Alpha Phi Quarterly Spring 2019

Quarterly A

Plus: Celebrating nontraditional moms

L P H

A

P H I

SPRING 2019

INSIDE: Leadership Conferences Living in a Greek village Wedding trends for 2019

A chance encounter with a troubled young woman put Becky on a path to her life's work.

Sex trafficking occurs in every state and province, often right under our noses. Find out how Becky Rasmussen (Psi-South Dakota) protects victims and leads them to freedom.

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Alpha Phi

Quarterly

Inside This Issue 4

Amongst the Ivy General Fraternity and Greek-letter news and announcements

22 Always Alpha Phi

PHOTO BY REISTROFFER DESIGN

News from our alumnae members and chapters Editorial Policy

31 Silent Chapter Honoring our sisters’ passings

32 From the Quad Accomplishments from our undergraduate members and chapters

40 Where We Live Life in a Greek village

42 What’s in Your Wedding Décor?

Alpha Phi wedding planning pros reveal their top picks

43 Trending Fun foods for your graduations, garden parties and get-togethers

44 Now & Then Two chapter founding members compare notes

A PUBLICATION OF ALPHA PHI INTERNATIONAL FR ATERNIT Y SINCE 1888

Editorial Advisory Board Laura Berger Cayce Blackley Sheila Bright Maeve Gillette Kathy Hiemstra Lizzie Hineman Karen Howe Denise Joyce Grace Porchivina Allison Rickels Madison Woodrick Alpha Phi Quarterly Staff Elisa Drake, Editor-in-Chief quarterly@alphaphi.org Alpha Phi Quarterly Design Tria Designs Inc. www.triadesigns.com

The purpose of the Alpha Phi Quarterly and its content is to provide information and services to the membership of the Alpha Phi Fraternity, in keeping with the Fraternity’s status as a 501 (c) (7) tax-exempt private membership organization. The magazine is devoted to highlighting its members and matters of fraternal and collegiate interest. The views expressed in the articles published in the Quarterly are those of the authors and their contributors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Alpha Phi Fraternity, its officers or staff.

Submissions All persons interested in submitting materials for publication in the Alpha Phi Quarterly are encouraged to send them to the editor at the Executive Office. The editor reserves the right to accept, deny or edit any materials submitted.

Unless otherwise requested, all photos sent to the magazine will become the property of Alpha Phi International and will not be returned.

Articles may be sent by email to quarterly@alphaphi.org or by mail to: Alpha Phi Quarterly 1930 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL 60201.

Submission Deadlines

Summer 2019: April 12, 2019 Fall 2019: July 5, 2019 Winter 2020: Oct. 4, 2019 Spring 2020: Jan. 2, 2020

Questions Please direct any submission questions or inquiries regarding advertising or reprint permission to the editor at quarterly@alphaphi.org.

Publisher Alpha Phi Quarterly (USPS Pub # 14680) is published quarterly by Alpha Phi, 1930 Sherman Ave., Evanston IL 60201-3214.

Periodical postage paid at Evanston, IL and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster Please send address changes to: Alpha Phi Quarterly 1930 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL 60201-3214 or quarterly@alphaphi.org.

PHOTO BY REISTROFFER DESIGN

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VO L . 131 N O. 2 SPR I NG 2019

Features

Call to Help 12

At a motorcycle rally in South Dakota, Becky Rasmussen (Psi-South Dakota) found her calling.

She now works to protect sex-trafficking victims and provide them with a road to freedom.

Paw Patrol Find out how one woman has turned her passion for rescue pups into a rewarding career.

7 Leadership Conferences

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Two weekends in February.

1,610 attendees. 250 sessions.

Check out some snapshots from the amazing Leadership Conferences.

Happy Mom’s Day Three Alpha Phis share their touching stories of nontraditional motherhood.

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A Message from the International President

International Executive Board Renee Smith Zimmerman Zainer, President Laura Jen Kin Berger Susan J. Bevan Stacey Thulin Daniels Ruth Gallagher Nelson Lisa Cabaniss Olson Jacqueline Schools Jandy Thompson Linda (Allie) Winkelman Ex-officio: Sally McCall Grant, NPC Delegate Ex-officio: Sue Riley McGlynn, Executive Director Ex-officio: Mary Beth Cooleen Tully, Foundation Chair Foundation Directors Mary Beth Cooleen Tully, Chair Colleen Sirhal, Vice Chair Claire Costin, Treasurer Coree Christine Smith, Secretary Gretchen Wilson Alarcon Jenny Concepcion Hansen Susan McNeice Susan Zabriskie Rebecca Andrew Zanatta Ex-officio: Amy Peebles, Executive Director Ex-officio: Renee Smith Zimmerman Zainer, International President Executive Office Executive Director: Sue Riley McGlynn 1930 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 475-0663 fraternity@alphaphi.org www.alphaphi.org Foundation Office Executive Director: Amy Peebles 1930 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 475-4532 foundation@alphaphi.org www.alphaphifoundation.org National Panhellenic Conference Alpha Phi Delegate: Sally McCall Grant First Alternate Delegate: Laura Malley-Schmitt Second Alternate Delegate: Laura Lynn Davidson Ellett Third Alternate Delegate: Linda Long Boland

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Alpha Phi Quarterly

Calling All Heroes

Everybody loves a hero! People line up for them and cheer for them; heroes give stories happy endings—and give us hope.

What is a hero? Simply put, a hero is someone with concern for other people in need and concern to defend an honorable cause, knowing there is a personal risk, done without expectation of reward. A hero’s desire to make change is greater than her fear of failure.

The opposite of a hero is a villain or a “reluctant hero.” In our chapters, this is a member who refuses the call to action and, by doing nothing, harms the organization and our members.

The hard truth is that being subject to pressures that encourage inaction is no excuse for failing to help our sisters who need it. We must remove hurdles to heroic behaviors and summon the moral courage to do the right thing even when it is hard.

As president, I am in the heart of Alpha Phi situations that require daily heroism by our members. Sometimes, in the worst situations, I discover my proudest moments through the heroic acts of our members. Those members make a difference in improving the member experience—through acts of accountability, generosity of spirit, and a vision that always includes making others feel special, worthwhile and understood.

Alpha Phi needs more heroes, and we have a responsibility to our membership to focus on building heroic habits. We must find a way to amplify the voice of our heroes, to inspire heroic behaviors in all members and to empower the “reluctant hero.”

To achieve this, collegiate members will experience a culture shift, a focus on training to engage in and develop behaviors that encourage action. These programs and initiatives will enlighten them on the social factors that produce passivity, inspire them to take positive action, and nurture the skills needed to consistently translate noble impulses into action.

I know Alpha Phis believe that problems shared grow smaller, that courage is contagious, that there is a hero in all of us, and that a crisis or need is an opportunity for Alpha Phi to stand together.

I’ve learned most heroes are ordinary people—it is their acts that are extraordinary.

I’ve never met an ordinary Alpha Phi—imagine how extraordinary we will be when we all find our inner hero.

AOE,

Renee Smith Zimmerman Zainer (Beta Epsilon-Arizona) International President

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Q

Quotable

“

All children of any age want is to be loved and supported by the people that love and care about them.

�

Evie Victorson (Beta Iota-West Virginia)

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Alpha Phi Quarterly

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Amongst the Ivy

Alpha Phi Fraternity 2018 Annual Report

TALKING POINTS For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018,

172

the Fraternity saw a $1,687,364 increase in net assets. We once again received a clean, unmodified opinion from the

Collegiate chapters

independent auditor who reviewed the Fraternity’s financial statements.

145

The Fraternity continues to maintain ample financial strength and capacity to support the needs of current and new

Average chapter size

chapter facilities. Net assets remain strong at more than $18.2 million, and the organization remains well poised to continue to take advantage of strategic extension opportunities. For the full report, serach "Annual Report" at alphaphi.org,

254,328 Total initiated members

131

Alumnae chapters

8,395 New members

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Alpha Phi Quarterly

1,771

Leadership Conference attendees

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Words that Matter

Fact vs. Fiction Watchcare is all about being a sober monitor.

YES AND NO. Sober monitors exemplify the

In this recurring section, we explore commonly misused words or phrases to help you say and write what you actually mean.

With Mother’s Day and graduation cards on our minds, we got to thinking about the frequent confusion between the two words below. We hope to clear it up for you once and for all.

Stationary vs.

Stationery

concept of Watchcare because they are looking out for their sisters, but Watchcare is bigger than that.

Watchcare is a thread that winds through every aspect of sisterhood. It is about demonstrating mutual concern for each other and ensuring your sisters’ safety and wellbeing in all circumstances.

It began with the Founders who coined the term when they wrote about the purpose of Alpha Phi, and it is a principle that unites Alpha Phi sisters in their efforts to excel as women to this day.

Watchcare both allows and obligates you as an Alpha Phi to help other sisters in every aspect of life, through the ups and the downs. The idea also extends outward, encouraging members to support women in the community at large. In March, coinciding with Women’s History Month, many of you did just that by participating in

Stationary (adjective): Stationary means fixed in a place, a course or a mode; immobile; not moving.

community projects to celebrate the Frances E. Willard Day of Service. Thank you. 

Example: The backdrop for the graduation photo shoot is stationary, while graduates pose with their parents.

Stationery (noun): Stationery refers to materials such as paper, cards and letters for writing or typing.

Example: Collegiate Alpha Phis browsed the stationery store for Mother’s Day cards to send home.

Here's a clever way to remember which to use when: You buy papER at the stationERy store.

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Amongst the Ivy

MEDIA MASHUP ALTON DAILY NEWS

To Serve in Sync In a nationwide trend, the Alton, Ill., police department was challenged to a lip sync battle by a fellow police unit. “Since we don’t back down from a challenge, we accepted,” says Emily Riney Hejna (Epsilon Xi-Southern Illinois Edwardsville), a 12-year police veteran who was in charge of the production. Emily helped choose Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and found local videographer the Unseen Stars to record the action, which included dozens of children. “I can’t say enough about what it did for our relationship with the community,” Emily says of the lighthearted experience. Besides that, Emily has become somewhat of a local celeb and is often asked if she was “one of the girls in that video the police department did.” The video received more than 12,000 likes and more than 18,000 shares.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

Alpha Phi International (Executive Office)

Delta DeltaOklahoma City

Theta PhiChristopher Newport

@AlphaPhi

@hicksforsenate

@cnualphaphi

STAND WITH OUR SISTERS: Harvard has erased empowering women’s spaces by imposing a policy that punishes our sisters for simply belonging to a private, single-gender organization like Alpha Phi. Students have the right to shape their own futures—it is time to stand up to Harvard! Today, Alpha Phi joined with other sororities, fraternities and students to file lawsuits challenging Harvard. Watch this video from Alpha Phi’s International President, Renee Smith Zimmerman Zainer, about why this is important to Alpha Phi. Take a stand with us at www.standuptoharvard.org. #STANDUPTOHARVARD#WhereYouBelong

“This year has—in short—tried every limit I’ve placed on myself. From welcoming our third child, a nine-day statewide teacher walkout, clinching a tough primary, and becoming the first female senator to represent #SD40— I think it’s safe to say, know your limits but be prepared to break barriers. I am continually in awe of this new role, and incredibly excited to represent my constituents in the upcoming session. May you all have a very safe and Happy New Year!” #OklaEd #ElectATeacher #OkLeg

“Our sister is an All-American. We are so proud of you @ohara_megan!! Your dedication, positivity and resilience are truly inspiring.

Way to go, super star.”

Editor’s Note: This post from Dec. 3, 2018, supported the Harvard (Iota Tau) women of Alpha Phi and other single-sex organizations at Harvard. The linked video received more than 150,000 views.

Editor’s Note: Carri Perrier Hicks (Delta Delta-Oklahoma City) won her recent election to the Oklahoma state senate.

Let’s Chat!

Alpha Phi International (Executive Office) @AlphaPhiIntl Alpha Phi @AlphaPhiIntl AlphaPhiIntl alphaphiinternational.tumblr.com Alpha Phi International Fraternity (Official)

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ONE OF US

Paw Patrol Tamara Hedges (Delta Gamma-Northern Colorado) has failed miserably as a rescue pet foster parent. That’s because she and her husband end up adopting them. She just can’t help it. They now have four dogs—Sam, Sophie, Bailey and Beatrix—and four cats—Boo Radley, Pinot Noir, Giles and Liz Lemon. Besides her position as executive director at the University of California Riverside Palm Desert Center, Tamara is board president of the Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter (FPSAS). To honor her longtime involvement with the shelter and her work in education, Tamara was presented with an Athena Award, bestowed upon “women leaders making a difference in our community and reaching the highest levels of professional achievement.”

What drew you to animal welfare work?

Soon after graduating from the University of Northern Colorado, I moved to San Francisco and begin volunteering with the San Francisco SPCA. I did mobile adoptions every Saturday at Union Square and loved it. I have been hooked on volunteering for animal welfare and advocacy organizations ever since.

What have been some of your accomplishments with the shelter?

I developed our first volunteer program back in 2009, when the city animal shelter was housed in a very small, old and dilapidated building. At that time, the shelter was run by a handful of overworked and haggard city employees under the police department. A team of just six volunteers in 2008 has grown to more than 600 today. In 2011, we raised enough funds to build a new animal shelter just a few blocks away from the old, outdated shelter. The following year, FPSAS entered an agreement with the City of Palm Springs to operate the shelter.

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“The love and reassurance I received from my sisters then has lasted a lifetime.

They taught me that if I jumped, the net would appear.”

What does receiving the Athena Award mean to you?

The day the awards committee contacted me, I looked up the list of past recipients and was truly humbled by the lineup. Knowing that leaders in Palm Springs noticed and appreciated my work in education and animal advocacy means a lot to me.

What influence does Alpha Phi have on your life?

During my freshman year, I wasn’t much interested in Greek life. Once I got to know a few Alpha Phis, however, I was so impressed with their commitment to scholarship and philanthropy that I knew it was the place for me. The love and reassurance I received from my sisters then has lasted a lifetime.

They taught me that if I jumped, the net would appear. 

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Amongst the Ivy

Leadership Conferences 2019

Alpha Phi’s 2019 Leadership Conferences took place in Denver and Atlanta this year, combining two quadrants at each. The programming for chapter officers, advisors and volunteers focused on risk and harm reduction, including a keynote speech from Dr. Lori Hart and The Buzz, an alcohol skills training session. The women also attended DignityU and received training on diversity, inclusion and human dignity from DignityU creator Mike Dilbeck.

This program was made possible through the generosity of Alpha Phi Foundation donors.

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The events also included chapter recognition awards. Here are some of the highlights:

East and South Quadrants Most Improved Formal Recruitment Alpha-Syracuse and Iota Rho-Clemson Outstanding Performance in Formal Recruitment Gamma Eta-North Texas and Iota Iota-George Washington Most Improved Chapter Gamma Phi-Florida State and Gamma Rho-Penn State Outstanding Performance in COB Iota Sigma-Carnegie Mellon and Phi-Oklahoma Excellence in Watchcare and Risk Reduction Omicron-Missouri and Zeta Omicron-Johns Hopkins Excellence in Community Service Theta Phi-Christopher Newport and Theta Theta-St. Joseph’s University

North and West Quadrants Most Improved Formal Recruitment Lambda-Berkeley and Zeta Delta-Iowa State Outstanding Performance in Formal Recruitment Eta Upsilon-Chapman and Beta-Northwestern Most Improved Chapter Beta Theta-British Columbia and Iota-Wisconsin Outstanding Performance in COB Beta Sigma-Utah and Eta Gamma-Akron Excellence in Watchcare and Risk Reduction Gamma Pi-Arizona State and Zeta Pi-Case Western Excellence in Community Service Epsilon Theta-Northern Iowa

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Amongst the Ivy

RETROSPECTIVE

An Alpha Phi Trailblazer This article is an excerpt from Chapter One of Alpha Phi International Fraternity, the Second Fifty Years, 19231972, Alpha Phi Toujours written by Nancy Owen Craig (Beta Chi-Bucknell).

The comprehensive, picture-filled hardcover book is the second in a threevolume series capturing the forces and faces that have shaped Alpha Phi Fraternity for its nearly 150-year history. In this second volume, Nancy unfolds how Alpha Phi navigated “changes in everything from dress styles to attitudes, from euphoria after World War I to dark days of the Great Depression, from world-changing World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars to the suspicions of the Cold War climate.”

Volume II was made possible by the generous donors of the Phyllis Sims Selig Heritage Campaign, initiated by Phyllis's daughters Sarah Selig (Zeta Delta-Iowa State) and Susan Selig Bullington (Nu-Nebraska). It is available for purchase on Amazon.

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A LAWYER, LEGAL SCHOLAR, law professor and social insurance advocate, Barbara Nachtrieb Armstrong (Lambda-UC Berkeley), 1890-1976, was the first woman to serve as a law professor at the law school of a major university, Boalt Hall at the University of California-Berkeley.

Barbara graduated in 1913 with a BA in economics from Berkeley, where she joined Lambda chapter. She earned a law degree from Boalt Hall (one of two women in her class) in 1915 at a time when women in the legal profession were rare. That same year, she was admitted to the California Bar. She began practicing law with a classmate while also working as an executive secretary for the California Social Insurance Commission.

Here she became interested in the legal issues around workmen’s compensation and government programs addressing poverty.

In 1919 she returned to Berkeley as a lecturer in law and economics, giving one course in each department and earning a PhD in economics in 1921. She continued teaching in both departments, first as a lecturer and then as an assistant professor.

In 1928 she became an associate professor and moved to the law faculty permanently.

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social insurance, health insurance and minimum wage led to her recognition in the field.

In 1934 Barbara was appointed chief of staff for Social Security Planning of the Committee on Economic Security where she helped draft the Social Security Act. But family law still interested her. Her two volumes, California Family Law published in 1953, were regarded as milestone works in this field.

Barbara was an inspired teacher to thousands of law students for more than 40 years. Tragically, at age 79, she was seriously injured in a random street attack and spent the last years of her life in constant pain. Even then, she used her experience and energy to explore cooperative programs to curb crime.

At her death in 1976 hundreds of her former students paid tribute to her. One of the most moving came from Roger J. Traynor, chief justice of the California Supreme Court, who said, “Among billions of people there are always a few who hold life dear, who envisage justice without force, and who carry within themselves a commitment to make the jungle more habitable for their fellows. Barbara Armstrong was such a person.”

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“Among billions of people there are always a few who hold life dear, who envisage justice without force, and who carry within themselves a commitment to make the jungle more habitable for their fellows.”

Roger J. Traynor, chief justice of the California Supreme Court, speaking about Barbara Nachtrieb Armstrong (Lambda–UC Berkeley)

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Human trafficking: The exploitation of a person through force, fraud or coercion for labor or commercial sex against their will

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call t o help In the small town of Sturgis, South Dakota, the historic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracts upwards of 500,000 visitors each year. It buzzes with rider events, big-name concerts, and plenty of food and drink. It is also ripe pickings for human traffickers. It was here, in August 2015, where Becky Swedlund Rasmussen (Psi-South Dakota) met a young, troubled teenage girl named Marissa. The encounter put Becky on a path that led to her life’s work.

By Elisa Drake

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call t o help

Fact: Human traffickers make more than $150 billion in profit annually, but only $124 million is spent worldwide to combat this crime.

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While working as an executive in a large nonprofit in 2015, Becky had met the founder of the first anti human trafficking organization in South Dakota. The conversation prompted Becky to take action. “I Googled ‘human trafficking in South Dakota’ and ended up at a Call to Freedom luncheon,” Becky explains. At the time, Call to Freedom was one of many programs within a larger ministry. She immediately signed on to volunteer, then served on the board, helped at fundraising events— and ended up at the Sturgis bike rally.

She was handing out information that essentially explained that if anyone was planning to hire a prostitute, they might in fact be hiring a sex trafficking victim. Call to Freedom specifically targeted the rally because it’s located at the intersection of two major highways, making it easy for traffickers to prey on vulnerable young people in the large crowd, then move quickly out of the area.

“That night, the one connection I made was with this girl,” Becky recalls of meeting Marissa. “I was very drawn to her and I felt like I was supposed to talk to her.” When she did, Marissa repeatedly told Becky, “You have no idea what kind of day I’ve had,” and then she disappeared. It stuck with Becky afterward, so she asked around about Alpha Phi Quarterly

Fact: The average age of a trafficking victim is 12 years old.

Fact: Human trafficking cases have been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Marissa and learned that she had been pulled into sex trafficking a few years prior, escaped it, then got sucked back in, a common pattern among victims.

Becky wanted to do more to help and says, “God was changing my path.”

Although she’d had a successful career first in TV broadcast, then for the large nonprofit, Becky says, “I always had a heart to help people, and I wasn’t using it.” In February 2017, Becky became the full-time executive director at Call to Freedom, now its own nonprofit entity with nine staff members and federal grant money to expand further.

It provides mental health counseling, medical and chemical dependency assistance, transportation, and other supportive services for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

It also includes Marissa’s Project.

Marissa’s Project provides transitional housing to human trafficking victims for up to two years. There are seven efficiency apartments, with plans to increase capacity to 12. The idea is to give trafficking victims stability so they can get back on their feet, learn how to make good choices and regain some control in their lives. As Becky explains, “The control has been taken from them for so long.” And it often starts at a frighteningly young age.

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10 Ways to Help How you can help combat the growing epidemic of human trafficking.

1. If you see something that doesn’t look right, report it. You may be saving someone’s life. Call the confidential 365/24/7 National Human Trafficking Hotline 888-3737888, text BeFree (233722), or visit the humantrafficking.org website to chat live.

2. Volunteer with a local anti-trafficking organization.

3. Join the United Way’s movement to end human trafficking by texting ENDSLAVERY to 51555; unitedway.org 4. Get educational and advocacy resources from Shared Hope International; sharedhope.org 5. Learn your “slavery footprint” by visiting slaveryfootprint.org 6. Know how to spot potential trafficking situations. The U.S. Department of State, the Polaris Project and the National Human Trafficking Hotline all have information on how to do this.

7. Contact government representatives to let them know you care about abolishing human trafficking.

8. If you own a business, provide opportunities to trafficking survivors.

9. If you are a health care provider, know how to identify indicators of human trafficking and offer free healthcare services to victims.

10. If you are an attorney, offer free legal services to trafficking victims.

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“To truly disrupt this pattern of demand and victimization on a global level, it will take a unified and coordinated effort among local communities, governmental and nongovernmental agencies across the country.”

The advocacy and resource organization Shared Hope International notes that the common age for a child to be pulled into sex trafficking is 14 to 16. Becky has seen even younger.

She tells of a Native American woman who was taken from her South Dakota reservation at age 7 and now, 61 years old, is finally free, living in her own apartment with the help of Call to Freedom. One young girl was groomed from the age of 3 by her own father who molested and abused her before selling her to his friends.

Another woman came to Call to Freedom at age 35 after spending over two decades as a victim. She had been tricked when she was 12 years old by a group of men who offered her a ride home. “She was trafficked in every state but four,” Becky says. By the time she got out, she had a variety of medical issues—another commonality among sextrafficked victims—and most programs wouldn’t take her. “We took her. Started doing ‘life’ with her,” Becky says proudly.

“Every woman who has been trafficked has a different story, and we want to make sure we support them, transition them back to a community,” Becky adds, noting that sometimes Call to Freedom is just part of a victim’s journey, but a crucial one.

The success rate among women who stay with Call to Freedom for at least six months is 90 percent. Still, it’s an ongoing battle, as the numbers of human trafficking victims continue to rise across the globe. According to the Call to Freedom website, it’s the world’s “fastest growing criminal industry.”

Becky blames demand as the underlying problem. “It’s a business, so traffickers will find a way to meet that demand,” she says. With statistics showing that 80 million people access internet porn on a daily basis, sex trafficking has become a way to “feed that kind of fantasy and entertainment,” Becky explains.

Becky describes sex trafficking as a “vicious cycle,” and that to truly disrupt this pattern of demand and victimization on a global level, it will take a unified and coordinated effort among local communities, governmental and nongovernmental agencies across the country. The key to breaking the cycle, Becky emphasizes, is “to hold accountable those who are purchasing and selling sex.” Within South Dakota, Call to Freedom has begun to affect changes. In 2017, advocacy and educational organization, Shared Hope International, named Becky a Grassroots Hero for helping to pass three South Dakota laws that prevent the criminalization of minors who have been trafficked and that increase penalties for buyers. With more successes like these, one day, the hope is that girls like Marissa will be able to trade their fear for freedom.

Fact: There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in human history, with an estimated 27 million across the globe.

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Happy Nontraditional Mom’s Day! For some women, motherhood came easily, just as planned and hoped, and Mother’s Day is par for the course.

For others, becoming a mom took a more circuitous route making the May day that much more momentous.

We talked with three Alpha Phis whose motherhood stories veer from the norm, and we celebrate them and other nontraditional moms with an extra cheer!

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The Empowered Parent Jennifer Butler (Beta Tau-Indiana) always knew she would be a parent, but as she got older, she started realizing it might not happen “by meeting a man and starting a family together.” While Jennifer considered getting pregnant on her own, she thought it seemed “lonely and daunting.” And then she had an epiphany: “Why wouldn’t I choose adoption?” This way, she reasoned, she’d affect three lives for the better: hers, the birth mother’s and her future child’s. “I also realized that adoption was fully aligned with my personal value of empowering women, a value I had been living through Alpha Phi all these years,” she says. Once Jennifer made the decision, she was full-steam ahead. She selected an adoption agency in early 2016 and became mom to little Davis Rebecca Butler (nickname Davy) in May 2017.

Jennifer celebrates the anniversary of her adoption being finalized as a family day of service.

How much did single motherhood worry you?

I was established in my career, had savings and some life experience under my belt. I don’t worry about being a single mom more than I think any parent worries about things, things like money and finding time to be present and hoping you make the best choices for your child.

The difference is that I don’t have a partner in these decisions. But you know what? I also don’t have to worry about anyone else’s opinion!

What was your adoption process like?

I was selected pretty quickly by a young woman. Due to circumstances in her life, we were not able to meet face to face, but we started speaking on the phone. She was young and had not had a very easy life. She was sweet and seemed to enjoy our conversations over the course of about eight weeks. When she went to the hospital to deliver her daughter, she ultimately chose to parent. I was crushed. My agency reminded me of

the motto, “You will get the child you were meant to raise.”

I had to put my belief in this simple statement. Luckily I did, because at about that same time, another expectant mother found my profile online and liked what I had to say.

This woman is my daughter’s birth mother. We met face to face on Good Friday 2017, and Davis was born less than a month later. We actually left the hospital on Mother’s Day. Can it get more lovely than that?

“We actually left the hospital on Mother’s Day. Can it get more lovely than that?”

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Do people ask dumb questions?

What’s that like for you?

What support did you get through the process?

Tons of support. My family was 100 percent on board from the beginning. …

My Alpha Phi network was outstanding as well. Sisters who had also pursued adoption shared their stories and guidance with me, helped me maintain my confidence and listened when I needed it. Sisters who had no personal experience with adoption did the same. …

My employer has also been a huge part of why I’ve been able to realize this dream.

Yes, I get a lot of questions or comments that are frustrating. Because I am white and my daughter is black, we just look different. I understand this and I understand that people do not mean to overstep or be rude. However, I am routinely asked some version of, “So she’s adopted, right?” Or people assume she’s a foster child and proceed to talk to me about what they believe they know about foster care. Many people ask me where she is from. They assume that adoption must mean international adoption. … Three things about this: One, strangers are not entitled to these details about my family, just as I am not entitled to the intimate details of how their families were started; two, her adoption is my daughter’s story, and when she’s old enough, she will get to choose what she shares with others and what she doesn’t; and three, every time one of these questions comes up, I have an opportunity to role-model the right behavior for my daughter and others, because the reality is that I can get away with a rude or flippant response in a way that my daughter, when she’s older, as a woman of color, might not. I let them know that their question is not welcome and explain why.

What would you say to other women who are thinking of adopting?

Call me! Let’s talk about it. Adoption has made my life complete.

A D O P TI O N C O N V ER S ATI O NS

PHOTO BY ALEX ANDR A MYERS

Jennifer Butler’s dos and don’ts when it comes to talking about adoption:

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• Do not say, “gave up” or “put up for adoption.” Do use the phrase, “made an adoption plan.” “These women are fighters; they make brave and complicated choices for their child.”

• Do not say, “real mom.” Do say, “birth mom” or “first mom.”

Alpha Phi Quarterly

• Do not say, “She’s lucky to have you.” Do understand, “Adoption is not heroic. It’s not about rescuing a child. We are mutually lucky to be able to be a family together.”

• Do not say someone “just” adopts a baby. “For many, adoption comes after years of struggle.”

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The Late Bloomer By the time she was in her 40s, Evie Victorson (Beta Iota-West Virginia) had come to terms with her single life. In fact, she was enjoying it and had become fiercely independent. Then, about five years ago, Evie met Brennan. Telling her mom about him, Evie couldn’t stop smiling and giggling—and that’s when the lightbulb went off. “He was the man I wanted to spend my life with,” Evie recalls thinking. Suddenly, she wasn’t so fierce about her independence anymore.

She wanted to tell Brennan everything, include him in everything, be with him. Brennan proposed last Christmas, and their wedding is in May—when Evie also officially becomes a stepmother to three daughters, ages 15, 18 and 21. “Knowing they will be standing under the chuppah with us as their father and I recite our wedding vows is priceless,” Evie says, explaining, “The chuppah in the Jewish faith represents home and family. That is exactly what they are to me.”

Did it scare you at all that Brennan had three daughters?

It never once crossed my mind to be scared off by the fact Brennan had children, regardless of ages. I knew that I was getting older, and the chance of me being a mother on my own was fading. To know that Brennan was a father was a huge plus. I was a daddy’s girl from day one, so to see the relationship that he has with his girls, and the love that he has for them, was truly special.

What were some of the things you did to help “win them over,” so to speak?

They are all incredibly close to their father, and they needed to trust that I was not going to take their father away. I help create a fun and safe environment for them to thrive in when we are all together. I have always made myself available to listen to them, cheer them on with sports and activities, help with homework, and many other things that parents do.

How did moving in together complicate things?

There was definitely a learning curve involved in all of us living in the house together. I am a neat freak, and kids traditionally are not, so there are always times when there are messes that I was not used to while living alone.

With a lot of help from their dad, I am learning to not sweat the small stuff and use the bigger stuff as a learning lesson for all of us.

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How do you navigate the girls’ relationship with their biological mom?

Honestly it was far easier to navigate than I could have ever imagined. Their mom and I have a very good relationship.

She is their mom, and that will never change. They love her.

I love the bond they have with her. We work together to make sure that the girls are happy, heathy and provided for.

Stepmoms get a bad rap—what would you say to that?

Not at all. I think that is more Disney-based than anything.

All children of any age want is to be loved and supported by the people that love and care about them. A supportive and engaged stepmom is just an added bonus.

What mom moments have been most rewarding for you?

Meeting the girls at an older age was challenging, because I missed the bows and the Barbie dolls and the “little girl’ moments. However, it has been such a blessing to watch them grow up. …I have had a child come into my room and ask how she looked before going out with friends. To many, this would mean nothing. To me, it meant she valued my honest opinion, and that meant everything to me.

“The chuppah in the Jewish faith represents home and family. That is exactly what they are to me.”

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The Forever Family When they learned they were unable to have biological children of their own, Susan Kale White (Gamma Rho-Penn State) and her husband, John, decided to foster, with the intention of adoption. Susan tapped into her Alpha Phi network and found an agency where, in 2014, they became licensed foster parents. In June 2016, the couple received foster siblings Elizabeth, Sarah and Hunter. “It was a godsend they were placed with us,” Susan says. Within eight months, Susan and her husband had adopted the three children.

It was a surprisingly fast timeframe and, Susan believes, “It was meant to be.”

How did you know where to start with the fostering process?

From attending various Austin Alpha Phi alumnae activities, I knew that Elizabeth Lynch Byrd (Beta Psi-San Jose State) worked at the Department of Family and Protective Services in the county in which we live. I contacted Elizabeth requesting her advice on which foster/adoption agencies were best in class. She recommended Starry, and it was absolutely the best choice for us.

With my ongoing regular attendance and participation in a foster/adoptive parent support group, I have learned that not all foster/adoption agencies are the same.

PHOTO BY ALEX ANDR A MYERS

Did you have a vision in mind for the type of child or children you’d adopt?

As we were both in our 40s and working full time, and because school-age children usually wait the longest for their forever family, our hearts and minds sought out sibling groups with kiddos 5 years or older.

Your children were already 6, 8 and 10 when you met them. Was it difficult to acclimate them to your home, school and community?

John and I were their fourth placement in nine months; they were in three different schools during the 2015-2016

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school year. Our families, friends, neighbors, church and co-workers were extremely supportive. My family and John’s family were well aware that we were seeking a forever family (for what seemed like forever!) and were very happy that we were finally going to be parents.

What had the children gone through by then?

Their birth parents were (and maybe still are) abusing, using and possibly selling methamphetamine. Due to extreme neglect, poverty, filth, homelessness and abuse, my children were removed from their biological parents in August of 2015 with no other related family or friends able or willing to care for them.

How would you describe them now?

Through regular professional counseling and amazing local public schools, the kids are doing great. They seem to have leaned-in and really embraced the love and structure that John and I have provided them with from the moment they came to live with us. Prior to foster care, they lived in numerous places, often for only very short periods of time with little adult structure or wildly, horribly inappropriate interaction with their adult caretakers; they were often

hungry, dirty and exposed to illegal drug use. During the 2016-2017 school year, [our older daughter] was so traumatized by her past that her behaviors were largely negative and inappropriate, so she spent a fair amount of time in pre-K (she was in 4th grade) re-learning basic behaviors. Our now-13-year-old receives significant special education services through our local public school, and I am so very impressed with the love, compassion, structure and accountability her public school teachers have poured into her. Our elementary school teachers and community turned out to be an integral component in their healing. At the beginning of the 20172018 school year, they were incredibly excited to be returning to the same school, knowing what to expect; that was the first time they had ever returned to the same school, and that was hugely positive for them.

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Like Mother, Like Daughter In the spirit of mom love, we gathered some Facebook responses to our shout-out to legacies as part of our #WhereYouBelong campaign.

Gabriella Catera (Theta KappaRochester) and mom Anne Catera (Alpha Lambda-Alumnae Initiate): “Initiating my mom into an organization that has gone above and beyond for me is an experience I will never forget… Being able to bring her to Convention to meet all the women who have shaped my Alpha Phi experience… was truly a gift.”

International Executive Board Director Stacey Daniel (Omega-Texas) and daughter Madison Daniel (Gamma IotaTexas Tech): “I knew Madison was where she belonged when she began holding leadership positions in the chapter…

I’ve always been proud of her as a mom, but seeing her excel and lead made me incredibly proud to call her a sister.”

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Past International President Deana Koonsman Gage (Gamma Iota-Texas Tech) and daughter Andrea Gage Cheek (Gamma IotaTexas Tech): “I always hoped Andrea would be an Alpha Phi, but I wanted her to choose for herself, not for me…

One of my proudest moments was seeing her poise, humor and warmth as the Candlelight Banquet toastmistress at Convention 2014 when I was installed as International President.”

Alpha Phi International President Renee Smith Zimmerman Zainer (Beta Epsilon-Arizona) and daughter, Kate Zimmerman (Beta Epsilon-Arizona).

“Alpha Phi has always been part of Kate’s life, and Kate has always embodied the spirit of an Alpha Phi. …

I know Alpha Phi is lucky to have her as a member, and I know Kate will continue to benefit from Alpha Phi throughout her lifetime.”

Extension Committee Chair Susan Brink Sherratt (Beta BetaMichigan State) and daughter Caroline Sherratt (Tau-Oregon).

“After welcoming my sister and two nieces into Alpha Phi, my dream of having my daughter as a sister came true when she joined the Tau chapter at University of Oregon. The day Caroline was initiated is a day I will always treasure.”

Foundation Chair Mary Beth Tully (Epsilon Psi-Lehigh) and daughters Caroline Tully (Epsilon PsiLehigh) and Elizabeth Tully (Epsilon PsiLehigh): “When my daughters Caroline Tully and Elizabeth Tully enrolled at my alma mater, I didn’t think I could be any happier—that is, until they pledged Alpha Phi at my chapter. Now that was a whoop of joy heard ’round the world.”

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Officer & Superhero

J

GAMMA KAPPA-CSU LONG BEACH JUST TWO YEARS AFTER STARTING WORK FOR THE POLICE

department in Coronado, Calif., Grace Del Bagno (Gamma Kappa-CSU Long Beach) earned the 2018 Chamber of Commerce Officer of the Year award.

Grace had been called to the scene where an elderly woman was not breathing and had no pulse. “Based on the information pulled from the AED, the woman had been deceased when I arrived,” Grace explains. She used CPR and an automated external defibrillator to revive the woman’s heartbeat. “Law enforcement officers generally don’t get to interact with people on their best day,” she says. “But it is so rewarding when you see how much you’ve helped someone.”

Grace is now the school resource officer for all seven schools in Coronado. Along with her regular patrol duties, she manages law enforcement for school incidents; the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program for 4th through 6th graders, a diversion program for those who commit crimes; and an informal probation/behavior contract for at-risk students. “I love hanging out with the kids and bridging the gap between law enforcement and our youth,” says Grace whose Alpha Phi chapter advisor was a Los Angeles police officer. “She provided me with wise counsel and a lot of encouragement.” Grace plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling and teach at the college level, as well as counsel retired law enforcement officers and veterans. 

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THETA PHI-CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT

Just Ask Alexa “Amazon stole my name, so I wanted to steal it back,” jokes Alexa Severo (Theta PhiChristopher Newport) about the name of her wedding event company, Alexa, Plan My Wedding. Besides planning weddings, Alexa is a second-grade teacher at Sugarland Elementary in Loudon County, Va. She also works part time for a local distillery, coaches a high school marching band, and is a board member for two local education organizations. For all of these accomplishments, Alexa was recently listed by Loudoun Business Journal/Loudoun Times Mirror as a “40 Under 40.” Alexa says she is proud and humbled by the recognition and was happy to be able to highlight the nonprofits and small businesses she works with.

THETA ZETA-FLORIDA TECH

Run for the Money Typically, Camille Bobiak (Theta Zeta-Florida Tech) used to simply run for fun, but since last April, she has been running as a St. Jude Hero. She recently completed a half marathon in Las Vegas, raising more than $10,000, all of which goes to helping ensure that families with children at St. Jude children’s hospital never receive a bill from the hospital for treatment, travel, housing or food. Of course, Camille’s Alpha Phi sisters donated and spread the word.

“Overall, I couldn’t have done it without them,” she says.

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Anniversaries

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HALLAHAN

Wedding Bells

DELTA NU-MAINE On Oct. 6 at the Lucerne Inn in Dedham, Maine, Jessica Bishop (Delta Nu-Maine) married Jacob Baker. Five of Jessica’s Delta Nu sisters were there to share the love.

Pictured are (bottom left to right) Jessica and Samantha Lott Hale and (top left to right) Jennifer Avery Albert, Andrea Nicoletta, Stephanie Joyce and Ashleigh Briggs.

BETA ETA-MANITOBA

Beta Eta celebrated its 90th anniversary on Oct. 13 with an event at Manitoba’s Glendale Country Club that included dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Collegiate and alumnae members attended, some celebrating 10-, 20- and 25-year membership.

IOTA ALPHA-PEPPERDINE Elise Duininck Catanese (Iota Alpha-Pepperdine) was married in her hometown of Willmar, Minn., on Sept. 8. She says she owes it all to Greek life at Pepperdine for meeting Seth Catanese, a Sigma Chi, at a bowling mixer event.

EPSILON GAMMA-SACRAMENTO STATE

THETA KAPPA-ROCHESTER Juliet Berman Brender (Theta Kappa-Rochester) was married to Evan Brender at Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, Mass., Sept. 30. Six Theta Kappa sisters attended to celebrate. Pictured are (left to right) Alyssa Lord, Sthuthi David, Rebecca Simon Reiff, Juliet, Amanda Gurin, Kelsey Griswold and Marina Isaacson.

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Bursts of excitement filled the air as sisters of all ages entered the Del Paso Country Club to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Epsilon Gamma chapter. Speakers from each decade shared memories for a “Through the Decades” program, and the event culminated with 50year pin presentations to attending charter members Margaret Kelley McFarland, Rosemary Stassi Nielsen, Marsha Panos Obenauer, Barbara Peavy and Dale Ann Morasch Springer. In addition, a special recognition gift was given to the first chapter advisor, Jane Claussen Finger.

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Alpha Phi Authors

PHI-OKLAHOMA

Steamy Read For her 14th published novel, Do You Love Me?, former newspaper reporter Sharon Thetford Ervin (Phi-Oklahoma) tells the story of a CEO-socialite and the man she transforms. As Sharon describes it, “It’s a take-off on ‘Pygmalion’ and ‘My Fair Lady,’ with a touch of Pinocchio and Frankenstein—creators falling in love with their creations, but updated to contemporary, reversed, and set near Dallas.”

DELTA NU-MAINE

Following her Father DELTA-CORNELL

Studies in Hate A professor of psychology at St. Bonaventure University, Robin Turco Valeri (Delta-Cornell) recently coedited two books. With hate crimes in the U.S. rising for the third year in a row, Hate Crimes: Typology, Motivations, and Victims focuses on targets of these crimes and the theories and motivations that drive perpetrators. Terrorism in America discusses Americans attacking Americans. Beyond her teaching and writing, Robin is a volunteer firefighter in Allegany County, New York.

ZETA PSI-DAYTON

Guide to Happiness A few years ago, Ginger Koesel Corwin (Zeta PsiDayton) was struggling with depression. “I felt like I was going through the motions of life, but not really living,” Ginger explains. Instead of wallowing, she decided to see a life coach. “She taught me that my thoughts created my reality, and I could change my life by changing my thoughts.”

It inspired her to leave her corporate job and become a life coach herself. It also led her to write Your Weekly Guide to Bliss.

In it, Ginger gives readers weekly challenges to create a “deeper level of happiness and self-love.”

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Although her father died when she was just 14 years old, Miriam (Mimi) Gough (Delta Nu-Maine) got to know him through letters he left behind. In her new book From Fledgling to Flyer, she uses those letters to describe her father’s experience as a bombardier in the South Pacific during World War II. It is Mimi’s first book and includes Mimi Gough just before takeoff on a B-24 Liberator, the type of plane the stories her father had hoped to Mimi’s father flew in World War II tell before he died of cancer at age 51. Mimi says when she turned 51, she realized that time was passing by too quickly. “I needed to do something to honor my father and all the men and women who sacrificed so much during World War II.” BETA ZETA-IDAHO

Gnomes Know Idaho native Lisa Bell (Beta ZetaIdaho) is the evening news anchor at the CBS station in Orlando. When her boys were 3 and 1, she planted a vegetable garden. Soon after, she received a garden gnome as a gift from her co-anchor. Her boys named it Norman, and he now stars in Lisa’s debut children’s book, Norman the Watchful Gnome. The bedtime story features Norman’s own garden and his colorful garden friends as they settle in for sleep. “I want [kids] to know where their food comes from and appreciate how it gets on the kitchen table,” says Lisa who is planning more Norman tales.

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A ETA CHI-BISHOP’S

AT JUST 23 YEARS OLD, HAYLEY CAMPBELL (ETA CHI-

PHOTO BY BRIANNE BRADBURY PHOTOGRAPHY

BISHOP’S) has amassed quite an impressive list of accolades. Her most recent: The Young Quebecers Leading the Way Award, which celebrates outstanding achievements of young English-speaking Quebecers engaged in innovative initiatives that create change in the local community. Maybe she was selected for her involvement with the Pontiac Agricultural Society and its popular Shawville Fair, which promotes local agriculture; the Project Communautaire de Pierrefond, a nonprofit community organization that provides services to low income, multiethnic families; or maybe because she was a founder of Youth for Youth Quebec, a provincial nonprofit youth network that addresses issues facing English-speaking youth in Quebec.

Most likely, it was all of these things and more.

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In Alpha Phi, Hayley jumped at opportunities to learn and grow, including as a Leadership Fellows program participant. “It was an extraordinary experience,” she says, noting that the programming helped her develop valuable leadership skills and “inspired me to seek out ways to get involved as an alumna.”

Since then, Hayley has joined Alpha Phi’s dedicated volunteers as member education and program advisor for McGill (Kappa Zeta) and alumnae affinity specialist at her alma mater, Bishop’s. Hayley has no plans to slow down, particularly when it comes to leading the charge at the local level. “I feel a strong connection to my community. It is somewhere that I am proud to call home, and I hope that my involvement will help other youth gain a greater sense of community,” she comments. She also hopes to inspire others “to make that leap and become leaders in their own communities.”

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GAMMA XI-WICHITA STATE

MAYOR MOM

It wasn’t that Breea McCorkle Clark (Gamma Xi-Wichita State) didn’t want to be mayor; she just wasn’t planning on it. But when the former mayor of Norman, Okla., announced she wasn’t running again, Breea was asked if she’d consider it. “Alpha Phi equips women with the skills to be leaders in all walks of life, including government.”

Combined with three years on the city council under her belt, Breea decided to throw her hat in the ring. She won the election and is looking forward to her new role. “The decisions we make at city halls impact residents faster and often more directly than decisions made at the state or federal levels,” she says. Although Norman is the third largest city in Oklahoma, its mayor doesn’t work full time, so Breea’s “day job” is as director for the J.C. Penney Leadership Center in the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. She also juggles being mom to two boys, public speaking engagements and volunteer activities and admits that sometimes people ask her how she does it all. Her response: “Honestly, I can’t think of any other way to do it!”

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GAMMA ETA-NORTH TEXAS

Pie in the Sky If you think “pie” when you think of Thanksgiving, then you’re not alone.

A group of sisters from North Texas (Gamma Eta) have gathered for years the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to make—and eat!—pies. “We met at Alpha Phi in the early 1980s, and our friendships are still going strong,” says Lydia (Kaye) Knight Johnson (Gamma Eta-North Texas). Pictured (clockwise from bottom left) are Kaye, Danna Marguloff Hayden, Amy Darrow, Donna Hammer Morrell, Heidi Nierman Nichols and Marcy Ewing VanGalen.

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DELTA NU-MAINE & THETA KAPPAROCHESTER

Service Station “It is one of those meantto-be coincidences,” says Julie Broadbent Larue (Theta Kappa-Rochester) of her bumping into Mary Gatchell-Fenderson BETA THETABRITISH COLUMBIA

Speed Queen Someone has to get that temperature-sensitive food shipped to stores. In Western Canada, it’s probably Speedee Transport whose vice president and chief information officer is Loretta Sapp Davis (Beta Theta-British Columbia). A 2010 graduate of the Sauder Business School, Loretta specialized in transportation and logistics. At Speedee, husband Joshua Davis sings her praises, pointing out her significant role in growing the division from three to 60 team members in two years. With the company’s recent expansion into a larger facility, Loretta expects to recruit

Gauvin (Delta Nu-Maine) in Bavaria, Germany. The military wives had first met through Alpha Phi about five years ago, then reunited in Germany where their husbands are both stationed. They now

DELTA BETA-TEXAS A&M COMMERCE

Getting Her Kicks After intense auditions, Sydney

volunteer together for

Mouton (Delta Beta-Texas

the Bavaria Community

A&M Commerce) was selected

and Spouses Club (BCSC), which raises money for scholarships and community grants.

as a 2018-19 Dallas Sidekicks Dancer, performing at the arena soccer events. At the team’s first pre-season game, the coach asked if she’d sing the “National Anthem” alongside one of her teammates who would perform it in American Sign Language.

“I couldn’t say yes fast enough,” Sydney comments. “It was such an honor.” Several sisters, including her Big, surprised her at her first game. “My sisters

career-driven recent graduates

have been my rock through this

from British Columbia.

whole process,” Sydney says.

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DELTA BETA-TEXAS A&M COMMERCE

Reconnecting for Life “I’m sure it’s hard for many to imagine what life was like in the Alpha Phi house at Texas A&M in 1964. It was the year of the Beatles, miniskirts and Twiggy,” says Peggi Petter Davis (Delta Beta-Texas A&M Commerce) (pictured, left) of her life in the Texas A&M Commerce chapter house. “But more importantly, that was the year I met my pledge sister, Diane Hutt Davis.”

Peggi and Diane became best friends, sharing some “crazy escapades.” The two remained close for some years after graduation, but eventually lost touch until about 10 years ago. “I started searching

BETA ETA-MANITOBA

Nailed It Like many singers with big dreams, Holly Litwiniuk (Beta Eta-Manitoba) headed to Nashville. Her biggest hit? As the owner of Luster Nail Parlour, which she opened last November. “I kept thinking about how the type of nail salon I wanted to go to didn’t seem to exist,” Holly explains.

The daughter of entrepreneurs, Holly decided she’d simply build it herself. “We are reimagining the entire nail salon experience,” Holly says, describing Luster as “a boutique luxury salon.” To help with the launch, Holly reached out to the Nashville area Alpha Phi alumnae chapter. “It’s not only about meeting new friends who support and encourage you, it’s about opening the door to more connections.” If you miss Holly at the salon, you may just find her recording under the name Holly Elle. “I always have been and always will be a singer and songwriter,” she says. “I just have more dreams now.”

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social media for her, not knowing what her last name was or where she lived,” Peggi says. “Serendipitously, her last name was the same as mine, and we reconnected for dinner one night.” They have remained connected ever since. “I will always be grateful to Alpha Phi for bringing Diane into my life.”

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ENGLAND

Cheers, Alumnae!

Eight Alpha Phis of the England alumnae chapter gathered on Founders’ Day 2018 at a wine bar in Paddington.

EPSILON OMEGA-TEXAS A&M

Legal Ease

EPSILON DELTA-NORTHERN ILLINOIS

When Deborah Wright (Epsilon Omega-Texas A&M) began practicing law 35 years ago, female lawyers were rare. Now there are many more, as evidenced by the attendance at this year’s National Association of Women Lawyers’ (NAWL) General Counsel Institute, held in New York last November. Deborah served as chair of the event and describes it as

Acts of Kindness

Working in an underprivileged part of the Sycamore, Ill., school district, Atlee Mathews (Epsilon Delta-Northern Illinois) often sees families struggle to provide meals for their children. She wanted to help. “Everyone deserves to have a warm meal without wondering where it will come from,” she says. As part of her master’s degree in social work, Atlee recently partnered with the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s pilot program to found the nonprofit Spartan Food Pantry. “Building this nonprofit has been a milestone in my life,” says Atlee who was proud to give out 43 full Thanksgiving dinners. Several Alpha Phi alumnae have already been part of the pantry’s success, and she hopes to involve collegiate volunteers as well.

“being in a room with 400 women standing in the Wonder Woman pose.

Very energizing.” While female lawyers are commonplace now, Deborah says, “Like many fields, more progress is needed.”

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NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Service Success Every year the Panhellenic delegate from the Northern Virginia alumnae chapter asks members to record their individual service hours. Last year, the chapter logged nearly 10,500 hours—more than any other sorority alumnae group in the Northern Virginia area. Members were involved in a wide range of activities, including an alumnae group event at the American Heart Association Heart Walk (pictured here) in Washington, D.C. S PR I N G 2019

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Silent Chapter

“ This is goodnight, but not goodbye.”

— “Linger” We honor our sisters whose notification of passing we received between Oct. 26, 2018 and Jan. 25, 2019. Silent chapter notes may be submitted via alphaphi.org (keyword: silent chapter) or to quarterly@alphaphi.org. Please note: year in parenthesis is year of initiation.

Adrian (Delta Eta) Kristula Halderman Piekarski (‘72)

Georgia State (Gamma Mu) Pamela Hardy Kirkpatrick (‘65)

Alabama (Beta Mu) June Kuester Mindrup (‘50) Shirley Brunner Moore (‘54)

Goucher (Zeta)

Alumna Initiate (Alpha Lambda)

Idaho (Beta Zeta)

Eleanor Percy Holcombe (‘50)

Joan Driscoll Hadd (‘92)

Mary Thompson Faraca (‘50) Barbara Ulrich Flory (‘48)

Arizona (Beta Epsilon)

Illinois (Beta Alpha)

Elsie Swingle Hughes (‘36) Jane Adamson Paul (‘53)

Dorothy Yakley Bauer (‘44) Florence Moss Ruehe (‘47)

Bowling Green (Beta Omicron)

Indiana (Beta Tau)

Marjorie Lichty Culbertson (‘45) Jane Russell Johnson (‘45) Sue Guyer Otteman (‘52)

Alice Cunningham Manifold (‘61) Janice Rittman Meyer (‘53) Peggy Boyer Sanders (‘55)

Bucknell (Beta Chi)

Indiana U. of Pennsylvania (Delta Phi)

Margaret Murnane Cortese (‘52)

Marjorie McGee D’Andrea (‘65)

Colorado (Beta Gamma)

Iowa (Delta Epsilon)

Linda Harris Argo (‘71) Gail Madden Larocco (‘76)

Judith Stevens Gabriel (‘61)

Cornell (Delta)

Dorothy Durnell Horcher (‘50)

Kansas (Gamma Delta)

Virginia Bogert Sample (‘40)

CSU Long Beach (Gamma Kappa)

Kent State (Beta Omega) Helen Moise (‘54) Janet Redmond North (‘49)

Laura Stampfl (‘82)

Denison (Beta Kappa) Marjorie Donley (‘45) Patricia Knoble Gorman (‘47) Jo Hunt Johnson (‘48) Sara Curtis Marquart (‘59) Donna Johnson Stewart (‘50) Suzanne Sullivan Sumner (‘51) Priscilla Sanderson Taylor (‘36) Melody Carpenter Warner (‘65) Ruth Porter Woodburn (‘35)

Drake (Gamma Omicron) Maureen Jagier Skinner (‘80)

Drury (Gamma Gamma) Pamela Seaton Meyer (‘71)

Duke (Beta Nu) Marilyn Myers Bottin (‘47) Judith Smith Mott (‘43)

Manitoba (Beta Eta) Jessie Blackwood Lang (‘37)

Maryland (Delta Zeta) Ruth Ferguson Doyle (‘65)

Memphis (Delta Lambda) Elizabeth Peete Head (‘63)

Miami University (Gamma Nu) Kathryn Borg Emery (‘76)

Michigan (Theta) Susan Colby DeSousa (‘62) Susan Roesser Putnam (‘52) Mary Jaques Spaunburg (‘42)

Michigan State (Beta Beta) Sue Kaupert Karlson (‘55) Emily Minor Roberts (‘62)

Florida State (Gamma Phi)

Missouri (Omicron)

Dorothy Stephens Gardner (‘60)

Beverly McElvain Daly (‘49) Charlotte Karl Walker (‘47)

Florida Tech (Theta Zeta)

Montana (Chi)

Martha Taylor Willis (‘02)

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Susan Blanton Yancey (‘59)

Nebraska (Nu) Joan Witt Davis (‘43) Jayne Erickson Finnestead (‘60) Marjorie Rivett Hickey (‘40)

North Dakota (Pi)

Texas A&M (Epsilon Omega) Patricia Green Harris (‘82)

Texas A&M Commerce (Delta Beta)

Kathryn Liebeler Ottum (‘47) Camille Thiele Strandberg (‘57)

Carolyn Stocks McCuine (‘60)

North Texas (Gamma Eta)

Jaqueline Boothe McGuigan (‘90)

Linda Attebery Lynch (‘59) Sue Pinkston Scott (‘65)

Towson (Eta Omega) Truman State (Theta Gamma)

Northern Illinois (Epsilon Delta)

Kaye Glass (‘93)

UC Berkeley (Lambda)

Julie Neal Alton (‘80)

Mildred Sullivan (‘58)

Northwestern (Beta)

UC Santa Barbara (Gamma Beta)

Jean Sullivan Keller (‘43)

Ohio State (Rho) Nonnie Beach Booher (‘42) Charlotte Blum Cooksey (‘44), (also Beta Kappa-Denison) Judith Jones Feltner (‘55)

Oklahoma (Phi) Carolyn Hudson Jones (‘51)

Oregon State (Beta Upsilon)

Susan Eggers Cornett (‘63) Sandra Faugh (‘64) Cynthia Soth Harris (‘57)

UCLA (Beta Delta) Dale Hewson Barnecott (‘43) Virginia Levy (‘76) Margaret Moore Sayed (‘46) Olivia Shipp (‘16)

USC (Beta Pi)

Katherine Miller Jackmond (‘51) Carol Ohearne Otis (‘58)

Priscilla Adams Taylor (‘66)

Penn State (Gamma Rho)

Patricia Erickson Caine (‘52) Ramona Morris (‘46)

Evelyn Pishak Farnell (‘62) Shirley Fowler Menter (‘60) Barbara Gould Moulton (‘61)

Utah (Beta Sigma)

Villanova (Eta Epsilon)

Rollins (Beta Lambda) Nancy MacFarland Wismer (‘44)

San Jose State (Beta Psi) Melissa Wilhite Carreon (‘99)

South Dakota (Psi)

Anna Austin (‘13)

Washburn (Upsilon) June Morris Golden (‘47) Verna Frownfelter Pierce (‘46)

Washington (Sigma)

Donna Hodges Williams (‘45)

Kathryn Minnihan Lea (‘59) Donna Meagher Tonella (‘53)

St. Joseph’s (Theta Theta)

West Virginia (Beta Iota)

Leslie Dardia Mozulay (‘05)

Sally Huey Hess (‘52) Anita Hamman Kiesel (‘49) Priscilla Swiger Mullenax (‘51) Kathryn Friede Shaffer (‘49)

Syracuse (Alpha) Jean Bradshaw Lyttle (‘37)

Texas (Omega) Phyllis Carr Beinhorn (‘40) Margaret Schmidt Biggs (‘51) Sherry Robinson Coons (‘70) Mary Dudley Ervin (‘45) Helen Sheldon Gray (‘46) Jean Sheffield Hainline (‘42) Merrilynn Mabrito Howard (‘45) Carolyn Barlow Huffman (‘46) Dorothy McGuire Lawrence (‘43) Margaret Petty Melvin (‘51) Carol Patterson Niemann (‘59) Lucy Ainsworth Pegues (‘48) Mary Shurr Shell (‘43) Shirley VanWormer Stillinger (‘50) Laura Brace Warren (‘38)

Whitman (Beta Phi) Karen Hammond Edwards (‘62) Eva Miller Stevens (‘49)

Wisconsin (Iota) Helen Granfield Ackerman (‘53), (also Beta Kappa-Denison) Sheila Finn Miller (‘47) Doris Lein Rudisill (‘55)

Wisconsin Stout (Gamma Sigma) Marlene Hoegger Lien (‘59)

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From the Quad

J

PHOTO BY JACKGORAS/LARSENMOTORSPORTS

The Jet Set

THETA ZETA-FLORIDA TECH

Just a short drive from the Florida Tech campus is Larsen Motorsports, a professional racing organization that specializes in turbine-powered, high-performance vehicles. Besides hosting and attending races, car shows and other events, driver and CEO Elaine Larsen loves introducing younger people to the motorsports industry. Through Larsen’s internship program, two Alpha Phi juniors are satisfying their need for speed.

Lauren Ann Graham (Theta ZetaFlorida Tech); pictured right, is

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studying aerospace engineering and will be building jet engines for Larsen.

She’s looking forward to her handson experience to apply concepts she’s learned in the classroom. After attending a race and watching the jet dragsters as they rocketed to 300 mph in three seconds, Lauren Ann was hooked. “I cannot wait to be able to say I can build a jet engine for such an incredible vehicle. It is going to be an incredible first step in chasing my dream of becoming a NASA astronaut.” Hilarie MacLeod (Theta Zeta-Florida Tech); pictured left,

a chemical engineering major whose grandbig also interned at Larsen, says “After going for a tour and meeting the CEO and owners, Chris and Elaine Larsen, I fell in love with the place.” The Larsens work side-byside with all of their student interns and freely teach and answer any and all questions. “I am excited to learn more about my major working on biofuel projects as well as with flame retardant seats for their jet dragster cars,” Hilarie says. It seems both women are destined to zoom up the engineering career ladder. 

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DELTA DELTA-OKLAHOMA CITY

Inclusion Prevails

BETA BETA-MICHIGAN STATE

Life Savers During Polish Week, members of the Michigan State (Beta Beta) chapter received hands-only CPR training from the East Lansing Fire Department. They never would have thought that they’d soon put their new knowledge to the test. When a friend’s heart stopped beating, an Alpha Phi member who happened to be there was able to give heart compressions until emergency services arrived. “We’re proud of our sisters for putting to use this mission of the Alpha Phi Foundation and having the courage and knowledge to respond in a time of need,” notes Chapter President Jenna Rose Koppinger.

DELTA GAMMA-NORTHERN COLORADO

All Business

Getting a jump-start on her post-college career, Cristina Trimpe (Delta Gamma-Northern Colorado) interns at the Monfort College of Business where she assists with the Entrepreneurship Challenge, a competition for startup companies. Cristina also founded the Entrepreneurship Club on campus and credits Alpha

As a minority in many circumstances, Sireene Khader (Delta DeltaOklahoma City) says she is grateful for those who have made her feel included. It is her goal to do the same for others. Besides working with her chapter to prioritize diversity and inclusion, Sireene has spoken on diversity panel discussions, attended interfaith events, served as a new student orientation leader and become a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council alongside faculty and staff. “Everyone deserves to be treated equally and included in things no matter the differences between us,” Sireene says. The cell and molecular biology major (double-minoring in Spanish and chemistry) was recently named Outstanding Student Committed to Diversity and Inclusion. “Diversity and inclusion are the key to making everyone feel welcome and loved just as they are,” she says. “And the world continuously needs that.”

Phi with providing her with many opportunities to learn and network. “Alpha Phi at Northern Colorado is an organization of incredible women,” Cristina says.

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From the Quad

Good Sports ZETA PICASE WESTERN RESERVE

DELTA XINEBRASKA KEARNEY

Heights of Victory

At Bat and At the Net

From close to 20,000 nominations, volleyball player Karley King (Zeta Pi-Case Western Reserve) was one of fewer than 1,500 student-athletes to receive a Google Cloud Academic All-America honor for her performance on and off the court. The biomedical engineering student says she was convinced by her middle school gym teacher to try out for volleyball instead of ice hockey because of her height (she’s 6-foot-1), and the rest is history. “It really means a lot to be recognized for all the time and hard work I have put into the classroom and on the court,” Karley says.

ZETA SIGMA-FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL

Playoff Pros Athletic Alpha Phi women at Franklin and Marshall (Zeta Sigma) boasted two feats recently: The field hockey team qualified for NCAA Division III Playoffs and included Alpha Phis Katie O’Loughlin (#1), Phoebe Wood (#17), Ellie Paige (#6), Emma Durantine (#10), Michaela Nicholas (#16), Addie Peters (#18), Ilianna Santangelo (#87) and Christina Seery (#89). The women’s volleyball team, including Alpha Phis Lydia Budd (#2), Charlotte Watson (#6), Amy Mullen (#10), Sarah Mirza (#11) and Gabby Mavroidis (#17), also qualified for NCAA Division III Playoffs. Woot!

Sophomore Emma Osowski (Delta Xi-Nebraska Kearney) started playing softball when she was 6 years old and hasn’t shied away from the college-level commitment, despite the grueling schedule.

“Playing college athletics is a fulltime job,” says Emma who wakes up at 6 in the morning three times a week to lift and train and practices up to four hours each day. Helping her through are her Alpha Phi sisters. “I always have a group of Alpha Phis at the events to support me,” she says. Volleyball player Samantha (Sami) Mauch (Delta Xi-Nebraska Kearney) also gets a boost from sisters who attend every single home game “cheering their hearts out.” An outside (pin) hitter on the university team, Sami says, “It is truly an honor to be a part of and represent such a special program.” This year, the team brought home the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Conference Champion title.

“Coming out on top is always a special feeling,” Sami says.

RHO-OHIO STATE

Fun of the Game PHOTO BY MATT SHIFFLER

A few key throws, shags and kills won Alpha Phi dodgeball players and their team the title of Ohio State Intramural Dodgeball Champions out of 10 teams that started.

They won T-shirts and, of course, major bragging rights.

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DELTA PI-INDIANA STATE

Hello, Panhel For the first time in nine years, an Alpha Phi is on the Panhellenic board at Indiana State. In fact, Jenna Johnson (Delta Pi-Indiana State), a junior on the pre-med track, is the first Alpha Phi in 17 years to be president. “By NU-NEBRASKA

Passion for Pediatrics Senior Cheylee Weigel (Nu-Nebraska) hopes to one day work at the neonatal intensive care unit at the Children’s Hospital of Omaha, Neb. In the meantime, she volunteers as co-captain of the Love Your Melon group at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing.

Love Your Melon is an apparel brand run by college students nationwide

being active, you play a key role in changing the community for the better, and allowing a more inclusive, positive community for women to join,” Jenna says of why she applied for a Panhellenic position. She says one of her topics of concern is “to show people that sororities are more than how the

that donates hats to children battling cancer. Cheylee organizes

media portray us” and “to show

meetings and activities to earn badges and says, “It’s such a rewarding

the world the amazing things we

organization that has inspired my passion for pediatrics.”

accomplish every day.”

EPSILON ALPHA-ASHLAND

Lip Service

With some fancy footwork and a creative musical medley, Epsilon Alpha won Ashland’s Fraternity and Sorority Life Lip Sync Competition. Olivia Jacob (Epsilon Alpha-Ashland) led the ensemble of sisters whose theme was Alpha Phi on Broadway. For the creative, seven-minute performance, they chose songs from “Lion King,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Hairspray,” “Grease,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and others, then paired it with a pop song from today that matched the musical’s theme.

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From the Quad

BETA TAU-INDIANA

Dance Fever

In November, many of Alpha Phi’s sophomores at Indiana (Beta Tau), along with other chapter members, participated in the annual Indiana University Dance Marathon (IUDM), the second-largest student-run philanthropy in the country. The 36-hour nonstop dance event raises money for patients at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis and this year brought in nearly $4.2 million from 2,500 dancers. Each participant worked for months to raise $500 to qualify for the marathon. Senior Raneen Onallah (Beta Tau-Indiana), a member of IUDM’s dancer relations committee, helped the Alpha Phi sophomores reach

DELTA MU-PURDUE

Good Work During fall semester, the women of Delta Mu chapter volunteered locally in West Lafayette at food banks and animal shelters, accumulating more than 640 total volunteer hours.

their goal, which also supported one specific Riley’s patient. “Seeing all the new members get so excited and involved through their fundraising efforts and through the marathon was so exciting for me,” Raneen says. Their combined efforts earned Alpha Phi the Miracle Maker Award, given to the organization that shows the most involvement and greatest passion for helping their sponsored patient. “To have our chapter be recognized for the efforts contributed at my final dance marathon meant a lot to me,” Raneen says.

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Extension Alpha Phi Joins Two New Campuses In fall 2018, Alpha Phi was invited to join the sorority communities at Baylor University (Waco, Texas) and the University of Wyoming (Laramie, Wyoming).

We are thrilled to announce these exciting partnerships!

Alpha Phi’s Baylor colonization took place in February 2019, welcoming nearly 200 new members into our Fraternity.

Extension Team Lead and past International President Deana Gage (Gamma Iota-Texas Tech) IOTA UPSILON-OTTAWA

led these efforts, which were

Conservation Commitment

also supported by numerous

At the beginning of the school year, the women of Iota Upsilon decided to make the environment a priority. “Living in Canada, the effects of climate change are really apparent,” notes Cassandra Blackwell (Iota Upsilon-Ottawa), VP of community relations. “Our goal was to bring awareness to climate change, to participate in green initiatives on campus and to practice sustainability in our everyday lives,” she says. To kick things off, the chapter hosted its first Green Week, with activities such as serving free coffee to students who brought their own cup to campus, creating plant holders from plastic bottles, S PR I N G 2019

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participating in a street cleanup and touring the Canadian Museum of Nature. The women also partnered with weekly dining club Republic of Delicious, whose members create meals with food from local grocery stores that are past their “best before date,” but still good to eat. They saved more than 40 pounds of food from being tossed.

Cassandra was proud of the chapter and notes that Alpha Phi’s ideals of generosity and sisterhood “encourage us to do our part to make our world healthier, and to do it together.”

Texas alumnae. Plans are in place for an April 2019 Installation.

With the University of Wyoming, Alpha Phi not only adds a new collegiate chapter, but a new state to our roll. Marketing efforts will take place this spring, and our colonization will occur following Panhellenic formal recruitment in fall 2019.

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From the Quad

Fundraising Achievements NU-NEBRASKA

Super Bowl Champs

CHI-MONTANA

Heart Fil-ing

A new fall philanthropy at Nebraska (Nu) invited Alpha Phi members, friends and family to go bowling for bucks. Over two weekends, more than 430 people participated, helping the chapter to raise over $11,500 in ticket sales and donations. Funds were donated to both the Alpha Phi Foundation and the chapter’s longtime local charity, the Bryan Health Foundation, which provides financial support to patients at the nonprofit Bryan Health System. “We had so much fun hanging out with our friends and family for such a good cause,” says Laura Kramer (Nu-Nebraska), VP of marketing.

IOTA UPSILON-OTTAWA

The “eat more chicken” slogan turned into “Save more hearts” for the Montana (Chi) fall philanthropy Chick-fil-Aphi.

Hosted at the chapter house with Chick-fil-A catered in, a DJ, photo booth and information about women’s heart health, the event raised $13,350 for Alpha Phi Foundation. “This event truly got so many individuals in the Bloomington community involved,” says VP of Marketing Jacqueline Close (Chi-Montana).

Dressed for Success

BETA PSI-SAN JOSE STATE

Tapping into the generosity of local businesses, Ottawa (Iota Upsilon) pulled in $22,000 at its Red Dress Gala, the chapter’s most successful year to date. An online fundraiser, silent and live auctions, and several games helped push them over the top, and guest speaker Maansi Kukreja (Iota UpsilonOttawa); pictured above, gave a moving speech about her own heart surgery.

What a Week From Mac and Phis to Alpha Phifa, Heart Grams to a talent show, the sisters of San Jose State (Beta DELTA BETATEXAS A&M COMMERCE

Frightfully Fundraising

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for Alpha Phi Foundation and women’s heart health. “To say it was a success is an understatement,” says VP of

Delta Beta had planned a Mr. Heartthrob fundraising event in October but learned that the Panhellenic was doing its first ever male pageant show at the same time, so they swiftly switched gears. Plan B: a haunted house fundraiser, which raised almost $500 for Alpha Phi Foundation.

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Psi) raised more than $12,500

Marketing Kaila Branch (Beta Psi-San Jose State). “We are so proud of all the efforts we made to give back to the cause that is closest to our hearts.”

At right: Victoria Whittle and Valeria (Val) Bordas

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DELTA BETA-TEXAS A&M COMMERCE

Clean Sweep

At its annual Greek Awards banquet, the Fraternity/Sorority Life Department at Texas A&M Commerce hands out a variety of awards. This year, Alpha Phi took home an impressive five wins, including 2018 All Greek Chapter of the Year.

But the achievements didn’t stop there: Four Delta Beta sisters were initiated into the Order of Omega honors society, which recognizes juniors and seniors in the top 3 percent of the fraternity and sorority community for their academic excellence, involvement on and off campus, leadership and service. Pictured above (left to right) are honorees Megan Self, chapter president; Story Thompson, VP of marketing; Taylor Diamond; and Emily Gruver, VP of member education and programming.

GAMMA-DEPAUW

Psychology of Art The mental health struggles of Vincent van Gogh may be well known, but new dimensions of his life are still being revealed. Such was the work of Anna Davlin (Gamma-DePauw) when she received the Hallward-Driemeier Fund award for her research on van Gogh’s psychological and artistic transformation in the context of his time in France and the Netherlands.

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“His work and life are a testament to the humanity of those who suffer from mental illness,” says Anna who traveled to France and Amsterdam to get a first-hand look at the artist’s life. “I feel like a lot of his struggles are relatable for many of us,” Anna says. The economics major minors in philosophy and studio art and hopes to one day publish her research in a professional journal. Alpha Phi Quarterly

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Where We Live

By Elisa Drake

Christopher Newport ALPHA PHI HAS 172 COLLEGIATE CHAPTERS

and with that, an array of living situations. One of them is the Greek “village.” Regardless of when and why they were developed, they tend to share an overarching appeal: They are a Greek home base and forge collaboration and camaraderie among fraternity and sorority chapters.

“There is a collective vibrancy for these chapters, all Greek students and the entire residential community,” notes Jim Hanchett, chief communications officer at Christopher Newport whose Greek village opened in 2016. It currently accommodates third- and fourth-year residents of one fraternity and three sororities, including Alpha Phi’s Theta Phi chapter.

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The hub-style living also promotes multi-Greek-sponsored events—and provides a space to host them, as the villages typically include a central meeting location. At Christopher Newport, it’s the Greek Lawn, a large open space that welcomes all organizations, even those without housing in the village.

UConn

The 30,000-square-foot Community Center amid the new Greek Leadership Village at Arizona State (Gamma Pi) houses five governing councils, multiple meeting rooms, ballrooms, and fraternity and sorority life staff offices. On a campus where free space is scarce, it’s a coup for the school’s 75-plus Greek-letter organizations.

Greek villages are not without their criticisms, and some Greek villages have trouble attracting residents.

That’s the case with Mountain View at Northern Arizona, which was built nearly 30 years ago. “It is a suitestyle hall, and our competition S PR I N G 2019

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Northern AZ is brand-new luxury apartment complexes that market heavily to our Greek students,” explains Kevin Gemoets from the Office of Student Life. Others complain that not all Greek chapters are accommodated in a village. And some see the uniform housing aesthetic to be a downside.

For instance, Gary Ballinger, director of fraternity and sorority life at Arizona State says, “There were some initial concerns about what the actual spaces would look like, and if they would have a home-like

“We are surrounded by fellow members of Greek life, and it truly makes the campus feel like home.”

— KATE BURNS (IOTA LAMBDA-CONNECTICUT)

feel.” But organizations at Arizona State were able to customize their finishes, colors, furniture, appliances and tiling details to highlight their individual chapters. “Those special touches make each facility unique and gives it a stronger sense of home and a more traditional fraternitysorority house feel,” Gary explains.

Plus, because housing is typically homogenized on the outside, village living can reduce some of the “whose house is better” competition.

Mountain View houses 14 of the 23 Greek chapters on campus at Northern Arizona (Iota Pi), and Kevin Gemoets likes to say, “We don’t have a lot of competition other than on the intramural field.”

Overall, Greek village residents enjoy their community. “Living in Husky Village, or as we call it, ‘The Ville,’ has been one of the most amazing experiences,” says Connecticut (Iota Lambda) Chapter President Kate Burns. “We are surrounded by fellow members of Greek life, and it truly makes the campus feel like home.”

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What’s in Your Wedding Décor?

Get techy—or not Clients

are loving the video footage that a drone can capture, and there are a variety of photo apps and websites that allow guests to add hashtags or tags to upload their photos for the bride and groom to view later. On the flipside, continuing to trend are “unplugged” ceremonies. In other words, turning technology off and enjoying the real-time moments.

ISTOCK: DRONE/CHESKY_W; LIGHT CANOPY/ADVENTURE_PHOTO; INVITE/YVDAVYD; NAPKINS/ROBERTSRE

S

Great greenery Greenery will

continue to have a prominent place in bouquets and boutonnieres, now paired with brighter blooms. Floral walls or ceiling installations with greenery—like vines hanging from exposed beams or light fixtures—will serve as large decor pieces. You will also see fewer true “centerpieces” and more greenery and blooms as tablescapes and table runners. Tip: Reuse the greenery in a different location after your ceremony.

omething old, something new.

Weddings have traditions, but every year, new trends arise.

We’ve tapped two wedding pros to share those secrets that will give your big day a distinctively 2019 feel. Lori Lyman Losee (Beta Rho-Washington State); pictured right, launched her business Elegant Affairs in Seattle in 2005. Cayce Putnam Blackley (Theta NuAppalachian State) works for Alpha Phi International, but moonlights as a wedding coordinator for Details Wedding Planning in Charlotte, N.C. The two met as facilitators at the 2015 Emerging Leaders Institute and bonded over their love of Alpha Phi— and all things wedding.

Take it outside Old school invites

Customized stationery with highquality paper and ink, wax seals, hand lettering, or calligraphy is a beautiful invitation trend.

Nontraditional spaces and more tented spaces (think clear tents with market lights) give guests the feeling that they are outside, while enjoying the comfort of being indoors.

Bold tables Try bold colors for

Texture mixture In the

past, the trend has leaned toward a symmetrical look with every table and linen looking and feeling the same. The trend of mix-and-match textures in napkins and table linens brings more depth and excitement to the table.

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linens or table runners; patterned or textured fabric, like sequins or velvet; layered linens to add depth; or chair sashes.

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Food trucks. Hire your favorite food truck to park at your event, and you accomplish trendy, fun and local in one fell swoop. Speak with the food truck vendor to ensure the line moves quickly or incorporate it only as a dessert.

Themed food stations.

Combine the best of civilized sit-downs and bogged-down buffets by placing several food stations around the event space. This also allows you to offer a variety of noncoordinating options, like chimichurri steak at one station and tacos at another.

2.

Small plates. Already popular at restaurants, small plates can be served per individual or to share with several people.

Variety is inherent here, which makes it fun to “graze.”

Trending

4.

Midnight snacks. For those hearty partiers who stay till the clock strikes midnight, offer them a little final bite— or even something for the ride home. Try gourmet popcorn, a container of fries or mini cupcakes.

8 Lessons in Party Gastronomy Graduations, weddings, garden parties.

It’s time to get schooled on what’s hot for fun food at any special gathering.

6.

Homemade treats as favors. Many event locations prohibit homemade food, but they look the other way if it’s presented to guests as a gift. Bag, bottle or otherwise wrap up anything from bites of homemade challah bread to mason jars of mom’s famous jam.

5.

Multicultural menu. This is fairly self-explanatory and works particularly well at a wedding that blends backgrounds.

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8.

Edible flowers as cocktail garnish. Any number of edible flowers can decorate a glass—or freeze them into ice cubes for a big wow factor. If there’s a flower with a special meaning to you, see if it’s edible.

7.

Doughnut walls. Just a quick search on Etsy proves the staying power of this recent trend. Who can argue?

Personalize your “wall,” and you’ve got it made.

Alpha Phi Quarterly

ISTOCK: TACOS/FULLERENE; SPOONS/ TUNED_IN’; FOOD TRUCK/NERTHUZ; FIRES/LAURI PATTERSON; NOODLES/IUSHAKOVSKY; JAM/FIRINA; DONUTS/ELI_ASENOVA; COKTAIL/ ELOI_OMELLA

3.

1.

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Now & Then

Building a Home

It was a leap of faith, loyalty, love and shared goals that united the Original Ten at Syracuse in 1872. Nine years later, the Beta chapter was founded at Northwestern, and since then, Alpha Phi has welcomed hundreds of thousands of women at chapters across the U.S. and Canada. Some years have seen tremendous growth, such as in 1989 when 11 new chapters were founded. One of those was UNC-Wilmington (Eta Xi), where Paula Edwards Ayscue was a founding member and chapter president. Except for chapter size, Paula’s experiences are amazingly similar to those of Alison Schackow, current chapter president at one of Alpha Phi’s most recent chapter installations, the University of Florida (Kappa Eta).

Alison Schackow

(KAPPA ETA-FLORIDA)

2018

Paula Edwards Ayscue

Name Year Chapter Founded

(ETA XI-UNC WILMINGTON) 1989

25 men’s fraternities and 16 women’s sororities

Number of NPC chapters on campus before Alpha P hi

7

We are all learning as we go, and that can be challenging at times.

Hardest part about being a founding member

Learning the rules and having to lead the chapter at the same time.

Our Educational Leadership Consultants have been with us every step of the way and have been our support system on campus. Many alumnae have volunteered to help with recruitment events, Initiation events and so much more. Alpha Phi International has been so supportive and are always just a phone call away for help.

About 130

Support f rom Alpha P hi

Number of founding members

I recall speaking with International on a regular basis the first year. They were on campus during our colonization, they executed the rituals, set up meetings with a nearby chapter, sent us to be trained, and the list goes on.

I believe we had 53 founding members.

Since the Florida State (Gamma Phi)/University of Florida football game was at Florida State this year, they hosted our chapter for a pre-game brunch, and next year we will do the same.

Tradition you started for your chapter

We started a sisterhood retreat at Ocean Isle Beach.

My daughter is now a member, and it warmed my heart to discover this tradition is being carried on.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It has given me leadership opportunities I never would have had otherwise.

What you enjoy about being a founder member

I worked with administration closely, which shaped my future and confidence in pursuing a job and career.

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Alpha Phi Quarterly

S PR I N G 2019

3/19/19 11:40 AM

Q

Iconic

The Legacy Begins In the Alpha Phi history book, Alpha Phi International Fraternity The First Fifty Years, 1872-1922, Union Hand in Hand, author and historian Jenny Thompson (Alpha Lambda-Alumna Initiate) explains that Founder Kate Hogoboom Gilbert’s daughter, Ruth Hogoboom Gilbert Pratt, was the first “Alpha Phi daughter.” She pledged just before her mother Ruth passed away and was initiated into the Alpha chapter at Syracuse on Oct. 11, 1901. Mother and daughter are pictured here. Technically speaking, however, the first Alpha Phi legacy was Elizabeth Grace Hubbell Shults’s sister, Hattie Hubbell, who was initiated Oct. 3, 1873.

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3/19/19 11:38 AM

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3/19/19 10:52 AM