Order of Omega

If you are a junior or senior interested in a Greek Honorary, this is a great opportunity! Follow the link if you are interested:
 http://www.k-state.edu/orderofomega/apply.htm

      

Getting To Know The Interfraternity Council

Cooper Mach
Vice President
Hometown: Shawnee, KS
Year in School: Sophomore
Major: Journalism Digital Media
Affiliation: Beta Theta Pi
Favorite Quote: "If you think you're leading but no one is following, you're simply taking a walk."
Favorite K-State Experience: When the crowd stuck around after the KU football game and did "K-S-U Wildcats" with Willie!  It was so awesome to see the student section stick around like that and it was ridiculously loud.
Goal for This Year: To find a direction for the New Member Council and make it a relevant group. I would also love if every house on campus made the minimum 2.5 GPA.

Kevin Ahrens
Director of Judicial Affairs
Hometown: Overland Park, KS
Year in School: Sophomore
Major: Accounting and Finance - Controllership
Affiliation: Sigma Phi Epsilon
Favorite Quote: "You make the letters, the letters don't make you."
Favorite K-State Experience: Drive Dean Bosco's Jeep
Goal for This Year: To be more consistent in the reporting and processing of formal complaints and judicial issues.

Every February, Alpha Chi Omega women celebrate the fine arts and their fine-arts heritage in what is called "MacDowell Month". The month received its name from an alumni, Marian McDowell. Marian was a pianist who established an art colony in New Hampshire that still exists today.

Alpha Chi Omega's founders chose their name for several reasons. They chose "Alpha" because they were forming the first fraternity in the school of music. They thought that they might be forming the last music fraternity, so they also chose "Omega". Another example of their musical past is their symbol, the lyre. According to Greek Mythology, the lyre was the first instrument played by the gods on Mount Olympus.

The women of Alpha Chi Omega enjoy the continued celebration of their history. Sophomore ACW, Emily Chartrand, comments "It was so fun for our sisters to go out and support music events at K-State. One of
our sisters even performed in one of the concerts!"

For over 30 years, the women of Pi Beta Phi have been wearing "wine dresses" during formal recruitment and several chapter ceremonies. The wine dresses stem from Pi Beta Phi's official colors, wine and silver blue. As freshman members, the women purchase wine fabric and have their dresses made. Many members have their dresses by family members, others find local tailors.

Not only are the wine dresses used during chapter rituals, the senior members also wear the dresses out to a pub crawl during their last year as active members. Alumna, Lauren Anderson, comments on the pub crawl, "The event is sort of a final gathering for the seniors. It is a great way for us to bond as friends and sisters one last time before we graduate."

Chapter president, Kelby Polfer, comments, "Our wine dresses contribute directly to our ceremonial experience. It is a long-lasting tradition that Kansas Beta prides itself on, several alumni on AAC still enjoy reminiscing on the tradition. Plus, the dresses make our chapter unique."

Above: (August 2009) Members of the Kansas Beta chapter of Pi Beta Phi in their wine dresses during formal recruitment. 

Every chapter in the community has their own ritual at formal dinner, the Chi Omega chapter has a very interesting tradition. As they end their formal dinner, chapter members stand on their dinner chairs, raise their glasses, and place one foot on the table as they chant:

"Heres to Kappa Kappa Gamma,
Heres to Alpha Delta Pi.
To the DG anchor,
And the arrow of Pi Beta Phi.

Heres to Kappa Alpha Theta,
The girls fraternity.
And heres to Chi Omega for we love thee.

Heres to Chi Omega,
The cardinal and the straw.
To the white carnation,
The fairest flower of them all.
To the skull and the crossbones,
The letters of the O-W-L!"

When they are finished chanting, the women clink their silverware on their cups and throw their silverware down on the table."

- Sophomore Chi Omega, Mollie Winter, comments on the tradition

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
 
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
 
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:

"Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.
 
While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each others cups.
 
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups."
 
The happiest people don't have the best of everything.They just make the best of everything that they have.
 
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate in 2010!