Where in the World is AXO? Madison Solano

This summer I had the honor to experience what it is like to intern for the Marketing & Sales department at Bell Helicopter. Bell Helicopter is a subsidiary company of Textron Inc. Bell just moved into their HQ in Hurst, TX (Near Fort Worth) and it is incredible. They sell and produce helicopters that range from prices as 3 million to 16 million dollars along with selling spare parts to existing customers. Bell Helicopter is a well-rounded company that not only sells to the commercial market, but a go to brand for the military. My days at work are extraordinary, one day is not the same as the other because the department has me doing several projects that allow me to test and grow every aspect of my skills in sales. Just to give you an overview of my tasks:

 

-Updated the North American Sales team webpage daily.

-Posted weekly blog with pictures and stories of the sales managers are doing throughout the country.

-Planned events for convention appearances.

-Attended tradeshows throughout the country to capture leads.

-Performed market analysis on major key accounts for forecasting future sales.

-Evaluated current processes on ordering promotional items and developing a new system to effectively track those orders.

-I also attended plenty and plenty of meetings to understand the company’s product, sales process, and after-sale relationship with their customers.

-I was able to travel with the company to Phoenix, Arizona to attend a airborne law enforcement tradeshow which taught me a lot about the personal relationships with at Bell build with all our customers.

 

My intern experience came with a lot of fun perks such as the opportunity to be in and around helicopters quite frequently, attend Texas Rangers games in the corporate suite, and serve as a representative of Bell at several conventions.

This experience has prepared me for the real world, but also has taught me lessons that I can take back with me to Baylor and the Professional Selling Program. When it comes to my relationships with others I have learned to respect that everyone has a different way to approach a goal, problem, and project. I will also never forget the people I have met through this internship. As the summer comes to a close I will miss how each day had a new lesson and a new memory that I will forever remember.

 

Destination Unknown: Sea World

Yesterday was Destination Unknown, which is basically the equivalent of going on the best surprise family vacation ever, but with less parents and WAY more sisters. 130 of us, along with our handsome, alpha-chi-loving dates piled onto charter buses, most of us having no idea where we were going. Three hours and plenty of excited laughter later, we arrived at the most awesome location that there ever could be: SEA WORLD! Finally the unknown was known, and it was time to have an amazing day! We all ran around in typical Alpha Chi fashion: laughing, watching shows, and taking entirely too many pictures. A little rain couldn’t slow us down. Channeling our inner Rihanna, we took out our umbrella-ella-ellas, and took that park by storm. We got to pet dolphins, watch Shamu, ride rollercoasters, and ultimately enjoy all day with our best friends! By the end of the day, I’m pretty sure even Shamu wanted to be an Alpha Chi seeing how much fun we were having! This was my favorite event yet, and I cannot wait until next year’s Destination Unknown!

-Jessica Westall, Alpha Kappa New Member Class (left)

Family Weekend

This past weekend at the football game against University of Louisiana-Monroe, Alpha Chi Omega hosted a tailgate for girls and their families.  In typical Waco fashion, we drank Dr. Pepper and ate George’s Crazy Wings. It was so fun to spend time with our own family while introducing them to our Alpha Chi family.  Personally, I was able to introduce my parents to another girl’s family who lives right down the road from us at home.  They were so excited to find new friends and even made plans to meet up with them once they returned home.  My mom even found a lady she worked with…small world!  What an awesome opportunity for parents and family members to get a glimpse into the fantastic sisterhood we share when we’re away from home.

-Amanda Black, VP Ritual and Fraternity Appreciation

Paint Crush

 It’s a war zone. But this isn’t a typical war. This battle consists of vibrant colors, smiling faces and elated screams. It’s paint crush! Paint Crush is an annual Alpha Chi Omega event in which each member is allowed to invite up to four dates to take part in a two-minute paint fight.  It’s a short battle, but trust me, it’s one no one will ever forget.

 This year I had the honor, alongside Stephanie Kendall, to plan this famous event. Every step of planning was just as exciting as the event itself, from picking out the colors to mixing the paint buckets with the help of our fabulous mixer committee.  With over 400 people attending, we needed 50 gallons of paint just to do the job.

 As the time was drawing near for the first cup of paint to be thrown, I was getting more and more anxious for the battle to start. When the whistle was blown, a colorful chaos began. Paint was flying everywhere, with some guys even picking up buckets to pour on other’s heads. After about a minute, the war was over but the smiles never went away.   

 As a senior, it was sad to realize that this was the last paint crush I will ever experience. However, with all the colorful pictures and the random specs of paint I still have in my hair, Paint Crush will always remain one of my favorite social events of my collegiate career.

-Becca Vijjeswarapu- 2013 Social and Mixer Chair

 

Baylor Beauties

Baylor Beauties, an annual event hosted by Kappa Kappa Gamma, has been occurring since the 1950s. Organizations submit nominees they feel show exemplary qualities, and from there, eight women from each grade classification are chosen to participate in the event. From those 32 women, 12 are chosen as Baylor Beauties by a group of local dignitaries. Proceeds from theevent benefit Mission Waco.

This year, two women from Alpha Chi Omega, Tara Box and Meredith Rimmer, were chosen to participate in the event on March 26. Tara is the current president of Alpha Chi Omega, as well as being a 2013 and 2014 SING Chair. In 2012, she was the Panhellenic Delegate for Alpha Chi Omega where she served as the Social and Service Coordinator. Meredith has held numerous positions within the chapter, such as Homecoming Float Chair, T-shirt Chair, and Social Chair. She also accompanies Tara as a 2013 and 2014 SING Chair for Alpha Chi Omega. Outside of Alpha Chi, Meredith is a member of Baylor Apparel Professionals.

Both Tara and Meredith represented the junior class in Baylor Beauties and proceeded through the casual attire, formal attire, and questionnaire rounds. Truly encompassing the Alpha Chi Omega model of “real, strong, women,” both Tara and Meredith were crowned among the twelve Baylor Beauties. Congratulations to both women on showcasing true beauty, inside and out. We are so proud!

By Cayce Campbell 

SING 2013

One of Baylor’s most beloved traditions is All-University SING. Every spring, extracurricular groups on campus perform in a Broadway-style competition. The prize: Pigskin Revue, which hosts the top eight performers during Homecoming weekend the following fall. The organizations work for the first five weeks of the spring semester to create a seven-minute production.

This year, Alpha Chi’s SING chairs (Tara Box, Maggie Brister, Cayce Campbell, Meredith Rimmer, Marla Terrell, and assistant SING chair, Jordan Sena), devoted so much time and effort into creating a one-of-a-kind act that everyone was proud of. This was the program description for our act:

“Bound by Moonlight- As the sun sets on a desolate forest, the creatures awaken. Tree nymphs, enchanting fairies, and the unkindest of ravens revel in their freedom. The only thing that can stop them now are the rays of the rising sun.”

The act included songs from Lady Gaga and Queen, and the costumes were a crowd favorite. We are so proud of our performers and the hard work they put into our act! Unfortunately, we did not qualify for Pigskin this year, but we did leave SING 2013 knowing we gave it our all! Congratulations to the eight groups that will performing again at Pigskin during Homecoming 2013! We are already looking forward to SING 2014!

By Stephanie Colello  

Welcome, new members!

We welcomed 84 new members into our Spring 2013 pledge class. What an exciting way to start the semester!

These outstanding young ladies were chosen because members saw what it means to be an Alpha Chi in every one of them. The five criteria for membership are academic interest, character, leadership ability, financial responsibility, and personal development.

Two weeks ago, new members received “big sisters” to guide them on their journey as an Alpha Chi. Families doubled and tripled in size as lifetime members welcomed their littles, grand littles, and great grand littles.

Other exciting events this semester include new member presentation and new member dance. The 2013 pledge class was recently initiated, and will now get to enjoy being official lifetime members.

By Stephanie Colello

Sic ‘Em Bears!

We had so much fun this weekend watching the Bears end the regular season with a win over (then-#23) Oklahoma State University. After a huge win over (then-#1) Kansas State two weeks ago and another victory over rival Texas Tech last weekend, it was no surprise to see the Bears defeat ANOTHER ranked team. In fact, Sports Illustrated recently referred to Waco as “where ranked teams go to lose.” To add to the joy of Saturday’s win, the Baylor Men’s Basketball team defeated #8 University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY on the same day! This victory broke UK’s 55-game home winning streak.

What an exciting time to be a Baylor Bear, and what a blessing to experience these games with our sisters! It was just announced that Baylor Football will be facing #17 UCLA in the Holiday Bowl! You won’t want to miss the Bears in action as they end their 2012 season in San Diego! Sic ‘Em Bears!!

by Ida Jamshidi

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

As we all count down the hours until Thanksgiving break, Alpha Chi has spent this past week getting into the spirit for the upcoming holiday with food, friends and giving back to the community!

This past Thursday, we had a Thanksgiving feast mixer with Kappa Omega Tau at Cameron Park. We started off the evening with a fun “speed dating activity,” which then turned into a pretty entertaining game of truth or dare!! Performing each others SING moves, starting a Baylor “Sic ‘Em”, and one brave KOT “proposing” to one of our very lucky girls were just a few of the creative dares! It was a great start to a fun filled evening! Next we indulged in a delicious potluck Thanksgiving dinner! The food was great, and the company made it even better! A big thanks to our own Amada Russ and Stephanie Kendall, along with the KOT mixer chairs, for putting on such a fun event!

The next day, many of our girls participated in Chi Omega and Alpha Tau Omega’s annual Chili Cook off and Bed Races, benefiting the Make a Wish Foundation. We were so happy to help and give back to such a wonderful philanthropy! At chili cook off, we had two phenomenal teams representing Alpha Chi! We also had a team for Bed Races, who call themselves “The Alpha Chi Minions!” So many people came out and made the event a great success! Great job to Chi Omega and Alpha Tau Omega!

Happy Thanksgiving from Alpha Chi Omega! We hope that you all have a great holiday filled with lots of family, friends and love.

By Laurence Kreamer

Sisterhood Spotlight: Katie Kozar

Studying: Psychology · Religion · Poverty Studies and Social Justice

Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas

Classification: Senior

“Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. In the slums we are the light of God’s kindness to the poor. To children, to the poor, to all who suffer and are lonely, give always a happy smile-give them not only your care, but also your heart.” -Mother Teresa

Our sister that lives this quote out on a daily basis is Katie Kozar.  She is a senior from The Woodlands, Texas, and she is our fantastic Chaplain.  Whenever you see Katie, she immediately wants to know how you are doing, if there is anything she can pray for, or if there is anything she can rejoice for with you.  Being our Chaplain, you would think Katie “has” to do these things, but if you knew Katie before Alpha Chi, you know that she is sincere and genuinely concerned about what is going on in each of our lives.

Just as Mother Teresa said to “be kind and merciful,”  Katie is kind and merciful to everyone she meets, sharing the love of Christ in her words, actions, and testimony.  Part of our symphony reads, “to shed the light of love and friendship round me,” and Katie fulfills that perfectly!  Being in a sorority is more than the parties, crushes, and formals.  Being in a sorority is about being a part of a community of women who have common interests – a sisterhood.  Being a member of Alpha Chi, I have constantly seen Katie live by this verse in our symphony, being a sister every step of the way.

by Jessica Brooks