Strawberry Shoutout #3

Makenna:

You are always so kind to everyone. You are always so positive and never fail to put a smile on my face. You are always the first one to say hi to me and give me a hug, which makes my day! I feel so loved when you are around. You personify what being a sister really means. I am so proud of the work you are doing in your position. Your attitude encourages people and the way you go about your events is done so well, I can't wait to see what else you do for our chapter. I know you will do amazing things! Your hugs and kind words are very much appreciated. 

My Strawberry Shoutout goes to,

Rho Gamma*

Nursing Home Visit

Some of our members volunteered at Arbor Nursing Home in Nacogdcohes, Tx. We had a great time chatting and playing bingo with a few lovey ladies. "They were very sweet and funny women to spend time with, they cracked jokes left and right. It was so unexpected, but they had me on the floor laughing," Jessica. "As we were waiting to set up for bingo, one of the ladies came to chat with us. She had us all dying when she said 'Let's hope they get the room set up soon before we all die, that could be any time now'." 

Strawberry Shoutout #2

"Rho Gamma":

You're always so fun to be around and we got so close with each other last semester. You're someone I have always looked up to and I learned so much from you the past year. I am so thankful I got to know you because you have inspired me to do a lot of things inside and outside of Zeta. You helped me through tough times and I know that if I ever needed anything you would be there for me. I would have never had the courage to apply for Panhellenic EC if it wasn't for you. 

My Strawberry Shoutout goes to,

Makenna!

Strawberry Shoutout #1

This semester we started a new way to bond with our sisters and to let them know just how much we love and appreciate one another! It's called our Strawberry Shoutout! Every week one member writes a message to another member in the chapter who holds a special place in their heart. Want to see what it is like to be a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha? We'd love to share it with you! ZLAM!

Jessica:

You are always so fun and bubbly. And you are the person I run to when things go a little haywire in my life. Our lives can get chaotic but we always know we can rely on each other to keep our selves grounded. Sometimes we both need a good knock in the head but at least we do dumb stuff together. The more each semester goes on, the closer and closer I get to you. I'm so thankful to have a sister like you in my life.

My Strawberry Shoutout goes to,

"Rho Gamma"

ZTA Summer 2013

Wow time sure does fly by! Is it June already? Fellow readers, we apologize for the delay for a new post.  So many exciting things have happened since we last wrote, and we are so sorry to keep you waiting this long to hear about them.

In May we said farewell to many of our ZTA seniors. While some have graduated, and some continue to seek higher education in the larger services of SFA, it's always hard to say goodbye especially to those who have been leaders in this chapter and have made so many positive changes for the pledge classes ahead of themselves.  So our Alumnae Collegiate chairman, Caitlin Chandler made sure they were able to see how much we appreciate them during their senior week with special activities planned for every day of the week, and their very special senior ceremony at the end of the week where they were inducted into the Alumnae world. We are so proud of our seniors and know they will be doing amazing things in their futures.

Now that summer is here, we have our ZTA's doing so many awesome things. Many ZTA's at SFA are seeking real job experience with internships in various job fields this summer for companies like AmeriCommerce Ecommerce Solutions, Clear Lake Specialities, Bridgeport Camp and Conference Center, Houston Press, Cameron, and Cinemark. Others are vacationing, volunteering, and taking summer school.

Morgan Anderson: Caribbean Cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel

"I loved being in paradise! Always in the sun, tried so many different types of food, and got to experience things you can't do in the states. I also met a zeta alumni from UNT in Jamaica!"

Brooke O'Rourke: Orientation Leader

"Being an Orientation Leader has been an amazing experience. I hope for next semester to be able to still connect with all the new students and help them as much as possible."

Caitlin Bohannon: Summer Job and Excitement for Formal Recruitment

"I'm so excited for this summer! So many things are happening for me, I just cant hold in how anxious I am to start it all. I'm moving into my first apartment, taking summer classes and maintaining my job at the local golf course in Nac. I'm also trying to work on my golf swing so I can try out for the school team this upcoming semester. The thing I'm most ecstatic about is how important my accountability is going to be during Recruitment this Fall. I'm head of Day Two and I'm just so happy, I've already started planning. It's gonna be a good one, I can feel it."

Greek Week 2013

This past week our Zeta sisters were loud and proud as they cheered for the chapter during SFA Panhellenic's Greek Week 2013.  Greek Week is a competition between the five Panhellenic houses to who receive points during the week for various events. The sorority with the most points at the end of the week wins! 

The week started on Tuesday with a flag football tournament.  ZTA went up against Delta Zeta and had a victorious win of 18-13.  As ZTA advanced to the championship round, they competed against AXO. The whole crowd was cheering at the very close and intense game.  Our ZTA football players kept going strong all the way to the whistle.  The game was tied which meant it would result in overtime.  The girls played their heart out and won second in that event with Amanda Powers and Sam Harris earning MVP.

Later that night, two groups of Zetas preformed their routines that they had been practicing for weeks in the Talent Show.  The first team to preform started out with a skit that flowed into an amazing singing performance of Bruno mars’ “Locked out of Heaven.”  The audience was blown away with their natural talent.  There were many side conversations from other spectators that Zeta was the team that needed to be beat.  But of course our talented girls didn’t let that happen.  The crowd was blown away again by the second group of Zetas that danced with enthusiasm and grace to Kesha’s “Die Young.”  All the hard worked that these girls put into their show paid off as they proudly accepted first place in the talent show.

Wednesday night was Volleyball.  Zeta competed against Chi-O in a tough game.  Zeta held their ground though and played their best.  Their sisters in the crowd cheered loud with Courtney Goodnight and Jamie Portillo leading the group earning them most spirited on the sidelines.

The softball tournament was Thursday afternoon and definitely a crowd favorite.  The first game was against Delta Zeta.  The game was close and the crowd was loud but the girls pulled an excellent win out.  ZTA continued on to the next round competing with Chi-O.  The girls started out slow but their sisters cheered and pumped them up resulting in an amazing comeback.  ZTA kept making runs and Chi-O’s kept getting outs.  The fans were jumping up and down the whole time cheering for their athletic sisters.  The game was very close but the time ran out too soon to catch up.  It was hard to be too upset about losing that game because it was such an entertaining one to watch.  It made everyone proud to be a ZTA.

On Friday girls spent the day outside participating in field day events.  ZTA rolled up their sleeves and showed their muscles in tug-a-war receiving second place.  In the balloon toss ZTA tied, and had to go into a fierce game of Rock-Paper-Scissors earning us second place.  Other events included a sack race and passing an orange with your neck race.

Saturday ZTA participated in the Big Event where they helped their community.  Girls helped rake leaves in the Azalea garden to use for compost and mulch for the SFA vegetable garden. Other groups painted a church building and one group got a workout cutting down trees and planting plants for a home.

Overall,  ZTA had so much fun this past week filled with laughs, adrenaline, and many new memories to treasure and add to their ZTA and college experience.  But above all, ZTA enjoyed being able to have fun while living out the ZTA Creed:

"to prepare for service and learn the nobility of serving"

and

“to be humble in success without bitterness in defeat"

ZTA Spring Break

The week before Spring Break ZTA sister's Lauren Brandon, Michaela Lewis, and Megan Chinworth attended the American College Dance Festival at Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas.  They were the only Greeks on the company and were able to all room together.  Lauren and Megan participated in a dance that was chosen to be performed at the Gala Concert, which is a huge honor. They all are so grateful for the opportunity, and were glad to have been able to spend this time together as ZTA sisters!

During the week of Spring Break sister Kallie Dobbs joined in on SFA's Alternative Spring Break program.  Instead of being the typical spring breaker, Kallie volunteered in Hot Springs, Arkansas with other students doing various community service actives. Now that the break is over, she's glad to share her experience with us.

"There were 17 students and two faculty members that went to Hot Springs for SFA's Alternative Spring Break. The first two days we volunteered at the Hot Springs National Park. At the park, we split up into teams and cleaned out the waterbars to stop erosion from ruining the park's landscape. Most of the park workers were retired volunteers, and they were extremely grateful for our help.  

On Wednesday and Thursday we went to the Humane Society of Hot Springs. Unfortunately they are not state-funded, so their budget relies solely on donations. We helped them clean, paint, and move things that would have taken them months to do with the limited number of volunteers they have.

All four days from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm, we visited the Boys and Girls Club. The children were absolutely wonderful. Every day they would run in and give us all hugs! We played in the gym with them, helped them with homework, and helped serve them snacks. There was only one volunteer with them every day to handle over 50 children, so he really appreciated us being there to help and interact with the them.

Alternative Spring Break was a life changing opportunity. I learned do so much from the different places we went to. The children especially had a lasting impact on my life. They were genuinely amazed that we would come all the way from Texas just to play with them. All the people we helped were so grateful, and I feel like we really made a difference."

- Kallie Dobbs, Freshman