Zeta Chapter Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 2012-2014 Convention Report
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Zeta Chapter
Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: Our current chapter size is 150 collegian members, with 33 seniors just graduating this past
semester. We are at our total for our campus with a successful recruitment in January where we recruited our
maximum of 65 new members. During the biennium, there were two recruitment events held, each during the
formal recruitment period. Sixty-three members were initiated, with 2 members dropping from the new
member period before initiation. We did obtain more new members than in previous years! We were the
second largest new member class on campus for the biennium. We improved upon our speaking with new
members during recruitment in order to form stronger connections. Our most successful party theme was
"sisterhood" in which we showcased what makes the Theta Phi Alpha sisterhood different from the rest. Our
recruitment chairmen during the biennium were Abby Dyer and Veronica Klein.
NEW MEMBERS: 96.5% of new members that were given bids were initiated. Our new members greatly
enjoyed the "My Sister, My Friend" book, especially when learning about our symbols and songs. Their favorite
memories were at the new member retreat and the big/little reveal and ritual! This evens were where our new
members really felt a connection with the sisterhood. During the biennium, our new member educators were
Marissa Vasquez and Ashley Weishaar.
FUND RAISING: We did a super fund raiser called "Tie-Dye with Theta Phi" where we sold shirts to students on
campus as tickets to our tie-dye event. At the event, attendees are able to tie-dye their shirts with Theta Phi
sisters and have food and fun! The money was given to the National Office.
PHILANTHROPY: During the biennium, we conducted two separate "Twister Phi Alpha" events, one each year.
This event sponsored Glenmary and the House that Theta Phi Alpha Built (the Salvation Army of Monroe
County). We helped primarily the Salvation Army of Monroe County and the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. All
members helped in the chapter's philanthropic pursuits. Hannah Crane and Veronica Biesiada should be
recognized for their great efforts in making our philanthropy so successful on campus!
HONORS/AWARDS: Although we did not win any special honors or awards, our Little 500 bicycle team qualified
for the race at 12th place, up significantly from last year (previously 28th)!!
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Our chapter grade point average is currently 3.32, based on the fall 2013 semester.
The spring grades have not been released yet. We revamped our academic excellence program so that sisters
can have more resources for studying and improving their performance in school. They were incredibly
successful and we improved our ranking on our campus by 2 places.
CAMPUS: Our Panhellenic organization is run by an executive board with representatives voting on policies, one
from each chapter. Our relationship with our chapter advisor and faculty advisor is fantastic. We held weekly
meetings with our advisors in order to keep them informed and consulting their opinion.
OTHER: In the biennium, we revised our bylaws and our standards, which were approved by the National Office.
Our standards board operates by two elected representatives from each year (two sophomores, two juniors,
two seniors) and it is headed by the internal vice-president.
Respectfully submitted,
Rachel Van Bokkem
ravanbok@indiana.eduKappa Chapter
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
2012-2014 Convention Report
Our chapter is currently at 68 sisters following graduation. We are at total on the University of Pittsburgh’s
campus. During the biennium, there were four recruitment periods: Formal recruitment in Fall 2012 and Fall 2013 and
informal recruitment in Spring 2013 and Spring 2014. During the biennium we welcomed 61 New Members into our
sisterhood, initiating over 95% of New Members. We obtained more members in formal recruitment than in past years and
are very happy with our recruitment outcomes. We have updated our bumping system, created more committees to take
responsibility of certain aspects and implemented more recruitment workshops throughout the year to make sure that the
mentality of recruitment is ever present in the chapter. We had many different themes, some notable themes were
‘Tailgate with ΘΦA’•, ‘Summer Nights’• and ‘Winter Wonderland’. We are very proud of our VPs of Recruitment during
these times: Shannon Krohe (Fall 2012), Erin Coleman (Spring & Fall 2013) and Anastasia Evanoff (Spring 2014).
In the past two years, we have initiated 61 new sisters into Kappa chapter. The New Members enjoyed My Sister,
My Friend and really learned a lot about Theta Phi Alpha and what it means to be a member of this great organization.
Some favorite activities included New Member Retreat where the new members were able to bond, learn songs and get to
know each other. Also a major favorite is the Big Sister, Little Sister events. Our New Member Educators during the
biennium were Nina Ricci (Fall 2012), Kristen Schaffer (Spring & Fall 2013) and Jillian Ball (Spring 2014). They all have
represented our chapter very well and have taught our New Members so much about Theta Phi Alpha.
Our chapter donates time regularly to several charity events on campus and in the community, such as Adopt-A-
Block. Each term, our members donate time to special projects, such as Wrap Up America where we donated over 700
blankets to the homeless. We hold an event called ‘Pie-A-Thon’•each year, raising money for our national philanthropies.
We also held various events and fundraisers throughout the year such as restaurant fundraisers.
At National Convention 2012, Kappa chapter won the Northeastern Nebraska Alumnae Association Song Award.
At National Leadership Conference in 2013 Kappa chapter received a certificate of achievement for outstanding chapter
GPA, distinguished new member retention, excellence in philanthropy, and excellence in risk management. In Spring 2013
we won Third Place overall in Greek Week, placing second in Greek God & Goddess and Second in Fundraising. In 2013 one
of our seniors, Megan McGrath, won Greek Woman of the Year. Many sisters are a member of Order of Omega, and two
sisters, Autumn Puhac and Tyler Houy were initiated into Omicron Delta Kappa, a National Leadership and Honor Society in
Fall 2013. This year we placed in the top five for Greek Week, and won Best Theme and Fan Favorite at Greek Sing. Kappa
Chapter also won Excellence in Engagement in the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Standards Awards.
Kappa chapter is proud to announce that we have recently promoted our Academic Excellence position to an
Executive Board position. It shows how academics is really a top priority for us. Our Chapter GPA is continuously improving
and we are very proud of our efforts within the past biennium to improve our academic standing on campus. Over 40% of
sisters made Dean’s List. We updated our Academic Excellence Plan to implement more flexibility in our study hour
schedule and modified the number of study hours each sister had to attend weekly based on her cumulative GPA. These
changes were very effective, as seen by our improving academics. We recently acquired a new Academic Advisor, and
initiated her as an alumna into our sisterhood last Fall. She has been a huge asset to our academic improvement, and we
have at least one academic seminar each semester lead by Cheryl that the whole membership attends.
Our Panhellenic council operates very effectively. We meet every other week, and are in continuous contact with
the council’s executive board members. We are very close to our Greek Advisor, Matthew Richardson, and our Faculty
Advisors. We communicate via email and telephone regularly and also meet at least once a month, but usually more.
We had very productive LC visits and had a great time showing off how successful Kappa chapter has been. We
revised bylaws pertaining to study hour protocol and amending which chairman positions each Executive Board member
oversees and mentors. We are very proud of our improvements in fundraising, academics and campus
presence/involvement the past two years and we are excited to see what the next biennium holds for us.
Respectfully submitted,
Alice Geherin
presidenttpa@gmail.comChi Chapter
Creighton University, Omaha, NE
2012-2014 Convention Report
At Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, Chi chapter currently has 91 members after recently transitioning 21
seniors into the alumna phase of their Theta Phi journey as they went on to graduate. We are not quite at total on campus,
so we are very much looking forward to having continuous open bidding in the fall of 2014. This past semester we were
lucky enough to welcome 44 new members into this wonderful legacy during Panhellenic recruitment in the spring. This
was a fun-filled week with a sports theme centering on the idea: ΘΦA-Drafting the best since 1912. Our hard work paid off
as we gained an amazing group of genuine women, and many more than we expected! We were also very proud of the fact
that we were the only sorority (out of 7) on campus that did not break any recruitment guidelines or policies. This spring,
we held our initiation ceremony ritual on April 13th and presented 93% of the new member class who we deemed worthy
of becoming one with Theta Phi Alpha. Three new members were not initiated during this time due to illness, but they will
be initiated right away in the upcoming fall semester.
Because of our social probationary period from spring 2013-spring 2014, we were forced to come together as a
sorority to reevaluate and prioritize our beliefs and values. Understanding that social events are only a small portion of our
sisterhood, we quickly came to realize that we have great strength and passion when it comes to service events and
philanthropies. Over the past two years, we were able to readjust our core ideals and focus on these two aspects. During
this time, we faithfully participated in service twice a week, every week of the school year and partook in several other
service projects on campus and with the Panhellenic community. We have also placed more prominence on our
philanthropy events, hosting at least three events each semester. We have seen an increase in participation at these events
because they are what we look forward to as a chapter. Our emphasis has been shifted to what is really important -
spending genuine time with our sisters while reaching out to the community surrounding us.
Every year, our main philanthropy events are a sand volleyball tournament in the fall and a dodge ball tournament
in the spring. Each sister makes a team of at least six players, costing $10 each to both play and receive a t-shirt for the
event. The money made from these fun tournaments were given to various organizations, including: the Sienna Francis
House, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, and many more. We also hosted
canned food and toiletry drives, where the donations and items were given to the local homeless shelters in the Omaha
area. This past semester we also took on the project of collecting school supplies for an alumna serving in the Peace Corps
in Zambia, Africa. Kristi Kumorek, president of Chi chapter for the 2012-2013 term, is working in a school in Zambia teaching
English and putting on summer camps. The volunteers were in desperate need of more supplies in order to help these
schools and camps run smoothly, so she reached out to her sisters for help. We were more than willing to collect and send
these to her in package amounting to a total of 29 pounds and a little over $300 worth of notebooks, pens, markers, etc.!
Over the past two years, we have done weekly service at various locations around Omaha. Girl Scouts, Sienna
Francis House, and the Via Christi Retirement Home are just some of the places we have volunteered. During the spring of
2014, our service chairmen connected with the Heartland Hope Mission of Omaha. This is a food pantry that serves over
35,000 people experiencing homelessness every year in the poor, metropolitan area of Omaha. Together, we would
organize and collect the food donations that came in and, most importantly, build relationships with the underprivileged
individuals and the staff at Heartland Hope Mission. We found this experience to be very rewarding, as we were also
reflecting the work and mission of the House that Theta Phi Alpha Built. Because of our work with the Heartland Hope
Mission, Chi chapter was presented with the ‘For and With Others’ Service Award from Creighton University given out once
a year at the Student Activities awards ceremony.
Over the course of the past biennium, Chi chapter has become a more unified group of women, both sharing and
truly demonstrating the ideals of our creed. We continue to strive to be better and set good examples of what it means to
be a sister of Theta Phi Alpha. We make every effort to be women ‘for and with others’even when times are tough-- as we
continuously recall and live out the wise words of St. Catherine of Sienna: ‘Nothing great is ever achieved without much
enduring’.
Respectfully submitted, Kimberly Thies
kimberlythies@creighton.eduAlpha Beta Chapter
Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
2012-2014 Convention Report
Membership: This biennium we held 2 formal recruitments, both being very successful. Our chapter total is currently 75
members. In 2012, 32 girls got bids and this year 27 received bids. Our number of given bids is always at the higher end of
the spectrum compared to the other three sororities on campus. This Biennium we have recruited a higher number of girls
than we have in the past. The past three years our chapter size has steadily started increasing. Our recruitment chairman in
2012 was Katie Gruzd and Jen Weber in 2013. Jen was able to give recruitment a more laid back feel while still
accomplishing all of our goals and tasks.
New Members: Over 90% of our New members have gotten initiated this biennium. The new members love My Sister My
Friend. They feel that it really taught them what they needed to know before being initiated with the chapter. Penguin Pals,
Sophomore/Junior/Senior night and Unity week are among some of there favorite events. Amelia Broussard and Kasey Jo
were our New Member Educators.
Fundraising: We held our annual Tie-Dye with Theta Phi and Pie a Theta Phi each twice this Biennium. Tie-Dye with Theta
Phi brings in around $300 dollars but is very costly at around $150. We are trying to order our supplies for this event online,
in advance, next year to try and keep our costs down more. Pie a Theta Phi costs around $50 and raised close to $200 both
years. Pie a Theta Phi was a huge success this year and attracted a lot of people.
Philanthropy: We conducted 2 toiletry drives to collect items that we could donate to Camp Friendship. During recruitment
we decorated bags to put the toiletries in. This was a good, hands on craft to do during philanthropy night and I think we do
it again next year. All of our members helped with this task weather it was during recruitment or helping gather items. We
also co-sponsered The Giving Tree with an on campus sorority twice. This allowed us to collect Christmas toys for kids in
need at local shelters around New Orleans. Both years we hosted a Grass Volleyball tournament, earning a total of $1700 to
send to Camp Friendship. At Founders’ Day we hosted a raffle and did Roll Call, earning $250 this biennium.
Honors/Awards: During the biennium Alpha Beta received first place in Air Band, a singing and dancing competition we
had between other Greek organizations and was crowned Champions of Greek Week.
Academic Excellence: The hard work and long study hours paid off this year when Alpha Beta’s sisters were recognized for
the Second highest grade point average among NPC with a 3.0, our new members were recognized for having a GPA above
the all female undergraduate average, 50 of our sisters were acknowledged for having outstanding academic achievements
and four sisters were commended for having a 4.0.
Campus: At Loyola, our Panhellenic council is very well involved with the sororities. They hold weekly meetings, that at
least 2 Theta Phi Alphas attend, monthly Joint council meetings (All Greek presidents), and president 1 on 1's with our
advisor monthly. I believe that, Caitlin Dobson, our Greek Advisor, is well informed of our activates because we are required
to fill out reports for her that keep her updated.
Others: Some of our goals were to have more Sisterhood activities and I think we have done a great job at accomplishing
that this Biennium. We put together many more events, big and small, the past two years to put a strong emphasis on how
important sisterhood is to us. Galentines Day, Picnic in the park, retreats and jersey friday's were a few of the many ways
we tried to incorporate more sisterhood events. I also feel that we took Ritual much more seriously this Biennium. Dr. Mari
Ann Calliais came in to talk to our chapter about priorities and how important ritual is for Theta Phi Alpha as a national
organization. Maggie Sewell, our Ritual chairman, also gave power points informing people on ritual. Members starting
taking ritual more seriously and wearing better pin attire. Many people now understand the true meaning of ritual. We
have started the process of revising bylaws but, unfortunately, have not had the chance to submit them yet. We had a lot of
fun both LC visits. Nikki Conroy was able to attend a Mardi Gras parade with a few of our sisters and Tracy Sexton was able
to go down town and get beignets with some sister.
Summary: Overall, Alpha Beta had a really successful two years. We were able to grow as a chapter and achieve many
goals as well as become closer as sisters. I can't wait to see what next biennium has in store for this chapter, I know it will
be great.
Respectfully submitted,
Kate Hamilton, kahamilt@loyno.eduAlpha Delta Chapter
Saint Norbert College, West DePere, WI
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: We held six recruitment events in the past two years which were very successful. We had
twenty six potential members accepting our invitations to membership. We reached total for the first time in
our history! We added a Spa Day recruitment event in which we painted nails and did each others hair to get to
know each other better. This event was made possible by the hard work of Stephaine Villanova and Taylor
Connell.
NEW MEMBERS: Our successful recruitment processes made things very busy for our New Member
Educators Emily Weismann, Hannah Haseley, and Allison Laramie. In the past two years, we have initiated 26
new sisters! Everyone enjoyed and learned a lot through the My Sister, My Friend program, especially the
activities and bonding things that went with it. Our favorite event was the most recent Big Sis/Little Sis reveal
and Ceremony.
PHILANTHROPY: Our chapter regularly donates time to several charitable causes on campus and in the
Green Bay community. Each semester, our members donate time to special projects, such as a local homeless
shelter and a toiletries drive for the Shelter for Abused Women and Children. We held our annual Ugly Pageant
for men in Greek groups on campus, raising a total of $1200 for House of Hope and the Theta Phi Alpha
Foundation in this biennium.
HONORS/AWARDS: The chapter had the second highest GPA on our campus this last year which has been a
big improvement from where we’ve been and we worked very hard to improve. We won a service award
through campus for our Philanthropy event, TOMS: a Day without Shoes. We also won a Risk Management
Award through campus.
OTHER EVENTS: We were very successful in numerous fund raising efforts, the proceeds of which went
to upgrading our ritual equipment, travel expenses for Convention, and the remainder to general operations.
We also worked to revise our chapter bylaws. Lastly, we had a very good and informative visit with LC Sarah
Friedman.
SUMMARY: Alpha Delta Chapter has experienced a wonderful two years and we have grown in sisterhood
and in size. We feel that we’ve grown stronger and better in the last two years, thanks to the direction of our
previous President Emily Gear whose guidance got us through the process of reinstallation.
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Weismann
emily.weismann@snc.eduAlpha Epsilon Chapter
St. John's University, Jamaica, NY
2012-2014 Convention Report
FUND RAISING: Throughout the biennium, the Alpha Epsilon chapter has held a number of fundraising events. We have held
numerous bake sales to raise money for Relay for Life, St. Jude’s Hospital, Breast Cancer awareness, and the Crohn’s and
Colitis Foundation. One chapter fundraiser we held was the Theta Phi Guy competition which contributed to the funds sent
to the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation this past semester. This was our first semester implementing the Theta Phi Guy
competition and it raised $496.25. Our overall donation to the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation for the Spring 2014 semester
was $1,324.50. Another fundraising event we held was a Bowlothon with Alpha Sigma Alpha which raised money for St.
Jude’s Hospital. The event successfully fundraised $1,500 for St. Jude’s.
PHILANTHROPY: Every Spring, the Alpha Epsilon chapter holds our Charmaine Lalane performing arts benefit. This benefit
honors one of our chapter sisters who passed away eleven years ago due to a tragic car accident. Charmaine Lalane was
chapter President at the time and was highly involved in the performing arts. She was an amazing singer and dancer. Many
acts have been performed such as spoken word, singing of different genres, rapping, dancing of all types, and the playing of
a variety of instruments. In addition, the chapter donates different kinds of baskets to raffle off at the event. All proceeds
made are donated to the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation. We were able to raise over $1,000 each year for the Theta Phi Alpha
Foundation.
HONORS/AWARDS: This past Spring semester, the Alpha Epsilon chapter received many awards and accomplishments.
Sisters of our chapter won the Outstanding President award and Spirit Award while the chapter has a whole won Sorority of
the Year. In addition, the chapter won Greek Week this semester which encompassed a variety of events. During Spring
2013, the Alpha Epsilon chapter won the Innovation and Change award, Outstanding President award, Outstanding New
Member award, and Service Award. Individually, sisters have been inducted into a number of honor societies and hold
leadership roles in campus clubs such as Mock Trial, American College of Healthcare Executives, Autism Awareness
Committee, GLOBE, Habitat for Humanity, etc.
CAMPUS: The Panhellenic Council at St. John’s University makes many great impacts on and off campus. Individually, each
organization raises money and awareness for a number of charities and causes. This past semester, a huge cause the Alpha
Epsilon chapter raised awareness for was Autism Awareness. We invited Jacqueline Laurita from the Real Housewives of
New Jersey to speak about her experiences raising a son with autism. We currently have sisters serving on the Panhellenic
Council. Gina Benvenuto is the newly elected President and Melissa Buccella is the newly elected Vice President of
Recruitment. In addition, we have great relations with Mary Pelkowski our Greek Life Advisor. Mary is always there
whenever we need help with anything and is simply a great friend to talk to. We keep Mary involved in all our activities by
inviting her to events and updating her about what the chapter is up to through formal meetings and casual conversations.
Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette Gonzales
beejaygonzales813@yahoo.comAlpha Zeta Chapter
The Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, OH
2012-2014 Convention Report
Our chapter, Alpha Zeta, is unique in many ways. We are located at a small Catholic University in Steubenville,
Ohio. Although our chapter was founded fifty years ago, we are the only Greek organization on campus. For this
reason, it can be a challenge to get our name out there during recruitment events. However, over this biennium
we received twenty new members. In the last two years we have had four recruitment events. We have held
recruitment week at the beginning of each semester. Our most successful semester for recruitment was in Fall
2013. Our theme was celebrating our fifty years on campus. We received ten new sisters that semester which is
a huge recruitment amount for our chapter.
That same semester we also experienced the tragic loss of one of our sisters, Amanda Looman.This loss affected
our entire chapter because she was New Member Educator Assistant and Fundraising chairman. Although this
event was extremely difficult, our chapter grew so close. Unfortunately, it took an event like this for the
University to acknowledge our presence. However, they greatly supported our chapter during this very difficult
and heart wrenching time.
One philanthropy that our chapter has been faithfully participating in for years now is Lay Apostolic Ministry to
the Poor. This ministry is run by the Third Order Regular Sisters in Downtown Steubenville. This event takes
place twice a month on the second and fourth Saturday. Our chapter assists the sister in preparing the breakfast
for the less fortunate as well as serving them and facilitating a craft table for the many children. Our chapter has
been the main support in this ministry and the sisters have always expressed their great gratitude for our
consistent support.
One of the goals we have accomplished in the past two years was to wear our letters once a week in order to get
out name out to the campus. Many interested girls have approached us about our letters and have led to them
becoming members themselves.
Respectfully submitted,
Marita Brinkmann
brinkmannmarita@gmail.comAlpha Eta Chapter
Thomas More College, Crestview Hills, KY
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: We’ve held 5 recruitment events in the last biennium. With 100% new members reaching full
membership and 100% who pledged full membership have stayed in the chapter. Increasing the number of
sisters who have consistently stayed in the chapter after reaching membership higher than it has been in
previous years. Events at recruitments often included one activity to help support Camp Friendship to show the
philanthropic side of the sorority. Both Theresa Scheben and Maggie Waller have been a huge part of this
success.
NEW MEMBERS: Nicole Brewer and Maggie Waller have both been very successful in educating new
members. The entire chapter was required to participate in at least two of the new member educations to show
support and get to know the new members that were in the process of being initiated into the chapter. This new
requirement of sisters in the chapter along with improvements on the requirements for Big/Little have helped
improved retention of new members so that they are more likely to become fully initiated and remain in the
chapter thereafter, than seen in previous years.
PHILANTHROPY: During the biennium our chapter has successfully raised the most money for Thomas
More College’s Relay for Life. This was done by raising money through car washes, selling t-shirts, and doing a
raffle for prizes. We also participate in Take Back The Night against abuse and violence and Walked for Down
Syndrome. For our local housing projects we have adopted an impoverished family in the local community and
provide them with food, clothes, clean water, and school supplies. Most of this was accomplished by Jenn
Adkins and Cristi Farwick.
HONORS/AWARDS: In Spring 2013 our chapter was awarded organization of the year by Thomas More
College.
OTHER EVENTS: We’ve been very successful in our efforts to reach out to other organizations on campus
in co-operation of events. This includes the Mardi Gras Ball which the sorority has donated food for the event,
and fundraised by hosting a split the pot. We have also worked with the fraternity on campus Alpha Delta
Gamma in making a team for relay.
SUMMARY: Alpha Eta chapter has continuously improved on boosting our reputation on campus as a
philanthropic organization as well as creating stronger bonds of sisterhood. We are looking forward to the next
biennium and increase in numbers as well as keeping our tight bonds of sisterhood as we grow.
Respectfully submitted,
Kaitlyn Waters
12kaitlynwaters@gmail.comAlpha Mu Chapter
Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: Alpha Mu has had two successful formal recruitments this biennium under Recruitment
Chairman Maria Salerno. Most recently, we enjoyed the company and assistance of our Leadership Consultant
Tracy Sexton and implemented our Bid Committee system, which proved to be successful as we extended bids
to about 40 women! We remain just under total with 97 currently active members.
NEW MEMBERS: The past two years have seen fantastic retention rates and we have initiated nearly 60
new sisters! As always, Big/Little Reveal is a favorite and sisters find new ways to bond during Cross the Line at
Sisterhood Retreat. We are excited to see more from New Member Educator and Assistant, Kristen Butler and
Christina Muenchen.
PHILANTHROPY: Philanthropy Chairman Mary Zupan has been incredibly busy this past biennium! We
have taken several trips to Glenmary Home Missioners in Cincinnati, OH to deliver blankets and other goods to
support Camp Friendship. We’ve also hosted several canned food drives to benefit the Welcome House of
Northern Kentucky. Finally, we teamed up with Sigma Phi Epsilon to host a Dodgeball Tournament for Epilepsy
Awareness that raised over $500!
HONORS/AWARDS: Alpha Mu has had an incredible campus presence this biennium, and it shows through
our numerous awards! We continued a streak in major Greek event Anchor Splash by taking our 8th and 9th
consecutive 1st place titles. We’re also incredibly excited to have won Homecoming with a first place title in the
Gold Division in 2014. We had multiple sisters on Court, and Miss Caitlyn Thiel and Evelyn Lear took home the
Duchess and Queen titles!
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Academic Excellence Chairman Zoe Welch’s hard work has paid off as we have
officially secured the 3rd highest Greek GPA on campus! Zoe has been instrumental in creating helpful academic
plans for sisters who are struggling. All that studying goes a long way, as sister Abby Gross received last year’s
Amelia McSweeney Foundation scholarship and sisters Brenna Bartlett and Jen Marks received Dean’s
Scholarships for full in-state tuition!
SUMMARY: All in all, Alpha Mu is on the rise! Having just celebrated our 40th Anniversary, we’re excited to
see where the next biennium takes us. We’d like to thank our new Chapter Advisor, Ashley Freeman, for helping
us to start this next year on the right foot!
Respectfully submitted,
Evelyn Lear
leare1@nku.eduAlpha Xi Chapter
Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: This biennium we have held 4 recruitment periods. We held our first formal campus recruitment in the
spring of 2013 and our second in the spring of 2014, both with great success. We currently have 32 members. Total is 40 at
Cleveland State. Spring 2014 we had our best retention rate in recent history - 84%. Spring of 2014 also was the first time
we had to recruit on campus not being the only national sorority on campus, so that was an adjustment that was handled
very smoothly as shown with our new member class total. Our most successful theme was ‘Party Like its 19ThetaPhi.’• Our
recruitment chairmen for the biennium were: Sarah Scava, Tracey Kelly, and Kai Johnson.
NEW MEMBERS: The sisters all very much enjoyed the My Sister, My Friend Program. Some of their favorite activities were
the Big/Little reveal retreat and painting the rock together. Many of our new member classes got together for weekly
lunches as planned by the girls to bond as a class, which showed that they were dedicated and wanted to get involved in
the sorority right from the start! The New Member Educators for the biennium were: Kaitlyn Stelts, Erika Shor, Kamille
Bremer, and Tracey Kelly.
FUNDRAISING: Some fundraisers we have done are Cedar Point, where we work in the hotels or on site restaurants,
Chipotle donations, Jail Break and bake sales. The money from this past semester’s fundraisers was used for convention.
The fundraisers for the biennium were: Samantha Coneglio.
PHILANTHROPY: Our biggest philanthropy is Threads of Hope. For Glenmary and the House that Theta Phi Alpha Built, we
always do tie dye shirts and pie a Theta Phi. The philanthropy chairmen for the biennium were: Bree Artino, Hallah Amawi,
and Alexandria Rzepka.
HONORS/AWARDS: Our sister, Lee Ann Jackson won Homecoming Queen in fall of 2013, and 2 other sisters were
nominated, Hallah Amawi and Leah Ocilka. Tracey Kelly won Greek Woman of the Year in 2014 and Kaitlyn Stelts won in
2013. Many sisters are on the Presidents List in their respected college departments. We won the Bar Uno Pizza Making
Contest in fall of 2013 and our pizza was featured in the on campus bar/restaurant for the entire spring 2014 semester!
ACADEMIC HONORS: The chapter GPA for the fall of 2013 was a 3.259, the highest of all sorority council.
CAMPUS: As of spring 2014, we are just establishing a Panhellenic council on campus. Our Greek delegate along with the
Phi Mu Greek delegate and Greek life advisor are in the middle of writing up bylaws and getting everything established. Our
relationship with our Greek advisor is very strong. She is new to campus, but in her short time has changed Greek life on
campus for the better and has strengthened the relationships between all the fraternities and sororities.
OTHER: We had 3 LC visits in the biennium, all greatly helped us improve our chapter, especially Liz, who was with us twice.
We have revised our bylaws in 2014. Standards Board was also currently revised.
Respectfully submitted,
Samantha Coneglio
samcon2010@yahoo.comAlpha Pi Chapter
Wayne State College, Wayne, NE
2012-2014 Convention Report
Alpha Pi has had a very productive two years!
In the past four semesters Alpha Pi held a total of four recruitments! Our recruitments have not only
demonstrated an amazing amount of creativity and thought, but have been incredibly successful. Our most
successful recruitment over the last two years brought in a total of15 new members. The latest recruitment we
went through was nautical themed, complete with sailboat decor! Our recruitment committee was well praised
for their ingenuity!
Alpha Pi has had some exceptional New Member Educators over the biennium! Our new members have enjoyed
some educational, and most of all fun, classes. The favorite activity of all of the sisters was ‘Touch a Sister’•
which was played during Unity Week. It allowed all of the sisters a time to bond. Alpha Pi’s recruitment
chairman, Megan Bell, and her assistant did a wonderful job. Over the past 4 semesters Alpha Pi has initiated 30
women.
Philanthropy in Alpha Pi is something that is taken very seriously. Our sisters love serving the community of
Wayne and other foundations! Our biggest turn out for an event is always trash pick-up. This event is when the
sisters gather together to clean up our ‘adopted’•mile on highway 15 towards Wayne. Alpha Pi chapter truly
enjoys donating our time, love, and money towards a number of different philanthropies!
Our chapter has received the Greek Olympic Spirit Cheer Award for the past two years running! Alpha Pi has also
been recognized for our academics by holding a GPA average of 3.37 fall 2013. Our sorority has the highest GPA
on campus! Our Academic Excellence program has sparked interested from other chapters and continues to
help sisters maintain the required GPA!
Alpha Pi has flourished in regards to fundraising. Our variety of events and fundraisers over the past two years
has resulted in a number of philanthropic donations and an increase in chapter funds! Alpha Pi has also
continued the tradition of an annual formal dance, which allows the alumnae to reconnect with the chapter and
current sisters! This year alone we raised over $250 for our formal raffle baskets.
Alpha Pi chapter has just celebrated 26 years at WSC this year! Our chapter has grown and changed into
something that can be inspiring to almost any woman on campus. We have some great ideas for events for next
year that I, personally, cannot wait to see. All in all, Alpha Pi has thrived in the past two years. We have been
lead by some wonderful women who have made our chapter into an asset to Wayne State College.
Respectfully submitted,
Bethany Peters
bvpeters12@yahoo.comAlpha Tau Chapter
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: Chapter size is currently 37; total is 45. Approximately 20 recruitment events were held during the biennium. 25 new
members joined of about 35 bids given. In previous years, we have obtained new members, because we have since always had a lower
number of bids to give out before reaching total. For the same reason, limited number of available bids, the other sororities on campus
have been able to take larger new member classes than we have. We have begun including a recruitment workshop at the beginning of
each recruitment period, which is mandatory for members, that allows us to go into recruitment with a firm plan of action and everyone
on the same page. Our most successful party theme was the Hollywood themed recruitment. Our recruitment chairmen have been
Margaret Micinski, Colleen Callahan, and Megan Mark.
NEW MEMBERS: About 88% of our new members have been initiated. The New Members have expressed that they had great
experiences in the My Sister, My Friend program. Often times, their favorite activities and memories center around rituals they’ve been
through, getting to know their big sisters, and bonding with their new member class. Our New Member Educators have been Colleen
Costello, Krystel Parra, and Colleen Callahan.
FUND RAISING: Each year, we work hospitality at the Daytona International Speedway during Speedweeks, which brings in about $5,000
for the chapter. A percentage of this money, voted by the chapter, goes towards chapter funds to be used for events, conferences, misc.
chapter functions, while the rest of the money, is allocated toward member dues depending on how many shifts they worked.
PHILANTHROPY: Each recruitment period, we have one event that is centered around our philanthropy. In these events we have made
blankets and painted water bottles to send to Glenmary Home Missioners and we have had competitions to collect non-perishable food
items that we donated to a local women and children’s shelter. Since these were recruitment events, all members were required to
participate. We have also had canned food drives where we collected food and money to give to the Salvation Army and participated in
the Teddy Bear Drive for Florida’s Theta Phi Day where we collected about 200 teddy bears for the cause. We hosted a Flag Football
Tournament for the first time to raise money for a local man that needed a kidney transplant that raised enough money for him to pay all
of his expenses and that we will be making an annual philanthropy from now on. All of these events made up a combined 300 hours for
our chapter. We’ve donated about $1,000 over the biennium to the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation and have collected about $300 during
the Founders’ Day roll call.
HONORS/AWARDS: 2013-2014 Sorority Greek Week Champions; 2013-2014 Outstanding Advisor of the Year Bill Kohlruss; 2013-2014
Outstanding Sorority Woman of the Year Harley Brigman; 2013-2014 Outstanding Academic Achievement
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Our chapter GPA is 2.93. On average 20%-25% of sisters make the dean’s list. We have tried to organize Theta
Phi study rooms to set a specific time and place where sisters can go to study, but managing them has been difficult. We have also
partnered with other fraternities to set up study times, which were effective for those that used it, but we didn’t have high participation.
CAMPUS: Our college Panhellenic is well organized, but sometimes has a hard time understanding and enforcing rules. Our chapter has a
close connection with our Greek and Faculty Advisors. The chapter sometimes working with our Greek Advisor when it comes to policies
that sisters don’t agree with. I have regular weekly meeting with both advisors to keep them involved and informed of our activities as
well as participate in other activities to allow us to better utilize them as resources (workshops, conferences, chapter functions, etc.)
OTHER: We have begun to better align our semesterly goals with those of the Theta Phi Alpha Standards of Achievement, but it is still a
working progress. We have increased participation in campus and Greek community functions. We have created a more values-based
recruitment program to recruit girls that best represent the values of Theta Phi Alpha. Our bylaws have been revised once and are in the
process of being revised a second time. Our Standards Board operates well, it is respected and the chapter abides by the program. They
meet weekly to hear cases presented as well as call sisters for sanctions/rewards. Our LC attended a philanthropy event that we hosted
(Flag Football Tournament) where we had music and food and everyone was playing/watching the football games which we all enjoyed.
Respectfully submitted,
Harley Brigman
brigmanh@my.erau.eduAlpha Upsilon Chapter
Indiana University of Pennsylvania , Indiana, PA
2012-2014 Convention Report
Membership: Currently, Alpha Upsilon is expanding very rapidly. We have held more than a dozen recruitment
events each semester and this past year has been our most successful. During the 2013-2014 school year we
extended twenty bids and 100% of them were accepted! We must thank Alex Wagner for all of her hard work
and dedication while serving as recruitment chairman and we are looking forward to a great increase in
membership next year!
New Members: With having 18 women starting their new member process this school year, our new member
educators Emily Hoover, Allison Conley and Ashley Swenson, were extremely busy. All of our new members
loved My Sister, My Friend and are excited to learn even more than what is in the book! Their favorite event was
definitely finding out who their big was and participating in Greek Week.
Honors/Awards: Over the past two years Alpha Upsilon has received many chapter and personal awards! During
the 2012-2013 year, we won first place for our Homecoming float, an award for excellence in Alumnae
Engagement, we had the highest GPA on campus out of the 11 Panhellenic sororities on campus, and our
President, Sarah Finnegan, won the Excellence in Chapter Presidency Award. During the 2013-2014 school year,
Alpha Upsilon received third place in Greek Sing, an award for excellence in Campus Involvement, and was
recognized for having a GPA above a 3.0.
Academic Excellence: Our chapter has continued to maintain a high grade point average during the biennium.
We have continuously been above the all female and all Greek GPA’s with at least 75% of all members making
the dean’s list. We also had two sisters receive scholarships: Hannah Maia Frishberg was awarded a scholarship
to study abroad in China for the 2014-2015 school year and Sarah Finnegan was awarded the Phi Sigma Kappa
Scholarship for being actively engaged in the Greek community and maintaining a 3.0 grade point average.
Campus: Our campus Panhellenic Council has been striving to make Greeks more present in our community. We
have done many events to support the Circle of Sisterhood and clean up events after Homecoming and the St.
Patrick’s Day celebration. Our sister Hannah Williams has been doing a wonderful job serving as Panhellenic
Treasurer and we look forward to her running for President next year!
Summary: Overall, Alpha Upsilon had a great biennium. We have grown closer as a sisterhood and have brought
a lot of amazing women into Theta Phi Alpha. We are looking forward to what these next two years have in
store and the memories we are sure to make!
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Finnegan
s.a.finnegan@iup.eduAlpha Psi Chapter
University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: We participated in both formal and informal recruitment the past two years. For informal recruitment during
the fall of 2012, we recruited 19 new members by hosting an open house and through continuous open bidding. We were
proud of our efforts and the 19 new members we recruited. However, during the winter of 2013, we experienced difficulty
with formal recruitment and only were able to recruit 3 members during formal recruitment and 10 other members
through open bidding. Our confidence was low, our attitude was poor and we could not understand why the other chapters
on campus were each able to recruit over 50 members during formal recruitment. As a chapter, we decided we needed to
change. Over the year, we worked on changing our image on campus, changing our logo, wearing letters two days a week,
and having publicity table hours. Our spirit was not crushed and we were able to recruit 20 new members during the fall of
2013. When formal recruitment came around during Spring 2014, we were prepared to do our best and show the potential
new members what Theta Phi was all about. We were successful in our efforts and recruited the largest new member class
we have had in years, 38 new members! The entire chapter put forth their best efforts and by being true to themselves,
our new members realized that our chapter was the one for them.
PHILANTHROPY: Over the past two years our members have completed over 400 hours of service. Our philanthropy is
unique in that we let our members choose which service opportunities interest them and they are able to recruit other
members in the chapter to help them with that. If a member prefers working with children rather than the elderly, it is no
problem because we want our members to grow a love for service. Over the past two years, we also created a service hour
requirement where members are required to complete 10 service hours a semester.
In the spring of 2014 we hosted our first large philanthropy event - Tie-Dye with Theta Phi. The theme of the event revolved
around camp activates, where we had tank tops for students to purchase and dye, s’mores, and hotdogs. We raised over
$1,000 to go towards Camp Friendship. We hope to continue this philanthropy event because of its success in raising
money and popularity on campus.
SISTERHOOD: The Alpha Psi chapter prides itself on having a strong sisterhood. Our 133 members are eager to spend time
together and participate in our social and sisterhood events. Over the past two years the highlights of our sisterhood events
have included: hay rides, haunted houses, pottery painting, yoga, laser tag, and movie nights. Even when we do not have
any events, we look forward to spending time with one another at our weekly meetings. For example, this past spring of
2014, we had 37 seniors and only 12 applied for special status. This shows that despite a second semester senior’s hectic
schedule, they still wanted to attend events and be with sisters.
SUMMARY: The Alpha Psi Chapter has grown quite a bit in these past two years. We have grown in membership, service,
publicity, and sisterhood. We are looking forward to what the next two years bring our chapter and hope to continue this
positive growth and development. We are thankful for the guidance of our seven advisors and the support from the Greek
Office at the University of Dayton.
Respectfully submitted,
Clare Spence
spencec1@udayton.eduAlpha Omega Chapter
University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI
2012-2014 Convention Report
Alpha Omega Chapter has had a very eventful two years!
We held six recruitment events throughout the biennium. Our successful recruitment processes made life very
busy for our New Member Educator Morgan Van Deurzen. In the past two years, we have been able to increase
our overall membership and initiate 24 sisters on February 15, 2014 and transitioned from a Colony to a
Chapter, reinstating the Alpha Omega Chapter. Everyone loved the experience that we were able to go through
and have all of the hard work pay off. Our favorite thing so far as a Chapter is the Big/Little Sister Reveal
Ceremony.
Our chapter donates time regularly to several charitable events in the community. Each year, our members
donate time to cleaning our adopted park and trail at least once a month. We also participated in Relay for Life
in which we have raised over $1,200. We have purchased and crafted numerous items for the children of Camp
Friendship that help enhance their experience.
Within the past two years we have been able to have an increase in our GPA. We have created pre-meeting
study tables so that we are able to help one another with our academics. We have done a great job focusing on
our academics thanks to Taylor Carlson and Taylor Nofsinger. Wonderful job, ladies!
We were very successful in numerous fund raising efforts, the proceeds of which went to initiation costs,
convention expenses, and the remainder to general operations. We also worked to revise our Chapter Bylaws,
Academic Excellence Program, and Standards Board Program.
We have had a great journey transitioning from a colony to a Chapter but we wouldn't have been able to do it
without all of the support from our university faculty and staff, campus Greek Life, fellow Theta Phi Alpha
chapters, and especially National Office. Thank you for all that you have done for us, without the help we would
not have gotten where we are today.
Alpha Omega Chapter has enjoyed a wonderful two years and we have grown in sisterhood and in size. We are
looking forward to the next biennium and what it has to bring to us.
Respectfully submitted,
Brook Smith
smithbro@uwplatt.eduBeta Alpha Chapter
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: We held four recruitment events in the biennium. In the past two years we initiated 38
new members. Our school’s formal recruitment process was changed suddenly this year but we were able to
accommodate quickly.
NEW MEMBERS: Our recruitment processes were very successful. We have a fantastic new member
retention rate. Everyone loved the My Sister, My Friend program, especially the Big Sister ceremony and Pass
the candle. We had an amazing new member retreat with all of the sisters. We incorporated a lot of
philanthropy projects into New Member education as well. The new member classes were able to choose a
philanthropic project and work on it together and with sisters.
PHILANTHROPY: Our chapter is very involved with philanthropic and charitable events on campus. Each
sister must complete three philanthropies per semester in order to abide by our bylaws. We held a man
pageant; garage sales, polar plunge, and sold bracelets to benefit Stony Brook Children’s hospital. This past
semester we have done more philanthropies than ever before.
HONORS/AWARDS: The chapter had the highest GPA of the three NPC’s on campus the past two semesters.
We won an award for best annual program for our man pageant from our school.
OTHER EVENTS: We held many philanthropic as well as fundraisers in the past two years. Most notably,
the polar plunge, relay for life, color run, and Greek week.
SUMMARY: Beta Alpha Chapter has enjoyed a successful two years and we have grown in sisterhood and in
size. We are a developing chapter, which is changing and evolving each semester. Our sisterhood is at an all time
high and we work together really well. My college experience would be nothing without Theta Phi Alpha. A very
special thanks to our chapter advisor Katie Noon.
Respectfully submitted,
Katie Ryan
Katherine.ryan@stonybrook.eduBeta Gamma Chapter
Fairleigh Dickinson University - College at Florham, Madison, NJ
2012-2014 Convention Report
MEMBERSHIP: Beta Gamma chapter currently is made up of 84 sisters and we are very close to our campus cap of 90
members. During the biennium we have participated in 4 recruitment seasons, hosted over 20 events, and have gained 58
remarkable women. Beta Gamma is currently at its largest size and we proudly have had some of the largest new member
classes of the past 4 seasons. Our Recruitment Chairmen, Katie Gaskin, Jenna Cowie and Kristen Daunt have created an
amazing recruitment atmosphere with the help of our talented sisters. Their creative themes include: Dirty
Dancing/Nobody Puts a Theta Phi in the Corner, Theta Phi LOVE, Sail Away with ΘΦA and A Night in Hollywood. Each theme
had a corresponding philanthropy related party, which donated get well soon cards to children’s hospitals, thank you letters
to soldiers and an inspirational quilt to a battered women’s shelter in our area.
NEW MEMBERS: Over the biennium, 97% of our new members were initiated. They all loved the My Sister, My Friend
experience and some of their favorite moments were the Big Sister, Little Sister retreat, learning the songs and spending
time with their new member classes. Kristen Tomesello, Paige Kopman and Amanda Spence all did a wonderful job molding
our new member classes into loyal sisters.
FUND RAISING: The chapter hosted several successful fundraisers during the biennium! Now a campus tradition, we held
bagel sales almost every month. We also had Pie a Theta Phi, several cupcake sales, Theta Phi Does Your Dishes, mac n’
cheese sales, and other fundraisers. We raised hundreds of dollars to help support the chapter’s growth, lower prices of out
of pocket expenses (shirts, formals, and Greek Week apparel) and even help pay for the costs of convention.
PHILANTHROPY: This past spring our chapter refreshed an old tradition. We created the first ever Sapphire Man
Competition at our school. The men competing for the title spent a week getting to know sisters and participating in events.
They included a penny war, game show, fun games and a competition to see who could win the most sister’s ‘hearts’. We
raised almost $1,000 for the American Heart Association, our chapter philanthropy in honor of our late sister Renee Klein.
The chapter also donated some of the proceeds to the winner’s chapter philanthropy, a battered women’s shelter in our
hometown. Special thanks to Alexis Banner, Michelle Bernabeo and Melissa Ventresca for creating the event. Our chapter
prides itself on being one of the most philanthropic groups on campus. We raised the most money for Relay for Life of the
Greek community and participated in almost a hundred charitable walks over the biennium.
HONORS/AWARDS: Our chapter was honored with the Greek Organization of the Year Award this biennium and has been
recognized by the campus community for our events. Beta Gamma won Greek Week for the fourth year in a row in 2013
and placed second (by only one point) in 2014! In 2013 Katie Gaskin won Homecoming Princess and in 2014 Paige Kopman
won Homecoming Princess and Jenna Cowie won Homecoming Queen!! Our recent graduates have excelled academically.
They have been members of honors societies for their majors, the school and Order of Omega and have graduated cum
laude, summa cum laude and magna cum laude.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Our chapter has one of the highest grade point averages on campus. We pride ourselves on our
academic excellence and over the biennium, we reconstructed our program to make it more fun and rewarding for the
sisters. Our sisters are members of the honors program, and have placed on the honors list and dean’s list consistently
every semester. Several sisters have graduated early and/or are participating in medicine related split year programs (such
as dental, solography and radiography).
SUMMARY: Beta Gamma has had an exciting two years! From successful recruitments to academic excellence, we are
proud of the strides we have made. We are always looking to the future with bright new ideas on how to improve and
further expand our chapter. Our accomplishments from the past two years only show a little of the spirited sisterhood we
have on our campus. We are so proud to be Theta Phi’s until we die!
Respectfully submitted,
Melissa Ventresca
mlventresca@gmail.comBeta Delta Chapter
Muskingum University, New Concord, OH
2012-2014 Convention Report
Chapter is approx. 35 currently with the graduated seniors leaving. Not at total with the seniors just graduating.
We held 2 recruitment events per month. For the year, we had 18 new members join. Yes, more members than
previous year, as well more girls than the other sororities. No changes made to our currently strong recruitment
program. Theme was "Tiffany's", and the most successful recruitment party was our annual pinterest party,
where we made items from pinterest. Rachel Bannister and Hannah Porter for fall semesrter, and Rylee Holman
and Alexis Friesner for Spring.
Ninety percent of new members were initiated. My sister, my friend is always helpful in learning what it means
to be a Theta Phi. Big/Little reveal is the chapter's most memorable event. New member educators were
Mercedes Tonnous and Autumn Nelson.
Our chapter hosts the Blood drives on campus every other month. We also held a recruitment event where we
made pillow cases and cards for the kids at Camp Friendship. Before finals at the end of the year, we held a
canned food drive where we donated over 350 items to the local food bank. Theta Phi Alpha is also very active in
relay for life. Each member walked an hour at the event this year.
This year we were runner-up in Greek week. We also had the fourth highest GPA on campus above 8 other
sororities and fraternities. As a whole, Theta Phi had a higher GPA than all the women on campus (Greek and
independent combined) as well as the all-sorority GPA. Sarah Linn won the Senior Service award this year.
As a chapter, our GPA this year was a 3.177. Several members made the deans list. For sisters below the 2.5 GPA
requirement, attendance at study tables is mandatory. This helps sisters study with sisters who have struggled in
the same course or are taking the same course currently help each other out academically.
Relationship with Greek Advisor and Faculty advisor are wonderful- they are both very helpful. I have weekly
meetings with both advisors as president of our chapter. (Report back what we did each week).
Standards board overcame many new changes this semester to be implemented in the Fall. Bylaws are under
review. We loved Liz and helping with the Marietta colony!!
Respectfully submitted,
Emily McKinley
mckinley@muskingum.eduYou can also read
