Sigma Alpha Iota

June 2013, Edition 1
Sigma Alpha Iota
Gamma Delta
Alumnae Newsletter
Upcoming Events
TBA
June 12
An Alumnae Weekend will
be held this coming Fall in
October. Look out for an
invitation in the mail
during July!
Sigma Alpha Iota’s
Founder’s day! We’re
turning 110.
Note from the President
Hello! I am so excited for the first issue of the Sigma Alpha Iota
Gamma Delta Newsletter! I hope that this will keep you
informed and up to date on our chapter’s activities. We are
striving to move forward and embrace the true ideals of Sigma
Alpha Iota. It’s going to be an exciting year! We hope that this
newsletter will reconnect our Alumnae sisters and families to
our chapter. Please feel free to contact us; we would love to
hear back from you!
Amelia O’Hara
President 2013-2014
Saying Goodbye and Good Luck
This year we watched as seventeen beautiful sisters left SUNY Potsdam and
headed off into the real world.
Turn to page 3 for more about them.
Training is Truncated
Our seventeen new sisters prevailed against a shortened training
process.
The Spring Semester was
quite interesting for our
pledge class. Because of
hazing allegations associated
with other Greek
organizations, SUNY
Potsdam decided to step in
and add a little more
guidance and structure to the
pledging process of every
Greek organization on
campus (we had to attend a
meeting once a week at
10:00pm with Julie Dold, the
assistant director of Campus
Life). This resulted in a
pledge process of only three
weeks, at least half the
allotted time Sigma Alpha
Iota usually has. The
wonderful Vice President of
Membership, Alex Tubbs, led
the member’s in training
through the three week
process which included
completing the requirements
set forth by both National
and SUNY Potsdam. It
seemed like there was a lot of
information in such a little
amount of time but since the
member’s in training
consisted of seventeen girls, I
knew there were sixteen other
girls who felt the same way
and could help me through
the process!
I think the special
circumstances of this past
semester created a pretty
special bond in our pledge
“…This past semester created a special bond.”
class. There was always
someone inviting us to a
National Exam study/dinner
date and there were so many
words of encouragement and
love. Above all, Alex drove
us all forward with her
patience and unconditional
love she gave. She really was
our rock and was always
there for us whenever we
needed her. The friendships I
have made in my few months
apart of this organization are
stronger than friendships I
have had for years. Yes, or
process was crazy, hectic,
overwhelming, and stressful
but at the same time I think
the seventeen of us really
grew to
be sisters of each other even
before we were “sisters” of
SAI.
Nicole Fedorchak
Spring 2013
2
New Beginnings
Although they may now walk alone, we
will always be there for them along the
way. As a sisterhood we are proud to
call these accomplished women our
sisters. We wish them the best in their
endeavors.
Alex Tubbs is currently a preschool
teacher at Doodle Bugs Children’s
Center. She hopes to earn her
Masters in Administration or
Childhood Education.
Alissa Haller is moving to New
York City in the fall where she will
be an adviser for a NYC chapter of
Delta Phi Epsilon. She is also
considering joining an SAI
Alumnae chapter.
Courtnie Burke will be subbing and
working at a variety of stores while
applying for grad schools for a
Music Therapy degree.
Danielle Hoke will be going to
Stony Brook University in the fall
to earn her MM in Oboe
Performance while auditioning for
professional companies.
Debbie Scharbach will be student
teaching this coming fall. After that
she plans on subbing while earning
her Masters in Mather Education.
She will be getting married during
the year 2015!
Hannah Decker is now working in
the infant room at TLC Daycare
while applying and interviewing for
jobs.
Jessie Brehm is currently a pre-K
Teacher’s Aide at the Mother
Teresa Academy in Clifton Park,
NY. This summer she is working as
a counselor at the Crane Youth
Music camp and at the School of
Orchestral Studies in Saratoga, at
the New York State Summer
School of the Arts.
Keri-Lyn Cipriani will be a
counselor at Crane Youth Music
this summer and then student
teaching this coming fall.
Kimberly Callahan is starting her
Masters in Liberal Studies with a
concentration in Music at Stony
Brook University.
Meagan Gumble is transferring to
Slippery Rock University in
Pennsylvania to pursue a Music
Therapy degree.
Melissa Becker will be working
fulltime as the Company Manager
at Community Performance Series
this summer and a Customer
Service Representative for
Newmusicaltheatre.com. She will
soon be moving to New York City
to pursue theater.
Melissa Gallina is interviewing for
jobs in Virginia and working at the
Crane Youth Music camp as a
counselor this summer.
Rachel Daley is currently pursuing
her Masters at SUNY Potsdam. She
is in the MST Secondary English
Education program.
Renee Melton will be travelling to
the University of East Anglia for
her final semester. She will then be
working as a copyeditor for a
biomedical company while she
works on her novel.
Sally O’Neill is currently working
in a restaurant for the summer. She
will then be student teaching at
Grand Campus HS in Brooklyn and
at The School at Columbia
University on the upper wide side
in Manhattan.
Samantha Heagerty will be
attending Graduate school for
Elementary and Special Education.
She is currently teaching at St.
John’s preschool and Child Care in
Hamlin.
Stephany Griffith will either be
accepting a job or attending Ithaca.
3
Sisters Sing Praises for
Libby Larsen
On April 2nd and 3rd, SUNY
Potsdam students and the
sisters of Gamma Delta
chapter had the once in a
lifetime opportunity to meet
and work with renowned
American composer Libby
Larsen. Larsen is one of the
most prolific living American
composers, and is a Member
Laureate of Sigma Alpha
Iota. Originally a sister of the
Sigma Sigma chapter at the
University of Minnesota,
Larsen is a co-founder of the
American Composers Forum,
and has held previous
residencies with the
Minnesota Orchestra, the
Charlotte Symphony
Orchestra, and the Colorado
Symphony Orchestra.
During her residency at
SUNY Potsdam, Larsen
worked extensively with
faculty and staff. She gave
lectures on new music, life as
a composer, and her drive to
develop a new vernacular for
modern American music. She
also worked closely with
ensembles performing her
music, and led a master class,
which focused on her works
for soloists.
Larsen’s visit culminated in a
recital of her works, featuring
a choir of Gamma Delta
Sisters who performed her
pieces To Sing (2008), Ring the
Bells (2008), and Touch the Air
Softly (2001).
Larsen’s residency was made
possible through an Impact
Grant from SAI
Philanthropies, Inc. Impact
Grants are awarded in
support of major projects in
music which will have an
impact beyond the confines of
the campus. Alex Tubbs, who
helped organize this entire
endeavor, also made the visit
possible, as well as music
committee chairman
Elizabeth Parkes, who
selected and rehearsed the
pieces performed by the sister
choir.
Chelsea Roberts
Spring 2012
New E-board, New Committees, New Start
E-board:
Amelia O’Hara
President, Fall 2013—Spring
2014
Ashley Gallagher
Vice President of
Membership, Fall 2013
Abigail Imhof
Vice President of Ritual, Fall
2013
Alyssa Filardo
Recording Secretary, Fall
2013
Molly Bacon
Corresponding Secretary, Fall
2013
Samantha Fay
Treasurer, Fall 2013—Spring
2014
Cayla Haycock
Editor, Fall 2013
Heather Lonardo
Sergeant-at-Arms, Fall 2013
Dr. Heather Eyerly
Faculty Advisor, Fall 2013
Sarah Towler
Financial Advisor, Fall 2013
4
Continued
Committee Chairmen:
Attention
Alumnae!
Rebecca Adams, class of
2011, is looking to start up
an Eastern Long Island
Alumnae Chapter. If you’re
interested you may contact
her for more information at:
Adamsrk190@yahoo.com
Alumnae Correspondence—
Molly Bacon
Alumnae Weekend/Sister
Retreat—Molly Bacon
Archives/Scrapbook—
Rebekah Geiselman
Bylaws—Samantha Fay
Community Service—Laura
Cahoon
Fraternity Education—
Abigail Imhof
Fundraising—Roxanna
Amiri
Music—Alyssa Filardo
Sister Bonding—Ashley
Gallagher
Social—Cayla Haycock
Ritual—Abigail Imhof
Website—Laura Cahoon
Yearbook Directory—Cayla
Haycock
Sisters at Formal
Sisters singing So Near, So
Dear at the SAI & PMA
Musicale
Relay for Life to
the Rescue
On April 5th and 6th, under
the leadership of team captain
and community service chair
Hannah Decker, the sisters of
Gamma Delta participated in
SUNY Potsdam’s 7th annual
Relay for Life. This year’s
Relay was one of the biggest
yet for the campus, in terms
of fundraising and
participations. 63 teams and
846 participants raised a total
of $52,184.10. The Gamma
Delta team broke into the top
15 teams, with its 22
members raising $960!
Proceeds from the fundraising
efforts went towards funding
cancer research, as well as
services for patients, survivors
and their families. The Relay
for Life aims not only to raise
funds for research, but also to
raise awareness and to honor
those who have fought the
disease, as well as their loved
ones who support them.
This year’s Relay had a
Superhero theme, and
featured superhero face
painting, performances and
demonstrations of different
masked crusaders from our
campus groups and
organizations, food, live
music, and games. The Relay
gave the sisterhood a chance
to bond with one another and
create amazing memories
together, while supporting
each other as we remembered
those in our lives who have
been touched by this disease.
Chelsea Roberts
Spring 2012
5
June 2013, Edition 1
Contribute to Our Chapter’s
Future
As the Gamma Delta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota
moves forward any gift to our growth would be
greatly appreciated.
Love and Roses
Vita Brevis, Ars Longa
Our Address
9045 Barrington Dr
Potsdam, NY 13676
Email: saigammadelta@gmail.com
Website: http://www.saigammadelta.com
[Insert Your Address Here]
If you have moved or changed your email please let us know!
We would love to keep you updated on future events and let you
know what we’ve been up to.