Samantha Gustafson, her roommate and their Christmas tree Jesus (hey-ZEUS). Check your email for a full update from our sister Samantha. 

First Under 30 Event

The first official 'Under 30' event took place last Thursday, December 18th. The ladies went to a wine and chocolate tasting at Sweet O' Lounge at Westgate in Glendale. The ladies are reporting back that the wine and chocolate pairings were de-li-cious and the chance to bond with new sisters was priceless! We hope to be able to get together again soon after the busy holiday season. The hope is to make events more frequent, with more sisters and vary the formality (some planned in advance and some more spontaneous get-to-gethers between new friends). If you have any suggestions for future events or if you have been mistakenly excluded from the contact list please let me know!  phxdzalumnae@gmail.com

Sugar and Spice... Our Holiday Tea

Our annual Holiday Tea was as fabulous as it was festive. There was a tasty treat spread, cookie swap, ornament exchange, beautiful jewelry made by Dusty Tingstrom and plenty of new introductions and old friends catching up. In other words it was another successful sisterhood event. Check out the pictures above to see just a small snip-it of the fun that was had!

 1: Kristin Thurmond (Delta Chi, Cal State Chico), her daughter Page (future DZ) and her mother. 2: Mary Peterson (Delta Nu), Joan Morgan (Beta Sigma), Sharon Grewell (Delta Theta) and Greta Mock (Alpha Iota) 3: Kathy Ray (Omicron, U of Pittsburgh) and her friend June Walther

Don't Forget...

This Saturday, December 6th from 2-4 PM is our annual Holiday Tea! Bring your female friends, treats to share and a wrapped ornament to exchange. You are also welcome to bring travel size toiletries for the Sojourner Center and/or new or used books for Lee Ann Witt's daughter who is collecting them for the Invisible Children of Africa. We hope to see you all Saturday. Happy Holidays!

The Pi Zeta Chapter at ASU supports Delta Zeta "Pink Goes Green" and is selling re-usable bags as a philanthropy and fundraiser for the chapter. These funds will go to the Delta Zeta Foundation and the Gwen Walters Sisterhood Grant.

These make a great gift for the holidays! Bags are $5 a bag, or get a great deal 5 for $20. You can choose from Forest or Kelly Green.

We hope you will support us in our efforts. If you are interested in purchasing a bag or bags, please notify Gina Kruckenberg at gkruckenberg@cox.net 

Over the (dry) river and through the desert, to... well, Grandma's house or wherever you might be going... I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with the family and friends who mean the most to you.

And, if you by some chance haven't yet responded for the Phoenix DZ Alumnae Holiday Tea on December 6th-- it's not too late!! Just e-mail Deb Willey at deb@durango.net and tell her to expect you, the important women in your life, your cookies and wrapped ornament. No time to bake? No problem: Just come anyway! (Tell us Santa sent you!)

In Delta Zeta,

Ann Santos

Time For Tea

"Sugar & Spice"

Delta Zeta Alumnae Holiday Tea 

When: Saturday, December 6th

Time: 2-4 PM

Hostess: Dena Cunningham

5738 W. Mariposa Grande Lane, Glendale

Don't forget...

(1) To invite all the women in your life: moms, sisters, aunts, cousins, neighbors, friends and even mothers-in-law! 

(2) Each person should bring a wrapped ornament to exchange if you would like to participate

(3) Got a special holiday cookie recipe? Bake up a batch and or pick up a package at your local market. Bring enough to share during the tea plus a few more... we will send a variety plate home with everyone!  

We will need a head count for seating arrangements by December 1st so please let us know if you will have guests. 

Deb Willey, deb@durango.net

Dena Cunningham, dcunning251@cox.net

Pi Zeta

The long awaited Bid Day picture! I was hoping to post this long ago, but it's better late than never! Knowing how important our relationship with the collegiate chapter is to all of us (award winning even!) I thought everyone would enjoy seeing the ladies all together. If you recall, Pi Zeta took 48 new baby turtles this Fall including 8 legacies! 

Legacies: Jessica Coffrini, Nicole Engelhardt, Tara Flanagan, Merissa Ghezzi, Jenna Maher, Katelyn Mullan, Sara Prokop and Jessica Stone 

Music Hath Charm

For some people, singing is therapy for the soul. Dorrine Prudhom, 76, helped create a chorus calaled the Choral Reef Singers just so she could have somewhere to sing. She helped start the group when she was undergoing radiation treatments for cancer. Unfortunately she lost her voice as a result of the therapy, but it came back! The group includes amateur singers as well as professional choir members. Phoenix DZ alum Claudia Hosking (Delta Alpha), who is known for her expert flute-playing, is a Choral Reef Singer and was mentioned in a recent issue of the Scottsdale Republic newspaper. 

Over the Weekend...

This past Sunday a few of the alumnae gathered in the West valley to create some fantastic holiday grams for the Pi Zeta girls. The grams explained "The Legend of the Jingle Bell." They were very cute and quite festive, bell and all! 

Pictured from left: Carol Birch (Zeta Beta), Sharon Voeller (Theta Pi), Mary Chandler (Delta), Annette Hebert (Iota Upsilon), Sue Rowse (Delta Mu), Kelsey Hebert (potential legacy!), Ann Santos (Zeta Chi)

Founders Day

Founders Day 2008 was fabulous! The Pi Zeta Chapter put on a brilliant event complete with beautiful decorations, tasty brunch and plenty of sisterly love to go around! In attendance there were initiates, alumnae young and old and of course our family and friends. 

Three of our dedicated alumnae were honored with the Order of the Golden Rose for 50 beautiful years of sisterhood: Pat Knowles Wells (Gamma Lambda), Celia Kolarevic Teteak (Gamma Psi) and Jeanette Mitchell Andriano (Delta Omicron). We extend our congratulations and gratitude to these women for their continued commitment to our sisterhood. 

Pictures from the top down: Alumnae honored for with the Order of the Golden Rose, display board showing Adelphi, some of our fabulous Pi Zeta alumnae

Pink Goes Green!

Help your SISTERS and the ENVIRONMENT at the same time!!

Pi Zeta is selling re-usable bags as a philanthropy and fundraiser project. The money is going to be donated to the Delta Zeta Foundation, the Gwen Walters Grant and put towards sisterhoods and a retreat for the chapter. The bags are a great way to cut down on your plastic bag consumption. They are also much stronger than plastic or paper bags... no more broken handles and groceries rolling down the street! 

The bags are being sold for $5 each or 3 for $12! Contact Gina Kruckenberg if you would like to purchase bags gkruckenberg@cox.net.

Founder's Day Brunch

Don't forget this Sunday, October 26th is our Founder's Day Brunch with the Pi Zeta's! The brunch begins at 11am. If you need further information contact Ann Santos or Lee Ann Witt, Pi Zeta CCD. Check back next week for pictures from the event! 

Trick-Or-Treat!

Ann Santos, Mary Georgeson, Arlis Legler and Jane Prall got together recently to put together some bewitching treats for our fabulous Pi Zeta girls! Just another example of sisterhood and support expressing itself in littlebut very meaningful ways. Won't you join us next time?! :) 

Race for the Cure 2008

Sunday's Komen Race for the Cure was quite an experience. I am so proud of Team Delta Zeta. We recruited 28 team members, some of which were alums, others collegiates, and some their friends and families. This was our first effort to have a group participate and we raised $1565--thanks in large part to the efforts of Karissa Ma whose total was more than $1000. She also picked up all the packets for the team. Way to go, Karissa!! In case you didn't see the email some time ago, Karissa is a 3.5 year survivor. It was a beautiful day for a stroll or run and it was amazing to be downtown and be part of 35,000 people. Thanks so much everyone who participated or donated. We'll be even bigger and better next year!

Ann Santos

Alumnae President

Ice Cream Bar @ Adelphi!

On Wednesday, October 8th the alumnae hosted an "Ice Cream Bar" for the new baby turtles of Pi Zeta! The decorations were adorable and the ice cream de-li-cious! Make sure to join us at our next Pi Zeta joint function, Founder's Day Brunch October 26th. 

Pictured: Nicole Farr, Ann Haggerty, Gina Kruckenberg, Mary Pat Pepping Christina Gonsalves and Kara Kissell

Mr. September Revealed

At September's alumnae meeting, Susan Norman revealed that she is the Phoenix alum who lives with "Mr. September." The heavenly hunk is actually a Bernese Mountain Dog who is part of Sue's Phoenix family. "Riley" is a regular model for PetsMart and has appeared in print ads, product packaging, and as "Mr. September" on a PetsMart calendar. His agent is A 1 Animal Talent. Photo courtesy of Radler Studios and PetsMart.

Sister of the Week

"I have a fear of heights and airplanes," says Christina Gonsalves (Pi Zeta, ASU), "but I just agreed to go sky-diving, and I am freaking out!" This DZ alum is having her share of excitement this fall, as she also is vying for the Miss Arizona title, representing Paradise Valley. Christina knows the ropes, after finishing second runner-up in a previous try, on behalf of Sierra Vista.

"Miss Arizona was a great experience for me," she says. "It really taught me a lot about myself -- what I am comfortable with, what I need to improve on. I am generally a very outgoing person, but getting on stage in a bikini can be very intimidating! It really taught me to get out of my comfort zone and go for it!"

Born in Germany, Christina moved to the Valley when she was just 2 years old. She graduated from ASU in May 2007 with a degree in supply chain management from the WP Carey School of Business and currently works in accounting for the Fiesta Bowl.

While she was in school, Christina found being a Pi Zeta founder and meeting some incredible people were highlights. To balance all the sorority activities and her studies, she had to be organized and properly manage her time. "Making sure you have your priorities straight" is vital, she says.

"Belonging to a sorority offered the exposure of meeting people from various backgrounds and cultures and having to understand them," Christina says. "In life and in the workplace, you come across people you have to work with that could be very different from you, so it's important to be able to get along with as many as possible and be open minded."

Christina lists as special interests or hobbies community involvement, volunteer work, movies, shopping, traveling, hanging out with her dog, family, friends, and fitness. She will keep us posted about the upcoming Miss Arizona contest in November so we can support her en masse!

Look @ What We've Been Up To!

If you weren't able to make it to the September meeting here is what you missed! There were so many great treats to share and fabulous sisters to visit with. Our next meeting will be at our joint Founder's Day celebration with Pi Zeta October 26th. Don't miss out! 

Sister of the Week

Please enjoy our very first Sister of the Week Profile featuring... Karen Lange!

If you hold the same alum-chapter office for more than 30 years, you deserve some major recognition! Phoenix alum, Karen Lange, has been our corresponding secretary since 1975 when she began sending birthday greetings, sympathy messages, get-well cards and all other correspondence on behalf of our group. If you receive a note from the alumnae chapter, you can almost bet it came form Karen!

Initiated in 1956 at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. Karen earned a B.S. in Business with a minors in both sociology and music. Karen moved to the Valley in 1972 where along with her husband Donovan she ran an industrial supplies family business. The couple has four children: Karen, Jan, Sue and Ann. 

"I love everything about being a DZ alum- the meetings, luncheons, sisterhood." -Karen

Karen does volunteer work and handles our alum chapter's "phone tree," making sure those without computer access receive updated information about activities and news. Karen enjoys eating out with family and friends and doing crossword puzzles. She also loves Bingo and baseball. 

Join us at our events and meet this dedicated DZ alum! 

Note: You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

Phoenix Alum Earns Achoth Award!

At the Delta Zeta National Convention in Miami, Fla. last summer Susan Norman (Zeta, University of Nebraska-Lincoln) received one of the sorority's prestigious Achoth Awards. The recognitions are given each convention to alumnae who have demonstrated, by long and faithful service on the local level, their continued loyalty to Delta Zeta.

When nominating Sue, Phoenix Alumnae President Ann Santos wrote,"In the days when we weren't sure whether the Phoenix Alumnae Chapter would continue, Sue was one of those who stepped up to lead us. In the ensuing years, she has been a dedicated DZ alum, serving in many capacities. I believe she exemplifies what a DZ should be and deserves recognition for all she has done"

In college, Sue was chapter president, rush chairwoman, House Corporation Board member and received the outstanding pledge award. Her alumnae activities began in Lincoln and continue in Phoenix where she has served as president, treasurer, Panhellenic representative, newsletter chair and delegate to National Conventions in Dallas and Scottsdale. She also volunteered at the Phoenix Open (now FBR) Golf tournament for 12 years. Since 2005, she has been Pi Zeta House Corporation President.

She has more than 30 years' experience in the interior design profession, establishing Susan Norman Interiors in 1980. The Pi Zeta Chapter has gorgeous rooms thanks to Sue's expertise and care. She enjoys working with students and is currently an instructor of interior design at the college level.

Congratulations Sue on winning an Achoth Award and thanks for all you do! 

Meet the New Baby Turtles

Come and meet the new Pi Zeta baby turtles! We will be hosting an "ice cream bar" at the Adelphi Commons on Wednesday, October 8th @ 6 PM. Hope to see you all there!

Did you know...?

Team Delta Zeta recruited 28 participants for the Susan G. Komen Phoenix Race for the Cure! This is the first year we are participating and already there has been an amazing response. We are proud to announce that as of September 26th we have raised over $1500! 

Greetings from Sam Gustafson

I am well into my first semester of graduate school for Audiology at ASU and so far am loving the program. There are a total of 9 first-year students, so my classes are very small. This semester I have 2 full days of classes as well as a few hours of clinical observation and an afternoon of teaching an Aural Rehabilitation workshop for members of the community. I am thoroughly enjoying all my classes and am enjoying the change of pace. It is so refreshing to finally be taking classes that all actually pertain to my field.

After submitting my research article to a journal for publication this summer, I recently received my submission review and will be making the necessary revisions and resubmitting within the next few months. We are in the process of developing ASU's National Association for Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA). I was elected to be this year's president. This club first registered on campus last year and we have exciting plans to build up our rapport with the campus and the community within this next year. [On top of all of this] I am working part-time as a student services assistant in a program called "Success Coaching" which pairs trained-student coaches with incoming freshman to help ease the transition to university life. This one-of-a-kind program is off to a great start and we are receiving a lot of positive feedback. The best part of my job is that it comes with tuition benefits! I am really enjoying my new job so far and love working on-campus!

I have a jam-packed schedule but I love it! I was born to be busy and wouldn't change any part of my "new life." Anyway that's about it for me. Have a great week!

Sam Gustafson, Pi Zeta

Excerpts taken from an email sent to Ann Santos from Sam Gustafson.

We want to hear from... YOU!

The blog is up and running! All we need now is to hear from all of you! As Ann put it "Got new-baby pix? Send them on in! Got something to brag about? Send it on in! Have you met up with some other alums in a faraway place? We want to know about it!" We want to hear and see it all! 

Please send your updates, stories and/or pictures to phx.alummembership@gmail.com! 

I can't wait to hear from you and neither can your fellow sisters! :)

Erin Maher

Xi Lambda

Welcome To Our Brand New Blog!!

The Delta Zeta Greater Phoenix Valley Alumnae Chapter is just beginning a fabulous new year! We are all looking forward to catching up with old friends and making new connections. Did you know there are over 800 Delta Zeta sisters in the state of Arizona? We are working hard to reach out to all of our sisters and hope to see more and more of you in the coming weeks and months! 

This year, in addition to all the amazing aspects of this chapter many alumnae have come to know and love, we are trying a few new things... like this blog! We have high hopes for the blog.We plan to do many things with it including: "Sister of the Week" profiles, updates on activities and giving sisters the opportunity to send in pictures from various life milestones like weddings, birth announcements etc. We hope you will all come to really love the blog and it will become something you visit regularly! 

Erin Maher, Xi Lambda

Membership Chair

Please check back soon for more updates and improvements!