Wednesday, July 27, 2011

UT's 2010-2011 Best Social Organization!

Looking back on the Spring '11 semester, one of our biggest and most exciting accomplishments was being selected as UT's 2010-2011 Best Social Organization! Each spring semester, student organizations endure an intensive application and evaluation process for various Swing Out Award categories. Categories include Best Academic/Departmental Organization, Best Cultural Organization, Best Professional Organization, Most Improved, etc. The University of Texas Leadership & Ethics Institute then carefully selects the winners of 15 prestigious Swing Out categories by considering aspects such as the dedication of an organization's membership, the scope and success of the events and activities in which an organization participates, and how the organizaiton enriches the experiences of its members and others. Through an application and interview processs, the Leadership & Ethics board select the Swing Out Award winners. This year, Sweethearts applied for the categories "Best Social Organization" and "Best Risk Management." In 2009-2010, we were finalists for both of these categories, and this year, we were selected as finalists again for "Best Risk Management" and were selected as the 2010-2011 Best Social Organization!

Spring 2011 Treasurer Hannah Hutyra & President Laura Ceglio accepting
our Best Social Organization Swing Out Award!

We are so excited to be given this honor and feel humbled to be among all of the 14 other amazing student organizations who were also named Swing Out Award winners this year. We take great pride in our three pillars- spirit, social, and service- and it's great to know that we come out on top when it comes to our most fun and unique pillar! We hold a massive array of social events throughout each semester. We strive to build strong, lifelong friendships through our social events. Aside from our weekly mixers with various male organizatons and athletic teams on campus, a few of our social events include Big Sis/Lil Sis, Alumni Weekend, TX/OU Weekend in Dallas, Cocktail, Formal, Alumni Weekend, Senior Call Boat Party, Crush, and Find Your Valentine. We have so much fun at all of our social events, and the best thing about them is that through all of the events, we are able to strengthen our sisterhood and our bonds with all of our Sweetheart members. Our social chairs spend so much time into carefully planning all of our social events, especially with safety in mind, so we are also extremely honored to be recognized as a finalist for "Best Risk Management."

Thank you to the University of Texas Leadership & Ethics Institute! Also, thank you to Hannah Hutyra and all Sweethearts actives who were a part of the Swing Out Award Committee for all of your hard work! We are excited to continue our traditions throughout the fall semester with more of our amazing social events!

In our neon for the blacklight/rave mixer with Texas Wranglers!

Christina O., Dani C., Renee S., Laura C., Amanda V. & Stasha L.
at TX/OU weekend 2010 in Dallas, TX- Hook 'em Horns!

Sweetie/Active Potluck

Sarah S., Christina O., Laura E., Kelli F., Wendi P. & Stasha L.
before Cocktail 2010

Saturday, July 9, 2011

A Sweetheart Backpacking Through Asia

Greetings from Cambodia! As I go on my sixth week backpacking through South East Asia I can look back and admire all the amazing things and places I have seen. Leaving Texas for three months to go to places that are so culturally different from my own has been the best experience of my life and I would not change it for the world. I have been able to do amazing things such as stay with a local family in a remote village in the northern mountains of Vietnam where I learned all about rice planting and their daily lives, admire the beautiful beaches of Thailand, ride elephants and explore the jungles of Laos, and view the amazing temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia just to name a few. While there have been some bumps in the road during my travels its nothing I cant laugh about because they have made for good stories. For example my friend and I were left on a random street corner after upsetting a tuk tuk driver in Bangkok by insisting on going to our agreed location, Another time we asked for train tickets to Hoi An in Vietnam but instead received tickets to another city entirely and in Laos we had a bus trip take twenty hours instead of eight due to consecutive landslides and lack of paved roads.

This opportunity has allowed me to meet and form friendships with people from all over the world. Texas Sweethearts has been a great influence on the person I am today. Coming to UT as a transfer student I already had a close group of friends but I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone so I looked into various organizations. Sweethearts allowed me to meet people from all over as well as spark up conversation with anyone, a skill that helped tremendously while traveling. I became a more confident person and bloomed into the person I am today. Texas Sweethearts has made my college years the best years of my life with the greatest friends I could ask for. I would urge everyone who has the opportunity to travel to take it because while I have learned a lot about myself and the world through college it is nothing compared to the real and unique experiences of life abroad. I miss all my sweetheart ladies and I am excited to meet our Fall 2011 sweetie class once I return from my next six weeks of travels! Off to India and China! Hope everyone had a great fourth of July!

Hallah Saleh
President
Texas Sweethearts