It's no secret that spirit groups are a huge deal here at UT, and with a school as amazing as ours, there are plenty of ways to show your school spirit. We wanted to catch up with some of the campus' most notable spirit groups to see just what these girls are up to. Now, we chat with Stephanie Jean, president of the Texas Sweethearts to find out what these tailgating girls are all about.
HC Texas: Why did you join Texas Sweethearts?
Stephanie Jean: I came to college with hardly any friends from home, so when I arrived on campus, I felt so incredibly lost and out of place among the 50,000 students at Texas. I wanted so badly to have the same type of friendships that I had in high school, so I began looking into the several different spirit organizations on campus. I immediately found something special and unique in Texas Sweethearts. I felt at ease with all the members, and I could tell that nothing was forced and that there was a genuine friendship among each and every one of them. They were dedicated, enthusiastic, and ambitious, and I knew that I just had to join.
HCTX: What makes your organization different from other spirit/service organizations?
SJ: Texas Sweethearts is unique in that we truly strive to equally fulfill all three of our pillars- spirit, service, and social. First and foremost, we are students at THE University of Texas, which means we bleed orange and do everything we can to support Texas athletics. We are the only female organization on campus to host our own tailgates, and we are fortunate to have several loyal sponsors in the Austin area. In addition to our intense school spirit, we are passionate about serving our community. Whether it is volunteering with underprivileged children at our main philanthropy, BeHive, or feeding the homeless at Feed My People, we love to give back in every way that we can. Lastly, we have a wide array of social events throughout the semester to keep our actives busy. These include a trip to TX/OU weekend in Dallas, Big/Lil events, Cocktail, Winter Formal, Parents' Weekend, mixers with male spirit groups and athletic teams, and many, many more.
HCTX: What events do the Texas Sweethearts have? Any coming up?
SJ: In the fall, our biggest event is our annual Dream Date auction. Dream Date is a charity auction, and in 2012, we were fortunate to have record-breaking attendance and we raised over $10,000 for our philanthropy, BeHive. We were ecstatic to hand over 100 percent of the proceeds to the deserving kids at BeHive! An exciting event that we have coming up this spring semester is Senior Call. We hold this event every May to honor our graduating seniors- it is definitely a tear fest for all!
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| Photo taken by: Briana Denham |
HCTX: What's something students may be surprised to find out about Texas Sweethearts?
SJ: Many students may not know that when Sweethearts was founded, we were affiliated with the Texas Wranglers and were called the "Texas Wrangler Sweethearts." Although we are no longer formally associated with the Wranglers, we continue to have a great relationship with them and enjoy supporting them at service and social events!
HCTX: Tell us something that people should absolutely know about Texas Sweethearts!
SJ: Texas Sweethearts is one of a kind. There are not enough words to explain how incredible this organization is. We are filled with the most committed, fun-loving, and genuine girls who support when you're reaching and love if you fall. Being a Texas Sweetheart has absolutely defined my time at the University of Texas, and I have no doubt that it has the potential to do the same for every female on campus.
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