As we head into the new year, this is a great time to reflect on all the amazing things Alpha Omicron has achieved this year. Let’s take a look at 2019 in review:

January

We started this year by welcoming our 2019 Executive Council and Programming Council on board. Nothing that happened this year would have been possible without their incredible leadership! A big thank you to this group of women for all their hard work and dedication to making Alpha Omicron the best it can be.

After spending over a month at home, it was so fun for the women of ZTA to come back together at the end of break. Our favorite winter sisterhood was ice skating at Coral Ridge Mall!

A few members of our executive team had the opportunity to attend the Officer Leadership Academy in St. Louis. These women represented Alpha Omicron and came home with so many great ideas on how to improve our chapter. Junior Grace Coleman recalled, “OLA was one of my favorite memories from this year. I learned so much about how to be a better leader, sister, and Zeta. I loved getting to spend time with my fellow EC members and explore St. Louis together!”

February

Our sisters who are involved in Dance Marathon participated in the big event, dancing for 24 hours in support of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital. ZTA raised over $20,000 FTK.

We celebrated Galentine’s Day with our sisters. The night was complete with roses, chocolate covered strawberries, and lots of pink and red.

March

We kicked off March with our spring philanthropy event -- Carbs for a Cure! We opened up the doors of Old Brick Church for the community to come in and enjoy Olive Garden, benefiting breast cancer education and awareness. We raised over $9,000 for breast cancer education and awareness.

Our sisters went all over the country and the globe over spring break. From snow to sand, we were happy to get a little break in the middle of a very cold winter.

After returning home from spring break, we had our Barbie & Ken themed Date Party. The costume competition, games, and awesome venue made for a great night!

April

April was a big month for Alpha Omicron, starting with a trip to Des Moines’ Principal Park for our annual Zeta Day! This day is a chance for Alpha Omicron members past and present to connect and bond over our shared sisterhood.

Later in the month, we welcomed our lovely moms to Iowa City for Mom’s Weekend! The weekend included a reception at the house, a pilates class, and Sunday brunch!

Shortly afterwards, we had our annual Spring Formal. At the White Violet themed event we enjoyed delicious food, dancing, and the crowning of “Miss Zeta” from each pledge class.

At the end of the month we came together for a special senior to alumnae ceremony. We then started to wrap up the school year with our end of year Academic Banquet in which we got to recognize all the hard work our sisters have been putting into their academics. Our hard work seems to have paid off, as we got one of the highest Panhellenic GPAs! We ended the night with senior wills and lots of laughs.

Summer

This past summer we had sisters all over the country and world! We had sisters studying abroad, working at internships, going on mission trips, and so much more!

In July a few members of Alpha Omicron got to attend the Emerging Leaders Academy at the Zeta Tau Alpha international office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Alpha Omicron was honored to receive the Crown Chapter Award for all our hard work during the school year! “At Emerging Leaders Academy I had the opportunity to meet sisters from around the country and develop my leadership skills at the ZTA international office! I learned so many valuable lessons about leadership, friendship, and sisterhood - but most of all, I learned the power of Zeta Tau Alpha women and our ability to make a difference in the world,” stated Sophomore Ella Daniels.

August

Move-In day came in August! We were so happy to welcome over 30 women into our newly remodeled house! Over the summer, we were fortunate enough to have our bathrooms and bedrooms completely remodeled.

The week before school started, we came together during Work Week to get ready for Primary Recruitment. In between practicing rounds, we played bonding games and participated in fun sisterhoods.

September

With September came the beginning of recruitment! We were so happy to share a little bit about our sisterhood with all the PNMs! “The best part of recruitment was probably just having everyone together in one place! As a senior, it made me start appreciating the time I spend around these women even more,” stated Senior Bailey Shimp.

October

At the beginning of October, we celebrated getting our new members on Bid Day! Our theme this year was “Our Love for You is Set in Stone,” which featured lots of crystals, iridescent patterns, and pink and purple!

Later in the month, our girls participated in the University of Iowa’s annual Homecoming Week. We partnered with Beta Theta Pi and Alpha Xi Delta and worked hard to perfect our routine for Iowa Shout, and it paid off! We were honored to receive an award for Standout Performance.

Towards the end of the month, we brought back Barn Dance! Everyone got decked out in their best country attire and came to enjoy a night full of good food, good music, and even a little line dancing!

To wrap up the month, our new members finally got to meet their big sisters! Big Little reveal took place during a special ritual at Danforth Chapel, followed by a fun reception at the house.

November

At the beginning of November, it was time to show our dads around Iowa City during Dad’s Weekend. The weekend was complete with nachos, watching the football game at the house, axe throwing, and Sunday brunch.

Leading up to initiation, there were fun events almost every night as part of Zeta Week. One of the best nights was Family night, in which our Zeta families all come together to support and celebrate this special time for our new members. The following Sunday our new members became official Zetas!

Before everyone left for Thanksgiving, our live-ins enjoyed one last meal together. Our amazing chef, Archie, prepared a full thanksgiving dinner for us at the house!

December

At the beginning of the month, we got in the festive spirit with our annual Holiday Cozy! The women of Alpha Omicron came together to share holiday treats, decorate the house, and enjoy a special Christmas performance from the Intersection Acapella group!

We celebrated the end of the semester with our Bachelor themed Semi Formal. We enjoyed a romantic evening together before preparing to head home for the holidays!