Career Night

Gamma Zeta held its annual Career Night, coordinated by director of alumnae relations Victoria Roberts, on Monday, October 27, 2014.  Career Night has always been a great way for Delta Gamma collegians to meet alumnae, who provide career and life advice.A speaker from LSU Career Services gave freshman interviewing tips and an overview of what Career Services has to offer. Sophomores learned about how to properly network and obtain internships. Then everyone broke into groups determined by major to talk to alumnae in that field. Alumnae from the fields of advertising, public relations, journalism, business, marketing, political science, pre-law, history, communication disorders, education, art, kinesiology, pre-med, dietetics and nutrition, psychology, and nursing were available for members to speak with. 

Juniors and seniors listened to two talks, one about financial responsibility and another about resume building. Alumna Emily Hester, Assistant to LSU’s Vice Chancellor, spoke about budgeting before graduating college and how to evaluate job offers. Alumna Melissa Thompson, Student Development Coordinator for LSU Communication Across the Curriculum, spoke about email etiquette.

“My favorite part about Career Night is reaching out and connecting with alumnae,” said Roberts. 

Gamma Zeta would like to thank our alumnae for taking their time to give us career advice! 

Cathy Juarez     

Amanda Waguespauk

Amanda Collura Day   

Beth Foust

Kayla Purcell    

Melissa Thompson 

Erin King        

Lynde Ulmer     

Emily Hester

Brenda Redpath     

Renee McGuinness   

Whitney Sutherland

Alumna Highlight: Cathy Juarez!

Recent alumna Cathy Juarez has worked at Visit Baton Rouge since October. Previously a Commununications Intern, Cathy is now the Destination Content Manager in the Communications Department! She manages the Visit Baton Rouge website, blog, billboards and assists the Communications Coordinator with social media.

The mission of Visit Baton Rouge is "to increase visitation to and awareness of the Baton Rouge Area thereby enhancing economic impact."

"Currently, we've had an extremely busy few weeks, as we are a partner for Bayou Country Superfest and worked with the Mayor's office and State Office of Tourism to bring the 2014 Miss USA Competition to Baton Rouge (the pageant has been hosted in Vegas for the past 7 years)," said Cathy. 'Being the host city pageant is huge, as the telecast will be aired in over 70 countries, and showcase Baton Rouge on a huge international scale."

She was worked in different parts of the Louisiana tourism industry since her internship last summer at the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"I love Louisiana, and I love that I can wake up every morning and do my part in increasing visitors to Baton Rouge and our wonderful state as a whole!"

"My time as a collegian in Delta Gamma provided me with so many resources to grow as a young woman. Upon joining, so many opportunities for involvement in the Greek community became available to me, which I took full advantage of. Because of that involvement, I gained so many skills that now help me in the real world, such as professionalism, responsibility, leadership and more. Through Delta Gamma and Greek Life, I have met so many wonderful mentors who have guided me into becoming the young professional I am today, and as I learn more in my professional career and alum life, I hope to one day provide that same mentorship back to other collegians as well."

Written by Maddie Duhon

The Chase is On! (&OOO)

On Sunday, April 27, 2014, the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Delta Gamma, along with Alpha Gamma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, performed at Songfest, an annual dance competition the LSU Greek Board of Directors hosts. Our theme was “The Chase Is On,” with DG’s dressed as cops and KA’s dressed as donuts. Songs mixed together included Bad Boys, One Way Or Another, Do What You Want With My Body, Toxic, Tainted Love and many others. Seniors Danielle Krumm, Alexis Reaney and Lindsey Bennett coordinated dance practices and overall participation in the event.

"Organizing Songfest was so much fun this year. The KA's were game for anything and went along with our crazy ideas. We loved working with our cops and donuts. Practices were always super lively and fun. We had an incredible time performing. Songfest is all about building relationships throughout the Greek community and I feel that we definitely accomplished this," said Bennett.

Watch the performance here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=847508928597217

After Songfest was over, the Order of Omega Awards Ceremony began.

Each year the Order of Omega chapter at LSU welcomes Greek student leaders in to the Order of Omega who have made a difference in their chapter, in the Greek community or across the LSU campus. In addition, the Order of Omega hosts an awards ceremony to recognize chapters for outstanding chapter events, programs, and service.

The Gamma Zeta Chapter won Outstanding PHC Chapter Event for Lectureship in Values & Ethics. We are so proud to have the opportunity to host the biennial Lectureship event, spreading the message of “do good” throughout the community. E! News Anchor and breast cancer survivor Giuliana Rancic spoke to a crowd of more than 2,500 in Baton Rouge in April 2013 for Gamma Zeta’s third biennial Lectureship in Values & Ethics.

Rancic shared insights from her personal experiences in her career and with infertility and breast cancer. Her message of doing good, working hard and staying true to ones self was inspirational. When first diagnosed with cancer, Rancic did not plan to tell anyone outside her family. She used to wonder why she was chosen to anchor E! News others, and concluded that she will use her job to “do good.” She now uses the public platform she has through television to touch the lives of others with cancer. The crowd included Delta Gamma collegians, alumnae, parents, Panhellenic friends, LSU students, Cancer Services, Baton Rouge citizens, breast cancer survivors, LSU officials, and Project Runway winner Ryan Anthony Auld. The Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values & Ethics was established at LSU in 2008. Gamma Zeta’s Lectureship is a program only 18 (out of 147) Delta Gamma chapters across the Fraternity have the privilege to host.

Adviser Emily Burris Hester received the Outstanding PHC Adviser Award. Emily is a Gamma Zeta alumna. She dedicates so much of her time to our chapter and we all really appreciate it. She is always meeting with DG’s over coffee, taking the time out of her day to help members with life and sorority advice. No one deserves this award more than Emily because of her constant stream of love and passion she contributes to our chapter. When reflecting on her time as DG Chapter Adviser, she said:

“I am extremely grateful for all that DG has given me through advising! I've been blessed to continue to learn and grow and most importantly have sisters become friends.”

Junior Director of Programming Geena Marano said, “I am so proud to be part of a chapter that exemplifies sisterhood and friendship in everything we do. Yay for best sisterhood and celebrating our perfect advisor Emily Burris Hester for fearlessly being the greatest example!”

The Gamma Zeta chapter also took home Outstanding PHC Sisterhood. We work to ensure no member class barriers with regular sisterhood events and bonding opportunities. “I have never been so proud of being a part of such an amazing organization and sisterhood! Our members and adviser have worked so hard for these recognitions,” said President Katelyn Gross.

Overall it was a great day full of recognition and Gamma Zeta pride.

Congratulations to Spring 2014 OOO Members:

Chelsea Bonck
Lauren Fontenot
Katelyn GrossShout out to our amazing Songfest participants: Allison Herrera Hannah LaFrance Kathryn Nauman Caroline McCaffrey Priscilla Lebleu Claire Wingerter Alexis Reaney Danielle Krumm Lindsey Bennett Chelsea Bonck Whitney Sprague Gianna Liantonio Victoria Croft Audrey Tankersly Katie Matirne Tiffanie Harel Ashley Loze Caroline Vinning Brittany Klein Hayden Dominique Matt Morgan Jordan Sonnier Will Chemell Will Fisher Sam John Oliver T. J. Jenkins

Written by Maddie Duhon

Our Wonderful CDC!

We had an AMAZING week with our CDC Shelby! She was so helpful and gave us so much great advice! Shelby has her own blog, and she wrote about her time with us in Baton Rouge! To read her blog post go to http://anchorsandairplanes.wordpress.com/! Thanks again Shelby!

National Ritual Celebration Week!

Day 3:

For the third day of celebrating National Ritual Celebration Week, I wrote a word on how we can live our ritual through the use of social media!

We’ve all been yelled at for being on Facebook during class, or checking our Instagrams at the dinner table. Get off the internet and enjoy the physical world, nothing good can come from our social media outlets right? I don’t believe this at all. As the Director of Social Media for Gamma Zeta, I am inspired and amazed every day with what can be achieved through the internet and social media. When you need funds raised for an organization, attendees to a motivational lecture, or just some wise words to brighten your day, in a few clicks of a button your message can be sent to hundreds, even thousands of people. We gain so much through connecting with local Greek chapters and DG chapters nationwide. We live our ritual in every word we post and every email we send.  The ideas that spread virally through the internet can bring changes that lead to movements. While there are plenty of negative things that can be amplified through social media, I challenge you to ignore the bad and engage with the positive. Go watch a TED talk, search through the #FaithInHumanity hashtag on Instagram, create a Pinterest board of “Small ways to brighten someone’s day”. Live your ritual and spread your ritual in every link you share because when you are part of something bigger than yourself, there’s no shame in letting others, even strangers, know how it has affected you in such an amazing way. When taken advantage of, social media can be the most inspiring, humbling, productive and motivating tool available to us in the modern day, and I believe that is something to be celebrated. 

Director of Social Media, Macy Andre

Day 2:

To continue our celebration of National Ritual Celebration Week we share with you the words of Delta Gamma Fraternity's Vice President of Communications Cori Gilbert Wallace!

http://dganchors.blogspot.com/2014/03/because-i-belong.html

Day 1:  

To kick off National Ritual Celebration Week in Gamma Zeta, here's a word from our Director of Rituals, Alec Hymel!

We all know humans are wired for listening to stories. My favor of you is to make your story of your time as an active Greek worth listening to. I come from a family of Greeks: cousin a Pi Phi, grandmother and another cousin are Tri Deltas, several DZ aunts and cousins, a brother and cousin in Sig Ep, and they are among many relatives in different Greek organizations. However, as I look at how they live their rituals, it's not about their individual ritual but rather the Greek ritual as a whole. Doing right by people because you are a part of something so much bigger than yourself. Your ritual is your story. My mom was initiated into Delta Gamma over 30 years ago (sorry mom for partially revealing your age) and she's stayed connected to her sisters from when she was in the chapter all these years later. The Ritual we celebrate as a Greek community is so much more than formal chapter meetings or initiations, it's the friendships you form and the friends your daughter makes with your friends’ daughters 30 years later. It's Doing Good, the most important aspect of our Ritual. It's Believing in Hope. I believe it's there in the darkest days more than anything. It's finding strength in those you know because the people you surround yourself with are the ones who support you and want you to always keep moving forward. It's celebrating life because no ritual can be celebrated, lived, or passed down without those who take life and live it. I hope in whatever way you celebrate your ritual you find meaning to keep living it throughout your life, and to not be afraid to change your ritual if it means you can do more good. On behalf of the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Delta Gamma I wish you a Happy National Ritual Celebration Week!

 

 

 

Director of Rituals, Alec Hymel