SK Abroad: Avery Franzblau

Hi everyone!

I'm Avery Franzblau, a junior math major. I'm in London for the semester with one of my best friends in SK, Kate Onorato, whom I also live with at Penn. So far, it has truly been the most amazing semester! It seems that in the UK, people don't really attend school... and the classes are easier than at Penn. This has left Kate and I with tons of time to travel. We have been all over Europe, and we see our Sigma Kappa sisters wherever we go. So far, the best experience I've had here was Oktoberfest, which is basically the adult version of Disney World. The pretzels really rivaled the ones at Wawa. In a few weeks, I'm going to Monte Carlo with my SK Sisters Kate, Sarah and Becky for a few days of glitz and glamour that might just top Oktoberfest!

At first I was disappointed to learn that I would be turning 21 in the UK. Luckily, my birthday happens to coincide perfectly with this year's Thanksgiving break, and another one of my good friends and housemates in SK, Megan, is flying all the way to London to celebrate. I'm counting down the days until we all get to explore this awesome city together.

[Blog editor note: Their other housemate Maggie (aka me) also really misses Avery & co. and can't wait for them to be back on this continent!]

Becky, Kate, Sarah, and I at Oktoberfest!

Kate and I with our brand new vespa :-)

Kate, Becky, our friend Henry, and myself the Ice Bar/Restaurant in London!

On our way to a "football" game!

Touring Greece with Becky and Kate!

SKs on stage

Check out these upcoming shows featuring some of Sigma Kappa's most talented performers! Come out and support them with the rest of our chapter!

Sophomore Teri Wilson's group The Penny Loafers have their show this Friday and Saturday in Harrison at 8PM.

Teri belting out a solo, front and center.

The Penny Loafers' fall flyer.

Sophomore Ava Driscoll and junior Liz Slivjak will be performing the Penn Singers performance of Children of Eden. Ava's unicorn costume is apparently pretty legit. The show will be the 17th, 18th and 19th at the Iron Gate Theatre.

Liz and Ava on Halloween!

The Children of Eden fall flyer.

Be sure to check out these shows! We'll all be there, so come join us in cheering on our girls!

Congratulations Adrienne!

Adrienne rockin' it on the field.

A HUGE congratulations goes out to Adrienne Lerner, Penn Varsity Soccer Captain and senior Sigma Kappa for being named First Team All-Ivy! We're so proud of you and so amazed by all the talent and hard work you've put in over the last four years!

Adrienne with Maggie, Natalie, and Jules at SK formal.

Sister of the Week: Liz Slivjak

This week's Sister of the Week is Liz Slivjak, a junior History and Psychology major who is native to Philadelphia and who was recently named VP of Scholarship on our Executive Board! She's a member of the Bunnies, one of SK's biggest lineages, and outside of the sorority she's extremely active in Penn Singers and has been in a number of shows over the last few years. We asked Liz a few questions.


So you’re a part of Penn Singers. What’s your favorite role you’ve had so far?
My favorite role so far has to be Mrs. Meers from Thoroughly Modern Millie, a part that I played while still in high school.  She’s the villain of the show, which was interesting because that’s so not a role I normally play!

What would be your dream role to play in a theater production?
I would love to perform in Les Miserables, and my dream role from that show would have to be Eponine.  Her solos are so gorgeous!

You got a new little little at this weekend’s Reveal Night. Tell us a story about your lineage.
One of my favorite memories of my lineage has to be at Sisterhood Retreat (’11).  My little and I ended up winning the water balloon contest, even though we’re both extremely uncoordinated and terrible at sports!  For our prize, we got treated to a dinner at Lolita – so tasty!

What were you for Halloweekend this year?
I dressed as a few of the Halloween classics – a sailor, a cowgirl, and a French maid.

What’s your best SK memory from the past year? 
My best SK memory would have to be Reveal 2011!  My little, Marissa Seto, planned such an amazing Mystery Week for our newest Bunny, Alyssa Bonnell!  To top it off, we welcomed Alyssa into the lineage at the SK house and then at dinner at Salento’s Restaurant.  Such a great night with all of the Bunnies!  

What would you say makes you a Sigma Kappa?
I think that what makes me a Sigma Kappa is the love that I have for my sisters and the pride that I feel when I see our letters!  It’s such an amazing feeling to see SK gear all over campus and to know that I get to be a part of something so special.  SK sisters are unique in that we are such a tight-knit but diverse group.  Despite many differences in activities and interests, I know that I can always turn to my SK sisters for support and fun!

Liz with the Bunnies on her little Marissa's Reveal Night!

Liz with Carolyn, Danica, Khrystyna, and Stefania at last year's formal.

Liz with her little Marissa at a Penn Basketball game!

Liz with Michele at last year's Winter Formal.

With a bunch of SKs during fling last year! From left, Kate,
Megan, Maggie, Liz, Ellen, Avery, and Sarah!

Let's hear it for SKool Spirit!

Good luck in the big game against Harvard this weekend! Let's get another championship ring!

A big group of SK's at last year's Penn/Princeton game!

Look for Cheer Captain and SK Sarah Huepenbecker (above, front and center!)

SK Swag: Our Fall Gear Order!

 Thanks to PR Chair Megan Garvey, Sigma Kappas at Penn are going to be looking fly this fall. Keep an eye out for Kappas all over campus wearing this great new gear!

Cardigans with these embroidered letters!

A great crewneck sweatshirt with our crest on the back.

Crew necks with great mod letters.

A great tank top for those warmer winter days.

Homecoming shirts! Keep an eye out for these at the big game on Saturday.

A Super SKary Halloween!

Rain, sleet, and snow didn't stop Kappas from dressing up in their costume-y finest to enjoy the Halloweekend festivities. Check out some of our fave pics from the weekend!

A big group of sophomores on Thursday night.

Liz, Ava, and Clara hanging out at the Deck!

Lakshmi and Gen looking catty and devilish.

EVP Julianne and SK House resident Claire.

Abby, Stef, Kayla, Christina, and Courtney all dressed up!

SK goes to the pumpkin patch!

Sisterhood Chairs Katey and Eileen planned another amazing sisterhood retreat a few weekends ago. On a beautiful October morning, Sigma Kappa set off on a great fall adventure to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch! After a great roadtrip to the destination, they picked up some pumpkins and fresh fruit and enjoyed a hayride before heading back to the house for cider, pumpkin carving, and a screening of Sweet Home Alabama. Check out our gorgeous pictures from our equally gorgeous fall day!

SKs throwing up the hand sign in the pumpkin patch.

Margo, Katey, and Martha picking pumpkins!

Megan got into some trouble.

More group SKL!

More fall fun after the jump!

Big/Little Love: Fall Pledge Class edition!

This week is Mystery Week for our new members from Fall Rush. Over the last few days, they've all received treats, tricks, and the occasional serenades from their bigs, and this Friday they'll have their own Reveal Night, where they'll become a part of their new lineages!

In honor of this phenomenal night, here are some of our favorite pictures from Mystery Weeks and Reveal Nights of the past few years:

The Wahoo Lineage... complete with their signature fish!

Ellen's room during Mystery Week last spring!

The Purebreds on Reveal Night.

See more great pics after the jump!

SK does So You Think You Can Dance

Kappa girls are always looking for exciting new adventures, and for Katey, Martha, and Michele, last Friday was no exception! Michele (VP Scholarship) and Katey (Assistant VP Sisterhood), housemates of one of the traditionally passed down Sigma Kappa off-campus houses, and Martha (VP Membership), Michele’s big, took a mini-road trip to Atlantic City to see the So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour! The show was a gift for Michele’s twentieth birthday (no surprise Michele is a fan of the show.. she is a member of one of Penn’s hottest dance groups, Quaker Girls!) The SK sisters had a fabulous time watching fantastic after fantastic performance, but little did they know that the show was only the beginning!

After two hours of outstanding dancing, the Kappas decided to explore Atlantic City before heading back to Penn. To their surprise, they stumbled upon a waiting area to meet the cast of So You Think You Can Dance! After killing a little time (including a frozen yogurt run, of course!) the SKs got the opportunity of a lifetime to meet many of the cast’s extraordinary dancers. And of course, the girls were eager to share their sorority hand sign with the dancers! Each and every dancer was thrilled to learn the hand sign, consulting Katey, Martha, and Michele to make sure they had their hand/heart formation correct and asking questions about our amazing sorority. Wherever SKs go, their love of Sigma Kappa follows!

With SYTYCD Dancer Mitchell!

With this episode's winner, Melanie!

Check out our exec bios!

Check out the bios of our excellent, amazing, and incredible exec board on our chapter website.

Here is the link: http://www.upennsigmakappa.com/about

Or just check them out here!

View the rest after the jump!

Sister of the Week: Rachel Sebastian

This week's Sister of the Week is Rachel Sebastian! She's from Lake Oswego, Oregon, and she's a senior in the college majoring in Political Science. She's also Sigma Kappa's VP of Philanthropy, which means that she planned our amazing Ultraviolet Quizzo event that look place in September. Aside from SK, she's involved with Power Up Gambia, the club soccer team, and Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society. She's also a Study Abroad Ambassador (she spent last semester in Prague!) and an employee at Van Pelt Library. Last year, she was SK's Sisterhood Chair, and she's a member of the "Kardashian Minaj Family" Lineage (she says "don't ask"). We asked this awesome Sister of the Week a few questions.


Twitter or Facebook?
I'm definitely a facebook fan, I can't handle tweeting.


Philly or Portland?
PORRRTLLLANNNDD. No, I love Philadelphia (especially the food, because who doesn't love food...) but Portland will always be my favorite.


You live with a bunch of SKs in one of the greatest houses at Penn. What's the best thing about the Deck?
The best thing about the Deck is probably the Deck itself. I love living with a group of my closest friends, but the actual deck makes the house. Warm weather barbecues and being able to lay outside and tan are the best.

Tell us a Prague story.
I still get too emotional when I talk about the fact that I am no longer in Prague. I love love loved it and think everyone should go. My favorite thing about Prague was probably the smazeny syr (again, back to food, I know, but it is seriously the best food ever). It's basically fried cheese, and it tastes so good at 5am after a long night out.


What do you think was the best question asked in this year's Ultraviolet Quizzo event?
Well, everyone made fun of me for the question, "What does karaoke mean in Japanese?" The answer is empty orchestra.


What's the best part of the Quizzo experience?
The best part of Quizzo was the night of the actual event, when I realized that everything had worked out so smoothly! It was amazing to look around the room and see how many people were there and to know that all the hard work the Quizzo chairs and I had put in was worth it!


We're told you joined the club soccer team as a senior. What inspired this new interest?
I did join the club soccer team as a senior! What was funny was that all the freshman who were trying out had no idea that I was older than them! I ran track my freshman and sophomore year, but I got injured and was unable to play anymore, and this year I found myself really missing playing a sport. Soccer was actually my first love, and I played kindergarden through high school so I decided it was time to go back to my roots. Plus, like half my roommates are on the team so they probably just gave me a pity vote.


What would you say makes you a Sigma Kappa? 
I love being an SK because it's a group of girls who are some of the nicest and most fun people I have ever met. There's no cattiness or drama and it's because everybody is legitimately so down to earth. Plus, I always know I'll have girls to wave to as I walk down Locust.

Rachel in Prague!

Rachel with one of her SK littles, Sophia.

With a group of Sigma Kappas before the winter formal!

Sisterhood, Sweetgreen, and Soccer... Oh my!

SKs Eileen, Ava, Megan, Zenia, Abby, Margo, Marissa, Kelly,
Genevieve, and Sherri picnic-ing in brand new Penn Park! 

The Sisterhood Calendar for the month of October is brimming with fabulous sisterhood activities, and this past Saturday’s event was not exception! Taking advantage of the gorgeous fall weather, the Kappa girls took a trip down to the brand-new Penn Park on Saturday afternoon for a few hours of crisp autumn air and sisterhood festivities! SKs gathered around picnic tables and got a chance to catch up as they enjoyed delicious Sweetgreen salads. At the same time, they cheered with true Kappa spirit as three of our amazing Sigma Kappa sisters, Aileen (President), Sophia (VP Communications) and Rachel (VP Philanthropy) showed off their skills in their club soccer game against Villanova. Later, the girls tapped into their artistic side, compliments of some purple tie-dye! The Kappa sisters tie-dyed different Sigma Kappa apparel for themselves (because you can never have enough purple in your wardrobe!) and also tie-dyed pillowcases for the incoming Fall Pledge class. The following day, the girls took turns writing welcome messages to the highly anticipated new biddies on the pillowcases, and our newest Baby Doves received them the following evening on Bid Night!

Gaby and Ava supporting our girls in the club soccer game!

We "skored" at Quizzo this year. Did you?

Thank you to everyone who came out for Quizzo! The event was a HUGE success. We couldn't have done it without you. Special shout-out to SK senior, Rachel Sebastian, for spearheading the whole affair. We raised approximately $6,600 this year (for Alzheimer's research and the Sigma Kappa Foundation) and had 20 teams representing a variety of student groups compete. Congratulations to Sammy Seniors for taking first place!

SK girls "skoring" in their Quizzo shirts.

The view from above

Congrats to the winners:Sammy Seniors!

SKL! <3