15 in 3.5!

This past weekend, three of our officers had the incredible opportunity to be a part of the St. Jude Tri Delta Leadership Weekend Seminar in Memphis, TN.  While the conference happens every year, this year's was particularly special for our members because they learned some incredible news.  In 2010, Tri Delta set out to raise $15 in 5 years for St. Jude, and this weekend, it was announced that our ladies blew this goal out of the water--raising over $15 million dollars in just 3.5 years!  Today, our Philanthropy Chair, President, and VP of Membership recount the incredible weekend they spent at the hospital.

"We arrived in Memphis not quite knowing what to expect out of this weekend but certainly excited for what St. Jude had in store for us!  On Friday night, we heard from some very important people including Rick Shadyac, ALSAC CEO, Phyllis Grissom, Tri Delta Fraternity President, and Pete Smithhisler, President and CEO of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. They shared with us inspirational stories and advice to encourage our Tri Delta chapters to continually support St. Jude with great passion. One of my favorite quotes from these presentations was:

“To those whom much is given, much is expected.” – JFK

We are so privileged to be able to attend college, be Tri Delta sisters, and most importantly, we are so lucky to live happy and healthy lives. And that is exactly why we should give all that we can to help those who may not be as lucky. The children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as their families who never see a bill for any treatment their child receives, are counting on us to help save lives. As the founder of St. Jude, Danny Thomas, said: 'No child should die in the dawn of life.'

After hearing from such inspiring St. Jude and Tri Delta leaders, we got to hear from even more incredible people: St. Jude survivors and patients themselves.  There was a 'Meet the Patients' panel set up on stage that was hosted by Joel Alsup, a previous St. Jude patient and survivor who lost his arm to cancer. We got the chance to hear from an 8-year-old girl, Ana, and her mother about how St. Jude has been their saving grace throughout their journey fighting cancer. Ana is still receiving treatments and waiting as St. Jude researchers seek a cure for her. Despite her circumstances, Ana had a smile on her face and a lollipop in her mouth the whole time. She even grabbed the microphone excitedly from her mother to tell the audience her latest knock-knock joke. Seeing such happiness and optimism on such a sick little girl’s face was truly moving.

We also got to hear from a familiar face to us Tri Delta sisters, Evans! We all know Evans from the St. Jude patient video that we have showed during recruitment before. In the video (see link below), Evans was only 2 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. On Friday, we got to see Evans today, live, right in front of our eyes, as a healthy fourth grade boy. Evans told us he was currently on the swim team and that he wants to be in the U.S. Army when he grows up! I was in awe seeing that sick little boy from our recruitment videos all grown up and cancer-free thanks to St. Jude." -Sara Carota, Philanthropy Chair

"The most influential experience we had on our trip to Memphis this past weekend would undoubtedly be our tour of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit and explore where Tri Delta’s millions of dollars have been invested over the past several years, and we can honestly say that every penny counts and impacts the lives of the children and families battling cancer.  From the ABC wall to the Tri Delta floor in the Chili’s Care Center, each aspect of St. Jude conveys the love and passion of the mission founder Danny Thomas once had to cure and beat childhood cancer.  As we walked through the halls and were immersed in the daily operations of the hospital, it was remarkable to see what positivity gleamed from a place that was ultimately helping children fight for their lives." - Alex Breazeale, President

"After a long day of touring the hospital, we had been anxiously awaiting the night to unwind at the much-anticipated 'Tri Delta Celebration.' Nobody would really tell us what it was about, only to wear a cocktail dress and try and get a good seat at the front. We arrived at The Columns, a beautiful venue in downtown Memphis, and as soon as we entered we’re greeted with 'mocktails' and preceded to find ourselves a seat up front. There was a DJ playing, a photo booth and an elaborate menu displayed at each seat; it was so nicely put together. We sat with some friends we made from the Ole Miss chapter and bonded over the similarities and differences of how our respective chapters do things. All weekend we were lucky to get the chance to learn so much from other chapters to take back with us and share with our girls.

The celebration began with the CEO of ALSAC, Rick Shadyac, being the first to tell us what no other Tri Delta had ever heard before--we had beaten our goal of raising $15 million in 5 years and did it in only 3.5!!! There was not a dry eye in the house as we watched the video made by many patients, doctors, and St. Jude employees that we had met that weekend thanking us on our accomplishment. Everyone was in shock and the room was full of an electrifying energy, while simultaneously blowing up social media. It was a blessing to be able to experience that moment and share it with so many different people that are working together for a common cause. Everyone danced the night away celebrating with each other and some chocolate cheesecake (did anyone mention how good the food was?!).

The next morning we all met for one last time for closing remarks and awards. To our surprise our chapter's name was called, and we were awarded with the most 'Outstanding Fundraising Event.'  This means that out of the over 150 chapters represented from all 50 states, our Game Day event was the biggest success.  We could not have been more excited. Speaking for all of us, Alex, Sara and I are so thankful to have represented our chapter and for the opportunity and experience Tri Delta and St. Jude has given us." -Kelsey Bilthouse, VP of Membership

Once again, the Alpha Lambda chapter would like to thank every single person who has supported St. Jude on our chapter's behalf and in general.  We certainly couldn't have done it without your kind and generous hearts, and we are looking forward to continuing to set records, achieve goals and, most importantly, help save the lives of the St. Jude children.  From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. -KM

Where is she now?: Katie Graham

This time of year is so often associated with the new.  For some people, it almost becomes an obsession: "out with the old, in with the new."  Here at Tri Delta, we are excited about all the new things in store for our chapter in 2014, but we've also made a resolution to commemorate the old.  That being said, I am so excited to introduce a new segment of the Delta Diaries called "Where is she now?"  Think of it as a spotlight for sisters who have graduated from the comfort of undergraduate sorority life and have taken on the "real world" full force.  These women are doing some pretty incredible things all over the country and abroad, and we cannot wait to share their stories with you!

Today's "Where is she now?" showcases a young lady whose influence on the chapter is still present today.  Katie Graham served as our president in her final year at Carolina and was the perfect woman for the position; her bubbly personality and compassionate heart made even the longest of chapter meetings worthwhile.  We couldn't be more proud of her accomplishments working at Urban Outfitters and are so excited to share her story with you today!

Katie (left) on Bid Day 2013 during her term as President

"Hey y'all! For those of you that I haven't met--my name is Katie Graham. I graduated last May and I served as President of the Alpha Lambda chapter back in the day (aka a year ago).  In September, I started working for Urban Outfitters headquarters in Philadelphia. URBN (the parent of Urban outfitters), consists of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and BHLDN, all based in the Navy Ship Yard where I work. My title is Buying Operations Coordinator for bar, books, stationary and holiday. This means that anything you see in an Urban store across the country (even the one in Columbia!) that is a bar, book, stationary or holiday item is something that I created the purchase order for and communicated with the vendor who makes it. It's pretty cool to walk into a store and see the new items that we ordered in person!  My buyers pick out what we are going to purchase (they have an extremely difficult task to pick items that align with our customer lifestyle) and the allocators take what we order and choose which stores get what product. For instance, since Columbia is a college town, there will be merchandise in there to match a student price point as well as a heavier volume of bar items.

It definitely wasn't easy to land a job at Urban. At first, I applied to 3 different jobs there online and got rejected--ouch! So, I created a profile in their database and started looking into other options. It was at the end of August when I got an email from an Urban recruiter telling me she came across my background and would like to set me up to interview for a buying operations position. I was thrilled--but didn't get my hopes up. I figured at best I would get great interview practice under my belt. I interviewed with 6 people over a 3 hour period. The last guy to interview me is the Executive Direct of Allocation and Planning (my boss', boss' boss)... no pressure. When he walked in, he laughed and said, "Man, you really do look like the president of a sorority." Seeing as this company is full of "cool hipsters" who would shun the stereotypes of "norts and frocket tees," I knew I had to make a joke about it. I just chuckled and said "Delta Delta Delta, can I help ya help ya help ya?" He burst out laughing... talk about an ice breaker! I had to wait 4 days and got a call on a Wednesday offering me the position starting the following week. I accepted without hesitation and haven't looked back since.

Starting at Urban was challenging. I went through a month of training before I fully took over my classes (classes are the categories I cover, like bar, for example). When I did take over, it was right before the holidays, which is a very hectic time for any retailer. I remember my senior buyer saying to me: "Katie, our classes will have more business in the next 6 weeks than we do in the entire year, there are millions of dollars coming in. It is imperative that you stay on top of everything." *GULP.* (I survived).

Aside from the stress of working for such a huge company, Urban is incredibly fun. For instance, everyone can bring their dogs to work! They even have a little doggie park, dog costume contests on Halloween and dog photo shoots. It's amazing to walk by someone's desk and see their pup either sleeping on top on their desk or tucked under in their little bed. They also have a gym for us on site that is free along with fitness classes (like Zumba) after work and the cafeteria has a Buddha statue and a Koi pond (super trendy). There is almost always drinks after every big meeting, and sometimes even mimosas on someone's birthday.

Katie's puppy, Harper, at her desk at work!

The Koi pond in the cafeteria at Urban Outfitters

One of my favorite memories so far was the URBN holiday party. You had to donate a toy to Toys for Tots to get in, which I loved because it reminded me of all the great things our chapter did for charity when I was in school. The theme was "Winter White Faux Fur" so we all wore fur and the decor was ice. I danced the night away with my coworkers and we all came in wearing sunglasses and telling stories the next day. It felt like Friday brunch in college all over again.

Katie and her boss at URBN's holiday party

Urban has turned out to be an amazing fit for me even though I was initially worried about sticking out like a sore thumb... but I was pleasantly surprised.  Everyone is a free spirit and appreciates whatever you wear/look like. I tried not to flaunt the fact that I was president of Tri Delta because I wasn't sure how well that would "jive" with the personality of Urban. However, somehow everyone knows and loves to ask me about it. This one girl was just saying how she thinks it's "so cool" how I was president of my sorority and how I was probably "terrifying" like the sorority presidents are in the movies. I about died of laughter and quickly explained to her that we aren't like that at all! (Oh, the stereotypes.) The truth is that being in such a diverse group of ladies in Tri Delta has given me an ability to get along with all kinds of personalities. If there's anything I want readers to take away from this article--it is to embrace others' differences. You will learn more valuable lessons about respecting each other and finding common ground in your differences than you will in any of your classes--I promise. I think about how grateful I am to have had the experience I did with my sisters every single day. From the hot headed ones, to the party girls, to the nerds who'd stay up all night with me in the library, those girls all shaped me into who I am today.  Sometimes it takes graduating and going on with your life to realize the amazing things you left behind. All corny-ness (not a word) aside, as you continue on your college years, my one piece of advice would be to steadfastly love one another... I'm serious!

(P.S. If you want to see all of the cute dogs that come to work you can check out #UODogs on Instagram!)

Love you girls!

- Katie Graham" 

Christmas in Dixie

On December 5, the Alpha Lambda chapter held its last function of the semester.  Following semi formal, social chair Stephanie Brown wanted this function to give the girls an opportunity to dress up crazy and have a blast with their sisters before the stress of finals week sunk in.  Christmas in Dixie, the perfect theme, was a huge hit with our chapter this year.  Thank you, Stephanie, for a great year of functions, and welcome to Alex Hall, our new social chair for 2014!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the ladies of Tri Delta!

Delta love and all of mine,
Kellie McKinney

Sister Spotlight: Kelsey Bilthouse

To me, the holiday season has always been about appreciating the blessings you've been given and loving one another.  And although we may sometimes get caught up in the cultural fiasco of greediness and desire, it's ultimately about giving, not getting.  Today's post, written by my pledge sister, Kelsey Bilthouse, is a reminder that giving back is far more rewarding that any gift we could every open on Christmas morning.  We are so thankful to have her back after her mid-semester trip to Nicaragua and proud of everything she has done!

“Hey y’all! As some people may know, I fled the country a few weeks ago and headed to the rural roads of Nicaragua.  Not many people understand why (or how) I managed to do this so here’s a little background and insight into my trip. For starters, I will clear up what seemed to be very confusing for those a little rusty on their geography; Nicaragua is in fact located in Central America, contrary to those thinking I went across the world as they bid me farewell with a heartwarming ‘Have fun in Africa!!!’ It’s the thought that counts…

If you didn’t know me before college, then you don’t know the strong connection I have with Nicaragua and the people there. I am fortunate enough to have been brought up in a family that puts service as one of our top priorities. When I was in 8^th grade my parents started the idea of having a family mission trip within our church to Nicaragua. As a middle school girl caught up in a materialistic lifestyle, my parents knew this was something that could change my life. And it did. Since that trip then I have been back 6 times now, seeing some of the same faces while creating new experiences. As a college student I feel like you don’t get as many ample opportunities as you do in high school to participate in mission trips… at least I haven’t. With everything going on during school I get so caught up that I easily forget what it feels like to serve others. I am too busy worrying about who is going to be my date for the next formal or having to get a new dress, that I rarely think about how fortunate I truly am. After a few years of not having the opportunity (or really acknowledging one), my return to Nicaragua was long overdue. This year my mom planned to lead a solemnly women’s trip to Ticuantepe, Nicaragua to continue outreach there. After much convincing, and emailing with my teachers to skip class, she finally budged and said I could come with. Did I mention I would be the youngest “adult” by a good 25 years? The stories I have from that…. too much information honestly.

In preparation for the trip, each team member was responsible for collecting a certain amount of supplies to bring down there. Since I love working with the children the most, I took charge of the school supplies that would later be delivered to all 200 elementary students. Thankfully with the help of donations from Tri Delta and friends in other sororities, enough money was raised to fill a new backpack for each child.

So, on November 2, our team headed to the Atlanta airport to catch our flight. After much anticipation, and 26 large duffle bags later, we finally arrived to Pinas de Paz in Nicaragua. Pinas de Paz ministries was our host for the week and home of the 10-acre beautiful pineapple farm we were surrounded by. Our main focus for the week was women’s outreach. We put on two luncheons for local families and school teachers where we learned more about their needs while providing them with gifts (food, school supplies, household needs) to take back with them. Throughout the week we also made home visits to different families in the village. We went to about 18 ‘houses’ to bring them the same types of gifts and pray with their families. These homes are the most humbling, usually housing at least eight family members under one tin roof with barely anything to live off of.

The school of Ticauntepe held 200 elementary students in the morning and another 200 secondary students in the afternoon. Typically, once you turn about 13 or 14 you stop going to school and begin working for your family; the idea of high school and college is another world for them. We held a field day of sorts for the elementary school kids one day and had all sorts of games from dizzy bat to wheel-burrow races. At the end of the day the kids got their new backpacks and could not have been any more excited.

On one of our last days we got the chance to do something I’ve never done there before, which was going to visit the hospital. Honestly, when we got there the first thought that came to mind was this place is a scene in the Blair Witch Project or something. There was no such thing as having your own room, no, it was you sharing a room with around 20 other patients. First we met with the expecting mothers who ranged around 15-50 years old (mainly 15-22). As a 20 year old I was extremely taken aback to even imagine being in their position, but for them being married and pregnant at our age is completely normal. After giving them some gifts that would help them with their new babies and praying with them, we went on to meet the moms and children who were suffering from respiratory, heart, and many other diseases. The stories we heard there really make you believe in miracles and give you a sense of hope for their community.

One of my main purposes for me going was to talk with the directors of Pinas de Paz to set up a trip that will be available for students at USC, specifically through the Greek Community. They were more than thrilled to accommodate us and I am excited to work with them to get something started for us within the next year. People often ask if you are doing these “good deeds” for yourself or for the people you’re helping. I don’t think there is really a right or wrong answer, or a morally correct answer. I would be lying to say I don’t do it for myself; I get a constant reminder of how lucky and blessed I am, not to mention the feeling I get knowing that I made a difference. Gandhi said it best: ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ 

Delta love,

Kelsey"