Showing posts with label Chi Omega. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chi Omega. Show all posts

Monday, April 6, 2009

Happy Birthday Chi Omega!




"Chi O's were ideal partners for all occasions. They were discrete, desirable, tactful, polite and fun. Every mom dreamed of her son coming home with a Chi Omega..." -David Letterman-

Leave it the Letterman to say just the right thing...

Ahhh yes, Chi Omega the best fraternal organization for women in the world. Of course I'm completely bias because I am an alumna. April 5 is the organization's Eleusain or birthday. It was founded on the campus of the University or Arkansas, Fayettville in 1895 by four very special women. Along with Dr. Charles Richardson (a Kappa Sigma fraternity man who helped to organize Chi Omega) Ina Mae Boles, Alice Carey Simonds, Jean Vincenheller and Jobelle Holcombe.


I was a member of the Theta Lambda Chapter at school. During my time there I held the offices of Panhellenic Chair and Secretary. I was then able to become a member of the All Greek Honor Society, Order of Omega. This opened other doors of opportunity on and off campus.


I joined in my sophomore year and it was probably the most wonderful thing I could have done for myself. I was very hesitant to join a sorority my freshmen year because of all of the drama that seemed to arise from recruitment and rivalries. However, I had met a girl the year before who was just amazing. She was fun, smart, independent and full of integrity. I absolutley loved her. I decided to go out for recruitment in the fall, it was less stressful since there was no quota (the number of girls you can accept) limit, and I got to choose which organizations I wanted to meet. It's been history ever since.

I'm so PROUD to be a Chi Omega and Greek. I get made fun of sometimes for being a "sorority girl" but it doesn't really matter seeing most of the people who say things are non-Greeks and have no idea what they're talking about.

My sisters are the best friends I will ever have. To be clear we're not all best friends and some of the girls (The new members from this year and last) I hardly know. But because we're sisters there's a special bond that those on the outside could never understand. There are special rituals that we have that we can't tell non-members, yes. And no I'm not going to tell you.

But I feel that it's the things that are public such as our values of friendship, career development, community service, scholarship, campus activities, and high standards of personnel are the most important when explaining what makes us different and why Chi Omega is so special to members. A very special writing called the Chi Omega symphony was written by Ethel Switzer Howard on the night of her initiation. Its an absolutley beautiful work of art. This is what all Chi Omegas strive to be and live everyday.





























































Rho, Beta, Upsilon, Eta, Sigma.



Saturday, February 21, 2009

Passion

The most beautiful make-up of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy. ~Yves Saint Laurent

I just found this YSL quote and I love it. The real thing is always more beautiful than something you can buy, but, the problem is most sturggle to find that passion which makes us beautiful, and so we must at some point in time take the easy route and wear cosmetics to cover the fact that our passions have not been put to use yet, and thus we can not be seen for our natural beauty.

The picture to the right is of Walt Disney in Orlando, Florida before any of Disney World had been created. The cation reads "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."


If anyone knows me fairly well they soon find out I'm a super passionate person. It doesn't really matter what that passion is. It's been everything from sports to my sorority to my career and having a future pet. I still have passions for all of these things as well. I just have always been a really passionate person I suppose. I don't see how people can just go through the motions of life. Just doing things to do them.

Swimming is still the sport I'm always going to be passionate about. I know one day I'll go back to it on a Master's team or even (if I'm feeling up to the challenge a U.S.A. swimming team) it's just always going to be with me. I think that's why I don't keep up with all the meet results and stats. It makes me too sad to not be able to do something I love. It's never been hard for me to be passionate about anything I liked. I figured I liked something and I was pretty good at it, why not try and see where it can go. I don't think there has ever been anything that I've done and liked (key word liked) and half assed it.

I actually had a small argument with Evan about passions the other night. We were at dinner(technically it was about us not wanting to hang out with other people) and teh topc came up or us not having many friend outside of each other here. Being in the situation we are, we don't hang out with others as much as we should, I completley agree. I just don't find many of the people here the kind of friends I want to have around me. Ever since Mikey died I sort of made a promise to myself that I want to surround myself with people who inspire me and are all around good people. Yet, as fun as a lot of people are I sadly have found that those who are of true and genuine spirits are very, vew few and ridiculously far between. I made so many true friends at college (which I suppose gives me a bias look at the South and how great it is) and it's very hard to meet people when you know how loyal, kind and amazing people really can be.

I've always also been one to believe that if you want something, have a dream, want to obtain a goal whatever you call it, you're the only one who can make it happen. It has to come from inside you. Passion and initiative for anything must come from an innate sense that something "feels right" and only then will anyone really be happy. I suppose I could draw a parallel to this feeling and sorority recruitment. You meet all of the different organizations throughout a week, learn about them, what they're like and finally choose on the basis of not who is the prettiest, or the richest, or can offer you the most (because who really does know that after a week) but where you feel you belong. I've never regretted being a Chi Omega. I knew I belonged right away. I suppose it's also my sorority's fault for being so wonderful and offering me so many oppurtunities and once in a lifetime friends that I can't see why anyone would want to be around people who are less than extrodinary.

I've had sisters who had and are battling cancer, have gotten jobs not because of connections but because they're honestly that good at what they do. I've had sisters be successful in what they love to do most, I have fun with new sisters I have just met and am best friends and will be for a really long time. Most importantly my sisters have shown me that being a good person is the most important thing to be while we are on this earth. I love all of my sisters so much so (I'm sorry I'll probably forget some of y'all) Susanna, Brandi, Jenn, Pizzi, Stefanie, Big sis, both my Littles, Glil, and GGlil Diane, Autumn, Catrina, Danielle, Shelly, Julie, JWall, Funari, SB, Merri, Adge, Holly, Irish Princess, Mandy, Jas, Rohde, All the Emily's, Abby, Baliey, Brooksey, Boo boo, Briana, Kaylee, Amanda, Diggs, Susan, Wu swim Chi O's, Steph Carlson, Evie, Jordan, Twin, Allison, Rachael, Rachel A, JBower, Hannah, Kristina, Hally, Heather, Wendy, Misty, Stomber, Cyn, Jaimie, Ashely, Ashley Meredith, Tracy, Nicola and Teal and everyone else, Thank God I have y'all in my life. We're not all best friends but I've learned a little something from all of you and you can't really measure that.

Anyway, forgive the digressing, passion, it's innate and it's something that most people strive to have in their daily life. i can easily say that at the moment my current job lacks a bit of passion. The staff is under educated about the language they're teaching I'm completely being used for free time for the other teachers and I lack all materials necessary for students to learn better. With that said, I do love teaching which until now has been an undiscovered passion I suppose. I like explaining things and breaking down something I know a lot about. I love being around kids who want to learn (another reason I don't like teaching here a lot...no motivation at all, we're a sort of lower end school so the quality of teaching isn't good but the price is right for parents who just want their children to go to a school and don't relaly emphasize the learning part, or behavior) kids who want to be better at English.

And so, having alack of passion for work and anything in my life at the moment is a bit depressing. I don't even like going to the gym all that much but in that idea I discovered a new passion for running. So I guess it's like anything in life; you have to go through the rough patches to find out what you really want and what you're supposed to be doing.