Good Ole' Rocky Top

To say the least, the Alpha Kappa chapter of Alpha Delta Pi has set the bar high for what an LC visit should be. These girls are caring, funny, sweet, welcoming, & have a lot of great things going for them! After three incredible weeks in Atlanta learning about all things Alpha Delta Pi, I was definitely ready for some real-world experience and to see what the University of Tennessee had to offer.

I got to Knoxville at the beginning of Spirit Days- which for all you non-ADPi sisters is the week before recruitment begins where the entire chapter works on recruitment polishing. This being my first chapter visit, I had absolutely NO idea what to expect. So, I got off the plane, made my way to baggage claim, met the president, and jut took things as they came from there. Side note- walking into a room full of 150 women who you don't know and having to make friends is quite the challenge. Alpha Kappa did a great job of giving each Spirit Day a theme; pictured below is the lovely President, Merrell, on Hawaiian day (other themes included sports jersey day & ADPi spirit day).

Anyway, Alpha Kappa hooked a sista up. I got my own bed, a top-notch roommate who is oh-so-cleverly pictured below (and God bless her for never making me feel awkward about taking over half her room for 10 days. Hailey, you're gonna do BIG things for Alpha Kappa and I can't wait to watch your journey unfold), bags full of my favorite snacks, and warm welcomes from every sister that came in contact with me. Additionally, my first meal in Knoxville was sushi.. Can you say hashtag SOLD?! In addition to getting to eat my favorite food, I also got to experience some of the cool 'local' things to do including Old City, downtown, Market Square, Calhoun's, & campus tours. The advisors for the chapter also went above and beyond and took me to several meals, which is basically one of the biggest treats to a LC and NEVER goes unnoticed.

During recruitment the girls showcased their sisterhood in Go Greek round, made every woman in the room laugh during their skit round (I even sometimes strangely laugh to myself when I think of the ultimate 'frat stars'), and sold 60 woman on how strong our sisterhood is during preference round. A 1,000 person recruitment is no laughing matter, but thanks to the officers, recruitment team, and dedication of the chapter, the girls made it look effortless. I may not know the real Rocky Top song, but you can bet I know the whole ADPi version that's sung in recruitment!

My 10 days in Knoxville came to a close after one of my most favorite parts of the Alpha Delta Pi experience- BID DAY. With a theme like a "League of Our Own," I'm sure you can only imagine how much fun the chapter and new Alphas had during their first night together. It was filled with hot dogs, funnel cakes (!!!), ADPi pride, & of course lots of chanting and dancing in the dreamy Pi Palace.

 

 

So, without getting TOO sappy, I want to thank the Alpha Kappa chapter for all they did for me, and mostly because no sister ever hesitated to reach out to make my visit the most enjoyable possible. Thank you for the late night runs to Chipotle/Insomnia Cookies, smiles when I was awkwardly sitting in the corner on Spirit Days, listening to me and how I would ramble at 3 a.m, showering me with t-shirts, crazy amounts of candy, keeping up with my adventures, and most importantly, making me fall in love with my job each and every day.

 

Lots of Love from Tennessee,

Kathryn