Category Archives: Fran Favorite

R.I.P. Jerrie Mock, Phi Mu, the First Woman to Circumnavigate the World Alone

Geraldine “Jerrie” Fredritz Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world, died on September 30, 2014 at the age of  88. Mock, an initiate of the Phi Mu chapter at The Ohio State University, “shared her stories, always … Continue reading

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In a NY State of Mind…The Union Triad and Other Thoughts

On Thursday afternoon we left for New York State and a family wedding. We made it as far as Erie, Pennsylvania. The next morning we headed off the rest of the way to our destination, Skaneateles, New York. While the … Continue reading

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Mary Love Collins, 1915, “Sequestered Ignoramuses to Intelligent Young Animals”

One of my favorite ways to waste time, and forgive me if I’ve said this before, is to page through fraternity and sorority magazines. Reading the old Arrows in the Pi Phi house was how I started down this path … Continue reading

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The Importance of Indiana and Other Monday Morning Musings

All weekend, I have been jumping between projects. I’ve been writing my talk for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis Alumnae Panhellenic (http://wp.me/s20I1i-indy). The celebration is Sunday, October 12, 2014, and if you haven’t reserved a spot, you might still have a … Continue reading

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#NHAW14 – My Thoughts (Hazing Is Nuts!)

What if all you knew about fraternities and sororities you learned through films, television and through the news? Would you allow your son or daughter to join a Greek-Letter organization? I certainly wouldn’t. (“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to … Continue reading

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Betty Buckley, ZTA, the Public Theater, and Sweeney Todd

When I am in the car, I usually listen to the Broadway Channel on satellite radio. I remember hearing Seth Rudetsky, one of the channel’s hosts, tell a story about Betty Buckley. As I was driving at the time, I … Continue reading

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The Roosevelts – Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor – and their GLO Connections

Currently, PBS stations are airing The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. The seven part, 14 hour long series, is another of Ken Burns’ epic works. The series covers the fascinating lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Growing up on Long Island, … Continue reading

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Ring, Ching! and Le Fictitious Local Café

The other day someone asked what was up with that “Ring, Ching” thing that Pi Phis sing, say, tweet, and use in e-mails. It has also puzzled wait staff at hotels across the country when, as a group, grown women … Continue reading

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Miss America 2015 – The Sorority Women Who Competed in 2014

Congratulations to Kira Kazantsev, Miss America  2015! She is not a current member of a sorority.  After Kira Kazantsev was crowned Miss America, the first runner up of the Miss New York competition became Miss New York. She is Jillian Tapper, … Continue reading

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Sarah Ida Shaw Martin and the Triangle Windows at 5 Cobden Street

As Sarah Ida Shaw she studied, as best she could with the resources that were available at the time, the other men’s and women’s fraternities. She was an excellent student. In 1885, she was valedictorian of her Girls’ Latin School class. She … Continue reading

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