Recruiting the Best Alphas Since 1851

Well, it’s back to school for the members of Alpha Delta Pi. But, of course, we spent the week before school recruiting 82 new Alphas to join our sorority. These girls are absolutely fabulous, being our largest Alpha class to date! All of these girls are extremely excited to join our sisterhood, and learn what it truly means to be an Alpha Delta Pi. Diamonds are forever, and we are so excited to share our sisterhood with them!

Cowboy Ball, Y'all!

            YEE HAW! The sisters of Alpha Delta Pi, brothers of Kappa Sigma, and brothers of Delta Tau Delta threw a Cowboy Ball as one of the final date parties of the semester. Both boys and girls dusted off their cowgirl and cowboy boots for this occasion. Although it’s been said that “boots were made for walking,” these boots were definitely made for dancing! The partygoers participated in various line dances at the venue, including the Electric Slide, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Wobble, and Wop.

“We had a great night spending it with all of our sisters and their dates,” said Caroline Goode, a member of the 2011 Alpha Class.

This fun-filled country bash was a wonderful way to bring Greeks of different organizations together for a fantastic evening of music and dancing. There’s really no better way to spend a Friday night than with your best friends dancing the night away!

Horses and Diamonds... What Could Be Better?

            …And they’re off! Hundreds of students from various colleges gathered at Keeneland for College Scholarship Day to celebrate the first day of spring races in the Bluegrass. Bets were made and money was both lost and won, but more importantly, it was a great day for college students to experience Keeneland at its finest. The weather was perfect with plenty of sunshine and warmth. The crowd got wild during each race as the horses crossed the finish line. Keeneland’s famous bread pudding was devoured everywhere as the horse-loving community enjoyed the beautiful Friday.

As students, the sisters of Alpha Delta Pi were able to attend Keeneland for free with their UK student ID cards. Many of the girls headed to the races after their classes – some even wore their dresses to class! Whether they were in wedges or boots, they were classy and graceful on the grounds of Keeneland throughout the entire day. With senior Haley Goode winning $140 on a $12 bet, it’s no doubt that diamonds and horses go together!

Ballin' Beauties

            Who says girls can’t play ball? The women of Alpha Delta Pi crushed the sisters of Delta Delta Delta in the Intramural Basketball Tournament with a final score of 2-0. Our girls put on their high socks and sneakers and brought home the gold! The team played great together and represented ADPi wonderfully. The nine players of our team included Jillian Rengel, Mallory Shoffner, Isabell Park, Abby Powell, Katie Hahnel, Cate Hurst, Anna Rosselit, Shelby Crouch, and Bekah Towles. After the victory, Shoffner said, “It was nice to see all of the years of hard work finally pay off!”

"Hoppy" Easter!

            The ladies of Alpha Delta Pi and the gentlemen of Phi Kappa Tau gathered for traditional Easter festivities before everyone headed home for the holiday. To begin the fun-filled evening, we started with the most popular of all Easter traditions: eye dying. With creative juices flowing and an abundant supply of resources, dozens of eggs were decorated. Using crayons, glitter, stickers, and more, these eggs were extremely festive and vibrant.

            After the successful eye-dying activities, everyone went outside where the fun continued. Groups of four were created for the next activity, which was very competitive. Members of each group had to walk across the lawn while balancing hard-boiled eggs on plastic spoons. If you egg dropped, then you were disqualified. As groups began to drop like flies, the competition became more challenging. Groups had to walk backwards, with their eyes closed, and with the spoon in their mouth! It was insane – but so much fun!

            The final activity of the evening required teams of two and one egg: The Ultimate Egg-Tossing Competition. The distance between partners started small and grew as the time passed and as eggs began dropping. And then, we had to throw the eggs with our left hand, which was definitely a challenge for almost everyone participating. It got even harder in the final rounds when they had to toss the egg over their shoulder. Although no one was injured, some people did get hit by flying eggs.
            This event was so fun and rewarding for both Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Tau. Members from each organization were able to make new friends and relive their childhood Easter traditions!

Dying and decorating dozens on eggs with the gentlemen of Phi Kappa Tau.

Preparing to walk backwards in the egg-balancing competition.

Some of the finished eggs - so colorful!

The Best Vacations Include Diamonds <>

            The ladies of Alpha Delta Pi enjoyed memorable vacations all over the country during the University of Kentucky’s spring break session in the second week of March. It was a great week for many of our members to get away from the cold, icy weather of Kentucky and soak up the sun!

            Jillian Rengel went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a week with her family. While there, she went zip-lining through the Marquesa Rainforest, horseback riding in the Hacienda Carabali Rainforest, toured Casa Bacardi, and kayaked through the Bioilluminenct Bay. She said that they had “picture-perfect weather” the entire trip, staying sunny and above 80 degrees everyday.

            Anna Grace McDermott went to Panama City, Panama, in Central America through an Education Abroad Program. While there, she learned about Panama’s economy, specifically studying their hotels, farms, and various aspects of their tourism.  Aside from the academic parts of her trip, she also snorkeled, surfed, and zip-lined. Her favorite part was night-hiking to the highest point of a mountain and being able to see the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the same time. “It was pretty exhilarating!”

Lauren Henrickson went on a Royal Caribbean cruise with her family that docked in Haiti, Jamaica, and Cozumel. In Jamaica, they climbed a famous waterfall, “Dunns River Falls.” She said, “It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.” While in Cozumel, she did an excursion where she was able to kayak and snorkel in the clear waters. Her favorite part was swimming towards the bottom of the ocean and exploring all of the coral and sea life.

            Many girls in the sorority stayed in the country, taking road-trips with family and friends across the states. Bekah Towles spent a week in a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee with many of her close friends, spending time at go-kart tracks and laser tag arenas. Molly Greer went to Snow Shoe, West Virginia for a few days, skiing and going to concerts. Ann-McCullough Wilkins had a peaceful week with her aunt and uncle in Charleston, West Virginia, where she also had a job interview (and was hired!). Some girls also traveled home and were able to spend great quality time with their families and friends.

            No matter where we were or who we were with, reuniting after spring break and sharing stories about all of our adventures was so exciting! It’s amazing how strong our bond is as a sisterhood and how time and distance will never change that. Diamonds are forever!

Jillian horseback riding through the rainforest in Puerto Rico. 

Anna Grace hiking to the top of mountains in Panama City, Panama. 

Lauren throwing up diamonds while snorkeling in Cozumel, Mexico. 

Getting RAD for RMH!

            The sisters of Alpha Delta Pi were able to host Lexington’s first Color Me Rad 5K at the University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium on March 2, 2013. With more than 5,000 runners and coming close to selling out, this event was a huge success and we hope to make it a tradition in Lexington.

            Thousands of runners covered head to toe in white clothing arrived early in the morning for this race. At the many “color stations,” their white clothing turned into vibrant shades of pink, orange, blue, and purple. By the end of the race, everyone was smiling and enjoying the burst of color they had just experienced.

            For ADPi, this event was not only a great opportunity to volunteer and serve the community, it was also important for our philanthropy, the Ronald McDonald House. Color Me Rad hosts 5Ks all over the country to raise money for different charities and organizations. Through this incredible event, we were able to donate more than $14,000 to the Ronald McDonald House!

            We were extremely proud of being able to host such an incredible event and raise so much money for our philanthropy. Color Me Rad is an amazing organization that does so much to give back to the community. We hope to make this event a tradition that the Lexington community looks forward to each year!

First, Finest, FOR THE KIDS!

            In its eighth year, DanceBlue, a student-run philanthropy at UK, raised more than $1.1 million towards the Golden Matrix Fund. This dance marathon brought more than 800 UK students together for an amazing 24 hours, all “For The Kids!”

The sisters of Alpha Delta Pi stood together through it all. With more than 45 girls dancing, they supported each other throughout the entire event and never gave up or sat down. “Nothing felt better than seeing the total at the end and knowing that our year’s worth of hard work paid off,” said ADPi Miranda Hall, one of the Morale Leaders.

Whether they were behind the scenes or on the floor, members of Alpha Delta Pi were incredibly enthusiastic and energetic for the entire 24 hours. The marathon was not easy and got harder as time passed, but all of our dancers stayed strong “For The Kids!” and pushed themselves knowing that this short period of discomfort and small amount of pain was nothing compared to what the children have endured. It was a truly incredible experience for all involved, and ADPi is already getting excited for next year!

Dreams Come True (they really do!)

One month… One goal… One victory! 

The sisters of Alpha Delta Pi won the title of “Overall Champions” at Greek Sing 2013. This philanthropy event, hosted by UK’s Chi Omega Sorority and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, is a huge fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation. It brings Greeks and non-Greeks together for a wonderful evening of – no, not singing – dancing, music, and fun!

ADPi’s theme this year was unforgettable – transportation. Everyone was “taken away” by the trucks, planes, boats, cars, trains, and motorcycles! From tap shoes to high heels and Ricky Bobby to a colonial woman – these girls worked extremely hard to accomplish their goal.

Although Greek Sing is a blast for all who are involved, it is much more purposeful than to just have a bunch of college students dancing on a stage. The money raised from this event is donated to the Make A Wish foundation. This organization’s mission is to grant the wishes of children who have life-threatening illnesses and diseases, giving them hope, strength, and joy. To date, Make A Wish has granted 231,782 wishes!

With all of the dreams coming true and wishes being granted, it’s safe to say that Greek Sing 2013 was an all around incredible experience!

Greek Sing Chairs, Tori Wolfe and Aubrey Bankemper, were
incredible leaders, exhibiting patience, passion, and confidence!

"I like my beat down low and my top laid back!"

"Come sail away with me!"

Here comes the TRAIN!

We live for each other!

Staying “Warm and Cozy” with Brittny’s Blankets

For our first Chapter Workshop in 2013, Alpha Delta Pi hosted "Brittny's Blankets" on the night of Feb. 6 at our house on Rose Street. This is the third year that ADPi has been involved with Brittny's Blankets, and we were so excited to be able to do it again.

This organization was started in December 2008 to honor the amazing life of Brittny Williams. Brittny battled cancer different times in her 14 years of life, and whenever she was cold she would want her blanket to keep her “warm and cozy.” Her parents, Dannette and Steve, and her brother, Brandon, work with volunteers to make homemade fleece blankets for children who are faced with disease or disability. To date, they have made and distributed over 600 blankets to various hospitals and clinics.

Our Membership Education Vice President knew that this would be a great way for our chapter to start the year. This event brought all members of our sorority together as we made 50 homemade fleece blankets. This event is starting to become a tradition and all the girls look forward to it each year.