Some Parting Words From Aaron Our Ivy Man

Roughly a year ago from today, I was presented with an opportunity that has proved to be one of the most memorable of my college experience.  As a member of the LMU Men's Soccer Team and a brother of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, I did not think I could gain a better collegiate experience.  I was quite wrong once the wonderful ladies of the Zeta Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi at LMU elected me to become their Ivy Man for the 2013-2014 academic year.

At the beginning of my stint as Ivy Man, I truly did not know what to expect or how to act.  It can be quite intimidating walking into a room filled with 200 women and know exactly what to do or say.  As expected, it was intimidating and I indeed stumbled a bit.  But, with time I was able to contain the nerves and do my best to make the year one that we would never forget.  

Although my time is officially done, whether it be the hours of LipSync practices, the opportunity to create power points "roasting" members of the chapter, or just simply enjoying the times, it will be something that I never forget. The amount of new friends that I have made, friendships that have become deeper, and the memories that were created, is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and will forever thankful for.  

Thank you all for making this an unforgettable experience.  I cannot wait to carry on the friendships that I have made for many years to come!

AOE, Ivy Man

Spring Update!

With spring semester already half way through, we have a ton of exciting news to post about!  Here are a few blurbs about what we have been up to the last few months! It covers everything from rush, to big little reveal, to Aphiasco!

Family Time! Zeta Beta has been busy at work this semester growing our families! Starting off strong, we worked hard in January to make spring recruitment a success! We had so much fun and in the end, we got an AMAZING new class with 59 beautiful new members. Since then, we have loved getting to know all the new phis and helping them find a home here in Alpha Phi.

Next up were Presents in February.  This special ceremony was a great way to have family and friends see the special bonds being made between the new members and their new sisters. Each new member was paired with an active who spoke about them and told the chapter and parents a little bit more about our new sisters and the experiences so far in the sorority.  It was a great way to get to know more personal things about each of the new members from a fun and loving speaker.  These presentations really did made the new members feel special and loved!

Last but definitely not least, we had the wonderful celebration of Big Little Reveal!!! For the reveal, the Bigs wrapped themselves in wrapping paper with their Little's name on it and waited for their Little to come and unwrap them! It was such a fun night filled with new Bigs and Littles, g-bigs, gg-bigs, and even some ggg-bigs! It was an event that brought whole families together to welcome their newest member! We can't wait for initiation next week so our girls can finally wear their letters with pride!

APHIASCO! Our annual philanthropy event, Aphiasco, was such a success this year! Thanks to the skillful planning of our sister Alexandra McDonald, our event ran smoothly and raised over $40,000 in one night! It was great to come together as a chapter and bring our families to support a cause that is so close to all of us. For our event, a very special guest speaker joined us and shed a new light on heart disease.
(Check out this link to see our special guest in action! http://youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0)
Max Paige, the 7 year-old boy who plays mini Darth Vader in the Volkswagen commercial, was born with a congenial heart difect and has been in and out of hospitals ever since.  He has had multiple surguries, and most recently underwent an invasive surgery to replace a valve in his heart.  As a guest speaker, he and his family gave a face to the cause we work so hard to support.  Max showed us how much of an impact Alpha Phi can make by donating funds to cardiac research and hospitals that support cardiac care.  With Max's help and the help of generous donors and families, the thousands of dollars araised at Aphiasco will go to heart research and to help children like Max afford the treatment they need.

Rush 2014!

  Presents! 

              Big Little Reveal! 

Aphiasco with Max!-

Courtney Krail: Director of New Member Education

When I first joined Alpha Phi there were two girls that made my experience exciting and comfortable. At the time, I barely knew who they were, but I looked up to them in so many ways because they were so inviting and taught us everything we needed to know about our sorority. They were our Pledge Moms. When I sat there and watched them, I knew I wanted to take on that position and I couldn’t wait to give a group of girls the same experience they gave me. Earlier this year, elections took place and I knew Director of New Member Education would be the perfect position for me. In becoming a “Pledge Mom” along with my good friend, Sarah Davidson, I knew there would be a crazy amount of preparation and teaching in store, but I have been having so much fun with all the activities and sisterhood events we are planning for the incoming new members. As education majors, Sarah and I love teaching and getting people excited to learn. Pledge Moms are given the responsibility to bring in the new members and teach them what Alpha Phi is all about. We cannot wait to welcome these girls with open arms and start getting to know each one of them as soon as we can. We look forward to teaching this spring’s new pledge class all of the great things Alpha Phi stands for and what being a part of this sorority truly means. Recruitment is a crazy and exciting time, and we are so excited for all the fun and commotion around the corner. We love Alpha Phi so much and we cannot wait to get the new members excited about the amazing sorority they have joined!

Pledge Moms Sarah and Courtney 

Scholarship: Bianka Bubic

     In the past year, I was appointed by my sisters to be the Scholarship Chair for Alpha Phi. I was able to stress the importance of scholarship within the daily lives of my sisters as well as to emphasize the positive side of this pillar with chocolate treats and small rewards during our weekly chapter meetings. Scholarship and academics have always been something that I have held close to my heart since it relates both to my future and to my sorority’s values. Internationally, Alpha Phi is recognized by its three essential pillars and ideals: service, sisterhood, and scholarship. Over the past year, I have been able to transform the image of scholarship to my sisters and positively help our girls improve our chapter’s academic rank amongst the fellow Greek chapters on campus.

     Recently in December of 2013, I was honored by LMU Greek Life by being initiated into the Order of Omega Greek Honors Society on campus. I was recognized amongst other Greek sororities and fraternities for my academic standing and my dedication to both leadership and service within my time at Loyola Marymount. I am very excited to join an elite group of young men and women who are passionate and driven leaders within their respective Greek communities. I am also very proud to represent Alpha Phi within the Order of Omega Society as I begin my membership in the upcoming semester. In the next year, I hope that more of my sisters will join me in this amazing opportunity to promote interfraternalism and excellence in the Greek Life community on campus.

     Scholarship is an important value that all Alpha Phi members cherish and strive to maintain during their years within the collegiate atmosphere. I hope that our chapter will continue its amazing growth as the girls reach their own academic successes each semester. As the late Nelson Mandela stated so eloquently, “Education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world.” And I know, for a fact, that my sisters all have that power to make a dramatic difference. 

Katie DiTomaso: Sister Abroad

A year ago I would have never pictured my life the way it is now. I remember it was Thanksgiving of 2012 and I was on my way to my family’s huge, Italian Thanksgiving get-together like we do every year. That was the first time I brought up the idea of studying abroad to my parents. Little did I know the adventure that was ahead of me.  

I applied and, in April 2013, I found out that I gotten into the Gonzaga-in-Florence study abroad program for the Fall 2013 semester. There are only few instances in my life where I can remember being this excited. This is something I had hoped for and dreamed of for so long. On September 9, 2013, I embarked on what I can say with absolute fact is the journey of a lifetime.  

We began with an opening tour through Paris, Strasbourg, and Garmisch all the way to Florence, Italy, where I have lived and studied for the past 3 months. I still remember the moment when the reality of studying abroad really hit me. It was the first time I saw the Eifel Tower. I remember I was eating a Nutella crepe surrounded by some of my best friends in complete and total awe of my surroundings. The months that followed were full of these “is this real life” kind of moments.  

In Florence, I am less than 5 minutes walking distance to some of the most historical and incredible pieces of art and history in the world, like the Statue of David and the Duomo. Italy is amazing not only because it holds about 60% of the world’s most famous pieces of artwork, but also because its central to most places in Europe.  

Every weekend I have the ability to travel somewhere new. So far I have visited over 50 cities and 10 different countries! Some of my favorite experiences to date have been Oktoberfest in Germany, boating around the Amalfi Coast, experiencing the nightlife in Spain, paragliding in the Swiss Alps, getting a blessing by the Pope in Rome, and walking through the Christmas markets in London. It’s so easy to forget that I’m actually abroad to study.  My biggest stress of the semester was whether to visit Barcelona, Ireland, or London over Thanksgiving break.  

Still, I feel like I’ve learned more in just these three months abroad than ever before. I’ve learned that you’re stronger than you think. I’ve learned how much I appreciate my family, friends, and Phis. I’ve learned that you can’t wear neon or American flag T-shirts in a crowd full of Italians. I’ve learned that late night gelato is always a good idea. I’ve learned that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but instead where you water it. And above all, I’ve learned that your 20s are your selfish years. It’s a decade to immerse yourself in every single thing possible. So as Mark Twain so beautifully put it, “Throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, and catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. And don’t be sorry.”

Capture A-Phi: Mackenzie Menotti

Capture A-Phi, our capture the flag tournament, was a great finale to our chapter's first Heartthrob Week! It was out 4th year holding Capture A-Phi and it was a success! We earned over $1,500 to support our charity, the Alpha Phi Foundation!

We had over 20 teams of 6 players of more participate in the capture the flag tournament. Since this event was the last competition of Heartthrob Week, we had a bracket specifically for the teams competing in the week long competition that was separate from the normal bracket.

In the end, the mens LAX team took home the gold for the Heartthrob Week bracket and a mixed inter fraternal team of lambda chis, sig eps, and sigma chis won for the other bracket! We loved watching everyone place and get into the games! We hope that all of those that participated had fun because we definitely did!

Mackenzie Menotti: Director of Capture A-Phi 

The Inter Fraternal Winners! 

Alumna of the Month: Jordan Younger

Our Alumna of the Month for August is Jordan Younger! Jordan just graduated from LMU this past spring and is currently attending The New School in Manhattan and pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing. While at LMU she held the position of Director of Fraternity Education (Pledge Mom) and Director of Health and Fitness.

When asked how has her experience in Alpha Phi influenced other aspects of her life Jordan tells us, "Experiencing recruitment four years in a row greatly prepared me to interact with just about anyone. It taught me to hold a conversation and find a point of connection with whoever I am talking to, and that has served me well in the professional world."

Jordan also tells us, "Alpha Phi was such a positive experience for me. The girls I met through Alpha Phi changed my life forever, and I will look back on all of our memories fondly. The girls two years below me will always be dear to my heart, as I was their pledge mom and I have loved watching them grow into beautiful, smart, amazing young women."

Jordan is also an avid blogger on her food blog, The Blonde Vegan. No doubt her experience as Director of Health and Fitness while in Alpha Phi laid the groundwork for this new venture :)