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Xi Alpha Chapter Newsletter

______________________________________ Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc.

The Call to Action: A Reflection on the National Organization’s

Annual Theme by Jessica Peñaranda

This year our national organization chose our annual theme to be about "Social Change" and promoting the ideals of this throughout the year. When I first heard the theme announced at our national convention I was overcome with emotions because at that very moment I felt my organization was speaking to me personally as a "change agent" and I was able to see TNX as a vehicle for social justice. However, the reality of our diverse organization made me realize that if part of our mission is to take part in social justice movements we have much work ahead of us. We have much to do in order to be truly committed and invested in the struggle and make an impact as women, as sisters, as a multicultural and multi-dimensional organization with varying voices and priorities.

I would challenge our organization, our chapters, and our individual sisters to critically consider how we as an organization can be this vehicle and contribute through our sisterhood towards social justice

movements. In order to do this we must have the difficult conversations about our own privilege, our oppressions, to look inward and outward into the spaces we navigate and occupy. Together, we must consider how we can sustain awareness of ourselves and what our impact is in the world. We already do an incredible job of raising issues that perplex us, anger us, sadden us, and make us take a stand. But how do we use all of that energy and organize ourselves to be pivotal forces for change? Perhaps my idealism over the potential power that our organization has is not shared by many, but I profoundly believe we can be a critical national voice. Continued on page 2…

Table of Contents

Page 1- The Call To Action

Page 2- New Year Highlights

Page 3- Butterfly Book Review

Preparing For The Future Today

Page 4- Upcoming Xi Alpha Events

Page 5- Sister Spotlight

Page 6- Upcoming Awareness Campaigns

Websites that Inspire/ Empower

Page 7- About and Contact Information

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Together for our Sisterhood Valentine’s Day Dinner

Continued from page 1… This may take some time and some thoughtful reflection about

where we envision ourselves once this year's theme comes to an end. There are more questions than answers, but it is in this curious state that we can thrive to reimagine our sorority’s impact. If we are to do justice to social justice movements, we must recognize our individual and systemic privileges. As my soror Habiba Braimah says, "We all have unearned privilege." We all must practice constant awareness or we may become ally's and actors of oppression ourselves. I want to make a national call to our sisterhood to engage in these dialogues beyond just having an "annual" theme because to be truly impactful we must organize and begin to see if we can or even should participate as a collective in this movement.

If we are to take a lesson from past social movements, we can note the intensity and commitment they take. It is clear that our work towards social justice is far from over. Though we have accomplished and broken great barriers, our continuous struggle for liberation will be challenging. This month, as we celebrate Black History as a part of American History, we are reminded that systems of oppression continue to reign in our society despite the belief and claims that we are in a "post-racial society" that values "human rights" for all. I can't help but see that our society continues to value certain lives over others. It is clear that the rights and protections of some are marginalized. I recall the intense emotions within our sisterhood over the Trayvon Martin verdict and the recent Jordan Davis mistrial on a first degree murder charge. We are constantly reminded that these lives don't matter and that our justice system operates differently for people of color.

How do we sustain activism in this age of mass incarceration and the increased marginalization of so many lives? More and more we see our society's "undesirables" pushed towards the peripheries, but how do we engage in the work of undoing injustice? How will we turn all this anger, confusion, and sadness into actionable change? These are the conversations of movement building for social change. My dear sorors, if we value our voices, the voices of our communities, and the voices of our future generations, how will we respond to this call for action?

New Year Highlights!

Xi Alpha Chapter wins “Certificate Of Excellence in Advocacy Through Learning” at Northeast Regional Conference

“In honor of your outstanding performance and dedication for Multiculturalism, we gladly present this Certificate of Excellence in Advocacy through Learning.”

Our Very Own Jessica Peñaranda was Appointed Regional Director of

the Northeast

Congratulations Sor. Jessica for your new position of leadership! We wish you the best of luck and much success during your tenure.

Black History is American History Social Media Challenge

During Black History Month, sisters posted facts, quotes, and pictures of black history on various social media sites reaching friends, family and acquaintances. These posts educated, sparked conversations and paid tribute to the Americans of the past and present who fought and sacrificed for the equal treatment of all people in this country.

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Butterfly Book Review by Margaret Vallone

“Eyes Wide Open” by Noreena Hertz

I thought that my eyes were pretty open to the world, but “Eyes Wide Open” by Noreen Hertz gave me multiple new perspectives. I always thought I was good at noticing details, not trusting the so-called “experts,” and not getting sucked in by infomercials. I soon found out that I have a lot to learn. Even if you think that your eyes are open or that you can't be tricked, this book can serve as a good warning against overconfidence with plenty of anecdotes full of lessons. At the end of every chapter, Noreen Hertz provides a bullet point list and synopsis of how to build the skills we need to keep our "eyes wide open." This book truly helped me to understand how and why I think certain things and make certain decisions.

This book is a great read, especially in this age of increased social media usage. Can we really trust something that a person tweets? Has the picture you are looking at been photoshopped? Did you know that there are robots pretending to be people on twitter just to post positive political comments during elections? One of the most important lessons this book taught me was to not let past decisions "blind us" to future decisions. I was reminded of this lesson while watching a figure skating couple’s program during the Sochi Olympics. Before the couple began their skating, the announcers made it known that the couple were world champions. There was also a lot of hype about the couple being "the best." Their performance was not the best. However, the judges gave the couple first place over other more highly skilled and flawless routines. It could just be my opinion, but it is interesting to think about and notice where past decisions can impact future decisions.

Another important aspect of the book was its focus on building critical thinking and basic math skills! These two skills are vital when we need to rely on ourselves to make our own fully informed decisions. My favorite lesson of all was what I will call “learning from front-line workers.” All too often rules, plans and projects are created by a boss that is so far removed from the implementation process that they do not know what is going on. This book helped me to see where I needed work to keep my "eyes wide open." It really pushed the fact that we all need to do our own research and not blindly trust an "expert," social media, or get trapped by past decisions.

Preparing for the Future Today by

Natasia Harrison

I know what you’re thinking. I’m young, beautiful, and I’ve got plenty of time to plan for my golden years. My response for you is… not quite. Ok, maybe you’re young and beautiful, but you have the best tool to create the nest egg you need to retire in comfort. That is TIME. I’m not going to pretend I’m Suze Orman (though I love her books), Warren Buffet (though I love his take on life) or some other investing guru. I’m learning with you. I think, though, once you dive into the world of investing you will be curious to learn more.

There’s a lot of information out there and trying to learn about stocks, bonds, IRAs, etc. all at once can be intimidating. This article is to introduce you to the 401(k); next newsletter’s article will be all about the Roth IRA. There are more plans you can research on your own, but you’ll see why I chose these two in a second.

A 401(k) is a plan some private companies offer their employees to help employees reach their retirement goals. The details of the plan are usually listed in your benefits package. The equivalent plan offered to educators and nonprofit workers is called a 403(b). For government employees it’s called a 457 plan. Your employer takes a percentage of your income before taxes (you decide the percentage), and sets it into this retirement account where it can be invested in stocks, bonds, cash, or more likely a combination of the above. In addition to what you contribute from your income, your employer will ‘match’ a certain amount of what you put into your 401(k). Take this example. Gossamer Ray earns $30,000 of gross income (income before taxes) each year. She decides to take $125 from her biweekly paycheck to invest in her retirement because $125 is 10% of her biweekly check of $1250. Her company says that if she uses their 401(k) plan, it will match ‘dollar for dollar’ whatever she puts into that account to a limit of 10% of her gross income. 10% of two weeks’ pay is$125. That means a total of $250 is going into her account every 2 weeks. It’s free money or like having a secret raise that goes straight into your retirement plan. That $250 accumulates interest if invested in safe financial instruments.

Each company decides how much it will match the amount you contribute. Also, each company will decide what options you can choose from to put your money into. Most likely, they will automatically set your money into an account that has a combination of stocks, bonds and cash that vary depending on your expected date of retirement. If you are younger, you may want a larger portion of your money to go into stocks which are riskier (i.e., may not give you a return on your investment) but which may earn more interest. Continued on page 4…

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UPCOMING XI ALPHA EVENTS!

International Badge Day

“Wear Your Letters on Your Heart” Theme

March 3

Sisterhood Sleepover and Chapter

March 15-16

Revitalize Farm Rockaway

New York Cares (Manhattan meet)

March 22

Words of Empowerment Series

March 10 - 21

National Organization’s Annual Day of Service

April 12

T-Shirt Decorating Community Service

Covenant House

March 12

Sleep out for the Homeless- Support our Sister Courtney! Covenant House

March 21

"Run for Change"- 10K Mother's Day Run

Washington Crossing, PA with Xi Xi Chapter

May 11

Continued from page 3… If you are older, you may want to invest more in bonds and cash. Bonds earn very little interest, but you will virtually never lose the money you put in and cash earns no interest. You can access your 401(k) account online and see what you’ve contributed, what your company contributed, how much interest your money earned and a thorough description of the plan you’re enrolled in. Just ask your human resources manager what the website is if you’re not sure where to find it.

If you’re under 50 years old, the IRS allows you to contribute a maximum total amount of $17,500 for the year (not including what your company matches). Remember, all your contributions are taken before your income is taxed. But the moment you start withdrawing from your 401(k) your withdrawals will be taxed. You must start withdrawing from your 401(k) when you turn 70 ½ years old or the year you retire. You can withdraw from your 401(k) before you retire but if you choose to before the age of 59 ½ yrs old, your withdrawal will be taxed and an additional 10% tax will be charged to what you withdraw! Needless to say, it’s not wise to withdraw from you 401(k) too early. In some instances you can take out loans, but there’s another set of guidelines you’ll need to look over first.

You may be thinking, “What do I do if my company doesn’t offer a 401(k)?” Okay, relax. In the next issue we’ll explain the Roth IRA, another highly useful way to retire in comfort. You may also be thinking, “That’s nice but I need all my money now. I’m struggling! All my money basically goes to my rent, car, student loans, love of gourmet cheeses, etc. How do I put money away for the future when I need it now?” I hear you, but listen. People are living longer and longer lives. Suze Orman put it this way, “If you do not have the money today to pay your bills while you have a paycheck coming in, how do you expect to pay those same bills later in life when you no longer have a paycheck coming in?” Even setting aside a little bit through these automatic deductions can help, and some financial planners recommend saving at least up to the employer match so that you’re not leaving that “free” money on the table. Be wise, butterflies, and open your minds to the possibilities of investing for the future!

How Many Butterflies Fit In That Backseat???

Chapter at Soror Iris Lovell’s Home in New Jersey

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Sister Spotlight by Katie Branagan

Since joining Theta Nu Xi as an Alpha Gamma Chapter Founder in Fall 2005 as #1 pACEón Eternal, Jessica Peñaranda has developed a reputation in our organization. That reputation is one of a loving a sister, a determined leader, and a passionate advocate for social justice. As my big sister, Jessica has served as a guide for me and as a source of inspiration. With this year’s national theme being “Social Change Butterflies,” I could not think of a more appropriate sister to feature in this edition of Sisterhood Spotlight. For those who know Jessica, her devotion to social justice comes as no surprise; here are some things you may not know about our sister, Jessica. Katie: What do you do for a living and what is your favorite part about what you do?

Jessica: I am an Intensive Case manager and work with Survivors of ALL forms of Human Trafficking. I also am the coordinator for Voices of Hope, our survivor-led advocacy group. I feel most valuable in my work knowing I am an ally to our clients and survivor leaders and create the space for their needs and voices to be heard. Katie: What is the next thing that you are going to check off of your bucket list? Jessica: A trip to Southeast Asia-preferably to Indonesia or the Philippines!

Katie: What is your favorite TNX memory? Jessica: There are so many! It's hard to choose one. My 27th Birthday party was pretty memorable with my sisters. For me they are all the moments when my sisters, especially my chapter sisters have been my rocks, my essential support system. More recently it was a midnight call to one of my closest sisters that gave me strength in a very difficult moment in my life. That is what sisterhood is all about for me. It’s love and empowerment for each other. Katie: What draws you to writing poetry? Jessica: I don't write as a hobby, I write out of necessity. It's part of my essence, when life is hard beautiful words start oozing out of me. They come so fast I rarely have time to get them on physical paper. I can't tell you how many unwritten poems are in my memory bank. As an emotional creature, words express the constant dialogues between my heart, my soul and my mind and the yearning to speak to the world. Katie: What is a fun or random fact about you that few people know about? Jessica: I secretly want to be an actress or documentary film producer or a synchronized swimmer! Very random!

Words Saved Me A Poem by Sor. Jessica Peñaranda

Words lying dormant in my soul So lonely on their own

Owing debts to the past They could no longer hold.

Holding on to the prison gates of my cell

Selling out to my inner self Denying truth to my self

Conflicted, confused, depicted as simple "used"

I was rarely amused when I would choke back my words

to appease WHO?

Maybe it was you My external self stuck in my youth

Seventeen and so confused Twenty-two and still

didn't have a clue.

Allowing my depth to be taken to the "hole" with no light, no breath, no soul

Then I finally realized on my own that’s when words

saved my life saved my soul!

Deconstructed my strength and re-shaped it on its own

Deconstructed the lies, the false hope,

and the constant recidivism that sent me back to the "hole"

Those cold cell bars no longer have me on hold

an inmate no longer I'm finally on my own

Thank you words for saving my life

saving my soul

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Websites That Inspire And Empower

_____________________________________________________________________________

Ted.com

Collection of TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talks in which knowledgeable speakers address a

variety of topics in short videos

ZenHabits.net

Blog about improving your life by making it simpler.

Freerice.com

Help end world hunger by correctly answering multiple-choice quizzes on a wide variety of subjects.

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March 2014 Edition. Edited by Sor. Natasia Harrison

About Xi Alpha Chapter Xi Alpha is the New York City Graduate, Alumnae and Professional (GAP) Chapter of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. There are currently 16 members active in the chapter, all of whom strive to live out the mission and tenets of Theta Nu Xi in everything they do. The Chapter was founded on April 11, 2002 by Soror Holly Woodard (Beta, Spring 1999), Soror Rebecca Treherne (Beta, Spring 2000), Founding Monarch Melissa Murchison-Blake (Alpha, Spring 1997) and Founding Monarch Janelle Poe (Alpha, Spring 1997).

Mission Statement To promote leadership, multiculturalism and self-improvement through academic excellence, involvement in and service to the campus and community, as well as being living examples of sisterhood across different races, cultures, religions, backgrounds and lifestyles.

Tenets

Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, Leadership, Multiculturalism

Motto

Sisters of diversity together as ONE!

For More Information

About Theta Nu Xi Visit:

www.ThetaNuXi.org

For More Information

About Xi Alpha and Our

Upcoming Events Visit:

http://tnx-xa.wix.com/home

Contact the Chapter at:

XAChapter@yahoo.com