Jump In With Julia!

After spending all summer meeting new people as an Orientation Leader, I was so excited for Week of Welcome (WOW) and starting off my sophomore year on a fun note! I attended many different organizations’ events but spent most of my time helping with Delta Zeta events. I had so much fun at every WOW event, but my favorite was for sure Chargers After Dark Casino Night hosted by our Association for Campus Entertainment (ACE).  It was so nice to see so many familiar faces around campus and reunite with friends that I hadn't seen since the spring semester.

This semester, I decided to split my schedule up between online and in-person classes. This allows me to have more flexibility with my mix of attending class, studying, work, and extracurricular activities. The first few weeks of classes can seem very intimidating, but after getting my syllabus and talking to my professors, I was so much more excited. My upper-level sociology and political science classes are fascinating, and I have almost completed my pre-law certificate! So, maybe it is  time to start looking at internships at law firms? (I’ll just have to update you all on that later.) Outside of school and studying during the first few weeks, there were so many opportunities for fun things that UAH hosts, such as going to a Rocket City Trash Pandas baseball game with ACE. 

Coming into college my freshman year I had never considered joining a sorority. As the semester went on and I learned more about the philanthropy aspects, academic success, and networking opportunities, I knew it was for me! I found my home at Delta Zeta in the spring semester of my freshman year through the Continuous Open Bidding process (COB). This means that I got to go through the Primary Recruitment process with the NMC in fall 2022 for the first time as well. The journey was so amazing because I was able to learn so much more about Delta Zeta through recruitment workshops, as well as get closer with members in chapter. My voice is still sore from all the songs we sang (and screamed) from Philanthropy Night to Bid Day, but it was all worth it! Meeting the NMC fall 22’ was an absolute joy! I am so excited to see where this year takes us. 

Charge On! 

-Julia

Delta Zeta’s New Member Retreat was such a fun experience! We spent a weekend at Camp Maranatha in Scottsboro, Alabama swimming in the lake, doing bonding activities, and sleeping in cabins. I learned how to paddleboard and only got a little bit sunburnt. This was a great opportunity to get closer to the new members, as well as everyone else in chapter. I also got to spend a lot of time with my “big” and realized how thankful I was for her, especially for how many spiders she killed for me while on the trip. 

Homecoming 2022 was a huge success! Homecoming week is always one of the most exciting times on campus during the fall semester. Charger spirit is shown through tradition events like Paint the Town Blue, Battle of the Bands, Charger Stomp, and Charger Athletic events. We also had a special event this year hosted by UAH Alumni called Charger Tip Off. At this event, a parking lot downtown Huntsville was turned into a court to highlight our men’s and women’s basketball programs! I am so proud of my sorority for receiving the Charger Spirit award for the second year in a row and placing third in Charger Stomp. 

I was probably the most excited for Family Weekend because my parents decided to drive up to see the Delta Zeta house for the first time. I got to show them some of my favorite places on campus, and even where I work at the University Fitness Center! We also hosted a family brunch at the house. It was so amazing to see and meet everyone's families, play some yard games, and eat a yummy breakfast. Seeing so many families on campus this weekend was a heartfelt sight and something I am already looking forward to for next year.

Charge On! 

-Julia

This month was full of so many exciting adventures! The first, and the most fun, was my sorority's "Big/Little Reveal". At the reveal you get to dress up and surprise the new members with someone they will be able to look up to, and will help them grow within our Delta Zeta chapter. I finally was able to become a "big sister" this year! I am looking forward to helping guide my "little" through her years in Delta Zeta at UAH. 

I also had the opportunity to attend Pi Kappa Alpha's semi-formal in Nashville, Tennessee, which was a blast! We went on the General Jackson Showboat where we had dinner, entertainment, and a beautiful view of the city. One more adventure I had this month was going to our 14th annual Delta Zeta Chili Cook-Off! This was one of our philanthropy events to raise money for our philanthropy partners Starkey Hearing Foundation, Huntsville Hospital’s Pediatric Audiology Unity, and Delta Zeta Foundation. 

I have been so ready for Orientation Leader applications and interviews to start and they are finally here! It is such a full circle moment for me because my journey at UAH started only a year ago, and I would never have imagined myself where I am now, having this opportunity, getting to be an OL again for summer 2023, and…being on a billboard! We took a trip to see the billboard that is about 30 minutes away from campus. UAH has allowed me to blossom into a person that I never thought I could be, and I am so thankful. It is honestly one of the best experiences to be able to be the first look for incoming students and have the opportunity to meet and help them transition into college life. I cannot wait to meet all of you in the summer!

Charge On! 

-Julia

Finals week can seem intimidating and can be a pretty stressful week. Thankfully The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has great ways to help students (like myself) prepare. One of my favorite things that UAH offers is the Tutoring Blitz. This is a big event for all students to come and ask questions about their finals to a whole group of tutors. You also get a super cute (free) shirt!

Another fun event that is held by UAH’s Dining Services is Late Night Breakfast. This is a huge event that always has a big turnout. One thing you can count on for sure is college students showing up for free breakfast food at 10:00 pm! I also really enjoyed having the Charger Union open 24/7 so you can stay late and study, which I definitely took advantage of. I spent most of my time there studying and even taking some small breaks to nap. I ended up doing great on all of my exams, which is a huge relief.

This semester went by so fast and it was definitely my favorite so far, but now I am super excited for winter break and being able to relax and visit family for Christmas. Since I will be staying on campus over the break, I will be working full-time at the pool and preparing for next semester. One of the things I am most excited about is serving as VP Administration for UAH’s Panhellenic Council! This is definitely a big new role I am taking on, but I am super excited to work with the other members of the executive board and see the opportunities for growth it will give me.

Charge On! 

-Julia

The first few weeks of any new semester is always so exciting to me! It marks starting new classes, making new friends, and getting settled into a new routine. My first week back for the spring semester at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) was packed. Luckily, I managed to get by with the help of my Google Calendar and lots of coffee!

I am looking forward to this semester’s curriculum and my professors and classmates! The beginning of the spring semester is full of events from multiple organizations that are welcoming back students to campus. For Delta Zeta, we are busy holding COB (Continuous Open Bidding) events to bring more awareness to Greek life on campus and hopefully welcome a new spring class.

During my first week back on campus, we had a Panhellenic Council meeting and a super fun bonding day where we had a photoshoot on campus, went to an escape room, and to La Alameda for dinner. I also got to spend an adventurous day at Lowe Mill at a cat adoption sanctuary, which was probably the most fun I’ve so far in the new year!

I decided to take 16 credit hours this semester, which I have learned is a perfect amount for me to be able to balance school, stay ahead of my degree plan, keep up with my on-campus jobs, and stay involved with my extracurricular activities. I have such high hopes for this semester, and I can’t wait to see what new opportunities and adventures will arise.

Charge On! 

-Julia

February was full of so many new memories and experiences! Through continued Orientation Leader spring training, ACE events (including movies), swim lessons, Delta Zeta’s Spring Bid Day, tabling events, and many coffee shop trips, this month did not have a dull moment. Starting off this exciting month was an Interfraternity Council (IFC) Tailgate before the UAH Men’s basketball in Spragins Hall. The Fraternities and Panhellenic brought tents and games and cooked out on grills until it was time for the game. This was a perfect way to spend a Saturday socializing on campus!

Another new thing I had the opportunity to be a part of was Panhellenic basketball through our intramural sports program here at UAH. Through this program, each sorority got a team together to play each other for three Saturdays in a row. It was an absolute blast! We even fit some extra practices in throughout everyone's busy schedules, which was a great bonding experience. Next up for Panhellenic sports is 4v4 Sand volleyball starting in March, so stay tuned for that!

This month was also our Delta Zeta Sisterhood Retreat and the theme was DZlympics. We split off into teams and played multiple mini-games, which ended in too many laughs to count.

Overall, while this month may have felt pretty hectic, I loved getting to spend this time of my life making memories (and making good grades of course). Now I am even more excited to see what next month and the rest of this semester has to offer! 

Charge On! 

-Julia

One of my favorite parts of UAH’s Greek life is being able to attend other chapters’ philanthropy events! This month, Alpha Omicron Pi had their Spike Out Arthritis event, where teams could register to compete in a sand volleyball tournament. There was even a watermelon eating contest! This event was fun, a great opportunity to raise money for a good cause, and a way to spend quality time with the Greek community on campus.

This month was full of many exciting things like attending Pi Kappa Alpha’s formal, working as an ambassador for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and participating in the Panhellenic photoshoot. We also had our Spring Break, which I definitely took advantage of. I used the week to travel to Orange Beach, Alabama, where I ate yummy food, played way too many arcade games, and soaked up a lot of sun. Most importantly, I relaxed and took a mental break so I can finish out the rest of the semester strong.

Next month will be full of more events, but also final exams and projects. I plan to speding almost all of my free time in the Charger Union or library studying, but it will be worth it in the end. Summer will be here before I know it!

Charge On! 

-Julia

Wow! What a year it has been at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). With so much happening on campus, finishing up the final month of my sophomore year was nothing short of amazing.

My month started off with Delta Zeta’s “Hounds for Hearing” philanthropy event. This year’s theme was a “Bark-B-Q”, where we had a pet pageant, yard games, food trucks, and a hotdog eating contest! We were able to raise over $10,000 to donate to our philanthropy partners.

I was super excited to be able to be a part of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dean’s List and President’s List Ceremony. It was so much fun getting to recognize all of the hard work and accomplishments from fellow students in my department, and get free food along with it!

This month was also Greek Week on campus where we had events like Penny Wars, Greek Olympics, Panhellenic Powderpuff, and of course Bluetube! At Bluetube Delta Zeta took home the Crowd Favorite and Overall Champion trophies, which was such an awesome experience! 

Lastly, there was finals week. Although finals week can seem intimidating, I found it pretty bearable by focusing on time management and knowing how to study and prepare. I had one in-person exam and the rest were online. This gave me the opportunity to study ahead of time and split up my exam work so I wasn’t too stressed. I ended up passing all of my finals which was such a relief. Now it's time to go into summer classes and of course, Orientation season! 

There is so much more I could highlight about my month, but I want to thank you for following along with me on my journey through my year here at UAH. It was definitely a wild ride that was fueled by friends, dedication, and caffeine! I am so excited for New Student Orientation and to meet all of the incoming students but until then…have a great summer and Charge On! 

-Julia