Nothin' Sweeter Than Georgia Peaches: My Big/Little Story

Running home to Bralin aka the best Big
in all Xi land

My Big and I have a very unique relationship bonded by something very close to our hearts. Our home. Not just our "home away from home", Alpha Xi Delta, but our home state of Georgia. Bralin and I both shared similar stories so naturally, when we met on Preference Night during Fall Recruitment at the University of Central Florida in 2013, the fact that we were both from Georgia came up. I immediately felt a connection with her because not only was she from Georgia, but she also came to UCF from out of state to a completely different world. She had experienced everything I was currently experiencing: homesickness, being away from friends and family, and just the general lonely feeling. I could really connect with her, and hearing her slight southern twang made me feel at home.

That night after Preference Rounds, I had no hesitation when writing Alpha Xi Delta as my #1 choice and I was completely sure that the next day I would be running home to them, and I did. After all the chaotic Bid Day activities died down, we went inside the house to Bralin's room. A huge group of us went back and we got our special Bid Day bags with tons of goodies and Bralin gave me something special... I had no idea what it was when I saw the grocery bag. I looked inside and saw a peach. A Georgia Peach. I wanted to cry; it was such a simple gesture and she had no idea how much it meant to me. 

I was completely and utterly ecstatic with everything that was going on. Being a new member was one of the best times of my collegiate career (NMs- don't take it for granted!), but one of the weeks - Big/Little week - will always be a strong memory. The week leading up to Big/Little week all of the New Members went on "dates" with sisters who were potentially taking a Little. Unfortunately, Bralin and I were never paired up, but my choice never wavered. When the time came to create our Big/Little lists, Bralin was #1.

Bralin gets her paddle!

That night after our lists were made, the Bigs and Littles were paired and all Littles were surprised with treats the same exact night! I was in no way prepared for everything that was going to happen during that week! Bralin gave me all sorts of clues and treats throughout the week to make me think that she wasn't my Big. She gave me clues like "I grew up in Florida", "Curly hair runs in my family", and other things that didn't seem like Bralin at all! All week I was freaking out because I thought that on Friday when we ran home and found our Bigs, I wouldn't find Bralin.

The day of Big/Little Reveal, I went to a grocery store and got a fresh peach, just in case Bralin WAS my Big. I knew if she was, it would mean just as much to her as it did when she gave it to me.
After all the searching on that Friday, I finally ran home into my Big's arms... Bralin! You can see the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201120670672034&l=7597589781169387337.

I gave her the peach and ever since then it's sort of been our thing. My Big's paddle was even in the shape of a peach!

Big, Twin, and Sibling

Big/Little Reveal

Our relationship has definitely grown throughout the past year and I can't wait to see it blossom even more. My entire lineage is so amazing and are all inspirational women; I love every single one of them more than they know! I know that whenever there is a problem, something is bothering me or I just need someone to go grab Sunday brunch with, I can count on any of these ladies. It's not just four years, it's for life! TFJ, XiLAM, and all that jazz <3=

Staying Close With Your Big After Graduation

Going through recruitment as a potential new member, you meet a lot of girls. In my case, there was one girl who I effortlessly clicked with. She was the very first girl I met going through recruitment and is one of the biggest reasons that I accepted my bid. Being that I am a legacy, for as long as I can remember I had wanted to go Greek and get a Big. I spent a lot of time my freshman year of college going back and forth between wanting to transfer to a university with more Greek options and wanting to bite the bullet to go Greek. I went to a few recruitment events for my legacy sorority, but never seriously committed to anything. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I made the choice to go Greek and thus began my journey of a lifetime. 

As I mentioned, my Big, was the first girl I met at Kappa Tau Epsilon’s recruitment event. I was low-key obsessed with this girl and, to this day, I could not explain it to you. During the course of the week I met a ton of girls, but my mind always drifted back to Kappa Tau Epsilon and the women I met at their events. After being extended a bid from KTE I immediately accepted it. On the day of our Big/Little reveal, my Big knew I was her Little but I had absolutely no idea yet and I remember her asking me, “So, who do you think your big is? I wish I could have taken a little this semester it would have been so much fun!” I had a hard time telling if she was kidding or if she was being serious. During our reveal, my heart was racing in anticipation because we clicked so well that I just could not fathom having another person as my Big. When I opened my eyes to see who my Big was, I was overwhelmed with joy and it was honestly one of the happiest moments of my life. My Big and I were inseparable from the beginning. 

My first semester as a sister and the start of my junior year was the start of her senior year. Lucky for me, it took her an extra semester to graduate. We did everything together. We even won “best big/little” duo! Life was a field of sunshine and daisies until the day came when I got a phone call from Rebecca telling me she was on track for graduation and would be graduating the following semester. Summer came and went faster than a tornado in the mid-west and the fall semester did the same. My big is a huge part of my life and it was extremely difficult for me to cope with her graduating. A lot happened to me emotionally during her last semester making it even harder to deal with her leaving me. 

I was dealing with a whirlwind of emotions ranging from proud to sad to excited for her future and it was hard to find a common ground to stand on. Our relationship evolved from being together all the time no questions asked to having to make time to see each other. It was a change that neither of us prepared for. To say that our relationship is not different now would be a lie but the key is finding ways to make sure the relationship never fades away. I can’t tell you we haven’t hit a rough patch or two and I can’t say it was easy, but nothing that’s worth it is ever easy. It’s especially difficult because we both lead very busy lives, but I’m lucky enough that my Big relocated about an hour away from where I live and not half way across the country. 

The most important thing to remember is that life will go on and your relationship with your Big will change, but change isn't always a bad thing. Instead of being down the hall, in the same house, or in the same city you'll be a phone call, a car ride, or a flight away. She will always be your number one fan and your biggest supporter and you'll always be her Little. You'll probably even end up color coordinating on accident, just like old times. 

Here are my tips for staying connected with your big after graduation.

1. Make date plans:  Go out just you and your Big - have a drink, grab lunch, go shopping; things all girls love to do. Yes, this is a lot different than just barging into her room and eating macaroni and cheese in bed with her while watching Netflix, but so is the dynamic of your relationship.

2. Plan a vacation together: Go see your Grandbig, go to a lake house, or get a hotel in a hot spot city and just explore some place new together.

3. FaceTime or Skype: Take 20 minutes out of your day once or twice a week to catch up, sometimes it really helps just seeing the other person.

4. Invite her to sorority events: As an alumni of your organization she still cares about what’s going on and would love to be invited to events that alumni are able to go to.

5. Send her small gifts: Little things make a big difference – sometimes you both just    need a reminder that you’re inseparable even though there’s distance between you.

“Together forever never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart.”  

Sorority Spotlight: Delta Delta Delta

Tri Delta sisters supporting St. Jude's

Delta Delta Delta: 

Epsilon Eta chapter at North Carolina State University

     Who are these girls? They are a group of beautiful women who truly believe in philanthropy. They have exceeded the expectations they had when they joined Tri Delta and gained so much more. In the Fall 2009 semester, a very special person joined their sisterhood and became Katie Aiello's Little. Her name was Daphne Aguinaldo. Daphne was diagnosed with ovarian cancer before joining Tri Delta, but was in remission. Her cancer came back the summer before her first recruitment as a sister and she went through the Fall wearing a wig, always smiling and greeting all of the potential new members in the best way any recruitment chair could ask. Her sisters decided to give to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in honor of Daphne and all she has given not only their chapter, but also the children at St. Jude's. Through St. Jude's Hospital, bricks that are engraved with someone's name and a donation that has been made in their honor are available for purchase and will go on a pathway, a wall, or some other place of memorial. If you are interested in learning more, information can be found at http://shop.stjude.org/GiftCatalog/shop.do?cID=14503. Katie had a mission: no matter what it took, she wanted to get one brick to honor her Little.  In around 24 hours she ended up with 37 donations from Tri Delta chapters all around the United States, for a total of $1,780. This allowed Katie to not only get her little one brick, but two! Daphne was beyond touched and speechless when she heard the news. In the Spring 2012 semester, Daphne's cancer spread to her lungs. Unfortunately, she lost her battle in Fall 2013.  

Katie (left) and Daphne (right)

I was fortunate enough to speak with Katie and ask her some questions about Daphne and their time together.   

How does your chapter remember Daphne? 
"We wear purple. Seriously, it was her favorite color. We also continue to serve St. Jude in her name. Her birthday is on June 16th, she would have been 23. We are going to celebrate with her mom and release purple balloons at her graveside. Finally, I got in touch with our exec office when she passed and helped her family get rights to put the Tri Delta Stars and Crescent on her headstone." 

How did Daphne represent a true sister? 
"She was fiercely loyal. No matter what you needed or what kind of trouble you were in, Daph was the girl you could count on to find a creative solution."

What is your favorite memory? 

Daphne and sisters having fun

"All of them. I mean there isn't a time I spoke to her that she didn't make me smile. I think one that sticks out the most would be coming back to college after I graduated to watch her in a sorority step team competition to benefit St. Jude. My little could seriously dance and I loved watching her cut it up onstage. "

       These Tri Delta women all came to support a sister in need, and that is the definition of sisterhood. We always love being around our sisters and sharing all of the wonderful moments so much, that sometimes we never think of the worst can happen. These women opened their hearts to a beautiful girl, with a big heart and an even bigger passion! They are the true definition of sorority women and I am so sorry we all missed out on the chance to meet the wonderful Daphne. Tri Delta, keep on living in sisterhood and staying true to your motto "Let us steadfastly love one another."

Quote of the Week: October 10, 2013

It is currently 6:31a.m. here in Lexington and the only reason I am awake is because I actually went to sleep last night.  Now if this doesn't make sense let me clarify.  I'm not sure why, but 4 out of the 6 of my professors decided that they should schedule exams at the same time, and the other 2 scheduled them last week, so needless to say I have been pulling all nighters like it was my job to get all my studying in.  Last night I actually decided sleep was more important, but now I am regretting it, as I wake up at 6a.m. to start studying again.  I know many of you are in the same boat with midterms coming up, so this weeks quote is a little motivation to just keep going.

Though these meme's will always be there for you, don't forget during tough times like struggles with school, family, or anything else, your sisters are the ones you can really lean on.  Honestly they may just be the ones sending you meme's like this.  So if they're having a tough time help a sista out, you'd want them to do the same for you.

XOXO- Taylor S

Quote of the Week: October 3, 2013

"You can take the sisters out of the Sorority, but you can't take the Sisterhood out of the Sisters."

I have been reminded of the truth in those quote many times throughout this year.  My chapter is the second newest on campus and our first pledge class of founders just graduated this past year.  These girls joined a sorority when there was no sorority.  They created it, they grew it, and now we are one of the top chapters on campus after just four short years.  These founding members put everything they had into the chapter.  They had faith when others did not, they had dedication to make the chapter succeed, and they gave love to not only the sorority, but every member that joined their sisterhood from that point forward.  Now that the founding class has graduated its amazing to see that their faith, dedication, and love for our chapter had never wavered.  We had sisters join us and celebrate on bid day and others just congratulating us from afar on welcoming 86 new members into our sisterhood.  We are happy to have many alumni attending our annual philanthropy event this coming weekend, and we even had a founder come back on big/little reveal to see how her family has grown.  These girls show the true meaning of sisterhood, and that though you can take the sisters out of the sorority, you can't take the sisterhood out of the sisters.

XOXO- Taylor S

Quote of the Week: September 19, 2013

"When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us?"

Whether you are best friends with your entire chapter, or just a small group of girls, what matters the most is that you are all sisters, and you have each other.  This is something that no one can change and it is a bond no one can replicate.  College can be such a trying time for many girls, being away from home, difficult classes, and just general stress can easily get the best of you, and this is the time that you need your sisters the most.  They are your family away from home, a shoulder to lean on and a group of girls you can vent to about anything.  Your sisters are the ones that will be there for you when you need them most, so stand together and no one else will stand a chance.

XOXO- Taylor S

You Don't Have to be PRVP to do Public Relations

So many women think that they have to be their Vice President of Public Relations to actively represent their sorority, FALSE! Anyone can, and technically everyone is always representing their chapter.

"You are always wearing your letters." 

If you are your respective chapter's Public Relations Chair like I am, I have some useful information for you to think about and potentially implement on your campus. SOCIAL MEDIA! Use it, it can be your best friend and it is a quick and easy way to keep the world up to date on what is happening, and doing it in real time. It is great for big events on campus like homecoming! Check out how I have been keeping our campus up to date on our chapter's successes during homecoming!

Members of our Battle of the Brains team right before the event! 

Here is a tip that I have learned, if you are managing multiple pages, make sure that you are posting to the desired page you want your information on, and not your personal page. Being a PRVP is definitely in need of a someone who is paying attention to the details! I have flubbed a few times where I have posted to my personal page, which is great because I am promoting my chapter, but then I have to go back and fix that post and send it to our page! Here is the most recent flub I had the other morning!

The post after our team won 1st Place in the Battle of the Brains Competition.

If you are using social media from a chapter stand point make sure that you are following up on what you have posted before, especially if it is a series of events, i.e. Homecoming or Greek Week.

Like I said earlier, you don't have to be your chapter's Public Relations Vice President to promote your chapter positively. You can talk up your chapter, post videos that inter/national headquarters provides, talk about events, successes, and just how awesome your sisterhood is! Social Media will get what you want out to the world quick but you know that saying "actions are louder than words" it is so true, even more so in the sorority world.

As members of sororities we are under such scrutiny from the public and those who do not know how awesome and special Greek Life is. Show your campus how awesome Greek Life is through you actions. Create a service project for around campus, volunteer in your local community, sit in the front of the class, get to know your teachers, be prompt on all assignments, and easiest of all WEAR YOUR LETTERS! You paid good money for them, why not flaunt them, I know that they are all adorable so why are you hiding them!

I love all of my letters! 

You are always wearing your letters, they are forever imprinted on your heart, make sure that the world knows that, and you as an individual have to remember that you don't have to run your chapter's public relations to help promote your chapter, for true success it has to be a chapter wide effort. I hope that this post has empowered you to get out, promote your chapter, and truly your letters and the organization that you are a part of.

Quote of the Week: September 12, 2013

"We're not sisters by birth but we knew from the start, God put us together to be sisters at heart."

I love this quote because I actually do not have any sisters of my own. Though my best from from elementary school is still my best friend now and we treat each other like sisters, I have made so many more friends that I have become close with through my sorority.  They are girls that I live with, laugh with, and will be standing beside me at my wedding.  These friendships were made through the simple choice of choosing a sorority, and that choice is one I will never regret.

XOXO- Taylor S

Quote of the Week: August 29, 2013

"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

Going into my senior year and examining my life, I know the beginning of this quote well.  I don't have it all together, I don't know what type of job I will have when I graduate.  I don't know where I will be, what I will be doing, or who I will be with, and right now I am okay with that.  I know that I will get it all together, usually at the last minute. I also know that whatever happens, my sisters will have my back.  They are the connections that can help me get a job, or the friends I will have when my job causes me to move to a new city.  Whether these girls come from my chapter or afar, none of us have it all together, but together we will have it all.

XOXO- Taylor S

Quote of the Week: August 22, 2013

"Sisterhood is not a destination, but a journey." 

This quote is so perfect to describe being in a sorority.  Being in a sorority isn't just about going through recruitment or being initiated, or even getting a big.  Being in a sorority is all four years.  It's the highs and lows, the philanthropy events and Friday nights out.  There isn't one exact time everyone feels they have gone from having friends to having sisters.  But one thing is for sure, after college is over and your 4 years is up, those girls will no longer be your sorority, they will be your family.

XOXO- Taylor S