New Members, More Fun!

Rolling out of bed at 9:30 to be at the ZTA house at 10, I didn’t know what to expect for the PC ’15 New Member Retreat. I didn’t even know where we were going, much less what to pack. Being a new member of anything is awkward and intimidating, but I can honestly say that I have never felt more welcomed than I have at Zeta. When we got to the house, we were surprised with personalized, hand-painted coolers filled with each of our favorite snacks and candy from some of the actives. We all raved over this until the buses pulled up and we filed in. I would share the details of the ridiculous conversations that took place on the bus, but I was one of the many who took advantage of the opportunity to nap on the way to Camp Champions. 

The first thing that we did when we got there, after putting our over-packed bags in our assigned cabins, was eat- because there’s not much that can top a day that has fries and lake time in it. Although giving up our phones was a little difficult, once we were in the water we completely forgot about them. We struggled with the blob, as most of us slipped off the sides before actually being blobbed, and couldn’t deny the laughter of the failures that happened with the rope swing. Once we were worn out from that and the slide, we floated in life jackets on the water or laid in the sun on the dock and talked about all of the interesting things that we didn’t yet know about each other. One could expect awkward ice breaker games and a separated group made up of smaller cliques to fill the rest of our day. Even though there were games, they weren’t awkward. In fact, it was the first time that I could really see the group as a whole as we mocked the roll call from Bring it On: All or Nothing with our own personal twists. 

I was pleasantly surprised to feel the true meaning of zlam earlier than I ever expected. Gathered in a large circle, sharing stories ranging from hilarious-yet-humiliating to the explanation of our where our deepest fears stem from, I knew that I would never have to feel alone on the forty-acres. Regardless of the bugs and lack of air conditioning, I absolutely loved painting ZTA letters, creating songs and skits about our sisterhood, and making s'mores. I had an incredible weekend with my sisters that I will never forget, and I am so excited to be a part of the newest Texas Zeta pledge class.

ZLAM,

Kaylyn Cole PC '15