Bid Day 2019!!

     It's a party here at the 518 because the blog is BACK!!! Long time no see! Here at Alpha Chi Omega, it's been a hectic few weeks. Following summer, our sisters came back to Tallahassee to join in on all the craziness of Polish week, Recruitment week, and of course, back to school. After a long, yet fulfilling two weeks of our sisters' lives revolving around recruitment, we got to celebrate our amazing new member class with everyone's favorite event, BID DAY!! Here comes our 2019 Bid Day recap:

     This year, our Bid Day theme was 'Alpha Chi State of Mind', with the whole day consisting of fun, New York City themed activities. With the 518 decorated to the nines in city decor and the dining room full of city street food, including soft pretzels with beer cheese, apples dipped in caramel, and classic NYC thin-crust pizza, it really created an Alpha Chi state of mind. Not only did the trendy theme make bid day fun to participate in, but the main event, member class 19 running home, was so special and worth the wait. After asking some sisters about their experience with recruitment and bid day, here's what they had to say:

Natalie Alexander & Ally Columbus

     Natalie Alexander (MC '17) served as a Rho Gamma this year, helping lead a group of potential new members throughout all of recruitment week to help them in their search of finding their home here at FSU. After asking Natalie about ending one of the most rewarding weeks with bid day here at Alpha Chi, she said "I loved the opportunity to serve Panhellenic as a Rho Gamma this past year! It made my week even more special to come back to Alpha Chi with one of my amazing potential new members, Ally Columbus."

     When it comes to the planning that went into bid day and preparing to welcome home our new members, we turned to New Member Educator, Mallory Hartline, and her assistant, Jenna Cutrone. After asking Mallory about bid day, she exclaimed "It was such an honor getting to plan such a special event for all my sisters, and new sisters. It was nothing short of a day to remember!", with Jenna stating "It was such an awesome day getting to welcome our new member class, especially as new member educator assistant. This day got me even more excited for the time I'll be spending with our new members this semester to help integrate them into our chapter!"

     Every year bid day is the perfect end to recruitment week, and a way for our chapter to show the new members how excited we are to become their sisters. This year, all our sisters here at the 518 were in an Alpha Chi state of mind, and can't wait for all the memories to come with member class '19!!!

VP NME Mallory Hartline & VP Ritual Paris Thie

Audrey Contis & NME Assistant Jenna Cutrone

Sisters Reaching New Heights!

     Hello & welcome back!! This week I am so excited to share with you all about some of the internships our sisters have received for this upcoming summer. From New York City to Seattle, our Beta Eta's have set the bar high with these incredible, life-changing opportunities they have awaiting them across the nation.
      Katie Sluman will be interning in the Communications department of the MLB in NYC, with her main focus being the All-Star Game, prompting her to do projects for this event throughout the whole summer. Katie is a Finance major minoring in Hospitality here at Florida State. Her main interest falls in the sports department, which inspired her to apply for this prestigious internship. Congratulations, Katie!!
     Another one of our sisters, Emily Malfitano, will also be interning in New York City starting this summer. Emily has accepted a merchandising internship with the Hudson Bay Company's Saks 5th/Off 5th Ave. This position will teach Emily about the buying and planning that goes on within a fashion brand, with buying consisting of employees marketing and negotiating on merchandise for their store based on what customers are already buying and upcoming trends, along with planning consisting of the pricing for these items. Emily was inspired to apply to this internship after going on a marketing trip with Florida State, giving her the opportunity to speak with employees who work for Saks. This internship not only consists of amazing work, but provides interns with housing at the NYU dorms, providing an affordable alternative to living in the big apple. Emily has said that she has always loved this company, influencing her to apply for her "dream job". We are so excited to watch you succeed as your dream becomes a reality, Emily!
     Ashley Thomas will be heading over to the University of Washington in Seattle to intern at their Autism Center for the Apex Summer Camp! This camp works to help children with both Autism and ADHD on their social and communication skills. Ashley is currently majoring in Communication Science Disorders in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a speech pathologist, specializing in Autism. This position will not only give Ashley experience in her field, but will give her the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children. We can't wait to see what you do, Ashley!
     Mallory Wilvert will be interning at The Club at Cordillera in Edwards, Colorado alongside the events coordinator, working to plan and host events at the country club. These events will include golf tournaments at the three different courses located at the club, along with large brunches and gatherings for both members and guests. When Mallory is not helping plan events, she'll be working as both a server and bartender at the many restaurants found within the club. Mallory is currently majoring in global club management, leading her to pursue this incredible position at The Club. Make sure to send invites to brunch our way, Mallory!!

Jessi Bonadurer

     Finally, our VP of Philanthropy, Jessi Bonadurer, will be continuing her internship at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, a law firm in Chicago, which she has been asked back to for the past two summers. Just this past summer she was promoted to Supervisor, causing her to oversee the work of all the other interns. Jessi hopes to one day become either a litigator or to do advocacy work for both women and individuals with intellectual disabilities, and this experience will definitely help her get there! We are so proud of all the amazing opportunities our sisters are taking advantage of this summer and can't wait to see the other internships more sisters acquire in the upcoming months!

Emily Malfitano

*SMH*

Amanda Corin- Intern at Radegen Sports Management

Amanda Corin just finished up an internship in New York City! This is the second summer she has spent interning in Manhattan. 

This summer, I worked for a company this summer called Radegen Sports Management, and we did off-field contracting for athletes.  This means we did all of their endorsement contracts with companies such as Dunkin Donuts, Delta, Jet Blue, Fanatics, Core Power. The company represents players such as Big Papi (David Ortiz), Mohammad Wilkerson, Brandon Marshall, Ryan McDonagh, Jake Dalton and many more. We also manage their foundations so I got to attend and work their charity events, such as Mohammad Wilkerson's bowling event to raise money for Scholarships for kids to attend college. 

I also got the opportunity to work David Ortiz's charity gala in Boston for the David Ortiz Children's Fund. They raise money to pay for hospital care for sick kids in the Boston area and also send money back for healthcare for kids in the Dominican Republic. Hopefully, I'll be back in the city next summer to either attend law school or continue in the industry of Sports Management, preferably with the NHL!

Senior Spotlight

Alpha Chi Senior Rebecca Epstein had the most amazing summer.

For three months, Rebecca was in Manhattan interning with EMW Music Group at Engine Room Audio. During her internship, she worked with well-known artists and advertising firms to write lyrics and music. She also performed voice overs for commercial advertising.

"Everyday I was surrounded by some of the most creative people in the recording industry that inspired me to write, record, and grow as a musician, artist, and individual," says Rebecca of her time in New York. 

After realizing how hard Rebecca was working and how talented she is, the company gave her the opportunity to write and record her own album. The album's single is called "Forever December" and will be out in just a few short weeks.

To follow Rebecca's bright future in the music industry, follow her official instagram Raemusicofficial.