Search results matching tag 'Greek life'

Check out my Butler Crib!!!

StephF — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:12:00 GMT

So some of you might have seen the Butler Cribs videos already......but if you haven't, I highly recommend that you go to this link and watch all of them....and possibly vote for mine! Sadly, mine isn't as cool as the others, but I did try!!! And mine is of my entire house....which I think is pretty cool! :) Just so you can check out mine...here it is!!!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Isn't my house fun??! :) I really like it, and all of the special touches, like the dinosaurs in the plants and our door decs! And I especially love that it is completely fine that we all have teddy bears on our beds and all over our house, simply because we are Alpha Phi's. The teddy bear is one of our symbols, so of course we love to do what we call the "Phi Bear" in pictures, and we go to Build-a-Bear, and we put our stuffed animals on our beds just like we used to when we were small children! haha. I also love that when I was recording the video, I didn't plan on having people hanging out in the TV Room, but they just happened to be in there while I was videotaping, so it just worked out great! Living in the house so far has been a great experience and a great opportunity for me to get to know my sisters a lot better! It has it's challenging times....but it is still tons of fun!!! Just in case you are wondering what the "Phi Bear" is.....here it is!!!!

What I wish I knew then that I know now...

BUTaylorM — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:04:00 GMT

Let me start this off by saying that it finally feels like fall. It's lovely. As I look back on all the time I have already spent here, I thought of all the things that I have learned in the past few weeks... thing I wish I had known before I started school. I don't want to leave everyone in the dark so I will shed light on some burning, prospective students' questions.

1. Flex-Dollars/Dawg Bucks/Meal Plan(s)

I am not going to sugar coat it. As an incoming student, meal plans are confusing. I had no idea what flex dollars were, what dawg bucks were, if they were the same thing, or how to use them. Flex Dollars are points, essentially, that come when you get your meal plan. I, for example, have a 240 meal block plan and it comes with $150 flex dollars. The 240 meals can be used at Atherton or ResCo dining halls (or through the C-Club Meal exchange, which I will explain in a minute.) and they last for the semester. I have, honestly, had trouble getting to meals at Atherton because I have a busy schedule and, often, I don't worry about my meals. Flex Dollars last only for the semester and don't roll over. Dawg Bucks do. Also, Dawg Bucks are something you buy to supplement your flex dollars if you go through them quickly. You can use your flex dollars/dawg bucks at C-Club, Starbucks, or the Zia juice bar in the HRC (health and recreation center). *see below for useful sites about meal plans*

2. C-Club Meal Exchange

I love the meal exchange. It is available from 4:30-9:30 PM at C-Club. Basically, you get yummy food like wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, or chicken strips with a side and a drink and it counts as one of your meals rather than deducting from your flex dollars. If this weren't an option and I went to C-Club as often as I do, I would be out of flex dollars already. This is something I highly recommend you use as an incoming student.

3. Wi-Fi/Internet Access

Before I came to Butler, I was unaware of the fact that the campus in its entirety is not wireless. However, don't let this deter you from Butler. Schwitzer Hall now has wireless internet (Ross Hall does not) and buildings like Jordan, Gallahue, Holcomb, and the Pharmacy building have wireless, too. The thing is... Butler is an old campus (that was something that attracted me to the campus) and things like wireless and air conditioning are hard to install in the beautiful old stone buildings but like I said we are on our way to a wireless campus. In all honesty, I haven't had too many problems with internet connections or any of that.

4. Homecoming/High School-like Events

Currently, Butler is having Homecoming Week. It's really exciting as the sidewalks are covered in chalk... a huge thing here at Butler (if you need to know what's going on, just look where you're walking). Just this past weekend, there was an '80s dance. I wasn't really aware that there are still dances, homecoming, and clubs like high school. If that is something you were afraid of losing from high school, fear not! It is still here! If that is something you thought would go away, fear not! You don't have to go to Homecoming... there are plenty of other things to do. College is kind of awesome like that.

5. Dry Houses versus Wet Houses

A dry house is a fraternity/sorority that cannot have alcohol on its premises. All the sororities and one of the fraternities are dry houses. Now, for some that may sound like a terrible thing. What's college without parties, right? Well, I am not condoning underage drinking whatsoever but WHEN you are of age, there are places to have a good time. The nice thing about dry houses is that they are, generally, a lot cleaner. Without alcohol, there aren't parties where the house gets trashed.

6. Greek Life

Like I said above, we have wet and dry houses. Another thing I didn't know, specifically regarding Butler, is that Butler's sororities/fraternities are not off in their own little world. There isn't a divide between the 2 groups. In fact, there is a club, Independent Council, that serves to join the 2 groups together: Greeks and Non-Greeks. Also, because Butler is not a large state school... you won't find the groups separated. Campus is united... something I didn't know. Another thing that is really great about the Greek system here at Butler is that you don't rush until your second semester (unlike Purdue and Ball State where bid day has come and gone). This allows you to really get to know the houses, the girls, and Butler's campus in general. You won't have to make a rash decision because you have no time. Awesome, no?

7. Hall Commodities

Things Schwitzer Hall has that I didn't know about:

-Kitchenette for each unit (microwave, sink, recycling bins)

-Kitchen with stove/oven in basement

-Movies/kitchen utensils, pots, and such

-Ice machine

-Laundry Room

-Computer Lab

-Study Rooms

-TV lounge

Granted, you will see/hear a lot of this if you go on a tour or to information sessions but still... it's nice to know that you really don't need a microwave in your room. It's all there at your disposal. Who knew?

8. Club involvement

Something I learned really quickly here at college is that you do not want to get overly involved with clubs because the meetings will overlap and it's not worth it. It is more useful and tactful to choose a few clubs to get really involved in and focus on them. Granted, that is just my opinion and there will be other people that tell you otherwise but I have always found my time to mean much more to an organization when it is focused and not worrying about other things (if that makes sense). To each his own, I suppose.

8. Free Stuff/Free Events

5 words: College students LOVE free stuff. It's everywhere. Find it and get it! You'll never need a pen or notepad ever again and pizza will never taste as good unless it is free.

9. Laundry

I am not going to lie to you- laundry is expensive. If you have 5 loads of laundry, it will end up costing $10+ if you wash and dry it. If you do your laundry at a busy time, like Sunday, then you will have to wait. Either way, laundry can take forever. Some tips that I have found useful are

Only wash what you need (if it's something you won't use for awhile, let it sit in your basket until you can take it home)
Make a makeshift dryer in your room using a drying rack and fans
Watch your laundry 24/7. Take your books/laptop and work while you wait.
Moms will help with laundry (THANKS MOM!)
Sort your clothes before you get there.
Fold clean clothes in your room (the laundry room can get a little gross... same goes for above).
Get the most out of your money... don't wash small loads because it will cost the same either way.
This is what I do while waiting:

I would like to credit my unit friends: Bethany R., Bethany G., Laura S., Lexi C., and Megan R. with giving me some extra ideas and thoughts on BU.

Hope this was useful, Dawgs.

P.S. Meal Plan info:

Meal Plan Terms

Meal Plan FAQ

80s Prom!

ChristinaL — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:08:00 GMT

One of the things that the juniors and seniors at Butler are most proud of is our status as children of the 1980s. Yes, we are the babies of the decade, and we really don't have too many coherent memories from it, but it still makes us feel way more retro and cool to say we lived in such a ridiculous and out-of-date era.

We celebrated this cultural golden age last night at my sorority's 80s Prom.

Dances, usually called formals or informals, are another long-standing tradition of Greek life. We rent out a space at a hotel or restaurant to host a dance, and then we all take buses over there together. If you were on the Homecoming decoration committee or if you went to prom four times in high school, then you would love this aspect of being Greek. I, on the other hand, went to precisely three dances in all of high school: two Homecomings and a Disco Dance. I left the Disco Dance early to see Harry Potter in the theatre at midnight. A lot of my friends went to dances, but that just wasn't my thing at the time.

By the time I got to college, I was a bit more of a dancer but formals were not a priority in my schedule. In my sorority, we typically have a formal and an informal dance each semester. The informal ones are the best, in my opinion, because they usually have a fun theme that involves dressing up. However, up until now, the ONLY dance I've been able to attend was a formal two years ago when I was a sophomore. I usually have a super busy schedule in the spring where I'm traveling for different conferences and am out of town on a lot of weekends, and last fall I studied abroad so I obviously couldn't go. However, here I am, a senior, now finally ready to go to my first informal. Thank goodness we picked such an amazing theme as 80s prom.

My little sister happens to be a Goodwill guru, so I asked her if she had anything she could lend me for an 80s prom. She, of course, just happened to have a bright purple, full-length, vintage 80s dress hanging in her closet. HUGE poufy sleeves? check. Bow the size of a small child on the back? check. My cousin lent me big gold hoops earrings, and I was ready to go.

Working the 80s with my old roommate, Kim!

I decided to bring my friend Jared as my date, because he was one of the 17 Butler kids in my study abroad group in Spain last fall. I love my Alcala family to pieces, and Jared and I are especially good friends because we lived across the street from each other in Spain and our host parents were close. We spent our first day in Spain exploring Alcala together with my host dad; we would walk together when we went out at night; one time, Jared even lived with my family for a week when his mama had a family emergency.

Here we are together with Don Quijote on Day 1 in Spain:

But the most epic bonding experience that Jared and I ever had was when we decided to try the gym just down the street from where we lived. We got passes for a free trial, and I convinced Jared that we should go to a group fitness class. The one we happened to pick turned out to be a mix of hip hop striptease aerobics led by a young man wearing women's workout clothing. The class was entirely populated by middle-aged Spanish women. We were definitely the only Americans AND the only ones under 30. However, the situation was so funny that we just had to get into it and dance like fools! Jared is a great dancer and not afraid of anything, so we ended up having a really fun time. After that, we would always laugh and try to recreate our aerobics moves when we went out dancing with our friends. Since the 80s were a time of aerobics and bad prom dresses, I thought I would combine the two by bringing my good old study abroad buddy.

Mini reunion at the Prom! Jared and I with our friend Chelsea who also went to Spain with us.

Although we couldn't remember any of our Spanish aerobics, we still had a great time, and it was so much fun to catch up with an old friend and hang out with all my sisters for my very first informal. Somewhere along my college career, I have become a person who actually likes dancing. I learned a lot about looking like a fool in Spain and, of course, being a Student Orientation Guide this year was all about letting loose and looking silly to help the freshmen lighten up.

If the 1980s taught us anything at all, it's that looking ridiculous is cool - as long as you're having fun!

When in Rome

BUTaylorM — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:20:00 GMT

It's a Sunday. It's 4:20 and I just visited all the sororities with some girls from my unit, 1E (except Alpha Phi. We were too late.) and, before, I was total skeptic about sororities and greek life. I had heard from friends about hazing and drinking and such at different schools and I did NOT want to be a part of that. However, after visiting all the houses (except Alpha Phi), my mind has been changed.

First House= Alpha Chi Omega

Second House= Delta Gamma

Third House= Delta Delta Delta (or Tri-Delta)

Fourth House= Kappa Kappa Gamma

Fifth House= Kappa Alpha Theta

Last House= Pi Beta Phi

You can't really know until you get to know the girls and it's tough. At least for me. I have been trying to get involved but... it's been hard to get into some organizations. I never got a call back for BUSF which I think is kind of rude. I wanted to get in, sure, but at least tell me that I didn't make it instead of not calling. Plus, I have been working so hard at school and such that I haven't been going out to the greek events which makes it hard to get to know the girls. I'm really glad Butler doesn't make us decide until the end of our semester rather than rushing right at the beginning. It helps you to get assimilated to Butler. I just hope that, if I do end up rushing, that I get bids based on my personality and work ethic... not my looks or ability to party. Well, I think I better finish this thing up. I have work up to my ears that I must attend to. However, I leave you with a picture of old Butler. It's pretty crazy how much it has changed over the years.

Butler's Best Dance Crews

ChristinaL — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:06:00 GMT

One interesting college phenomenon is the lipsync. At Butler, we use this term on practically a weekly basis, and yet lipsyncs do not involve any singing or even mouthing the words. Butler's term "lipsync" is just another word for "group dance competition"- usually one that provides free weekend entertainment at events that raise money for a charity.

When I was a freshman, some of the fraternities hosted lipsyncs where the sororities would compete. In the last three years, this campus has gone lipsync crazy, and now nearly all the fraternities have a lipsync and the sororities have started adding their own lipsyncs for the men to duke it out. Sticking to gender stereotype, the women with the most intense, intricate, synchronized dance win, while all the guys need for a victory are some silly costumes and ridiculously humorous dance moves. Another change in the last three years is that the non Greek members of campus have joined in on the lipsync craze - Ross Hall and the Independent Council have also participated.

This weekend we had the first two lipsyncs of the year: Alpha Phi's Bounce for Beats Hearthrob competition and Lambda Chi Alpha's Watermelon Bust.

Bounce for Beats raises money for women's cardiac health. The Phi ladies jump on trampolines all day and ask for donations. For the Hearthrob competition, they give the guys a turn - they have to have at least one guy on the trampoline bouncing and they have to use heart-related music... which often = boy bands. This year, the men of Tau Kappa Epsilon won with a pretty ridiculous performance that included fireworks... that was a first. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of that, but here are some of the other guys dancing, and you can see the big crowd of people that showed up to supoort Alpha Phi's philanthropy.

On Saturday, Lambda hosted their annual watermelon-themed event to raise money for the North American Food Drive. I didn't get to stay for all the lipsyncs, but I did enjoy the humor of Pi Phi's dance, choreographed entirely to Biggie music to bring out the inner gangsta in all of us, I guess. My sisters crack me up. I applaud them for taking down the gender stereotypes and showing that women can be just as silly and fun as the guys!

Oh lipsyncs... They are definitely one of those Butler traditions that seem like a such a normal part of life until you stop to think and realize how weird they are.

Deep in the Heart of Friendship

ChristinaL — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:38:00 GMT

Well, I am back in Indiana... temporarily! We finished up with the conference on Monday night and spent Tuesday sightseeing and traveling home... I already wasn't feeling too good, and when I woke up in my own bed on Wednesday morning, I was definitely sick! I had to take a day off and rest up, because I have just been doing too much traveling recently. But, now that I'm feeling better, let me give you a recap:

The last day of the convention was so much fun and full of surprises and special guests.

We had tons of great speakers that day!

In the morning, US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson - a Pi Beta Phi alum from University of Texas - came to speak to us! She is the only female senator ever to be from Texas, and when she joined the Senate, was one of only seven women. She talked about the importance of having women well represented in every aspect of society. Her speech was a great introduction to the two other Pi Phi alumnae who received member of distinction awards - one is a noted journalist who is the editor of an African American newspaper in NYC, and the other is a doctor at Johns Hopkins.

The day also had a strong focus on philanthropy. Pi Phi supports literacy, and we partner with First Book, a national non-profit that donates books to low-income children and schools. Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book, came to speak to us at the convention. She talked about all the excuses that people give for why they can't make a difference... and then gave examples of women throughout history who have proven those excuses wrong! She is such an intelligent, funny and passionate woman - I really admire her and LOVE her organization! I am so glad that we support it and I was thrilled to see Pi Beta Phi present First Book with $240,000 on Monday!!

We also gave $10,000 to The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation (TAKE), which was very emotional. Ali Kemp was a Pi Phi from Kansas who was murdered a few years ago. Her parents started a foundation that teaches women and girls self-defense techniques so that deaths like Ali's can be prevented in the future. We had the chance to go through the TAKE training on Monday and learn some moves! It was definitely a great experience and something that I think all women should go through... not to mention it was fun practicing my defense moves on my friend Erikaa! : )

The last part of the evening was the Wine Carnation Banquet, when the fraternity awards are given out and the outgoing national officers speak about one another. It was so sweet to hear about the friendship that our national officers have shared together. All in all, the day showed that Pi Phi is about making a sincere difference in society with our volunteer work and our fundraising... but it's also about the connections and friendships we create with one another along that jouney.

On Tuesday, the convention was all over and so we had some time to get out of the bubble of our hotel. The Gaylord Texan, where we stayed, was massive and included its own versions of some Texas highlights including the facade of the Alamo and a faux San-Antonio-style riverwalk!

But, we wanted to see some of the "real" Texas, so we ventured to the nearby downtown of Grapevine. I think some of its historical Texas charm has been amped up for tourism, but it was so stereotypically Texan that we had fun with it!

Of course, every cowboy town's gotta have a jail for the outlaws:

Overall, it was an amazing trip. I learned so much and feel inspired and ready to help lead my chapter in my last year at Butler. I am so proud to wear the Golden Arrow of Pi Beta Phi!

IN Gamma <3

Pi Phis Take Over Texas

ChristinaL — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:13:00 GMT

Howdy ya'll! ; ) I am writing to you from DALLAS, TEXAS where I am on location for the 67th convention of the Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women!

I'm not sure exactly how many Pi Phis are here, but there are 134 active collegiate chapters with at least one representative (most have two or more), and there are even more than 150 (I think!) alumnae clubs represented by at least one woman. Okay, so my by-the-numbers approach is lacking some substance but let me just say that there are A TON of Pi Phi women and we have taken over the Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center in full force!

On Friday morning, our chapter president Erikaa, one of our alumnae advisors Kristi, and I all flew down from Indianapolis. It was a long day because we had to take two flights and the only thing on tv while we sat around on our layover was Michael Jackson tributes, so I had "Billy Jean," "Thriller," and that "The Way You Make Me Feel" song that's in Center Stage stuck in my head all day.

But, it was all worth it when we arrived at this HUGE convention center in Texas with *insert very large number* of our fraternity sisters! They don't lie - everything is bigger in Texas. This resort is like a small city with everything you could possibly need; until Erikaa and I took a walk this afternoon (Sunday), we hadn't been outside since Friday afternoon... crazy. There are also a LOT of Pi Phis, so everything is en masse this week.

So what have we been up to?

meeting sisters from other colleges! The best thing ever is learning how many amazing women are part of the larger sisterhood that we share. I love hearing about all the cool things they do personally... and stealing ideas from the awesome things they do in their chapters at home.

meeting alumnae!* It is a common misconception that a Greek organization is something for college students. College is only the beginning, and with so many alumnae of all ages here (literally! there are a lot of "Golden Arrows" here, which means women who were initiated 50 years ago!!), it is so inspiring to see how many women are able to stay involved in Pi Phi activities long after their graduation day. Not only do alumnae clubs support the Pi Phi chapters at colleges, but they also do their own community service and philanthropy and provide a network of friends to support any Pi Phi. If I ever move to a new city, I know that I can look up the nearest Pi Phi alumnae club and meet some passionate, intelligent, engaged women in that community. That's a great network to have wherever I go. I especially loved getting to meet alumnae from our chapter at Butler. I got to hear about what BU was like in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Some traditions like Geneva Stunts have been around FOREVER at Butler...and they're still going strong.

learning about our values. Greek organizations are different from other clubs because they are based on values. Pi Beta Phi's values are Intergrity, Lifelong Commitment, Honor & Respect, Philanthropic Service to Others, Personal and Intellectual Growth and Sincere Friendship.

voting on legislation and electing new leaders for the fraternity.

learning how to create more effective and meaningful programs for our chapter members. Greek life is about developing yourself as a whole, well-rounded person, and at our convention we've talked about the ways that we can help our members to grow as students, women, friends, etc. while upholding and reinforcing our values. It is a huge responsibility to put on programming that educates our chapter, but that's one of the things I love about sorority life - college women take on this great challenge to teach their peers about ideals and qualities they value.

discussing some of the challenges facing college students, like binge drinking and hazing, and how Pi Phis can be a force of positive change on our campuses when it comes to these kind of issues.

learning more about our initiation ritual and discussing why it is so important to us.

eating a lot of really tasty food. mmmm!

singing Pi Phi songs, most of which are meaningful and beautiful... and some of which are really old and silly and have ridiculous lyrics about how Pi Phis won't hold men's hands because they are angels (and thus not promiscuous enough to *gasp* hold hands) ; )

hanging out, having fun and enjoying the fellowship!

It is such a cool experience to see the larger picture of what the fraternity is all about and how it works. We also have the chance to give input into our organization and learn from its top leaders.

At dinner tonight, I sat next to the Grand Vice President of Membership! Luellen is a really big deal... and I got to pick her brain for an hour about how to really recruit the most quality members who live up to our values and will be committed to the chapter. Awesome! While she was there, the former Grand President (aka the leader of the entire fraternity), who also happens to be the most adorable little old (and feisty, intelligent, well-spoken and loving) Southern woman came up to talk to Luellen and gave me a hug. The former Grand President! Highlight of my day, for sure. Her name is Sis Mullis, and she is on my short list of very inspiring women.

I also had a great experience tonight talking to the Risk Management Officer for Pi Phi. We watched a documentary about hazing and binge drinking, and I shared with her an idea I had about a discussion that chapters could have that would be honest and open and try to get to the real issues of why college students sometimes drink excessively. Sarah was really interested in what I had to say, and we're going to stay in touch via email and our discussion might lead to new programming for the whole fraternity!

I guess I say all this to emphasize how great it is to be surrounded by the leaders that are making amazing things happen for a community of over 200,000 fabulous women. I am learning so much, but I'm not just here as an observer, and it is exciting to take an active role in my fraternity family.

More updates - and pictures - will come soon. Tomorrow is the last day of business... I'm not ready to go home!

*Christina's Grammar Public Service Announcement regarding Words That Describe People Who Graduated From An Institution:

Alumnus = singular male

Alumna = singular female

Alum = short, slang version of singular

Alumni = plural verson of alumnus - can describe a group of all males, or a mixed gender group)

Alumnae = plural version of alumna - describes a group of females

I say this because these can be very confusing for people to keep straight and as someone who works in the Alumni Office and with many alumni through campus organizations... this drives me slightly crazy. But, I will chalk it up to a lack of awareness and rectify that situation by explaining the right terminology and trust you to check yourself. My English major, grammar-lovin' soul begs of you:

Please do not use "alum" as a plural form. (I will cry.) As in: "Our alum are such great people. They have so much Butler spirit." ALUM IS NOT PLURAL, PEOPLE!

Ok, now stepping off my grammar soapbox! Have a good night : )

Our newest alumni = some of my heroes!

ChristinaL — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:16:00 GMT

Yesterday, the Class of 2009 officially graduated from Butler University. I can't even believe it.

The first shocking thing about it is that it means I am only one year away from walking into Hinkle Fieldhouse on a warm Saturday in May with all my classmates and doing the same thing. Now that they are gone, there is no denying it - we are the new seniors.

The second scary part is how many amazing people moved on from undergraduate life at our university yesterday. They were some of my closest friends, our best leaders and definitely role models who will be missed dearly. I want to tell you about some of them to give you an idea of the amazing types of people we go to school with at Butler.

Adam - I met Adam in my first English class freshman year. He is a double major in English and French and has been involved in tons of things, including being a proud Ross RA. What I am most proud of him for are all the things that he and my friend Austin (who's only a sophomore - thank goodness!) have done for the Gay Straight Alliance. Indiana can be a conservative state sometimes, and at every college you will have people who are more and less comfortable with diversity. To combat all these challenges, Adam has put so much work into developing a great network for GLBT students and straight allies. They put on tons of popular events and have really done so much for making diversity more visible and accepted on this campus. (Recently they had a whole week of activities including Sex(uality) on the Mall, which was a carnival with games and infomation about sexuality and sexual health that many campus groups helped with.) Adam has done so much for Alliance, Residence Life, and interning for the Damar Center, a local non-profit, and I love working with him in the Writers Studio where we're both peer tutors. Next year he is going to grad school in Paris to study French!! I am SO proud...and jealous : )

Michelle: another one of my Writer's Studio cohorts! Michelle also does many things on campus and interns at NUVO with me. I really admire her for her writing, especially what she has done this year for The Collegian, our weekly campus newspaper. Michelle has done so many great articles, but I especially appreciated her opinion articles about Greek Life. She was in a sorority and choose to leave it after her sophomore year, but Michelle used that experience to write a critique of the Greek community which she published in The Collegian. That was a very brave thing to do, and even though I don't totally agree with everything she said, she got a lot of people to speak passionately about our Greek community and really opened up a dialouge that otherwise would not have existed. That's what every great writer aims for, and I'm proud that Michelle did it. Michelle is fluent in Spanish and will be teaching it to high school students in Mississippi next year for Teach For America, a huge honor.

Jon: I first got to know Jon through a friend from high school because they are both anthropology majors, and I believe Jon was his Honors mentor. Sophomore year of college, we had Museum Studies together, and I recruited him to be my main photographer for the yearbook staff, because I knew that he did such great photography for The Collegian (He writes for them, too!). Jon is literally everywhere on campus taking photos, especially of our amazing Butler sports. I loved getting to work with him, too, because he's such a funny and interesting person. I am also so amazed at how smart Jon is and how passionate he is about the ideals of a liberal arts education. He has written and spoken extensively about its importance - I think he should be a Dean for the Liberal Arts & Sciences someday! Jon is also an accomplished flutist who has been in the Butler Symphony Orchestra for several seasons, and he is an Honors student and archeologist who has been on a dig in Kenya. If I could grow up to be as smart and talented as one person from the class of 2009, it would definitely be Jon. Recently he has done so much for our university by doing online reporting of issues that our administration doesn't always want to talk about. He is so committed to democracy and truth. I love that he has shown that someone can be a passionate Butler supporter BY critiquing and challenging our university to do a better job - that's what a liberal arts education is all about. I loved working with you on yearbook, learning with you in the classroom, and admiring your journalism work, Jon, and I cannot wait to see what you do.

Kelly: My fabulous co-editor for Manuscripts, the literary magazine. Kelly had never been an editor for Manuscripts before, but when I had to leave to study abroad, she took over and did an amazing job running the magazine all by herself. She made it a lot more organized, and helped us to put on the best all-campus event we have ever had. It was an open mic night in March to celebrate our deadline, and we themed it around the Ides of March and had a peformance contest where you had to title your work "Beware _____" - very entertaining responses! We held it on St. Patrick's Day to provide late night alcohol free fun, so Kelly was able to apply for a grant from the Residence Halls, which gave us money for lots of fun St. Patrick's Day giveaways. Manuscripts could not have functioned without her this year, and I really think we have a fabulous final product! Kelly is also extremely dedicated to Peers Advocating Wellness for Students (PAWS), and has put on more fun health and wellness events on campus than I can even list (although one of the best is always Stress Less Week, which provided free healthy breakfast and chair massages before finals. love it.) Anyway, I really admire Kelly's organization and her passion for wellness issues. She is looking for a job in some sort of health advocacy/education position in Indy, so if you know of any, I have a great candidate for you : )

Chad: If I had to think of the model fraternity man, it would probably be Chad, who has done so much for Greek life at Butler. He was president of his own house, and served as president of Order of Omega, our honors society for the top 3% of Greeks. What really made Chad innovative, though, was his passion for bringing Greeks as Educators, Advocates and Resources (GEAR) to campus. GEAR is kind of like PAWS in that they raise awareness about health and wellness issues, but they have special programs that are specifically targeted towards Greek students. They also train GEAR advocates from every house so that in each fraternity or sorority, you have a friend who is a reliable source of health information to turn to. Chad worked to bring this program to our campus, and I am excited to see it expand in upcoming years. He was also really involved in other campus groups, and served as the VP of Programs this year for Student Government. That is a huge position that includes big projects like Homecoming, Out & About in Indy trips, recreation, Spring Sports Spectacular, and more. He has a great team, but that's a lot to coordinate, and Chad kept that up even while student teaching. I was lucky to get to know Chad when he joined the Student Foundation as a junior, and he was one of the few seniors who stayed active and was a really valuable member of my committee. He has given so much to Butler and I am so proud that he will take his educational background to Teach for America next year - he'll be in Indy, so he already knows that he's required to visit us.

Katie & Jill: I have to talk about them together because they were my two roomates at Pi Phi during my sophomore year and we love to hang out together. These girls were truly the best roommates I ever could have had. They didn't get frustrated with my mess or my stress, and were always there for me when I was sick or upset or losing my mind. They have taught me so much about what it means to be a true friend. They've taught me that when one of your best friends really needs you, you drive across Indianapolis to her house at midnight, sit up talking with her instead of doing your homework, and sleep on the couch, just to wake up at 6 am and drive back to school for class... and you don't mind at all, because you know she would do the same thing for you. When someone's down you cheer them up, and when they do something great, you celebrate it. These two always bring a positive spirit and a heart full of love and passion to everything they do, and our band fraternity and sorority would not be the same without their leadership. I can't believe they are leaving me next year, but Jill is following her dream of zoology/animal conservation research as a grad student at Southern Illinois, and Katie will be studying to be the best nurse ever at Valparaiso University. Road trips are already in the works.

I know that was a lot to get through, but what makes Butler so special is the people, so I wanted to introduce you to just a few that have made an impact on me. (There really are so many more people I could write about here!) Butler is a place where one student really can make a difference, and these guys are the perfect examples. I can't wait to see what they do as alumni!

Congratulations to Adam, Michelle, Jon, Kelly, Chad, Katie, Jill and everyone in the Class of 2009! I love you guys and miss you already.

Spring? In Indiana? Believe it!

ChristinaL — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:32:00 GMT

Finally, it seems like it may actually be spring in Indiana!

We had beautiful weather over the weekend and on Monday, which was great for all of our end of the year events. I don't have much time to write because I need to write a paper and finish a book tonight, but I thought I would leave you with some images and video of all the fun we've had enjoying our beautiful campus recently. With lipsyncs, Exam Jam, and the Gym Class Heroes, there have been so many great excuses to take a study break and get outdoors... I even got a little tan! (on my left forearm... that's it haha.)

TKE's philanthropy event was called Jump-a-thon... but for some reason it becomes 80s fest every year. This year was quite entertaining because there was a lipsync, Queen contest, and pledge auctions to watch, and the emcees were great. Check out the Pi Phi lipsyncers' ridiculous outfits... I love my friend Lauren's teased out hair in the back!

Another relaxing time outside was Exam Jam, an all campus event the night after the last day of classes with free food, games, etc out on the Mall. This year they had a bungee thing... I didn't go on it because I was wearing a dress, but it looked like fun.

Of course, frisbee is a mall staple any day:

After Exam Jam we had a concert out in the parking lot of Hinkle Fieldhouse. It was SO much fun! The weather was great, we were able to get close to the stage and Gym Class Heroes was quite an entertaining live band! My favorite thing about the concert was the wide appeal it had. Not everyone at Butler always turns out for the "all campus events" but in addition to the most random assortment of my friends I could imagine, I saw sooooo many new people at the concert, and they were all Butler students . It was cool to see all of us come together to have a good time and sing and dance out all our finals stress.

Speaking of singing, check out the video I took during the performance of Gym Class Heroes hit song "Cupid's Chokehold"!Travis Def had the Butler students sing along... needless to say, it's a good thing most of us are getting a college degree in something other than vocal performance! : )

(Please visit the site to view this media)

By the end of the concert, everyone was so excited and started going a little crazy, and the lead singer, Travis, actually came out into the audience! Liz got some better photos than I did, but I heard he was quite sweaty, so I'm glad I wasn't TOO close!

I'm so glad I decided to go to the concert... our Student Government Association (SGA) has actually had a lot of really cool musicians here like Third Eye Blind, Common, and OkGo, but this is the first Butler concert I've gone to! Lame, I know, but I'm usually super busy - but this was the first major concert that has been free, so that was a good excuse to go, right? College students can't say no to free stuff.

Anyway, I think I've neglected my Spanish paper long enough. Wish me luck on all my writing! (no exams for the English/Spanish/Gender Studies student... but I will be researching and writing until there are no words left in me! ha.)

Ohhh, and since some of you may not have decided yet where you are going to college and the deadline is Friday, let me say one last time: COME TO BUTLER! It is an amazing family to be a part of for the rest of your life. I know I'm busy with finals, but if you have questions or anything, let me know and I will take the time to answer them...that's how much I want you to come here! Believe me, I know it's a hard choice... I didn't decide until the morning of May 1st, but now I know I made the right decision! I know you will, too. Good luck!

Phi Psi 500!

JoeW — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:08:00 GMT

The Phi Psi 500 graced campus this past weekend. It is one of the last social events of the year and as one of the largest put on by a Greek house.

Phi Psi 500 is a celebration of all the service that Phi Kappa Psi does through out the year. Last semester we completed 813 hours of community service and are on track to pummel that amount this semester. We also complete 500 hours of service the week of 500, which is where the name originates.

It was a large and eventful day. The main festivities began at 3:00 with our beach volleyball tournament; which continued well into a free dinner for all at 5:00 and go-kart time trials at 6:00. (500 has a racing theme.) Then at 7:00 our lipsync competition started. I was in charge of organizing the days events. Because of Butler’s passionate and rhythmic student body these lipsyncs were FANTASTIC- not a bad one in the bunch. However, because this event also showcases our days stiffest competition it was very stressful for me.

After the Lipsyncs were finished on the rise hip-hop artist Krypton Flo took our stage by storm. Keep in mind, this entire event was outside, free, and open to all of Butler- so there were tons of people there. K-Flo was out of this world and you should check him out.

http://kryptonflo.com/HOME.html

The last thing on our agenda was our closed party at 11:00. This was really the only VIP event, but with over 400 people on the list it couldn’t have been too exclusive. 500 was an amazing end to our year, and I’m sure all of the participants agree. 500 let me spend the entire weekend outside in fabulous weather. It was the perfect prelude to my exam week.