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

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!

Bump, Set, Spike!

Director of Points, Victoria Boraski, will be playing on the inaugural season of the LSU Women’s Sand Volleyball team. LSU’s newest varsity sport will be playing across the SEC and be returning home to play at home in April. Boraski has played indoor volleyball for 13 years and started her sand volleyball career in high school, as a training tool for her indoor volleyball game. When Boraski heard about the sand volleyball team starting up at LSU, she seized her chance. “I knew that this was an opportunity I could not pass up,” said Boraski. “I had always wanted to play volleyball in college but decided not to out of high school because of injury but I knew that this was something I had to do.”

Boraski is excited for the season to begin and is looking forward to playing teams all across the country. You can catch the team’s home games at Mango’s for free. Schedule: http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2169&SPSID=774110

Written by Maura Maher

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

 

DG's Got Game!

On February 1st, GZ headed out to The Keg in Lafayette for an award winning evening! Our annual spring GRUB (Girls Round Up Boys) was titled "We've Got Game" which encompassed every kind of game you can imagine! Girls and their dates got very creative, all the way from board games to video games to Olympic games! The evening was a huge success and a great bonding activity all thanks to our Director of Special Events Ashley Loze! Here's a few things Ashley had to say about the evening..

What was the hardest part about planning grub?

I wanted everyone to have a great time. So, trying to make the event go perfectly was a big worry for me.

How do you think events such as grub benefit our chapter?

Special events are a great way for our chapter to let loose and have fun with one another.

What are you most excited about as Director of Special Events?

I am mostly excited to see everyone having a good time. I had fun at GRUB because I saw everyone else having fun.

What was your favorite costume of the night?

Lyndsay Neel, Lindsey Bennett, and Annie Krasnow all the way! (Pictured Below)