Sisters Abroad: Cristina Ventoza

• One of our sisters, Cristina Ventoza, spent the summer studying and traveling abroad. Read all about her experience here!
• So while most people spent the end of spring semester looking for a summer job, I was looking for a place to spend all my saved up cash. I had spent some time researching different programs to do over the summer, ended up picking a program that was four weeks long in Barcelona. I really did not care about what classes I was going to have to take, but knew I wanted to expand and put to use my spanish skills. I had to take an international business class and a spanish 2 course. I did not know very many people on my trip but that turned out to not be a problem There was 17 of us on our trip all with different expectations and concerns, but in the end I think we would all agree that it was the best four weeks of our lives. We were split into groups of mainly 2 and stayed with host families. I lucked out and would say I got one of the greatest families there was. I had a host mother and two host sisters, ages 19 and 9. They were so nice and attended to anything we needed. The mother would make us breakfast and dinner. Dinner was always a family style that would usually start late, around 9:15 pm and last hours with us talking and comparing cultures. We had classes about four times a week. One weekend we spent doing day trips to Sitges, and Girona, and another weekend we spent doing business visits in Madrid. The worst part about being abroad was remembering that we were still taking classes. It was so easy to get distracted by all that there was to do, but we always found ways to fit some time in for school. Most days I had a four hour break between classes, where I would grab something quick to eat and then head to the beach. The beach was always crowded with people when the weather was nice. It was always a nice place to nap or a good place to attempt to do homework. A couple of my favorite places are Park Güell, that was built by Antoni Guadi and Montjüic, which was a fountain that at night would change colors depending on the music playing. By the time the month was up, we could all hold our own conversing with a Spanish native, we had the metro system completely down, and could tell you where to get the best gelato. I never wanted to leave and can say that I am always going to be trying to find ways to get back there, not only to see my amazing host family, but to visit all the historic parks and buildings.

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Sister Spotlight: International Sister Beatrice Verhoeven

Today's guest blog post is brought to you by one of our international sisters, Beatrice Verhoeven!

“Being from Germany, I had no idea what a sorority was. All I knew was that Elle Woods was a member of one in the movie “Legally Blonde.” Moving to the United States by myself after having lived in Germany for 18 years proved to be a drastic change for me, and I didn’t really know how to handle it. I was extremely homesick, and I was ready to transfer back to Europe. That’s when my best friend, Hannah Comstock, urged me to rush. And at the first Alpha Phi Open house, I met two of my best friends and life-long friends, Elise Fornaca and Jenna Reynolds. These two girls would be my big and pseudo-big in the years to come.

Then I rushed, and I soon found myself in the comfort of Alpha Phi. I knew that I could be myself around all the girls in this chapter, and I didn’t have to pretend like everything was okay when it actually wasn’t. My big would take me out to lunches and keep my mind off the fact that I was 5,000 miles away from home. Attending chapter meetings and going to exchanges made me forget why I was sad in the first place. And every single girl in Alpha Phi, whether it was a senior or a girl in my pledge class, helped me through this rough time.

Now, graduation is almost upon us and I find myself sad to be leaving not only LMU, where I have made great friends and memories, but I realize that I’m sadder to leave the girls of Alpha Phi. Dispersing all over the country, we won’t have Monday’s chapter to look forward to or formals to wear fancy dresses to. But Alpha Phi has been so much more to me than just something to occupy my time with. Alpha Phi gave me girls to look up to, and girls that I wanted to be friends with no matter what--I’ve made friends that I will keep for a lifetime. Some of my best friends are in this chapter, and I truly believe that Alpha Phi has brought us together. I know that leaving LMU will not change the relationships I’ve built, and my heart will always lie with Alpha Phi."

Alumna of the Month: Jenna Reynolds

This month we honor Jenna Reynolds as Alumna of the Month!

While in the chapter Jenna held the positions of Recording Secretary and President. She graduated in 2012. She tells us that "Alpha Phi has helped me immensely as a teacher because it helped prepare me for the organization and management that is required to be in charge of 26 first graders' education. I learned how to plan ahead, how to interact with all types of personalities and how to be a team player. If it weren't for Alpha Phi, I do not think I would be as immune to the pressures of deadlines or ready to deal with all varieties of personalities."

Jenna says, "I love Alpha Phi from the bottom of my heart-- the members of this sorority were there when I needed them the most and the experiences I had helped me shape the person I am today. I learned how to be a leader, a sister and a friend through Alpha Phi. I am forever grateful for all they have given me-- especially my best friend Elise."

Jenna works as a first grade teacher at Friendship Academy of the Arts in Minneapolis, MN. She teaches math, language arts, science and social studies. She also teaches dance for the whole school. Check out her amazing performance as Kelly Kapowski during Alpha Phi's Lip Sync 2011 :) 

We love seeing Alumna working in their community doing what the love! Congrats Jenna!

 Jenna and her class

Jenna at APHIASCO 2012

Ivy Man 2012-2013: NUBE

This week's post is brought to you by our amazing Ivy Man David Neubert aka NUBE! As we are about to choose our new Ivy Man for the upcoming year, we wanted Nube to share his experience with everyone:

"Becoming Ivy man has been a wonderful experience. I have been graced with the opportunity to have friendships that will last a lifetime. Over the past few week as new Ivy man nominations have been in the works, I have had the chance to reflect on my time as Alpha Phi's one and only. I think I can phrase it pretty simply: These girls rock! They are some of the smartest, genuine, and sweetest young women I have ever met. They always go out of their way to say hello to me, shower me with love, and even take care of me when I'm sick (shout out to Alyssa and Noella!).
I can honestly say that I will be sad when I pass on this title to whoever it may be but I will remember the good times:

1. The Perfect Game! Middle of summer, I bought 20 tickets to a random Giants vs. Astros game on a Wednesday. Wow! We. Were. Lucky. Matt Cain pitched a perfect game and we were apart of history!

2. Winning Lip Sync! Kelsey Harrington, Noella Van Der Voode and Keely Miller. Hanging with you guys was too much fun. I'll never forget Noella's dance moves in the Iggy Costume.

3. Knotts Scary Farm! I'll never forget Megan MacDonnell cutting the circulation off to my arm with her Irish death grip while going through the haunted houses. I was hysterically laughing as she was hysterically freaking out!

4. Incahoots! Going line dancing with a number of APhis was the best night ever. Pretty girls, good friends, and some nice country. Can't get much better than that.

5. Winning Greek Week Football! I got the chance to meet a lot of new guys that these girls really care about. We coached a winning team, so that was nice too!

I have a ton of stories from this year with almost everyone of these girls. I know I can expect big things from all of them. Alpha Phi till I die!"

Spotlight: Crescent Girl Samantha Abrahams

Today's blog post is brought to you by Lambda Chi Alpha's crescent girl Samantha Abrahams!

When I joined Alpha Phi I never imagined I would ever wear any other Greek letters.  I was honored when at the end of my junior year I was announced Lambda Chi Crescent Girl.  Being a part of two amazing organizations has made my senior year unforgettable.  As Crescent Girl I get to attend Lambda Chi’s weekly chapter meetings and all of their social and philanthropic events.  These boys have become my best friends and really go out of their way to make me feel special and loved.

Even though I have never been initiated into Lambda Chi there is never a moment that I ever feel left out.  Lambda Chi makes sure to always greet me with a huge hug and keep me in the loop about whatever is going on within their fraternity.  With each new class I get to meet even more amazing men that I may not have normally had the chance to become so close to because they were in a different grade.  Every amazing night that I have had this year has involved Lambda Chi. Even if it’s just a group of us hanging on the couch there is never a dull moment around these guys.  For me being a part of Lambda Chi won’t end once I graduate.  Just like with Alpha Phi these guys will be some of the greatest friends I will have for the rest of my life.

Throughout this year my Alpha Phi sisters have gone out of their way to support me as Crescent Girl.  Whether it’s helping me out with my try-out, coming with me to bring in treats or going out to their philanthropy events these girls are always more than willing to help out.  It is hard to really put into words how much the members of both Alpha Phi and Lambda Chi mean to me.  Having to graduate and no longer be active in the Greek community is going to be hard but I have been so lucky for the memories and the most amazing friends that I will have forever.

Spotlight: Director of Social Events Marissa Slavinsky

Today's blog post is brought to you by our Director of Social Events, sophomore Marissa Slavinsky!

Since I was little, the lure of event planning has been present in my life. Whether I was planning the small-scale wedding of Barbie & Ken or making some big plans for my next birthday party at the bowling alley, nothing sounded better to me than the idea of bringing a group of people together to celebrate and having the pleasure of knowing they had an enjoyable time while doing it. 

As someone who loves helping others, I wanted to be surrounded by a group of young women who would help me in return and support me in the decisions I made. I found everything I was looking for in Alpha Phi and decided to run for Social Chair my sophomore year. This was the perfect chance for me to give back to the sorority that has already given me so much, as well as explore something I would hopefully be doing long-term in the future. 

Our first exchange this semester with Lambda Chi Alpha was one for the books, some saying it was “the best exchange they’ve ever been to!” With my first event successfully behind me, I decided to be creative with Alpha Phi’s next event, coming up this Friday, March 15. Date Night is an exciting night for everyone, especially the new initiates, as it is their first experience asking dates to attend a sorority event. I decided to twist the concept of Date Night and bring some off-campus ideas right here to our Zeta Beta chapter by having our first “Date Dash.” The Alpha Phis know exactly who they are taking, where as the dates have NO idea which Alpha Phi is taking them! Themed “The Perfect Match”, each date was given a specific accessory that they are to wear to the Date Reveal to discover which Alpha Phi will be matching their accessory and taking them to the event. It all goes down Friday night, and we are SO excited!!

Although the position has its stressful moments, as any job does, it has been an awesome experience so far, and has convinced me that this is exactly what I want to do in the future. Seeing everyone, Alpha Phi’s and others, getting excited for our events and having everyone cooperating with me as I try new things is such a rewarding feeling in itself! I try my hardest to keep the girls on their toes, improving what I can improve upon, and making them a part of the process just as much as I am. I am genuinely so excited to see what the future holds for this position and for the sorority as a whole! 

AOE,

Marissa Slavinsky

Class of 2015

Alumna of the Year 2013: Holly Schoenke

We were proud to present the inagural award for Alumna of the Year at our recent Aphiasco event. The Zeta Beta chapter was founded at Loyola Marymount University in 1976. In the past 35 years we have produced many amazing alumni. The alumna we honored this year was no exception. 

Holly Schoenke graduaded from LMU in 2007. While a student at LMU she held the position of director of publicity. She remains active in the Alpha Phi organization by volunteering as Philanthropy adviser at Cal State Long Beach. When asked how Alpha Phi has influenced Holly she says that "Alpha Phi really gave me the conficence to help build my leadership skills, Alpha Phi has really helped me grow into my self and feel like I could always be me". Holly currently owns a wedding an event planning company called Simply Sweet Weddings & Events and is a wedding and event coordinator based in Orange County. 

Holly is currently being featured in Orange County's Locale Magazine. A fun fact about Holly is that she has attended every Aphiasco since her graduation from LMU. Holly, thank you for all of your support to the Alpha Phi organization and we are so proud to call you a sister.