Pansy Press
Kappa Alpha Theta Epsilon Sigma
Tinkerbell Gala
Songfest 2010
Kappa Alpha Theta & Alpha Epsilon Pi
“Next to Normal”
The gentlemen of Alpha Epsilon Pi joined the ladies of Kappa Alpha Theta in this year’s annual Songfest in their very own rendition of the the Tony award winning musical, “Next to Normal”. Songfest is an annual philanthropic event put on by 20 Greek fraternities and sororities joined together to raise money by putting on a triumphant performance for the community’s chosen charity. This year’s charity was the non profit organization, Habitat for Humanity. This organization is devoted to building affordable homes for people nationwide as well as globally. The greek community was proudfully and successfully able to raise 45, 000 dollars for Habitat for Humanity, while putting on a show for the ages. Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Epsilon Pi’s performance was however the show that stole the hearts of many. This heart wrenching drama, the talented vocals of the Songfest cast, as well as the lighting and set design
Spring Issue, UC Irvine
2011
of the show, left every and any audience member in complete awe. This show was like none other performed on that night of May 20th 2011. “Next to Normal”, executed beautifully by the cast, is the story of an ill and dysfunctional mother who is unable to accept the death of her late son. Her bipolar disorder takes a heavy toll on her family and addresses issues of hardship and the struggles to stay united. A powerful performance was given by Justine Rosenberg and Tiana Henricks. The brokern relationship between a mother and daughter was beautifully mirrored by the vocals of these two women and the melancholic melodrama that left the audience enthralled. The swift and elegant dancing of Frances Yoshikane and Sally Wu, as well the enchanting vocals of Brynn Matsuura, Erin Maudlin, Aisling Wakefield and Brianna Hansen were spectacular and a hit! Kappa Alpha Theta couldn’t be more proud this year’s hardworking Songfest cast.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow, Kappa Alpha Theta exists to nurture each member throughout her college and alumnae experience and to offer a lifetime opportunity for social, intellectual and moral growth as she meets the higher broader demands of mature life. Kappa Alpha Theta, the first Greek letter fraternity known among women
A message from the President: This Spring Quarter sure went by quick for the ladies of Kappa Alpha Theta! As President of Epsilon Sigma, I am so proud of all of our incredible members and how much we have accomplished this year. The women have been busy with sisterhood and social events as well continuing excellence in scholarship and leadership. As one of the largest chapters on campus, Theta’s continuously participate and serve as leaders in multiple campus organizations and extracurricular activities. As our quarter came to an end we are especially proud of the amazing women making up the Theta Senior class. Throughout their years here at UC Irvine, they have left a lasting impression on all of us and we wish them the best in their years after college. Our chapter would not be where it is today without all of the love and enthusiasm they had for Theta. We are now looking forward to Fall Quarter with many of our members working hard to prepare for Recruitment. Most of all, we are excited to welcome a new member class for Fall 2011! I would like to thank our wonderful Advisory Board, Facility Corporation Board, and all of our loyal alumnae for their continued support throughout this year. Our chapter is truly grateful for all the help we have received and we owe much of our success to your consistent involvement and dedication. Here is to a relaxing Summer and a great next year! Loyally, Frances Yoshikane
CHOC Tinkerbell Guild Gala Reva Bhatt Most girls dream about going to five star hotels in elaborate, ornate cocktail dresses to wine and dine amongst fellow affluent colleagues. On April 16th 2011 a group of Thetas got the opportunityto immerse themselves in this fairytale for a magical night by volunteering at the annual CHOC Tinkerbell Guild Gala, held at the Fairmont in Newport Beach. Sponsors donated prizes and extravagant gifts to weekend getaway resorts, autographed jerseys, and spa treatments, all estimated to be worth thousands of dollars all in support for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Throughout the night, there were live and silent auction that we were busily running to prepare for. It was quite the busy night for all us Theta’s that were in attendance and it was wonderful to see so many people in support of this charity. From the fresh hors d’oevres to the live music, I personally
enjoyed myself so much that it almost felt as though I wasn’t even on the job. Volunteering for this event was an enjoyable experience while a great cause to be supporting. Theta’s were running in circles preparing for the auctions to begin, handing out the winner’s gifts, directing people in the right direction and working together to help this organization have a successful night. Lucky for us, the hosts provided us with some delicious food and we were grateful for their appreciation towards us. We were excited to see a sign at the bidding table that recognized our chapter as volunteers for the event, it was an event that overall, allowed us to bond as sisters while providing us with the opportunity to volunteer for an important charity event.
Theta Retro Skating Erin Kiley
One aspect of Theta that we take great pride in is our incredible sisterhood. To help build onto this sisterhood we dedicate a day each quarter to putting down the books and having some fun with our sisters. This quarter’s event took place at Holiday Skate in the city of Orange, where we took a blast to the past by wearing head bands, leotards, neon colors, and tube socks. However, no outfit compared to that of our VP Development, Alex Webb, who showed up ready to skate in a full disco outfit complete with the bell bottoms, a bandana, and funky glasses. Although girls showed off their skills by racing around the rink and skating backwards, it was clear that roller-skating isn’t Theta’s best talent seeing as many of us ended up on the floor. However we also had our fair share of laughs watching each other limbo rollerskate and trying to form a twenty person conga line. This quarter’s sisterhood event was especially fun as we welcomed our newest pledge class to come out and get to know the actives as well. “I really loved how all the girls were so close and welcoming; it was so comfortable” commented Liz Mack, “I automatically felt like a Theta just after one day.” With such a great turn out and awesome memories, we are very excited for our upcoming sisterhood event planned for the fall!
Relay For Life
Jenna Hamza On April 30, Theta’s joined hundreds of UCI students in the fight against cancer at the 2011 Relay for Life. This event not only brought our sisters together for an outstanding cause, but we were able to join the rest of the UCI student body and the American Cancer Society to raise awareness about the widespread effects of the disease and raise money for research directed towards finding a cure. From 12:00 p.m. Saturday until 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, UCI students filled Aldrich Park to participate in the philanthropy event. Theta’s gathered at their booth dedicated to raising awareness specifically about thyroid cancer and participated in events all day and night. Various clubs and organizations had booths set up around the park, each one dedicated to a specific type of cancer, and many with food or other items for sale to raise money for the event. Many supporters began the day
by walking the ring, which has been part of showing support at Relay since it began. Each year, people across the country walk laps to support those that have been affected by cancer. Many of these events will have themed laps, such as the survivor’s lap or even crazy ones like a “hulahoop lap”. Alex Webb, a UCI freshman in Theta who walked 24 miles of laps over the course of the 24 hours, said walking laps was “significant for living a healthy lifestyle and getting people to participate in a fun and different way”. One club was selling string and beads to add one for each lap you walked. Fun events such as a water balloon contests and sports relays took place all afternoon. The sunset seemed to remind everyone of the cause for which they were participating, as hundreds of candles were lit for the Luminaria ceremony, this being one of the most emotional and inspiring parts of the event
for many. Theta’s joined other students in walking the track the rest of the night and into the morning, taking short breaks to sleep under the stars. As a chapter, the women of Kappa Alpha Theta were able to raise a significant amount by getting friends and family to donate as well as contributing some themselves, and overall placed in the top 5 out of 100 teams at UCI for most funds raised. “Relay for Life was an important event to plan for your chapter because there are many members in our chapter that have been closely affected by cancer, one of which is an alumni,” said Serena Dingler, the Theta team coordinator for the event, “I hope this is an event that continues for years, and maybe one day, we will conquer cancer.” Relay for Life was the perfect opportunity for the chapter to get involved and give back to the community.
“Having the support of my Theta sisters with my dancing. I loved coming out front after the shows and seeing my sisters there!” –Dani Dunmire “Right after we all got our bids and we all screamed and found each other. I felt so connected and so much love and sisterhood in that moment, and it was only the beginning!” – Jessica Do
My Favorite Theta Moment... Jamie Amemiya & Shikha Bansal
When asked about their favorite “Theta Moment”, the ladies of Epsilon Sigma replied with... “When I picked up my little, Shikha, and I made all of her presents. It made me so happy to see how much she liked them!” –Alli Kaku “I really enjoyed it my first Founder’s Day! Especially hearing all these stories from older Theta’s and how funny they were and being with my sisters was so exciting.” –Cecilia Guerrero “Pump It Up this year, our Sisterhood Event was something new and fun that we hadn’t done.. It was just so fun to act silly and not be serious. It was like reliving my childhood with all of my sisters! –Rochelle Ballecer “One of my favorite Theta memories from this year was big/little week. It was something I was really looking forward to it. I was so nervous and anxious at the same time and it was really exciting getting our clues all week. And in the end everyone ended up with amazing big sisters. Definitely one of the most memorable moments of the year!” –Alka Pande
“Founders Day is always my favorite because Epsilon Sigma always has the best representation and I love meeting Theta alumni from all over and seeing how Theta is still part of their lives and hearing their stories.” –Stephanie Myer “My favorite moment has to be Pref Night during recruitment. I always cry and I ended up preffing Lisa Masuyama, Aisling Wakefield, and Shirley Zhang! Also, at recruitment retreat when the seniors-to-be finally got to say, ‘Theta!’ after the lyrics ‘Shout it from the mountain tops.’ It was really emotional, but in a good way.” –Becky Lew “At our retreat this year when we were all hanging out and sharing stories and all the older and new girls were together. We were all getting to know each other and laughing together.”
Theta’s Abroad... I Got Lost in Southeast Asia, and I Found Myself Instead. Resham Parikh
Going abroad to Singapore was the absolutely most amazing experience of my entire life. I cannot even fathom anything that could possibly come close to how incredible it was. I was on tropical islands in Malaysia on the weekends, trekking through jungles and living in tree-houses in Laos on Spring Break, and walking through ruins and temples in Thailand on other days. I saw Laotians who lived in huts and lived without shoes or running water. I played games with Burmese children who had little to call their own yet seemed like the happiest children I had ever seen. I saw the booming Thai prostitution industry and their Western customers at the bars. I ate food off the street – and did not get sick. I met people all over the world and learned so much about people and their cultures. Not to mention, I met the most amazing people I have ever come into contact with in my entire life. People who were brave-hearted, adventurous, loving, understanding, smart, talented, generous, dependable… and just downright amazing. These people are going to be in my life forever. They are my long lost family, spread throughout the world, always trying to make an effort to somehow see each other again. My heart is still in Southeast Asia, and Southeast Asia is inside every single one of them.
An International Experience Courtney Pugh
The past 6 months I’ve spent living and studying in Dublin, Ireland has taught me more about life, about friendship, and about myself than I ever thought I’d learn in an entire lifetime. I owe many thanks to Kappa Alpha Theta for giving me the leadership, communication, and cooperation skills necessary for interacting and living with peoples from all over the world. And having the chance to share the meaning and value of Theta in my life with international students whose sole representation of Greek life are the stereotypes and prejudices portrayed in movies and the media has been an extraordinary opportunity to break down the barriers and miscommunications, and redefine to them what it means to be a member of a fraternity. Redefining expectations has been such a liberating and empowering part of my experience abroad, allowing for application to all aspects of my life. Taking what I’ve learned while living overseas, studying abroad has awaken in me passions for travel and education, and cultural interactions and communications I know would have otherwise remained dormant had I never
It was the adventure of a lifetime, and a life-altering experience. No words can describe the emotions I feel when I think about my study abroad experience. I have grown so much as a person and a woman. I now know what I want in life and what is truly important to me. I have learned that the best experiences are those where you have little to call your own, but you have the whole world at your fingertips and the friendships of a lifetime to spend them with. We complain about the smallest things everyday, because we assign importance and emotions to the things that don’t really matter. But going abroad to Southeast Asia forced me to let go of my comfort zone and just let things come as they may (we learned very quickly to lose attachment to our things, since they were too difficult to carry around and often taken by thieves while we traveled), and I learned who I really was, without those belongings, without those attachments. And I saw the beauty in myself, in others, and in life. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain
made the decision to come to Ireland. A passion for life and a desire for growth and change have sparked what is sure to be a lifelong commitment and dedication to open-mindedness, cultural understanding, and empathy. Studying abroad has changed my perspective on so many things; each and every day I am reminded that there is so much more to life than the superficial and materialistic desires of our world. The beauty of the land and this country I’ve come to know and love have taught me that happiness in life can only come from within and that the true beauty of life lies in every breath we take. In my travels throughout Europe and all over Ireland, I have come to know myself by learning from those around me. This self-discovery and meditation was, for me, the greatest “pot of gold” at the end of a beautiful rainbow. For my sisters and anyone contemplating traveling abroad, I cannot urge the words of Confucius enough: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” Take that leap of faith, and trust yourself to make the best decision for you at the most opportune time. Life has a funny way of working itself out and living in Ireland has definitely taught me that. Although it wasn’t all smiles, sunshine,
and rainbows, every second I have spent here has revealed to me the strength in perseverance, the importance of determination, and the value of appreciating each and every moment of our lives. Carrying Kappa Alpha Theta’s ideals and principles with me wherever I went, I went with all my heart. And since then I’ve never looked back.
“Creideamh, dóchas, grá … na trí ach is mó de na ghrá.” “Faith, hope, love … these three but the greatest of these is love.”