Casino Night…It’s Back!

You have all heard the familiar question that seems to be the only topic of conversation in the spring…”Who are you taking to formal?” After weeks of hearing and asking this question the evening had finally come and everyone had an answer. Some girls knew months before and some had asked just that week. Date or not, on April 27th  the Thetas were in for a lovely evening away from the stressful walls of Grove City.

Three years ago the Thetas celebrated their Spring Formal with a Casino themed evening. The event was such a hit that  we brought back the green felt this year. It was as popular as ever. Theta Spring Formal 2012 consisted of Casino games, fabulous hors d’oeurves, dessert, and dancing. The enchanting setting of SiBa Tuscan Grill & Wine Bar in Cranberry, PA added to our laid-back but classy atmosphere.

All the Thetas with Miss T. and our Sweetheart Mr. Mark Leach

This formal was the first for our new Theta Thumpers making a total of 60 Thetas at the event. We had about 120 people there including our wonderful sorority mom Miss T. We were also very excited to have a returning Theta, Chelsea Burrows with us! The first part of the evening was set aside for playing casino games, eating, and taking pictures. A professional Casino Company was hired to bring in the games. The Thetas and their dates played casino games including blackjack, roulette, and poker. There were tall cocktail tables set around the restaurant making it easy to mingle with several different people instead of being tied to one group. After the casino the tables were cleared away to make room for dancing…it simply would not be a Theta party without a little dancing.

This evening would not have been a success without the hard work and countless hours put in by Mellay Gardner and Kelsey Kobil. They put on a wonderful hoe-down for our fall formal and out-did themselves yet again in April. Not only was the actual evening a wonderful success, but a week or so prior Mellay made invitations for each Theta and their date to be put through inner campus mail–talk about a lot of work!  Mellay told me that her goal was to have a laid-back, college atmosphere for this Formal.  It was a sophisticated, fun evening–a wonderful last formal for our seniors and a wonderful first formal for our freshman. Formals are always a wonderful time to just be together as a sorority and to enjoy one another’s company.  Thank you Mellay and Kelsey for all of your hard work!

All of our Seniors!

Hello Thetas!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Beth Spurgetis and I am the new Computer Chair for 2012-2013! As of this week I am a senior Theta. I am so excited to have this position because it gives me the opportunity to share with all of you what is going on in the lives of the sisters of Theta Alpha Pi.  The Thetas have been a huge blessing to me in the last few years and I hope that through this blog you get a good picture of who the sorority is today. Please comment because it is always a blessing to hear from any of our sisters! There is so much to tell from the last few months, so hold on tight, there are a lot of posts coming your way.

With love, Beth

New Theta Thumpers

This semester the sisters of Theta Alpha Pi have reached record numbers by adding 25 new girls to the group! That’s right, 25.  Let’s just say everyone’s family tree has grown a ton. A few weeks ago we got to welcome the girls by grabbing them from their rooms and cheering outside the PLC  like we do every year.  This picture of us was snapped from a window in Harker.  In this case, we all really appreciate the creeping.

Look how much our circle has grown!

 The girls spent the next two weeks learning all about the Theta traditions and really bonding as a pledge class.  Even though we are the biggest sorority on campus, we are still a very close knit group.  The annual Tri-Rho Extravaganza was last Friday during pledge and many of the Thetas went as a group with the pledges.  It was such a fun time for us to let loose and forget about the pressures and stress of pledge week.

Lookin' hot at the dance!

 Finally, after 2 grueling weeks of memorization, making posters, and performing various tasks the 25 girls got to call themselves actives in Theta Alpha Pi!

I also want to give a shout out to Stacy Moon (’12) and Hanna Miller (’13) who made a great team as Pledge Mistress and Assistant Pledge Mistress!

25 New Actives!

Monster Mash!

The Thetas recently teamed up once again with the men of Beta Sigma to put on the Monster Mash, an annual Halloween dance.  This year the lovely Annelise Larsen was put in charge of the dance along with Ryan Cypher for the Betas.  They did such an awesome job planning the event and getting people to come.  It was a very successful fundraiser for the Slippery Rock Crisis Pregnancy Center.  Check out some of the great costumes we had this year!

The cast of Mary Poppins! back row: Dominique Coulter ('12), Haley Bargery ('12), Beth Spurgetis ('13), Gabrielle Plesniak ('12), Katie Cypher ('12) front row: Hillary Dabrasky ('12), Meggie Varley ('12)

Some lovely superheros! Aimee Williamson ('13), Sarah Calhoun ('12), Beth McCarrier ('13)

Ryan Cypher and Andrew Holt, our awesome Beta DJ's.

Laurel Skorup ('14), Elizabeth Byer ('13), Katie Kling ('13)

No Girl Is an Island: Homecoming 2011

This year the sisters of Theta Alpha Pi rocked Homecoming weekend!  Not only did we win the float competition, but we also had our long awaited 90th anniversary party!  Talk about a Theta Win.

Along with the men of Sigma Alpha Sigma we designed, built, and pomped a Mouse Trap themed float.  Let me tell you, this thing was not a piece of cake.  Everyone was working down to the last minute to make sure the contraption was working properly and looked good.  In the end, the hard work totally paid off.  We got first place and had such a fun time at the parade!  We especially loved seeing all the alumae in the crowd cheering us on.

Thetas and Sigs on the first place float

After the parade we enjoyed mingling at the TA tent in Greek Village.  It is always fun to reminisce and look through the old scrapbooks while talking  about all the past pledge tasks and traditions.

The ladies of Theta Alpha Pi

To top off the evening we headed over to the Grove City Country Club and celebrated 90 years of sisterhood!  Over 100 alumae attended the event and to say it was a hit is an understatement.  It was such an honor to listen to the members from the past and present talk about what being a member of Theta Alpha Pi meant to them.  Also, I think we can all agree that TA Mash gets the blue ribbon for most entertaining presentation of the night!  Thank you to everyone who came and helped make the event a success.  After all, no girl is an island.

Happy Birthday to You

This week we have the pleasure of celebrating 2 birthdays in Theta Alpha Pi!  Tuesday, September 13th was  Kelsey Kobil’s birthday and Friday, September 16th is the birthday of  Amy Genders.  Both girls graciously took time out of their birthday week to answer a few questions about themselves.

Kelsey Kobil ('13)

Can you give a brief introduction of yourself? (full name, year, major, hometown)

Kelsey: Kelsey Jayne Kobil, Junior, Psychology major from Butler County,PA

Amy: Amy Louise Genders, Sophomore,  Communications major from Elma, NY

What age will you be on your birthday this year?

Kelsey: 21

Amy: 19

What is your favorite birthday memory?

Kelsey: I got a Tiffany ring from my parents for my 16th birthday!

Amy: My 16th birthday was my Golden Birthday, and my parents threw me a surprise party and my sisters came home from college for it — I was SO surprised. It was the best present I’ve ever received!

What is your worst birthday memory?

Kelsey: In 11th grade we were reading “The Scarlet Letter” in AP English and we had an assignment to wear a sign on our shirts all day that had the letter for a flaw about us.  People used to joke that I was Debbie Downer so I wore a  sign that said “DD”…so all day on my birthday I was told “Double D?  That can’t be your real chest size.”

Amy: My parents tried to throw me a surprise party on my 8th birthday… but 2

Amy Genders ('14)

out of the 3 friends who said they were coming never actually showed up.  But let me tell you– they missed out because that was one FUN party!

If you could have anything in the world for your birthday this year, what would it be?

Kelsey:  A pistol. I live in Western PA so I am pretty much the only person without one.

Amy: I want to be on Caroline Craft’s personal blog.

How did your parents choose your name? Is there any significance?

Kelsey: The maternal side of my family is Jewish and it’s tradition to name your first girl after her great grandmother, so my middle name is “Jayne” with a y after my great grandma, Jenny.

Amy: No significance, they just liked the name.

If you could move your birthday to any other day of the year, would you?

Kelsey: I wouldn’t change it!

Amy: I would not because September is a GREAT month!

 

Happy birthday girls!

Graduating Class of 2011!

On May 14th, 2011, 17 Theta Sisters proudly graduated from Grove City College, one of the largest graduating classes Theta Alpha Pi has seen since… 2009 (Which, according to Former President Laura Powell had 20).

A few girls walked to McDonalds (in the rain) a few minutes before graduation to share a final farewell breakfast.

Some Thetas After Graduation. Back Row: Rachel Genders, Olivia Palanza, Kaity Kline, Carrie Brown, C.J. Beatty, Hannah Moffett, Laura Palazzo. Front Row: Christina (Sotille) LoCicero, Jenny Rath, Camille Ortiz, Jayna Grassel, Laura Blank, LeAnn Denlinger.

Dana Selle flashes a smile despite sitting in the rain for 2 hours. She graduated a year early and is off to Med School - What a trooper!

Recent Grove City College Graduates Erin Blum, Julie Shenk, Laura Blank, and Camille Ortiz pose with 2011 Theta Sweetheart, Nate Miller.

Beautiful as Ever - Sisters Alana Thurston, Rachel Paul, and Rachael Genders.

Graduation usually marks a time of bittersweet farewells and reflection.  This year was no different for the sisters of Theta Alpha Pi.

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We thought back to our first days of college.  Our first days in the sorority.  How excited we were to attend our first meeting in HAL 212.  We remember making friends and sharing life.  Of pledging and awkward boys and road trips and too many formals to count.

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Of sisterhood.

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As each of us graduate from Grove City College, we will regard our years as both a Grover and a Theta as some of the most formative times of our lives.  Yes, it is true that we will move in different directions, but the strong bond of sisterhood

will remain.  We will be daughters of truth and loyalty until we die.

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Congratulations, Theta Alpha Pi Graduation Class of 2011 – We did it! 

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Below is a list of recent Theta graduates with their future plans and current locations.  (As more updates come in, we’ll update it.)  We encourage Alumni TAs and current sisters to use this list to keep in contact with us!

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If all this talk of sisterhood got you nostalgic, mark your calendars and register for the Theta Alpha Pi 90th Anniversary on September 24th, 2011!

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 Kaity Kline

Studied: English/ French

Future Plans: The University of Akron School of Law

Current Location: Hudson, OH

E-mail: klinekj1(at)gmail.com

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Carrie Brown
Studied: Political Science
Future Plans: Finance Intern at Bentley Systems in Exton, Pa.

Future- Future Plans: Applying for law school in Fall 2012 to study Corporate Law.
Current Location: Elverson, Pa
E-mail: carrie.a.brown(at)alum.gcc.edu

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 Rachel Paul

Studied:  Business Management and Communication

Future Plans:  Consultant at Salem Communications

Current Location:  Fairfax, VA

E-mail: rachelpaul721(at)gmail.com

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Laura Blank

Studied:  Psychology

Future Plans:  Med School at PCOM - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Current Location: Philadelphia

E-mail: laura.e.blank(at)gmail.com

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Hannah Moffett

Studied: Biology

Future Plans: Masters of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Pittsburgh

Future-Future Plans:  Getting Married in November!

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

E-mail: hrmoffett(at)gmail.com

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 Jayna Grassel

Studied: Entrepreneurship

Future Plans: Search & Media Analyst at Rosetta Marketing Group

Current Location: Cleveland, OH

E-mail: jayna(at)alum.gcc.edu

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Christina LoCicero
Studied: Spanish Education
Future Plans: High School Spanish Teacher at Union Catholic School

Location: Princeton, NJ
E-mail: sotillecm2(at)gmail.com

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Alana G. Thurston
Studied: Mathematics Secondary Education
Future Plans: Algebra I Teacher at Eastern View High School
Location: Culpeper, VA
E-mail: thurstonag1(at)gmail.com

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Julie Shenk

Studied:  Entrepreneurship & Spanish

Currently: Internet Sales Coordinator at Autohaus Lancaster, Inc (Audi, Porsche, VW Dealer)

Future Plans:  Who knows!  Interested in new jobs or relocating.

Location:  Lancaster, PA

E-mail: julielynnshenk(at)gmail.com

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Rachael Genders

Studied: Spanish and Communications

Future Plans: Fellows Program in Raleigh, NC

Future-Future Plans:  Getting married in June 2012 and moving to Central PA
E-mail: rachael.genders(at)gmail.com

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LeAnn Denlinger
Studied:  Molecular Biology
Future Plans:  Medical School
Location:  Hershey, PA
E-mail:  DenlingerLN(at)gmail.com

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