Nacho Night 2012

Read all about our new philanthropy event, Nacho Night!

October is domestic violence awareness month and as VP Philanthropy I wanted to make sure we bring awareness to our community. Every spring we have our annual spring softball tournament, Diamond Days, and I thought it would be fun and educational to incorporate another fundraiser in the fall to raise additional money for Womenspace and the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation.

Our very first food fundraiser philanthropy took place this past Wednesday at the Alpha Kappa Chapter House. Nacho Night turned out to be a success! Our guests paid for admission and got to come into our house, while we served delicious nachos complete with all of the fixings: queso, cheddar cheese, ground beef, chili, beans, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, and more.

We had a random drawing by placing purple (domestic violence prevention’s official color) tape under random food trays for our guests. If a guest found a purple piece of tape on the bottom they received their choice of candy or a cookie basket. In our living room, we had a DJ playing some great music that guests could groove to. There was also a projection screen showing a slideshow of domestic violence awareness statistics and facts to educate the community that came about our philanthropy and domestic violence awareness. All Alpha Chi Omegas were involved with serving food, drinks, or helping with checking people in.

We raised over $3,000 dollars at Nacho Night! We even got feedback from guests that we should have this philanthropy event every term! Here at the Alpha Kappa chapter, we are committed to bringing awareness about domestic violence to this community and demonstrating that Alpha Chi Omega is nacho average sorority!

Thank you, Cristina, for working so hard to expand our philanthropy! You have been the most amazing VP Philanthropy we could have asked for.

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

PC 12

We recruited the most amazing new plegdge class this Fall. Read all about their new member period from our VP New Member Education, Morgan White:

Through the process of fall recruitment, Alpha Chi Omega was lucky enough to give out 59 bids to 59 beautiful girls. We had a fun time celebrating on bid day with our new additions, playing along with the theme of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and serving breakfast for dinner. We had a fun time having a dance party on our lawn, with music so loud, that one could hear it from four blocks away! We then all piled into our cars to make our rounds to the other sororities and fraternities on campus, then to Autzen Stadium for our famous photo opp.

Over the past couple of weeks, Morgan White, our Vice President of New Member Education, has been able to get to know these girls better and guide them into their new chapter of college at Alpha Chi Omega. All of them have been so eager to learn about the history and traditions of our sorority and meet all of our lifetime members. We also just had our Big/Little reveal, so now the new members have someone close to guide them through our initiation. Everyone cannot wait to initiate all of our new members and officially make them sister of Alpha Chi Omega.

Thank you, Morgan, for all of your work to develop our new members. You embody what it means to be an Alpha Chi, and we are proud to have you as the role model for all of our new members!

LITB,
Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Natalie Herndon

Read all about Natalie and Cristina's work with PRSSA!

Cristina Pellizzon and I are members of PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) on campus and for the past few weeks have been working on a Halloween fundraising event. On Tuesday the 30th we had the Halloween event in the EMU open to all students. Both Cristina and I were on the planning committee and worked to put the event together to raise money for PRSSA. The event consisted of Halloween themed games and prizes with a costume contest at the end. We worked in a group with other PRSSA members and used our planning skills to put the event together. Between working together, organization, and communication we used our Alpha Chi Omega skills for this event for our entire school. This is expected to be an annual event & hopefully we will be working on the planning committee next year!

Great job Natalie and Cristina for being ambitious women in the work force!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Recruitment 2012

Read all about our successful recruitment from your very own VP Recruitment, Evan Goldsmith!

Hello! My name is Evan Goldsmith and I am the VP Recruitment for the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega. When I ran for my position one year ago, I wanted to do it because I felt that it would be a contribution to the future of Alpha Kappa and Alpha Chi Omega nationally. I would be educating and preparing my chapter for Fall Formal Recruitment, and because of my efforts and the efforts of my sisters we would have an amazing new pledge class. This was so appealing to me because these new Alpha Chi Omega women would be the fruition of my hard work and because of that I would have made a small, yet important, impact to Alpha Chi Omega’s future. These new women would not only be my sisters for one short year (wow I’m a senior?!?!) or my potential grand-little, these new women would be the future leaders of our organization, the future spokeswomen for our national philanthropy, Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, and eventually the 70 year old women receiving 50-year pins as tribute to their years as Alpha Chi Omegas. For these reasons I wanted to be VP Recruitment, but now that my job is done and I must soon transition the next spirited (and lucky) individual into office, there were a few unexpected things I gained from my position that I had no idea I would be walking away with. And I am so thankful for all of them.

Having gone through this exhausting but equally exciting process I have developed such a close-knit bond with my sisters. I am confident that I truly know each and every one of my sisters as well as their interests and needs. I am so unbelievably proud to be associated with these women, and throughout these past few weeks I have been impressed every single day by them. They inspire me and fuel me to be a better person than I was the day before, and for that I am so grateful to each and every one of my sisters. I also did not expect to learn from my sisters as much as I did. The knowledge I gained from them is something that I will be able to use in the real world after I graduate. I learned how to delegate and manage a committee, I learned how to be more patient, and I learned many ways to better communicate with others who are different than I. These are important life skills that I believe will benefit me in the future. Running for this position I wanted to make an impact on Alpha Chi Omega, but walking away from this position I now know that Alpha Chi Omega has made a bigger impact on me, and I am so excited to see what I learn from the new pledge class in the next year.

 

Thank you, Evan, for being such a fantastic leader for Alpha Kappa and running an amazing recruitment!

 

LITB,

 

Chrissy Hardesty

We Always Wear Our Letters

Alpha Chi Abroad: Alex Bilbruck

Read all about Alex Bilbruck's summer study abroad in France!

This past summer I studied abroad in France. I was so excited that I had this amazing opportunity to be able to study there over the summer. My friends can tell you how much I love Paris and the country of France. I was lucky enough to have been to France multiple times before I embarked on my study abroad adventure. I am currently an International Studies major with a Business minor at the University of Oregon. Within my major it requires me to have a third year proficiency in a language and French was a language that I have been learning since high school so I wanted to continue to improve and hopefully one day be fluent in the language.

            I lived in a small town called Angers; it is about an hour and half outside of Paris. It was an intensive French language program so I spent most of my days speaking French. It was good because I was able to improve on my speaking and writing skills, which was very helpful. Also, I had the opportunity to go on multiple excursions with my program including chateaux’s, Normandy, and St Malo/St. Michel. St Michel literally looked Hogwarts. Lol Studying abroad was something I always wanted to do before applying to colleges, and it was a great chance to improve on a language that I love, and a country I find so beautiful. I stayed with a host family during my time abroad and it was great to immerse my self in their culture and way of life. It was an unforgettable experience and these memories I will have for the rest of my life. I was able to make new friends that I have become close with outside of fraternity/sorority life as well as friends in other chapters. I traveled around with them on our days off and went all around France and I will always share these memories with them. Now, that I am back in the states I still hangout with my close friends from abroad. Who would have thought I would end up meaning such great people and a new group of friends to always hangout with. I absolutely love my time in France, and I cannot say that I regret a single moment.

 

What an amazing experience for Alex! We are lucky to have someone as passionate and outgoing as Alex representing Alpha Chi in France. Thanks for sharing, Alex!

 

LITB,

 

Chrissy

Reflecting on the Past and Looking to the Future

Welcome back to school Alpha Chi! Now that recruitment is finished, midterms are ending, and the leaves are changing, it's time to bring back the blog!

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on how much our chapter grew last year and how bright our future looks. Last year, we had some amazing accomplishments. We won Chapter of the Year, first place in Miss Greek, second place in Greek Week, first place in Pumpkin Smash, and third place in Derby Days. Thanks to Cristina Pellizzon, we tripled the size of Diamond Days and just hosted our very first Nacho Night, making this year the most successful yet in terms of philanthropy. We said goodbye to some loyal seniors, and we've welcomed a diverse and excited new pledge class. We have had more women involved in something outside of Alpha Chi than ever before, and we have Alpha Chis in leadership positions all over campus and in the community. We clocked hundreds of hours of community service, and we've made a positive name for ourselves on campus and throughout Eugene. We've all grown as individuals this past year, but what I think we often fail to recognize is that we've all been growing together. We're never alone in our endeavors. We've supported each other through challenges. We've stayed strong through the hardships. When one of us succeeds, it's a success for all of us. But most importantly, we've grown as a sisterhood, and we've grown as a chapter. We have reinvented ourselves this past year as a united front, as a force to be reckoned with. Our bond is stronger than ever, and our symphony is ringing true throughout our house.

I want us all to be able to recognize what a special thing Alpha Chi Omega is. Alpha Chi means something different to all of us, but at the end of the day we are sisters, and we are in this crazy thing called life together. We deserved that big Chapter of the Year award because we showed the entire Greek community what it means to be a sorority woman and what it means to be a part of a sisterhood. We have an unbelievable foundation to build off of this year. I hope that we can take everything that we learned and accomplished last year and leave a permanent impact on our chapter that will continue to grow and develop when we're long gone.

I am proud to call you all sisters, and I am looking forward to seeing where we can all go together this year.

LITB,

Chrissy

Womenspace Sweat Drive

Read all about Alpha Kappa's sweat drive with Victoria Secret to donate to our local cause, Womenspace!


Alpha Chi Omega has partnered up with the Victoria’s Secret PINK Campus Representatives here at the University of Oregon to put on a sweats and clothing drive! Alpha Chi Omega’s philanthropy is the prevention of domestic violence. Here at the Alpha Kappa chapter, we support Womenspace, which is a local women’s shelter that provides the victims with shelter, toiletries, clothes, and a safe place to live away from their abusive relationships.

Victoria’s Secret PINK Campus Representatives and AXO have partnered up to put on a sweats drive for Womenspace since we have worked with Womespace in the past and we can help get word out there to the rest of the sororities in our community. I automatically jumped at the chance to help out our own philanthropy in any way we could.

All across the nation, campuses that have the Victoria’s Secret PINK Campus Representative group are having a competition between colleges to see which campus can raise the most amount of donated clothing items to a local organization. We really want University of Oregon to win! Victoria’s Secret PINK and Alpha Chi Omega’s joint sweats and clothing drive will be March 12-18 (Monday-Saturday) from 12-2pm everyday. The drop off location for all of the clothes will be at AXO on the front Porch. The top 3 donators will receive Victoria’s Secret gift cards or gift bags filled with Victoria’s Secret PINK apparel. There will also be a prize for the sorority that donates the most items of clothing! All donators will receive exclusive coupons to redeem at the Valley River Victoria’s Secret store.

I'm glad that Alpha Chi is doing what we can to help victims of domestic violence here in Eugene!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

My Journey

Read all about Alpha Chi's membership development program, My Journey, from Melissa Andre!

This upcoming year our nationals is officially implementing a new program with our sorority. It's called My Journey and it is specifically designed to help each girl with the stages of life that they are in. For instance, as freshman it is there to help girls choose their majors, gain confidence, and work well with others. And for seniors it would be there to help you construct your resume and practice interviewing for a job. Each group of girls will be learning together with girls of their same age and they will be taught by their own peers. We will appoint a single person in each age group to lead the discussions and this will in turn give our girls another opportunity to become a leader in our house. I'm very excited about this because over spring break I will be traveling to Los Angeles for a regional conference to learn more about the program. Once I know more about the program I will train each grade representative and then we will officially begin My Journey next fall.

I am so excited to start using My Journey. The freshman and junior classes have already started to use it, and they are growing so much closer because of it. My Journey helps facilitate personal growth by learning from your peers. I know that this program will help us develop ourselves as well as help our chapter become more well rounded and successful!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Lauren Cartmell

Read all about Lauren Cartmell's volunteer work with the Greenhill Humane Society!

Being a huge dog lover—we’re talking made-my-dog-a-facebook dog lover--it only seemed natural to start volunteering at Greenhill Humane Society my sophomore year of college. It may have started more as a way to fulfill community service requirements, but I quickly found myself driving across town every week or two just to see those loveable animals.

While in the process of training to become a dog walker, I worked as a “cattery companion.” It didn’t sound like my ideal job at first, but I was amazed at how quickly I came to like spending time with the cats, getting them used to human interaction and making sure they had a clean, safe place to stay at the shelter.

After my brief stint in the cattery, I moved on to the kennel, where I started by simply sitting with dog after dog, petting them, feeding them treats, and acclimating them to collars, leashes, and the human touch. I was in heaven. “Is this really community service?” I thought. It was too much fun to be deemed “community service.” After this first level of training in the kennel, I upgraded to dog-walker, which I have been doing to this day. It’s a simple concept: you put a leash on, take the dog to a fenced in yard to play, then walk them around the shelter’s grounds, and yet the dogs are just ecstatic every time they get to go on one of these 15-minute walks. It’s the highlight of their whole day. And it feels so good to be able to give them that simple pleasure.

I’ve also spent time as a “kennel runner,” where I help visitors find dogs that may be good matches for them. This is a rewarding job, as I am directly involved in finding these dogs new homes.

Volunteering at Greenhill has been a wonderful experience. Not only does it put a smile on my face, but it really changes the lives of the animals there. I hope to continue volunteering there as long as I am in Eugene!

I don't know about all of you, but I am definitely jealous of Lauren's job! This sounds so fun and rewarding! I don't know how she's able to resist adopting them all!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi Omega Leadership Convention

Read all about President Annie and VP CRS Sam's time at the national Alpha Chi Leadership Convention!

The New Year has already help many exciting things for Alpha Kappa. Early in the term, Annie and I were able to go the Leadership Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana where we would meet with other presidents and Chapter Relations and Standards from all over the country. It was truly an eye opening experience to how grateful I am to my chapter here at the University of Oregon. In our small groups, I found myself being able to speak up about not only of efficient ways our house handles situations but also that I was able to give solutions to other chapters problems because of the past exec board’s training and the preparation we had been given in our new positions.

We are one of the chapters who cares the most. Not necessarily about winning every single philanthropy event, or being the “hottest” on campus (even though we definitely work it ;)), but that we care the most about each other. I can say with all my heart that there is not a girl in this house that would not look at a fellow member and not as least see a fellow sister. There is a sense of unity in our house that not only do other chapters lack, but that other chapters cannot revitalize. We have that spark that has kept us sane thus far and that bit of logic in the back of our minds reminding us that what goes on in “sorority life” isn’t always real life.  But the people that we are becoming together, the bonds we are constructing and rebuilding are the realest things we will ever experience. The convention was a wonderful experience and I received a lot of insight and training on dealing with sticky situations and dealing with the overall stress of my position, but definitely the most rewarding thing was being able to sit down with over 200 other chapters and tell them how proud I am to be a part of Alpha Kappa chapter.

I am so proud to say that I had two amazing women representing Alpha Chi at Leadership Convention! Thank you both for all the hard work that you do!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi Abroad: Chloe Smock and Sarah Krause

Read all about Chloe and Sarah's study abroad in Spain!

Spain was a place that both Sarah and I always wanted to visit and we were thrilled when we found out that we were able to study there together in the summer of 2011. I am studying to be a teacher at the University of Oregon and Spanish was something that I wanted to continue in order to be more accessible to my possible Spanish-speaking students. Sarah is studying both human physiology and Spanish and studying in a Spanish speaking country was the opportunity she needed to practice her knowledge of the language.

We lived in a small town called Oviedo, located in the northern Asturias region of Spain, and we studied multiple aspects of the Spanish language and culture for the majority of our days there. There were also chances to go on excursions to nearby towns that were enriched with culture that we took advantage of. Being able to study abroad was something we both knew we wanted to do before we graduated college, and the chance to practice a language we both felt a passion for as well as see first hand the way the Spanish people live was something we will always treasure. Being able to immerse ourselves in another language and country was an unforgettable experience on its own, but being able to share it with each other made it all the more memorable. Having a sister to share this trip with brought a sense of familiarity that made adjusting to a new place easier and all the more enjoyable. We met through Alpha Chi Omega and have been good friends, but being able to live in another part of the world together created a deeper connection between the two of us that we are beyond grateful for.

 What an amazing opportunity for Chloe and Sarah! I'm sure their experience abroad was even more rewarding because they got to share it with each other!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Womenspace Cards

On Hera Day, Cristina and Whitaker organized an event for Alpha Chi to give back to our local philanthropy, Womenspace. Keep reading to learn more!

Happy Hera day! March 1st is Alpha Chi Omega’s celebration of service to others. In honor of our patron goddess Hera, Alpha Chi Omegas give personal service for the happiness and well-being of others. It is a day to remind our chapter to give back in some small way. Whitaker Sherk, VP of Ritual and Fraternity Appreciation, and I decided our chapter needed to do a small event on Hera Day to be reminded of our philanthropy, domestic violence awareness, by being able to give back to Womenspace, the local women’s shelter that the Alpha Kappa chapter supports. During a hectic time filled with midterms, papers and classes coming to an end we wanted to do something small, but meaningful for Womenspace. It was especially important for me, as VP Philanthropy, to have our chapter always be thinking about the victims at Womenspace at different times during the year and not solely when we raise money and put on our philanthropy, Diamond Days, every May. This past Hera Day, our chapter made supportive cards to the victims at Womenspace. We wanted to be able to lift their spirits during this difficult time in their lives and hoped it brightened their day. We wanted to make them feel like they are always loved and constantly in our thoughts! We made over fifty handmade cards for the women of Womenspace. The event turned out a great success! It meant a lot to our girls as they felt like they were getting in closer contact with the victims, who we are not normally able to interact with.  It was great to have such a big turnout on Hera Day and have our chapter give up their time for the happiness of others. Alpha Chi teaches us that even something as small as making a card can brighten someone’s day and make a difference.

I loved having the opportunity the make a card for Womenspace especially because we can't have personal contact with the members of Womenspace because of the sensitivity of their work. It was nice to be able to share something so personal as a card with a victim of domestic violence, and I hope that all of our cards brightened their day!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Lauren, Dana, and Kristiana

Read all about Lauren's involvement in Camp Kesem with her two Alpha Chi sisters!

 It was not until last year that I have ever heard of Camp Kesem. My fellow Alpha Chi sister, Dana Helm introduced me to this national organization that is sweeping across college campuses. Camp Kesem is a student run summer camp for kids with a parent who has (or had) cancer. This one-week sleep away camp is a chance for kids ages 6-13 to have a fun filled week and to just be kid.

After researching this amazing organization I could not help but join Dana in the race to win a ten thousand dollar grant from Livestrong.  As well, our fellow Alpha Chi, Kristiana Foppiano joined us in the promotion of Camp Kesem on our campus. We competed against thirty other schools along the West Coast hoping to retrieve the most online votes. Due to our persistence and determination, we were given a generous donation from Livestrong to kick-start our branch of Camp Kesem at University of Oregon.
 
Fast forward one year, Dana, Kristiana, myself, and six other amazing coordinators are currently working towards our inaugural camp at YMCA Camp Collins in Gresham, Oregon. Dana is our Co-Chair meaning she acts as a liaison with our regional and national director. As well, she mediates meetings and is constantly checking in with each coordinator to make sure we are all on track. Kristiana is our Student Support coordinator; working as a solo act she is constantly using her outgoing personality to recruit future camp counselors, interview them, and train them. As for me, I am the Camper Care Co-Chair. This entails publicizing and marketing our new camp to not only our University of Oregon campus, but also the entire state of Oregon.

I am so glad to say that I am a member of this phenomenal organization. My reason for joining Camp Kesem is the same as many others. I have seen the brutal affects of cancer, and I hope to provide aid to those who have experienced the same. I can firmly attest that being a member of Camp Kesem along with my two best friends and Alpha Chi sisters, Dana and Kristiana has given me a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is so rewarding to know that our consistent efforts and hard work is going to fund a weeklong escape filled with laughter, smiles, sunshine and fun!

This is such an amazing, worthwhile organization to be a part of! As a camp counselor myself, I think it is so admirable how much hard work and dedication they throw into this camp. Thank you, Lauren, Dana, and Kristiana, for all that you do for this community! I am proud to call you my sisters!

Here is the link to Camp Kesem so you can learn more! http://www.campkesem.org/site/c.jvI0ImN0JuE/b.2466361/k.BD89/Home.htm

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Gabo Ailstock

Read all about Gabo's work the the Student Health Advisory Committee!

It was last spring term when I first heard about the Student Health Advisory Committee or SHAC as we like to call it. A member of SHAC gave a short recruiting presentation about the group to the class and I was immediately drawn in. In the short presentation I learned that SHAC serves as the lesion between the University Health Center and the students in which it services. Not knowing what this fully meant I applied thinking it would be a good resume booster. As summer wound down I received news that I was selected to be a member of SHAC and our first meeting was Friday of week one.

The first Friday we jumped right into business and I was completely lost in the health center talk. I soon learned that we are a huge part of how the Director of the health center views and applies policy. As a member we evaluate the budgets and the student health insurance, recommend changes in the UHC services and promote good health to the university community. Ways in which we promote good health are through supporting movements such as the STFU or Smoke and Tobacco Free University and choosing representatives to serve on various committees such as the SRC steering committee and join in discussions on the universities sexual assault and harassment standards.

Becoming a member of SHAC has helped me become a more informed student on university policies and pushed me to become more involved in other aspects of campus beyond the SHC!

This sounds like an excellent way to be involved in the community! The work that Gabo does directly impacts all students on campus. I feel lucky to be able to say that someone as poised, outgoing, and warm hearted as Gabo is representing Alpha Chi in the SHAC!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Dad's Weekend

Read all about Dad's weekend from your very own VP Membership Programming, Melissa Andre!

My position at Alpha Chi is VP Membership Programming and the best part about
this is I get to plan mom’s and dad’s weekend. Well this past weekend was our dad’s
weekend at Alpha Kappa and it was a huge success! Dad’s came in from all over the
country to enjoy a fun filled weekend with their daughters. The morning played out
with a tour of Matthew Knight Arena followed by lunch at Alpha Chi. Both dads and
daughters were extremely excited to get a behind the scenes look at the infamous
arena, we even had time to shoot a few hoops on the court. After lunch there was
free time until bowling that evening at strike city lanes. Some dad’s even got into the
competitive spirit with their daughters and made bets against each other (Have fun
with your 30 hours of yard work Sam! I’ll buy you some sun block). To end the day
we had an ice cream bar back at the house with a free raffle for an Oregon dad gift
basket, the lucky dad was Lindsay Chenelia’s step dad, Rocky Paulsen. Congrats
Rockey, I hope you enjoy it! Now there’s just about two more months until mom’s
weekend, I can’t wait!

I know that this weekend was an amazing way to share our lives in Alpha Chi with our families back home. Thank you, Melissa, for setting up such a successful and fun weekend!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Paige Jeffrey

Read all about Paige Jeffrey's work with Rent the Runway!

What girl doesn’t love fashion and a good deal? As a representative for Rent the Runway On Camus this year, I have the opportunity to offer the ladies of University of Oregon an amazing chance to wear designer dresses for just a fraction of retail price. Maddy Robinson and I work with an awesome group of girls who share the same passion for style. As Runway Reps, we work under headquarters in New York City to bring the Rent the Runway company to our school and the West Coast. We are just 1 of 150 RTR campus programs across the United States who promote to their schools and plan fun events such as trunk shows and fashion shows. Due to the great success of our social media competition during Greek Week this Fall, our referrals exceeded 300 and we became one on the top ten RTR campus programs nationwide. We are so excited to continue to bring this company to U of O, especially focusing on sororities this Spring with formals coming up.
Even though I have only been involved with this internship for six months, I have learned so much about working in a group in a more professional way. Unlike school project groups, Rent the Runway forces us to think in a completely business-like mindset while still having fun and promoting fashion! We have to deal with staying within a budget, working with other groups, and gaining new members each month. As the PR rep, I have come to love that part of communication even more and am proud to say that it will continue to be the field in which I focus and will someday have a career in.

Rent the Runway has made me realize that Public Relations is very fast paced and competitive. It is exciting to be part of a program that let’s me experience how a nationwide company runs, while connecting with my peers at U of O. All of the representatives in our group are so eager to make Rent the Runway a strong force and a smart choice for many formal events and opportunities here at Oregon.

It was important for me to branch outside of Alpha Chi Omega to gain experience in PR and help make an influence on campus in some way. Like so many girls in our sorority, it is so awesome to be able to do things outside of our chapter and then come back and share the experiences with sisters and try to get them involved too. Rent the Runway excites me since it is unlike anything else out there, and the fact that I can be involved with an on campus program is very ideal. I hope that with our upcoming Spring fashion show on March 11th ladies from all areas of our university will come together to experience what a great option renting dresses is. Wear. Love. Return.

This seems like the perfect job for Paige! Paige always looks five times as fashionable as I do, so she is clearly putting her passion for fashion and PR to work. It is great to know that Paige is involved in something that she loves!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Emily Inslee

Read all about Emily Inslee's volunteer work with the Early Childhood Cares program!

Before coming to the University of Oregon I knew I wanted to be a teacher.  After getting into the Educational Foundations Program I decided I wanted to get a Special Education minor to get more experience with the field. After taking many classes, I realized that I was really interested in working in the Special Education department and decided that I needed to get some experience in the classroom.  I started volunteering at Early Childhood Cares last year and it has been one of the best experiences of my life.  Early Childhood Cares is a program on campus and it provides early intervention and early childhood education to infants, toddlers, and pre-school aged children in Lane County.  I work in a parent toddler class with children who have autism. It’s been amazing to see the improvements and developments that the children have made throughout the year, and it’s been a great opportunity to be able to work with the individual children.   Every day, there is a meeting held for the parents to teach them specific skills for their children; while the meetings are being held I take care of the children and then we usually have free time, snack time, and circle time.  Overall it’s been a great experience. I have been fortunate enough to get to know all of the parents and been able to discuss the hardships of having children with autism.  Even though it’s a constant challenge, I am able to see the love that these parents have for their children and it reassures me every day that I want to be a teacher so I can have a positive impact on future children and their families.

With so many education majors out there, it is great that Emily is seperating herself from the pack and putting this amazing work on her resume!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

Alpha Chi at Work: Christine Westhoff

Read all about Christine Westhoff's job with the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies department!

At the start of my sophomore year I decided it was time to find a job. I started by looking at many websites. I looked at the UO job site but I was out of luck because I do not qualify for work-study. I looked on Craig’s List but nothing was within walking distance. I started to lose hope but little did I know that one of my sisters would be the perfect resource. Ally Marrs was graduating early and made an announcement about her boss looking for someone to replace her once she graduated. I jumped at the opportunity and eventually got the job. The job was as an office assistant for the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, which is in Gerlinger.

It is the perfect job for me, on campus, flexible hours, and interesting. I get to work on our website, caps.uoregon.edu. I am able to learn about a bunch of different events and lectures that my center puts on about South East Asia. I also get to do research of what kind of programs the University of Oregon has to offer on Asian Studies. I get to use my Facebook skills to try to find alums that had majors in different Asian Studies areas to get their information for various grants we apply for. I also help compile data to help ensure that we keep many of our grants that we run on.  It might not be the most interesting job out there but it is one that I am able to learn a lot at and expand my knowledge of different cultures. This job has showed me how important relationships with your sisters are, they are a great resource for many different things.

Sounds like Christine has a great way to earn some extra cash and to keep herself financially responsible, which just happens to be one of our values!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty

On the Rocks at Alpha Chi!

Read all about one of Alpha Kappa's celebrations of the arts by Whitaker Sherk!

In Eugene, the month of February is infamous. The exciting feeling of a new year is long gone, the Ducks’ football season is over until next fall and the rain never seems to stop. Students are busy cramming for midterms and filling out housing applications.

At AXO, however, the vibe is not as pessimistic. This is because every February we celebrate MacDowell Month. We spend time appreciating various types of music and art because Alpha Chi Omega was founded on the arts. This year, I wanted to come up with a celebration that both active members and alumnae would look forward to as a distraction from tests and lousy weather. After discussing various ideas with both our president and some of the alumnae, we agreed that hiring On the Rocks to come perform would be a fantastic way to celebrate. On the Rocks is one of the most successful collegiate a cappella groups in the nation, and getting a hold of them was by no means an easy task. After emailing every member that was listed on their website and getting no response, I tried calling them; in fact, I called so obsessively that eventually their contact numbers were deleted from the website.

Finally, I was able to get in contact with them and set up the event. It was held on Sunday, February 19 at the AXO house. Around seventy members and alumnae socialized and snacked on a delicious selection of pastries, cakes, tea and coffee before the performance. We then gathered in the living room for the show. It was one of the most amazing vocal performances I have ever heard; the young men were so talented that they had hilarious choreographed dance moves to go along with each song. Everyone was delighted with the performance, and we could not have come up with a better way to celebrate our MacDowell Month.

As a diehard On the Rocks fan, I was so excited to have them come and preform in our very own home! We had a great turnout, and everyone had an amazing time. Thank you Whitaker for putting on such a great event for our chapter!

LITB,

Chrissy Hardesty