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

Jac Bedrossian receives social media project grant

Congratulations to Gamma Zeta member Jac Bedrossian for receiving a social media project grant for her #WeeklyVote webcast, which will invite students to vote on topics of weekly webcasts about interesting events and people at Louisiana State University.

Jac's project is one of seven chosen by Jerry Ceppos, dean of LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication, to receive mini-grants under the school’s Social Media News Challenge grant from the Knight Foundation.

Her goal is to start a weekly webcast highlighting a student, faculty member or event on campus. This three to five minute webcast will be posted on YouTube and disseminated on social media. Jac will then engage the community by asking questions on social media and including responses in her show.

I love LSU and take so much pride in being a part of the university. I want a chance to showcase how great our school is not just to the community but also to everyone online. -Jac

In order to receive this grant, Jac submitted an application then made a presentation to Ceppos and a panel of community advisers.

Knight grant recipients will receive $4,000 for their project. The first $2,000 will be provided upon awarding the grant, and another $2,000 will be provided upon completion of the project. Jac's project completion date is April 20, 2015.

This social media grant is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts.

The Social Media News Challenge is presented by the Knight Foundation, which in 2013 awarded the Manship School $150,000 over three years for students and faculty to experiment with bringing news to communities through social media.

DG Takes the Gold!

On Tuesday, April 22, 2014, the Gamma Zeta chapter of Delta Gamma proudly received two Love Purple Live Gold Awards awarded by Louisiana State University’s Office of Campus Life.

At the Awards Ceremony held in the Lod Cook Conference Center, President Katelyn Gross and Adviser Emily Hester were presented the Most Outstanding Academic/Educational Program Award for Career Night and the Commitment to Community Service Award on behalf of the chapter.

The Outstanding Academic/Educational Award is presented to an LSU organization with the best program focused on a specific discipline or topic that furthers knowledge in that area and encourages dialogue and learning among the attendees.

Gamma Zeta received this award for Career Night, an annual event providing collegians the opportunity to ask alumnae questions about specific careers. Collegians sit with alumnae that have employment in the career field related to the collegian’s major to receive tailored tips, advice and life lessons. Collegians ask for professional advice and alumnae share stories about their experiences. Collegians also completed a Strengths Quest test prior to the event to see their top five strengths, and are able to use this information to critically think about what they want to do after graduation. This event truly gives collegians a glimpse into the “real world.”

In order to receive the Commitment to Community Award, Delta Gamma exhibited positive commitment to the campus community, according to the key principle components of the Commitment to Community.

LSU’s Commitment to Community statement:

“This organization pursues truth, advances learning, and upholds the highest standards of performance in an academic and social environment. By accepting responsibility; practicing social, academic, and personal integrity; advancing justice, equality, compassion; demonstrating dignity and respect; enhancing the environment; contributing to community; and engaging as a citizen; this group impacts Louisiana State University in all initiatives, fundraising, and presence on campus.”

The Love Purple Live Gold Awards are dedicated to recognizing excellence in student leadership and programming each year.

Written by Maddie Duhon

Poppin’ the Gamma from Around the World

College, nowadays, is primetime for students to take advantage of their youth and study around the globe.

Studying abroad provides students a new cultural and academic perspective

that we could never experience otherwise. It’s a chance to meet new people and

open our minds to see that the world is way bigger than we think.

It’s almost impossible to find a university that doesn’t offer studying abroad,

so might as well grab at the opportunity if you can.

We like to pretend that we can afford this pricey experience, but after

working countless amounts of odd jobs and begging to parents, it might actually

become a reality, like it did for Kelsey Messionnier, a member of Delta Gamma

Sorority.

Messionnier recently traveled to more than 10 countries and 30 different

cities in Europe last year, including England, Austria and The Netherlands to just

name a few. Along with learning about completely different cultures, she learned the

importance of many essential life skills including planning and budgeting

Messionnier said, “It teaches you how to plan, how to meet people, how to

interpret different languages, how to budget and also how to just go with the flow

because not everything can go according to plan.”

Studying abroad is more than going to school in a different country, but a

time to learn new things about yourself and see how other people live. It’s a time to

appreciate what you have but respect the difference of how other people live.

Messionnier is excited to go back to England to attend graduate school at the

University of Warwick and to further her educational and cultural experience.

She highly encourages anyone who is interested to take this special

opportunity if they are able to. She said, “A summer abroad is better than no time at

all an it’s such a life changing experience that is not to be missed!”

Written by Brittany Bonin

Amy Affiliates in TN!

Gamma Zeta junior Amy Phillips is currently affiliated with the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Gamma this semester at The University of Tennessee. Phillips decided to participate in the National Student

Exchange Program in order to experience something different and to "see if I wanted to potentially live

there (Knoxville) after graduation." The Gamma Alpha chapter was founded in 1949 at the University of

Tennessee and is home to about 160 members. Phillips describes her experience to be very unique.

"Gamma Zeta is twice the size of Gamma Alpha so that was a huge adjustment. I decided to affiliate and

live in the house because I knew I would at least meet people that way. If I hadn't affiliated I'm not really

sure where I would be at this point. It was really comforting to move 11 hours away and find people who

shared the same ideals as me. Both chapters are extremely diverse and offer a lot of different types of

people, which I love about Delta Gamma in general. I immediately noticed that the chapter members in

both chapters are very different, but all have the same core values that make us DG's. "

Aside from Delta Gamma, Phillips states that "I believe everyone needs to take a semester abroad or

nationally. I have grown in ways that I did not think were possible. Everyone needs to experience going

to a new place alone to learn who they really are and who they want to become. We get so comfortable

that we forget how to challenge ourselves. Having Gamma Alpha to help me to grow in Knoxville has

been an amazing addition to my experiences."

Phillips is studying Kinesiology and will be returning to LSU in the Fall to complete her degree.

Written by Sophomore Mary Catherine Srofe