A Very Merry ZTA Holiday

Alex Carter (left) and Emily Ballard (right) show off their holiday facepaint. 

PC '15 cuties pose by the fireplace. 

Ever since I joined Zeta I had heard murmurings of the famed Christmas party. Every year at the end of the fall semester, we come together as a chapter and enjoy each other’s company and the Christmas spirit. Being as Christmas obsessed as I am, I was incredibly excited for this. I walked into the house Monday night before the festivities began to get some last minute studying in and already found the rooms filled with colors of Christmas and poinsettias, in addition to the already erected Christmas tree and strung garland. I could hardly pay attention to my awful online lecture with all the magic unfolding around me as the party began.

Santa even made an appearance! 

One thing I can always brag on Zeta about is the food. A ribeye steak complete with mashed potato balls, green beans, the whole nine yards! I was still studying with Haleigh, Brogan, Rachel, and Laura as we devoured the meal. My lecture went on the back burner pretty quickly, as did everyone else’s academics. Now was a time to enjoy each other’s company. Rachel and I went to the hot chocolate bar (the best surprise of this semester) and I put just about everything I could in it with a heavy emphasis on peppermint. It was delectable on a different level. Soon, another Zeta favorite of mine came into play- face painting. Luckily the table was adjacent to me and I jumped in line. I tried to be creative and got some swirly snowflake magic covering the left side of my face; an instant photo shoot opportunity if we’re being honest. Brogan and Chandler went all out with the Grinch consuming their face.

Leaving the house in the glow of the lights wrapping around our grand columns, I’m reminded for possibly the millionth time that I am home; that these are my people, and this is my place. Everyone could set aside their stress for their upcoming test and bask in the holiday season all together for the last time this semester. And goodness, I will never forget the picture of Chandler in bed with green remnants on her face making Grinch references. It was definitely a night for the books.

Brogan Nielsen (left) and Katherine Shepard (right) hug under the Christmas tree. 

Some Good Old Thanksgiving Football

           

Some Good Old Thanksgiving Football

Jenn Francis and her twin brother, Jordan, supporting the horns.

         As my family and I headed to the Thanksgiving game at Darrell K. Royal like we do each Thanksgiving, we were ready for the last Longhorn home game of the season. Stuffed with our Thanksgiving meals, it was nice to relax and spend the game and day with family. Knowing that it may rain, we purchased ponchos at the team store and headed to our seats. 

PC '14 Jenn Francis at the game with her dad and brother.

I sat in between my younger sister who hopes to be a Longhorn someday, and my mom who was one. As the rain started to pour, we put on our ponchos and tried to stay dry and warm. I got to see some of my Red Raider friends who came to the game, and spent time with my family. As the Longhorns were picked to win, we watched and cheered and hoped! The game itself was great. At halftime, Jimmy Vaughn performed along with our band and put on a fun performance. It was strange seeing an almost empty student section, and looking around to see so many families and friends fill in the stadium. The second half of the game was crazy: so many great plays and so much excitement from fans in the stands. 

Tara Tillery and family. 

The Thanksgiving game was a awesome, but was a different experience from most games. Instead of going to tailgates and sitting with friends in the rowdy student section, I got to eat and relax and enjoy with my family. It was a little bit saddening knowing it was the last home game of the season, and the last home game for all of the seniors. It was such a great experience and I hope I get to spend Thanksgiving rooting on Texas every year with my family!
Tara Tillery, PC ’15

Parent's Weekend at the Zeta House

Leading up to Parent’s Weekend, there was a strange feeling of pride mixed with nerves, at least for the freshman. We finally left our nests to fly off to the big world of college, and now our parents were to join us at our new homes on November 6^th and 7^th for Parents’ Weekend. For some of us, this was our first time seeing our parents since we left in August. It was something to prove—show them that we had grown up even just a little bit since we left. Parent’s Weekend consisted of two days—one dinner and fun night at Abel’s North and one bar-b-que tailgate at the Zeta house. As the weekend grew closer, the excitement and  anticipation grew stronger.

                My father is notorious for being right on time for everything, so of course we got to Abel’s North as one of the first family’s there. My parents immediately wanted to be introduced to the other families there, and each time there was a split second of fear running through my head of, “Oh my God please tell me I got her name right,” even if we had become close friends. Everyone casually talked about flights or drives into the city after such big storms the days before, or where their children came from or what each parent did for a living. The next day at the Zastle, everyone got in line to pile their plates up with bar-b-que, the girls so used to the routine from Chapter meetings while parents’ eyes glittered with amazement at the beauty and care of our large white home. More conversation ensued and parents and kids alike gleamed when their parent could remember the names of the other parents or child that they were talking to. There was introducing dads and moms to new Bigs and parents wanting to capture every second. Jumping from tailgate to tailgate proved an interesting task as each house provided new and interesting entertainment.

                My two worlds collided as I introduced my parents to each of my new friends. The sense of pride never wore off because going off to college is hard and strange, but that all payed off when I knew I had some wonderful friends and wonderful parents to show off like toys. Coming from a performing arts high school, my parents were just giddy to be introduced to so many male friends! I never thought I would be dragging them to tailgates or big white houses filled with happy and familiar faces. But now that it has come and passed, it was all so easy to fall into a rhythm of home and new life mixed.

ZLAM,

Tatum Zeko PC '15

Country Casual

October 22, the moment we have all been waiting for: a date event! Or should I say, a Zeta event. The concept of a date event is both exciting and scary. Who am I going to ask?? Should I ask a friend? A love interest? A random? All of these questions are crucial to finding your perfect date. But then there’s always that terrifying thought -- will they say no?  As there were three other date events that night, the answer to that last question was definitely true in my case…three times. But eventually everyone found a date and we were all ready to two-step the night away at the Coupland Dance Hall.

A little before 9:00, everyone met at the Zastle. The house was filled with lovely ladies and their handsome lads as they talked and mingled until the buses arrived. Mama G had a lot of meet and greets to say the least! After about an hour of dancing through the aisles of the charter buses, we finally made it to the venue. And it was beautiful. Twinkling lights were strung across the ceiling, with a huge open dance floor in the center. It was the perfect place to dance, socialize at the bar and pool tables, eat food, and hang out.

As the night ticked away, it was evident that everyone was having a great time. The more experienced couples were swinging, twirling, and dipping each other all around while others sang on the stage or danced in big groups. The band was so much fun, and extremely interactive. 

 

They had no problem with the hoards of girls on stage pretending to be back up dancers and singers.  I never wanted the night to end, but the blisters from my cowboy boots were saying otherwise. And at least we had Chicken Finger Friday to look forward to the next day. This date event was definitely one I will never forget!

ZLAM,

Natalie Vigo PC ‘14

Big Little Lovin'

OU weekend went as fast as it had come, and many Zetas were feeling exhausted, yet relieved, that the previous week’s stress had come to a close. However, it wouldn’t be a true UT school week if we didn’t have seemingly a million planned events directly after the others ended. That Wednesday, October 14th, was “I Love My Big Night,” an informal gathering to express your love for the special connection to PC 14, a formal bond that takes “zistas” to an elevated level. Unfortunately, it seemed as though many girls were consumed with schoolwork or previous obligations that prevented them from attending the event. That being said, there was still a substantial amount of girls that filed into the Zeta living room, every little attached to their big.
“I Love My Big Night” creeped up on me. I always knew I would perform something for my big, but I had no idea that October 14th would come up so fast (seriously, where has the time gone?). On Monday, Hailey Bailey (PC ‘15) and I teamed up to form a rap for our bigs, best friends Chelsei Brown and Ali Murray (PC ‘14). The rhyming dictionary became our best friend that night; we stayed up so late that Hailey had to look up what rhymed with “blue.” Hailey, literally there are so many words that come to mind instantaneously that I’m worried about how delirious we were becoming by 2 AM for you to have to look that up. But that’s beside the point.


Anyway, as we sat around the living room, surrounded by two abnormally large sheets of cookie cake (shout out to the Big/Little chairs), we had the opportunity to spend a little part of our Wednesday with our bigs.
Most littles stood up, one by one, to say a little about why they love their big. Even though it wasn’t long, it was admirable to see how much these littles cared for their older counterparts. Hailey Bailey and I, semi resembling males in our “swag” apparel, performed our raps for our bigs, stuttering through the words as we laughed too hard to get some out. I’m not big on public speaking, or in this case, rapping? But it didn’t matter. Based on the lengths my big is willing to go (did you see her on big/little reveal?) for me, I have no problem somewhat embarrassing myself for her.
Some girls gave a gift, whether it be Tiff’s treats, ZTA jewelry, or maybe both; others teamed up and read a poem, like Alexa Ryder and Chandler Cherry. When I heard about this event in the past years, I pictured some huge theatrical production. And that gave me an incredibly large amount of anxiety. The fact that it was set in the familiar part of our shared home, in casual clothes, made the whole ceremony more meaningful. No girl felt an immense amount of stress to impress their big, or compete with anyone else, but rather they just got a chance to share their experiences or connections with their big.
 In my opinion, the first things that comes to one’s mind and on ­the spot reflections are the most accurate and deep. As a little, I loved the opportunity to do something for my big. We’re used to receiving baskets full of t­-shirts and other Zeta goodies for seemingly no reason, but we often overlook the amount of effort that went on behind the scenes. Littles, there’s probably a big t-­shirt that was in your bid day basket that tore your big up to give away. Ali, I know that pink shirt with the flower pocket was hard to part with, and I love you for that! I cannot be more thankful for my big and all she has/will do for me in the coming years. It has made the transition into college and Zeta so much smoother, and that’s something that I’ll forever be grateful for. So, littles, if you didn’t get the chance to attend this event, or even if you did, be sure to send your big some extra love today and everyday. You have 72 Zista’s your age, but only one big, so don’t let her forget how much she means to you.

ZLAM

Taylor Gray, PC '15

Red River Rivalry Lives On

Football season is definitely my favorite season, and I think most Longhorn fans would agree. Even though our horns haven't been their best this season, I couldn't wait to go to Dallas to watch the notorious Texas vs. OU game. OU weekend was all anyone could talk about for weeks, whether it was talking about having a date or not, where you were staying for the weekend, or just being excited for it to happen! When noon came around I couldn't wait to hop on the bus and head to my hometown.

When we arrived in Dallas everyone was tired from the long bus ride. Some people (like me) took a quick nap before heading back out for the night. I made sure to get a good night's sleep before Saturday though because I knew it would be a loooong day.

We all woke up bright and early Saturday morning to head out to the State Fair of Texas. Some people didn't go to the game and only went to the fair, but I was ready to watch some Longhorn football. That game was hands down the coolest I've ever been to because THE HORNS WON!! We were supposed to lose by 16, but instead Charlie Strong lead us to victory; it was a great day to be a Longhorn! After the game I got to hang out the fair for a bit, but we all had to go home to get ready for the night. The fraternity I went with hosted a formal Saturday night, so we all put on nice dresses and the boys were rocking tuxedos. It was so fun to see everyone dressed up! We danced the night away with a cool band and great friends. 

On Sunday morning we were all exhausted. I didn't want the weekend to end, but I also couldn't wait to get home and sleep in my own bed. I had never been so excited to see the Austin skyline when the bus finally arrived back home. It was so fun being able to spend the weekend with so many of my Zeta sisters! That weekend sure was one for the books.

ZLAM,

Megan Igoe PC '14

Rockin' Away at ACL

Austin City Limits- the six days a year where Austin becomes the most happening city on earth. Each October, for two weekends, Austin's fabulous Zilker park is transformed into a five stage frenzy of food, music, and fun. Tens of thousands of people gather to jam out with the hottest musical acts around. In May, when the lineup was announced, I set my alarm for 5:55 in the morning so I could wake up and see what wonderful performers were on the ticket for the 2015 festival. When I saw the lineup, I was thrilled. The headliners were incredible including The Weeknd, The Foo Fighters, Drake, Florence and The Machine, and The Strokes. Once tickets went on sale, I purchased my three day wristband and the anticipation commenced. 

On October, 2nd 2015, it was finally time for ACL. The sky was clear and a cool breeze continuously swept over good ol' Austin, Texas. The weather was perfect, and it was a perfect day for a festival. I got ready for the day and hopped into an über with my good friends. It was 12:30pm and the weekend was only beginning. My favorite performances of Day One were George Ezra, Leon Bridges, and Brand New. The first day was wonderful and I absolutely could not wait for days two and three. Day two was full of amazing performances, including Echosmith, Ryn Weaver, Walk The Moon, and Drake. This day was insane!!!!! All of the acts outdid themselves and absolutely exceeded my expectations. I was so excited for day three, but so sad because I knew it was the final day. My favorite performances of day three were Vance Joy, Hozier, and finally the Weeknd. What a fabulous three days of music, friends, and absolute bliss. 

I could go on and on about how wonderful ACL was for me but I truly believe it is something everyone should experience. I cannot wait for next year. 

And if you are so lucky to attend next year, I encourage you to participate in Rock & Recycle-- you fill the bag with empty cans, then you turn it in for a cool t-shirt and the chance to win a whole bunch of other prizes; but mainly you win because you helped the environment!

ZLAM,

PC '15 Sara Rasor

It's All in the Family

Ever since I got my big last year, I have been waiting for the moment when I would get to be a big sister and make the perfect addition to my family. I’ve never had a big sister, so getting the perfect match for me through Zeta was one of my most exciting memories in the sorority. So on the days leading up to big little reveal, I could not have been more excited! On Friday it started; I was sitting in the Zeta house studying when I got a Facebook alert that the list of our littles was uploaded. I was so excited that I could barely stay in my chair, and when I read my little’s name I jumped for joy. It was a flurry of excitement in my pledge class when we were told our littles, but we had to keep it cool because PC 15 didn’t know yet. We had the weekend to shop for gifts for our little, then starting on Monday we would leave little clues at the house each day leading up to the reveal.

                On Monday we left them flowers, on Tuesday we left sweet treats, and on Wednesday a cute gag gift. And finally came Thursday, the day of the reveal! My pledge class arrived a little early to set up full and
beautifully decorated baskets stuffed with t-shirts and Zeta goodies galore. Once the littles arrived, they lined up in the hall and filed into the chapter room while we anxiously awaited behind closed doors. After the littles went in and had a small ritual, we filed in the room and stood behind our girls as they closed their eyes. Once the time was right, they turned around to find out who their big was, and the excitement in the air was almost palpable!

                After the big reveal, we all ran to our littles’ baskets to change into costumes for pictures. Everyone went out to the front yard to take pictures, and it was so fun to see everyone get so creative with their costumes and poses. Next, we all went to the backyard to find a carnival-like atmosphere filled with a bouncy slide, face paint, caricatures, and funnel cakes. We got to spend quality time bonding with our littles while stuffing our faces with Cane’s and simultaneously getting our faces painted. It was a great reveal filled with plenty of fun memories, and I could not be happier to have my very own little, and now my family is complete! I am so thankful that Zeta helped me to find not only my best friends, but my second family.

ZLAM!

Callie Blumenfeld PC ‘14

The Perfect Match

With rumors of a date event flourishing in the new members’ group chat, all I could think about was a scene from the movie “Sydney White,” when the new members had fifteen minutes to find a random date for a date dash. Fortunately, this is Austin, Texas, not Hollywood. With a week in advance and no official word of when the date dash would actually be, many girls invited dates so they wouldn’t be scrambling the day of. Because I am an out-of-stater, I didn't have any guy friends I could just casually invite, so I decided to wait until the date event was officially announced. At a chapter meeting one Monday, one could feel all of the new members’ nerves and questions running through their minds: is the date dash tomorrow? Is it happening at all? Will there be a theme? No one knew for sure since everything was based off of previous rumors, but sure enough, a post on our pledge class Facebook group alerted us that the rumors were true; we had exactly 24 hours to find our perfect match.

            Excitement filled the room as everyone asked their prospective dates, and started coordinating themes. While girls started talking about the perfect matching outfit, all I could think about was who was I going to ask. My friends helped me decide on who to ask and the planning begun. After many failed ideas of creative matching outfits to fit the theme of “twins,” my date and I decided to do matching Texas jerseys, since that was the only thing both of us had. A group of girls that lived in my building piled into my room to get ready that night; every mirror and plug were taken as the music and laughter grew louder as time went on. We were having so much fun we almost forgot it was time to meet our dates and head to the party. Eventually, when I walked into the event with my friends and our dates, we were greeted by seniors who looked excited to see us and welcomed us with those famous Zeta hugs.

            The best part about the date event was not finding a date, planning an outfit or getting ready with friends, but the opportunity to meet other girls outside of my own PC. I met so many girls who were so friendly and inclusive. Now walking around campus I can recognize girls outside of my pledge class without having to read the letters on their shirt. I wanted to join Greek life because coming from out of state I wanted to find my place at UT. At the end of the night, I realized that the date dash helped me see that Zeta Tau Alpha is my perfect match here at UT!

ZLAM

Elisabeth Carpenter PC ‘15

Game Day in ATX

The day was finally approaching! My long-awaited very first Texas football game as an official Longhorn had me unable to contain my excitement. Being an out-of-stater from Maryland, I had only been able to hear about game day and all the tailgates, seas of burnt orange, and fun I would be experiencing. It was one of the many reasons I chose The University of Texas at Austin in the first place, so I couldn't wait to finally cheer on our team against Rice University for myself! I prepared the night before, trying on more outfits than I'd like to admit, and taking my brand-new cowboy boots out of their Allen’s Boots box.

To start the day, I headed over to the ZTA house with some sisters so we could meet up with everyone and take the pictures that would eventually flood our Instagram feeds for the next 24 hours. Sporting our Texas Zeta face tattoos and burnt orange and white outfits, we walked hand-in-hand to the tailgates. I had so much fun meeting new people, enjoying the cookouts, and getting pumped up for the game. As I entered the stadium with my sisters, I was overwhelmed (in the best way) by what was all around me. Being in the student section, horns up in the air, was more fun than I could've imagined. Seeing new and familiar faces all with the same look of excitement as mine evoked a sense of pride in the stadium that I had never experienced before. Our team put up a fight and marked our territory, finishing strong with a win, 42-28!

The sense of spirit and community that I experienced as we all occupied those stands made me feel like I was now truly a part of not only the Longhorn family, but also my new ZTA family. I know game days will continue to be a reminder that I made the best decision of my life when I chose Texas and Zeta. Saturday is quickly becoming my new favorite day, and I cannot wait for the coming games!!


Hook ‘Em!
Lilliana Hatoum PC ‘15

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

Another First Day Done

As the excitement of bid day slowly dwindled down, not only every student in Greek life at UT, but every student from across campus set their alarms for an early Wednesday morning – the first day of the school year. As each student made their trek across campus to their first class of the year, the excitement and memories of summer slipped away and were replaced by the anticipation of the upcoming semester. Tailgate season, Austin City Limits, Texas/OU weekend, and even just cooler weather are a few of the many things all students have on their radar for the fall semester. A clean start to a new year and new classes readily refreshed everyone’s outlooks on the days ahead.

Going on my second year at the best university in the nation, I started my semester last week with just enough experience to know what I was doing but with plenty to still discover and to look forward to. I’m comfortable enough on campus now to walk around without that scared look and awkward hesitance of a freshman, and I can even head to class without pulling up the UT building map on my iPhone (barely). But I, just as probably everyone else, will say – there’s always something new to be learned and something new to be experienced at this school. The beauty of going to such a big university with so many opportunities is just that – even when you think you’ve done it all, there is still so much more room to grow.

Between Greek life, internships, on-campus clubs, student government, and much, much more, there is constantly something going on around Austin to keep us all busy. Before we know it, the leaves will change (or at least as much as they can here in Texas) and the school year will be well on its way, faster than we can believe. I think I speak on behalf of most students at Texas when I say that the 2015-2016 school year will bring about some of our most exciting, memorable experiences yet!

Kelly Bauman
PC '14

                                            

Bid Day Best Day!

On the glorious day of August 24^th, 2015, the Kappa Chapter at Zeta Tau Alpha was anxiously awaiting the arrival of our spectacular New Members. We had worked so hard to get the most amazing pledge class during recruitment, and we worked even harder to make sure they had a spectacular day. 

 

PC 14 arrived at the house bright and early, ready to set up the house with presents for the girls. We each brought baskets full of T-Shirts, stickers, necklaces, shorts, candy, and any Zeta gear we could find. We entered the chapter room only to find even MORE goodies and gear to put in our baskets. We made posters, gushed about the new pledge class, and of course, had a dance party to get us even more excited.

We stood out in the front yard with our crowns and sunflowers in hand, forming a tunnel, squealing & anxious to shower the girls with love. We couldn’t help but scream and cheer at the top of our lungs once we saw the new pledge class running towards the house.

After lots of picture-taking in front of the house and with Bevo, we all changed out of our sundresses and heels and into our festive bid day attire. We got decked out in face stickers, sharpie tattoos, glitter, and everything crowned, and dropped the babies off for a fun time at Punch Bowl Social. They went bowling, played shuffleboard, played darts, did karaoke and had an awesome time getting to know their new Zisters. Not to mention, have an awesome dinner!

 

The rest of the sorority was waiting patiently (or trying) for the moment when we would be able to take the new members back home and hang out with them. Everyone had an awesome bid day and I had the greatest time celebrating such a special day with the new members! We are so excited for all of the new additions to the Kappa Chapter and cannot wait to spoil them even more. Hello PC '15!!

ZLAM
Savanna Fields, PC '14

Rush Week Through the Eyes of a ZTA

It was finally that time of year.. RUSH WEEK! After months and months of anticipation and preparation, we were finally ready to welcome all of the potential new members (PNMs) to the Zeta house. We had spent so much time preparing our chants, getting our dance for philanthropy just right, and creating the magic of our skit that we couldn't wait to share them with the many girls going through recruitment! Everyone from sophomores to seniors was excited to welcome in our new pledge class, PC '15. We couldn’t wait to have sixty new sisters! 

During Rush Week, we all arrived at the house early each morning ready to greet the PNMs with a smile and a trademark Zeta hug. During Open House, we all matched in our khaki shorts and sneakers, and on Philanthropy, our house was jam packed with blush pink dresses. Skit night was especially entertaining, with all of the songs and funny costumes, and I loved to watch the PNMs' faces light up while getting a taste of the Zeta humor. Half of the time the cast couldn’t keep from cracking up mid scene! Our Preference night ceremony was held outside; it was a beautiful summer evening and we all enjoyed hearing the seniors share their favorite memories in Zeta. It was a special time to share our love for our sorority with the girls on their last day of recruitment, so preference night was a night sure to stick in many a Zeta's mind.

Looking back, I didn’t expect to enjoy Rush Week as much as I did. It was a wonderful opportunity to become even closer with my pledge class, as well as to meet older girls I had never talked to before. Greeting new PNMs each day was exciting, and wondering which ones we would soon welcome back to our house on Bid Day, and who our future sisters would be, kept the adrenaline pumping. Only 11 more months until Rush Week 2016! 

ZLAM

Jules Maxwell PC '14