RE: flip flops.
I think that nice flats are great! I'm 5'10, so in most heels I tend to tower over everyone (plus I recently broke my hip so I'm still getting the hang of the whole walking thing again) so I love flats. I was alluding to the "plastic and foam" type flip flops that we all know and love.
One of my general rules of life since college has to always err on the side of business when unsure. I try to make it so I can either take my jacket off and just wear the top or bring different shoes or a different bag or something if I need to switch gears.
Good luck, enjoy this very unique experience!
And congrats Alpha Phi on your new colony
.