MARCH/APRIL 2012

Zeta Tau Alpha University of Michigan | Alpha Gamma

Zeta Lady! Our Zeta Lady of this

year is Maddy Thompson, a junior in the Ross School of Business. Maddy earned this well-deserved award through her academic dedication and continuous involvement with our Alpha Gamma chapter. Maddy has served as our Academic Chair for two consecutive years, and has helped our chapter to raise our overall GPA. She did all of this while also serving as the Standards Chair and still finding time to attend and volunteer at all of our events! Congratulations, Maddy!

Those bloomin’ Z-T-A’s Another semester busied with Alpha Gamma

sisterhoods and events has passed, and we have never been better! Taking March and April by storm, we are already preparing for recruitment in the fall and are looking forward to our exciting summer plans. However, this also means that another class of seniors will be graduating, and while we will

miss them dearly, we wish them well on their post-collegiate plans!

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MARCH/APRIL 2012 ZETA TAU ALPHA | ALPHA GAMMA

A Zeta Affair… Here’s a recap of some of our second semester events. From formal to our service events, we

kept busy and enjoyed them all!

Greek Week: Team Washington DC This year Greek Week was themed “Made in the USA” and as we participated in a week of fun competition and events, the entire Greek community was able to raise thousands of dollars for 6 amazing charities in the local area. We had a great week of bonding with other chapters on campus and it was topped off with a 2nd place performance at the Sing competition!

A Hollywood Night at the Fillmore This classy, Hollywood night was hosted at the Fillmore in Detroit, and we donned our formal attire and enjoyed a night of fun music and dancing at this awesome venue!

Girl Scout Service! On April 14, we welcomed a Girl Scout troop, led by Alumna Angela Teeple, into the Zeta Castle, as the girls were earning their badge in “Consumer Power.” Shopping is something we all know and love, but we helped them to learn the skills behind the passion, such as saving money, advertising, and budgeting. Armed with a Zeta buddy and the desire for another badge, each Girl Scout went through seven stations, where they created their own commercials, decorated piggy banks, and “shopped” at a store in the sunroom. The creativity and passion each girl, both Zeta and Scout, led to a successful day of service and learning!

Rededication In March we held our Rededication ceremony,

and the Alpha Gamma sisters were able to remember and celebrate their commitment and loyalty to ZTA. The whole chapter gathered at the chapter house, and it was a fun way to spend some quality time with all of the sisters

while also participating in such an awesome event.

Congratulations to our Rho Omegas for this fall’s recruitment!

• Angelena D’Errico • Libby O’Connell • Maddy Thompson • Emily Kennedy • Ashley McDugald

Congratulations!

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MARCH/APRIL 2012 ZETA TAU ALPHA | ALPHA GAMMA

5K Pink Ribbon Run

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great fun that was had, it was also successful in raising money for breast cancer awareness and education. All in all, we raised $6,212.16! Prior to the 5K, the Alpha Gamma sisters also held a Kiss Away Cancer event, where, for a dollar, one could receive a peck on the cheek or a Hershey kiss. People were able to sign up for the 5K, and it was a great way to get people excited for the run! We love contributing to our awesome philanthropy, and are continuously touched by all of the support and recognition that we earn in hosting our events. Connecting with our sisters and to others in the community, the experience keeps getting better!

Senior Send-off The seniors received some special attention

this semester as we started a new tradition of recognizing all that they offered to the chapter. We

held a Senior Week (similar to big/little week) where we secretly gifted small presents to seniors

throughout the week, and revealed ourselves at the end. Seniors also willed away some of their old Zeta stuff at our last chapter. A special Senior

Luncheon was hosted by the Ann Arbor Alumnae Chapter to do some professional networking and initiate them into the alumnae world of ZTA. We

wish you well, Class of 2012!

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March 31st was a big day for Zeta Tau Alpha philanthropy. With pink flags marking the 3.1 mile course and t-shirts folded and ready to hand out, it was the day for our second-annual 5K Pink Ribbon Run. Braving the chilly temperatures, sisters, friends, and family (and their dogs, too) all gathered in the Arboretum to kick off the event. With over 300 participants registered in the run, it was a sight to see with pink streaming and dotting through the paths of the Arb. And things didn’t end at the finish line; there was also a raffle including items such as iPods, speakers, and eReaders, which were gladly received by the winners. Aside from the

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MARCH/APRIL 2012 ZETA TAU ALPHA | ALPHA GAMMA

Zeta Spotlights EC Member: Jessica Busk

Jessica is a junior from Niles, MI studying elementary education with a focus in Language Arts and Integrated

Science. She is involved with KΔΠ, the Honors Education Fraternity, and serves as VPII on EC. Her

favorite ZTA memory was winning the sing competition her freshman year during Greek Week. A fun fact about Jessica is that she is the oldest of 9 kids!

PC Member: Emily Bubnar Emily is a sophomore from Fenton, MI majoring in Spanish, and is one of our external social chairs on PC. Her favorite

ZTA memory was preference parties this year during recruitment. She loved having a role in the ceremony and

seeing how close our sisterhood really was. A fun fact is that she always bunks with her sisters on the second floor because

the third flight of stairs to her own bed is just too much!

General Member: Angelena D’Errico Angelena is from Scottsdale, AZ and will be a junior next year majoring in social studies, and is also in the School of Education. On campus, Angelena is involved in College

Republicans and is Zeta’s Pulse Healthy Houses rep. One of her favorite ZTA memories was moving into the castle

this year and being so excited to see everyone after the summer. A fun fact was that she was born and raised in

Ann Arbor- so yes she’s seen snow! Also, Angelena will be a Rho Omega in the fall! New Member: Marina Criso

Marina is a freshman from good, old Ann Arbor. She is undecided, but will most likely major in International

Studies. On campus, Marina is involved with BLUElab’s Sustainability Career Fair. Her favorite

ZTA memory was her first day as a Zeta, bid day. She loved walking up the driveway and getting hugs from girls that were genuinely happy to see her, and to play with the beautiful Jennie Coleman, who ended up as her big! A fun fact is that Marina will be spending her

summer in Instanbul, Turkey!

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MARCH/APRIL 2012 ZETA TAU ALPHA | ALPHA GAMMA

A Senior Memoir: Karen House

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Being a part of ZTA is sisterhood. We have all heard, "From the outside looking in you can never understand it. From the inside looking out you can never explain it." As inexplicable as it is, that’s sisterhood. These are the women you can share your secrets with, cry with, laugh with, and just be yourself with; even if that means bonding over a baking obsession, studying into the early morning hours, or having a handstand competition in the sunroom. They accept you exactly as you are. Younger or older, they look at you and see a great person. You aren’t just tied together by ritual, but by memories, tears, laughter and smiles.

Being a part of ZTA is for life. As graduation approaches, I realize more how true that statement has become. Although I might be leaving my collegiate chapter, I will never leave the lessons I learned, the memories I have made, or the sisters that have been a part of it all. So many women have made an impact in my life, truly for the better, and I hope that others can say the same for me.

Over the past three years, I learned that no matter how I got here or where I came from, this was where I was meant to be. Zeta Tau Alpha is more than just a club or an obligation. It’s more than letters on a sweatshirt, recruitment songs, my little silver badge, and even more than the rituals. It’s learning about others, just as much as learning about yourself and a feeling that will never leave you as long as you live- that inexplicable feeling of sisterhood.

-Karen House

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I don’t think that I will ever forget the day that I was approached by a TLC next to Angell Hall. “Have you heard about the new sorority on campus?... You should sign up for an infoview.” Before coming to college, joining a sorority was something I never considered- all I knew about them was what I had seen in movies; but there was something so sincere about Alison and her attitude that made me want to sign up for that infoview (which, I had still no idea what that meant until after I actually went through one…) After infoviewing, and going through all of the recruitment rounds, ZTA became something that I genuinely wanted to be a part of. At that point, it gave me the opportunity to get involved- something I was desperately craving, but thought I had missed as a transfer student. But, throughout these past three years, I’ve come to realize that ZTA has given me so much more than an organization to be involved with- it wasn’t just a club, it was a passion; it didn’t just give me friends, it gave me sisters, it wasn’t just for three years, it is for life.

Being a part of ZTA is passion. The passion began with all of the women responsible for recolonizing our chapter and continues with all who have helped it to be so successful. And there isn’t just passion in the big things, like recolonizing and philanthropy, but in the little things, like helping a sister study when she can’t master Spanish conjugations, sitting beside a sister after she’s had a bad day, week, or month, or celebrating the success of a sister’s new internship. It’s a passion of the betterment of the chapter collectively, and as individuals.