National Rituals Celebration Week

Today kicks off National Ritual Celebration Week! In 2011, Phi Mu Fraternity initiated National Ritual Celebration Week as a way for all Greeks to pause and remember why Greek organizations are so special and different from other communities: our ritual.

The Gamma Zeta chapter of Delta Gamma is excited to celebrate the beauty of ritual and its importance in the prosperity of our sisterhood. This week, we celebrate the values and the mission our founders established long ago. Our ritual, though is a part of our rich tradition and history as a fraternity, is our daily call to action to live greater lives. Our hope is to share with the world who we are and what we stand for by making the ritual come alive in our chapter every day.

Tomorrow, March 7th, is International Badge Day. We encourage you to celebrate with us by wearing your badge as a symbol of pride, devotion, and remembrance of all that Delta Gamma is.

Throughout the week, members will reflect on the impact our chapter of Delta Gamma has had on them and share their experience living out our ritual. We hope the blog does just that and focuses on our badge and Article II in the Delta Gamma Constitution.

In 1873, our founders wrote Article II as a bold statement to the world what our fraternity values most. It inspires members of our sisterhood and is forever marked on the hearts of Delta Gammas. We recite Article II at chapter meetings and are constantly reminded of the foundation upon which our organization was built. Article II states:

The objects of this Fraternity shall be to foster high ideals of friendship among women, to promote their educational and cultural interests, to create in them a true sense of social responsibility and to develop in them the best qualities of character.

Collegians and alumnae, this week we challenge you to remember our ritual and live it out, share it, and most of all, celebrate it. For it is something special and long lasting, just like our founders had intended. It comes to mean something different to everyone. Ask yourself what that is…and celebrate it with us!

Jennifer Tuohy serves as UIFI Intern

Jen Tuohy, vp: member education from Mandeville, Louisiana, spent one week in Bloomington, Indiana working as a Undergraduate Interfraternity Institue intern. UIFI is a leadership institute for fraternity and sorority members. UIFI allows participants to explore, define, and and enhance their leadership skills, personal integrity, fraternity and sorority commitment, and grow to expect values based action from themselves and those they lead.

Of the 160 applicants, only 20 intern positions were available. Congratulations on landing a spot, Jen!

Jen attended UIFI last summer. She applied to be an intern because she loved her experience and wanted to help others understand what it truly means to be Greek.

“I wanted to give back to something that gave me so much,” she said. "Being Greek is more than just wearing your letters. It's understanding the values and commitment those letters stand for. It's living out your ritual everyday and continuing the mission your founders set for you."

 Interns were responsible for all behind-the-scenes duties, from running errands to making posters, they contributed to sessions running smoothly. Tasks completed helped ensure the participants had everything they needed to grow as Greek members. Interns work for one session during the summer.

“This experience taught me that that a group of motivated people can make a positive change in the Greek community,” said Jen. “Having gone through the UIFI experience twice, this experience gives me such pride to be Greek and inspires me to always do good! Last summer as a participant, I began to understand what it means to be a selfless leader. I came back from UIFI wanting to create a change in our chapter that would start a trend in our Greek community. Now having served as an intern, I am even more confident in the Greek life experience. Being an intern showed me nothing great comes without a lot of work.”

Attending UIFI the previous summer as a participant allowed Jen to bring back an understanding of ritual, allowing her to portray that to new members as director of new members. Understanding Delta Gamma's values allowed her to teach them to a new member class.

“Gamma Zeta made me into the woman I am today. Having gone through recruitment as a sophomore, I know what my life looks like without Delta Gamma. This chapter has inspired and motivated me to become more than I ever thought I could be."

Written by Maddie Duhon

Morgan Simpson selected as CHAARG LSU Ambassador

Senior Delta Gamma Morgan Simpson recently was selected as the LSU Ambassador for CHAARG, an all women's organization that will begin this fall semester!

CHAARG stands for Changing Health, Attitudes + Actions to Recreate Girls. The organization aims to ignite a passion in college-aged women for health and fitness. The organization holds fitness and team building events once a week to establish a strong community of girls all striving for a common goal -- being the best you, you can be!

As the LSU CHAARG Ambassador, Morgan will be leading members to accomplish a common goal: to be the most positive and healthy person each individual can be.

“I am so excited because I will not be doing this alone,” said Morgan. There will be an Executive Team composed of Morgan and six other women, each with a specific position. Roles are: Membership, Media, 2 Event Coordinators, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Morgan is also responsible for leading the Executive team in weekly meetings, heading weekly chapter events, promoting team building in her small group, communicating with the chapter, answering any questions or concerns, and exemplifying CHAARG’s mission by acting as a role-model.

Each week LSU CHAARG will hold a chapter-wide event where participants will partner with a local fitness studio to try out a new fitness activity, whether it is salsa dancing, Pure Barre, kickboxing - the list is endless.

“This organization is not a workout group. We are a community of like-minded women striving for common goals,” said Morgan.

Along with weekly meetings, each Executive Member will lead a small-group to foster friendship and establish support systems. CHAARG members will also be able to attend the National CHAARG retreat in the fall and have access to FitPlans and campaigns through National CHAARG.

Morgan has been a dedicated member of Delta Gamma, serving on Homecoming Committee for two years, was a Banta Babe her sophomore year, contributed to Skit Round during Recruitment, and served as director of social events. She has also been a Most Outstanding New Member award recipient.

As director of social events, she “tried to be an unconventional as possible!”

“I feel that through my extreme involvement, DG has given me the opportunity to let my passions and strengths shine,” said Morgan. “I also feel that DG has strengthened my confidence to pursue my dreams. My involvement taught me a lot and helped heighten my communication and people skills. As director of social events, I was in constant communication with numerous venues, insurance companies, fraternities, and communicating to the chapter. I think that all of that experience has definitely prepared me for what will come with the LSU CHAARG Chapter!”

This past semester Morgan started a health and fitness blog to document her fitness journey and hopefully to inspire others to do the same. She also has been doing guest blogging for the Skinnygirl Daily company as a health/fitness contributor.

You can view her blog at: unapologeticfitnessfoodie.blogspot.com

Questions/Inquiries: lsuchaarg@gmail.com

Written by Maddie Duhon

DG Abroad: Colleen Kimball travels to Nicaragua

Incoming senior Colleen Kimball recently traveled to Managua, Nicaragua on a nine-day mission trip through International Service Learning (ISL) with 21 other pre-dental and pre-med LSU students.

The mission trip attendees traveled to the small poverty-stricken village of Pochocuape. The rural area has low medical and dental care.

They visited the village homes and met with the people to assess their living conditions and fill out paperwork, which acted as both a census and a medical form to send to the Department of Health in Nicaragua (MNSA). Then they had several days of "clinics" where each team, along with translators and 2 local doctors and 1 dentist, performed examinations, dental work (cleanings, extractions, and fillings), and medical prescriptions and diagnosis for the local people. They also visited a hospital in Masaya to see their different methods and had the opportunity to observe a surgery!

“The differences in medical care, sanitization, and procedure were shocking,” said Colleen.

Colleen and the other trip attendees also spent the days connecting with the local people and their children, gaining a real understanding for Nicaraguan culture and how different the way of living is there compared to the United States and other first world countries.

The end of the trip was celebrated with a day of "Sharing with the Community," where they held piñata parties for a missionary-based after-school care/safe-haven for local school children, and also for the children of Pochocuape who frequently visited the local church where the clinic was set up. Everyone danced, played games, gave toys, colored in coloring books, and of course hosted the piñata party for them!

The final day was a "vacation day," which consisted of a boat ride around Granada, a visit to the market in Masaya, and zip-lining!

“Overall, the trip was the most amazing experience, and one that I will truly never forget,” said Colleen.

Colleen is vice president: programming for the Gamma Zeta chapter of Delta Gamma.

Written by Maddie Duhon & Colleen Kimball