While in high school, Oklahoma Alpha Olivia Colts-Tegg went to University of Oklahoma (OU) on a campus visit. She and her mom, Michigan Gamma Anne Marie Jankowski Colts-Tegg, stopped at the Pi Beta Phi house and took a photo. Growing up, Olivia heard stories about her mom’s experiences in her chapter; Annemarie has such fond memories of her time in the chapter including serving as Chapter President for two years. It all came full circle last year when Olivia received her bid to join Pi Phi at OU.

Annemarie pinned Olivia at her initiation and later told Olivia that she could remember reciting the same words. Annemarie also remembered singing all the same songs. “We share the basic foundation and traditions, but each have our own traditions at our own chapters,” Olivia said. “It is cool for me to realize we have so many shared experiences.” Olivia was excited to hear Ring Ching Roadshow would be traveling to Michigan, where her mom has Pi Phi connections, within a few weeks of our visit Oklahoma.

Olivia has been busy creating memories with her own chapter too. Close to the chapter house is Classics, an old-fashioned ice cream drive in. One of her first visits was with her Big Sister Megan Barton, Oklahoma Alpha. It is such a popular destination that often a sister of the chapter will simply ask, “Who wants to go to Classics to get ice cream?” and successfully recruits a crowd to join her.

When Olivia and 90 of her sisters moved in the chapter house this past fall, they were treated to a Cookie Shine on their first night. In the chapter room they linked hands, sang songs and knew it would be a great year living there. Olivia did not know three years after she took the initial photo during her campus visit that she would be living in the exact house in that photo.