THETAS ABROAD

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LEADING WOMEN

SPOTLIGHT

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THETA SENIORS

4-5

THETA NEWS

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THETA ACHIEVEMENTS

8-9

UPCOMING

EVENTS AND

CONTACT INFO

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The Greek Awards, held on April 28th at the Caruso Catholic Center,

recognized members of the Greek community for their contribution to the university. Greek chapters from the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, and Multicultural Greek Counci l were acknowledged for their efforts in philanthropy, scholarship, member development, diversity encouragement , and campus involvement.

Beth Saul and Ray Carlos, Directors of USC’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development, presented awards to many chapters from the Panhellenic community. These awards recognized leading young collegians of the Greek community, as well as chapter advisors. We were thrilled that Omicron’s advisor Vicki McCluggage won the esteemed John Hubbard Award for Exemplary Service to the Greek Community. Vicki, an Omicron Theta herself, has served Omicron, the broader USC Greek community, and the national Kappa Alpha Theta organization in countless ways. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. We were honored to accept the award on her behalf and are so grateful for her continuous service to

Omicron Theta.

We were also honored to accept the Outstanding Sorority President Award on behalf of Kimberly Ostiller, who led Omicron as Chief Executive Officer in 2014. Kimberly led our chapter with poise, confidence, and dedication. A double major in Public Relations and Spanish, Kimberly spent the spring semester studying abroad in Madrid, and she has also served as a USC Tour Guide for three years. We cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Kim!

At the end of the evening, our chapter was ecstatic to receive the 2015 President’s Award for Overall Excellence. This award is the most highly esteemed award given to a sorority or fraternity chapter at the Greek Awards, recognizing one chapter for its overall contribution and success.

Omicron last received this award in 2010, so we were very excited to receive it again for our achievement in 2014. Additionally, Omicron was awarded Certificates of Excellence for outstanding scholarship programming, alumnae programming, and risk management programming. Congrats, Omicron Thetas!

A publication of the Omicron Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity at the University of Southern California

SPRING 2015 IN THIS ISSUE

Download the current newsletter

online at:

www.usctheta.org

Omicron Theta Astounds at USC’s Greek Awards Chapter Receives President’s Award for Overall Excellence

by Fanny Anderson

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Adventures Around the World Alyssa Wall Describes Her Experience in Europe

This spring, many of my Theta sisters and I packed our bags

and moved across the globe to study abroad. While many Thetas studied in Australia, Spain, and even South Africa, my destination was London. As a Public Relations student at USC’s Annenberg School of Communications, I enrolled at London’s University of Westminster where I could study alongside students from across the world. When I finally moved my bags and boxes into my new flat, I realized I was leaving the comforts associated with living under the same roof as sixty Theta sisters. But this was an entirely new adventure, and like the rest of my friends studying in every corner of the world this semester, it was time to break out of my comfort zone.

My first months in England were filled with runs through Regent’s Park, strolls along the Thames River, and more than a few museum visits (a dozen in just the first month). I took up a great interest in European art, and decided to enroll in a class called Art and Society, which encouraged students to consider the relationship between art and broader culture of the time. My museum visits became more and more frequent, and soon it was a weekly field trip for my roommates and me. When I was not admiring Van Gogh at the National Gallery, I made time to attend plays in the

West End, visit every food market possible, and (of course) try fish and chips at the infamous local pubs. London was familiar enough that I could adopt a daily routine and communicate (thankfully) in English, but it was also a constant adventure. Every neighborhood brought a new surprise, from remnants of the 70s punk scene in Camden to traces of age-old royalty and regal tradition in Kensington.

As the semester carried on, the adventures began to cross borders. I visited fellow Thetas in Madrid, celebrated my heritage in Dublin, picnicked at the Eiffel Tower, and made it to the blue waters and ancient ruins of Greece by May. Each trip brought me into an entirely new world, where I learned bits and pieces of a new language, observed the uniqueness of the culture, and tried to live my days like a local.

By the end, my journal was overflowing with entries and my camera had six full memory cards. It was time to pack my bags and cross the pond, homeward bound with many stories to tell. Living abroad gave me a newfound desire to explore and learn from the unfamiliar. As I return to USC, I hope to share this—and my 6,246 photos—with friends and fellow Thetas thinking of taking the same leap.

Thetas Abroad Spring 2015

Buenos Aires, ArgentinaAlana Victor

Melbourne, AustraliaChelsea Khakshouri, Makenna Neal, Kate Lyon

Sydney, AustraliaCaroline Dahl, Erica Demitroff, Jessie Leventhal, Courtney Rosselli, Charlotte Sewell

Vienna, AustriaLexi Herzlich

London, EnglandFiona Alfait, Alyse Binder, Nikki Borchard, Camille Bradshaw, Rachel Hall, Margaret Lenker, Ellie Lewis, Michelle Martina, Olivia Neagle, Sonum Singh, Lauren Trainer, Alyssa Wall

Manchester, England Alex Lin

Helsinki, FinlandDanielle Norton

Athens, GreeceKate Kulaga

Galway, IrelandAllison Jervis

Amsterdam, NetherlandsTenaya Ende, Nikki Goldfarb, Elena Kuhn

Rotterdam, NetherlandsReni Carlson

Dunedin, New ZealandMady Renn

Edinburgh, ScotlandWhitney Evans, Gabi Horowitz

Capetown, South AfricaKatie Gregg, Anika Suddath

Madrid, Spain Nicole Baqai, Alexa Brown, Kimberly Ostiller, Emily Wil-liams

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Leading Women Spotlight

Freshman Sarah AllenHometown: Overland Park, Kansas

Major: Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation

Involvement: Design Chair of Theta, Creative Department Intern in USC University Communications

Future goals: “I’m very interested in the intersection of design and technology. I am exploring web design and how coding can visually impact viewers.”

Best part of Theta: “The variety of talents these women have is unprecedented and allows me to learn something from one of my sisters everyday.”

Sophomore

NicoleFarageHometown: New York City, New York

Major: Communication (Entrepreneurship and Public Relations Minors)

Involvement: Founder of Victorywear Apparel, Tamid Investment Group, Trojan CEO Network

Future goals: “To continue my entrepreneurial adventure when I graduate and have successful ventures throughout my career.”

Best part of Theta: “Sitting downstairs in the Theta house surrounded by friends telling stories and laughing for hours.”

Junior DanielleNortonHometown: Kansas City, Kansas

Major: Business Cinematic Arts (BCA)

Involvement: Chief Education Officer of Theta, Society 53

Future goals: “I would love to work in the production department of a media company. Ideally, I would head to San Francisco after graduation!”

Best part of Theta: “I have sisters in places all over the world that are willing and able to give advice and help me, whether it be with professional development or a social adventure!”

Senior NikkiSegalHometown: La Cañada Flintridge, California

Major: Cinematic Arts

Involvement: SoCal VoCals, USC Environmental Affairs, miscellaneous student film projects

Future goals: “To wake up in every continent of the world.”

Best part of Theta: “Always having a place to call home (even if it’s at 2am) and discovering how big the Theta family really is.”

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What will you miss most about Theta?

Congratulations to...

Claire Adams

Hania Adib

Alissa Arnold

Kate Arnold

Lainy Barkley

Claire Becker

Amanda Bennett

Sarah Bergstrom

Caroline Brain

Savvy Brar

Alex Buckingham

Lexi Byron

Kate Cardone

Olivia Carroll

Shea Carter

Rayne Chapman

Gillian Cooper

Alex Daugherty

Holly Dickinson

Julia DiMartinis

Emily Dods

Kristin Frierichs

Evanne Friedmann

Ali Grenier

Jackie Hamilton

Sawyer Harris

Nina Harstad

Aron Hendin

Linda Hsu

Mackenzie Hummel

Lilly Ibarra

Brittany Impellitteri

“I will miss laughing with all my sisters during meals at the house, and Monday

night bonding with the Bachelor, popcorn, and peanut M&Ms.” –Kaitlin Mogentale

Why are you proud to be a Theta?

“I’m so proud to be a theta because of the diversity and passion that

exist within our house. We have actresses, scientists, and future CEO’s that are best friends because of their open hearts and minds. I’ve never felt more comfortable or more cared about.” –Jackie Hamilton

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THE THETA

CLASS OF 2015 Congratulations to...

Tayler James

Nicole Jamgotchian

Sarin Khachatourians

Kylee Lessard

Julianne Levinson

Niki MacWhirter

Kate Magee

Nicole Matthews

Casey McCloskey

Jenny Michelman

Kaitlin Mogentale

Morgan Muhonen

Michelle Nabati

Melissa Norton

Chiara Nosse

Allie Obremskey

Maddy Peterson

Lindsey Pizula

Carlye Porrazzo

Kristen Randol

Emily Reinstein

Maggie Ridenhour

Katherine Samms

Cheyenne Samsel

Katie Scott

Nikki Segal

Zoe Siegel

Corinne Spears

Lauren Steinberg

Brooke Turpin

Katie Yaru

Jerry (Ceren) Yuksek

What advice do you have for the 2015 New Member Class?

“If you have the chance, live in the house! There is no better way to truly make Theta

your home. One of my most bittersweet memories from college was waking up the morning after graduation, seeing three of my best friends in the bunk beds next to me, and realizing I would never wake up to that again.” –Kate Arnold

Why do you love Theta?

“Having the best friends in the world and being able

to travel around the state, country, and world with them” -Maggie Ridenhour

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Spreading the Theta Family LoveThetas Reunite with Parents for Special Events

Theta Hits the Runway A Sisterhood Trip to the Louis Vuitton Exhibit

In February, Thetas of USC visited the temporary Louis Vuitton

exhibition in L.A. to check out some timeless fashion and bond while hanging out away from campus. When they entered the exhibit, they were immediately transported into a world with black walls, red carpets, and fashion everywhere. Thetas had the opportunity to see not only high-end, runway-ready clothes, but also how the clothes are made. With tons of perfect places to take photos, no Theta left without a picture for Instagram. Before leaving the exhibit, each young woman was given a Louis

Vuitton poster and Louis Vuitton stickers. There is no better way to spend a Saturday than learning about Louis Vuitton and the fashion industry while surrounded by Theta sisters.

Theta hosted two events during Spring semester that allowed chapter members to take a break from school and friends and bond with their parents. An annual tradition, Father-Daughter and Mother-Daughter events offered parents from all over the opportunity to travel to USC to spend time with their daughters in the L.A. area.

As fathers and daughters arrived at Santa Anita Park, they were welcomed with a three-course lunch and a stunning view of the racetrack with mountains behind it. A Santa Anita Park employee explained to our group how to interpret information in the race program and use it to choose horses to bet on. Some father-daughter pairs placed several bets, while others did not bet at all. Mackenzie Hummel’s father won an

exacto box bet (correctly choosing first, second, and third place) and won $700! One race was dedicated to Theta, and Sydney Klein and Hanna Turley had the unique opportunity to go into the winners’ circle with their fathers after the race.

For the Mother-Daughter event, Thetas and their mothers attended a beautiful luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Everyone watched a slideshow filled with Theta memories from throughout the year, which was especially moving for this year’s seniors and their mothers. There was also a photo booth with tons of props which which mothers and daughters took tons of fun photos.Theta Parents’ Club, we thank you for these wonderful events!

by Emma Hyams

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by Katie Gillette

Founders’ Day Women Celebrate Theta’s Beginning with Alumnae and Other Chapters

Letter From the President A Message from Katherine Flynn

Dear Theta family, I can’t believe another semester is complete! It has been an honor to lead a chapter that thrives on academics, community service, sisterhood, and campus involvement.

Spring kept us busy—from themed invite parties to volunteering off campus. For many, the highlight of the semester was our signature philanthropy event, KAT at Bat. The tournament was a tremendous success, and we raised double the amount from past years! Other simple sisterhood events, like watching the Oscars together on the couch or having other sororities over for ice cream during finals week, were some of my favorite nights. Still, at the end of the day, there is nothing I enjoy more than eating dinner on the roof of the house, complete with twinkling lights, bite-sized treats, and sharing stories.

We love hosting alumni, faculty members, and our families at the Theta house. We hosted USC Theta alumna, Ceylan Yukler, as our honorary guest speaker at our annual Scholarship dinner. Her stories of travel, success, and determination were so inspiring and we treasure her valuable advice. With over a dozen faculty and staff in attendance at Scholarship Dinner,

we were so proud to recognize Theta’s commitment to academics, service, and the university.

Prior to graduation in May, many of our seniors were inducted into various honor societies. Some of our women are headed to law and medical school after graduation. Among Omicrons that will be returning to campus this fall, there are five new USC Tour Guides who were hired after an intensive application and interview process. In addition, many Omicrons will be active in the school’s theatrical productions. At the annual Greek awards, we were also honored to win many prestigious awards within the Panhellenic community. This truly is a moment when I have to pinch myself--I am so lucky to be a Theta, and also so humbled and grateful to serve as Omicron’s CEO.

Although we have all been awaiting summer, I can’t wait to be back in the fall. Here, I can wear the goofiest costume, spend the night laughing for hours with young women whose passion for life and compassion for each other never cease to impress me. I’m so thankful to have such dedicated officers and members working with me. I am proud of what we have accomplished, and know Fall will bring even more amazing Theta memories. Hurry up August!

Theta Love and Mine, Katherine Flynnflynnk@usc.edu

USC Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae and current collegians were joined

by Thetas from UCLA and Occidental College for this year’s Founders’ Day, on which we celebrated the founding of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority 145 years ago. While eating a beautiful lunch at the Altadena Town & Country Club, Thetas in attendance honored members who joined the sorority 25 to 75 years ago. A volunteer from Court

Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Theta’s national philanthropy, spoke during the luncheon about the positive impact Kappa Alpha Theta has on the lives of foster children by supporting CASA. The luncheon concluded with Omicron CEO Katherine Flynn and her mother, Peggy Flynn (UCLA ’81), leading the women in singing the “Remember Song.”

by Lauren Brackmann

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On Friday, February 27th, the Omicron chapter of Kappa

Alpha Theta held their annual philanthropy event, Kat at Bat. The event was a huge success due to planning done by Zoe Sunshine (Kat at Bat chair), Kate Chulay (Philanthropy chair), and Hannah Roberts (Chief Marketing Officer).

Dubbed “Christmas in March” (or February in this case) for being one of Omicron’s most exciting events, Kat at Bat this year met and exceeded expectations. The event consisted of five fun-filled days. Members of Theta covered Greek Row in chalk, invited fraternities over to the Theta house for snacks

and to watch the classic baseball film Sandlot, and held a dance competition. Finally, the best and last day of the philanthropy event included the annual whiffle ball tournament. Nineteen fraternities came out to USC’s McAllister Field to participate in the tournament. After a long day filled with hot dogs and whiffle ball, Sigma Nu went home as the champions of the event. Their prize was an exclusive brunch with Theta members on the Theta house’s rooftop.

This year, Theta aimed to raise $25,000 to support Court Appointed Special Advocated (CASA) and the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. Funds were raised through record-breaking t-shirts sales, raffle tickets, participation fees, partnerships with local businesses (Amazebowls and Smiles Café), and generous donations from alumni, friends, and family members. This year, the Omicron chapter exceeded its goal, raising an unprecedented $43,000.

CASA is an organization that supports children who are victims of abuse or neglect by pairing each child with a trained citizen-volunteer. This volunteer acts as the child’s support system, mentor, and advocate in courtrooms and the community. The volunteer gives the child a voice and ensures that he/she is treated well.

“We were thrilled to be able to donate the money to CASA and to raise awareness about such a worthwhile cause,” said Roberts. “Thanks to all the support from donors, KAT at Bat 2015 was a huge success.”

THETA ACHIEVEMENTSPAGE 8

by Macaul Hodge

KAT at Bat 2015Omicron Raises $43,000 with This Year’s Philanthropy

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Senior Recognitions and AwardsClaire Adams... Hania Adib...

Kate Arnold...

Claire Becker...Caroline Brain...Olivia Carroll...Gillian Cooper...

Student Recognition Award

Renaissance Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa Honor

Society, Dean’s List, Interdisciplinary Award for

Social Sciences Research, Student Opportunities

for Academic Research Grant, Provost Under-

graduate Research Fellowship

Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Renaissance

Scholar, Student Recognition Award

Renaissance Scholar, Global Scholar, Cum Laude

Magna Cum Laude

Summa Cum Laude

Renaissance Scholar, University Honors

Mackenzie Hummel..

Nicole Jamgotchian...Kaitlin Mogentale...

Morgan Muhonen...Carlye Porazzo...Maggie Ridenhour...Corinne Spears...

Lauren Steinberg...Emily Reinstein...

Departmental Honors from Annenberg, Phi Beta

Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi

Student Recognition Award

Mork Family Scholar, Student Recognition Award,

Academic Achievement Award, Dean’s List

Student Recognition Award

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude

ISE Student of the Year, 1st in ISE Class of 2015,

Magna Cum Laude, Student Recognition Award

Lambda Pi Eta, Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa, Renaissance Scholar, Brittingham

Social Enterprise Lab Scholar

This Spring, Caroline Brooks (External Event Director) and

Maddie Carnow (Internal Event Director) worked tirelessly to foster relationships with fraternities up and down The Row for Omicron, scheduling fun events for every pledge class. The events team organized a diverse group of activities that chapter members could look forward to. For

example, members showed their patriotism at the AEPi “AmErican Pi” exchange, pretended to fight crime (but mostly danced and mingled) at the Sigma Chi “Superheroes vs. Villains” exchange.

Theta also hosted two invites. The first was a Holiday-themed event that took place at Red O’s in Beverly Hills. Thetas and their dates showed up in all kinds of festive holiday costumes. The second invite was Theta’s formal. Girls and their dates dressed to the nines, and took buses from USC to Whiskey Red’s in beautiful Marina del Rey, which overlooks the ocean.

On April 8th, Omicron held its bi-annual Scholarship Dinner for members and their favorite USC

faculty to attend. For this particular event, the guest speaker was USC Omicron Alumna Ceylan Yukler. In 2003, Yukler graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Business Development with a concentration in Marketing Communications. She went on to travel the world, working in advertising in Los Angeles, Istanbul, Paris, and Amsterdam. Currently, Yukler serves as an Account Director at Media Arts Lab, Apple’s external advertising agency. In addition to having the privilege of hearing Yukler share her experiences, the night was a celebration of

the Kappa Alpha Theta Omicron Chapter’s academic accomplishments during the fall semester. Twenty girls

received a 4.0 in the fall semester, and over 68 girls received a 3.75 or above. Theta was proud to announce that the “all house” fall GPA was a 3.52, which was above the women’s average at USC, Greek average at USC, and overall USC student average. Once again, Omicron received the award for highest Panhellenic GPA. We are so proud of our house full of scholars!

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by Alex Burns

Scholarship Dinner 2015Omicron Celebrates Highest Panhellenic GPA

Sisterhood and Social Invites, Exchanges, and Nights Out Together

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by Alex Burns

MADE WITH THETA LOVEThis edition of Thetas of Troy was created by:

Natalie Mogentale, Editornmogenta@usc.edu

Special thanks to:Ari Uhalde

Please join the Kappa Alpha Theta Omicron Linked In and Facebook pages!

Contact Alumnae and Foundation Liaison Lauren Brackman with questions lbrackma@usc.edu

THE CHAIN THAT BINDS US LINKS US HEART TO HEART...

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PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPasadena, CAPERMIT #740

c/o Kappa Alpha Theta653 W. 28th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90007

Address Service Requested

RECRUITMENT 2015Calendar Recruitment References and Volunteering

Convo Days August 23-24House Tour Days August 25-26 Slideshow Day August 27Preference August 28Bid Night August 29

Please send reference letter to the chapter house by August 20th (address above).

If you have any questions regarding Recruitment or reference letters, or you would like to volunteer during Recruitment, please contact 2015thetareference@gmail.com.

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