B U I LT F O R S I S T E R H O O D
A Flavor All Its Own Few things connect us to the people, places and experiences we love as powerfully as our favorite foods. A few bites or a drifting aroma—even a mere mention— can be enough to instantly transport us to cherished memories, treasured friendships and moments indelibly etched in our hearts. Among members of Pi Beta Phi, favorite foods often include specialties from our time in the chapter facility. Whether it’s the comfort food we crave after a long day of classes, a treat with a dedicated following on campus or a delicacy reserved for special celebrations, the recipes and dishes we savor during our college years give our Pi Phi chapter experience a flavor all its own. For Ohio Theta NICOLE ERDELJAC, the meals prepared by longtime cook Barb Self are deeply interwoven with her memories of the chapter house. Every Thursday for decades, Barb made endless grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch. “If you ask an Ohio Theta about their favorites from their time in the chapter, it’s likely Barb and grilled cheese Thursdays,” Nicole smiles. “Some of my fondest memories from college involve sitting around our kitchen tables, surrounded by sisters, dunking grilled cheeses and talking about life.” Love for the culinary tradition extended far beyond Ohio Theta members—an invitation to lunch at Pi Phi was coveted among students at Bowling Green State University. “The whole campus knew about it and our friends would try their hardest to get an invite to lunch that day,” Nicole laughs. “Barb would make enough so we could bring guests to experience the same joy we did. We even talked about it during recruitment. So many of our fun conversations revolved around food!” Yet the nostalgia Nicole feels for the meal transcends the food itself. Though nearly
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From left: Chef Barb Self (third from left) and Ohio Thetas NICOLE ERDELJAC, JESS FERGUSON, MEGAN HANCZ MURRAY, KAYLA DRIETH BOGNER and EMMA HEITMEYER DONADIO gathered at the Ohio Theta facility during Bowling Green State University's Homecoming in October 2016.
10 years have passed since their graduation, she and her sisters still consider Barb’s specialty an important connection point to their time in the chapter. "Grilled cheese is the quintessential comfort food, and it makes me think of home,” Nicole says. “It takes me right back to a place where I’m constantly surrounded by sisters and support. No matter what your day was like, the Pi Phi house was always there waiting for you. It stood for something consistent and stable, something you could count on during a time that wasn’t always easy—we were stressed, juggling classes and work. Knowing the chapter house and a group of women were there waiting as a support system, just on the other side of the door, was special. It was a safe space where you knew what you would get.”
