Monday, February 17, 2014

2014 Officers

In November, Zeta chapter held elections for the 2014 officers. These women are extremely involved in the chapter, with everything from keeping minutes to planning Founder's Day, creating sisterhood events to making birthday gifts, and everything in between. Throughout the next year, these ladies will be helping Zeta develop and grow.

2014 Zeta Leader's Council:


President, Emily
VP of Administration, Charlsie
Zeta has allowed me to meet the most amazing people who challenge me and support me. Through the connections I've made with both active members and alumnae I've created a college experience that I am positive no one will be able to recreate in a million years." 
VP of Standards, Ericka

VP of Education, Emily
VP of Academic Development

"My sisters mean the world to me, and I can't imagine sharing my time at college with anyone else. They're my family away from home and a constant reminder of how blessed I am. That is what AOII means to me."
VP of Communications

VP of Chapter Development, Jaclyn
New Member Educator, Alia

"My grandbig, in my initiation card, gave me a few pieces of advice for my time as an active and one of the things that really resonated with me was to "hold a position in the house because it will increase your bond." And I have found that holding position does just that."
VP of Philanthropy

Treasurer, Madi
Panhellenic Delegate, Taylor

"I had to wait 18 years to find my best friends, but I wouldn't have it any other way."
Social Chair, Kayla

Keeper of the Ritual, Maci
Alumnae Relations, Kate
“Being part of AOII, and especially being an officer, has given me the opportunity to be apart of something larger than myself. " 

Corresponding Secretary, Elise
Recording Secretary

Property Manager, Kara
"When I joined AOII, I had this feeling that I was joining a house that was full of the type of women I wanted to become. Now, I have this feeling that the ties I feel to this organization are more than feelings of allegiance, they are feelings of unbreakable sisterhood."
VP of Membership Recruitment, Rachel

2014 Zeta Cabinet:


Asst. Standards


Asst. Academic Development, Maggie


“To me, AOII means home. That may be a tad cheesy, but this is somewhere I can go whenever and I am surrounded by all these girls who would do anything for me. I can go in bawling or laughing hysterically and no one will judge me and most will join in with me. It truly is somewhere where I am completely comfortable and love to be.


Asst. New Member Educator, Maddie

Asst. Philanthropy, Kaitlyn
Asst. Property Manager, Kelly

"I want to be more involved in Zeta because I want to be a part of making our chapter into something even greater than it already is." 
Asst. Keeper of the Ritual, Josha

Asst. Social Chair, Paige
Asst. Chapter Development, Abbey

“The biggest thing I will take away from being officer is the relationships I will build with my sisters." 
Activities Chair, Lauren

Volunteer Chair, Allison
Song Leader, Bridget

"AOII makes this huge school feel like a small community. I've only been a member for a few short months, and I can already tell that these girls will be my best friends for the rest of my life." 
Spirit Chair, Megan

Historian, Jordan
Apparel Chair, Abbey
“Alpha Omicron Pi is very important to me because it's something that my Mom and I both share. I had been in the house several times before rushing and I knew this is where I wanted to be! I love all the ladies and the second family I have in AOII is what I really need in college.”

Intramurals Chair, Caitlin
Awards Chair, Michaela
Technology Chair, Anna

"Going through the stress and excitement of rush, I found my home in AOII.   All of the girls in the house and especially the girls in my pledge class have made me a better person and in getting to know them, I couldn't think of any other group I’d rather be part of." 
Website Chair, Sydney

Each of these ladies has an exciting plan for the upcoming year and we can't wait to help Zeta grow!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Life away from the Pi: Studying Abroad (Pt. 1)

This semester, Zeta has 4 members travelling and studying somewhere else. Three girls are taking the opportunity to study abroad in Germany, England, and Ecuador. Another took an internship in New York City with Anderson Cooper 360.

Zeta member Kailey Kumm is currently enjoying a semester in Germany. Luckily, she has plenty of social media options to keep in touch with all of us. Here's what Kailey has to say about her trip so far:

What does one do while studying abroad in Berlin, Germany, you may ask?  Two words: Haagen Dazs. OK, OK, so ice-cream consumption isn't the only thing I do, but I must admit that it is indeed high on my priority list.  Here's the scoop on a typical day in Berlin:  I wake up around 7AM and get ready for school, catch breakfast (always toast with copious amounts of Nutella... I mean, I am in Germany), and then I go to my tram stop.  I catch my tram, and, if I'm lucky, get a seat.  Then, I wait fifteen minutes on the tram until I hear a prerecorded sound clip play, 'Oranienburger Tor.'  A few minutes of walking later I arrive at school.
     Studying German grammar, for anyone unfamiliar, is comparable to clipping your toenails, or counting ceiling tiles, as in it's super boring... but necessary, if you want to learn German!  I have this theory that Germans get their reputation/stereotype for being 'angry' because they might just be thinking of how to conjugate an irregular verb in second-person formal Subjunktiv II, or some other similarly infuriating grammatical conundrum of the German language.  My schedule naturally varies from day to day, but I'm finished with classes by 2:30 every day excluding Monday and Wednesday, at which point I have my UNL-Faculty-led German culture and history class (also taught in German).  I have two or three regular rotating teachers, but my favorite by far is Wolfgang (and yeah, his name is ACTUALLY Wolfgang.  Awesome, right?)  Post-school hours I sometimes go with my friends to Alexanderplatz, at which there is a mall and other fun things, and then other times I just go home to my guest family.
     My guest family is pretty cool-- lots of students live with older retired people, but I live with a family with two young daughters-- ages 5 and 11.  I've taken to watching movies with the girls, because 1) kids movies are a great way to learn a language, and 2) who doesn't want to watch Beauty and the Beast in German?  Also, the Princess and the Frog, Frozen, and Aladdin (Sidenote: Aladdin is the only title that doesn't change to a German title, e.g. Die Schöne und das Biest, Die Eiskonigen, etc.).  I also frequently build block castles and braid Barbie dolls' hair because, hey, it's fun, and it's also difficult to come up with a reason not to when my five-year-old host sister has her heart set on playing with me.  
      I've seen lots of castles and statues and palaces and so on and so forth, and while they're all super cool, what I enjoy most is meeting new people and discovering the lesser-known but all-the-same cool places in Berlin.  It's not all easy, though, being away... but when I do feel homesick, it's comforting to know I always have my family, friends, and AOII sisters to reach out to-- whether through a Snapchat, Facetime conversation, amusing Facebook post, or even snail mail, it all makes the transition to a new place and new language easier.  I leave you now with a picture of me and my new friend, Augustus Something-or-other, who clearly needed some attention, and another picture showing the despair I have felt at every museum I've ever been to, since no one's allowed to touch anything.  I miss you all bunches!  Ganz liebe Grüße!
ALFA, Kailey