First Date Party of the Year!

Endless Summer

Pi Phi's Habitat for Humanity Build

Pi Phi, Pinkberry, and the Pool!

Movie Night

Pi Phi & Outreach Tulane

Senior Week!

Seniors say goodbye this week. Throughout the week, piphi families give their seniors presents and celebrate the last week of school with them! On Wednesday, everyone had a great time at the senior crawfish boil and on Thursday, piphis took out their senior for a last family dinner. It was an especially bittersweet moment for everyone, watching their seniors finish college! We are so proud of them and will miss them all dearly!

Relay for Life

This year, pi phis rocked Relay for Life by raising over $4,000 and contributing the most of any group to the cause! Girls throughout the sorority donated, wrote letters inspiring others to help them fight cancer, and participated in the 24 hour Relay for Life marathon. I'm so proud of my pi phi sisters for all of their hard work raising donations and giving their time to help this wonderful cause!

Spring Formal 2010

Spring Formal, held at the Metro, was a fun time where pi phis got to dress up and celebrate the end of the year. Formal is always bittersweet as piphis get to celebrate and dance together as another school year comes to a close. Formal is a chance for girls to get a little more dressed up and have a nice affair to remember their spring semester. I hope everyone had an amazing time!

Initiation Bruch

After initiation, everyone dressed in their formal whites celebrates with brunch at the Court of Two Sisters! Brunch is a great time to celebrate the new member initiation with delicious food. It's always fun to gather together with families, friends and alumni to congratulate our new sisters! This year, we were even lucky enough to have fellow family members who were also pi phis come to initiation to see their daughters and sisters become pi phis as well!

Crawfest

Tulane's annual crawfest party brought music, vendors, and delicious crawfish to the LBC quad. Pi Phis took in the sun on the beautiful day listening to great bands and having a good time. Everyone looks forward to Crawfest as a way for people from Tulane and the greater community to celebrate springtime with great music and food!

Paint Party Part Deux!

Last November, Pi phi girls and Sammy boys threw an amazingly fun mixer and decided it was so great that they had to do it again! The Sammy/Piphi paint party mixer part two was held yesterday and was so much fun! Everyone dressed in white and got creative throwing paint on their sisters and the Sammy boys! The mixer was an awesome way to kick off spring break!

Pink Party

New Members celebrated completing the new member process with pizza and goodies! The Pink Party is a great time to reflect on the bonding experiences new members have in the past couple of months. Everyone wears pink and girls have a chance to reminisce with a slideshow and other fun activities!

Pledge Pin Ceremony

Actives gathered together to watch new members in their pledge pin ceremony. Pledges return their pins, representing their completion of the new member process. They look forward to initiation on Sunday!

Cookie Decorating and Cards for Lambeth House

In celebration of St. Patty's Day, pi phis came together to bake and decorate cookies to give to Lambeth House. Every holiday pi phis spread some extra cheer by providing some warm cookies and heartfelt cards to the men and women living at the Lambeth House!

Pi Phis in Tems

March 14, 2010

Pi Phi’s are involved all over campus in many different organizations. One such organization is Tulane EMS, TEMS. Tulane EMS is a student-run emergency medical service. In 2008, TEMS was voted number one collegiate EMS organization in the nation. It provides free medical care and ambulance service to the member’s of Tulane’s community. All members are EMT Basics who volunteer their time for the Tulane community. All members also volunteer for New Orleans EMS. Tulane EMS provides another exciting way to volunteer in New Orleans.

To become a member, students go through a rigorous application process. Tulane’s Pi Phi Chapter has the largest amount of sorority-affiliated girls within the organization. Julie Bursch, Kelsey Garrison, and Molly Bourke are all members of Tulane EMS. Both Julie and Kelsey are working towards certification as an EMT- Basic. Molly is working toward a promotion as Crew Chief. This Spring more Pi Phi girl’s look to apply to TEMS.

Kiss Me I'm a Pi Phi!

March 12, 2010

Pi Phis took a spin on the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festivities to make our own Kiss Me I'm a Pi Phi date party! Pi Phis and their dates had a great time dressed in green for the event!

Recycle Mania!

March 12, 2010-March 19, 2010

Sophomore Mel Schneider took the amazing initiative to get Pi Phis involved in the Recycle Mania Competition currently being held on campus. As an environmental studies major, Mel is a member of Tulane Eco-Reps, the organization sponsoring the recycling drive. In order to get more students involved and improve recycling standards on Tulane's campus, Mel signed up Pi Phi as a team in the competition! Pi Phis are gathering together their recyclables to help win the competition. It is great to see one of our sisters start a movement that gets the whole sorority involved! Snaps Mel!

Boot Out Breat Cancer

March 11, 2010

After big/little reveal and family dinners, Pi Phis gathered to participate in the Boot Out Breast Cancer event at the Boot. All proceeds and donations went to the New Orleans Breast Cancer Society for breast cancer screening and treatment in the New Orleans area. Live music was provided by The 1608 and prizes were raffled off to raise more money! It was a great event that so many Pi Phis attended and donated to, and it especially meant a lot to help beat Breast Cancer.

Big/Little Reveal

March 11, 2010

Pi Phis held their big/little sister ceremony and the new members' big sisters were revealed! This week has been very exciting for everyone in Pi Phi; new members receive tons of goodies and sophomores get to stealthy decorate their little sister's rooms! After reveal, the families go out to dinner together to celebrate! I had so much fun during the whole big/little process and was so excited to get to surprise my little sister, Annie Quast! It is very fulfilling to have an amazingly fun sorority family to go out with and I am very excited to get to be a big sister and a mentor like my big sister, junior Danielle Burthhardt, has been for me.

Recruitment Round Table

March 11, 2010

Tulane's Panhellenic Council held a recruitment round table to get ideas about how to make recruitment run better and make it a more successful experience for all sororities and potential new members. The round table was held as part of the Panhellenic Council's new initiatives to foster discussion and dialogue among sorority women and the council and inspire the positive goals of Greek women on campus.

Big/Little Week

March 8, 2010-March 11, 2010

This week sophomores secretly their little sister's dorm rooms and leave goodies and presents all week long until the Big/Little reveal on Thursday night. New members receive handwritten notes from their big sis as well as candy and lots of Pi Phi stuff! I can't wait for Big/Little reveal!

St. Baldrick's Day

March 5, 2010

Junior Molly Bourke volunteered in the St. Baldrick's Day fundraiser where people shave their heads for solidarity with cancer patients. Molly is a member of TEMS and worked with the group to set up a team for the St. Baldrick's Day event, where many members shaved their heads! Her spirit for the event encouraged other Pi Phis to donate to this amazing cause.

Tulane USG Elections

March 2, 2010-March 3, 2010

Pi Phi Lauren Aronson is elected Tulane University Undergraduate Student Government President! Lauren has served for three years on USG and in extremely involved in both Pi Phi and other Tulane organizations. She won the election with a strong majority and we are very proud of her accomplishment and cannot wait to see what she can do with her new position!

Pi Phis Pref and Pose

March 3, 2010

Pi Phis pose for the annual composite picture today and sophomore and freshman pref their top five choices for little and big sisters, to be revealed next week. Sophomores are excited to get little sisters to mentor and new members are eager to join in a Pi Phi family! I am extremely excited about the Big/Little process. Big/Little week was a turning point for me in Pi Phi. My big sister has been such an amazing support system and huge influence on my college experience. Going to school so far away from home, my Pi Phi family has become my strongest support system around me at school. Knowing that my big sister and my family is always there for me is an awesome feeling, as they have become some of my best friends at Tulane. I cannot wait for my chance to have my own little sister and bring other member into our family who I can mentor and help grow as a sister and a friend.

Pi Phi's National Fraternity Day of Service

March 2, 2010

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess! Today is Pi Phis National Fraternity Day of Service. All Pi Phis wore philanthropy t-shirts to promote awareness and show support of Pi Phi's philanthropy, First Book. Pi Phis also set up a table in the university student center (LBC) where Pi Phi members and other students could decorate bookplates. Each decorated bookplate promised one donated book to an underprivileged child who otherwise would not have the means to buy his or her own book. It is important for Pi Phis to actively support literacy both on and off campus and we are excited for new initiatives aimed at this goal!

National Panhellenic Badge Day

March 1, 2010

Today is National Panhellenic Badge Day, where all Greek women dress nicely and wear their badges to celebrate greeklife and sororities across the country. Pi Phis participate by dressing to impress and proudly pinning their golden arrow badges on. Part of its promoting to unite all Greek women, Panhellenic council wants to proudly and positively displaying what Greek women can accomplish around campus and in the greater New Orleans community.

The First Mixer for the Babies!

February 28, 2010

Last night we had a mixer with SAE. It was an America themed and at F&M's. It was a lot of fun and the costumes were so funny. Some girls dressed up as hippies, Miley Cyrus, Miss America, housewives or just red, white and blue. This was one of the babies first events and I know they were having fun! They had such creative costumes and were able to meet more and more of the older girls. Everyone looked great and the boys had an awesome time!

Volunteering to Help Haiti

February 28, 2010

Some early risers were able to get up and help out at a water station in a race held to raise funds to go towards rebuilding in Haiti after the devastating effects of the earthquake. Senior Kirsten Lyerly was among the volunteers able to come and help out at the water station. As a senior, she is among the first to come back to Tulane as a freshman after Hurricane Katrina and knows how natural disasters can be so devastating to not only the city but its residents as well. She wanted to help the Haitians recover, inspired by the reconstruction and rebirth of New Orleans.

Party in the USAE

February 27, 2010

Pi Phis get decked out in quintessential American garb for the third annual America-themed mixer with SAE. Costumes ranged from George Washington and Uncle Sam, to an American housewife and even a Beanie Baby!

All Tied Up!

February 19, 2010


What a night for Pi Beta Phi! To kick off the new semester we had a tie date party where sisters had to secretly set up a man for their girls. Searching for the fella's tie we soon were on our way to the Uptown Frat House where everyone had put on their dancing shoes. Dates and sisters alike could be seen chatting it up, dancing the night away, or just relaxing on the couches. When the night was through and our feet (and heels) had had enough we hopped on the buses back to Tulane. Staying classy and fabulous, Piphis always know how to have a good time!

Pi Phi's My Tie Date Party

February 19, 2010

Pi Phis have a fun play on the regular date party. At the My Tie date party, Pi Phis set up their sisters with a date, not telling them who the date is, but giving her his tie to wear to the party so that the date can find her and the party. Many had fun playing matchmaker for their sisters and were eager to find out who their own dates were for the party.

Political Science Guest Lecturer Alex Frenier

February 18, 2010

Today, Alex Frenier from the University of Leipzing gave a compelling lecture to present his findings on transnational corporations and security governance in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He was able to engage in discussion with Pi Phis interested in political science and encouraged us to visit the International Studies Conference being held in New Orleans at this time. It was interesting to see what kind of research opportunities a political science major can participate in after graduating.

Pi Phis Mardi Pardi!

February 16, 2010

Mardi Gras is one of those times where not only do students from Tulane get together for pretty much a week straight, but its the one time of year that both the city of New Orleans and the student body can come together for the greatest celebration I have ever experienced. It could be the beads in the air, the pigs roasting, or the masks on the people on the floats that makes this time so unique. The colors represent the true exciting spirit of this time of year that could never be replaced. Once Tuesday hits, the countdown begins for next years Mardi Gras, and that is truly special.

MARDI GRAS

February 12, 2010-February 16, 2010

Pi Phis celebrate Mardi Gras along with thousands of other New Orleanians and visitors! Mardi Gras among the biggest parties in the country and Pi Phis are always excited to participate in the many parades and parties, catching beads and having a good time in a uniquely New Orleans way.

Teaching Through Technology

February 10, 2010

Tulane's education department holds a Teaching Through Technology seminar in the LBC where students can learn about new technological innovations being used in the classroom. Pi Phis who attended were able to learn about future career paths in educated and what future teachers can use to help students with different learning styles and needs through technology.

Saints Parade

February 9, 2010

Many Pi Phis travel downtown to see and celebrate with other New Orleanians for the New Orleans Saints Superbowl victory parade. Despite the cold weather, many Pi Phis were excited to celebrate with the city in this monumental victory!

Tulane ASB Election

February 8, 2010

Tulane holds their Associated Student Body (ASB) elections, which is the Tulane student government organization that represents both the graduate and undergraduate students of Tulane University. Presidential Candidate Blandon David visited the Pi Phi chapter meeting to advocate for his vote and present his ideas and plans if elected. He also promised to work with the Tulane Greek organizations more so than ASB has in the past. Blandon David was elected as ASB president with a large majority and I am looking forward to what he can accomplish working alongside Tulane Greeklife.

Saints Win Superbowl!

February 7, 2010

Today the New Orleans Saints played the Indianapolis Colts and won the Superbowl with a final score of 31-17. After coming back from the largest point deficit in Superbowl history, Drew Brees led the Saints to victory! Pi Phis watched the game all over the city and gathered together to celebrate their amazing victory! This was not only a celebration for the team, but also for the city of New Orleans, which is celebrating the election of Mitch Landrieu and the upcoming Mardi Gras holiday within the next week! This is the first Superbowl victory for the franchise and brings the rest of the country into the rebuilding and rebirth of the city of New Orleans.

New Orleans Mayoral Election Day

February 6, 2010

Many active Pi Phis involved in the well-being and reconstruction of the city are among the people casting their vote in the New Orleans Mayoral election. The city is excited for a new person to hold the office and duties as mayor of New Orleans as Ray Nagin steps down after many years of service. This will be the first new mayor for the city since the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. The public is eager for the exciting prospects each candidate holds, and the new ideas they will bring in order to better the city of New Orleans. Democrat Mitch Landrieu received a strong majority of the vote and will become the new mayor of New Orleans, and the public looks forward to continued progress in reconstruction and rebirth.

New Member Retreat

February 5, 2010-February 6, 2010

The new member class escapes busy life at Tulane to take a retreat together. In their retreat, they are able to bond and get to know each other better through fun games and activities, making life-long friendships that are apart of our sisterhood at Pi Phi.

Pi Phis Apply to Study Abroad

February 5, 2010

Many eager Pi Phis applied to study abroad during the summer and next fall semester. Many sophomores sought out advice from their sisters who had just returned from their own study abroad experiences. From Australia to Prague to Spain, Pi Phis have been experiencing different cultures and gaining amazing life experiences from their study abroad opportunities. The sophomore class is excited to embark on their own experiences. I just submitted my study abroad application to study in Beijing for two months this summer, where I will be able to participate in service learning as well as taking Chinese language and culture courses. These study abroad experiences will be life-altering and one of the most thrilling parts of our college experience.

New Executive Board for Tulane Panhellenic

February 4, 2010

Tulane Panhellenic Council celebrates the new executive board and honors the outgoing executive council for their dedicated service to furthering Greeklife. I am very excited about the new initiatives of the 2010-2011 executive council. They want to foster positive dialogues among sororities, Panhellenic council, and other Tulane University organizations in order to develop greater positive programs for all women on campus. This will be essential to the development of active relationships among the groups on campus and allow the organizations to work together on large projects aimed at the betterment of the Tulane University community.

Frats Serenade

January 31, 2010

An old Greek tradition continues at Tulane as the new fraternity pledges serenade our new baby angels. Active and new members have fun with the tradition and celebrate with the new fraternity pledges, beginning the new spring season for Greeklife at Tulane University.

Beautify Broadway

January 31, 2010

Pi Phis turn out in mass numbers to help beautify Broadway, cleaning up trash and making a difference in the greater New Orleans community. New members brave the colder weather to get their first taste of Pi Phi philanthropy.

Singing to the Girls-Pledge Serenade!

January 31, 2010

With all the new babies sitting outside gathered on the porch of the Pi Phi house, each frat couldn't wait to get to us! There was singing, dancing, and some hilarious costumes to make this day one of the best ones of the semester. After all the singing had finished, almost all of Tulane's Greek community headed down to the fly to continue to enjoy the beautiful weather and each other's company!

Taylor's Take on Beautify Broadway

January 31, 2010

Beautify Broadway is a community service event that targets the entire Tulane Greek community. Greek houses participate in a weekly rotation of clean up duties on one the most frequented streets around Tulane. During Beautify Broadway, members from all chapters of Greek life plant trees, flowers, and shrubs; lay mulch; cut weeds; and pick up trash along Broadway Street. A few Saturdays ago, Pi Phi joined forces with Sigma Chi and spent several hours cleaning up Broadway Street and around our own sorority house. Following the clean up, we all meet back at our house for coffee and some early morning snacks. This event is a great sister only activity for members of Phi Beta Phi and is an easy way for us to help keep the neighborhood in better condition. Beautify Broadway is a great way for Pi Phi and other Greek students to continue to give back to their university and community.

Pi Phis Clean Up

January 31, 2010

Beautify Broadway is the first philanthropy of the spring semester and we had a wonderful turnout! We all in the greek community think that keeping our streets clean is very important and given that many of us live on or near Broadway, we thought we should start our efforts close to home! By beautifying Broadway, we are helping to better our streets for us and the rest of the community as well as showing how a little bit of time and effort towards helping can lead to a wonderful outcome. If beautifying our streets isn't enough of a reason to help, it is also a great time for all of us to get together for a good cause. We started our morning with a great breakfast from Steins and then joined our sisters as we did a sweep of the street. It is a beneficial cause and a good time every year!

Recruitment Reflection as a Counselor

January 27, 2010

This year I worked as a recruitment counselor on behalf of Pi Beta Phi. It was a very interesting experience to disaffiliate and view our recruitment from the outside. Every day when girls came out of our house they were beaming and relayed to me that they had a wonderful experience. The energy in the Pi Phi house during recruitment was fantastic. Many of the potential new members were vying to be in our house. While I hear of many violations of contact etc. regarding other houses, Pi Phi remained in good standing with Panhell throughout the process. I got to know many of the potential new members during my work as a recruitment counselor and I can honestly say that we got an exceptional class this year.

Bid Day From a Junior's Perspective

January 24, 2010

After a long 2 weeks of recruitment, bid day was exciting for both the actives and the new babies! Hanging out with all our sisters in our fun shirts and our sunglasses was a bonding experience in itself for the actives as we waited for the newest members. Once they got there, the room exploded with elation and one by one we were introduced to the newest angels! To top off an already perfect night, the saints made it to the Superbowl! A great day all around!

Pi Phis Pose on Bid Day

January 24, 2010

Niki Kleinberger, Carrie Heller, Morgan Everhart, and Maddie Nickels on bid night right before meeting the babies. All of Pi Phi could not wait to see meet the new pledge class of 2010 and to make the night even more fun the Saints were playing. After the saints won all of the sisters were dancing and joining in to celebrate such an amazing day for not only Pi Phi but our beloved city of new orleans. We love our new pledge class and WHO DAT!

Bid Day!!

January 24, 2010

Excited baby angels receive their bids to Pi Phi! The new members then meet the actives for a celebratory dinner at Cannon's Restaurant on St. Charles Ave.

Recruitment Pref Morning

January 24, 2010

Potential new members go through their final day of recruitment during pref morning. Here, Pi Phis share touching stories of friendship and sisterhood, displaying what Pi Phi has meant to them. Some members help decorate for pref morning, adding some playful fun into the work.

Recruitment Second Series

January 23, 2010

After the first long week of classes and recruitment, potential new members return to the Pi Phi house for Second Series. The Pi Phiesta party begins as potential new members are shown a slideshow, giving them a better idea of the active and exciting lives of Pi Phis at Tulane.

Recruitment First Series

January 17, 2010

Pi Phis decorate the house into an enchanting Dr. Suess wonderland before First Series begins. Today, potential new members are introduced to Pi Phis national philanthropy, First Book, which provides reading opportunities and new books to underprivileged children in order to promote literacy. Potential new members are able to get a view on how they can become active members in the greater New Orleans community through volunteerism and philanthropy initiatives offered through Tulane Greeklife.

Recruitment Kick-Off

January 16, 2010

Tulane spring recruitment begins with the a kick-off event where potential new members are introduced to each sorority on campus.

Guest Lecturer Eduardo Silva

January 14, 2010

Political science, Latin American studies, and economics majors gathered to listen to professor of political science at the University of Missouri, Eduardo Silva discussed arguments laid out in his new book entitled "Challenging Neoliberalism in Latin America: Political Economy and Collective Action." Professor Silva gave a compelling argument about the anti-neoimperialist movement that swept across Latin America during the 1980s-1990s and its political implications for the future. He posed interesting ideas about neoliberal reforms and popular protest in Latin America.

Recruitment Workshops

January 7-10, 2010

Recruitment workshop is a time we when our chapter finally reunites back in New Orleans after a long winter break apart. We dedicate an entire week before the start of school to spend going over the ins and outs of recruitment. We would begin every morning learning and rehearsing our Pi Beta Phi songs to the point where these catchy tunes would actually fill our heads for the rest of the day whether we wanted them to or not. Pi Phi spirit and pride hit an all time high during this week. Despite the mundane yet imperative lessons on recruitment regulations, our moral remained high as we got to bond with every single girl in our sorority. During workshop our sisterhood was cemented as we all had to work together and prepare to act as a unit for recruitment. Every sister had the same goal of carrying out our Pi Phi values the best we could in order to recruit a new group of equally-valued girls. It was up to each of us to uphold our virtues for we would now be responsible for the future members of Pi Phi. Bearing such a huge weight on our shoulders did not frighten us, however, as it actually brought us together like nothing ever could. All week we sported our Pi Phi shirts as a symbol of our pride. Every day we took lunch breaks together discussing the day's events. At night we went out together to enjoy our time with one another even further. Most sororities may have resented all the stress and drama during recruitment workshop but Pi Phi thrived on this time for us to grow as a chapter and prepare for our incoming class. It was this high-spirited attitude that allowed us to take on recruitment itself with enthusiasm that in the end reflected itself in our amazing new pledge class.

Tulane Hosts New Orleans Mayoral Debate

January 12, 2010

Today, Tulane hosted the New Orleans Mayoral debate, allowing the public to become familiar with each of the candidates' platforms. The 2010 mayoral election is highly anticipated, since it is the first new mayor the city will have since Hurricane Katrina, and continuing recovery efforts aimed at rebuilding the city are among top concerns. The debate was hosted by Tulane University's political science department and questions were designed by political science students, allowing Tulane students to take a more active role in the election process.

First Day of Classes

January 11, 2010

The spring semester begins with the first day of classes as Pi Phis navigate through new professors and uncover what academic challenges lie ahead in the new semester.

Pi Phis Return for Spring '10 Semester

January 7, 2010-January 10, 2010

Pi Phis return to New Orleans to prepare for the spring semester and their upcoming classes. This semester holds many new opportunities and events for our sisters to take part in. Tulane University holds formal recruitment in the beginning of the spring semester, so many members are looking forward to experiencing the recruitment process for the first time and receiving new members into the chapter. I am looking forward to meeting many new people throughout the recruitment process!