MAking MemΦries

Written by: Alex Martins

One of the best parts of joining a sorority like Alpha Phi is that you have sisters from around the country, and you can spend your breaks traveling with them. This winter break I had the pleasure of exploring Nashville with my best friend and roomie Rachel Ahlemeier. We went to a St. Louis Blues game December 30th and decided to stay another night to ring in the New Year.

Nashville is such a cool city filled with interesting people, music, and sights. We got the chance to walk down Broadway, the main strip in Nashville. It was lined with iconic shops, bars, and restaurants. We explored all day, ate the best pulled pork sandwiches, and I even bought my first pair of cowboy boots.

Nashville is the epicenter of country music and we got a little taste of that. On New Years Eve there was a free outdoor concert on Broadway, some performers included Lady Antebellum and Gavin DeGraw. We pushed our way to the front row and enjoyed the music, all while waiting for midnight and the music note to drop. We counted down from 10 and once the clock struck midnight, confetti flew everywhere and Rachel and I were screaming and hugging in true sorority sister fashion. If you ever have the chance to ring in the New Year with your sisters I highly suggest you take it. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Sisters Travel to Nicaragua for Global Medical Training Program

Written by: Bailey Hall

Over winter break I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Nicaragua for a week with 35 other Mizzou students, 3 of which being my sisters, as members of Global Medical Training.  We went to different areas each day to run a free healthcare clinic.  In the clinics, we would work in groups consisting of four students and one translator.  Together we came up with a diagnosis, possible treatment, and wrote prescriptions.  Then one of our doctors would check our work and sign off on it.  Most of the patients we saw just had minor problems like cold, flu, allergies, dehydration, etc.  We also saw lots of patients with high blood pressure and diabetes.  Since Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America, most people there do not have the education or resources to treat these simple health problems without our help.  As the week went on, we learned more about medicine and the common problems in that area such as parasites and a new virus called Chikungunya.  Gaining this knowledge enabled us to treat patients more efficiently, and it was very rewarding to see our progress as medical students. My time there was such an eye opening experience.  People live in ways that I could never imagine here in the U.S. yet they are still so happy and grateful.  I’ve never felt so appreciated or important.  The trip was a huge success.  Over our five clinic days, we treated a total of 711 patients, which greatly exceeded our expectations. I gained so much knowledge of basic health problems and medications, got to experience a new culture, and made so many new friends along the way.  I cannot express how fortunate I feel to have gotten this opportunity, and how excited I am to go back again next year.