Pi Beta Phi - University of Alabama

The Alabama Arrow 2 R ecruitment 2014 was one of our best to date. The University had a record-breaking number of women register for recruitment this year with 2,241 Potential New Members participating in the open house round. Our ice water tea parties were run similarly to those in the past. All our members looked beautiful in their brightly colored dresses! For philanthropy day, we continued with the fun and upbeat theme, "Literacy is Fresh." Jane-Anne Elliott '11, Katie Fuchs '11, Lindsey Grimm '12, and Jenna Rose Alder '12 wowed the crowd with our literacy-themed rendition of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song, and Lauren Chase '12 finished off the presentation with a lightning-fast speed read. Perhaps the most exciting round of this year's recruitment was our skit round. We wrote and performed an entirely new skit this year. The theme was "Arrow Airlines," a skit often used by other chapters across the country with great success. Everyone dressed in white tennis skirts and simple navy v-neck shirts and neckties to look like flight attendants. The cast did a great job making the skit entertaining while focusing on all the great aspects of Pi Phi. Our Crimson Cabaret dancers did a Las Vegas show girl dance complete with feathered headdresses, and there was even a special guest appearance from Jimmy Fallon, played by New Member Coordinator Landry Johnson '12. The skit received rave reviews from both chapter members and Potential New Members. You could say it's our best skit since Grease! After a beautiful and intimate preference round, everyone was ready to invite in our New Members. On Bid Day, we were so excited to add 120 new ladies, 22 of whom are legacies, to our Pi Beta Phi family! Yours in Pi Phi, Sarah Braslow '11 Vice President of Membership Alabama Pi Phis Grow in Membership and Tradition L eslie Allen '05 felt a strong connection with the University of Alabama Pi Phis early on in the recruitment process. "The girls who rushed me did a great job coming back to me in the latter days to let me know they remembered me. It's all about being welcomed and feeling special." When asked about her favorite Pi Phi memories, Leslie tells a story about the last party of preference night. "All the house's doors are shut, the streets are full of silent girls, all dressed up walking in a line and all that is heard are Pi Phi voices echoing in the silence. I remember it as a rushee, being nervous and worried, then looking over and seeing all of the Pi Phis still singing to us and then knowing that was the right place for me!" While Pi Phi helped to prepare Leslie for her current business success, her undergraduate experience also consisted of a great deal of personal growth. Her interactions with upperclassmen encouraged her to study marketing and she later became part of the CBA Business Honors Program. Leslie explains that she may not have realized the complete impact of Pi Phi until after she graduated. "Small things that you would never pinpoint, like gaining different viewpoints from your pledge sisters or someone complimenting a talent or a passion of yours that you had never identified yourself–all these small moments, some building slow and others all at once, add up to changing your life." Leslie works as the creative director and co-founder of Scarlet and Gold, an online print shop she and her friend Megan started about a year ago. She has found her passion in running a business, creating concepts and working with designers to produce unique and stylish items. Leslie keeps her Pi Phi relationships strong by communicating with sisters regularly through GroupMe. She stresses alumnae involvement and continues to participate by writing recommendations with her local alumnae chapter. "You have to get quality girls in the house who are going to want to develop lifelong relationships and attachments so that you have a community that continues to grow." Leslie and her husband, Ross, reside in Arab, Alabama. Leslie spends her free time preparing a nursery since they are expecting their first child in April 2015. E-mail: leslie@ scarletandgoldshop.com Pi Phi Alumna Tells of Fond Memories and of Moments That Have Lasted a Lifetime

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