Phis also recently paired up with our sister sorority for the semester, Chi Omega, to collect 234 pounds of canned goods which were taken to the Central Missouri Food Bank on Saturday, April 14th.

This passed weekend Phis celebrated another type of bonding with their mothers. Alpha Phi’s mom’s weekend is always a weekend of fun. On Saturday various vendors came to the house from 9 to 11am selling cute Alpha Phi clothing and accessories. Afterwards, Phis and their mothers enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by The Pasta Factory on Quinton’s rooftop downtown on Ninth Street. From Quinton’s, moms and daughters boarded buses to Les Bourgeois Vineyards to enjoy the lovely weather and some wine (for those Phis of age, of course!) Afterwards everyone went about their own ways to enjoy their night with their best friends, sisters, and moms! We already can’t wait for Mom’s Weekend 2013!

Springtime in Greek town is recognizable by the sights of frat tanks and Nike shorts, fraternity men playing catch on their lawn while blaring music, and the annual Greek Week sports and festivities! This year Omicron was paired with the men of FIJI and Theta Chi. Announcements are tonight so check back in soon for pictures and more on Greek Week 2012!

Let’s not forget Junior Senior Pub Crawl is this Thursday and Formal is this weekend too! Pictures and stories from both to come.

As one of three account planners on Mojo’s staff, Anna will be responsible for conducting primary research for the assigned client (this semester’s client was T.G.I. Fridays) to help guide the strategy for the campaign in its entirety. Gilligan describes the role of the account planners stating, “Our main task will be to generate consumer insights from focus groups and in-depth interviews, then after we present our findings we will work with the rest of our team to develop a comprehensive advertising campaign.”

Gilligan had to take a pre-requisite course, Management of Strategic Communication, in order to even be eligible to apply for the account planner position. Students applying for Account Executive or Public Relations Account Executive also had to take this class first.

Anna also recently acquired a summer internship at Rivet Global, a full-service ad agency in St. Louis as their Account Planning intern.

Congrats to Anna for working hard to pursue her career goals! Scroll down to learn a little bit more about this Fabulous Phi!

Anna Gilligan

Hometown

San Antonio, TX

Major

Journalism (Strategic Communication)

Favorite Quote

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

-Bill Cosby

Favorite Alpha Phi Memory

“The second semester of my Sophomore Year, living in Alpha Phi, was my favorite memory. It was so much fun to get ready or come home at night to 3 other roomies/friends.”

]]> http://mizzouaphi.com/blog/phi-secures-account-planner-position-for-mojo-ad/feed/ 0 http://mizzouaphi.com/blog/omicron-places-2nd-in-rock-it-finals/ http://mizzouaphi.com/blog/omicron-places-2nd-in-rock-it-finals/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:04:27 +0000 admin http://mizzouaphi.com/?p=2256 Continue reading →]]> For the third year in a row, Omicron placed second in the Rock It dance and lip syncing contest for the annual Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis philanthropy. Omicron’s theme this year was “Welcome to the Phi-nomenon,” and featured music from popular broadway shows. The songs featured included “The Circle of Life” from Lion King lip-synced by Emily Schneider and Lia Crawford, “Strongest Suit” from Aida lip synced by Marteen Barni, Shelby Fuchs and Kate McHugh, “My Boyfriend’s Back” from Jersey Boys lip synced by Shelby Barber, Emmy Martin and MJ Lovewell, “Popular” from Wicked lip synced by Tori Stepanek and Paige Sinker, and “One” from A Chorus Line lip synced by Megan Huey.

This year’s dancers were Christina Lyons, Kimi and Debi Jacquin, Dana Humphrey, Jessica Noe, Jordan Croft, Kelsey May, Carli Kozik, Megan Murphy, Ali Johnson, Ally Olexa, Kelsey Bosman and Hayley Buck.

The performance was truly phi-nomenal with great costumes and choreography. The ladies started preparation for the Rock It competition upon returning to Columbia after winter break. They practiced three times a week for three weeks and their hard work definitely paid off! Their performance ended with a double kick line executed to absolute perfection! The audience roared with excitement as the talented ladies wrapped up their truly extraordinary performance. It was a proud moment for all members of Omicron, those performing and in the audience.

While it was a bit disappointing to place second once again, Omicron was still very proud to place and have the opportunity to help such a great cause. RAMS is currently the largest campus-wide philanthropy at Mizzou and has raised over $600,000 since it first started in 1993.

To learn more about Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis visit the link below.

http://www.rockinagainstmultiplesclerosis.com/#!about-us

You can also watch Omicron’s outstanding dance and lip syncing here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgEFz2jrFi0

Her book, If You Live Here, came about as a project for her Senior Show at the art department at MU. After some positive feedback at the showcase, she submitted it to several large publishers… who told her that she needed to be a published author to be considered for publication. While most people might give up there, it drove April to publish it on her own through Author House, a self-publishing company based in Indiana.

The book explores animals’ habitats while teaching children to appreciate their surroundings and to love their family. April says that it combines all of her passions: children, storytelling, illustration, and poetry. She’s also making sure her first book won’t be her last, working on two other children’s books. One is a collaboration with her mother, Dana Diaz de Leon (a talented painter who lives and works in St. Louis), and the other is a mixed-media piece that uses more graphic design than illustrations.

For now, April is keeping her day job as a nanny of four kids who range from 1 to 6 years of age. April says that “they keep me in touch with my audience,” and the teachers and parents that she’s met through them have helped her to market the book. But she’s using her time away from storytelling and craft projects to do freelance design here and there and to look for advertising jobs in the Kansas City area.

When she’s not working on her books or coming up with a new project for the kids, April is often on the road to see her two best friends in St. Louis, Katie Vago and Sarah Flagg, or hosting them in KC. The Phis catch up over pizza and wine and love celebrating holidays together, dressing up for Halloween or going out in Soulard for Mardi Gras. They even got to see the World Series last year. Go Cards!

April, right, with Katie Vago '06 (left) and Sarah Flagg '06 (center) at Busch Stadium.

April loves living in the Midtown area in Kansas City, the perfect spot between Martini Corner (a cluster of bars and dance clubs) and the Plaza, where she often does dinner and a movie with her boyfriend, Tim. She says that her “favorite thing about KC is that there is a very full and diverse night life, as well as an incredible day scene. Power & Light District is full of fun new bars, and Martini Corner is so close and lively every weekend. Plus, they have a great art scene that comes to life every first Friday of the month.” Even better, she notes, it’s a great family town, with free kid exhibits at Crown Center, a great zoo, and lots more.

While she loves the lively nightlife in her area, April has been nesting of late. After recently buying a crock pot, her new idea of a perfect Sunday is “the smell of dinner drifting through the house while painting on my studio floor and watching a good movie like The Help or The Blind Side.”
To learn more about April’s work, you can follow her blog at aprilmay.blogspot.com.

Around 350 people attended the tournament and a total of $15,000 was raised. This money will go to The Alpha Phi Foundation which raises awareness for women’s cardiac care. Omicron would like to thank all participants and extend a special thank you to the gentleman of Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Gamma Rho, Alpha Gamma Sigma, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Upsilon, Farmhouse, Kappa Alpha Order, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Gama Delta, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Chi for your participation in the philanthropy event. The winner of the 2012 poker tournament and the grand prize trip to Las Vegas was a member of Delta Upsilon, congrats to him!

All the afternoon’s success would not have been possible without amazing sponsors, so another big thank you goes to the businesses who made donations.

Raising $15,000 in just one day toward such a remarkable cause is truly something to celebrate. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US and Alpha Phi chapters nation wide are making great strides to raise awareness of the fatal disease through the Alpha Phi Foundation. For more information about the Alpha Phi Foundation check out this site http://foundation.alphaphi.org/. If you were unable to attend this year, be sure to come out next February to support women’s cardiac care and enjoy a great time playing poker.

On January 8th these phi-nomenal Phis embarked on their week-long Jamaican adventure through the Christian organization, “Won by One.” The mission trip was comprised of a group of 51 Mizzou Greeks and each individual was required to bring two suitcases of donated clothing, medical supplies, school supplies, and toiletries to leave in Jamaica.

Throughout the week the group worked on several different service projects from working on the houses or at the local school or store to helping out in the greenhouse or just hanging out with the people of Harmons. They spent time at the infirmary there, visiting with  the elderly and mentally or physically disabled persons that lived there. They sang worship songs, read the bible and reached out to these people. Joanie was moved by the time she spent at the infirmary. She said, “Those people are pretty neglected and just being able to sit with them and be in their presence was inspirational on its own. [They] have a remarkable faith in God that is unexplainable for the conditions that they live in and I one day hope to love life and cherish my relationship with God like they do.”

By the end of the week the Mizzou volunteers had completed 3 homes! They also created two foundations for the next group of volunteers coming in.

Megan Geisz explains her favorite part of the trip was dedicating the completed houses. “We gave each person that was receiving the houses a bible, a bag of rice, and a flashlight. We also prayed for them, that the house would bring joy to their lives. All of them turned around and prayed for us as well, and thanked us for all that we did for them. The 3 recipients of the houses were so grateful that we were there and that we had built those houses for them. It was amazing to me because these houses were so tiny and small, about the size of my bathroom, and we knew that they were going to house their whole family in it, but yet they were so, so thankful for the house.” Geisz explains the trip as humbling and says its still setting in for her.

Just hearing the girls’ stories is humbling! Their week of service was truly a life-changing experience. Stream says, “This trip wasn’t about the work we did or the supplies we brought them, it was about the relationships we made with the Jamaicans and with the other members of our team. The Jamaicans were so willing to talk and work along side us, and as much I wanted to give to them, they gave to me too. They’re inspiring people and a couple of them truly touched my life, I plan on keeping in contact with them.”

Omicron is so proud of these inspiring, motivated and empathetic young women. In just one week the 4 of them were able to help make such an impact on so many people, it is outstanding. Stream said, “This trip was hands down the best  week of my life and I made memories and friendships that I’ll cherish forever.”

This is an annual mission trip Mizzou Greeks go on and participants are selected through an application process. Go to www.wonbyonetojamaica.com to learn more about the Won by One organization, or talk to any of our outstanding members who experienced the trip.

As many of you know, Alpha Phi’s annual Rockin’ Red Dress Poker Tournament is this Saturday, February 4 at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia, Missouri. Due to the Mizzou vs. Kansas basketball game, the tournament will begin at 1:00PM this year.

Oh and did we mention the tournament’s grand prize will include a trip to Las Vegas? One lucky winner will be able to try his or her Texas Hold Em’ skills in Sin City. To register click here.

If poker is not your thing, or you are unable to make it to Columbia this weekend see below for other ways you can participate.

• Non-Player Attendee: Attend the event in support of the poker player and enjoy the silent auction.
• Donor Only: You cannot attend but wish to make a donation to Poker Tournament benefiting the Alpha Phi Foundation. Click here to complete our donation form.
• Donate a Silent Auction or Poker Tournament Prize: Please contact Jennifer Babka if you are interested.
• Wear Red: Show your support of women’s heart health by joining us this Friday, February 3 in wearing red.
• Social Support: While our poker tourney only last a day, you can show off your commitment to women’s heart health awareness by changing your FB timeline cover here.

All proceeds will be donated to the Alpha Phi Foundation in support of women’s cardiac care. We appreciate your support and hope that you will help us make this year’s event the best yet for the Alpha Phi Foundation. If you have any questions, please direct them to Jennifer Babka, Director of Philanthropy (jrb7bf@mail.missouri.edu).

This week Omicron would like to spotlight two of these freshman for completing their first semester of college with 4.0s! Way to go, Emily Kartheiser and Julia Manewith! Scroll down to meet these fabulous phis.

EMILY KARTHEISER

MAJOR

Elementary Education

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Every day may not be a good day, but there is something good in every day.” – Unkown

FAVORITE ALPHA PHI MOMENT

“Bid day and getting to know my sisters.”

FAVORITE WAY TO STUDY

“I like to study during the day after classes when I’m wide awake and then I can relax and hang out at night.”

JULIA MANEWITH

MAJOR

Business Administration

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Don’t ever frown because you never know who might be in love with your smile.”

FAVORITE ALPHA PHI MOMENT

“Movie nights with my sisters!”

STUDYING TIP

“Start studying a few days in advance and don’t save it all for the last night.”

PRESIDENT

Rachel Neff

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Math Education

FAVORITE QUOTE

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” -C.S. Lewis

VP OF SOCIAL PROGRAMMING

Taylor Amberg

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Education

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein

VP OF FINANCE

Lauren Spak

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Journalism

MINOR

Business

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Live the life you love, love the life you live.”

VP OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Jessica Pucket

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJORS

Journalism and French

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Ghandi

VP OF MARKETING

Melina Loggia 

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJORS

Textile and Apparel Management & Strategic Communication

FAVORITE QUOTE 

“There’s rock but it’s the roll that counts.” -Keith Richards

VP OF SCHOLARSHIP

Allison Pohle

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Magazine Journalism 

FAVORITE QUOTE

“No one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.” – Jane Austen

VP OF CAMPUS RELATIONS

Jennifer Elliott 

PLEDGE CLASS

Spring ’11

MAJOR

Business- Marketing

FAVORITE QUOTE

“One can never be over dressed or over educated.” – Oscar Wilde

VP OF RECRUITMENT

Emmy Martin

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’09

MAJOR

Textile and Apparel Management

MINOR 

Business

FAVORITE QUOTE 

“You have to understand the world, if you are going to understand what people want to wear.”

VP OF HOUSING AND FACILITIES 

Tessa O’Neill

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Early Childhood Education

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch

VP OF ADMINISTRATION

Claudia Tran

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Psychology

MINORS

Sociology, Business and Journalism

FAVORITE QUOTE

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

VP OF NEW MEMBER EDUCATION

Meg Dawes

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Elementary Education

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Every day the choices you make say what you are and who your heart beats for.”

PANHELLENIC DELEGATE

Molly Jeanne Lovewell

PLEDGE CLASS

Fall ’10

MAJOR

Hospitality Management (Emphasis in Food and Beverage)

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind, don’t matter.” -Dr. Seuss  

Hometown: Springfield, IL

Major: Occupational Therapy