we had with Delta Sig before Tri Delta moved in.  Alice Rains Batsche remembers always being wary of the the Phi Delts on the corner.  Apparently they were “very sneaky. They climbed the fire escape, came into the bathroom and threw everyone’s towels on the lawn.  Other times they would throw water balloons at us when we were sunbathing.  They had an old bathtub on their front lawn and would catch unsuspecting freshmen and throw them in the tub.”  Maybe we should start up the prank war with them again?!  Some of our favorite meals in the house are pasta bar night and taco night.  In the ‘60s members also enjoyed taco night and had it every Friday. Another favorite meal was golden treasure meatballs!

 

            When I received so much feedback after my e-mail was sent out, I was so happy that so many alumni were willing to participate.  I am so thankful they were able to share their amazing memories with us and hopefully there will be more to come! All of the memories I received made me feel a closer connection to Alpha Kappa.  Now, especially because I am a live out, I feel like I have a personal connection to the house because I know more about the women that used to live there.

It amazes me to read this and see how similar we are to the previous ladies of Alpha Kappa. It is reassuring to know that Alpha Chi hasn't changed much over the years. We all still share the same values, no matter what point we are at in life. This just goes to show that being a member of Alpha Chi is a lifetime experience instead of just four great years. The women whose stories are in this post still remember their time in Alpha Chi like it was yesterday. I can't wait to be able to contact my sisters now in fifty years and still feel the same bond that I share with them today. Keep looking out for more posts by Kristen about other aspects of our sorority!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Lindsey Bidwell

Read all about Lindsey Bidwell's job at the Primate Osteology Lab!

Joining Alpha Chi the spring term of my freshman year was one of the easiest and most influential decisions I have made in my 21 years of life. I quickly made lifelong friendships and had experienced such a strong bond with my new sisters that I would consider them my family. With such a wide variety of interests and life passions I knew that being a biological anthropology major would be something that I would have in common with very few of my sisters. As each new term begins I both nervous and exhilarated to know that I might not recognize many people in my new classes.

 This term I decided that it would be beneficial for me to branch out and find an opportunity that would help me not only gain knowledge in my major but also allow me more personal and hands on experience with anthropology as a field. After hearing about it through a new friend in one of my classes fall term I decided I would look into becoming a volunteer in the Primate Osteology Lab on campus. Being that my interest in bones, skeletons and all of the gory stuff, I knew that rather than continuing to gross out my sisters I would look into this potential opportunity.

 Now that I have been given the chance to volunteer in the lab this term I have been able to build connections with people who have similar interests as mine as well as begin to have a greater feel as to what my future will hopefully entail. Within the lab itself there are hundreds of different primate specimens that lab students use to gain hands on knowledge. These range from Old World Monkeys to Prosimians and New World Monkeys also.  Though the lab also has other animals as well ranging from bats, marsupials, birds and reptiles. Within the lab we use the knowledge we have gained in previous classes as well as each other and other resources to determine the species of each skeleton if its already known and collect any other information such as skeletal pathologies that may be of interest before they are saved in the online database.

 Being able to work volunteer within the lab as already allowed me to gained more knowledge and experience about the field that I am beyond confident that forensic science is what I would like to study. I like that the Osteology Lab not only helps me study and learn but also show a side of my self that doesn’t necessarily fit in fully with Alpha Chi.

What a unique job Lindsey has! Who knew that an Alpha Chi was involved in the Osteology Lab? Well now all of  you do!!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Tashi Kerr

Read all about Tashi Kerr's internship with the University of Oregon's baseball team!

Working for fifty guys who do nothing but complain for ten hours straight is probably not the most ideal internship, especially for a college girl. But for me, it couldn’t get any better.

I intern under the director of operations for Oregon’s Baseball department. Now that you know the buys I work for are collegiate athletes my statement might seem false, but I still stand by what I said. I don’t get paid or get college credit but to me the experience of just these past two years alone make up for all of that. I have the luxury of having two families on campus, my baseball family and of course my sisters. Both make up a little part of me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without them.

Tashi repping the Oregon Baseball Team!

Ultimately, I hope to work for a sports public relations firm or do sports operations on a collegiate level. The planning, networking, strategic and analytical thinking is hard work, but this internship keeps me focused on my goals. Working under operations I get to see all the internal workings of a successful sports program. I do everything from planning their away trips, scheduling everything in their daily lives, running the scoreboard, sending e-mails, talking to new recruits, and even occasionally getting their food for them. I have learned how to take control of any situation whether I am dealing with people who can never be satisfied or MLB head coaches. I have been able to be a part of every single aspect of operations that I hope to be doing in the future.

Barb, our house mom, was actually the one who got me this internship. Knowing that I wanted a job with the athletic department she approached the director of operations for baseball and told him she had the perfect person to fill the spot. The next day I woke up to a missed call asking me to come in for an interview.  With her recommendation I got the internship on the spot. Barb truly opened the door to my career, giving me the opportunity to take my first steps. I am so thankful for her support, devotion, and love for AXO.

Unlike my other sisters who have already written for this blog, my internship isn’t exactly the best place to be spilling my heart out about how much I love Alpha Chi. Although I would love to talk to all the male coaches, fifty plus players, and ten managers about all the fun girls night I have, I also know the baseball field is just NOT the place.  But I can full heartedly say that if it weren’t for Alpha Chi I would not be where I am today. The time I have spent hasn’t always been easy but for the first time I can be confident in who I am and know that whatever decision, mistake, or triumph I make I will have my sisters behind me.  And that is something that not everyone gets to experience, but it’s also the one thing that I will always cherish.

Knowing Tashi, I know that she would never brag about herself. However, I can honestly say that Tashi is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. She is constantly putting a hundred and ten percent into her job, her academics, and this sorority. She is passionate about helping others, and she would drop everything just to help a sister in need. I am so proud to know that Tashi is out in the community promoting the values of Alpha Chi Omega because she defines what it means to be a true Alpha Chi.

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Gigi Seimears

Read all about Gigi's involvment with the American Marketing Association!

As a young college sophomore I felt a little lost and confused about what direction I wanted to go academically. I had already found a home away from home in Alpha Chi, but I still was unsure about what major suited me the best. I felt like time was getting the best of me. When I started taking more business classes, and heard from a fellow friend and sister, Morganne Hatfield, about a club she was involved in, I thought this might be the answer to all my problems! (Not really to all my problems, but I thought why not check it out)

Gigi with the AMA!

Fast-forward a year later and I am still in the club, the American Marketing Association. I couldn’t be happier about my decision to take Morganne’s advice and see what AMA was all about. I found that it’s a great resource for students to be around peers of similar interests, all while receiving valuable information from professionals about various occupations, as well as first hand access to internships not made available to other students. Not only, has this club provided me a sense of security by helping guide me through the career search process, but we also have a lot of fun in the mean time. There are fun events throughout the year, such as the car smash in the spring, where people get to take out their dead week and final frustrations by smacking a sledgehammer to an old car for only a couple bucks. Sounds a little unusual but it actually is quite the stress reliever. We also randomly will get together to hang out, just kick back and eat some Pegasus, go bowling, or even play some laser tag.

Even though I love all the fun social gathering, my favorite part of the club are the site visits, where we get to visit different firms in various locations. Last year members had the opportunity to go to Seattle, last term to an advertising agency in Eugene, Capelli Miles, with a focus on brand marketing, this term we will be traveling to Portland to talk to professionals working at Yahoo, and next term there will be a site visit in San Francisco! The site visits are so much fun because not only, do you get to see how various businesses are run from the inside, but you also get to get away for the weekend and experience new surroundings with your friends.

What an amazing experience Gigi has had with the AMA! It's great to know that Alpha Chi is being represented in different groups all over campus.

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi Giving Back: Womenspace and the Prevention of Domestic Violence

Read about our philanthropy from your very own VP Philanthropy!

There are often misconceptions when people think of a “sorority girl.” From the outside people may see girls as being absorbed in social events, wearing Greek letters, and even some Elle Woods doppelgangers from Legally Blonde. However, being a part of a sorority is much deeper than what it looks like to the outside world and the way it is often portrayed in the media. When I came to college, I knew I needed to find a way to be able to still give back to the community as I enjoyed doing at my catholic high school. The Fraternity and Sorority Life on the University of Oregon’s campus is constantly holding different philanthropy events and community service opportunities to raise money, directly serve, and give back to the community of Eugene.

Alpha Chi Omega’s philanthropy stuck out to me, as a freshman, during recruitment.  Nationally, Alpha Chi Omega raises money and promotes the awareness and prevention of domestic violence. Here in Eugene, our chapter donates and raises money for our local non-profit women’s’ shelter, Womenspace. Womenspace is located in Lane County and gives support to women who have been abused. Every spring, Alpha Chi Omega organizes a softball tournament called Diamond Days. This tournament pairs together other sorority and fraternity members to raise money for Womenspace and promote the awareness of domestic violence.

While we do raise money and promote the awareness of domestic violence at other times of the year as well, Diamond Days is great way for all of our members to get involved with the process of not only helping to contribute to a great cause. By contributing to this cause, all of the women in our house are not only learning how to raise money or awareness about domestic violence, but also how to not become victims themselves by realizing how to get out of an abusive relationship, home, or unsafe environment. Learning these lessons at an early age are extremely important to always know how to get yourself out of a dangerous situation. I never thought a sorority would be able to teach me as many life lessons as I have learned. Alpha Chi Omega has taught me to reach out to the local community and do more than just raise money, but also raise the knowledge and awareness of how to prevent abuse from happening. I am proud that Alpha Chi Omega's philanthropy can help teach ourselves and others how to become "Real. Strong. Women."

Being aware of the issue of domestic violence is extremely important. Did you know?

- One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

- 85% of domestic violence victims are women.

- Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.

-Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.

- One in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.

For more information visit the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence at www.ncadv.org.

Also, take a look at our local cause, Womenspace, at www.womenspaceinc.org.

There is no denying that domestic violence is an issue that plagues our nation, and it could very easily happen to you or one of your sisters. It is important to be informed, and it is crucial to spread the knowledge about the prevention of domestic to help prevent terrible situations.

I can't wait to see what opportunities are presented to us to help this amazing cause! Be looking out for more posts from Cristina and myself about our philanthropy!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi Abroad: Hannah Nicholson

I remember being a little five year old girl girl dreaming about skipping off to England to marry a Prince Charming. I would dance around my living room in my prettiest dress and make my little sister play Prince. She would have to chase me around until I finally agreed to marry her. Luckily, I was the oldest, so I never had to be the man in the relationship. I even got the privilege of denying her my hand in marriage a few times. As fairy tale as this all sounds, however, many girls in Alpha Chi actually get to live my dream of frolicking about in Europe. They bring the values and standards of Alpha Chi with them all over the world, and they get to share with other cultures what it means to be a woman of Alpha Chi Omega. This series of posts will feature different women of Alpha Kappa who have had the amazing experience of studying abroad in a foreign country. First off is senior Hannah Nicholson who studied abroad in Seville Spain.

When I started college at the University of Oregon, I had two goals: join a sorority, and study abroad. I didn't at all think that these would eventually go hand in hand and that one would give me the strength and courage to accomplish the other.

Hannah and Annie in Rome!

I arrived in Seville, Spain, in January 2011, what would have been Winter term of my junior year in college, and was absolutely petrified. I thought I'd made a mistake and didn't know how I'd survive four months without my car, my cell phone, and of course, my friends. It wasn't even 24 hours before I received my first message from a sister back in Oregon asking about my trip and telling me how much I was missed. Naturally, this made me miss home even more, but encouraged me to really take advantage of the opportunity that was in front of me.

My time abroad was spent absorbing the Spanish culture (and language), as well as traveling all over Europe. I put myself out there and met some incredible people and saw some once in a lifetime places. One of the highlights of my trip was meeting up with a fellow sister in Rome for our spring break and talking all about our incredible individual experiences abroad. It was amazing that though we hadn't seen each other in months, we could pick up right where we left off. In the end, I was sad to leave Oregon and all my sisters, but I learned that I never really left them, and they were there every step of the way; commenting on my pictures, liking my statuses, and wishing me a happy 21st birthday. I couldn't have made it through my time there without my sisters, and am so grateful that they encouraged me to go on this adventure and have these experiences.

What an amazing experience Hannah had! She pushed herself out of her box and had a life changing experience in Spain. However, it is reassuring that, even when she was across the world, she stayed true to what it means to be an Alpha Chi and that she didn't completely forget about us back here in Eugene. I guess the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" definitely applies when the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega are apart. Keep looking for more posts featuring different study abroad experiences!

"A thing is mighty big when time and distance cannot shrink it." - Zora Neale Hurston

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

AXO Safety Awareness Workshop

Ever since Elementary School, society has been pounding into our heads the ideas of "Stranger Danger", and don't ever take candy from someone you don't know. I remember my mom would go through literally all of my Halloween candy piece by piece before I ate it to make sure that it hadn't been tampered with. However, even though it seems like all we've been taught since we're little is to be aware of our surroundings, I feel like it is all too easy to forget. Sophomore Amanda Meyer realized this, and she decided to educate our chapter on the importance of being aware of the dangers that lurk in the community. Read all about the amazing workshop she and a junior, Kelsey Wiser, put on for the members of Alpha Chi Omega.

AXO Kitchen filled
with gift bags!

We all receive those emails entitled “CRIME ALERT” telling us about the sexual assaults on campus. Some of us read them, some of us forward to our parents, and others delete them without reading those important words. These aren’t being sent out to make us so scared we won’t walk alone at night, but instead to make us inspired to somehow fix the problem and make our campus safer. As a freshman, I decided I needed to do something to help change the lack of confidence women have about walking on/around campus at night. I joined the Sexual Wellness Committee, which was a group of sorority women who were trying to do the same things I wanted to do. As a committee, we got the Fraternity and Sorority Life (an absent group at the rally in years past) to support the annual Take Back the Night march on campus.

Party favors!

This year the committee dissolved and we all went our separate ways. However, this didn’t mean that I was done with the work we had begun. Together with Kelsey Wiser, during fall term, we created a Sexual Wellness Workshop mostly aimed at the new pledge class. Our goal was to inform them on how to be safe and aware of the things that go on during the first 9 weeks of school or the “Red Zone”. The “Red Zone” is when most of the sexual assaults and rapes happen on a college campus. We had Peer Health from the University of Oregon Health Center come do a presentation and followed up with anonymous questions and comments.

Fun shaped cookies and
 some special teats!

The reason I decided to get involved was because I saw there was a problem and I wanted to fix it. It is because I don’t want to see my sorority sisters get hurt at a party, walking home from the library, etc. I want them to be safe and educated because if those things do happen, I want them to know how to handle it and not ignore it like so many women do.

I was fortunate enough to attend this workshop, and I learned so much in those two hours. There are resources on campus, like peer counseling, that I had never heard about, and I even learned from the question and answer period about a lot of issues that what I used to think were just scary stories are actually real challenges for some of the women in my chapter. This workshop was informative, yet entertaining with the silly gift bags and PG-13 cookies. I am so glad that Amanda and Kelsey took the initiative to educate our chapter on keeping ourselves protected, and I look forward to seeing what they bring to our house in the future!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Kelsey Green

For our next post in the Alpha Chi at Work series, I would like to introduce you to Kelsey Green who had an amazing experience interning with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. Read all about how she not only made an impact in Oregon but ended up making a difference in lives across the United States.

As an individual who would love to eventually run for office or become a campaign manager I found myself searching for an internship that would give me some type of political action experience. I ended up applying to work for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon right here in good old Eugene. When I told people that I intern for Planned Parenthood the most common question I got was if I handed out free birth control, but that wasn’t the case because PPAO is actually the political side of Planned Parenthood. While working for PPAO I personally fundraised thousands of dollars, recruited volunteers, asked people to register to vote and inputted data. My team consisted of myself, 2 other interns, the regional head of Oregon and various groups of volunteers. I worked approximately 15-20 hours a week in the office and attending town hall meetings in Eugene and Springfield. I helped to defeat anti-choice measures not just for here in Oregon but also for a recent election in Mississippi.

Kelsey Green promoting Planned Parenthood!

This internship gave me loads of insight of what the legislative process is for passing a bill or defeating a bill. I was constantly on the phone calling Planned Parenthood supporters along with meeting with volunteers that work closely with legislators in the capital. I was also able to really feel like I was making a difference for our local community but keeping free and reduce reproductive health care for not just women but men too. This was an amazing experience because I was able to share my life about Alpha Chi Omega with my coworkers and how Alpha Kappa has helped shaped me into who I am today. I was lucky enough to have sisters to help me pass out flyers about Planned Parenthood and it is always a nice reminder that I have such a great support group. Plus it is nice to know that the work that I do with Planned Parenthood can help benefit my own Sisters!!

Kelsey is truly an amazing woman who was able to take the initiative and involve herself in something that she cares passionately about. Kelsey had the support and love from her Alpha Chi sisters throughout her internship, and I can guarantee you that she carried and promoted the values and standards of Alpha Chi during her time with Planned Parenthood. Even though Alpha Chi is a huge commitment in itself, Kelsey went out into the community to expand her experiences and gain valuable knowledge which will benefit her in achieving her future goals.

It is the women of Alpha Chi, like Kelsey, who inspire us all to better ourselves and be involved in something in the UO or Eugene community. Alpha Chi teaches us the qualities we need to be successful in the work force, but, most importantly, the sisters of Alpha Chi are always there to support you in your endeavors.

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi Giving Back: Emerald Family Down Syndrome Network

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, many Alpha Chi's went out into the Eugene community to give back to those less fortunate. Read all about Sam Harmon's description of her day with her sisters volunteering with the Emerald Family Down Syndrome Network.

Ally, Jenn, Sarendum, Amanda, Laura,
and Sam repping Alpha Chi!

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" -Martin Luther King Jr.
Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to helping others and on the celebration of his birth this year, a few Oregon Alpha Chi's ventured to Springfield to volunteer with Duck Corps. The Emerald Family Down Syndrome Network is a group organized by families with children who have Down Syndrome, for families who have children with Down Syndrome. They network is just one of the many parts that make up The Arc. As per their mission statement, "the Arc envisions a world in which all persons have the support and opportunities they need for personal development, independence, and interdependence with family and friends, and inclusion in the community."

Ally teaching Evan the
Alpha Chi sign!

Sam bonding with Evan.

Ally Brayton, Jenn Hammond, Sarendum Alamu, Amanda Sarantis, Laura Rhode and myself all ventured to the Willamalane Rec Center in Springfield early the morning of January 16th. We were told that we'd each be partnered with a child with some sort of disability, ranging from Autism to Down Syndrome, or a sibling of one of these children. The volunteers mostly worked in pairs to chase after and play games with these rambunctious little kids. Our own personal experiences were great. We met Monet, Evan and Nathan and spent the large majority of the morning learning about their different and intriguing ways of communicating just what they were thinking, without using so many words. Our experience volunteering with The Arc was an unforgettable one, and I speak for all of us when I say that we all came out of this experience with greater knowledge of these developmental disabilities.

I know that the majority of our lives are spent doing things that benefit ourselves. Think about it. We go to school to make sure that we are successful and stable in our future. We spend hours at the gym to ensure that we are pretty and thin. We will even drive twenty minutes to find our favorite coffee shop. In the world that we live in today, this is a completely normal and accepted lifestyle. However, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, these six Alpha Chis stepped back from the hustle and bustle of their lives and decided to do something to benefit others. Martin Luther King Jr. didn't just try to bridge the gap between two races. He stood for living a life that would put other's interests above your own. He preached community activism, love for everyone regardless of one's wealth or background, and standing up for something you believe in. I am proud to say that Alpha Chi was involved in this community service event and many other events in the community. But the beauty of our house is that we don't just do this on special holidays. We always strive to benefit others, and in turn we learn a lot about ourselves and our sisterhood.

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." -Martin Luther King Jr.

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

AXO Exec Province Retreat

Winter term can be a rough ten weeks. It always seems to be overcast and raining, the squirrels go into hibernation, and the school work seems never ending. Luckily for all you lovely ladies of Alpha Chi though that you have an excited, energetic, and motivated new exec board to bring some sunshine to your many rainy days ahead. This term is when all of us can finally dive into our positions and make amazing things happen for this house.

Exec boards at the Holiday Inn

This weekend in particular was a very important few days for the exec board. We were thrilled to host all of the Alpha Chi Omega chapters from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho for the annual Alpha Chi Omega Province Exec Training. Kelli Currie, the Province Collegiate Chair for our province, flew into Eugene along with the Exec Boards and advisors of Oregon State, Willamette, Portland State, Washington State, and Boise State. The weekend was spent meeting and mingling with other Alpha Chis and learning about what it really means to be a member and a leader of Alpha Chi Omega. 

Exec Boards at Alpha Kappa

The weekend began on Friday night when most of the different chapters descended on Alpha Kappa for a dessert night. I was so excited to meet other Alpha Chis from around the Northwest, and I am proud to say that I will be stopping by the chapter at Boise State when I go home for Spring break. Each woman that walked through that door carried with her the essence of what it means to be an Alpha Chi. You know what I'm talking about. It's that indescribable sensation of leadership, poise, grace, and confidence. They were all so excited to be in Eugene and at our house. We even got to do a fun t-shirt exchange with them!

Whitney, Cristina, Kayla, and Caitlin showing
off their new t-shirts!

On Saturday, we all woke up bright and early (well not really bright because the sun wasn't even up yet) and headed over to the Holiday Inn to attend the conference where we learned more about our positions and what it means to be a leader in Alpha Chi. One of the best questions asked of us, in my opinion, was why we were sitting in that conference room as an executive member of our chapter. The surprising thing to me was that each member answered differently, yet each answer applied to each and every one of us. It made us think about the responsibilities we have as a leader in our chapter, and how it's crucial to not just talk the talk but to also walk the walk.

The "Why" board where
we shared why we were there.

We had time as an exec board of Alpha Kappa to make goals for this coming year, and I felt like we all became closer as sisters in discussing the mutual love and passion we share for our sorority. I can guarantee you all that you will see some amazing things coming from your exec board this year. We also got a chance to sit down with members of other chapters who have the same positions as us. As Pan-Hellenic delegate, I learned so much about what other chapters do to make sure that their Alpha Chi is represented on their PHC. I was able to brainstorm different ways that I can help Alpha Chi get involved in the campus community, and I was able to give some advice to another PHC delegate whose position was just created in their smaller chapter.

Cristina and Whitney brainstorming.

This weekend was such a success. It was so exciting for us to host all of the different chapters and welcome them to Eugene. They absolutely loved our house, but Barb and Charlie definitely managed to steal the show. The exec board all left the conference feeling more unified as a team, and we all gained valuable knowledge and leadership skills from Kelli and the other advisors who attended. We can't wait to implement some new ideas into our house, and I hope you all are as excited as were are for this amazing year ahead!

Your Alpha Kappa exec board!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Brittany Morales

     All of us remember that fateful day when we finally got to open up our bid cards. I remember that after days upon days of recruitment, I was so relieved when I could finally stop flirting with girls and just figure out where in the world I would end up. I knew that Alpha Chi was the perfect house for me, and I was beyond thrilled to open up my envelope (after what seemed like hours of sitting on it) and see Alpha Chi Omega engraved on the card. Since that day, I have met so many amazing women who have truly inspired me to grow and evolve as a person. All of the women in Alpha Chi are so devoted to Alpha Kappa, and it astounds me everyday at how unique each member is. Sometimes, I even forget that every single member of our chapter is involved in something that has absolutely nothing to do with Alpha Chi. It amazes me that the women in our chapter are so well rounded, hard working, and driven. This series of posts called Alpha Chi at Work will feature different members in our chapter. We will get an inside look at life outside of Alpha Chi and inside different jobs around campus.

     To start off this series, I am pleased to present Britany Morales's description of how she involves herself in the UO community and how it is pretty much imposible to not take Alpha Chi with you wherever you go:

     When I tell people that I work at Knight Library, the immediate response is, “oh so you push around a cart and put books away?” Despite this common misconception, my job at the library has nothing to do with books. In fact, I work with newspapers. If any UO student were to wander down into the dungeon level (where the coffee is) of the library and walk through one door they would find themselves in Image Services. This is where I work. What we do in Image Services is transfer newspapers to microfilm (fancy words for taking a picture, developing it and putting it on a film strip) and then distribute them to whoever wants to read any published newspaper from the entire state. As exciting as I know this sounds, I’ve actually learned some things from working in Image Services. For example,

1)  There is a town called Scio, Oregon, and they have a newspaper

2)  If you live in a small town and travel out of Oregon you have a legitimate shot of making front page news

3)  UO students are shocked to hear that the library can do more things than just check out books

     Another aspect of my job I enjoy, is that the people I work with have no idea what it means to be in a sorority. To the point where all work stops until I explain what Big/Little reveal is or explain what a door call is. (This worked to my advantage because I was able to get some practice time in.) They find it fascinating that a sorority is more than what the movies show. It has been really fun explaining what it really means to be a sorority and multiple times my boss has said, “I don’t understand sorority life but I love it.” In other words, it’s pretty awesome that the time I’m being paid to work is spent talking about AXO. What’s more perfect than that? 

Clearly, Brittany is a hard worker who has many demands outside of Alpha Chi, but she brings grace, poise, and, for those of you who are close with Brittany know, her distinct sense of humor to her job.

I think we can all agree that Alpha Chi has taught us things that we can carry with us when we face other challenges outside of the sorority, but it is the women in Alpha Chi who truly inspire us to be involved in the community. Keep looking for more of these features to come!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty