Cheesies with the Deegees

The Gamma Zeta chapter of Delta Gamma held its first "Cheesies with the Deegees" last Wednesday, September 17, 2014.

We'd like to thank EVERYONE that came to our fall Panhellenic social - we had more than

1,200

people in attendance! Shout out to Chi Omega, who had the most PHC sisters show up!

We hosted Cheesies to encourage Panhellenic sisterhood. Everyone down the row was invited! We had mac n cheese, grilled cheese, cheese cubes, queso, cheese pizza, and cheese snacks! With a line out the door, it's safe to say Cheesies was a success that will be repeated.

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

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

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

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