Texas Zeta Day 2013

President Lauren Kraut 

This past weekend, February 15^th-16^th, Kappa chapter attended Texas Zeta Day in Houston along with twelve other Texas Zeta chapters. We kicked off the weekend with officer training on Friday night at the Westin in Memorial City. For a few hours each member of exec was able to chat with her fellow officer of other chapters. During “conversation café” we got to exchange ideas, concerns, future goals, and proposals.  The Saturday morning session started off with lovely ritual services and various chapter awards. Kappa chapter won the “maximum chapter size” award along with various other chapters. Our own rituals chair, Maddy McGlamery, participated in one of the ritual ceremonies and made a lovely speech. After a short break, all of the attendees flooded the ballroom for the luncheon. The wonderful Lynn Chapman, VP Collegiate II, made a speech alluding to the Wizard of Oz filled with great advice for collegians and alumni alike. Then, the award ceremony began. Each district president presented her respective district with the superior chapter award. Our Province President, Kat Evans, awarded our chapter with the Province XI-B Special Recognition award! Much to our surprise, we also won the Kathy Benzini Stampe Chapter Excellence Award for the most outstanding chapter in the state of Texas- what a HUGE honor! Two in one Zeta Days, that’s a record for us J. After the luncheon, executive council strolled around the nearby mall until afternoon officer training. For a few hours each officer split up for breakout sessions with leadership consultants and national officers. Overall, the weekend was a huge success! Our executive council and program council got to spend quality time together and strengthen our sisterhood, while at the same time building leadership skills and participating with our national fraternity. I’m excited to see what National Leadership Convention has to hold in July!
ZL,

Lauren Kraut

President- PC '10 

ZTA Kappa Chapter Executive Members
at Zeta Day in Houston

New Member Coordinator, Ashley Allison,
made friends with the TCU New Member
Coordinator at officer training

ZTA Professor Dinner

This past Monday, February 11^th,  Zeta hosted 27 professors and 41 girls at Zeta’s Professor Dinner. Professor dinner is a unique tradition at Zeta in which girls get the opportunity to invite their favorite, or hardest, professor to the Zeta house for dinner. We began hosting Professor Dinner in the hopes of improving student-teacher interactions, making our large university seem a little smaller, and approaching your professor feel a little less intimidating. Guests dined on wonderful beef short ribs, potato and fontina cakes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and spinach salad all prepared by our wonderful Chef Holly. During dinner we enjoyed a speech from the chapter’s philanthropy chair, Michelle Hecht, who shared with our professors some of the great philanthropic events we participate in, as well as a speech from the University’s assistant dean of students, Mary Beth Mercatoris. Dr. Mercatoris gave a though provoking speech about planning for our futures and resume building, and concluded by opening up the floor for other professors to give us advice as well. We wrapped up the evening with Italian cream cakes and coffee, and as most professors said their good byes, Maddy McGlamery’s professor even stayed an extra hour for some one-on-one tutoring. It was a successful night for all!

ZL,

Emily Hansen

PC '10

Chicken Finger Friday at Zeta

I had so so so much fun at Chicken Finger Friday, and am really glad it was such a success!  I don't especially love Mexican food (shocking, I know), so I was happy I could have a fabulous lunch with all my sisters and friends while enjoying their company and also enjoying the food.  I like that it's a time that all of us can bring other friends from other social circles which allows all of us to also broaden our horizons of friends.  All in all it was a great time and an incredible way to spend a couple hours on a Friday afternoon - I can't wait for the next one!

ZL,

Chris Anne Laskowski

'PC 12

The Meyerson's Family Vacation

This past Christmas break, my sisters and I (all Texas Zetas: Rachel Meyerson PC ’06, Anna Meyerson PC’09, and me, Caroline Meyerson PC’12) were fortunate enough to travel around the world. With my parents, we traveled for three and a half weeks to Egypt, Tanzania, and France.

Stop 1: Cairo, Egypt! On our first day there, we got to see the ancient pyramids. To think that they are 5,000 years old is crazy. Even King Tut saw those pyramids and thought they were ancient – he reined 2,000 years after they were built. Then we traveled down the Nile River and visited various tombs and temples. Sadly, after 9 days, we had to leave. I absolutely fell in love with the country and the people. I plan on going back as soon as I can.

Stop 2: Tanzania! My family and I landed in Tanzania, and within 2 hours, we saw wildebeests, zebras, cheetahs and cheetah cubs. The wildlife was incredible. Over the next few days, we got to see everything – lions, lion cubs, black rhinos, hippos, wild dogs, warthogs, monkeys, elephants, hyenas, flamingos, ostriches, gazelles, impalas, African buffalo, baboons, jackals, and my favorite - giraffes!!! The scenery and weather was beautiful. We got to experience picturesque sunsets and amazing campfires after the game drives. I felt like I had lived through a National Geographic magazine.

 

Stop 3: Paris, France! It’s one of my dad’s favorite cities, so we decided to take our last stop here. This city is the epitome of Europe - the little sidewalk cafes, the subway, the art museums, the sidewalk artists, etc. The best part of the trip was spending New Year’s in Paris. On New Year’s Eve,  my whole family and I walked to the Eiffel Tower and counted down to midnight. The Eiffel Tower started sparkling, and fireworks were shot off. After too many chocolate croissants and café lates, we headed home to Houston.

 

This vacation was a once in a lifetime experience. We were so thankful to be able to take this trip, see amazing sights, and spend real quality time with my family – no cell phones, no Netflix, no distractions. It was incredible to be with my family for such a large amount of time. The quick “hello” at half-time during the UT football games just didn’t cut it for me. Sometimes, we all need to take a step back from our busy lives, make time for each other, and enjoy. Through this trip, it was made completely possible, and I (and my whole family) will be forever thankful.

Happy New Year!

ZL,

    Caroline Meyerson

    PC '12

Mckenzie on her Fiji Adventure & meeting Brad Pitt!

It all started at a security check point in the Los Angeles airport…

“Is that him?” –mom

“I don’t think so”- me

“I think it is”-mom

“It is, it is, it is!” – mom

“No mom, that is not him” –me

“Yes it is! Let’s go meet him!” – mom

“Gahhhhh, you’re so embarrassing mom, it’s not Brad Pitt” –me

No one was bothering the guy or even paying him any attention as he was going through airport security, so there’s no way it could have been him right? I mean he had all black clothing and glasses on, long hair, and a very scruffy looking beard. I was convinced that this man was just the average joe.

The guy walks off to a private elevator and my mom speed walks after him and says, “Mr.Pitt, excuse me Mr.Pitt,” calmly and he didn’t respond, so then my mom decides to yell “Brad! Brad!” and he turns around looking a little bamboozled and he confirmed his identity as the one and only Brad Pitt. All I did was stare while my mom asked if we could get a picture with him. I got my iphone out instantly and basically threw it to my mom and rushed to his side the second he said yes. He was genuinely nice and very polite. After the picture and our millions of compliments he thanked us for out support and gave us a smile. 

I’ve never been so thankful to be wrong in my life and to have such an outgoing mother.

I sat in the airport for eight more hours waiting for our flight in complete bliss and amazement that I had just seen one of my favorite actors. I forgot that I was even going on my dream vacation… that is until I stepped off my plane that had just landed in the islands of Fiji. 

We took a boat to a remote island called Malolo Lailai where we stayed in bungalows and could snorkel right off the back porch. The island was incredibly beautiful with crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, and a beautiful blue sky.


The scuba diving was absolutely the best I have ever experienced due to the islands being so close to the Australian Great BArrier Reef. I got to see a few sharks, giant schools of fish, sea turtles, moray eels, clown fish, sting rays, deep sea caves, and even coral that changed colors when I touched it! The best thing about my trip, however, was getting to spend time with my mom and being able to make memories with her that will last a lifetime. I feel so fortunate to have brought in the new year with such amazing experiences that I'll never forget!

ZL, 

Mckenzie Harrison-Bolen
PC '12

ZTA Alcohol Skills Training Program

On Saturday, February 2nd, 2013, ZTA Nationals Representative, Mr. Kyle Pendleton, came to Austin, Texas from Indianapolis, Indiana to talk to the Kappa Chapter about Alcohol Awareness. The Alcohol Skills Training Program (ASTP) was truly informative and entertaining. During the seminar, some Zetas received Texas Greek t-shirts from UT Austin Sorority/ Fraternity Life for those who actively participated. Thanks again Mr. Pendleton for your time and UT Austin Sorority/ Fraternity Life for the free goodies! ZLAM,
Rachel Robillard
PC '11

ZTA Ladies Give a Helping Hand in Nicaragua

Sofia taking the pulse rate of young a
          Nicaraguan boy in the triage station

My name is Sofia Silver and this winter break I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel Nicaragua with a group of 35 other students from the University of Texas at Austin. Two of my other Zeta sisters, Olivia Trzepacz and Peyton Cramer were also a part of this group of intelligent, diverse, and driven students. We travelled with a student-led organization called Global Brigades to bring medical care to the poverty of several rural communities. Our group was the first ever brigade to enter Nicaragua, and I believe we set a high precedent for all future brigades.

                  Olivia, Peyton, and I flew with 8 other students out of DFW on the first day on a bright and early 4 am flight! We flew in to Nicaragua’s capital, Managua, and were greeted by our cute, peppy 22 year old brigade coordinator Nicole. On the 2 hour drive to our compound in a city called Estelí, we were all surprised by not only the breathtaking landscape, but also by the “homes” that lined the winding road. Tiny, square shacks the size of our bedrooms and covered by metal tin roofs were normal homes for the majority of this third world country. This was the first of many eye-opening sights we would witness during our week in Nicaragua.

Left to right: Jordan, Peyton, Sofia, and Olivia
at the active Masaya Volcano

Despite the early wakeup, once we arrived to our compound we were put to work sorting, counting, and labeling tons of different types of medicine under the direction of our Nicaraguan pharmacist Brenda, while we waited for the Houston group to arrive. On our first night, the power went out throughout the compound, so we had to take freezing showers in the dark, giving us our first insight into the lives of the majority of Nicaraguans.

For the first three days of the trip, our group, along with an incredible staff hired by Global Brigades, set up a free medical clinic and pharmacy in the poor rural community of Llano de la Tejera. We worked with 4 remarkable and ambitious local physicians, along with one of the most hardworking and passionate dentists I have ever met to treat over 300 patients throughout the three days. I had the opportunity to work in the triage station taking blood pressure, temperature, respiratory rate, and pulse rate for a large multitude of patients. This was one of the best parts of the trip for me since I am a pre-med student, and it gave me some hands-on experience with patients. The patients most commonly suffered frombreathing problems, coughs, parasites, and malnutrition, resulting from their extremely sub-par living conditions and lack of access to clean water.

Left to right: Peyton, Jordan, Sofia, and Olivia
outside of the school in Llano de la Tejera,
where the medical brigade was set up

During the medical brigade, I also was able to shadow several of the physicians during their consultations with patients. I got to see a baby suffering from laryngomalacia, which I learned is a condition in which the larynx does not fully develop for a baby when it is an embryo, causing the baby to make a high pitch squeaking noise when it inhales. We were also able to inform an overweight woman of her high blood pressure, and give her the steps she would need to take to improve her health to avoid a heart attack or a stroke. However, the most exciting case to come into our clinic was an eleven year old girl who sliced open her finger with a machete (which are apparently very commonly used by Nicaraguan children!). She came running in with blood spurting out of her finger. One of the doctors handled the situation very calmly and efficiently, even when the girl’s mother fainted from the sight of all the blood!

In another important part of the medical brigade, we taught the children of the communities the proper way to brush their teeth and gave them free toothbrushes and toothpaste. It was shocking to us that these children did not even know the right way to hold a toothbrush, so often we had to adjust their hands so they could brush correctly. This was another one of my favorite parts of the trip because I was interacting, in most likely awful Spanish, with young kids who were extremely excited to have us there. We played tag, red rover, and “ring around the rosy” with the kids, and their energy and giggles masked any hint at the horrible conditions they were born in to. The little ones especially loved the “selfie” camera on our iPhones! Seeing these happy and gracious children definitely gave me a real sense of perspective due to their positive attitudes despite the fact that they were living in severe poverty.

Peyton, Vi, and Sofia cementing the drain for the latrine
that was built for a home in El Limon

Since we were in Nicaragua for New Year’s Day, we were able to have the day off, and we travelled to an active volcano near Managua called Masaya Volcano. I had never been to a volcano before, so this was yet another amazing experience on the trip, and the views were spectacular!

For the last 3 days of the brigade, we travelled to the even poorer and more rural community of El Limón where people lived in homes made of wood scraps with tin roofs, dirt floors, and no bathrooms. Many dug holes in the ground to go to the bathroom, and some bathed in rivers. All types of animals roamed freely throughout the area, from plain old dogs and cats to cows, pigs, and chickens – my fear of birds was definitely spiked when I had to worry about walking past a rooster or a hen every couple of minutes, even inside the homes!

Peyton, Henry the coordinator, and Sofia with some of the
community members outside of the home
where a sanitary station was built

We performed the public health aspect of our brigade in this community, and we started by tearing down the falling apart home of the poorest family of El Limón, and by beginning the reconstruction of a new home that would be large enough to house 3 families. Our group also worked hand in hand with community members and Global Brigade technicians to build sanitary stations for three different homes which would include a shower, latrine, and washboard to help improve the lives of these families. To first witness the diseases and health conditions many rural Nicaraguans suffered from and to then see the terrible living conditions they lived in gave me an incredible understanding of the important correlation between public health and medical health. It was especially rewarding to know that I was leaving Nicaragua having improved the lives of several people, and that hopefully my efforts would help in preventing the development of some of these illnesses in the future.

Overall, my experience in Nicaragua was eye opening and unforgettable. I met some astonishing and inspiring people, and the true graciousness of all of the Nicaraguans we helped was extraordinarily humbling. The most memorable part of the trip was when we arrived to El Limón to the entire community congregated outside the house we were going to rebuild. I was almost moved to tears when the community members joined together in a song for us that sang, in Spanish, “welcome my brothers, give me your hand, and I’ll give you my hand.” I will never forget the time I spent in Nicaragua, and I hope to return in the future to further assist in improving the lives of these well-deserving, compassionate people.

ZL,

Sofia Silver, PC '11