Band Jam 2011

After months of planning and fundraising, all of the hard work by Texas Spirits actives was paid off as Band Jam 2011 was a complete success! It was a beautiful night on the rooftop of the Blind Pig on 6th Street where the event showcased some great musical acts. 

With a packed house, the night started off with our very own, Texas Spirit Break Leal, who put on a fabulous show. Attendees then got to get up out of their seats for dancing to the wild beats from Neiliyo, followed by a great set from the Ben Baxter Band. The night was then capped off with a talented performance by The Casey Hubble band. 

While still completing additional fundraising efforts, overall as an organization we were able to proudly raise over $16,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation. A big thank you to all who participated and donated to this wonderful cause, especially our generous sponsors. Also, great thanks to our Service Haunts Ana Hernandez and Nicole Dietze for all their hard work in making this a spectacular night.

Even though this year’s Band Jam is over, we are excited to see what the next year’s brings.

Tap-Out Spotlights!

Our latest Tap-Out Spotlight is Lauren Scroggs. She was a Spring 2009 Weenie and Public Relations Haunt in 2010. Lauren will be graduating in May 2012, and either plans on applying to law school or finding a job with the help of McCombs recruiting.

Her favorite Spirits tradition is the special ceremony of Tap-in. She has several favorite memories from her time in Spirits including, “playing catch phrase, telling scary stories, and (of course)Weenie Roast!”

Her advice to younger Spirits is to “Stay involved! Once you start drifting away from Spirits it’s hard to get back into the swing of things. Stay close with your pledge class and all the other Spirits you get to know and love!” 

We will miss you dearly, Lauren! Thank you for all that you have given to Texas Spirits, and best of luck to you in all your future endeavors! 

Our next Tap Out Spotlight is Amanda Chavira, a Spring 2009 Weenie and Special Projects Haunt in 2010. She plans to move wherever she finds a job when she graduates, but would love to stay in Austin (or Texas in general) if she has the chance.

Amanda’s favorite Spirits tradition is Initiation Brunch. For her “it's a great time to look back on the past semester and is especially funny to attend when you are on GC.”

One of her favorite Spirits memories was Spring ‘09s Weenie Roast. Amanda told us that “it was a really interesting night; tents, games, and bubbles were all involved.”

As for her advice for younger Spirits, Amanda says to “live it up, girls! These are some of the best times of your life. School is so important, but try not to miss out on all the fun Spirit events that you can never get back. Go to the mixers, go to all the events, don't wind up in your senior year wishing that you had done more. It will make your college experience that much sweeter.”

We will miss you, Amanda! Thank you for all the love that you have shown to Texas Spirits over the past years, and good luck to you in all of your future endeavors!

Amalia Anwar is our next Tap Out Spotlight. She was a Fall 2008 Weenie, which makes her one of the oldest members currently active in Spirits.

After graduation, Amalia plans to get a job in public relations, either at an agency or in-house. She would like to either stay in Austin or move to Dallas. 

Her favorite Spirits tradition is Ghoulfamilies. Here is what she had to say about this tradition. “I seriously have the best family ever, and Weenie Beanie is one of my favorite events every semester. We had 9 generations of our family at the Alumnae Reunion this year! I love that my family has gotten so close over the past few years, and I know I’ll stay in touch with them after I graduate.”

Amalia’s favorite memory from Spirits was her Weenie semester. She shared how it was one of her favorite semesters in college. “I loved how exciting everything was and how close I got with my pledge class. It's crazy to look at all of us then and now!”

As for her advice for younger Spirits, Amalia said to “Get involved in as many things as possible! Being on committees gives you the chance to get to know girls outside of your Weenie class and ghoulfamily. And of course, cherish your years in Spirits! It's cheesy, but you'll be graduating before you know it.”

It’s sad to see you leave, Amalia, but we know you have many wonderful days ahead of you. Good luck in your future endeavors, and thank you for all that you have given to Texas Spirits. 

WOW

This week's Weenie of the Week is Lily Patterson!

Name: Lily Patterson
Major:  Studio Art
Weirdest Habit: I take making wishes at 11:11 and 12:34 very seriously haha 11/11/11 was a big day for me
Four words to describe yourself: Adventurous, open-minded, artsy, realist
One word to describe your weenie semester so far: Exhilaration
Theme song of your life: "Tonight, tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins
Next time you see me ask me about: Lucid dreaming... I've been successful lately!

Lily is a sophomore Studio Art major at UT and a Fall 2011 Weenie! She has been a wonderful addition to this Weenie class. At the alumnae reunion she hung out at our tailgate for the whole game - and she even brought her own folding chair! Thanks so much for all of your hard work, Lily! Initiation is right around the corner ;)

Intramural Sports

The saying “all good things must come to an end“ holds true for the Texas Spirits' intramural soccer team this fall semester. As the semester winds down to a close, the girls can reflect on a successful semester of intramural sports. This semester Spirits participated in both coed soccer and women’s volleyball. For co-ed soccer, Spirits teamed up with the Texas Wranglers. They had an impressive season, finishing second in their bracket and advancing to the playoffs with a record of record of 4–2. On Sunday, November 6^th the team took on their opponent in the first game of playoffs. It was a close match with numerous scoring chances, but unfortunately, the team wasn’t able to capitalize on their chances and lost a close battle by a score of 2-1. 

Neven Simpson Serves During an IM Game

As for volleyball, the Texas Spirits team finished 3rd in their extremely competitive pool and will play their second playoff game on Sunday, November 20th at 8:00 p.m. This will be their second playoff game in the Women's B Silver Bracket. Good luck ladies!  

Gaby Deleon Takes A Pass

Tap-Out Spotlight

This week's tap-out spotlight is Emily Slattery! She is a Spring 2009 Weenie and 2010 Vice Haunt. Emily majors in Mathematics and will graduate in May of 2013. She isn't too sure about her plans after graduation yet, but she says that she hopes to find a job that feeds her "math nerd" half in a place where she can really work with people and make a difference! "I'm hoping for an internship at the Make-A-Wish Foundation this Spring, and hopefully that will shed some light on where I would really like to be."

Emily's favorite Spirits tradition is Ghoulfamilies. "You would think that simply given the name of being "Ghoulfriends" or being in a "Ghoulfam" wouldn't create that family-like relationship, but it does. When I was a Weenie, our fam was 3 people and now we are 7! I love my little, Christine like my wittle baby and I felt like a proud soccer mom when she made GC and got into OJs. The love definitely trickles down. Sometimes we joke about how I don't necessarily "belong" in my sweet, innocent family but baby Em has a little wild and a lot of weird in her and I'm happy that I'll be leaving that part of the fam with her."

When asked to choose her favorite Spirits memory, Emily couldn't choose just one. If she had to pick something, she says it would probably be GC Retreat Spring 2010. "We were all so excited, and it was when our GC family really started. Ups and downs, we really supported each other no matter what."

Emily's advice to younger generations of Spirits? "BE WEIRD! But really, be yourself! Goof off, have fun, embarrass yourself, and be awkward (1st place - Shannon Funke). This is the time to do the things that you enjoy before having to become the dreaded 'grown-up.' If you don't laugh so hard you almost pee, on a regular basis, you're missing out."

Thank you for everything you have given to Spirits, Emily. We'll miss you! Good luck with all that lies ahead of you!

SOW/WOW

Name: Dionne Dias
Major: Speech Language Pathology
Weirdest Habit: Dried/Peeling paint freaks me out, but i absolutely have to pick at it anyway. (ooohf, really weird, i know. #overachieving)
Four words that describe you: loud, sarcastic, sarcastic, and sarcastic
Theme Song of my life: Sleazy, Ke$ha. Hahahahah JK. More like, Little Secrets by Passion Pit.
Favorite Spirits memory: Volunteering at the Austin Marathon! Just about the only time in my life I've been inspired to run, the people who participate are nothing short of amazing and I loved learning their stories.
Describe Spirits in one word: love.
Next time you see me ask me about: Strangers. Together perhaps you and i can figure out why I have so many odd encounters with them.

Dionne is a Fall 2010 weenie and the sister of an alumni Spirit as well! From the minute she became a weenie, she has been such a joy and asset to our organization. She serves on multiple committees such as Band Jam and Alumni Reunion and helps out at many different events. On weekends, you can catch her hanging out with some chips and guacamole or adding to her blog.

Name: Sierra Welch
Major: Biology, Pre-PA
Weirdest habit: I can't touch cotton balls. I hate the feeling of them.
Four words to describe you: energetic, genuine, determined, friendly
Theme song of your life: 1-2 Step (Ciara) "The princess is here...Sierraaaaa"
One word to describe your weenie semester so far: Amazingly-fantastically-crazily-awesome (thats one word right?)
Next time you see me ask my about: MY WEENIESSS!

Sierra is a freshman Biology, Pre-PA student and Fall 2011 Weenie! She is extremely outgoing and always excited about every Texas Spirits! She has shown so much dedication and love for this organization. Thanks for all your hard work and keep it up, Sierra!

Tap-Out Spotlight: Katie Koehler

This week our tap out spotlight is Chief Haunt ‘11, Katie Koehler. She is a Fall ’09 Weenie and will be graduating in Spring 2013 with her MPA degree. After graduation she plans on working for Ernst and Young in the Austin office and serving in public accounting for a couple years before going off to “teach/work in a national park/start her own business.”

 Katie’s favorite Spirits tradition is the night of Initiation. Here is what she shared with us: “I can't divulge in the details, but I will say that it was freezing cold and I still get made fun of for being the only one out of my Weenie class to cry both at Initiation and PJ Rama. I'll never forget how great it was to finally become a Spirit.”

When asked about her favorite memory in Spirits, she couldn’t choose just one. “I could maybe narrow it down to one per semester? How about a couple of highlights? From my Weenie semester - favorite memory was the morning of initiation brunch, when literally 30 minutes before the festivities started, my pledge class was still running around trying to make sure everyone was up. Fall 09 - you remember what I'm talking about! Favorite memory from JI semester - the stories from summer recruitment. Favorite memory as an active - being able to serve on Ghost Council!”

Katie’s advice to younger Spirits is to “be yourself. Truly let go of your hesitations and expectations and know that you have found a place where you belong. The beautiful thing about Spirits is that we're all weird, quirky and awkward, just looking for a place to call home. And we've found it! So ENJOY the wonderful women around you. Let your hair down, put up your feet, and relax. Laugh. Soak up the traditions, the spirit, the service, the love and the friendship. AND remember to be thankful.”

Katie, you have been an amazing Chief Haunt and such an inspiration to us all. We are going to miss you dearly. Best of luck to you in pursuing your dreams!

Great Hills Halloween Carnival

Texas Spirits recently ended October off on a high note by volunteering at the Great Hills Halloween Carnival. The carnival was put on by the Great Hills Park Neighborhood Association which invited the area families to participate in some Halloween fun.  

Spirits had the opportunity to paint faces, hand out Halloween candy, and play many different games and activities with the children. We saw some great costumes and had a blast interacting with many local families. It was a great way to celebrate the holiday, as well as get involved with the community. 

Tap-Out Spotlight: Kayce Sebree

Our next Tap Out in the spotlight is Kayce Sebree! She was a Fall ’08 Weenie and Service Haunt in 2010. If you were a Weenie last spring, you might not have gotten the chance to get to know her because she was studying abroad in Spain. We are so glad to have her back this semester, but sad to see her tap out in December. If you run into her, make sure to ask her about her travels…surely she’s got plenty of stories to share!

Kayce in Portugal with Rachel Greene

After she graduates, Kayce plans to “go with the flow.” She hopes to take a year off and maybe go to Australia or South America to teach English or work and hang out for a year. After that she is considering applying to the Peace Corps, doing Teach for America, or going to grad school either here or in Spain.

Her favorite Spirits tradition would probably be initiation, but she doesn't want to divulge too many details for the Weenies’ sake! She also loves the fun, new tradition of Senior Sweets.

One of her favorite specific memories also relates to secret traditions at Initiation that she can’t share with the Weenies quite yet, but she will always remember “entering San Jac dorm after initiation with fellow Weenie classmate, Michelle Sereno,” and “right after becoming Weenies, somehow finding ourselves on a night out with a bunch of GC members that turned into a little too much fun.” Most of her favorite Spirits memories, however, are from the experiences she’s had with all her Spirits sisters, meeting one of her best friends by “getting to spend a semester in Spain with ex-chiefy, Rachel Greene,” and living with four other Spirits now during her Senior year.

As for her advice for younger Spirits, Kayce says “Live with Spirits! And take the time to invest in really getting to know a few girls. Meet lots of girls and have fun in Spirits, but make sure you really are there for the core group. Really get to know specific girls, their heart and aspirations, and then just be there for them!”

We will miss you so much, Kayce! Thank you for all that you’ve given to Spirits since fall ’08. We can’t wait to see where life takes you!

Spirit & Weenie of the Week

Name: Cynthia Velasco

Major: Marketing

Weirdest Habit: I have the strangest sound effects for the most random moments. Hang out with me for more than 5 minutes and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Four words that describe you: Too much to handle.

Theme song of your life: "She's like Texas" -Josh Abbott

Favorite Spirits Memory: Spring Break 2011! Fall '10 that's what's up...

Describe Texas Spirits in one word: love

Next time you see me ask me about: MY OBSESSION WITH PUPPIES

Cynthia is a junior Business major and a member of the Fall 2010 weenie class. She is always smiling, bubbly, and has remained extremely active since her Weenie semester. Besides the multiple committees she is on, she has done a fantastic job with helping plan and coordinate the alumnae brunch that occurred this past Sunday (November 6^th) alongside PR Haunt Neven Simpson. She is one awesome Spirit and we are so lucky to have her! Keep up the good work Cynthia!

Name: MAGGIE WIDODO

Major: Soon to be Education (a.k.a by next week)

Weenie Semester: awkmazing

Weirdest habit: "Mmmmmmmmmm I bite my nails an am fascinated with my toes. I also hate the sound of the scratching of foam plates or anything foam."

Theme song of your life: "Everybody's Gonna Love Today" by Mika

Me: awkward, yellowness, lover, pg

Maggie is a freshman (soon to be) Early Childhood Education Major and a member of the Fall 2011 Weenie class! She is extremely outgoing and a complete blast to hang out with. Two weekends ago she was the only Weenie to volunteer at Bastrop! She also made one adorable Scary Spice for Halloween. Thank you for giving so much to this organization already, Maggie! We all can't wait to see what else you have in store for us.

Hook the Cure

Fall ’10 Weenie and President of UT’s Hook the Cure, Kelly Bahng, is changing the world one step at a time. Bahng participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for the Cure this Saturday with Texas Spirits and other members of Hook the Cure. Hook the Cure is involved in the walk every year and Bahng wanted to extend the cause to Spirits. The JDRF raises money to research a cure for Type I diabetes, which is more prevalent in children. About 10 Spirits participated in the two mile walk.

“Research in this field is urgent and necessary because unlike Type II diabetes, which can be prevented by diet and a healthy lifestyle, individuals are quite powerless to prevent Type I from happening because it's autoimmune,” Bahng said. “We are a group of passionate leaders and educators in diabetes awareness and I wanted Spirits to get involved so we could share some of that passion and provide a service opportunity as well.”

Bahng wants people to reduce their chances of getting Type II diabetes by living a healthy lifestyle and being good to their bodies. Hook the Cure is celebrating Diabetes Awareness Week by holding daily events. For more information, visit http://texashookthecure.weebly.com/officers.html.

Tap-Out Spotlight

This week's featured tap-out is Madison Dayton, who belongs to the "Spring '09 Divas" Weenie class! She is a Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology major. She hopes to find a full-time job in the environmental engineering industry upon graduation. 

Madison's favorite Spirits tradition? "Ghoulfamilies! They're easy to love when they're the prettiest ghouls around."

When asked what her favorite Spirits memory is, Madison couldn't choose just one. "The most fun trip I've ever taken with my Spirits was with GC 2010 to Gulf Shores. We somehow managed to cram over a dozen girls into our little yellow house, and I got to witness (among other things) Classic Brooke throw an entire ice cream cone on a total stranger. Now, if you want to get all sentimental, I would have to say another one of my favorite memories was very recent. I was given the opportunity to tap-in Marilyn McKee, which I was so excited to be able to do! Despite falling face-first down a flight of stairs moments before tapping her in, it still remains one of my favorite memories!"

Madison's advice to younger generations of Spirits? "Get involved with GC if you can! It was stressful at times, but we were a really tight-knit group. I got the chance to get to know girls outside of my Weenie class."

Weenie Roasted

Being an Active, one of the things we miss most about Weeniehood is the voluntary event we like to call Weenie Roast. It’s an opportunity for our newest members to get to know each other on a more informal and personal level and while having some carefree fun. Every Weenie Roast is different and lends to each Spirit a different memory; but every Spirit can agree there is something special about this pledges–only retreat. This year the Fall ’11 Weenies chose to kick it campground style and rough it out in Pace Bend Park.

The Weenies got together everything they needed for a night of camping and headed out to the campgrounds. Megan McKinney, current Spirit Haunt, said that “they really came together and to coordinate how to get to the camp site. They organized their own rides, figured out who was going to rent the tent, etc. Then they got to set up the campsite together.” Megan went on to say, “they really communicated with each other well and utilized problem solving skills to set up camp, which helped them to foster greater bonds with all of their new Spirits sisters.”

McKinney believes what makes Weenie Roast so special is that the lack of tight scheduling allows for the girls to simply hang out and get to know each other in a natural, informal way.

“The jitters and stresses of first getting tapped into Spirits have gone away and Weenie Roast provides a chance for everyone to get together and learn more about their Weenie sisters. It really is one of the only times they get to all be together like that, in a setting away from the stresses of everyday school life” says McKinney.

When pressed to reveal the juicy secrets of what was shared at Weenie Roast, McKinney refused. Apparently it’s frowned upon to have a favorite Weenie and, as is tradition, what happens at Weenie Roast, stays at Weenie Roast.