Giving Back with Verizon Wireless: The UHopeLine Program

Where would we be without a smart phone and tablet?

To be frank, we in the College Lifestyles home office would be quite lost without a smart phone.  Texting one another, checking our emails, and posting to our Facebook/Twitter are a part of our daily activities.  It’s true, we are quite attached to our technology.

As a proud Verizon ambassador, we have been testing great Verizon products, the Droid RAZR and Droid XY Board which you will read future reviews, but we are most impressed with a collegiate philanthropic program offered by Verizon Wireless, the UHopeLine Program.

Verizon currently operates HopeLine.  HopeLine® turns no-longer used cell phones into support for domestic violence victims and survivors.

UHopeLine takes Hopeline one step further.  By helping schools raise awareness of dating and domestic violence and gives back to those who have been affected, Verizon Wireless UHopeLine allows co-eds to sponsor cell phone drives at their campuses to donate phones to this amazing cause.   In addition to donating phones, individuals can sign pledge cards to end dating and domestic violence.  To organize and start a UHopeLine phone drive on your campus is quite simple.  Visit the UHopeLine by Verizon webpage to download a toolkit.

We encourage all our student organizations and sorority chapters to give back AND sponsor a UHopeLine drive on your campus.  By donating your used cell phone, you are giving support to victims of domestic violence.

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Lilly Pulitzer’s 2012 Sorority Print CLass Revealed!

The wait is finally over! Lilly Pulitzer’s 2012 Sorority Print Class has been officially revealed. “Over, around, about” one million votes were cast by excited voters according to Janie Schoenborn, Lilly Pulitzer’s Fashion Director.

While usually three prints win per year, Pulitzer showed fans how much she appreciates them by accepting five new sororities into her sisterhood.

The winning sororities are Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Phi Mu, Sigma Kappa and Pi Beta Phi!

Schoenborn unveiled the winning prints at her alma mater, Rollins College in Florida, with the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. KKG already has a print with Pulitzer.

Winning sororities are encouraged to “stay tuned to Facebook” by Schoenborn. The social networking site will publicize when the brand new prints will be shown.

According to a Lilly Pulizer blog post today, prints should be revealed by the end of February. Pre-ordering should be  start in June, while your favorite new wristlet will be in the mail by August.

If your sorority hasn’t won a print yet, don’t worry! Schoenborn promises a new class of prints next year.

Ariana Romero is a senior entertainment and fashion writing intern for College Lifestyles! She is looking forward to Alpha Gamma Delta winning a print next year! 

The Relationship Between Big and Little Sis

Out of all the hundreds of sisters you gain when you pledge a sorority, your “Big” becomes your closest friend and mentor. When you first join your sorority, you probably don’t know many people yet, and your Big can help you get to know her friends and other people in your Greek Family. Everyone in your pledge class will be fixed up with a Big Sis. Prior to the reveal of who your Big Sis is or around Initiation, you might receive gifts (handmade gifts, treats, letters) or little notes from your Big- it’s her job to be your support system and go-to girl!

Your Big Sis is someone you can tell anything to and guides you through all of your most important moments, such as I-Week.

Now that everyone is coming back from winter break, it’s important to catch up and spend quality time with your Big!

 

 

 

 

Activities you can do with your Big/Little Sis:

Go out to eat

Pedicures

Movie night

Crafting

Work out

Library dates during midterms/finals

Get coffee!

 

 

 

Make sure you plan some fun “family nights” too! Your Big’s Big is usually pretty similar to her and all of you can end up being great friends. It’s important to get to know more girls than just your pledge class, and this is a fantastic way to start!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan DeBoest is an intern for College Lifestyles (TM), and is a freshman Magazine Journalism major at Drake University. She is a proud sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma and loves her friends, family, a good book, and traveling. Her Big is abroad this semester in Thailand but that won’t stop them from Skyping!

Lilly Pulitzer: Voting Begins On Three New Sorority Prints!

Lilly Pulitzer knows you want to join her sisterhood. If your sorority didn’t get the chance to be part of Pulitzer’s Sorority Collection, fear not!  Voting has opened up today for the January 2012 class of custom prints. The first round will end Sunday, January 15, while remaining sororities will continue to a second round starting Monday, January 16.  The campaign is solely on Facebook, so you and your sisters are only a click away from lettered ID-wrislets and Murfettes scarves. Click here, to vote! The three winning sororities will be announced on Tuesday, January 24 on Facebook.

 

Ariana Romero is a senior entertainment and fashion writing intern for College Lifestyles! She can’t wait to find out who the winning prints are.  

Celebrate the Upcoming Holidays with your Sisters

The next few months are filled with holidays and feelings of cheer, gratefulness, sharing and giving.  Some of the best people to share those warm feelings with are your sisters.  Learn how you and your sisters can come together and celebrate the holidays.

Potluck dinner- Have your own Thanksgiving supper on campus.  Whether you have a sorority house or you are using a sister’s house, invite each girl to contribute a certain dish.  To make it more interesting, ask your sisters to use a family recipe or a dish representing their heritage.  It shows that no matter how diverse we are, there is a certain bond that connects us to be grateful for.

Thanks jar- At your meeting this week, pass around a jar and ask each sister to submit what she is thankful or to thank a specific sister for a simple act.  It is a nice reminder to count your blessings and show your appreciation for each other.

Secret Santa- It is unrealistic to buy gifts for your entire chapter, but it is nice if you can give one to at least one sister.  Secret Santa is a great way to get your sorority excited for the holiday.  It also allows girls to be creative and learn more about each other if they are given a sister that they do not really know.  Try to keep it at a $15 limit or DIY because many sisters are on a budget.

Donation Tree- Ask your college activities if you can set up a fake Christmas tree in the student center.  Work with a local shelter or children’s center and ask the children to write down something they want on a paper ornament. Hang the paper ornaments onto the tree and ask the students on campus to take one and buy that gift for the child.  Together, everyone can deliver the gifts for a deserving child.  Philanthropy and spreading the holiday spirit makes everyone closer.

Holiday Party- As a sisterhood event, gather your sisters for a fun holiday party.  Bake holiday themed goods and hand out candy canes.  You can ask your classy guests to dress in holiday colors, or make it more formal with dresses.

Decorating- Deck the halls of your sorority house! Give everyone a project to do, whether it is setting up figures on the lawn or wrapping garland around the staircase.  Play Christmas music to get everyone excited for the holidays.  If your chapter does not have a house, such as mine, do some holiday crafts together, such as wreath decorating or personalizing a Santa hat.

Holiday Show- Find a nearby show that celebrates the holidays.  Look for a reenactment of the nativity in a local community.  Even if a sister does not celebrate Christmas she can still appreciate the presentation.  My college offers trips to New York City and every year tickets to the Christmas Spectacular.  Look at theaters and cities close to campus to see what is offered and take a fun trip there together.

We want everyone to remember the importance of the holiday spirit.  How do you and your sisters celebrate the holidays?

 

Nicole is a CL intern who goes to Marist College.  She is a Communications major with a concentration in Journalism and PR.  Nicole is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Marist Ambassadors, and Communication Arts Society.  She enjoys running and hanging out with her sorority sisters and friends.

CL’s Top Ten Simple Sorority Fundraisers

Fundraisers are a great way for sisters to spend time and work together, to get your chapter’s name recognized on campus (especially right before registration for spring recruitment!), and to raise money for your causes and house. Here are CL’s top ten fundraising ideas for your chapter.

Yankee Candle. This is an especially good a idea right before the holidays, when people are looking for gifts for new friends and co-workers. Plus, your chapter will receive a large percentage of the profit (right now, 40 percent).

Taco Bell.If there is a Taco Bell anywhere near your campus, partner up with them tor a fundraiser. Station your table in the dorms between 12 and 3 a.m., and students studying late in the library for finals or returning from a long night of partying will have you selling it all (for $2 apiece) fast!

Dirt. This simple dessert is delicious and, priced at $1, will have people coming to your table all day.

 Buffalo Chicken Dip. Um, yum! This dip is always a big hit. Sell it for between $1 and $3 dollars with some chips.

Nachos and Cheese. Similar concept to the Buffalo Chicken Dip fundraiser, but much cheaper to make. Price for a plate is $1.50.

Cupcake Sale. Simple and sweet, frost them with your sorority’s colors, and people will definitely remember you. If the cupcakes are small, $0.50. If they are regular size, $1.

 

Full-fledged Bake Sale. Sell the cupcakes for the prices listed above. Take size into consideration for cookies as well. Brownies, $0.50. Cake, figure out how expensive the ingredients were and base the price off of that.

Coffee and Hot Chocolate. A real winner during the holiday and final seasons, keep some cream, sugar and whipped cream on standby. $1.00 per cup.

A Raffle. Most organizations are more than happy to give away a raffle item (it’s good PR for them). So, find out what students on campus are interested in, find a company that supports or provides that interest, write to them about your fundraising opportunity and bam – you have a fundraiser.

Chocolate. Terrific around Valentine’s Day. Find out who the student’s favorite local chocolate maker is (for us, it was Sarris Candies) and pair up with them

A Tip from Alpha Sigma Tau, Beta Delta Chapter’s Fundraising Chair Teresa Conde: If you need an amount raised by each girl, take the amount total amount of money raised during the fundraiser and divide it by how many girls worked that fundraiser. This turns it into a sort of “hourly wage.” For example, if you raised $25 and there were 8 girls working, each girl would earn $3 an hour.

Other tips:

Place your fundraising table in the dorms (especially the freshmen ones!), in the student union, and, if you are allowed, in the library.

Make sure your sign is large, colorful, and has the price in big, bold print.

Stay strong, even when things get slow. If you haven’t had a customer in over an hour, call your chair for a decision.

Be gracious and classy to all of your customers.

Have other fundraising ideas or tips? Let us know! Fill out a comment below.

College Lifestyles Welcomes Our Newest Sponsor: Adam Block Design

Open up your closet.  How many collegiate, organization, and/or Greek t-shirts do you own?  Surely, you own at least one.  Whether you wear your shirts to class or to the gym; collegiate t-shirts are a big staple in our wardrobe and believe you should wear the best!

College Lifestyles is excited to announce our newest sponsor, Adam Block Design!  We love the fact Adam Block Design not only has fabulous shirts; but also believes in 3 practices when working with their consumers – originality, happiness, AND awesomeness!  Adam Block Design customizes all their orders (they can create a shirt from scratch or re-design a shirt in their gallery); believe in excellent customer service; and sends out ‘awesome’ products (each shirt is inspected before leaving the office).

While Adam Block Design has an incredible gallery of designs, the College Lifestyles interns chose their favorites (and tell us why) AND express why they love the line to help our readers design a shirt for their next event!

I like this one the best because I like how eye-catching the owl is.  It’s a goofy cartoon, but I like that it’s a shirt that tells us it’s cool to be smart. ~Monica M

CL’s Guide to a Classy Break-Up

#ThingsLongerThanKimsMarriage: This article.

 

We’ve all seen the news. Kim Kardashian and her beau Kris Humphries have nixed their marriage shortly after their fairytale wedding premiered on E!. We’ve got to hand it to Kim K., she dealt with the press better than celebrity break ups in the past, regardless of the jokes we spew off. Break ups can be hard, especially when you are in the limelight like the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star. But CL is bringing you a list of ways to break up in the gentlest, classiest way possible without harming that spotless reputation.

 

1.)  If you know it’s over, it’s over: Don’t lead the poor fellow on. If you know you are going to end things, don’t wait until the next date party is over to do it. Having a boyfriend gives us a sense of security, but drawing out the relationship will make ending things much more difficult and catastrophic.

2.)  Skip the social media: We all know how much fun Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest are, but we don’t need to alert the world of every moment in our lives. And if there was ever a moment not to clue in your Followers, it’s this one. The worst possible thing you can do is break up and post it all over his social media page. Give the guy a break and let him tell people when he’s ready.

3.)  Furthermore, put the cell phone down: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT ever, under any circumstance end things via text message, cell phone or FB chat. Unless you are in a long distance relationship that hinders you from physical contact, there is no reason to be a whimp. Tell your bf in person why you are ending things. You’ll find the process goes a lot quicker and less painless.

4.)  Give him space: A break up can be difficult for both parties involved (the dumper, and the dumpee), so give him space before trying to re-enter the friend zone. If one person was more invested in the relationship than the other, you have to respect that. Don’t anticipate talking every day or resuming civil interactions right away. Let him come to you, and if he doesn’t, remember there was a reason you dumped him in the first place.

5.)  Let me say that again: you dumped him in the first place: Sometimes it can be hard to make a decision when it comes to something as confusing as relationships. But don’t confuse him with your feelings. If you break up with him, stay away for a while. If you find you miss him, try to see if things can be repaired, but only after a significant period of time. Relapsing on a relationship decision can be disastrous for friendships.

 

DIY Sorority Gifts for anyone, anytime

With so many sisters, it seems like a savvy sorority girl always needs to come up with a good, inexpensive gift.  Whether it is for initiation, Big/Little week, graduation or the upcoming holidays, there are many DIY gifts to use.  So gather your markers, glitter, brushes and paint and get ready to create.

Jewelry box:  Go to a craft store and buy a wooden jewelry box.  Some even have frames that you can put pictures of you and your sisters into.  A jewelry box is perfect for a chic co-ed because it holds all of your dearest treasures, including your sorority pins and lavalieres.

 

Wine glasses: Personalized wine glasses are fun and classy.  Write your sister’s name on it and decorate it with her favorite colors using fabric paint.  Add a few gems to glam it up.

Picture frames:  With the amount of pictures taken within the sorority, frames are always practical.  On the frames you can include your sorority’s name, motto, “big and little,” sisters or your favorite sisterhood quote.  Show your sister what she means to you.

Bracelets:  Bracelet making can be a lot more sophisticated than it was at camp.  Find beads that fit your sister’s personality and string them on thin wire instead of string.  Make it your sorority colors to keep it symbolic of your sisterhood.

Mirror:  When your sister looks in the mirror, encourage her to do so with a smile.  Painting her a mirror and personalizing it with her favorite things and the sorority reminds her of her support system.  Encourage Beauty by Confidence.

Ornament:  Ornaments comply with the holiday season, but they can also be kept up all year.  Find a cut out of your sorority’s mascot at a craft store and decorate it.  Or purchase a clear ornament.  With a brush, apply a coat of glue.  Apply cut up tissue paper carefully to the wet ornament.  Place another coat of clear glue and let dry.  It creates a unique, creative ornament!

Painted canvas:  Purchase a small canvas and paint a sisterhood quote, your sorority’s letters or your sorority’s mascot.  It is a thoughtful room decoration for your sister.

Clipboard: Is your sister the president of your sorority?  Or is she just very busy with her schedule?  Buying a plain clipboard, or desk organizer, and painting it can make her bland everyday tool a cute accessory.

Pillow:  If you are crafty or you want to try your backstitch, make a monogrammed pillow.  Cut two 8″x8″ pieces of felt.  Cut a large letter shape from a different colored felt.  Center the letter on a piece of felt and backstitch in place using thread.  Backstitch around the 8″x8” felt with the letter, working ¼” in from the edge, using thread.  Using running stitch and thread, stitch the front and back together, placing your stitches close to the backstitch line. Add the fiberfill before closing.

Mug:  Help your sister start the day right with a personalized mug.  Most mugs can be decorated on with permanent markers or paint.  It can be sentimental, witty or cute!

When it comes to DIY gifts there are many options to choose from.  Pick a gift that you will have fun making because your sister will enjoy receiving it.  Remember to always add the personal CL lady touch!

CL’s Guide to Making Initiation Special

Initiation is one of the most exciting times of year. The transition between being a new member to an active one is a moment that most dedicated sorority girls never forget. During my initiation, I remember that one girl in particular went to lengths to show me how happy she was that I became an active member. She bought me candy and a picture frame and also wrote me a heartfelt letter that reminded me of why I joined Kappa Kappa Gamma in the first place. In the spirit of many upcoming initiations, CL has decided to share a few things that can make it special for the new members:

 

• Write letters to, not only the girls you love so far, but also the ones you have yet to get to know. It will make the shyer women
  

  My family- My grandlittle is getting initiated tonight!!!!

  feel more welcome and let them know they are loved by all.

• Give them bags of candy or small party favors. Stickers, straws and nail polish all run for about $ 2-3 each and can lighten up a gift bag.
• Picture frames are always a fun present. Even if it is a small frame with your sorority’s name in it, the picture will still count for something and remind the new initiates of how awesome they are.
• You can never go wrong with a gift card for your little or grandlittle. They are easy to pick up and please everyone. Starbucks, Target and Wal-Mart are gift cards that are sensible and sure to please.
• After initiation is over, take the family out to dinner or to see a movie. Initiation is about bonding with your sisters, and you want to remind the new initiates that sorority life is about more than fun social events.

 

Remember, initiation is one of the most important events in a sorority girl’s life. Be excited and enthusiastic and make it special, because someone made it special for you. Have a great time and be sure to go the extra mile for someone else.

 

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