It's a Chi Omega Wedding!

It’s funny to think the girl who has been by my side my entire life is getting married. It feels like just yesterday we were playing with Barbies, our American Girl Dolls and dreaming about Steven from Laguna Beach. (Let’s be honest, we’re still dreaming about Steven form Laguna Beach.)

This girl is not just a girl. She is my sister. We’ve coined the term, a sister twice over. This is because she was there when I came into this world as a human and she was there as I came into this world as a Chi Omega sister. Sharing a bond that is not only biological, but through something greater than you, like Chi Omega, is a phenomenon that words cannot describe.

So my older sister is getting married. AH!!! And I am the Maid of Honor. (I like to think by choice, not default.) This means I was able to sit in on the dress shopping. That took place last weekend. Emily (PC ’07, and old President) was accompanied by yours truly, our fabulous mother, Emily’s future mother-in-law, and her future sister-in-law (She’s also a Chi Omega at UNC-Wilmington!) Although it was nothing like Say Yes to the Dress or Bridesmaids, we had the best weekend filled with fun, laughter and happiness. It truly is special to bring two families together, that are bonded by love. It’s also truly special to share such a milestone with my sorority sister, best friend and biological sister. With that said, Emily, if you are reading this, please remember that and do not put me in a hideous bridesmaid dress!!

Chi O Love and Mine,

Sarah Bootcheck

PC’11

                    Emily browsing the gowns (To her request, I was NOT allowed to post any of her in a gown, sorry!)

Myself, Emily, and Ali (Emily’s future sister-in-law and Chi Omega!)     

Register for Recruitment!

If you haven't registered for Fall Panhellenic Recruitment, visit UFPanhellenic.org today! 

Don't forget to sign up by August 14th! 

Sporty Spice Takes Denver

Seeing that sports are practically the center of my existence, it seemed only fitting for me to apply for an internship with North American Sports Group. Two directors from the company presented to one of my Sports Management classes in the spring about a paid internship with NASG which is a company responsible for hosting 3v3 sports tournaments all across the country. Hoop It Up basketball, Rock the Box lacrosse, Let it Fly football, and Kick It soccer are NASG’s 4 properties. The Kick-It property is actually the world’s largest 3v3 soccer tournament! After receiving the call that I would be hired as a Team Services intern, I packed for my trip to their main office in Denver, Colorado. Most of my job here consists of planning 100-team tournaments all over the U.S. and the rest of my job consists of working at local soccer events here in Denver. I love the change of scenery here and being able to look out my apartment window to foothills, mountains, and downtown Denver in the distance. Event planning in the arena of sport is what I would love to see in my future as far as my career is concerned. This summer has been an amazing and eye-opening experience to the world of sporting events. However, I am incredibly excited to get back to Gainesville and be reunited with all my Chi Omega sisters.

XOXO Your VP, 

Megan Conlon

Kick It 3v3 Soccer Tournament 

Megan & the other interns having fun in Denver!

A Message From Our President

From my first day running on the lawn to now getting ready to graduate, Chi Omega has been there. It's not only been about finding friends for the 4 years I've been at school, it's become a home away from home. I am so excited for recruitment to not only be reunited with my sisters, but also to be able to welcome a new group of fantastic women. I hope as you look around and get a feel for our sisterhood, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of who we are. 

Chi Omega was and is the best decision I could have made.

Sonia Cox 

Jamie's Involvement

Hey y'all! 

Although I am super jealous of all my sisters who spent time abroad all over the world this summer, I've had a blast staying in Gainesville! 

Both my roommate (shoutout Sarah Seasalt Bootcheck!) and I are very involved on campus, so we've been doing a lot. I myself am on the executive board of the Student Government Senate and have spent a lot of time writing bills and working on projects to better the student body experience here at UF. My favorite project I've worked on is the creation of the new Blue Light Safety App for smartphones. This app will be a great resource for all UF women to feel safer and more secure on campus and I am very proud to have been on the development team! I also planned SG's first annual charity sand volleyball tournament which will be taking place on Wednesday July 17th. I love being involved in SG- it's the perfect opportunity to network with other Panhellenic women, IFC guys and the student body in general all while representing Chi O in the best way I can.

Aside from taking classes, I've also spent the summer applying to dental school. I've wanted to be a dentist for as long as I can remember and cannot believe I am finally actually applying! Ask anyone in Eta Delta and they know who to go to with any dental issues :) My dream would be to stay in Gainesville for another four years and attend the UF College of Dentistry. I find out on December 2nd and can't wait!

Gainesville has truly become my second home and it's been a blast being here all summer, but I can't wait to be reunited with all my sisters for my favorite time of year- recruitment!!

Love,

Jamie Lowstetter

Rachel's Rewarding Summer

This summer I am working at the Conductive Education Center of Orlando (CECO), which is a school for handicapped kids. The kids have severe motor disabilities, mostly cerebral palsy. I am a classroom assistant so I get to work one-on-one with the kids everyday. We work on walking, eating, and fine motor skills to ultimately help the kids become more independent. It is absolutely the most rewarding thing I could be doing! The kids show unconditional love and the desire to work hard and become more independent. This is a picture of me with one of my students, Logan. Smiles like his just light up my day and I am so blessed to have this opportunity this summer! Can't wait to get back to Gainesville and share all the stories about my kids to my sisters!

Chi o love and mine,

Rachel Sofarelli 

Taylor's Sea Turtle Internship

This summer I am continuing my internship with Sea Turtle Conservancy. Located in Gainesville, there aren’t any sea turtles in my office much to my dismay, but we do a lot of policy, grant and public outreach work in order to protect sea turtles internationally and here in Florida. Most people don’t even know STC is located right here in Gainesville so I’ll give you some quick background info on us. STC is the world's oldest sea turtle research and conservation group and it was founded by a UF professor, Dr. Archie Carr, in 1959. It is an international non-profit and is credited with the foundation of sea turtle conservation and research.

Besides getting to obsess over turtles each day, most of my time this summer has been spent planning Tour de Turtles. Tour de Turtles is a sea turtle migration marathon and a turtle release that takes place each year in Florida, Costa Rica and Mexico. Thirteen turtles are sponsored by organizations and each turtle is “racing” to raise awareness about a threat to turtles. Whichever turtle ends up swimming the furthest from where they were released wins the marathon. The satellite trackers on the turtles relay its location to our website, where visitors can pick their own favorite turtle to personally sponsor and keep up with its travels. I am charge of planning the event from volunteers to sponsors and venues, so it is overwhelming at times, but a lot of fun to plan and be a part of. And I get to kind of play with real turtles so I’m loving life.

I also work on projects to raise awareness about sea turtle-friendly lighting in Florida and what humans can do to save sea turtles so here is my save the sea turtles public service announcement to Chi Omega. If you live on the beach or spend time vacationing there, make sure your turn off all lights that are visible to the ocean at night. Nesting turtles and hatchlings confuse artificial lighting for the moon, which is their guide back to the ocean. When they head in the wrong direction, their chance for survival is greatly diminished and they already only have a 1 in 1000 chance of survival. I promise I am not a complete turtle lady…if you have any questions or want more information visit www.conserveturtles.org.

Love,

Taylor Buckels 

Taylor

Taylor reading a story about turtles to children at the Florida Museum of Natural History

Tour de Turtles  

Tour de Turtles

Pre-Dental in Nicaragua

Traveling is something I have always been passionate about. Combine my love of travel with my love of teeth, and I had the perfect week in Nicaragua this Summer! 



As a Pre-Dental biology major, I was presented with the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua on a medical mission trip through Global Medical Training. My job was to assist the Nicaraguan dentists that volunteer their time and travel to the poorest areas of the country to offer free dental work. Almost every patient had a severe problem that needed medical attention. Needless to say, there were tons of cavities, blood, gingivitis, and pulled teeth. The trip was AMAZING and I met some of the most sweet, humble people. One of my favorite parts of the day was when all the children from the town would come to the clinic and we would give them toothbrushes and hang out with them for a little while. The kids were SO fun and I had a blast with them.

The dentists I met in Nicaragua are some of the coolest people I have ever met. One of the dentists, Dr. Claudia, really showed me what it is like to be passionate about being a dentist and all of the opportunities you have in the medical profession. Not only was i surrounded by 40 other University of Florida students, I was also surrounded by fellow PanHellenic women, all of which have the same dream to practice medicine one day. I can't wait to one day be a dentist and I hope to continue volunteering through Global Medical Training!

Love,

Lauren Miller 

Lauren in Nicaragua

Lauren with Dr. Claudia

Lauren with some children in Nicaragua

Mother, Daughter, & Chi O Sisters

Hello there! My name is Francesca Dickhaus and I am about to be a Chi Omega senior, which is slightly terrifying, but true nonetheless. Unlike many of my fabulous jet-setting sisters that we have heard from so far, I have been in Gainesville all summer working. I know…this may seem like a boring summer, but it has actually been very nice! For me, getting away from my crazy pre-med classes for a few months, relaxing by the pool, and resting up for my senior year is the perfect way to spend my time! 


Although most of my summer has been very low key, something just recently happened within my family that I am SO excited about and have been anticipating for quite some time: My Mom got MARRIED! My mother and I have a special bond because not only are we a tight-knit mother-daughter duo, but we are also Chi Omega sisters! And not only that, but my mother was actually a Chi Omega at the Eta Delta chapter at the University of Florida, just like me! Each time she visits UF for Chi O Family Weekend, Mom’s Weekend, or football games throughout the season, she always stops at the house and checks up on her old stomping grounds.


My mom’s wedding was absolutely beautiful! She decided to keep it small, and keep it a secret from everyone but immediate family members. Breaking the news to all of our loved ones after the fact actually turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the whole wedding! She got married in our hometown church and had the reception at the beautiful Vinoy hotel in downtown St. Petersburg. Of course, since we were both so dressed up for the occasion, we had to take a snapshot “throwing what we know” and commemorating the special bond we share as Chi Omegas 
:) 

It is so funny to think about my mom’s years in Chi Omega, spending her time in the very same house and doing many of the same things I am doing right now. She made some of her very best friends in Chi O and made memories that she holds dear to her heart to this day, and I know I am doing the exact same thing right now with all of my sisters in Chi Omega!

Chi O love and mine,


Francesca

Francesca & her mother, Annamaria, at her wedding last week!  

Francesca's mother's bid day photo on the Chi O lawn in the 80s.  She is in the middle row, second from the left! 

Chi Omega Family Weekend 2010

Francesca's family at her mother's wedding!