Centennial Celebration in DC/National Convention Recap Day 2

I didn't get much sleep, but I am up EARRRLLLYYY in the AM dressed and ready to get my sing/praise on with my sorors at Choir practice. After kissing my wonderful husband goodbye, I headed down to the lobby to catch the Delta Shuttle (Which is a GREAT Shuttle btw) to head to the convention center for choir practice.

Once I got to the convention center, I was embraced by some SANGIN sorors! It was wonderful, and we sounded SO good! Being a member of a White Church back home, I forgot how beautiful a  traditional Black Church sound.

As I was in rehearsal, I was envious because my Ships were kicking it hard on the Mall.  But then when we started praising God all that envious-ness (I know SO not a word) went out the window. We had a GOOD OLE FASHION time praising God through song. Once we were finally done, and I exchanged phone numbers and emails with several sorors,

I went on a 10 min break. Not only was I a member of the Centennial Choir, but I was also a member of the Praise Team and were meeting for rehearsal. I texted my ships, and I found out that the line at the Verizon Box Office was CRAZY, and I needed to pick up tickets soon for the Stepshow, Signature Gala, and Gospel Fest.  I was afraid that I was not going to get there in enough time to pick up me and Hubby's Tickets.  I guess I had favor because when we finished rehearsal, I RAN to the box office and there was NO LINE!

I got home, quickly changed for the step show and the hubby, and I caught the Delta Shuttle to the Verizon Center for the Step show. It was GREAT to see so much crimson cream in this place. I was told that the step show was SOLD OUT and seeing the crowd outside while waiting for the doors to open only confirmed it.

Once we FINALLY got on the inside, we scrambled to find some great seats since:

A: The show was sold out, and
B: There was general seating

Thanks to my darling husband, he found us some FABULOUS seats, so I was able to capture some awesome pictures. The crowd was hyped, the DJ was on point, and you could feel the excitement in the air.

                                                           A Small Potion of the Crowd

A little clip I recorded right before the Show Started!


After Groovin to the music, and watching my beautiful sorors stroll in their seats, the show finally started with my 2nd Vice President, Soror Chelsea C. Hayes!

                          

                             She was later joined by the rest of the National Executive Board

   Soror Kym Whitley and Kappa Alpha Psi member "Uncle Tommy" were both Co-Host of the Stepshow. I felt they both did a phenomenal job!

Overall I enjoyed the step show, and I felt my sorors brought the HEAT! I have way too many pictures to post, so I will give you a small taste of each chapter.

                                         

                         ^^^^The Winners of the StepShow, The Mighty Midwest ROCKS!!!!
                    

In the Middle of the Stepshow, the "Uncle Tommy" one of the co-hosts asked the crowd who was the Oldest Delta in the Room. This YOUNG Lady was the "Oldest Delta Member" in the Crowd, and he was fantastic enough to present her with a $500 check!

When the show was finally over, My Boo and I hauled out of there as fast as we could to beat the crowd (Epic Fail) and headed back to the hotel to meet my Shippies! I was sad that I couldn't hook up with them at the step show, HOWEVER, we made plans to meet up back at my hotel after the show to go to Club Delta. My hubby was SO SWEET enough to allow us to have the hotel room, so they came up, we changed clothes, showered, laughed, reminisced and got dressed up to hit the club. 

Right before we hit the streets, my ships and I did a pose right in front of the elevators!

When we finally got to Club Delta, we ran into other Chapter Sorors, and it was GREAT seeing them as well. 

When we walked into the Renaissance Hotel (The Host Hotel/Club Delta) we were greeted by TONS of Greeks from All Organizations. (Kappas, Alphas, Ques, AKAs) It was lovely!  The Bar was featuring a special drink in our honor.

We ran into a few frat brothers who were from the South, and we had some GREAT conversation. Although we didn't have the opportunity to attend Club Delta since it was over by the time we got there, we had a great time conversating with sorors and people in the lobby.

We took the rest of the evening just to bond with each other.

My night FINALLY ended around 4 am. I needed to get in a quick "nap" because I needed to catch the shuttle to the convention center for our Opening Ceremony. I knew I was going to be tired, but hanging out with my shippies was priceless!

Next Post: Day Three!!!!!!!

Centennial Celebration in DC/National Convention Recap Day 1

OMG, this has been a BUSY Summer. Sorry, I have been missing in action, but this has been a summer of ALL Summers.

First off, I planned a 70th birthday party for my mom. It was hard to do since I live in  AZ, and she still resides in Chicago. I was expecting with my brothers and sisters who live all over the world, and that was quite a joy! I was named "Teacher of the Year" at our School, which was a pleasant surprise, and on top of that, my principal encouraged me to be the summer school principal at our school. It required a ton of work but gave me a ton of experience. It was interesting for managing teachers, handing out discipline to students, etc.  I enjoyed every min of it. In between this time I did a massive amount of traveling, back and forth to Chicago, Texas for hubby's convention,  Las Vegas, and finally DC for our centennial.

I have SOOOO much to say about the centennial I don't even know where to begin! Since I am on a break from school, I will ATTEMPT to make a post about each day I spent in DC, so I hope you all enjoy as I take a break from advising to on  becoming Greek."

So here's to the first day. I was wondering if I should pack an empty suitcase because of all the "Goodies" I would find at the vendors. What type of clothes I need to pack for business sessions, Social Action Luncheon, Choir Attire since I was chosen to sing and be a part of the centennial choir AND praise team, club clothes, etc........ I was also able to connect with my Ships (Line Sisters) during this time as well.  Although my husband was trying to convince me to go alone and kick it with sorors, I couldn't bear the thought of not being with him during our wedding anniversary, so I BEGGED and PLEADED with him to come.
Okay, so WHERE should I begin? Packing was a Pain in the Patootie! I had to make sure I had enough "White Dresses" for Choir, Opening Ceremony, Memorial, etc., etc., etc.... And for those who know me, know I am a fashionista, meaning I am NOT going to be wearing the same white Dress over and over again. I also know that since I needed to have several backup chargers for my phone. So I packed several of them.

We decided to take a red-eye flight, which was the FIRST time I ever made a red eye. I had a lot of fun until I found out from several sorors via FB, and twitter that a lot of their flights was delayed due to bad weather. As I was sitting in the airport, I realized that our flight was delayed as well. I was NOT a happy camper because I had the entire itinerary planned out for the whole week and a half we were in DC and mother nature decided to mess it up for us. Blah!!!!  We finally got to our layover the next morning, only to experience yet ANOTHER layover due to the rain. BOO!!!! I was able to snap a picture of how it looked while we were waiting in the airport.

When we FINALLY landed in Baltimore, I was thrilled to be greeted by several sorors, and this great Airport Sign.

Exhausted is all I could say......After spending several hours in the airport, not getting in sleep due to the excitement of seeing my sorors, my chapter sorors, my shippies, my Big Sisters, etc. I couldn't believe I was FINALLY HERE! When my hubby and I finally reached the hotel, I was in awe to see how many sorors waiting to check in. From the look of things, one then I was SO glad I packed was my patience, LOL! When we FINALLY got to the hotel, I was greeted with THIS!

The Look on my hubby's face was priceless!!!! What is not captured in this picture is how there were suitcases wrapped around the hotel.  He was like my goodness he has never been to a convention with this many people, even at his Centennial in 2006. All I could do was laugh!

After it had taken over an hour to check in, thankfully the hotel gave us a ticket and told us that our luggage would be in our hotel, so we didn't need to wait. I ran up to the hotel, changed into some comfortable shoes and headed out to register. My heart was pounding because from the looks of my hotel I could only IMAGINE how hectic and LONG the registration lines were going to be.

We got on the shuttle and headed out register. Once they dropped us off, I had to take some quick pix of the signage.

                                                      Upon Entering the Convention Hall

                                             

                                                                The Line to Register


The line was LONG.....and by long I mean 3 1/2 hours long. When I first entered the Convention Hall, I first thought to myself, this line isn't that long,,, but then I was told that the end of the line was down two escalators, YIKES!   My darling husband never complained once and was very patient. Although he didn't wait in line with me, he found a nice cozy spot on the floor in the OTHER hall where I needed to go after registration to get my bag.

After the long wait, meeting new sorors, and seeing a few old ones, I was finally registered and was pleased to have my badge.

My Official Convention Badge

After registration and retrieving my badge, I was dead tired, and although I was "suppose" to meet up with my line sisters, my feet were killing me, and I needed to eat. I also had choir rehearsal at 6 am in the morning so although I felt BAD about not meeting up with them; I realized I had to get some REST! When we got back to the hotel, it was beautiful to see all the sorors in the lobby dressed to the nine in their crimson and cream. A lot of them was with their hubbies as well, so it was GREAT to see my boo hook up with a lot of his Fraternity members. (AphiA) My darling husband and I decided to order room service and call it a night. I was praying that I had a voice to sing with the next morning. (Or should I say later that morning since we didn't turn in until 3 am)

When is a good time to pledge??? (Undergrad)

I receive a lot of questions of when is a good time to pledge, so I decided to dedicate a blog to it.   Some feel they should pledge their freshmen year to experience four years of being Greek.  Others think you should wait until your senior year right before you graduate from college. (This is especially the case if you are on the five-year plan because if you are, then you will still have one full year left)

If you want my opinion, I think to join during our Sophomore and Junior year are the BEST years to enter any Greek Letter Organization, and I let me tell you why.

Freshmen Year- You just left the nest. Your parents are not your wakeup call anymore to get ready for school, pick up after you, remind you about your homework, etc. You are on your own. That means, YOU cook your dinners (or order the pizza), YOU do your laundry, YOU are responsible for...yeah, you guessed it, YOU!

GPA is also VITAL in your freshman year! I don't know how many times I can say this. Look at this way, when you first start school, you have a ZERO GPA. A clean slate, so since you are starting from scratch, it is imperative, that you strive to get at least a 3.0 GPA. That means As and Bs!  I am not saying that you can't have fun, but let's face it you are in school to get a degree. Starting strong in college is so important. You may not realize that now, but TRUST you will! There are so many prospects who email me and ask what can they do to bring their GPAs up. They didn't take school seriously their freshman/sophomore year. So if you are a senior in high school, OR a freshman going into your sophomore year, FOCUS on your grades.

Now just because I feel you shouldn't pledge your freshmen year DOES NOT MEAN you can't support the organization of your choice. (Side note: Some Greek organizations and colleges and universities will not allow you to pledge your freshmen year).

Freshmen year is also a GREAT TIME for you to check out ALL Greek Letter Organizations. Trust me there are tons of events (parties, community service opportunities, balls, forums, etc.) that you can support and attend in the meantime. This is a perfect opportunity for you to get to know them, and more importantly for them to get to know you as well. This is also a great way to see THEY are a perfect fit for you.

Sophomore Year- You finally was able to "figure out" the whole college thing. You realized that it is indeed a "Different World!"                                                                            

You were able to figure out your study schedule, work schedule (if you are working during school), some "me time," etc. You are probably still in the "prereq" stage, and by that, I mean taking English 102, Math 101, Science, Speech 101, you know the basic courses you MUST complete before starting your major. This is why I feel Sophomore year is a WONDERFUL time to consider pledging. Your classes are not that hard,  and for MOST majors you don't start until second semester sophomore year or your senior year. (Not mine, however, since I was a music major I started taking music classes my freshmen yr)

 The classes may not be as hard, and you can fit the MIP (Membership Intake Process)  into your schedule.  You scoped out all of the fraternities/sororities your freshmen year, and you know which one you want to join. Last year, you attended the events, supported them in every way that you could, and allowed them to get to know you.

This is why I feel Sophomore year is the PERFECT year to pledge. You will have TWO (or three if you are once again on the five-year plan) to be active in the organization as an undergraduate member. Your school work will not suffer because you don't have to worry about your Senior Thesis, harder classes, or essential classes that are in your major.  Pledging sophomore year, you get the best of ALL WORLDS!

Junior Year - So if you were not able to pledge Sophomore year because either:
A: You tried and were not picked
B: They did not have intake your Sophomore year
C: You just woke up and realized you want to be a member of XYZ
D: They were kicked off the yard, and they JUST came back

Then junior year is also not a bad year for you to try to join either. Look I get it, there are certain things in life we cannot control, particularity A, B, C, and D! But don't allow that to stop you from fulfilling your dreams.

By this year, you should have this whole "college thing" all figured out. You should know how much time you need to set aside for studying, socializing, your work schedule, etc. It is vital that you have wonderful time management skills because going through MIP for any organization is no joke, and VERY time-consuming. You should have a little "change" saved up. (shoot who am I kidding, pledging any Greek letter organization is EXPENSIVE AS HECK)

You still have a year left to enjoy being Greek "On the yard," and you can learn a lot of the business side of things as far as being GREEK after you join.

Senior Year- So if A, B, C, or D applies to you THIS time, then I STILL SAY GO FOR IT, but proceed with caution. Just remember that there is always an alumnae/alumni chapter.  WHY am I partially (not entirely) against this?  Ummmm well for ONE it's your last year! Not only should you be focused on graduating, but there are a lot of things you need to get into order before marching across that stage
I just strongly feel you should be focused on graduating, finding a job, oops I mean CAREER, OR studying to apply for any exams you may need to take to get into a graduate program if that is the route you choose to go. (LSAT, MCAT, GRE, etc.). At this stage in your life pledging should be the LAST thing on your mind.

 There are a few sorors, sistergreeks, and fraternity members that I know that have indeed pledged their senior year. They all had their reasons for waiting to pledge, but MOST of them still say the same thing...They wish they could have joined sooner.

I hope this helps, and good luck to you! No matter WHEN you decide to join I hope you keep your eyes on the prize and GRADUATE!

Ciao for now!

And the Countdown Begins.....

This has been a busy week for me and just came back from his National Convention in Austin Texas. My National President was there, and was given the highest award by Alpha. As always my president represented Delta quite well, so charismatic, witty, and funny! Austin was HOT and HUMID, and I can't believe in less than EIGHT days I will be joining 50K sorors in DC. (Actually it just might be more than that).

I am EXCITED and NERVOUS at the same time. My loving husband will be joining me on this occasion. Originally I was going to go solo, until I realized it was during our Wedding Anniversary. Since we have been married, we have NEVER been separated on our special day, and I couldn't imagine not being with him. I was with him when he celebrated his Centennial with Alpha, and I would LOVE for him to be with me.

I already decided to pack someone light since I know I will spend a ton of money on Delta Paraphernalia, and Other Greek items for my friends.  Some feel that this is vacation for them, but not me. I am going to not only celebrate our 100th, BUT more importantly I am going to take care of Delta Business! I am also happy to report that I will be singing in the centennial choir. What an honor to share my voice with other sorors.

Some of you have emailed me and I promised to get back to you as soon as time allows. This summer has been an extreemly busy summer for me. I was named "Teacher of the Year" at my school, I was the Summer School Principal, Alpha Convention, Choral Director's Conference, Kappa Delta Pi Convention, Educational Leadership Conference, AND I had to plan a birthday Celebration for my Mom in Chicago a few weeks ago. (Which was a HUGE success and she was SO grateful how me and my siblings pulled it off).

So I will go back to the regular schedule program AFTER our national convention but in the meantime, I will TRY my best to post nightly about convention since some of you have asked. (That is if I am not TOO exhausted)

Many Blessings,

Ciao,

V