2012 Fall ANCHOR

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Above: Gamma Gamma Chapter big and little sisters

features 6 8 I0 12 13 14 26 36 38

Allison Miller, National VP Q&A w ith the Foundation President Meet the ALT Educational Consultants Panhellenic Update Board ofTrustees 39th National Convention A Tau in Morocco Se r vice Immersion Trip to Hawaii Anchoring Thoughts

departments 4 5 18 27

Reader's Guide From the President Alumnae in Action Collegians on Campus

on the cover Sisters at the 39th National Convention in Indianapolis

Below: Educational Consultants )en Mullins, Gamma Xi, and Sm Psi

reader's guide

the

THE ANCHOR is the official magazine ofAlpha Sigma Tau Sorority, and is published semiannually by the Alpha Sigma Tau National Sorority, 3334 Founders Road; Indianapolis, Indiana 46268 How to Receive THE ANCHOR

Collegiate members receive THE ANCHOR through payment of their annual Sorority dues to their chapters. Copies are mailed to each undergraduate member's permanent address as designated on her membership list subm itted to National Headquarters.

Alumnae members receive THE ANCHOR through payment of t heir annua l alumnae dues to e ither National Headquarters or through their local alumnae association ($40 annually) .

Alpha Sigma Tau is a National Sorority dedicated to promoting the ethical, cultural and social growth of our members.

Founded at Michigan State Normal College (Eastern Michigan University), November 4, 1899, by Mable Chase, Ruth Dutcher, May Gephart, Harriett Marx, Eva O'Keefe, Adriance Rice, Helene M. Rice and Mayene Tracy.

National Council National President: Christina Duggan Covington, Alpha Lambda National Vice President:Tamara Stegehuis Bonifie ld , Beta Xi National Vice President: Jamie Jones Miller, Psi National Vice President: Allison Miller, Phi National Vice President: Tiffany Street. Delta Mu National Vice President: Kristin W alker, Alpha Lambda National Foundation President: Debi McCain Pyszka,Aipha Nu First Vice President: Julie Be ll Bruington, Iota Second Vice President: Kristin Haski n, Beta Pi Secretary: Charlotte Evans Floyd , Psi Treasu rer: Melinda Henry Oates, Gamma Gamma Development Director -Alumnae: Gail Shockley Fowler, Alpha Lambda Development Director - Collegiate: Cynthia A. McCrory, Alpha Alpha National Panhellenic Conference Alpha Sigma Tau Delegate: El izabeth Knaus McOsker, Alpha Lambda First Alternate Delegate: Carol Zorger Mooney, Alpha Lambda Second Alternate Delegate: Jamie Jon es Miller. Psi Third Alternate Delegate: Joanne Rupprecht Wa lter, Psi Alpha Sigma Tau National Home Page www.alphasigmacau.org National Headquarters 3334 Founders Road ; Ind ianapolis, Indiana 46268 Phone: (317) 613-7575 Fax: (317) 613-711 1 Email: headquarters@alphasigmacau.org

How to Update Your Name a nd Address You may call (3 17) 613-7S7S or e-mail us at headquarters@alphasigmatau.org. If you prefer to submit your information via US mail , please complete the form on the National Homepage and mail it to: Alpha Sigma Tau National Headquarters, 3334 Founders Road ; Indianapolis, IN 46268.

How to Contact THE ANCHOR anchor@alphasigmatau.org www.alphasigmatau.org How to Send a Letter to the Ed ito r Do you have a comment about an article in th is or any other issue ofTHE ANCHOR? We want to hear from you ! Letters to THE ANCHOR can be sent to the ed ito r via email (anchor@alphasigmatau .org); regular mail (THE ANCHOR, 3334 Founders Road ; Indianapolis, IN 46268); or fax (3 17) 6 13 -71 I I) . Please include your name , chapte r, school and year of init iation .

THE ANCHOR reserves the right to publ ish any letter addressed to the Editor and edit fo r space and clarity.

A Note to Parents of Coll egians Your daughter's magazine is being mail ed to her home address while she is in college. We hope you enjoy read ing it, too. If your daughter is no longer in college or living at home , please send us her updated address , as ind icated above .

Subm ission Deadl ines Fall/Winter: September IS Spring/Summer: March IS THE ANCHOR Staff Editor: Erika McManus Bukva, Delta Rho Collegiate Ed itor : Beverly Singe! Molnar, Delta Alumnae Editor: Kirsten Newman Heck. Gamma Pi Special thanks go to Carole Keily, Alpha Xi. for her e tensive editorial support for this issue, and Kris Haskin, Beta Pi for her rapid response.

4 â&#x20AC;˘ THE ANCHOR of A lpha Sigma Tau

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from the president Founders Day is such a special time of year for each member of Alpha Sigma Tau . lt is a time I truly enjoy: seeing th e celebration events, the coming together of collegians and alumnae across the nation, ordering special Founders Day letters, and proudly wearing our unique Badge on November 4th.

All of these outward signs of ou r incredible sisterhood - it is so inspiring!

But Founders Day is also a time for internal reflection of our Ritual and how we portray it in our daily lives - how we demonstrate our beliefs in who we are as strong, compassionate , intelligent women .This is the truest meaning of A lpha Sigma Tau .

As we enter this time of reflection and celebration , take a moment to consider your beliefs. Are they reflected in your actions? Do they represent the best of you , your family and Alpha Sigma Tau? If no, consider where and how can you demonstrate who you are with more clarity? If yes , thank you for sharing your most authentic self!

As the National President of Alpha Sigma Tau, I proclaim November 4, 2012 as Alpha Sigma Tau 's National Founders Day. A day of reflection on our Ritual.

A day of representing our historic values with clarity.

A day of rem embrance for ou r Founders and the ir gift of Sisterhood.

A day of joy for al l the members yet to join our Sister hood.

A day of celeb rating the woman , the intellectual, the ph ilanthropist, the leader, the innovator, and the un ity in all of us.

In Exceptional Siste r hood,

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Christina Covington , Alpha Lambda National President

Alpha Sigma Tau Sisters: Living Exceptional Lives and Giving Big! On November 4th,Aipha Sigma Tau members once again celebrated the founding of our Exceptional Sisterhood ! Debi Pyszka, Foundation President, and Chris Covington, National President, call on every member to continue the celebration by contributing $25 or more to the Annual Fund through the Foundation.

Your Annual Fund contribution funds educational programs deeply impacting our members' lives at the local leveL These funds are made available to the Sorority in the fiscal year after collection so YOU have an immediate impact on our Sisterhood.

Contribute in honor or in memory of an amazing Sister, your chapter or our Founders, but give big so that the next generation of members can live exceptional lives! This donation is tax deductible.

Donations to the Annual Fund (or other funds) can be made online at www.alphasigmataufoundation.o rg o r mailed to the Alpha Sigma Tau National Foundation at P. 0. Box 476, Gardendale , Alabama 35071 .Thank you so much for making a difference for each exceptional sister!

www.alphasigmatau.org

Fall 2012 THE ANCHOR of Alpha Sigma Tau • 5

~ allison miller, national vice president

by Lauren Crawford Welch, Delta Psi, StaffWriter Some of you may have heard that Alpha Sigma Tau has a new addition to National Council, a National Vice President who is a college student! Allison Miller, student at Southeastern Louisiana University, works alongside other Vice Presidents;Tammy Bonifield, Kristin Walker, Jamie Jones Miller and Tiffany Street to help make Alpha Sigma Tau truly exceptional. What a role Allison has stepped into! As co l- , legiate or alumnae members, you might have some questions about this new and unique role Allison is filling.

How did you get the position on National Council?

I learned about the new position when I attended the 20 I 0 Convention and thought that it was a huge deai.With some encouragement from local sisters and advisors, I applied for the position. We had to fill out an app lication, get recommendation letters, and a few phone interviews. At convention, we were required to give a speech about our goals and talk what made us qualified for the position. After a vote and decision of the voting delegation, I was announced as the new VP.

What sorority experience or campus leadership, commun ity outreach experience do you have?

I am very active in organizations at Southeastern Louisiana University both in and outside of A:LT. I am currently Panhellenic President, as well as Order of Omega president. I am also involved in other organizations for different interests at school. Before now I had held several other positions in my chapter since the semester I joined, Spring 2009, such as President, Secretary, and Ritual. think campus and community involvement makes you a more well rounded student and person.

What made you interested in serving on the National Cou nci l? How did the interest came around?

The thought of having a collegiate member's input in the counc il seemed very innovative and bo ld. It demonstrated Alpha Sigma Tau's awareness of the fact that the organization is driven by its collegiate members. I felt that I had the experience to put my " two-cents" in as far as what collegians are looking for. Being on Council seemed like a fun learning experience, and it has been so far.

How does it feel to be the first collegian on the Council?

The feeling is indescribable. It has already been so much fun , challenging in a fantASTic way, a huge learning experience, and I have made many new friends. I know it is going to take a lot of work but it is worth everything that I put into it. I'm ready to see what the rest of my term has to bring.

What interesting things have you done so far on the Council?

Each month we have two conference calls with National Council and Staff. I had the opportunity to collaborate with Kristin Walker to plan one of them and it was a great experience. Just be ing able to put in my thoughts at the meetings and learn about different topics in the Panhellenic world has been interesting to me .

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allison miller, national vice president What are your goals for the term?

I want to show the collegians of the organization that our staff and Council truly are trying to understand what we want out of our experience in Alpha Sigma Tau.l hope to get the opportunity to hear what my sisters want and use that information strategically. I want the best for the collegiate experience and I want to help more people realize all of the new things A L:T is doing.

What do you want alumnae to know about your time on the Council and the major change to the leadership structure?

There has absolutely been a change in the leadership structure for the sorority and I think it's incredible .

Some aspects of leadership that worked fifty years ago may not be so effective today and we are adapting to this. With this change also comes a new influx of ideas and that's what we need right now.We have come very far in a short time and there is still more to come . I want the alumnae to realize this and I want their input as well. I think that having alumnae support on both a local and national level is one of the best things for this organization. We wouldn 't be here in this position today without them, and we need their continued support to keep moving forward .

What do you want other collegiates to know, if they are considering this position?

This opportunity is a once in a lifetime chance, and it is also a life changing one. If a collegian is interested , please continue to keep that interest and spark in AL:T. Know that National Council and Staff are sisters ... or in Jim [Paponetti]'s case, a wonderful brother... just like the rest of us and they want to do what's in our best interest. I think you can do so much with what you 're given through being a member of AL:T and there is so much opportunity out there for you. The 20 14 Convention will be here soon enough and I cannot wait to see what will happen by then!

Meet your 20 12-14 National Council!

Scan this QR code to hear members of the National Council explain why they joined Alpha Sigma Tau!

1-r: Chris Covington,Tammy Bonifield ,A IIison Mi ller, Kristin Wal ker, T iffany Str eet, Jamie Miller www.alphasigmatau.o rg

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Q&A with the foundation president -------,~~

This month, the President of the Alpha Sigma Tau National Foundation, Debi McCain Pyszka, Alpha Nu, continues the Meet the Foundation interview series.

What is the National Foundation?

The Foundation was established to promote the acquisition , development, and disbursement of charitable contributions from donors to promote and fulfill the educational and philanthropic programs of the Sorority. Okay - that sounds really official, right?

The Foundation collects donations from ALT members and their families, as well as collegiate and alumnae chapters. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible and are used to support ALT through educational rograms, academic scholarships, and philanthropic activities.

Would you explain more about these activities supported by the Foundation?

Of course, the Foundation donations support many educational activities for Sorority members including the on-going online workshop for Alcohol and Hazing, chapter adviser training program, and membership development as well as speakers and programs at conventions, officer academies, and other events. Most recently, the Foundation provided funding for the new conference/classroom at Headquarters that will be used for educational and training purposes. These donations also support academic scholarships and ALT's national philanthropy project, Pine Mountain Settlement School.

What exactly is Pine Mountain Settlement School?

Pine Mountain Settlement School (PMSS) began as an educational school (board ing school) for the Appalachian children of Harlan County, Kentucky. ALT has supported PMSS since 1945 through the financia l contributions of its members. r---------------~ PMSS now focuses its efforts on providing environmental educaScan the code to donate to the Antion programs to both the area children and visitors from across nual Fund, and see page 5 for informathe nation. Over the years our contributions have funded essention about the President's Challenge! tial equipment purchases (IS-passenger van, refrigerators , etc.) ; renovations to several buildings; and stonework for outside facilities.

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These donations also endowed the LT National Foundation/ Pine Mountain Settlement School Intervention Program. This program provides funding for 3 teachers at 3 local schools to help children who are struggling with basic reading and math skills.

www.alphasigmatau.org

alpha sigma tau national foundation How should we be donating to PMSS?

All financial contributions to PMSS should be made through the Foundation.AII contributions are considered " pass through" funds and all contributions are distributed to PMSS.The Foundation recognizes individuals and chapters for these donations. A:LTs can also give of their time and talents by working at PMSS. Many chapters continue to collect pencils, crayons, paper, and other educational supplies for PMSS. While these supplies are appreciated, financial contributions could be used to purchase library and audio-visual materials for the Pine Mountain Center. In appreciation for such donations, each item carries a bookplate designating that it is a gift from a specific individual or chapter (collegiate or alumnae). These bookplates are nature prints designed by A:LT's own Gwen Frostic, a well-know nature artist and environmentalist.

How do .Al:T collegiate and alumnae members support the National Foundation?

As I said before , all donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Donations to the Foundation may be designated for individual or chapter scholarships, educational programming, leadership training, and unrestricted donat ions. Donations can also be made to memorialize an individual or recognize a special event- a birthday, a chapter anniversary, etc.

Chapter scholarships are just one way to give to the Foundation and to make a difference in the lives of A:LT sisters.

By "getting into the habit" - you can choose you r amount- you can select any program (chapter scholarship, named scholarship or other Foundation fund) or you can also recognize a sister, a mentor, or a family member.

The Foundation accepts donations through its website - www.alphasigmataufoundation.org. We utilize Pay Pal to process all donations made by credit card, bank or Pay Pal account. If you are not comfortable with onl ine payments, please use a donor card and envelope to mail in your donations . Or you can do what I do.

I have the Foundation set up as a monthly online bill that is paid and mailed by my bank on the same date each month.

The Foundation recognizes individuals and chapters for their generous donations. Our yearly newsletter, Foundation Connections, includes a list of donors for the fiscal year. Individuals and chapters are recognized for their cumulative donations over the years by designated giving levels. Individuals and chapters receive a special recognition pin for each donation level. The foundation also organizes a recognition event at convention; so if you are coming to convention, look for it and be sure you attend .

It is never too early to start your own " regular giving" to the Foundation - any amount given is appreciated for continued support of Alpha Sigma Tau.

www.alphasigmatau.o rg

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meet the 20 12-13 educational consultants by joanna Barrett, Epsilon Epsilon, StaffWriter, and Stephanie Sanders, Beta Theta, StaffWriter The Sorority employs Educational Consultants to work with chapters with specific needs to develop skills and knowledge for an exceptional Sorority experience.The Educational Consultants educate colony members on Sorority Ritual and operations and build the membership base.

Justina Solties, Gamma Theta A second-year Educational Consultant, Solties has visited made many stops across the country for Alpha Sigma Tau . During her travels, she witnessed a chapter installation for the first time, calling it a "very fulfilling moment in life ." She appreciates the opportunity to meet women with the same values and goals in her efforts to polish each chapter to be the best they can be. She loves traveling, especially when she finds those hidden gems such as a museum in Rockford, Illinois, hometown of the all-female major league baseball team featured in A League of their Own, Solties' favorite movie .

Still, as an EC who was encouraged to apply by an adv iser, her drive and passion is shared with women hoping to obtain the bigger picture of Alpha Sigma Tau . Solties says,"EC is a good transition job, from an active collegian , still loving the sorority, to still wanting to be I00 percent involved with it. It's the right fit, the right t ime for me."

Ashley Smith, Psi Smith recalls traveling between six chapters and two colonies in the first three months of being an Educational Consultant. She develops deeper relationships with women through new experiences with each college visit. "From everyone I meet, I can see we are slightly different but similar in some ways.You can definitely tell we are all a part of the same organization."

Traveling from one place to the next, being alone at times can be a challenge . Fortunately, she finds support from a group of family and friends to remind her that the feeling is only temporary. A former Recruitment Director at Psi , Smith uti lizes her experiences to expand fresh recruitment strategies. " It wasn 't planned that way, but it just so happened to be that my visits are recruitment-focused ." Smith is amazed at the size and diversity of this national organization and how the _ __, women relate and contrast to her personality on so many levels. " I literally do have sisters all over the country."

Lauren lrby, Zeta Tau " Every visit I have made has brought me joy," said lrby. " From visiting the Wizard of Oz museum , being serenaded on a prefe rence night, getting all kinds of little gifts, and just hanging out and bonding w ith my sisters, I have made wonderful memories on my visits."

Spending only about three to five days with a chapter, lrby tries to tailor the goals to strategies and tactics that would best benefit each chapter. The chapters set goals for areas in recruitment, finances , accountability, and business meeting effectiveness and efficiently. lrby applied to be an EC because she wanted an opportunity to give back to Alpha Sigma Tau. Her collegiate experience would not have been the same without EC vis its. " I gained so much from m membership, so I wanted to help others to have the same opportunities," says Lauren .

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meet the 20 12-13 educational consultants Jennifer Anne Mullins, Gamma Xi Jennifer Mullins is not your aver age Educational Consultant. She began as an entry-level employee for Alpha Sigma Tau, developing a plan fo r the future and focusing on profes sional ism , and since May has learned to focus on the relationships involved in such a position ." I want to make su r e t hat the women I vis it feel connected to the organization, and I think I am the connecting piece to t hat puzzle." She encourages chapters to come together and rally for one another, which occurred when the Al:Ts of one chapter raised funds for a student of in another organization after he w as injured by a drunk driver.

The position of Educational Consultant may have been waiting for Mullins: During the fall semester of her junior year, Executive Director Jim Paponetti celebrated National Founder's Day w ith Mullins's chapter. After introducing himself, he informed her that she would be working for Alph a Sigma Tau someday. Paponetti might not have known it at the time , but Mullins is an investment who is will ing to invest her time and love in return . " If someone told me th at I was going to be a professional relationshipbuilder, I wouldn 't have known what to do with that information," she laughs.

Erica Richards, Seta Mu ''The best part about this job is seeing, living, and knowing that I have sisters literally everywhere that share the same values and ritual as I do, and getting to show my love, passion and loyalty to my sorority every single day," says Richards.

Although Richards is sometimes with chapters for only a few days, she helps chapt er s set goals for themselves. " I really prefer to talk it out with the women in the chapter and have the women develop their own goals individually and as a chapter," she said. " Sometimes they just need a creative push or an outsider's perspective."

Richards says she has become " fiercely independent" by traveling, but finds it is difficult living out of a suitcase (or two). However, she also loves and embraces the trave l and vis iting sorority women . She takes her role seriously, as she lives her ritual every day, is a role model, listener and speaker, and educates women and to develop into leaders.

Cayte Merryman, Psi " My favorite memory so far is handing out bids to the newest members at the Epsilon Omicron colony at the University of Southern Indiana," says Mer ryman . " Being able to see the women become fr iends and grow as a colony is ve r y r ewarding." Merryman's goals for the Epsilon Omicron colony are to continue to recruit women and create a strong sisterhood.

Even though Merryman is away from home for long periods of time , she has been horseback riding, visited the largest candy store in Minnesota, and attended a Brad Paisley concert, just to name a few. " I became an EC because I thought this would be a cool opportun ity," says Me rryman . " This was a perfect way to be in the college wo r ld and do something beneficial for Alpha Sigma Tau." www.alphasigmatau.org

Fall 2012

THE ANCHOR of Alp ha Sigma Tau â&#x20AC;˘ I I

panhellenic news by joanne Rupprecht Walter, NPC Jrd Alternate Delegate The members of Alpha Sigma Tau's National Panhellenic Conference delegation have been busy this semester. With fall recruitment season almost officially behind us , we want to extend hearty congratulations to all the chapters on their excellent efforts and a warm welcome to our Sorority's newest members!

In addition to our NPC responsibilities, each delegation member serves Alpha Sigma Tau chapters as Panhellenic advisors. Our role is to assist chapters in promoting a Panhellenic spirit within their College Panhellenic communities. We advise chapters on issues pertaining to, but not limited to, total and extension. In an effort to continue relationship development with our chapters, we contacted each chapter's Panhellenic delegate at the start of the semester.The response from the chapter delegates has been overwhelmingly positive; we are most appreciative for your communication.

Each October, the National Panhellenic Conference hosts an Annual Meeting. Delegation members, National Pres idents , and Executive Directors from all 26 NPC sororities meet together to discuss business and share in our love of the Panhellenic experience . We will meet Chris Covington and Jim Paponetti in St. Louis, Missouri , on October 26.We are excited to represent our Exceptional Sisterhood at th is meeting.

Did your College or Alumnae Pan hellenic Association host a viewing of the PBS documentary, Half the Sky? NPC proudly supports Ci rcle of Sis1-r:joanne Walter, Carol Mooney, Beth MeDsker, and Jam ie Miller terhood , a foundation established to promote the education of women , with the belief that "education is the answer to many of the global issues related to women - poverty, oppression, misogyny, brutality. Ultimately, more and more educated girls w ill mean stronger and healthier villages, communities and entire countries" (www.circleofsisterhood.org/the-cause).

The documentary served as a tangible extension of their mission: to uplift women from poverty and oppression by removing barriers to education speaks to sorority women . If you haven 't seen Half the Sky, we encourage you to take time to watch it, feel empowered, and take action !

Beth McOsker, NPC Delegate, bmcosker@hotmail.com Carol Mooney, NPC I st Alternate Delegate, czm.va75@cox.net Jamie Miller, NPC 2nd Alternate Delegate, jjonesmiller@gmail.com Joanne Walter, NPC 3rd Alternate Delegate, joannerwalter@gmail.com

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board of trustees Dear sisters, We were pleased to meet so many of you in Indianapolis. It is our hope that you each remain active and involved and attend many more Alpha Sigma Tau Conventions. It is a lifelong sisterhood.

Indianapolis was delightful. Headquarters was overwhelming. What a great Convention!

We do have some news.

Mary Ellen Willmitch , the Board's staunchest supporter of collegians and one of our Ritual experts, has found it impossible to continue to serve. She will be missed.

We are pleased to announce that, pursuant to the Procedures of the Board of Trustees, Jean Ryckman McNamara (Sigma) and Carol Cooper (Zeta Tau) have been chosen to serve on the Board. Both meet the criteria of having been members of the Sorority for at least thirty years and thus are aware of the traditions, purpose, and history of the Sorority.

This now brings the Board membership to six; the Sorority's Bylaws provide that the Board shall consist of at least five but not more than seven qualified alumnae members.

Patricia Nayle is now our Chairman, Bobbie Nichols Tucker our Vice Chairman and Martha DeCamp o ur Secretary.

We want you to know that your Board of Trustees now has 296 combined years of service and dedication to Alpha Sigma Tau and will use that experience to fulfill its purpose .

The Board ofTrustees is an advisory committee which functions to preserve the purpose, ideals, standards, and historical integrity of the Sorority.

We are proud and feel it a privilege to serve Alpha Sigma Tau in this capacity.

Patricia L. Nayle Bobbie Nichols Tucker Martha Drouyor DeCamp Mary Glor Bolton Carol Cooper Jean Ryckman McNamara

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39th national convention Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority held its 39th Convention June 21-23 , 2012, in Indianapolis, Indiana. N~arly 400 ~em­ bers and friends gathered to celebrate sisterhood , elect new leaders, receive education, rec~gn1~e the achievements of members, and make history amongst the National Panhellenic Conference orgamzat1ons.

The Convention kicked off with great news from the Alpha Sigma Tau Foundation about the creation of the Annual Fund.The Annual Fund was created by the Alpha Sigma Tau Foundation to allow members and friends of Alpha Sigma Tau to make tax-deductible gifts to the Foundation that will be used the following year for grant-eligible funding to the Sorority. Unlike endowed funds, which require a long period of time to achieve a desired goal, the Annual Fund gifts will be used to fund Sorority programs in the immediate future .

The first night of Convention concluded with sisters conducting the Ritual ,followed by Dr. Mari Ann Callais presenting her critically acclaimed program , "From Ritual to Rea lity." Dr. Callais uses music and storytelling to highlight values , ritual, and the responsibilities of being a lifetime sorority member. The energy was high in the room as sisters translated their experience conducting the Ritual prior to Dr. Callais's discussion of living the Ritual in everyday life . (For information on bringing Dr. Callais to your campus , please visit the Panhellenic Luncheon Honorees CampuSpeak website: www.campuspeak.com/speakers/callais) .

Sharon Mason Maxfield, Gamma Xi, was the recipient of the Mary Louise Mandrea Doyle Pan- On Friday morning, the business of the National Organhellenic Award for her work as a Release Figure ization began . The Nominations Chair, Sarah Hinshaw, Method Specialist.

Delta Nu, presented the slate of National Council can-

Cynthia McCrory, Alpha Alpha, and a longtime NPC Delegate, was recognized for her celebration of 50 years of membership in Alpha Sigma Tau.

didates. The candidates presented their speeches to the Convention body and elections were held.

Fourteen Panhellenic sisters joined Alpha Sigma Tau for the Panhellenic Luncheon. Nicki Meneley, Executive Director of the National Panhellenic Conference, served Dr. Mari Ann Callais was recognized with the as the keynote speaker for the luncheon . She challenged McCrory Order of Interfraternity Excellence Award. all in attendance to share their personal sorority story.

This award honors an individual who has con- The NPC leadership and staff work tirelessly to promote tributed outstanding service to the betterment of the sorority experience to potential new members and the Greek System. can only be successful if sorority women worldwide share their personal stories with others.The Panhellenic Luncheon also provided an opportunity for recognition of women that have excelled in promoting the Panhellenic spirit.

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39th national convention That afternoon, the results of the National Council 20 12-20 14 National Council election were announced. This election and an- f" nouncement provided for a new National Council structure.The National Council is now composed of National President: Chris Covington,Aipha Lambda five alumnae members, including a President and four National Vice President: Tammy Bonifield, Beta Xi alumnae Vice Presidents, and one collegian Vice Pres- National Vice President: Jamie Jones Miller, Psi ident. This change made history in Alpha Sigma Tau National Vice President: Allison Miller, Phi as well as the National Panhellenic Conference.Aipha National Vice President: Tiffany Street, Delta Mu National Vice President: Kristin Walker, Alpha Lambda Sigma Tau became the first NPC member group to .4 elect a collegian as a full member of their governing ~ board. The National Council now serves as a strategic leadership team that delegates operational tasks and oversight to the Executive Director and Headquarters Staff.

Another change was the election of the Nominations Committee. Previously an appointed committee, the Nominations Committee is now a group elected by the Convention voting delegates . The Nominations Committee is composed of four alumnae members and one collegiate member. One alumna and one collegian shall serve as alternates.

On Friday night, Convention attendees had an opportunity to visit the National Headquarters building for the first time since the relocation of the Sorority operations to lndianaopolis. Members viewed some of the many archival items on display, and enjoyed a dance and ice cream social.

The Sorority offered 30 educational programs to collegians, alumnae and volunteers over three time blocks on Saturday morning. Feedback from the enhanced programming is already being used to develop a larger program schedule for the 40th National Convention in 2014.

Capitalizing on the success of the 20 I 0 Town Hall Meetings at Convention , the Sorority leadership wanted to again provide an opportunity for members to be involved in the process of shaping the strategic direction of the organization.

The Convention business concluded on Saturday afternoon . The new National Council was installed and two retiring officers were recognized . A special thank you to Shel Golob, Delta Alpha, and Shelly Marie Redmond , Psi , for their service on the National Council.

The Courtesy Resolutions were read to thank the countless number of volunteers and friends of Alpha Sigma Tau who contributed to the success of the 39th National Convention.

20 12-20 14 Nominations Committee Rita Bertolino, Phi (Alumna) Shel Golob, Delta Alpha (Alumna) Sarah Hinshaw, Delta Nu (Alumna) Amy San Fillippo, Phi (Alumna) Jaylee Underwood ,Aipha Epsilon (Collegian) Rebekkah Bury, Beta Xi (Alumna alternate) Margaret Thomas, Zeta Tau , (Collegian alternate)

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39th national convention The Convention came to a close in style at the Yellow Rose Banquet.This event is always an opportunity to truly celebrate sisterhood and honor the outstanding contributions of members to Alpha Sigma Tau, both locally and nationally.

As always, our members and friends enjoyed the Convention, learned a lot, and slept very little - and are looking forward to our next meeting. The location and dates of the 20 14 Convention will be announced soon.

Convention Highlights from a First-Timer by jess Kromer, Gamma Zeta, Baltimore Alumna

I • .Al:T is for a lifetime! The passion of the actively involved alumnae spread like wildfire throughout convention, providing a positive look on the future of our sorority. One past National President, Martha DeCamp, holds the record of attending 27 National Conventions -and she challenged others to meet her record.

2. Live the ritual every day. Dr. Mari Ann Callais, challenged our entire sisterhood to turn our rituals and values into day-to-day reality. Dr. Callais stressed how important each member of a chapter is to the whole Alpha Sigma Tau organization.

Each one of us makes a difference while representing the whole .

3 . .Al:T is making history. Another exciting experience Shelley Redmond and jess Kromer was being part of electing Alii Miller from Phi Chapter to be the first collegiate member of the National Council. (Editor's Note: Read more about Alii in this issue of the ANCHOR!) 4. Convention is an experience not to be missed! On Friday night, everyone boarded a bus and visited the AL:T Headquarters. This building holds some of the initial items from our founding sisters such as badges and the original standing rules.While there we had an ice cream social and dance party with all the sisters, alumnae, and National Council.

5. Our alumnae are inspiring. Rita Bertolino, Phi, received the Lois O'Dell Anchor Award. She started her an alumnae group which now has over 40 active members. She gave tips on how to re-recruit your sisters to stay involved and stressed the importance of making relationships with members more personal, especially with seniors who are about to graduate college. Sisters lose interest after they graduate college because of lack of connection. In order for an alumnae group to be successful, they must restore that connection.

6. You could be next to make a difference. Members of National Council and the Nominations Committee presented information for sisters interested in getting involved on a National level, by joining an advisory board, alumnae chapter, committee, or being elected to National Council.

7. Vendors can help your chapter. Through Student Union, your chapter could earn up to 5% of what your chapter members spend on their school textbooks,Tom's Shoes,Vera Bradley items, and so much more. So start raising money for your chapter by buying your books through the Student Union!

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20 12 Convention Award Recipients Mary Charles Adams Ashby Convention Collegiate Top Tau: Jaylee Underwood Mary Charles Adams Ashby Convention Alumnae Top Tau: Mary Bolton Lois Schweikart O ' Dell Anchor Award : Rita Bertolino Thomas J. King Jr. Award of Excellence : Joseph Pastino Carrie Washburn Staehle Award : Jennie Kuhns , Michelle Percival Ada A. Norton Award: Debi Pyszka , Lara Cegala-Williams Order of the Yellow Rose: Charlotte Evans Floyd Edward Jervey/Martha DeCamp Award: Phi Chapter Founders Award: Delta Upsilon Chapter

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-alumnae

I

alumnae in action

baltimore Hello from Charm City!

Our chapter is thrilled to welcome the ladies of Epsilon Nu at McDaniel College to the sisterhood!

We're so pleased to have a new chapter in the Baltimore area. Members Kirsten Heck, Gamma Pi, and Joell Sperry, Gamma Theta, braved the February snow to attend their initiation. We're excited to celebrate Founders Day 20 12 with the women of Epsilon Nu by participating in a potluck and a rededication ceremony in their club room on campus.

We spent much time outside during our recent Baltimore Alumnae events. In May,Angela Sorrem, Delta Nu, hosted us for a light vegetarian luncheon on her rooftop deck. We enjoyed the sunshine with a great view of the Ravens/M& T Stadium, and collected boxes of cold cereal for Our Daily Bread, a center run by Catholic Charities that serves meals to the underprivileged of Baltimore. Lauren Harman, Beta Mu, invited us to potluck at her home in June and in August, Pam Emory, Beta Mu, held a rainy but fun pool party and BBQ at her home in Clarksville.

We kicked off the fall with our annual brunch on the water at Little Havana, and an afternoon get-together at the home of Diane Raycob, Psi. Many congratulations to Diane on her recent retirement from teaching high school Latin! Also joining us for her inaugural event was our first Baltimore legacy, Caroline Ann , born in June to Kirsten and Josh Heck.

Our calendars are full through the end of the year with Wine & Chocolate in October and our annual Cookie Exchange in December. We will be collecting items for women and children in need to be donated to My Sister's Place in Baltimore city.

To get in touch with us: www.astbaltimore .org; baltimorealumnae@gmail.com; Baltimore Alumnae Chapter, PO Box 39154, Baltimore, MD 21212.

boston Greetings to all from the Boston Alumnae Chapter! We met regularly in March, April and May with a conference call in early April. We met at Uno's Pizzeria in Newton, MA in the Spring and utilized their new fundraising promotion called, "Dough Raisers" whereby 15% of receipts when presented with a special coupon created just for our group will be provided for our treasury. This special promotion will continue throughout the summer. It makes for a great excuse to have Uno's pizza on a regular basis.

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Rape Crisis Center and included a walk along the beautiful Charles River on the Cambridge/Boston town line. Several of our members provided monetary contributions to this effort. Other members have participated in various walks or similar philanthropy projects to which we have contributed on an individual basis. These include a yoga awareness program which was introduced to us by Joanna Barrett and the March of Dimes Walk which was introduced to us by Athena Mota.

We continue to sell tote bags that can be used as book bags, beach bags or grocery bags.These totes are silk-screened with our statement, "alpha sigma Boston Alumnae raising dough at Uno's tau: forging friendships forever." These totes can be ordered by contacting Yolanda Bauer at yolanda.bauer@verizon.net. If you plan to relocate to the Boston area, we encourage you to join us!

buffalo Sisters of the Buffalo Alumnae Chapter enjoyed a variety of monthly events in early 20 12.A winter luncheon was held at Victor's Restaurant hosted by Susan McNamara, Maria Dispenza Lagona, Pamela Wales Szafarczyk and Michele Luppino. The ever-popular Pound Auction followed the February dessert meeting at Bob Evans Restaurant. Maria Lagona was hostess. St. Patrick's Day was the theme for the March dessert meeting held in the home of Catherine Kieffer Gervase. The May meeting was held at McAuley Residence , home to our senior member, Eleanor Mason (age I 02 as of October 20 12).

As usual, there was outstanding representation from AST at the annual Greater Buffalo Alumnae Panhellenic Fundraiser held in April. The venue was the popular Paddock Golfdome.ln addition to the luncheon buffet and a theme basket auction, members had an opportunity to play miniature golf on the beautifully landscaped indoor course.Attendees could also opt to use the indoor driving range . It was a successful event benefitting the GBAP scholarship fund.

Another spring highlight was a bowling party at Tonawanda Lanes hosted by the Buffalo Alumnae. The party, chaired by Cathi Gervase, came together in early April and was attended by alumnae and members of Epsilon Mu Chapter (University at Buffalo).

The result was an entertaining afternoon for collegians and alumnae alike as they enjoyed 'wacky bowling', pizza and good company. While scheduling of joint alumnae-collegiate events is an on-going challenge due to conflicting work hours, semester breaks, night classes and other obligations, it has always proven to be a worthwhile endeavor. This event was no exception. It was a great opportunity for bowlers and other participants to make new connections and share a few laughs.

Kudos to Philanthropy chair, Holly LaBrake Ndeze, who planned monthly service projects including the "Cooks for Kids" program benefitting guests at Ronald McDonald House and collections of goods for several area charities such as the Buffalo State College Day Care, the soup kitchen at a local church,Vive' Ia Casa refugee shelter www.alphasigmatau.org

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and Ronald McDonald House. Some of the items collected were mittens, scarves, gloves, hats, canned goods, paper products, and toiletries, as well as, candy for Valentine and Easter goody bags. Support for Habitat for Humanity and Pine Mountain School continues to be a priority. The Buffalo Alumnae were honored that the chapter's philanthropy program was recognized at Convention.

In June, the chapter was treated to their annual mystery trip.This year, chair Holly Ndeze surprised members w ith an architectural bus tour of Buffalo. This is a popular pastime in Buffalo as the city is blessed with prominent works by H.H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan, E. B. Green and Frank Lloyd Wright among others. As an added bonus, the tour was led by Tim Thielmann, who is the driving force behind architectural preservation in Western New York. His insights enhanced an already educational and enjoyable outing. Guests lunched at Cole's Restaurant following the tour.

Next on the agenda was AST's National Convention. The Buffalo Alumnae were represented by President/delegate Nicole Moretta Ball, Board ofTrustees member Mary Glor Bolton, former national staff member (and newly elected Board ofTrustees member) Jean Ryckman McNamara and Sigma Chapter Advisor Catherine Kieffer Gervase. The workshops were top notch- excellent presentations of well-chosen , relevant topics. A highlight of the trip to Indianapolis was visiting national headquarters and seeing the memorabilia. What a wonderful collection!

It was fun locating familiar faces (including Mary, Jean, Nicole and others) among the historical photos and scrapbooks. The Ice Cream Social was great too! At the banquet, Mary and Jean were recognized among those attending the most conventions. Buffalo attendees were also proud of Mary as she was voted the convention's Alumnae Top Tau. It was a pleasure to spend this time with our national sisters. It was also a wonderful opportun ity to enhance bonds with attendees from our local collegiate chapters, Sigma (Buffalo State College) and Eps ilon Mu (University at Buffalo).

The Buffalo alumnae are looking forward to another active year of sisterhood.

erie The Erie Alumnae have been busy this year! In February we collected personal care items and non-perishable food to " Knock Out Homelessness" through the Erie City Mission.We held another Claytopia fundraiser in late March, which was well-attended and lots of fun! We participated in a local Habitat for Humanity build for the second consecutive year in May. Four sisters enjoyed a tour of our local wineries on June 9th. Our new officers were installed July 19th.

We held our summer picnic July 28th at Presque Isle State Park- sun , sand, fun, and great food! We are continuing with our service projects including the possibility of working events for the Presque Isle Runners' Club, for which we would be paid, as a fundraiser and service project.

Erie Alumnae juliann Zadawazki, Laurie Manning, jackie Oesmann, and Cathy Cipriani

greater chicago In Augu~t?O 12, we celebrated our last activity for the 20 I 1-20 12 year with our Annual BBQ. Sisters gathered to plan act1v1t1es for the 20 12-20 13 year, elect officers, and hear about the 39th National Convention.

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As usual, our calendar includes some favorites, such as the Holiday Party (with gift stealing) and Fondu e Party.W e are also planning some other fun activities and we invite you to join us.

Please check out (and join) our Facebook page- Greater Chicago AST Alumnae - fo r mo re about ou r activities and other AST information. For questions or more information , please contact Kris Haskin , President at krishaskin@gmail.com.

We look forward to sharing updates with you!

northern virginia Our alumnae chapter had a wonderful year with a variety of activities. Our success and good times would not have happened without our except ional ~==:::::~!" members and hostesses who make our events so speciai.We enjoyed Leadership Team meetings at Carol Mooney's home along with February's meeting. Charlotte Floyd made a wonderful Founders Day Dinner in November.

Cathy Schreiner invited us into her home to enjoy an ornament exchange and her beautiful Holiday decorations. In May, Margaret Huynh shared her No rthern Virginia Alumnae house and patio for an even ing of food and conversation.We also enjoyed evenings out to the Capital Brewing Company and The Melting Pot. Perhaps the highlight in itiative of this spring was the monthly Lu nch Bunch started by Cathy Schreiner. The group has attracted alumnae we haven't seen in years as well as col legians com ing off final exams.We look forward to this group continuing!

The chapter also contributed its share to the progress of mankind.The March meeting at Wegman 's resu lted in 23 pounds offood being donated to Lorton Community Action Center.We also gave to Feed the Hungry,Toys fo r Tots and Dress for Success.Thank you to everyone who donated their time , money and items to these o rgan izatio ns!

We have plenty to look forward to next year. The annual Panhellenic outing at Little Theater of Alexand ria w ill be in January; another delicious Founders Day meal at Charlotte Floyd's in November; a holiday celeb ration at Cathy Schreiner's home; along with two different restaurant outings and some old and new activities.

We have had a successful beginning to the fall. A highlight was watching the "Half the Sky" documentary with t he George Mason University Panhellenic community.Aiumnae and collegians came togethe r to watch this impo rtan t film and engage in a rich dialogue about how to leverage our power as so rority women to help women around t he world.

We look forward to seeing many returning and new faces at our events! If you are interested in joining ou r grou p, find us on Facebook.We would love to have you join us or at least get on our newsletter and Evite distri bution li st (contact us at astnorthernvirginia@gmail.com). Stay exceptional!

phoenix/valley of the sun Phoenix Valley of the Sun Assn. had a wonderful luncheon gathering at California Pizza Kitchen ,Tempe Marketp lace, on January 28 with 12 sisters attending. It was great to see some members who haven't been with us in aw hi le .

On March 24, members and guests traveled to Litchfield Park (west Phoenix) for an interesting tour of the hi sto ri c Wigwam Resort. They enjoyed lunch outdoors overlooking the golf course. www.alphaslgmatau.org

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success story The Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter has been around since 1948, and since that time has kept a pretty full schedule of meetings and other member events. Like many other alumnae chapters, though, life changes at times impact the number of women who are consistently involved and the chapter leadership team knew that some fresh ideas for membership were badly needed.

Long-time members Cathy Schreiner and Carol Mooney came up with the idea last year of holding monthly lunchtime gatherings at local restaurants. They thought it would be a great way to get to see sisters who could not regularly attend evening meetings.

In February 20 12, the first "Lunch Bunch" gathering was held in Fairfax,Va. Some of the sisters who attended had not been to an evening AST function in over 20 years!

Every month since then, we've met at a local restaurant, usually on the first Monday of the month. We've had Italian, Greek, burgers, salads, and pizza for lunch. The sisters who attend are retirees, stay-at-home moms, homemakers, sisters who work part-time, who have their own business, or who work near the restaurant. During the summer, sisters who are teachers have been able to attend .

And we always have prizes or something to take home with us, courtesy of Lucia Warner Bacon, who is a Creative Memories consultant. In June, Lucia handed out cards and asked us to write to one of the sisters present that day about our most memorable Fourth of July. In November, we will bring a Thanksgiving decoration to swap. We collect loose change for the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation and made a donation earlier this fall.

Now this doesn't mean we've given up our evening meetings. We still meet one evening a month from September through May and will continue to do so.We have found with our luncheons, though, that women are coming back to participate in a different way.

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Our Annual Meeting on April 28 was hosted by Carla Young at her home in North Scottsdale with another lovely outdoor luncheon.We planned activities for next year and celebrated Cynthia McCrory's SO year anniversary of her initiation into the Alpha Alpha Chapter, Ball State, on May 6, 1962. She was presented with a special certificate and yellow roses.

Contributions were made for Carla Whitmire's participation in two Susan G. Komen 60-mile three-day walks later this year as well as to Pine Mountain , and the Epsilon Alpha Chapter Scholarship Fund.

Three PVOS members continue to serve as consultants and advisors for the EA Chapter, making regular trips to Prescott. Four PVOS Members also belong to the Salt River Alumnae Pan hellenic Association.

southeastern louisiana The Southeastern Louisiana Alumnae Chapter has been busy planning installation and initiation events. On Saturday, June 2, th e chapter hosted an installation luncheon/banquet to install new chapter officers and initiate new alumnae members at Don 's Seafood and Steakhouse. Congratulations to all our Alumnae Officers and to the many ladies who continue to be involved by accepting their nomination to serve!

The chapter also celebrated its first initiation ceremony in August at the home of newly installed President Angie Tryone. lt was a lovely ceremony as eight alumnae affiliates were initiated into the chapter.

At the 39th National Convention, the National Foundation recognized the chapter's newly endowed foundation schola rship. The

Chapter raised over $6000 to fund the scholarship for members of the Phi Chapter in just two months! Rita Anne Bertolino, our immediate past Alumnae Chapter President, was the inspiration behind the newly formed scholarship.

11111!1!111

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Cameron and Marcia Comeaux Barr for their generous contribution of $2500 toward the scholarship, as well as other alumnae member donations.

stars & stripes Though our group meets virtually via Facebook, we have watched real friendships grow through the bonds of sisterhood, and through support of our armed forces. We have grown to 90 members, and there is constant activity on our page.

Phoenix/Valley of the Sun Alumnae

In September, seven of us finally met face to face . Hosted by Marion Kozar at her home in Maryland , we got together to assemble treat bags for our annual Halloween Treats4Troops project. We completed 370 bags wh ich were mailed overseas to six deployed heroes and distributed among their comrades in arms. It was a wonderful afternoon, and we hope to repeat the event again next fall. We received the following feedback from a deployed soldier:

"I wanted to thank you and your sorority sisters for the Halloween candy and snacks. My division has already gone through the snacks to grab their favorites. Thank your sorority for their support to the military. It is deftnitely appreciated by those that are away from home and their families."

As always, you can find us on Facebook by searching "Alpha Sigma Tau Stars & Stripes."

st. louis In less than two years, the St. Louis Alumnae Chapter has lost four dear sisters. You have read in the ANCHOR about the dedication on a National level of Elizabeth Wilson and Carolyn Alexander.We also will miss the decades of devotion , leadership, and friendship of our sisters Clara Marin and C la ri ce Winkler. Clarice celebrated I00 years of life befo re passing on.

SE -Louisiana Affiliates

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During the spring and summer, our chapter continued our tradition of international dining, including Greek, Chinese, Italian, and Indian. To commemorate the I 50th anniversary of the Civil War, we viewed an exhibit at the Missouri History Museum, entitled "The Civil War In Mis., sourr.

The highlight of our outings was "The Festival of Lights" at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Beautiful, huge silk lanterns were constructed on site

by Chinese artisans. Some were filled with china bowls and spoons and at night were lit from within.

Stars &o$tripes Alumnae

tidewater

Our alumnae chapter was established in 1964.The chapter has been very active from December 20 II with our annual holiday party to our final regular meeting in May and our social on June I 0.

The holiday party was held on December 4, hosted by Veronica Hill, Psi. The sisters and their significant others enjoyed food, football and hilarious antics during our ever-popular white elephant gift exchange, which included food, wine, gift sets and little favors for the men in attendance .

Our winter/spring meetings were kicked off on January 19 at the home of Paulette Crawford, Ps i. Sisters were impressed with Paulette's recently-completed home improvements. Our program was the enlightening and rich history of the local involvement of Norfolk and Portsmouth in the War of 1812. This was presented by Steven Forrest, son of Dianne Forrest, Psi, dressed in traditional war attire as a re-enactor. We also voted to support the ForKids homeless shelter in Norfolk for the spring with a collection of snacks, personal hygiene items and reusable bags and storage containers. We received a gracious and heartfelt letter from ForKids, expressing their gratitude for our donations throughout this winter and spring.

The February 16 meeting was held at the home of Joy Wotherspoon, Zeta. Joy and Veronica Hill, Psi, showed off their extensive research of wines and their history from all over the world. Sisters thoroughly enjoyed tasting the nine different wines with their paired foods.

On March 24, the annual TAPA luncheon and fashion show was held on the campus of Old Dominion University, which was coordinated in part by our own Becky Hobbs,Aipha Lambda.

April 19 was a special meeting held at the office of Citizens Committee to Protect the Elderly (CCPE) in Virginia Beach. This non-profit organization was created in 1996 and coordinates a system of 700 local volunteers who make weekly humanitarian visits to 41 of our area nursing homes and assisted living facilities, as well as keeps the office staffed with volunteers who answer phones, manage the office and complete data entry. Many sisters were left touched and inspired, and five sisters filled out applications to volunteer in different categories and are currently either in training or already volunteering.

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The meeting on May 17 was our annual potluck with inductions and installations.With Convention approaching in late June, Becky Schnekser, Zeta Tau, helped coordinate a scrapbooking session for sisters to complete their personal pages for the 20 I 0-20 12 book. We inducted Rebekkah Bury, Gamma Psi , into our chapter. Rebekkah is a 20 I I graduate of Michigan Tech University and moved to the Tidewater area in summer 20 I I. Officers were also installed at the May meeting. Rebekkah will be representing our chapter at Convention as a delegate and a member of the Nominations Committee.We presented Beth with $470 donated by the chapter to help with Convention expenses as she is a member of the NPC Delegation.

We continue to support our philanthropies of Pine Mountain, the AST National Foundation, Citizens Committee to Protect the Elderly, Habitat for Humanity and Samaritan House. The contributions are made possible through private donations, the sale of Entertainment books, monthly raffles and the annual September yard sale.

We mourn John Farris, the husband of our late sister Karen Farris who passed away two years ago. John lost his battle with cancer on May 26.We are comforting their daughter Stacey and their entire family.

We reflect on the past year and anticipate a successful continuation and end of 20 12.

Executive Direaor Jim Paponetti "throws diamonds" with Alpha Delta Pi sisters Chris Dickey and Collegiate Services Coordinator Aubrey Ramsey. Chris has served as Parliamentarian at the last four AI;T National Conventions.

AI;T NPC Delegates Carol Mooney, Beth MeDsker, and Joanne Walter pose with AI;T janet Dodson, President of the NPC Foundation, and AI;T National President Chris Covington at the National Panhel/enic Conference 2012 annual meeting in St Louis

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a tau in morocco

by Kirsten Newman Heck, Gamma Pi, Alumnae ANCHOR-E.ditor In the last issue of the ANCHOR, we introduced you to Amber Duffey, Gamma Psi, and her husband Tyler, who are spending 27 months in Morocco with the Peace Corps. Amber will be keeping in touch with the ANCHOR. Through her blog, we hope to bring you regular updates on her experiences abroad.

Amber and Tyler have safely arrived in Morocco, and completed their pre-service training. In that time, they stayed with a host family in the city of lfrane, Morocco, which Amber says helped greatly to understand Moroccan culture in many different ways. Their days were filled with studying Arabic, talking about Moroccan/American culture and planning events for the Sports Center/Dar Chabab in lfrane.They participated in a two-week spring camp, and helped out with Olympics and Talent Show events at the Sports Center.

On May 23rd, the Duffeys were officially sworn in as Peace Corps vo lu nteers, and just a few weeks later left the relative familiarity of their host family and moved into their own apartment. "Apartments in Morocco, unless they are furnished , do not come with anything 'extra,"' Amber says,"which means no fridge , oven , stove, o r hot water heater.Thank goodness they come with toilets, sinks, etc," The Duffeys, and all Peace Corps volunteers, have three goals in their work: I. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

To help meet these goals, Amber says, "We are teaching English classes three times a week, we meet with a tutor and walk around to meet people, we research lesson planning for our classes, and Tyler is a representative on the Volunteer Advisory Committee for the Peace Corps. But our work also extends beyond that, when we are walking in the street and stop to chat with someone, buying groceries from the market, or patronizing the same hanut (store) to purchase all of our kitchen supplies, in order to develop a relationship with them. Our work includes connecting with and getting to know the people who live on our street, in our city and in the Country of Morocco."

The work is rewarding, but is not without challenges. An excerpt from Amber's blog: "This evening, one of my students (who speaks English well) blurted out an English word that, culturally, contains a weight I still don't know how to explain. This is a word that conveys hatred while simultaneously containing a history of oppression and persecution. I have stopped asking how these kids learn these words, and attempted to tell him that the word is far from funny. After class, I had him stay after and tried to explain to him the weight of the word. I also encouraged him to research the word on his own, so he might understand why, but sadly, a large part of me knows that my words have fallen on deaf ears.

"This last low has affected me deeply. I cannot change every Moroccan man, obviously. Their views are deeply ingrained. So if a student wants to learn English to harass women in the future, ultimately I cannot decide what he does with his own knowledge. However, I can try my best to impress upon them the importance of treating people equally or that all America~ women (despite what the media portrays) do not ask to be touched because of what they wear or even to be yelled at mcessantly. l can attempt to show them that the color of someone's skin does not automatically assume something about their character or personality."

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collegians on campus

Icollegians

sigma (buffalo state college) The Sigma Chapter has been staying busy all summer and semester long! This past summer, the Sigma Chapter had the pleasure of attending the 39th National Convention, forming bonds with sisters from across the country.This fall semester, they proudly welcomed five new members to their growing sisterhood. The ladies also took part in the annual Breast Cancer Walk in downtown Buffalo and continue to spread their green and gold spirit throughout the community.

chi (shepherd university) From giving our utmost support to Relay for Life , teeter-tottering for 24 hours straight with Lambda Chi Alpha as a joint philanthropy, participating in various university/community activities, or the future work we plan to do with Habitat for Humanity, we have created a balance and work ethic stronger than most could dream of. Over the past year, we have initiated eight beautiful new budding roses Chi Chapter in both the Alpha Sigma and Alpha Tau new member classes. Both the active and newest members have taken on roles within our chapter to continuously guide all of us down the road to success that has been laid by the founders before us. Three sisters attended the 39th Annual National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, and brought back more information, excitement, and determination than anyone could ever imagine. They have put everything they have gained to use throughout every aspect of AST.The Chi Chapter was also the overall proud winner of Homecoming 20 I I, where sister Paige Greaser was crowned Homecoming Queen. Carrying on tradition, sister Hannah Cole was crowned as the 20 12 Homecoming Queen. Three hundred and sixty-five days flew by, but it's through these times that we have enjoyed, laughed , gained, lost, tried, and proven ourselves the most. Without sisters like those of Alpha Sigma Tau , there would be far fewer powerful, successful women in the world. With these letters we so proudly represent, there is no feat that is impossible and no act that will go without recognition. We look forward to the future and the bright paths that each and every sister will embark on down the road that we call life.

alpha lambda (radford university) The Alpha Lambda Chapter has had a successful and busy semester so far! We started the school year strong by joining our campus' other Greek organizations to help out with freshman move-in on August 29. Not long after, we began our informal fall recruitment and saw our largest new member class since spring 2008.We welcome Lauren Bittner, Kate DeCiark, Savannah DeRoma, Lakisha Ferguson, Angie Graham , Katrina Koussis, Kortni Lindsay, Carlie Mueller, Kristin Pinkard, Ericka Rumberger, Stacey Sadler, Chelsea Smith, Melissa Thayer,Victoria Tucker, Kaitlin Webb,TaylorWherrell, and Mariah Whitcomb. Not only is this our largest new member class in a while , but we effectively increased our membership by half, from 32 to 49.Aipha Lambda has turned the recruitment engines back on in the month of October to help increase our wonderful sisterhood even more. We are so excited to be making strides and exceeding expectations!

Aside from an amazing recruitment season,Aipha Lambda has participated in many outside activities as weii.Though we may not be the best, we enjoy playing flag football every Tuesday and Thursday night. On Homecoming weekend, we bonded with our alumnae as they flooded the Radford University campus. With their help and generous www.alphasigmatau.org

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donations, we raised more than $600 during our biannual Swing-a-Thon for Pine Mountain Settlement School.

This semester's Alumnae Weekend was toned down in order to prepare for next semester's, during which we will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of Alpha Lambda's founding at Radford University! We hope to have alumnae from each generation and decade in attendance for good, old-fashioned fun .

alpha xi (mansfield university of pennsylvania) This fall semester has been very busy for the Alpha Xi Chapter. We held a picnic for our alumnae and served pizza and refreshments as we sat and reminisced over the good ol' days of our chapter. We will participate in our homecoming parade and a Halloween walk in our local community soon. Recently, we helped host a blood drive at our school, along with other Greek organizations. In a few weeks we will aid the efforts of Habit for Humanity to build a house for a family in need.

This past spring, we completed a local service project,Adopt-a-Highway, where we cleared litter from a local road.

We held a coin drop to raise money for Pine Mountain Settlement Schooi.Aiso, we attended another sorority's fundraiser called Big Man On Campus, a male beauty pageant in which we entered a contestant and took home the gold. In our campus' Greek Week, we came in a close second place overall and placed first in events such as lip sync, kickball, and the Beauty and the Beast contest.We stayed all night at Relay for Life and raised money by hosting Slime-A-Tau, where we got green Jell-0 thrown on us.We had our formal this semester at the local golf course, Corey Creek. Overall, this year was a good year for us, and we plan on upcoming years being even better by getting even more involved in our campus community.

alpha phi (west chester university of pennsylvania) This fall has been a very exciting and busy time for the Alpha Phi Chapter. Recruitment went very smoothly and successfully, thanks to extensive planning and the help of all of our active members, especially recru itment chairs Elise Whitehouse and Marissa McCredie.AII of the hard work paid off, and our chapter has been privileged to gain 38 new members. New member educators Shannon Foote and Laura McCarthy are working hard to make the new members feel welcome and teach them the value of the strong sisterhood we have. We look forward to getting to know the new members and are planning various sisterhood Alpha Phi Chapter activities, including a Halloween-themed haunted house . We are looking forward to our annual Back-to-School Hoops fundraising event, which Jacqui Coppola, our vice president, is working hard to organize. Our fundraising chairs have been working on bake sales and planning other fund raisers to raise even more money for both our national and campus philanthropies. We were fortunate to have sent six members to convention and four to UIFI over this summer. We are one of the chapters chosen for the new membership development program. Sisters Kayleen Bodnar and Laura Honaker were chosen to facilitate this program in our chapter, and will continue to work with us to teach us the values

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we want to uphold. We are excited to say that our president Lauren Bolden has won the Top Tau award for great work in the organization this year! We can proudly say our chapter is reaching new heights and living by our motto: active, self-reliant, and trustworthy.

beta nu (bloomsburg university of pennsylvania) The Beta Nu Chapter has been on the rise! At last semester's Greek awards ceremony, we stole the show by winning several awards, including Best Fundraiser Event, Best Philanthropy Event, and Most Improved Chapter. The sisters did not stop there; we continued our hard work in the summer, working at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. These 14-hour days of hard work and dedication paid off, raising nearly $5,000 for our beta upsilon (new jersey chapter. We participated in Relay for Life, breast cancer institute of technology) walks, and Bocce Bash, a Special Olympics event.All of this Over this past summer, one of our sisters, Cindy would not be possible without our hard-working advisory Schottanes, traveled to Guatemala to work with board, which has just recently been filled. The sisters conHabitat for Humanity. For eight days, she worked tinue to work hard for our love of Alpha Sigma Tau. Snaps alongside four masons building a house for a family in for the Beta Nu chapter! the highlands of Coban. While beautiful and rich in culture, the country has an 80 percent poverty rate beta tau (university of massachuand a housing deficit of about 1.5 million units. One setts lowell) of the most significant challenges to housing in Beta Tau Chapter has been working hard in our philan- Guatemala is access to land. Many low-income famithropic efforts.We participated in our annual Walk a Mile lies have no legal proof that they own the land they in Her Shoes, an event where the males on campus walk inhabit.These properties rarely have basic utilities and a mile in women's red heels to raise awareness of sexual are often located in vulnerable areas, such as ravines assault and domestic violence against women. The chapter and riverbanks. Even when a family has moderate inlooks forward to attending the Habitat for Humanity Re- come or has managed to save a small amount of source Center in November at the new location in Low- money, obtaining a loan to purchase land or buy a ell. We have been working diligently on growing our home is often a challenge. Established in 1979 to improve the lives of low-income families in Guatemala chapter and hope to make positive changes on campus. through the construction of adequate , affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala was the first Habitat organization in the Latin America and Caribbean region . Since the construction of its first home more than 30 years ago, Habitat Guatemala has served more than 32,000 families and has extended its work to each of the country's 22 states.

Habitat for Humanity does much more than just build houses; it also raises awareness about the need for adequate housing, advocates for improved housing policy, and much more . It was one of the most rewarding experiences to feel as if we were contributing to something much bigger than ourselves.

Cindy will never forget the time she spent working with the family and she'd encourage all of our sisters Beta Upsilon sister Cindy Schottanes works with to go on a Global Village trip once in their lives.

Habitat for Humanity in Guatemala

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beta omega (monmouth university) The Beta Omega Chapter would like to congratulate and welcome our two new member classes.The Beta Delta class (spring 20 12) includes:Aiyssa Basile , Samantha Chapman, Kaitlyn Cozzi, Gina Gilanyi , Christina Gonzalez, Molly Gordon,Jenna Ferraro, Katherine Jaffe, Jamie Kotsines,Aiexis Kouser,Aiexandria Mclean, Rozalyn Morrow, Samantha Sexton, Lena Suarez, and Kristen Swank.The six new members who will make up the fall 2012 class, Beta Epsilon, are Tori Chilelli, Jackie DiPasquale, Kimberly Evans, Michele Lebiedziewicz, Marissa Poplawski, and Paridh i Shah. Beta Omega also welcomes transfer student Laura Eukorn from the AST chapter at Kutztown University.

Congratulations!

Last spring semester we held our annual philanthropic Love Struck event. We raised $1 ,600 for suicide prevention, our local philanthropy, in honor of one of our sisters. This semester, we have had our annual Su ici de Awareness Week where we sold yellow ribbons, had a bake sale, and informed students about suicide prevention. We were also a part of the Big Event this semester, which helped us get involved with local towns by participating in community service.Another event that will take place this semester is Pie a Professor, in which we, other Greeks, and professors at our university will participate to help raise money for the Ashley Lauren Foundation, which helps children with cancer.We look forward to participating in Greek Week in the spring and attending the events of other organizations on Monmouth's campus as well.

gamma gamma (university of west alabama) The Gamma Gamma Chapter has had a great start to the fall 20 12 semester. We began with a transition in Panhellenic recruitment from a minimal recruitment style to a partially structured style. Our women worked together through this transition, and we welcomed I0 new members into our chapter, exceeding campus total! We raised money for Pine Mountain Settlement School through a chapter-wide "change war," and we have plans to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild homes destroyed by the April 20 I I tornado in Tuscaloosa,Aiabama.We are looking forward to the rest of this semester, and another great year in Alpha Sigma Tau!

gamma lambda (kutztown university of pennsylvania) We hope our fellow sisters around the country are having a wonderful semester so far! The Gamma Lambda Chapter at Kutztown University has had an excellent start to the academic year. We gained twelve new women during formal recruitment, bringing our total number of sisters to more than SS.As a chapter, we recently participated in an End to Alzheimer's walk in Kutztown , where we raised more than $1 ,600 for the cause. The walk meant a lot to many sisters who have experienced the heartache caused by Alzheimer's disease . It was an amazing experience to feel the support of the chapter as a whole when some sisters needed it most.

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Our philanthropy plans for the future include our annual basketball tournament, Anchor Slam, and our male beauty pageant, Mr. KU.AII proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity and the Pine Mountain Settlement Schooi.Among other things, we plan to spend even more time bonding as a chapter because eighteen ladies will be graduating in the spring. While we are continuously growing in numbers, we are also growing individually and together as a sisterhood. We look forward to what next semester will bring us!

gamma xi (grand valley state univer-sity) It has been a busy semester so far for the sisters of the Gamma Xi Chapter-the highlight, of course, being recruitment weekend, during which we gained 29 wonderful new sisGamma Xi Chapter ters whom we are so excited to get to know and to show what it means to be an AST:Active , Self Reliant, and Trustworthy. Right now we are preparing for Homecoming week activities (the most popular among our sisters being the lip sync competition) as well as preparing for midterms.

gamma rho (seton hall university) The Gamma Rho Chapter started off a great fall semester with successful recruitment.We were proud towelcome the I I new members of the fabulous Alpha Sigma class, one of our largest new member classes in recent years. We were especially proud of our sister Liz Behrens, who was one of only two recipients of a Central New Jersey Alumnae Panhellenic Association 20 I 1-12 Scholarship.As a chapter, our ladies participated in a local Heart Walk to raise money for the American Heart Association as well as the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk.

During the 20 I 1-12 academic year, Gamma Rho welcomed 9 new members of the Alpha Pi class in the fall and I I new members of the Alpha Rho class in the spring. We also celebrated 20 years as a chapter at our annual Emerald Ball formal.

We look forward to continuing our philanthropic successes in the spring. Last year, Gamma Rho donated more than $1 ,000 to Pine Mountain Settlement School as a result of our first-ever Greek Week win and Rock-a-thon successes.

Gamma Rho Chapter

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gamma upsilon (california state university, los angeles) Greetings from California! The Gamma Upsilon Chapter had an amazing spring 20 I 2 quarter. In philanthropy, we raised $700 for the annual Relay for Life, a life-changing event that helps communities across the globe celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. We walked for the cause along with other campus organizations and ou r classmates, friends, and family.

This spring quarter, we gave our farewells to our graduating seniors: Jennifer Cruz, Vanessa Van Niman, Susana Galaviz, and Melissa Bishop. We wish them the best of luck in their new journey.

At the same time , we welcome four new mem-

Gamma Upsilon Chapter

bers: Bree Lacey, Melissa Silva, Brenda Sanchez, and Faviola Vazquez.They hosted our semiannual Mr. Greek, which was extremely fun! We are excited to have them as new additions to our chapter and we are thrilled for them to experience recruitment with us this fall.

We are proud to say that for Greek Week, Gamma Upsilon Chapter won lip singing and academic bowl, where we had lots of fun and created a lot of memories.

We are thankful to our former adviser, Samantha Pankau Thomas, who helped us above and beyond this past year.

We are grateful for all the guidance and advice she provided us. We wish her the best in whatever comes her way!

gamma psi (fitchburg state university) The ladies of the Gamma Psi Chapter are jump-starting our year with a lot of energy! Our Educational Consultant, Lauren lrby, recently visited and gave us great advice to keep our sorority thriving. Last semester we won Greek Week, being the first sorority on campus, and we plan to do it again! We are getting ready for our annual board-game-a-thon to raise money for Pine Mountain Settlement School. Last semester, we are happy to say, we were able to raise more than $4,000 for our local philanthropy, RAINN (Rape , Abuse and Incest National Network).We are striving to progress and expand this year, .;." l£ ... and look forward to many more op~~ t' portunities to volunteer. We are ~ -\t' e, honored to say we won our .. . ! school's 20 12 awards for volunteer " and Greek organization. We are ~\ , I ' Jjl. . ,.

I grateful that we are being acknowlr... .J. . ) ¥,/, edged for all the hard work we put in on a daily basis.We are really tryGamma Psi Chapter

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ing to advance our philanthropy and our volunteer skills. This semester we planned an awesome recruitme nt with an Old Hollywood theme, and are happy to say we have eight new members. It was a great way to exhibit t he classy and sassy side of Alpha Sigma Tau. We are very excited this year to strive to our highest potential and beyond.

delta eta (belmont university) Delta Eta began the school year immediately with recruitment. More than 250 women went through the process and 60 became new members of Alpha Sigma Tau-the biggest pledge class Delta Eta has had yet.

The new members and the pledges of Alpha Tau Omega had their second annual Teeter Totter event to raise money for AT• 's philanthropy, Blood:Water Mission. The event lasted for 36 consecutive hours and raised a total of $940.

Delta Eta Chapter's Alpha Epsilon New Member Class

Delta Eta members and the chapter as a whole have been recognized multiple times this semester.The chapter was honored to receive Tennessee Voices for Children's volunteer of the year award at their annual banquet. Cou rtesy chair Alissa Vanalesti was chosen to be one of Phi Kappa Tau 's dream girls and President Kailey Pearce was chose n to be Alpha Tau Omega's sweetheart. Samantha Beringer and current alumnae liaison Lexie Deeb we re accepted into the Belmont West program, in which they will spend a semester in Los Angeles. Christina Burke was accepted to study abroad in Florence, Italy.

delta rho ( chowan university) The lovely ladies of Delta Rho had an exciting spring semester! We participated in Relay for Life , where we raised more than $700 for the American Cancer Society. The chapter also held a Woman less Fashion Show in which male volunteers dressed up as women to raise money for Relay for Life. We were able to send two representatives to the 39th Annual Convention this past June. EmilyVann, one of the representatives, said, " I had a wonderful time! It was a very eye-opening experience of learning, laughter, and love."

delta tau (oakland university) This is an exciting time for the ladies of the Delta Tau chapter. This past winter we were recognized as the Greek Organization of the Year on our campus. During formal recruitment, we gained IS new ... ~\\ 0 Of ' .... members, which practically doubled our chapter size! With this ·, •...•''"'' exciting news, we are now in the process of transitioning to the Delta Rho Chapter delegates at Convention workings of a larger chapter. We are also participating as a pilot chapter for the membership development program for Alpha Sigma Tau. It is a rewarding experience and we are grateful to be a part of it! Du ri ng the fal l semest e r we have had many exciting events. We participated in the Zoo Boo at the Detroit Zoo, handing out candy an d r un ning www.alphasigmatau.org

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THE ANCHOR of Alpha Sigma Tau • 33

games for children. We also participated in Make a Difference Day, where we helped out at Haven and The Baldwin Center in Pontiac , Michigan. As one of our annual events, we also held a Mother/ Daughter get-together, where our sisters and their mothers got together, ate delicious food , played games, and did crafts. For this winter semester, we are excited to participate in more philanthropy events and growing our chapter even more .

Delta Tau Chapter

delta psi (johnson and wales university) Joining Alpha Sigma Tau is like getting married, and the sisters of this beautiful organization will not divorce those initiated into the family. Sisters become sisters for life-one lifelong family wherever they may travel. Last spring term, the sisters initiated four beautiful young ladies into their family. These ladies have found their home in our chapter and have taken on different roles such as publicity, assistant treasurer, and editor.They instantly found their connection with this group of women and became . part of the family.

This fall term, Delta Psi proudly announces that I0 new ladies are on their way to becoming initiated into the sisterhood. Their bid day experience was slumber party themed, with pillows, blankets, food, and a lot of talking.

This fall we had our annual fall retreat, where the sisters talked about ways to become more of a family and bonded through hiking, hot tub Delta Psi Chapter time, and other "girl sleepover" events. We look forward to volunteering at the Broncos games th is fall. We are also preparing for our Alumnae Tea and our annual philanthropy event for Pine Mountain Settlement School.

epsilon beta (the university of texas- pan american) The young ladies of the Epsilon Beta chapter have worked hard in fall 20 12 to promote sisterhood, academics, and community service. Our recruitment through Pan-American Panhellenic was a huge success and we are proud of the outcome of 17 new members. We have enjoyed working with Delta Zeta and have started to prepare for the spring.

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epsilon zeta (the university of virginia's college at wise) The sisters at The University ofVirginia's College at Wise were excited to welcome nine Tau-some new members to the Epsilon Zeta chapter.This semester has been filled with many events and multiple fundraisers , including a cake walk, bake sales, and partnering with the new Auto Zone to host a successful car wash. Already, we have dived into several workshops and sisterhood events to strengthen our bond. As of late, we are hosting our first Thirty-One fundraiser to contribute to our Convention account to prepare for the 40th Convention in 20 14.

With our third annual Link for the Cure fund raiser, we were able to raise $215 for our local cancer center in Norton, Virginia.The sisters set up a table during homecoming week and at the homecoming football game, where we sold our links. Once the week came to a close, we put the links together along the football field fence to display awareness.We were especially eager to beat last year's goal and we did so by a long shot! This fundraiser is special to us because not only are we able to give back to a good cause, but our student body, alumnae, faculty/staff, and community get the opportunity to do the same.

epsilon nu (mcdaniel college) The women of the Epsilon Nu Chapter have been busy with informal recruitment this semester. We are nearing the end of the fall recruitment season and have welcomed four amazing new sisters.

Our philanthropic endeavors include volunteering at a scarecrow tent for the Stacey Davis Breast Cancer Fund at Westminster's annual Fall Fest. In late October we will help with McDaniel's annual blood drive , and in November many of our sisters will participate in the campuswide Terror Trot, a SK run/I.SK walk that will benefit the Skin Cancer Foundation .The women of AST continue to volunteer at the Humane . . .IIIIIIPI!!. .

Society of Carroll County, our local philanthropy, and we are currently planning a campuswide fundraiser for Pine Mountain Settlement School.

All sororities at McDaniel College gathered to support National Hazing Prevention Week on Friday, September 28.AII the women wore anti-hazing bracelets supplied by the McDaniel College Panhellenic Council. While this was a one-week event, it is also an ongoing commitment to stand against hazing.

In terms of sisterhood activities, the Epsilon Nu ladies traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in September.We went on a spooky ghost tour and then camped out at a local campground. We played games, made s'mores, and told stories by the fire. The feelings of sisterhood were truly alive that night.

Epsilon Nu Chapter

Two of our sisters, Mae Alexander and Shelley Hierstetter, played starring roles in the campus' production of Hairspray in October. Many sisters attended the show to support our two actors.We were blown away by how much talent they have! We are so proud of our sisters and all of their accomplishments both in and out of the sorority.

We are excited to continue growing in the image of our founders.

We hope that every chapter's fall semester has been successful!

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~ service immersion trip to hawaii This past summer, several Alpha Sigma Tau members participated in a service immersion trip to Hawaii. The trip was facilitated by the Leadership Institute. Collegiate members can apply online to be considered for the trip, and are interviewed over the phone by a Leadership Institute staff member to see if this trip would be a good (lt. (The trip involves a long ~ight and very long days with little sleep.) AI;Ts Executive Director checks all references the applicants provide. Members who attend are expected to pay for their travel and registration.

After participating in the two-story Odyssey ropes course on their (lrst day, Alpha Sigma Tau members spent I 0-12 hours

each day performing service work, then held leadership discussions every evening. AI;T Executive Director Jim Paponetti said that this trip was chosen because "it's in line with our values and the progress of mankind, with a global impact. Our members are service oriented."

Alpha Sigma Tau collegiate members will have the opportunity to apply for a trip in the summer of 2013. Paponetti hopes to eventually run more than one service immersion trip each year.

Chelsea Blythe, Delta Rho, was one of the participants in the 2012 trip and told us about her experience.

I applied for the Hawaii Service Immersion Trip last year by submitting an application to the Alpha Sigma Tau website. One week later, I received a phone call from Erin Fischer [of the Leadership Institute]; we did a phone interview to see if I would be a good candidate for the trip. This trip had a definite selection process. Now that I have been on the trip, I definitely understand that the trip requires effort and willingness to participate in activities.

After the interview we all had to wait a grueling few weeks to see if we made the cut. I will never forget getting my phone call from Erin early one morning. They were supposed to have called us a week prior, so I figured I hadn't made the cut. She asked, "So Chelsea, you wanna go to Hawaii?" I jumped up and down for a whole hour.

It------::;-'

Some ofthe plans changed from the initial agenda:The Habitat for Humanity program fell through due to reasons beyond our control , but the good news is we got to focus all of our attention to ecological and plant community service, which meant we were outside every single day. The day I left, I was a nervous wreck. My fiance dropped me off at the airport and the only thing I had in my hand was a piece of paper with a name on it and a number to dial when I got there. I was to meet ten women about whom I knew -~''"'' nothing. The only thing I knew was that I was probably the only one with the thickest southern accent and probably the only one from our region which meant that I was the one that lived the farthest away. Hawaii is a six hour time difference from here (eastern US), so that is a very long flight.

The minute I got off the plane I was embraced by ten amazing :LT women.We stayed the entire week at YMCA Camp Erdman in Honolulu. On the first day, we participated in one of the world's only Double Decker Ropes Courses. We had to work as a team to get all the way across; mind you I was working with women 1 hadn 't even known 24 hours before! That night we visited the Polynesian Culture Center and learned all about Hawaiian lega-

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service immersion trip to hawaii ~ cies and culture. They believe in Ha, the breath of life, whi ch is essentially the circle of life. It is pretty amazing.

On Day Two the work began. Right now, Hawaii has two major issues going on. People from the mainland (that's us) are unknowingly and knowingly bringing invasive species of plants onto the island through planting, or through the bottoms of their shoes and even on their clothing.Those seeds are sprouting and growing plants that are not native to the island. We spent much of the week relocating plants and seeds all day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

We learned about Hawaiian history and culture in a valley known as Kahluna Valley where only family members of certain Hawaiian ancestries were allowed to live. We built a rock retaining wall for a fish pond. We met with a family who lived on a fish quarry and tried to help them strategically plan the best way for their business to process, package, and promote their fish products.The Hawaiian Fish Company is facing several issues, as is the rest of the island , with exportation/importation. Almost everything in Hawaii is imported. It is so expensive to ship anything to or from Hawaii due to gas and oil prices.The price of gasoline is Hawaii was over $4.00 this summer, and the price to live there is very high . Companies are having a difficult time promoting their products and/or shipping them anywhere in a cost-effective way.

I went kayaking out to a bird sanctuary and stripped weeds from their homes and cleaned up trash. I kayaked with live sea turtles! I jumped from a waterfall and jumped from a rope swing. I visited a taro patch which is one of the island's biggest crops (taro is like our sweet potato here on the mainland). I visited a luau and even tried Hawaiian dancing! I visited Go Green projects started by celebrities. Hawaii is deeply rooted in family and staying green. They have a state law called the seven generation rule. Every decision made for the state of Hawaii is based on how it will affect the next seven generations of their state.

The most emotional day for me was visiting Peal Harbor. I cried a lot. Unless you have been there, it is so difficult to imagine because, in the movies, it looks like a big area. It is not; it is so tiny. I saw the resting place of the USS Arizona, and when I read about the heroes still entombed down there, it touched my heart deeply.

The week was absolutely life changing. I attended leadership classes every night and learned so much about myself.

Every sister was different, but they changed my life forever.

Many people have negative opinions about sororities, but organizations such as Alpha Sigma Tau and Women's Leadership Institute are breaking down these walls. It is a new era for women's leadership and the sisters I worked with this week have dreams, ambitions, and goals and they won't stop until they reach them. Women like these are the leaders of our future.

I know I can speak for all the sisters on the Service Immersion Trip and say that we are also so grateful for this opportunity given to us.We all still talk all the time and we are so thankful to have had Erin Fischer and Gretchen Stahl [ALT's Director of Membership Growth] on the trip. I'd like to thank everyone who helped me in fundraising for this trip; it was hard work but it was so worth it! www.alphasigmatau.org

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t anchoring thoughts From Hazing to Real Sisterhood- One Chapter's journey Forward (by Emily Leung) reprinted with permission from the Alpha Chi Omega blog, in honor of September - National Hazing Prevention Month Transition is defined as movement, passage or change from one position, stage, concept, etc., to another; change.Th is story of trans ition is my chapter's.

I was in the last new member class of my chapter that experienced hazing. I "pledged" during spring 20 I 0 and in all honesty, it felt like the longest semester ever; keep in mind , it was my second semester as a freshman .

When my recruitment buddy and I went to the information session we were really interested in only a few chapters.Aipha Chi Omega really stuck out for us.We discussed how the ladies were fun to talk to and down to earth. I still vividly remember our excitement waiting for our bids! Little did we know, the chapter we thought we were joining was something of a mirage - it wasn 't at all what we were led to believe.

As the pledge process began - and that's what it was, a "pledge" process - I had no idea what I was in for. Our first " bad" event was something I never thought could be real. I asked myself, "What did I get myself into?" Throughout the semester, this thought periodically would go through my mind. I resented the members who were the leaders of th is whole system. How could people who called themselves sisters treat each other this way? They justified their actions by telling us things were worse in the past, and for some unknown reason their justification was also the reason why I never left. In my head , I thought, "Well , if it was worse before, then I must have it lucky." After all, the hazing I experienced wasn 't physically traumatizing. It was more excess ive and unnecessary. While I love every single member I have met through my specific chapter, I seriously could not wrap my head around the hazing.Why? It wasn 't just me.This thought went through multiple members ' minds- I know this is true because I've discussed it with them. So if more than one member was upset by this, why did we do nothing? This question will never be answered.

There is this notion out there in the world, and particularly in communities like ours, that hazing our newest members somehow strengthens our bond -that it makes better sisters and stronger chapters. But, if that's true , then why were we a disaster? Because our chapter was a disaster ... in every sense of the word.We were on probation from Headquarters, our morale was low, our membership numbers were declining, our finances were a mess , and we fought with each other constantly. Common sense would tell you why- how could we start someone's membersh ip by degrading them, and then expect them to be invested in our chapter? But obviously, common sense doesn't play a big role in hazing.

I'd love to say we came to this realization on our own, but we didn 't.We got caught - plain and simple. And it was the best thing that could have happened. From the moment the National President stood in our chapter room and told us we had to fix it or lose our charter, there was a shift.Trust me, it wasn't easy.There were members who decided the " new" chapter wasn 't what they signed up for, and I was sad to see them go. Our membership numbers got so low we had less than one half of campus total. There were moments when it seemed the obstacles were too high and the benefits too low, and it simply would have been easier to give up.We were discouraged and the morale was low. But we soon realized the excess baggage and negative attitude was gone when we made the proactive choice to move forward. Once we had that realization- that shift that happened during the National Pres ident's vis it really kicked in. At the end of recruitment, we had doubled our chapter size and we could see the effect of the changes being made.

Today, in this moment, I am so happy I didn't leave. My chapter has learned and grown so far from what it was before - it has been completely re-vamped.We are off probation and near campus total. Our finances are positive. But most importantly: our sisterhood is truly strong, and it's real. In the past, we were told that hazing was a sign of respect of the older members. But now, when we look at our chapter, we have more respect for each other than when I joined. None of our members have been terrified of what will happen next and no one has been intentionally disrespected. All of those things we looked to get through hazing- respect, dedication, friendship - happened when we stopped degrading each other and started treating each other the way we tell the outside world we do. It took a lot of commitment, help and patience from a lot of people - my sisters, our alumnae, our advisors, and the Headquarters staff. Along the way, we stumbled and we fell , but our sisters- both those in our chapter and not - were there to help us stay on the right path .

Again it goes back to transition: movement, passage or change from one position, state, concept, etc., to another; change.Th is is exactly what we needed t~ embrace to be better.And we , as a chapter and sisterhood, continue to be comm itted to th is movement, th is change.

Because we know It can work - we are proof. We are a full blown sisterhood and we intend to make actions to further this bond and love for a lifetime.And we hope you 'll do the same.

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Drive Safely After Dark Do you hate driving at night? You're hardly alone. In fact, 7 out of 10 drivers in the U.S. fear evening driving because of the lack of visibility, according to an industry study. Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed are worried about hitting a person or an animal, and onequarter are concerned about not seeing road markings.

With this in mind, consider these preventive measures to help you make it safely down the road.

Prep for Success Before you head out, make sure your visual tools are in order. Adjust all mirrors and check to see if the dimming feature on the rear-view mirror is set, if you have one. "If you're driving in the country- where there is no ambient light-make sure beforehand that both of your head I ights are working and they ' re clear of mud, film, ice and snow," says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com.

Pay Attention to Your Headlights Modern vehicles often allow headlights to get adjusted on the fly from the driver's seat. "You want to make sure they 're set low for city driving and higher for country driving," Reed says. If an oncoming vehicle's headlights are too bright, move to a lane that's not in direct view. If headlights behind you are too bright, find a safe place to pull over to let the car pass, or move to the right-hand lane.

Keep It Clear After the sun goes down, bad weather can be intimidating. Be sure your wiper blades are in top form and your wiper fluid is topped off. Keep a working ice scraper with you and make sure your windows are clean. "Once you're in the car, use your defrost/defog feature on cold, damp nights," says Art Jacobsen, vice president at CarMD. "Make sure the air is drawing from outside and not in 're-circulation ' mode, which will take longer to defrost and defog your widows."

Stay Alert Avoid mobile device usage and keep your eyes moving. "Look for reflectors, pedestrians, animals ' eyes, debris-especially if it's windy or stormy-and stalled cars ahead," Jacobsen says. "Be aware of any cars near you so you can prepare to slow, stop or change lanes as needed."

Don't Outdrive Your Headlights "That means that if you can't stop within the area that's illuminated in front of you," Jacobsen says, "you're driving too fast."

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