Lilly Pulitzer’s 2012 Sorority Print CLass Revealed!

The wait is finally over! Lilly Pulitzer’s 2012 Sorority Print Class has been officially revealed. “Over, around, about” one million votes were cast by excited voters according to Janie Schoenborn, Lilly Pulitzer’s Fashion Director.

While usually three prints win per year, Pulitzer showed fans how much she appreciates them by accepting five new sororities into her sisterhood.

The winning sororities are Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Phi Mu, Sigma Kappa and Pi Beta Phi!

Schoenborn unveiled the winning prints at her alma mater, Rollins College in Florida, with the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. KKG already has a print with Pulitzer.

Winning sororities are encouraged to “stay tuned to Facebook” by Schoenborn. The social networking site will publicize when the brand new prints will be shown.

According to a Lilly Pulizer blog post today, prints should be revealed by the end of February. Pre-ordering should be  start in June, while your favorite new wristlet will be in the mail by August.

If your sorority hasn’t won a print yet, don’t worry! Schoenborn promises a new class of prints next year.

Ariana Romero is a senior entertainment and fashion writing intern for College Lifestyles! She is looking forward to Alpha Gamma Delta winning a print next year! 

Get some ‘me’ time this summer

I’m a big believer in alone time. In fact, my New Year’s resolution (in addition to not being the mean girl) was to focus more on myself and less on trying to make everyone around me happy. I’ve found one of the best ways to do this is to find time just to be alone.

Last summer I went to Arizona for two weeks to camp and hike by myself. My friends and family thought I was a little crazy (I’m not the greatest outdoorswoman), but what I found was something really great.

Here’s some thoughts that can help you find your “me” groove:

• Maybe part of it was not having a television and being incommunicado, but in Arizona I was able to shut off all the noise that happens in our day-to-day lives and just think without distraction. I highly recommend taking a technology fast one weekend without Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and texting. We rely on these things so much that it’s good to put into perspective the reality that we do not need them.

• I had a lot of time on my hands out West. I was able to think about my future and my relationships that I hadn’t had time to focus on in the past. I realized I needed to expect more out of my significant other and I was able to mentally prepare myself for my senior year. Sometimes it’s scary to be brutally honest with yourself about your life, which is why it’s necessary to really take inventory and problem solve.

• I conquered two weeks in the outdoors with no one to rely on but myself –  talk about a confidence boost. I guess I did it just to prove to myself that I could – to remind myself that I am a strong and capable woman that can take in stride the things life throws my way. Do something for yourself every once in a while that puts you outside your comfort zone. Do something that is solely yours.

• Take quiet time for yourself every day, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Try this article on how to meditate. Maybe it’s prayer or reflecting on a beautiful landscape. Whatever it is, always make sure there is a set time for you. Try in the morning, right before bed or on your lunch break.

While I realize not everyone can get off to the Grand Canyon for a few weeks, I do think there’s merit in this: find time to focus on yourself, doing something for your well-being without all the garbage that happens around us 24/7. Look inside yourself, and you might be surprised at what you find.

Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a proud alumna of Washington and Lee University and Pi Beta Phi, attending graduate school at DePaul University in the fall. Follow her on Twitter @Steph_Hardiman.

Stephanie Is All About February

1.  Name: Stephanie

2.  Be honest, did you watch the Superbowl? Yes, I watched it. And by “watch” I mean it was on in the background while I procrastinated about my doing homework by Facebook stalking.

3.  Romantic comedy or love story? Romantic comedy–love stories just give us poor perceptions of reality. Sorry, someone’s gotta be the Negative Nancy!

4.  Favorite ‘love’ movie(s): Runaway Bride, The Notebook, My Best Friend’s Wedding

5.  Love getting or giving Valentine’s cards? Both!

6.  My Valentine’s cards have to have the following cartoon character: Spiderman!

7.  Chocolate or flowers? Flowers. I can’t eat them … or at least it would be really awkward if I did.

8.  Favorite flower: French tulips (and, of course, the wine carnation)

9.  A great Valentine date would be: tall, attractive, wealthy, have a great sense of humor and adore me (that’s the kind of date you meant, right?)

10.  My favorite love quote: “This love is difficult, but it’s real.” Thanks for that, T-Swizzle.

11.  Things that ‘make my world go round and I love’: 5-hour phone conversations, cuddling, that “new love” feeling, srat sisters, Christmastime at Starbucks, Michigan sunsets

12.  Favorite Winter Olympic sport: Bobsled!

13.  Anything else you love about February: It only has 28 days, and it’s Black History Month. Plus my school gives us a week off for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a senior journalism major at Washington and Lee University. She is a proud sister of Pi Beta Phi and will be drawing anatomically correct hearts on her valentines.

Winter Recruitment?: 10 Rush No-No’s (For Actives)

If you’re one of the lucky few to have a whole semester to meet women for winter recruitment, here are some rush no-no’s for the big week.

1. Never let potential new members (PNMs) leave your house with a bad impression. Even if you’re sure a woman will not choose to pledge your sorority, or you will not offer her a bid, you never want women to be happy that it hadn’t worked out between you. Be classy and kind to everyone who walks through your door. It’s a great way to promote better inter-Greek relations if they join another group.

2. Avoid closed body language. About 90 percent of communication is non-verbal. Crossing your arms, playing with your hair or fidgeting with your jewelry may be inadvertent and meaningless to you but could come off as unfriendly or cold to a PNM. Keep your arms at your side, lean into the conversation and nod to show you are listening.

3. Avoid negativity. Don’t talk about how your day sucked or you’re mad that a professor assigned a certain assignment—recruitment is all about the PNM and making her happy and excited to be at your house. Avoid saying you hate things (i.e.: “I absolutely HATE cats”) because it could be something the PNM enjoys and may turn her off.

4. No Boys, Booze, Bucks, Buddha or Barack. Stay away from topics concerning how much money PNMs (or their family) make. Rush is not the time to have conversations about fraternity men, boyfriends or partying. Conversations regarding religion and politics are usually awkward, polarizing and potentially offensive. Focus on the values and attributes the woman has and portray your organization’s values to her.

5. Don’t break ritual. Keep private voting matters private. Being loose-lipped sacrifices the integrity of the organization and the membership selection process. And don’t think other sororities aren’t capitalizing on the information you’re spilling to them—your loss is their gain.

6. Don’t “dirty rush” by talking bad about other houses or particular women. It’s just tacky. Let what your organization stands for speak for itself. Genuine and kind women will be attracted to people who act likewise, and those swayed by your mean comments will probably bring a similar mindset into your group.

7. Don’t be a slob. This isn’t the week to let yourself go. Looks aren’t everything, but it’s important to make a good impression, the same way you would if interviewing for a job or meeting your boyfriend’s parents. Keep your hair and nails neat (after all, you’re extending the hand of sisterhood!).

8. Don’t blow off rush. Recruitment is the lifeblood of your organization. If you fail to attract new members, your sorority cannot survive. We all want to be able to come back to a thriving sorority for Homecoming (or have our daughters go through our house as well!), and recruitment is the key.

9. Don’t stress out. Yes, recruitment is important, but it’s not worth denying yourself sleep or relaxation or ignoring schoolwork. Take care of yourself so that you can be at your best. Be yourself and be open-minded, and the right women will come your way.

10. Don’t take emotion out on your sisters. During recruitment, emotions run high, and we spend a lot of time with our sisters. It’s easy to snap at each other or to let little things get under your skin. Resist the urge. This is an exciting time for your house to welcome new women into your sisterhood!

Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a senior journalism major at Washington and Lee University. She is a proud sister of Pi Beta Phi and is getting ready to welcome new baby angels to Virginia Theta through deferred recruitment!

The Dish on a CL Intern: Stephanie’s 15

Name: Stephanie Hardiman

Dream job: Reporting for NPR’s “This American Life”

One word to describe me: Driven

Favorite movies: Runaway Bride, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Garden State

Favorite TV Shows: I’m too embarrassed to say—basically anything really trashy

Favorite Color: Green

Coke or Pepsi: Coke (but any “pop” will do)

I can’t live without: My friends, family and Pi Phi Love, my BlackBerry, iTunes, good books

Pet peeves: Pets with people names (i.e: Bob the cat), wHeN pEoPlE dO ThIs

This makes me smile: Talking Chihuahua

If I had $1 million I would: Take all of my loved ones on a fabulous cruise someplace tropical, pay off my school loans and donate the rest to Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago (they’re making miracles happen every day!) and National Public Radio

Cats or dogs: Dogs—no contest

When I feel blue I: Think about how people have overcome problems so much bigger than my own

My friends say I am: “The Godmother”

Anything else to add: I finally know who I am and what I want out of life. But I might change my mind tomorrow…and that’s ok.

Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a journalism major at Washington and Lee University and a proud sister of Pi Beta Phi. It took her leaving the Midwest for the Blue Ridge Mountains to realize how much she missed home. Follow her on Twitter @Steph_Hardiman.