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