Junior, Andrea Jankelow, started her summer far away from Columbia, Missouri. She traveled approximately 14 hours away, by flight of course, for her 10-day trip to Israel! Through a group called Mayanot, Andrea visited Israel to reconnect with her Jewish roots. She described the experience as the most unreal time of her life. In the 10-days, she traveled from the North of Israel, to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the South of Israel sleeping in tents in the desert and participating in a variety of activities. Throughout the 10-days, she hiked, scaled a 1500-foot mountain, visited ancient ruins and the old city/western wall, went camel riding, and swam in the dead sea. With all of those amazing experiences, it could be hard for some to pinpoint their favorite. However, what was Andrea’s favorite activity out of all of the amazing things she was able to do? It was when she visited an elementary school to teach English to 4th graders!

This trip was an eye opening experience for Andrea, going to a country where the atmosphere was unlike one that she had ever experienced. She left Israel with many new memories and a very different outlook. She said that it was very unbelievable to see the Israelis barely react to a bomb going off 3 miles away from where they were at the time. It definitely made her rethink how lucky we are for our safety in America!

We’re so glad Andrea had an amazing time in Israel reconnecting with her roots and learning to be even more proud of who she is and where she came from! We look forward to hearing from Alpha Phis all over the country and the world about their remarkable summers thus far! Make sure to keep up with our blog so that you can hear their wonderful stories too!

1. Reward yourself for making it through certain chunks of studying that you get done. Ex. After making it through a chapter reward yourself with a snack.
2. A few days before studying organize all your material so you don’t waste time the day you are studying with just organizing.
3. Start studying by simply reviewing the material, then figure out what you know and don’t know and study the material you don’t know the most
4. Go through all the assigned chapters and make a study guide of all the important information
5. Make a study guide and read through it until you feel like you’ve mastered the material. Then get a blank sheet of paper and only show yourself the main categories on the study guide and try to write down everything you can remember about that topic. What you don’t remember to write down is what you need to study more.
6. For classes that aren’t conceptually based, like a math class, work through a bunch of different problems. It’s easy to think you know how to do different equations when you’re reading through examples, but the real test is working through problems on your own. Struggle a little before giving up and looking at the solutions.
7. If your teacher posts practice exams, go through the exam and if you have any uncertainty about the answer then don’t answer the question, but circle the question number. At the end of the practice test go through the questions that you couldn’t answer and review those topics, and then answer them.
8. Write your notes out again after lecture or before the exam in the same environment that you will be taking the exam in
9. Use flashcards when you have a lot of memorization

Finally, remember to breathe. Keep your chin up and just take a deep breathe, everything will be great.

Alpha Phi and Alpha Gamma Rho place 1st in Service and Banner!

We placed 2nd in Blood!

We placed 3rd in Fling! Winning Best Choreography!

And finally, overall, we placed 5th for Greek Week 2013!

Check Out the Video Links Below:

Greek Week 2013 Recap!

Fling Finals!

Thank you to the men of Alpha Gamma Rho and to everyone who participated for such a successful Greek Week! A-Team!

Check out more pictures on our Facebook: Mizzou Alpha Phi or our Instagram: @MizzouAlphaPhi!

Always Alpha Phi Spring 13 by AlphaPhiMizzou

Opting for a “paper chapter” this Monday, our Alpha Phis took to the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri instead! “The Food Bank is a regional disaster and hunger relief network that acquires and distributes millions of pounds of donated food annually,” according to their website.They are unique in the fact that they are one of the only food banks nationwide that send their food to soup kitchens, emergency food pantries, shelters for the abused and homeless, programs for low-income children and senior citizens, and rehabilitation centers, all free of charge.

About 35 Alpha Phi girls headed to the food bank to lend a hand! We were assigned to large bins of potatoes where we would dispose of the inedible and bag the good. Though the job was not difficult, being able to give back to the community in a small way was very rewarding. Freshman, Caitlin Johnson, said that she was glad that she was able to give to people who are not as well-off, and that it was ten times more enjoyable because she was able to laugh and have fun with her sisters. How great did we look in hair nets?

Alpha Phi could not have done this without the workers and volunteers at the Food Bank who were extremely friendly and helpful during our visit. It was great to see the residents of Columbia and Alpha Phi come together to give back to those in the area who are less fortunate. We encourage everyone to give a small amount of time, money or food to this wonderful organization! With our help, the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri can continue to thrive and feed those in need. We had a great time volunteering and the Food Bank can be sure that Alpha Phi will be back again soon!

We are so excited to have welcomed 12 new members to Alpha Phi this past Sunday, March 3rd! We held our annual COB Bid Day with the very adorable theme of “How Sweet It Is To Be An Alpha Phi!” Our current members joined our new ladies at the house for a day of fun activities! The freshmen and the COBs wore their new pink Bid Day v-neck t-shirts while the rest wore yellow amongst our pastel colored decorations. COBs were able to spend time with their first Ivy Linker, and get to know many of their new sisters. Luckily we had a photographer to catch all of the fun! Our sweet activities included caricature drawings, a photo booth set up with fun props like colorful picture frames and feathered boas, and a lot of candy and cupcake decorating! The day wouldn’t be complete, however, without the cotton candy machine! What a sugar rush!

We love all of our new ladies and are excited for them to start their journeys as Alpha Phis! Our beautiful new members are: Michelle Jacobson, Maddie Rodbro, Taylor Harrison, Reed Geekie, Kristin Rawie, Meghan Conway, Mandie Phipps, Erin Bommersbach, Kelly Walsh, Ashley Killough, Abby Uhlar and Monique Beird! Please welcome them and make sure to show them just how sweet it is to be a part of Alpha Phi!

Our Alpha Phi ladies rocked it once again, at RAMS Rock-It Finals on Friday, February 22. Our theme for the lip-sync competition this year was Alpha Phi in NYC, a collaboration of numerous famous New York songs ranging from Frank Sinatra to Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. Equipped with elaborate backdrops of “old-school” New York and the New York City skyline, Alpha Phi danced their way into a second place finish in Rock-It. It was an unbelievable performance, choreographed by Dana Humphrey and Debi Jacquin. A lot of help went into creating the backdrops, props, and costumes to create the illusion of being in New York City!

RAMs however isn’t only about the dancing, it is more importantly about raising money and awareness to benefit the local MS Institute. Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis is a campus-wide philanthropy that uses the funds raised to help people in the mid-Missouri area living with Multiple Sclerosis. Alpha Phis who weren’t in the lip-sync competition were still able to be a part of the fun! RAMS also has a Service Day, Mic Night, Speaker Night, Jail N’ Bail, Comedy Night, a night of bowling, and a Banner competition. Each of these events gave the ladies of Alpha Phi an opportunity to have a great time while raising money and learning more about Multiple Sclerosis.

We are also pleased to say that we had an Alpha Phi on the RAMS Steering Committee for her second year, Vanessa Hayes. Vanessa was a part of the Promotions Committee. Her job included helping judge the banner competition, designing the shirts, and organizing the t-shirt orders. Great job, Vanessa!

This year’s RAMS will be donating a grand total of $65,000 to the MS Institute of Mid-Missouri, and has officially surpassed one million dollars donated in their 20th year! We are very proud of our Alpha Phis and their accomplishments in RAMS!

“As my time as an ELC is rapidly coming to a close, I will always look back on this year as the most rewarding, but also most challenging, year of my life. The life of an ELC is one full of surprises and adaptability- ELC’s don’t work your typical Monday-Friday, 9-5 schedule. We are available 24/7! As an ELC, being flexible with collegians and alumnae from all different backgrounds and thinking quickly on your feet when things go awry (as they often do, especially during recruitment!) fast becomes second nature.

Many think my job only works during recruitment season, which couldn’t be further from the truth! While I do make recruitment visits, I also spent time on extension with one of our newest chapters, Clemson, while also making chapter operations and general chapter visits.

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to visit the University of Oklahoma, the University of Arizona, Clemson University, the University of Rhode Island, Penn State, Northern Illinois University, George Washington University, MIT, SUNY Buffalo, the University of Delaware, Towson University, Christopher Newport University, Shippensburg University, Lake Forest College, U Penn, Miami University of Ohio, WPI, Bentley University, SUNY Cortland, and will be visiting Hofstra, U Conn, Dartmouth, Tufts, the University of South Dakota, the University of North Dakota, and Ball State University before I’m finished.

I was originally encouraged to apply for the position by two alumnae of Omicron, and I cannot imagine having done anything different with my life my first year out of college. My time as an ELC has allowed me to give back to the sorority that originally challenged me and taught me more about myself than any college experience could have. The girls I work with have become family, and every chapter I’ve visited holds a special memory. Whether it’s a night out in Chicago with the rest of the ELC team, staying up with a recruitment team until 3 in the morning for nights in a row, or working with chapter officers to change the chapter culture and move forward, it’s been an unforgettable year.

Since July 2012, I’ve taken over 100 flights, been to 26 colleges, worked with over 200 officers, and facilitated workshops for over 1,000 collegians. As a full-time traveler, I’ve quickly learned to step out of my comfort zone, that coffee is a girl’s best friend, and that living out of a 50 pound suitcase and 1 carry on is not only completely possible, but not quite as difficult as I thought it’d be.”

Our Forget Me Not Field is blooming once again at Alpha Phi’s Upper Midwest/North Central Midwest Leadership Conference this weekend. Whether you’re attending Leadership Conference or not, you can join in the celebration. With the purchase of a $10 Forget Me Not, you honor a special woman in your life…and you let Alpha Phis in need know that their sisters care and are always there to help.

Each woman you honor will receive an email letting her know you’ve donated to the Foundation on her behalf. The names of these special sisters will also be displayed in our Field Of Dreams on the Forget Me Not Field website. If your honoree is attending Leadership Conference this weekend, she will receive a Forget Me Not button to wear proudly indicating that she’s been recognized.

Alpha Phi Foundation’s Forget Me Not Fund provides aid to our sisters facing crisis situations such as natural disasters, illness, and unforeseen financial difficulties. Choose to plant it forward today to ensure these women get back on their feet tomorrow. Make your gift now and join me in celebrating our commitment to always remember our sisters, remember Alpha Phi.

Loyally,

Leesa Havel (Delta Mu—Purdue)
Special Events and Program Manager