Final: Lead In - Nadege Jorda

When David Minnihan first came to Norman, there were no serious tennis facilities for the community. The Westwood Tennis center featured only eight courts, two of which were unplayable. Since then with Minnihan's help, Westwood now has 12 outdoor courts and a 2,300 sq. ft. clubhouse. The tennis center won the 2007 National Facility of the Year award. Westwood partners with the University of Oklahoma to use OU's indoor courts for patrons and players to train year round.

"I think the Norman community is real proud of this facility," Minnihan said. "It's one of the nicer parks in the city. It's not only state recognized, but nationally recognized."

While the center's success is admirable, Minnihan enjoys another aspect of his job at Westwood.

"My passion is junior development," Minnihan said.

One special junior player in particular is Nadege Jorda. At 14, she is working towards her goal of playing professional tennis.

"He's really supportive. He helps me a lot with my tennis," Jorda said of Minnihan.

At 12, she walked into Westwood. Now she is turning heads by winning tournaments.

"She's won a ton of tournaments," Minnihan said.

Jorda has achieved the number one ranking for her age group in the state of Oklahoma. She has now moved on to playing older competitors.

By: Kelley Jones and Zack Hedrick

Runtime: 1:34

Final Project Video - Nadege Jorda

Pi Beta Phi House

The Pi Phi house at The University of Oklahoma

Many greek houses on the University of Oklahoma campus rival multi-million dollar homes. Just down the street from Barry Switzer's impressive residence, is the Pi Beta Phi sorority house.

Sororities for Dummies sat down with Samantha Herbie, an advertising sophomore, Emily Johnson, an energy management sophomore and Megan Kinnie, a history sophomore to talk about the Pi Beta Phi house. The house is used for many functions throughout the course of the year. WIth the crunch time of finals over all students, most of the girls in Pi Phi are

using the house as a meeting place for study sessions.

Whenever the pressure of finals are not over the members of Pi Phi, the house is mainly used as a meeting place for social parties and headquarters for philanthropy service events. Johnson stated that numerous service events are held through the house during the course of the semester.

One unique aspect for the house at Pi Phi is that unlike other houses, it features individual living spaces. Other sorority houses have community style living with multiple girls sharing bedrooms and closet space.

"Every girl here has her own room and her stuff is in her room," Johnson said.

All three girls commented on the value of having their own individual rooms.

In addition, the house has the capacity to fit all the girls in the chapter in the house dining hall at one time.

"91 girls," Herbie said.

The three Pi Phi members stated that this was a big recruitment tool whenever new rush classes are going through the selection process.

The sorority itself is celebrating its centennial year. Pi Phi held a ball the first weekend of November and invited back alumni to visit the house and current members.

The plaque commemorating the sorority's centennial celebration on the front of the house.

Serving and Sociable

Sisters of TBS load food and other necessities into a truck for the canned food drive they held prior to the holiday season.

Members of Tau Beta Sigma (TBS), the national band sorority, have a lot to handle as members of a sorority and Pride of Oklahoma. In addition to all their responsibilities of being at rehearsals, gamedays and pep bands, TBS members also help carry out tasks that otherwise would not get done.
"Tau Beta Sigma is based on an action.We exist to serve the band," Alex Valiton, Vice President of Service, said. Valiton also commented on the unique traits that are shown throughout the nation in all TBS chapters.

The band sorority has the same national song throughout the nation, which creates a camaraderie between schools that usually would not take place.
"It's kinda cool because we can put away the rivalries that happen between our two schools and just be sisters," said treasurer Shanna Hestilow.

While they TBS is centered around service, they also hold social events as well. The sisters of TBS also get to throw social events and date parties like any other social sorority.

Members of TBS celebrate

the engagement of fellow TBS

member Jessie Stecker

For the upcoming bowl trip, Valiton said that TBS and Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity, have already contacted the same organizations from the University of Connecticut to meet up at the bowl game in Glendale, Ariz. when the two football teams meet for the Fiesta Bowl.
Next semester the joint chapters of TBS and Kappa Kappa Psi will host District Convention. The convention is an event where all active chapters from New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma will meet outside of a band or football game setting and share ides and build up relations between chapters.
The District Convention is set for April 8-10, 2011.

Members of TBS held an alumni reception during homecoming weekend.