New Member Retreat 2013

I woke up on a Sunday morning bright and early, at 7 am to be exact. My phone was going off frantically with notifications from my pledge class' group-me app. Girls complained of how tired they were and about how their beds were just calling their names, but then we got to the Zeta house and everything changed. Girls were so happy to see their sisters and discuss the game the day before, including all the funny things that only your sisters would understand. We all were so excited for the day to start and couldn’t wait to see what our new member retreat had in store.

We walked into the living room of Zeta, and my eyes instantly light up as I saw the 73 ZTA blocks that we were going to paint later on in the day. “ASHTON ARE WE DOING ART PROJECTS?!!,” I screamed throughout the house. Ashton, one of the New Member assistants smiled at me and I could hardly contain my excitement for the day to begin. Before we left for our journey, we were instructed to go to the chapter room for a surprise. As we sprinted into the room, we were surprised with beautifully decorated styrofoam coolers from our ‘Tau’ buddies of the week. But most importantly, they were filled with all our favorite goodies. Once again, Zeta had knocked it out of the park and made the day extra special for us babies. We boarded the bus with our coolers and off we went!

When we got to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort, we went into a big conference room and separated into groups sat at tables. Some of the girls at my table I had not gotten to know yet, so I was really happy that new faces surrounded me. We jumped into conversation like we had known each other forever, not just weeks. Later on in the day, we started our art projects, and creativity and laughter was pulsing throughout the room. Girls were walking around viewing what everyone else was doing, trading ideas and input. The ZTA blocks reflected the chapter perfectly, showcasing the uniqueness of each person’s personality.

We then went outside to soak up the Texas sun and swim a little bit. All the girls relaxed, not thinking about the hours of homework they probably have been avoiding, like myself. We all sat around the pool and discussed the smoldering heat; our friends back home, our families, a combination of everything and anything that made us unique. To me, the most amazing part of it all was that it feels like every single one of my Zeta sisters just gets me. I'm from out of state, but never-the-less they accepted my background. The easiness of our relationships and how natural our bonds were was evident. Although I have only been a Zeta for about a month, I looked around the room and saw 72 girls that I could call not only call my good friends but know I could call any one of them up at any time and they would be there for me in a heart beat. Zeta has been the most amazing experience so far and I have never felt so apart of something in my life. I may be half way around the country from my original home, but Zeta has become my home away from home and, although corny, they say you don't chose your family, but I couldn’t have asked for a better one if I tried. 

ZLAM,

Samantha Katz, PC '13