Sister Spotlight: Andrea D.

We can't wait to welcome back our sister Andrea Duty after her semester abroad in London, England! She spent Fall 2013 taking classes at The Foundation for International Education and interning with the Organic Trade Board.

"I loved all the markets and different cultures that were present in London! I tried to do a bit of everything from seeing Wicked the musical, going rock climbing and bouldering in the English countryside, and even watching a football game in a traditional pub."

Her favorite part of the trip was the opportunity to visit several other countries while living in London. These included Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Wales and Iceland. Andrea also enjoyed trying new foods; surfing, cliff diving and seeing a family of seals in Wales; and visiting the hot springs in Iceland.

Thank you Mama and Papa!

As our sisters prepare to travel across the country to see relatives for the holidays, we would like to take a moment to say thank you to the two people who make 1152 E. Panhellenic Drive our home away from home. 

Sharon and Don Gaddo have spent the last 10 years as Alpha Nu's house managers. But our sisters don't think of them as "managers". They're our house parents; we know them as Mama and Papa. From day one they went above and beyond in their duties, leaving alumnae and active collegiate members thankful for the time we are given with them.

From hosting trivia competitions, cooking evening snacks and sharing their wisdom at chapter, Mama and Papa are always there for us even when we just need someone to talk to. Some of our seniors took time this week to share why they love Mama and Papa so much.

Stephanie Facompre, PC '10: "Mama Sharon and Papa Don are some of the most giving and selfless people I've ever met. The most amazing part to me is how often they spontaneously reach out to a sister in need. Even before I became close with them, they were there for me during difficult times with unconditional love and support."

Celia Meyer, PC '10: "Papa Don is probably one of the most interesting people I've ever met. I'm sure I'll never meet anyone else who agreed to be a house dad that writes novels and met the Queen. I love spending time with both of them and hearing all of their stories, they've both made Phi Mu feel like my home for four years."

Kirby Newkirk, PC '10: "I love starting my day off talking to Mama Sharon before I leave for class. Whether it is over breakfast or when I am making my coffee, she always takes the time to ask how I have been. I know I can always go to her if I ever need anything. Papa Don always puts a smile on my face when I see him and he calls out 'Hey Commodore, how are ya doin' today?' The amount of time that they spend on this chapter is amazing. We are so blessed to have them as our house parents!"

Sister Spotlight: Lindsie Herring

With the holidays approaching, gift ideas for family and friends are on everyone's minds. What if you could give your loved ones a present and donate to charity at the same time? One of our newly initiated sisters, Lindsie Herring, offers a way to do just that.

Herring started her embroidery business, Sweet Southern Tees, as a way to raise money for Dance Marathon 2013.

"I wasn't a dancer, but I wanted to give in some way, so I decided to make shirts and sell them. I made a Facebook page to get the word out and raise more money. After DM, people were asking if I could still sell shirts, so I continued the business, but decided to continue giving to charity," Herring said.

Every month a new charity is chosen and part of her proceeds go to that particular organization; which usually pertains to a current event or has special meaning to Herring. April is autism awareness month, so some of her business' income went to Autism Speaks; in July she donated to the Wounded Warrior Project because it is the month of the United States' independence day; and in September she gave to a local Gainesville charity called Stop Children's Cancer because it was children's cancer awareness month, just to name a few.

"In May we gave to Compassion International because I sponsor two kids (in Africa and Honduras) through that ministry. That one personally means a lot to me because I have seen first hand how impacted those kids' lives are. I actually got to meet the boy that I sponsor in Honduras and it was life changing. The reason I like to give back is because I have been so blessed throughout my life, and the least I can do is help out a little bit by raising not just money for these causes, but also awareness," Herring said.

Support Lindsie and the charities that she donates to by checking out her products Here!

Congratulations to Alpha Nu's 2014 Executive Board

On Tuesday night the sisters of Alpha Nu elected our 2014 executive board. We are all excited to see what these amazing young women will accomplish next year and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our chapter.

Teresa Ahler, President: "I am so excited to have been elected as President of Phi Mu for the 2014 term. I am looking forward to working with the rest of the executive board to continue the great strides our chapter has made in the past few years. I am grateful for the support and encouragement that I have already received from my peers and I will work my hardest to meet and exceed the expectations that are held for me. With the help of my sisters, I am certain that 2014 will be a great year for Alpha Nu!"

Amy Pouliot, Vice President of Public Relations: "I am really excited for the upcoming year. I believe this executive board will work well together to strengthen our chapter."

Jasmine Baxter, Vice President of Membership: "My key objective before and during recruitment is efficiency and effectiveness. I hope to build confidence in Alpha Nu and be the type of person that can help others see things from various points of view instead of getting swept up in the majority mindset."

ΦM ♥'s Florida Georgia Line

Mondays: Everyone dreads them. We hit snooze at least one extra time to avoid them. They signal to us that we have five long days until the weekend. But this week was different. For several of our sisters, Monday meant heading to the Stephen C. O'Connell Center together for a Florida Georgia Line concert with opening acts Colt Ford and the Chris Lane Band.

"Every bit of Florida Georgia Line was amazing, from the very beginning, waiting in line for tickets with sisters, to the very end, screaming as red, white and blue confetti shot into the air. I went with my little sister Loren and we spent the whole time singing along and dancing. We even ran into an alumna afterwards, who saw us throwing up a quatrefoil! I couldn't imagine a better time and I'm so glad I got to make that memory with my sisters by my side!" Dani Cooke (PC '11) said.

Phi Mu Initiation 2013

This past weekend the sisters of the Alpha Nu Chapter of Phi Mu Fraternity had the pleasure of initiating their newest pledge class into their sisterhood. Brianna Kane, Phi Director, had a few words to share about her Phi class and their accomplishments throughout their Phi period:

"Having the largest pledge class in UF history brought a lot of pride to 
our chapter, but watching our new members get initiated this past Saturday made me even more proud. I'm so honored to have gotten the chance to guide these amazing women into our chapter and I'm so proud of everyone of them and all of their accomplishments made these past eight weeks." 

-Brianna Kane, Phi Director 2013

Phi Mu Girls Shake It For Me

Last weekend several of our sisters traveled to different locations in Florida and Georgia to see Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour 2013. Sisters in Valdosta, Georgia enjoyed good food and a Gator game before shaking it for Luke.

Eryn Morgenlander (PC ’12): “Going to Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour in Valdosta Georgia was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had with sisters. Everything from the car rides, to screaming the words of “Country Girl” on the top of our lungs and taking non-stop pictures of Luke’s tight jeans (until our phones died of course), was memorable. I shared so many laughs with sisters I don’t get to hang out with all the time and it was definitely one for the books!”

Hannah Shope (PC ’10): “Luke Bryan's Farm Tour Concert was absolutely amazing! His concert was by far the best I have ever attended.  He is the Country Music Award Entertainer of the Year and rightfully so because there ain't nothing like seeing him "shake it" for country girls and country boys alike. What made this concert so special was being able to sing and dance along with my sisters in the middle of a field.  Before the concert, we enjoyed some finger-lickin’ BBQ and Gator football, so it was a day full of southern fun.”

Stacy Mills (PC ’12): “We started the trip off right by eating the best BBQ in Gainesville at 4Rivers. Tailgating with everyone was great because we were able to hang out and get to watch the game, even though we lost. By far the best part was watching Luke shake it for us and really making the concert one of the best I've been to!”

The Good Life

You know you’re a Phi Mu Gator when you go to an on-campus concert with your sisters and the audience is practicing their game day chants in the intermission between opening band Teammate and the main attraction, OneRepublic.

Sisters gathered at UF’s O’Connell Center last night to watch the annual free concert Student Government Productions sponsors every year. Indie images, Charlie Chaplin clips, concert segments and music video footage flashed across the giant screen above the stage as our sisters danced to the band’s hits.

“The show was really fantastic overall. I was really surprised to see OneRepublic doing covers from other artists, and actually doing those songs really well. My favorite part though was when one of their guitarists came onstage alone and performed a Spanish style guitar solo. It was completely unexpected and really energized the crowd,” Meredith Diamond (PC '11) said.

"I loved everything about it. The lights and presentation were spectacular and the lead singer literally has the voice of an angel, it's even better live. I loved the way he talked to the audience about college. Definitely one of the best shows I've been to," Carrie Mayes (PC '12) said.

"I saw OneRepublic at Jingle Ball last year and knew that they were amazing live, but last night they were even better than what I had expected! I thought it was cool when they all came out wearing Gator jerseys. I loved how the lead singer, Ryan Tedder, was so funny and such an incredible singer; and how I got to go with my big, Sam, and other phis. It was a really nice bonding experience over music and one of the best concerts I've ever been to," Ashley Phyu (PC '13) said.

It must be the season for concerts because our sisters are looking forward to more musical fun at Luke Bryan's Farm Tour in various locations and at the O'Dome again when Florida Georgia Line visits later this month!