“I got an email from Headquarters seeking models for Pi Phi Express and I thought to myself, ‘Why not? I love Pi Phi and I love meeting new people!’”
Born and raised in St. Louis, Mississippi Beta Carina Marino is back in town for summer break. She’s been away from home, busy completing her freshman year at Ole Miss. She chose Ole Miss because the large public University offered a much different experience than her small, all-girls Catholic high school. “I wanted to meet new people and do my own thing,” Carina said. “It was the South, it was different. And the campus is beautiful.” On a good day, it’s a five-hour drive back to St. Louis, just close enough to visit home and just far enough for Carina to be independent and grow on her own.
This morning, she arrived at Headquarters bright and early to gather with seven other Pi Phi collegians in a back room, the home of the Fraternity’s store, Pi Phi Express. The women, all home on summer break, have volunteered to be models for a Pi Phi Express photo shoot. They ooh and ahh over the outfits they get to wear throughout the day: a magenta V-neck with the words, “Some Girls Were Born to Stand Out” and a gray T-shirt with, “Aim High, Pi Beta Phi” across the chest. A succession of tank tops, rugby shirts, pullovers and jackets, not to mention accessories from totes to sunglasses.
Most of the women don’t have previous modeling experience, but this isn’t Carina’s first rodeo. Her mom signed her up for a modeling gig when she was just four years old. She’s done small things over the years, including working with a senior portrait photography studio. Carina didn’t tell her Pi Phi sisters ahead of time that her photo will appear in the store’s catalog, website and email campaigns, except for her Mississippi Beta sister whose also volunteering today, because she wants it to be surprise.
Carina’s excited to return to campus so she can reveal her Pi Phi Express debut, but she’s also thrilled for recruitment. This year is her first time on the chapter side of the process and the Ole Miss Pi Phis have been practicing songs and conversations since the spring semester. “I love being a Pi Phi and I could talk on and on about it,” she said. She offers up advice for women going through recruitment — women just like Carina whose families aren’t Greek and who enter into recruitment parties without preconceived notions. “Definitely look at the girl herself, not just the chapter as whole,” Carina said. “Connect with a girl on a personal level and that’s where you’ll find your perfect fit. That’s how I found Pi Phi.”