Wishing you Merry Joy with your family and friends!
Even the classic movie "White Christmas" is a fan of Alpha Chi Omega! #lyre Did you guess this musical selection? "Sisters", of course!
Friday, December 25, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
Holiday Morning - A Gamma Iota Tradition
In preparation for another fun Holiday Morning paddle and outfit reveal, we #TBT to Fall 2014. It's great to be an Alpha Chi Omega at UF!
Friday, December 4, 2015
We love alumnae visits; especially on Game Days!
In honor of our trip to the SEC Championship game, we share our last football post of the 2015 season.
We love it when alumnae return to Gainesville, UF and most of all The 820!
AND A BIG Thank you Elizabeth Kovacs ('93) for these fun photos and your interest in and devotion to Alpha Chi Omega and Gamma Iota especially!
We loved discovering the Kovacs' friend and babysitter, Laura C, is a current sister!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
#GivingTuesday - Ways Gamma Iotas Spread Philanthropy and Altruism
Looking for a way to support two important philanthropies to Alpha Chi Omega and Gamma Iota? On this #GivingTuesday our chapter will be sharing with Peaceful Paths, our local domestic violence shelter. You can help them too!
And, the organization that supports so much of our sisterhood with scholarships, leadership opportunities and grants: Alpha Chi Omega Foundation.
EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS *** What can YOU give back today? ***
Thanksgiving Dinner with Alumnae!
Before Thanksgiving break, we invited our local alumnae from Delta Mu Delta (Gainesville chapter) and Lambda Omicron Lambda (Ocala Chapter) to join us for our annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Alpha Chi house! We had an amazing time getting to know all of our alumnae. Each alumna had the chance to introduce herself to the chapter and give a short story on her time spent in Alpha Chi. We spent the evening reminiscing on old traditions and memories. We were even able to join together in a candle lighting ceremony for one of our collegiate sisters, Alyssa Stevenson (MC '13)! Thank you to everyone that joined us, and we can't wait to have another alumnae event!
"I was so excited when over the weekend Aaron and the brothers of @SigEpStetson gave me their letters and I was happy to be able to share that with my sweet sista friends tonight!" - Alyssa
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
#WCW - #axoyoungalum Awarded Girl Scouts Honor & Finalist for Statewide Young Farmer
Brittany H. Lee (F'02) remains active in philanthropic and leadership roles in Gainesville. It inspires us to see an alumna continuing to exhibit wisdom, devotion and achievement as she seeks the heights. We are #AXOThankful for alumnae like her.In her "regular" life, Brittany is the vice president of a blueberry farm, Florida Blue Farms. She is an active member of the Alachua County Florida Farm Bureau, Ronald MacDonald House charities, Junior League of Gainesville and more. Below we highlighted a few of her recent achievements!
 |
Brittany and husband at the Wedgeworth Leadership Institute
graduation
|
 |
| Brittany being honored by the Girl Scouts of Gateway Girl |
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Gamma Iotas help colonize, initiate and install at FIU, Kappa Upsilon
We loved this #GatorChomp seen at the Florida International University (Kappa Upsilon) installation, December 2015. We are so pleased to see our alumnae giving back to "big" Alpha Chi Omega, and remembering our sisterhood is lifelong. #4lifenot4years
Vikki Phram serves as the chapter advisor
Natalie Hyman serves as the finance advisor
Victoria Persampiere serves as the recruitment advisor
Lauren Tyson serves as the risk management advisor
Jillian Hornick serves as the new member education advisor
Jodi De La Torre serves as the Panhellenic advisor
Natasha Schoultz is the executive vice president - president elect for the Gator Club of Miami
Vikki Phram serves as the chapter advisor
Natalie Hyman serves as the finance advisor
Victoria Persampiere serves as the recruitment advisor
Lauren Tyson serves as the risk management advisor
Jillian Hornick serves as the new member education advisor
Jodi De La Torre serves as the Panhellenic advisor
Natasha Schoultz is the executive vice president - president elect for the Gator Club of Miami
Anne Helliwell does everything!
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
#WCW - Our "Why Alpha Chi Wednesday" and "Woman Crush Wednesday"
Today we recognize a devoted, talented and involved alumna of our chapter:
Anne E. Helliwell!
Anne served as the director of the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation.
Anne remains an Alpha Chi Omega Life Loyal member.
Anne serves as the president for Junior League of Miami Foundation.
Anne works as a board member for the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind.
The Women's Fund Miami-Dade made Anne a Power of the Purse 2015 Honor Roll Honoree.
Thank you Anne for showing us how to be Real.Strong.Women.; a servant leader and a lifetime member of Alpha Chi Omega who honors her Bond of Sisterhood.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
#AXOYoungAlum Successes #WCW
Wow, our alumna and former president Kristen Soltis Anderson (2002), author of The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up)
 |
| UF produces many impressive graduates, and we are proud the Florida Magazine highlighted our sister! |
 |
| Pretty impressive when you open a major magazine and there is your sorority sister! #MarieClaire |
Sunday, September 20, 2015
“40 Answers” To Common Excuses for Hazing - Thank You Sigma Nu Fraternity
Is perpetuating a version of your negative experience shedding the light of love & friendship round you? #40answers https://twitter.com/SigmaNuHQ/status/636886742822428672 …
Sigma Nu Fraternity @SigmaNuHQ
Did our seven Founders come up with it? They intended us to show love & sincerity to each other.#40answers #AXO https://twitter.com/SigmaNuHQ/status/634349788352413697 …
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Alumnae at Homecoming - #axoyoungalums
In honor of our Alumnae and Families Game Day Brunch tomorrow, we wanted to share past photos of alumnae showing their Gator Love!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
AXO Weddings - #WeddingWednesday
Sarah Jean (Tallahassee native, '13 initiate & Delta flight attendant) married Alex this summer. She was so lucky to invite many sisters from many initiation years to her wedding!
Jen ('04 initiate & Naval flight surgeon): Another beautiful wedding full of Alpha Chi Omega sisters!
Friday, September 4, 2015
Gator Football and Alpha Chi Omega - #GoGators #GoAXO
We are so pleased to welcome a new alumna to town: Karen McElwain!
Yes, "Mrs. Coach McElwain" for the Gators is an Alpha Chi Omega.
Their two daughters from Alpha Upsilon chapter also share the lifelong bond of sisterhood!
We cannot wait to enjoy the society of our sister(s) in Gainesville and share the Gator Nation love!
Go Gators: Beat New Mexico State!
***
CSU coach Jim McElwain bringspast with him to CSU - Denver Post
The trappings were similar. NFL stadium. Big city. The feeling in Karen McElwain's gut was similar too. Maybe it should have been. The tension was just as high.National championship last January versus her husband's head coaching debut Saturday.
"I'm really not that nervous," she said before her husband, Jim, debuted as Colorado State's head coach at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. "There's been a lot of excitement leading up to this. Normally when I'm calm there's good results."
Quick. Someone bottle Karen McElwain's gut feeling.
Her premonition came true. Her husband of 25 years, best friend for 28, beat Colorado 22-17 and became the first CSU coach to win his first game since 1970.
From his first job as a quarterbacks and receivers coach at Eastern Washington in 1985, Jim McElwain has waited for a day like Saturday. So has everyone who knew him as the charismatic, down-to-earth Montanan who loved nothing more than sitting around his lake cabin with friends.
So many were here for his head coaching debut: Dave Whittle, who coached with him at Eastern Washington and now lives in Loveland; Nathan Emmons, the McElwains' babysitter on their rare date nights as an assistant at Montana State; Pete McCartney, security guard for then-head coach John L. Smith when McElwain assisted him at Louisville.
They all remembered him. That's because McElwain, even while helping Alabama win two of the last three national titles as offensive coordinator, never forgot them.
"The great thing about the McElwains is no matter where I went or anybody that they know has gone, Jim always makes that phone call to stay in touch," said Whittle, an executive with the Norwegian wood stove company Jotul. "He's that kind of a person. He's a good man. Just out of the blue. Like he kind of goes big time. He's down in Alabama. He doesn't want to hear from me. I'm not coaching anymore. Boom! There's a call from Coach Mac. Just, 'Hey, I just want to say hi.' "
For the past few days leading to Saturday, McElwain went into game mode. He was coaching against the same Jon Embree who got the Colorado job McElwain interviewed for two years ago. His wife was in game mode too. She has spent time talking to the players who have been the lifeblood of her husband's career.
The couple still remember Super Bowl XXXIX when Deion Branch, his old receiver when he was a receivers coach at Louisville from 2000-02, called him from the Patriots' locker room. Branch just wanted some words from his old mentor to calm him down before the biggest game of his life.
Branch went out and won the Super Bowl MVP award.
These Rams didn't need that reassurance. Despite coming off three straight 3-9 seasons and being 6½-point underdogs, the Rams were ready.
"They said they've never been as prepared as they are now," Karen said. "They're very calm and believe in what Coach Mac has told them. That is if every play you're doing your best and follow through with every play, you're going to win."
True to his word, CSU won enough plays to win the game. As the gun sounded, reserve linebacker Jedidiah Teofilo lifted McElwain in a bearhug. McElwain took the Centennial Cup and handed it to his roaring players as they celebrated in front of their rollicking fans.
Long after his last interview, after his last words to his wide-eyed team, McElwain emerged from the locker room. Waiting for him were Karen and their three kids: Hanna, a senior at Alabama where she works for the sports information department; Lizzi, her Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister and sophomore at Alabama; and Jerret, a junior linebacker at Fort Collins' Rocky Mountain High.
His tie undone, his smile as big as the Rams' future, he hugged his old buds, Whittle and Emmons, like they were longtime assistants. They were all headed to the McElwains' house later that night for a little celebration.
Then he did something odd.
"Here," he said to his family, "I have your gum."
He handed a stick of gum to his three beaming kids and Karen. This is the postgame tradition he loves the most. It began when Hanna was born in 1990.
Before each game, he writes the name of his kids on three pieces of gum. On another he writes the name of his late father, Frank, a high school coach and principal in Montana. He carries the gum in his pocket during every game and afterward hands the three sticks to his kids.
He hands the one with his father's name to Karen.
"All the hours you put in, all the time you put in, you realize what it's for and what it's about," McElwain said. "It's about my family."
Then he and his family were gone. A rich past has turned into an even richer present.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnhendersondp
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Bid Day 2015: A Garden Party with Gamma Iota Welcomes home NMC15!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)