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August 16, 2011

Seven Countries in Nine Weeks


By Marselle Kovarsky


Over two months ago, I said goodbye to my parents and America when I boarded my plane for the Bahamas. I was pretty excited, and a bit nervous, for my adventures that awaited me. I was going to visit seven countries over the next nine weeks and earn nine school credits, a pretty sweet deal! I didn’t know any of the other 800 students aboard the MV Explorer, but I was ready to make new friends. Ironically enough, my roommate Ginny is a Gamma Phi Beta at Loyola New Orleans, so we instantly hit it off. It took ten days to sailacross the Atlantic Ocean, and living at sea was a pretty easy transition. The cabins are decent sized dorm rooms with private bathrooms, and maid service comes every day. The food is edible, but by day 59 I’'m sick and tired of potatoes, pasta, and bread (I can’t wait for some chips and queso from Fuego!)


Our first port stop was Barcelona, Spain. Being an Architectural History minor, I was super excited to see all thewonderful works of Gaudi. I visited the Casa Mila, La Sagrada Familia, and the Picasso Museum. Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia was overwhelming; it was by far the largest and most spectacular church I had ever seen. At night I enjoyed walking around with my new friends exploring the main street, Las Ramblas, and experiencing the fast-paced lifestyle. I even tried my first olive, tomato, and glass of wine (all Spanish must-have’s). Spain was a great first stop since it wasn’t too much of a culture shock; it eased us Americans in to the European culture.

Naples, Italy
was the next port we docked at. Margarita pizza from Naples is hands down the best pizza in the world. The city was pretty crowded and dirty so I’'m glad I was only in the city for one night. For five days, I went on a “field trip” to Florence, Pisa, Assisi, and Rome. Florence was a great city with a lot of rich architecture and Roman Catholic culture. I was able to see the Duermo and Michelangelo’'s David, which is so much bigger than I expected! I spent a few hours in Pisa taking the typical touristy pictures with the leaning tower, but there isn’t much else to do in that city. Assisi was by far my favorite place in Italy; this small hill town is the epitome of the Tuscany countryside. Rome was the most crowded city I have ever been in… there are 5 million people living there plus 1 million tourists. I threw two coins into the Trevi Fountain, went inside the Pantheon, saw “aTm” carved in the walls of the Coliseum, and walked through the Roman Forum. The next day in Rome I visited the Vatican where I experienced the Sistine Chapel (which is smaller than I expected) and the marvelous St. Peter’s basilica. St. Peter’s basilica is the largest church in the world and it is one of the most memorable places I’'ve seen during my travels. The last day I learned to make pasta and tiramisu in a local Tuscan winery. Overall, Italy was a beautiful country with wonderful food; I will definitely be going back. I had little knowledge of our next port Dubrovnik, Croatia, but this port became a wonderful beach vacation filled with kayaking, swimming, and cliff diving! For the day I also drove to Montenegro, which is the most picturesque country where the mountains fall straight into the clear blue water and the orange tiled houses are nestled into the valleys.


Our next stop caused a bit of concern; Athens, Greece, has been experiencing riots and the government is going through a lot of economic problems. My only interaction with this unrest was the taxi riot that shutdown traffic for a whole entire day! The first day I visited the Acropolis and my architectural side was so happy to see the famous Parthenon! I spent the remaining days island hopping, visiting Hydra, Aegina, and Mykonos. These islands had the stereotypical blue and white houses that characterize Greece. On the islands, I enjoyed another beach vacation riding donkeys and playing on jet skies. I even tried my first mussel!

Varna, Bulgaria was a last minute addition to our itinerary once Egypt was removed due to the political unrest there. I was bummed about not being able to go to Egypt and the pyramids, but Varna turned out to be my second favorite port! Like Croatia and Greece, Bulgaria was a beech vacation; every night I laid on the beach and had a nice relaxing time with my friends. One day I even went to a local salt lake and mud bath where I covered my body in black “healing” mud!

Istanbul, Turkey was my favorite port! Minarets tooe over the dense skyline, and my first mosque experience was great. I had to cover my head with a scarf and remove my shoes before entering, and the blue tiles inside made beautiful geometric patterns on the walls. I visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and multiple palaces. I was a smart shopper in the Grand Bazaar and walked away with great souvenirs! I also experienced a Turkish bath, which is better than any spa treatment you can get in the States! I even had lunch on the Asian continent one day. Istanbul was my favorite because there was so much to do and the culture was so different from the Western world.

My last port was Casablanca, Morocco, and, yes, I went to Rick’s CafĂ©! The first day I stayed in port and visited the Hassan II mosque, which is the second largest mosque in the world with a minaret larger than the Washington monument! I spent the remainder of my days in Marrakech where I rode a camel, played with a monkey, bought Aladdin pants at the bazaar, and got plenty of henna!

Now it takes eight days to cross the Atlantic and arrive back in Boston. I think I’'m in for a culture shock when everyone around me speaks English! While at sea, we are finishing up our classes, taking finals, and writing papers. Heading home is very bitter sweet: I’m excited to get back to my friends and family, but I will also miss traveling the world! I can’t wait for when I return again to these countries though!

August 13, 2011

Famous Gammas in showbiz








There are some pretty talented Gamma Phi's out there in the world! Here are a few in the entertainment business!



Kristin Chenoweth (Oklahoma City)
Recently featured on GLEE, this Gamma Phi is an actress, singer and 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical ("You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"); 2009 Emmy winner for Best Supporting Actress ("Pushing Daisies")
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Alexandra "Alex" Wystrach Flanagan (Arizona)
Sports journalist for the NFL Network, sideline reporter for Notre Dame home football games; former sideline reporter for ESPN 
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Paige Galt (University of Georgia)
Mrs. Georgia 2005, Miss International Pageant Contestant 2005
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Demetra George (Oklahoma City)
Resident soprano for Nevada Opera Theatre, awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Oklahoma City University, Grammy nominee, Oklahoma City University Performance Hall of Honor Inductee, Miss Oklahoma, 1972 (Formerly Deborah Giannopoulos Mustafoglu) 
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Bailey Hanks (Coastal Carolina)
Broadway actress, Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde: The Musical"
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Actress (Raising Hope, Great Gam Gam in Beerfest, Spanglish, Granny in the Beverly Hill Billies, Young Frankenstein), author; Oscar and Emmy Award winner; most recently on Dancing with the Stars
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Heather McDonald (Southern California)
Comedian on "Chelsea Lately," actress, author 
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Kelli O'Hara (Oklahoma City)
 Broadway actress, two- time Tony nominee 
("The Pajama Game," "South Pacific," "The Light in the Piazza")
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Mary Beth Peil (Northwestern)
Opera singer, actress on "Dawson's Creek," 1985 Tony Award nominee for "The King and I," and currently co-starring on "The Good Wife" 
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Sarah Richardson (Western Ontario)
Star of the HGTV design shows: "Room Service," "Design Inc.," "Sarah's House" and "Sarah's Cottage
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Who will be next g phi to make it big?!?

August 10, 2011

Paris of the Middle East

By Danielle Ghorayeb


My family took our annual trip to Lebanon at the end of July. We go every year to see all of our family and have a relaxing vacation. This year my parents went on different flights than my siblings and I, so it was up to us to navigate the Paris and Lebanon airports on our knowledge of French and Arabic. When I finally got to Lebanon I was greeted at the door by all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Throughout the trip my family and I did lots and lots of fun activities.  My uncle is building a farm near the biggest lake in Lebanon, so we spent a day there checking out his animals  and the incredible view.  


Capturing a Crescent in Lebanon!



We also went a toured the Grotto Jeita, which was a contender to become one of the new World Wonders. Apart from seeing magnificent architectures and natural wonders, the best thing to do in Lebanon is hit the beach. We went to several different beaches that had beautiful sand and clear, blue water. The best thing to do in Lebanon is eat. When someone eats at a Lebanese restaurant there is always an overflow of food. We start our meals with an appetizer that includes hummus, tabouleh, and foods with names that I can’t type out if it tried. Then we get the main course of chicken, lamb, meat, and kaftah. After we’re done stuffing our faces and can’t eat any more, we get plates and plates of fruits, the main one being watermelon. A lot of the restaurants we visit are in the mountains, so we have a magnificent view while we eat. 




This year a giant portion of my family (which comes out to be around 20 people) went up into the mountains and got to enjoy a wine tasting. We even got to tour the caves in which the wine is made. The thing I always enjoy most is getting to see my family. My immediate family are the only people that live in America, so when I go to Lebanon, family reunions and dinners are completely out of control. This year we had a new addition to the family, my mom’s cousin had a new baby boy, and when we saw him two days after he was born, I literally started crying because he was so precious. Even though all the beaches, food, tourist sites and are incredible; there is nothing more wonderful than spending time with family



August 5, 2011

The Sky is the Limit



By Jana Kubecka
Every summer is special—there is just something about the idea of two months of endless possibilities that can make any girl excited. For me, this summer has been especially unique.
In June, I had the opportunity to help a film crew from Austin video exotic animals for an upcoming IMAX film. The experience was very enlightening, and I was lucky enough to get to interact with some of the animals, such as monkey named Bailey, a lemur, and a bush baby. A few weeks after this experience, I had the chance to get to know a few Secret Service Agents when they came to my dad’s ranch to hunt. Listening to the stories of both of these groups of people was extremely interesting and entertaining, and I established relationships that may one day prove beneficial. Little did I know, my summer was just getting started.
I have been around aircraft all my life. My parents own a flying service, so agriculture and aviation are central to the way I was raised. As far back as I can remember, my dad would take me flying, whether it be to look at crops, travel, or perform predator control services for local farmers. Fixed-wing crop dusters were my parent’s main focus, although my dad also owned and operated a Robinson helicopter in a hog eradication program. A few years ago, a company approached my parents about pollinating rice test plots, simply called “pollinating”. What started out as a one or two helicopter job exploded this summer into requiring eleven helicopters to fly over the rice. Thus began a summer that has changed my life forever, and garnered memories that will last a lifetime.
Growing up, my summers were always packed with camps, travelling, and sports. There was always somewhere to be and something to do. This summer, with my first year of college behind me and a long, hot vacation ahead, I decided to come home and help my parents. After a few fishing trips and a road trip or two, the helicopter busy season began, and I found myself in the office as the first helicopters began to arrive.
Each pilot was unique and had his own story. A few were ex-military, some had “real” jobs such as paramedics or handymen, and one, a 20 year old from San Marcos, Texas had flown all over the southern US between his jobs as a bouncer in a club and a valet car parker. The energy in our little office was high, as was the noise level! Each pilot had a story to tell and an opinion to give. They would leave at 11 and come back from flying at 2, and sometimes they would hang out at the hangar until 3 in the morning! Driving home from the ranch one day, I asked my dad how hard it was to fly a helicopter. This shocked him, because I had never shown interest in flying before. Come to find out, that same day my dad called Jon, one of the pilots who had pollinated for us for a few years, to get me lined up for flying lessons. My mom’s secretary overheard the conversation and she later told me all she could think about was that she hoped I had been serious when I mentioned learning to fly! Two days later, on June 30, I flew for the first time.  I had no idea what to expect, and I was pretty nervous, but with the guidance of an exceptional instructor, I survived each new maneuver without scaring myself into quitting.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a student must fly 20 hours before soloing in an R-22 helicopter. Just recently, I hit that 20 hour mark. The night before I was to solo, I sat in bed unable to sleep. The next morning, I was sick to my stomach with nerves. My instructor and I flew to our practice space, where we did a couple of normal traffic patterns and landings. On the second landing, Jon reached over and unbuckled his seat belt and said, “I’m getting out Boss.” I was literally close to tears as he climbed out. I sat there for a few seconds, trying to calm myself and get my bearings. Then, with a deep breath, I lifted off the ground. I hovered for a moment, making sure I was in control, then began to taxi forward. I literally had to remind myself to breathe! I went around the traffic pattern once, landed and waved at Jon that I was done. He shook his head and mouthed “One more?” I was feeling good about it, so I nodded my head, lifted off the ground, and took off again. Later, Jon asked how it felt to look in the seat next to me and not see him sitting there. I replied that I simply did not look at the empty seat, I just pretended he was still there! Upon landing, Jon walked to the hangar and let me fuel up, as usual. He came back with my mom, who had her camera in hand. After talking for a moment, Jon got a devilish look on his face and whipped out a pair of scissors.  He then proceeded to cut the back of my shirt, as is tradition when a pilot solos for the first time. The tradition started a long time ago, before radio communication.  Instructors would sit behind their students in the fixed wing airplane, and whenever the student was doing something wrong the instructor would tug on the back of the student's shirt. Thus, when you solo you cut the tail of your shirt.


This summer has definitely been unique, and I have been so blessed to have had such extraordinary experiences. Each day I learn something new. How far I take my flying career is yet to be seen, but every time I go up into that wild blue yonder, I know I’m learning something not only about an incredible piece of equipment, but also about myself. Never forget to have confidence in yourself, and don’t be afraid to try new things. After all, the sky is the limit.

August 1, 2011

Say Yes to the Dress

By Megan Philips

Basically the only interesting thing about my summer is my job!

My new job is at Signature Bridal Salon in Austin. I'm basically living and breathing "Say Yes to the Dress" everyday! It's so fabulous. I've always been in love with weddings and hopeful of becoming a very well known wedding planner/coordinator. Maybe I'd even have my own show on WE like David Tutera :) But the more I get into dressing brides up, the more I begin to stray away from my original idea of planning their big day. I'd be under so much pressure and stress and basically giving up all of my weekends. If I'm just involved in dressing them up and making them look beautiful for their big day, the stress load is almost at zero. I think I like that a lot more than a stress load of 1,000! My favorite designer is Maggie Sottero. She is absolutely fantastic. Her dresses have an Australian flare and are the most sought after dresses in the world! I can't wait to get married and wear a Maggie. I just need to find me a MAN :)