ZTA Dad's Weekend

We had been back at school for about a month and it is safe to say that we were all ready for some good food. The weekend of February 20^th was Zeta Dad’s Weekend, the one weekend a year when we get to have our dads all to ourselves, a highlight of the year for this daddy’s girl. Fun times, good food, and even greater company were right around the corner and I couldn’t wait to get it started!

On Friday night we were treated to a delicious dinner with our dads at Hill’s Café on SOCO and let me just tell you – it did not disappoint! There was a whole buffet of southern cooking and queso (a Texas Zeta favorite) along with a live band and the perfect outdoor atmosphere for spending time with our dads and mingling with everyone else. Saturday proved to be another fun day that started with a trip to the UT basketball game against Baylor. Although the Longhorns weren’t quite able to pull out a win, we all made the most of the energetic atmosphere and spending time with our dads. With the evening open to us, my dad and I enjoyed a delicious dinner with some friends and their dads and topped it off with a daddy daughter date to Amy’s Homemade Ice Cream – Yum!

While all of the events were fun, my favorite part of the weekend was spending time with my dad and showing him a little bit of what life in Austin is like and where all his hard earned money is going. ;) It was so fun to see all the dads interact and even teach a few of them how to “throw what they know” while they learned the Texas Zeta way of life. While the weekend ended with a little rain, it couldn’t have ended on a brighter note with our favorite guys! Until next year dad’s weekend!

ZLAM,

Brittany Stevens PC ‘15

Love Truly is the Greatest of All Things

On Sunday, February 14th, also known as Valentine’s Day, the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority
house held a social gathering that reminded Zetas, both current and alumni, that love really is the greatest of all things. ZTA alumni brought their children to participate in the festivities on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Zeta really outdid themselves with cookie decorating, valentine making, face painting, and even a petting zoo. I expected to simply make an appearance at this event, but being thoroughly entertained, I was one of the very last people to leave the house. I even helped bring in the giant ZTA letters from the front yard because I was still lingering.

When I first got to the house the cutest baby boy, Conrad, was waiting to greet us at the door. Before we could even get passed the foyer, we were taken back by all the love in the air. We look to the left and see pink lemonade, copious amount of candy, and cookies ready for decorating, and to the right was a table of valentines seeking to be written on. As we walked around the house we saw sisters of all ages giving hugs and smiles celebrating this day of love in the best way possible. There was not one, not two, but three face painters at the house that day. I sat down and told the artist she had artistic freedom to paint whatever she felt like. She used purple, pink, and lots of glitter to transform my face into a whirl of colorful spirals and hearts. With our faces freshly painted, Jolie and I headed to the back yard to see these animals everyone had been raving about. We stopped to wish Mama G a happy birthday of course! Once we sat down two of the fluffiest bunnies I have ever seen were placed in our laps. After taking the obligatory selfies with our new valentines, we had to sadly give the animals back and let other kids have a turn petting them. We then headed inside to decorate some valentines and talk to our sisters about our lives and what not before calling it a day and going home.

I cannot think of a better way to spend Valentine’s day than with my sorority sisters and animals. The weather was great, the animals were nice (even when the hedgehog decided to poop on Jolie’s lap), the face painters were pulling out their A game, and everyone looked genuinely happy. Contrary to my usual lazy Sunday plans of simply preparing myself for the week that lies ahead, I am confident I made the right decision to leave my apartment and partake in the light hearted day of love. Now at chapter when we all yell “LOVE the greatest of all things” I know that our sisterly love is truly there. 

Alyssa Zucker PC '15

Zeta Zki Trip

     It had been four whole weeks since we all dispersed from Austin to spend the holidays with our families. As the long winter break dragged on, everyone was counting down the days until we were all reunited on January 3^rd for our infamous Ski Trip. I was especially anxious; it had been years since I last skied and I could not wait to be in Colorado. I embarked on the fraternity-organized trip to Breckenridge, Colorado. Everyone was so excited to be back together with their sisters and college friends who lived in different parts of the country to go enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the beautiful Colorado Mountains.  

     After a draining day of traveling, from our long flight to our lovely 2hour bus ride, we finally arrived in Breckenridge. The entire group was exhausted and after dinner everyone hit the hay to be ready for the slopes in the morning. Surprisingly, each morning all of us managed to wake up bright and early to enjoy days filled with lots of skiing and snowboarding among friends. Everyday, we would all pile on layers upon layers of clothing and head to the mountains. The temperature was perfect for skiing, and it even snowed 2 of the days! Each of us had different levels of experience skiing, and it was funny watching each other wipe out on different runs- but we always laughed it off and helped each other up. It made for some good stories to tell at the end of the day. At noon each day we all stopped for lunch on the mountain and each night we all bundled up in our clothing and went downtown in Breckenridge for dinner. There were plenty of yummy restaurants including a delicious hot chocolate place that was my all time favorite. We spent a lot of our time around the fire in our cabins listening to music and enjoying each others company. 

     As the week came to an end, nobody wanted to leave. We all had to go back to our own hometowns and cope with separation anxiety for ANOTHER week until we would all be together again in Austin. The ski trip was filled with lots of shredding (not always successfully), laughter, and memories that will last a lifetime. It was such a nice getaway with so many Zeta sisters and other friends from college! Colorado sure was a great view, but I know we are now all anxiously awaiting to see the Austin skyline at the end of this week!

ZLAM,

Kendra Lipar PC’15

Arubian Winter Nights

In my life, family vacations usually go one of two ways: my brother and I fighting mercilessly, or on the preferable and rare occasion, we get along and enjoy ourselves. This being our first period of extended time together since I had left for school, I didn't know what to expect. 10 nights in Aruba sounds amazing, but without friends or activities to entertain us, my brother and I tend to get restless. I mentally prepared myself to take this opportunity to really relax and prepare so I could continue working hard next semester. It would turn out I was better at relaxing than I thought.

Touching down on the "happy island" was exciting, but the four hour line for customs was not. I immediately began to worry, does this entire island move this slow? However, I knew I was lucky to be there and kept my attitude positive throughout the entire un-air-conditioned experience. Pulling up to the hotel I was excited; it was already dark out, but the holiday lights and wreaths gave off a cheery and comforting aura. I couldn't wait to change out of my plane clothes and eat some dinner.  Our first meal really took me by surprise. The restaurant was casual, the staff was amazing, and our meal was delicious. At that moment I knew I was really going to enjoy our stay. I envisioned long days of laying out by the pool, walking along the beach and snacking on the extensive poolside menu.  And that's exactly what I did.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been given experiences like my trip to Aruba. I have been able to see the world and its treasures, which is a unique opportunity. Beyond that, enjoying a beachside vacation with seemingly no worries or responsibilities was heavenly. Spending quality uninterrupted time with my family reminded me of how much I had missed them, and sometimes I wish I wasn't so far away. That being said, I know they're always a phone call, or a plane ride away. Then I began to understand just how special it was to have a family worth missing.


-Rachel Weisenthal, PC '15

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