Recruitment Begins!

Recruitment 2013 starts tomorrow here at South Carolina! We are so thrilled and excited to finally get to meet all of the potential new members. We have been working very hard every day during Spirit Week to get ready to put on our best recruitment yet! 
Shout out to our lovely President and Recruitment Chair, Kaitlin Laxer and Anna Drew Jackson respectively, for doing an amazing job tonight at Recruitment orientation for all of the girls going through. 
We wish all of the other amazing chapters here at USC the best of luck as well! 
Delta Love,

Ashley

Sister Spotlight: Margot and Kathryn Clary

Margot and Kathryn, from left to right

Our post for you today truly is one of my favorites so far! It is written by sophomore Margot Clary on behalf of her and her sister Kathryn. Kathryn and Margot are not only sisters in Tri Delta, but biological sisters as well. Last fall, when we found out Margot was coming through recruitment we were all so excited to potentially have another Clary. Today, they are both assets to our chapter and we are lucky to have such an amazing pair of women. Enjoy!

"For the first eighteen years of my life, sisterhood has meant only the biological bond between two girls who were conceived by the same parents. My understanding of sisterhood was that when I was too scared to order my meal at Chilis, my sister would be sitting next to me with an open ear to which I could whisper, only for her to translate my order to the waitress. When there was a boy teasing me in my 7th grade English class, my sister was right down the hall to come “straighten things out” when needed, which she did. When I couldn’t decide between two dresses at the mall (which I never could), there would be my sister, making a “pros and cons” list in the middle of the dressing room for me. 

Over the past year, however, my sister Kathryn has contributed not only the above but much, much more to my journey through college and becoming a young adult. While I am extremely thankful for having such an empowering, loyal biological sister, I am lucky enough to call Kathryn my sister in Tri Delta as well. Biological sisters are bonded by blood, yes, but Tri Delta has brought Kathryn and I closer than I ever thought possible by providing us with not only new bonding opportunities, but new perspectives about each other as well. For the entirety of my senior year of high school, (then, her Freshman year of college and first year in Tri Delta) Kathryn would call me almost every day telling me of the many adventures she experienced while being in Tri Delta and in turn, my interest in Greek Life grew exponentially. Come August, I could not wait to move to USC and experience Greek Life purely because of Kathryn’s involvement. For all the orders Kathryn has placed for me and all the dress-decisions she has helped me make, Tri Delta is the most significant and notable choice in which my sister has assisted, and I am honored to stand beside her in all types of sisterhood."
-Margo

Sister Spotlight: Kendall Boothe

Hi everyone! Today's post was submitted by junior Kendall Boothe, about her experience abroad this summer. Kendall consistently brings a positive attitude and an amazing sense of humor to our chapter and we are so lucky to have her as such a wonderful rode model! Enjoy!

This summer I had an amazing opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona for six long weeks. I had no idea what to expect and was really nervous about flying internationally by myself. I was heading straight for a program where I knew no one in my group but ultimately this factor opened up a whole new world of independence to me. Even though I was going completely out of my comfort zone, I knew that I was about to have an experience unlike anything I could’ve imagined.
When I stepped off the plane (at LAX, just kidding) in Barcelona, I couldn’t believe how great it felt outside. Not only was there no humidity, but the breeze from the ocean literally made its way throughout the entire city at all times. The first few days, our program director gave us endless tours of the whole city. I have to admit that the tours were a little annoying and I was worn out from all the walking, but it really did help when it came to getting my bearings straight for the city.
It wasn’t long before I didn’t need my program director to help me get around. I really clicked with two of the girls in my group and together we explored the city on our own from the amazing views to the rich history. It’s crazy how different the culture is in Barcelona from America and it took a little while to get used to their social norms. By this I mean, southern hospitality simply doesn’t exist in Barcelona. Aside from European fellas being a little more forward, I was ridiculed daily by group members for my “southern accent.” All I have to say to that is lol.

Another obstacle I faced in Barcelona was the language barrier. I went to Barcelona knowing little to no Spanish and when I got there, I found that in addition to Spanish they also speak Catalan, so the little Spanish I knew was not very helpful. It seemed like the whole city was split between Catalan and Spanish so I did my best to learn the basics of both languages.

One of my favorite things about Barcelona is that because of its location, it’s really easy to travel to other cities in Spain. While on my trip, I also got the chance to visit cities including Madrid, Toledo, the island of Ibiza and other cool towns in the Costa Brava region.

I really enjoyed meeting amazing people from all over the United States and the world who came from all different backgrounds and walks of life. My experience in Barcelona can hardly be described in just a few short paragraphs, but I really learned a lot about myself. I’m so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to live in this beautiful country for six weeks, it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Although I was having the time of my life, I still missed my family and friends, especially the ones I made in tri delt! It was fun experiencing school in a different country but I am so excited to be back at school in a few weeks with all my sistas!
XOXO, Kenny

Sister Spotlight: Colby Carter

This post was written by junior Colby Carter, who is currently serving as our Sponsorship Chair. As Sponsorship Chair, she has been working diligently for the past months to plan our Bid Day event; the very first experience our brand new pledge class will have as a part of Tri Delta! (Our new theme is fantastic- thank you Colby- and I cannot wait!!) Additionally, she will handle the crucial mutual selection process of pairing these New Members with their future Big Sisters. As Colby's assistant Pledge Mom, I can say confidently that Colby has stood out since first pledging Tri Delta and has consistently shown leadership in our chapter. A big shout out goes out to Colby, we wish you the best of luck on Bid Day and are so excited! Her post today is about her incredible summer internship with the famous annual music festival, Bonnaroo. 


"Hey everyone! My name is Colby Carter and I am a rising junior at USC. I also serve our chapter as this year's Sponsorship Chair- look for me on Bid Day and I’ll be the one running around like crazy! This summer, I had an incredible opportunity to intern with Superfly Music Production at Bonnaroo Music Festival 2013! I was encouraged to apply for the VIP Hospitality Intern position by a fellow Tri Delta sister, Eden Ellis. We are both in the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management with focuses in Event Planning. I applied for the internship not thinking that I would receive an interview but to my surprise, I was offered a position. I was one of 15 student staffers from University of South Carolina, University of Central Florida, and Florida State University.  One of the best parts, my supervisor was a USC alum!!  

We arrived in Manchester, TN two days before the festivalgoers. "The Farm" is 700 acres of land that is entirely occupied once the festival begins. Overnight, Manchester, TN becomes the 3rd largest town in Tennessee with over 80,000 people in attendance. 

Colby pictured with the other interns

The first full day we were there we had workshops with different departments of the festival. We met the Production Manager/Stage Manager for all of Bonnaroo, which means he is in charge of making sure that every stage, tent, and venue for music will be fully operating throughout the festival, that every band has what they need for their set, and that each set runs smoothly. We then met the Supervisor for the “Roll like a Rock Star” program at Bonnaroo. Roll like a Rock Star consists of a secluded area on the Farm where patrons pay $30,000+ to spend the weekend in a real tour bus. It is an amazing program and the facilities were unbelievable! 

Once patrons started to arrive on The Farm, the work came with little rest. Our workdays were 10-12 hours, all outside in the hot Tennessee sun. We rotated each day where we were stationed to work. The stations were; working the Main VIP Lounge, VIP Information Trailer, VIP Courtyard, the Mound, which is the VIP viewing area at What Stage (main stage). We also worked at the VIP Centeroo Lounge, and at the VIP entrance at the Arch into Centeroo. Each day was so exhausting but the reward came from seeing how much we could impact someone’s experience daily.

(Colby pictured far right)

One of the best parts of interning at Bonnaroo was the people that I had the opportunity to meet and work with throughout the week. My fellow student staffers were all great, fun, and inspiring people. The drive that each and every one of them has to become successful in their career path was truly contagious and really did encourage me to never quit working towards my goals. The bond we all developed over such a short period of time is hard to put into words. After the first night of talking and getting to know everyone it was really amazing to me how many people were involved in Greek Life at their respective schools. The instant conversation that comes from finding out that you share something that important was an experience I had never had before. Over breakfast, Danielle, a girl from UCF and I had long in-depth discussions about the differences between their recruitment process and ours. Danielle was head of recruitment for her sorority and with me being on recruitment team we were able to bond over our love of the recruitment process. (Yes, I am a Delta dork!) 

The whole experience was one that I will always remember, and will be so proud to say that it was something I was given the opportunity to be a part of. It was a mentally and physically exhausting week but it definitely made me a better worker and encouraged me to keep reaching for my goals." 

The Farm at Bonnaroo

Sister Spotlight: Ellen Fox

Our post today is written by Ellen Fox, who is currently a senior and has served our chapter last fall as our own New Member Educator. This is a very valued position in Tri Delta, affectionately deemed "pledge mom" to our new pledge class every year. Ellen not only was an incredible role model and mentor for our new members, but also to all the women in our chapter. I was amazed to see how she introduced all of our new members to the values of Tri Delta and integrated them so beautifully into our existing chapter, all the while holding constant what it really means to be a part of this sisterhood. She has set the bar so high for future pledge moms and I know our whole chapter has benefitted from her outlook going forward. Ellen's post is written about her time spent abroad last semester in Europe, and what that meant to her as a Tridelt. We have missed you so much Ellen and cannot wait for you to come home!!

"Right now I’m nestled in between the mountains of western North Carolina at the summer camp I grew up coming to, year after year. It’s a home away from home.

From this past January to May, however I called a completely different place home: London, England. I had always known I wanted to study abroad and in the back of my mind, London always stuck. I’m not exactly a city kid; I’m used to nature and seeing towering trees- not skyscrapers. I was ready to get out of my comfort zone and discover new things about this world we live in, but also about myself.

As I flew out of Atlanta, headed across the Atlantic Ocean, I would’ve asked the pilot to make a u-turn had I not had such an amazing group of people to leave behind. My family and friends were all my cheerleaders and their confidence in me gave me a sense of security that I was doing the right thing. A lot of my support system consisted of my sisters in Tri Delta.

Ellen with one of her littles and grandlittles at a Tri Delta function.

Ellen and Anna Drew (later mentioned) during Tri Delta recruitment.

After being New Member Educator and on Standards board, I thought I was ready for a break from Tri Delta. Late night meetings and weeks of planning the retreat had me a little worn out. All of that got flipped upside down as I watched from afar (4,059 miles to be exact) as my sisters killed it back in Columbia. I was beaming with pride as I watched my best friend and roommate, Kaitlin, go above and beyond as our new president. I bragged to my San Diego roommate about how much we had raised for St. Jude, breaking records and goals we set for ourselves. Then I got bummed as I saw instagrams of the trip to Memphis to visit the hospital, wishing I could return because of the tremendous impact that trip had left on myself the previous year. I saw my beautiful friends dress up as hippies for Woodstock and bikers for Biker Bowl. Ironically enough, just like the campers I’m surrounded by at the moment, I began to get a little homesick. Or, as I like to call it, “Tri Delt sick.”

One of Ellen's photos from London!

But then a beautiful thing began to happen. I saw that Tri Delt wasn’t really missing from my life as much as I believed. In fact, I saw it reflected in many of my daily surroundings. I got a nice dose of our sisterhood with a visit from another one of my best friends, Anna Drew, as she crossed the pond for her spring break. We talked rush and home life gossip as I showed her the amazing city I was privileged so live in. I even ran into Karolina, another sister who was studying in Paris with a weekend trip to London, in the middle of Urban Outfitters of all places!

Anna Drew and Ellen on her trip across the country to see her! 

As I made new friends, I attempted to explain the bonds of sisterhood, our ritual (don't worry, I kept the important stuff secret) and the unexpected pride I had of our sorority. But I usually ended up just saying, "You just sort of have to get it." But I think the very best things in life are like that, at least in my life. I struggle describing my camp as well as the sorority I belong to. But as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I can't wait to rejoin everyone back in Columbia in August!"

Delta Love,

Ellen

Sister Spotlight: Sara Velordi

Hi everyone! Today our post is written by senior Sara Velordi, about her current amazing internship at Southern Weddings Magazine. In Tri Delta, Sara holds the officer position of Chapter Correspondent, meaning she handles reaching out to other Greek organizations, other chapters of Tri Delta, the Carolina community, and more, on behalf of our chapter. Sara could not be more suited to represent Alpha Lambda with her always sunny personality, and not to mention her fantastic baking abilities. (Cookies always accompany her gracious thank you notes!) Sara truly is a light in our chapter, even including every single member by making treats for their birthday, which is an enormous feat considering we have roughly 350 members! What Sara does for our chapter frequently goes behind the scenes- a great example of her character as she does not receive as much thanks as she should. So from Alpha Lambda, thank you Sara! Congratulations on your fabulous internship! 

Hi y’all! I’m Sara Velordi, a senior PR major and Alpha Lambda’s current Chapter Correspondent. 

I’m so excited to share a little bit about my internship experience! I am currently working as the Editorial Intern for Southern Weddings Magazine based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Southern Weddings began as a blog and online source for wedding inspiration and has evolved over the years to become a major print magazine for brides in the South as well as the rest of the country (and overseas!). There is also the Southern Weddings Shop, which is stocked with adorable prints and gifts. As someone who is completely wedding-obsessed, I have loved coming in to work each morning and looking through endless amounts of venues, flower arrangements, color combinations and of course, dresses all day long.

I live in Georgia, so I was originally worried about finding a place to stay in Chapel Hill during the summer. However, with the help of one of our Alpha Lambda sisters (Thanks, Callie Butterworth!), and a few sisters from UNC’s Tridelta chapter, I found a place to rent almost immediately!

Sara setting up a magazine photo shoot with her co workers!

My day-to-day tasks vary, and I’m grateful that I will get to do a little bit of just about everything while I’m here. I sit in on staff meetings, participate in brainstorming sessions, and I’ve even gotten the chance to write posts for the blog. I also help with photo shoots and research content that we can use online and in print. In addition, I package up all the magazine and shop orders and ship them out to readers, complete with a personalized thank-you note.

I work in the office with the magazine’s amazing art director and creative director, as well as the wonderful editor-in-chief, Lara Casey. I have already learned so much from the amazing ladies I am working with, and I’m looking forward to the rest of my time at Southern Weddings!

If you are interested in checking out Sara's work or Southern Weddings Magazine visit their website at iloveswmag.com!

Relay for Life 2013 Update

Hi everyone! Back in May, we posted about our participation in an annual fundraising event held at USC called Relay for Life, benefiting the American Cancer Society. 

We have received final numbers and are so excited to be able to share them with you all! We are so proud to say that Delta Delta Delta ranked third place out of every participating team! We were fortunate enough to have raised a total of $8,239.00 towards the American Cancer Society all from Tri Delta alone. 

This was our first year participating in the event with our very own team and it is absolutely amazing what these women contributed. Congratulations ladies!

Want to learn more? See the original post here!
http://sctridelta.blogspot.com/2013/05/relay-for-life-2013.html