Gamma Phi Beta

Living Up to the Example of our Founders

Minnesota. Indiana. Christopher Newport. UC Berkley. William & Mary.

These were the chapters represented at our annual Founder’s Day ceremony this year – the most chapters we’ve ever had represented during my time at the College. Being able to add meaning to our ceremony this year by adding collegiate and alumnae awards, and creating more interactions between collegiate and alumnae, accomplished one of my goals for the semester as chapter president. The alumnae that attended are all great examples of what “lifetime membership” truly looks like in action.

Founder’s Day always brings to mind the inspiring story of Gamma Phi Beta’s four founders: Helen M. Dodge, Frances E. Haven, Mary Bingham, and E. Adeline Curtis. We are lucky to not have to work as hard as our founders to be able to come together as women to celebrate our successes and accomplishments. They faced discrimination and scrutiny for wanting to form sororities that developed female leaders. Today, our roads have been paved by the experience of our founders and the thousands of sorority women that followed them. But we still do have bumps on our path, and just because we don’t have to work as hard as our founders did - doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to. As sorority women of the 21^st century, we have our own obstacles to go out and face. Founder’s Day, to me, is a reminder of how far we have come, and how hard my sisters worked to found Gamma Phi Beta. It inspires me to keep working hard for the betterment of my own chapter and sisters of the future.  

Make a Difference Day

(Make a Difference Day is coordinated through the College of William & Mary’s Office of Community Engagement. Student groups partner with various community organizations to participate in day long community service projects. Gamma Phi Beta teamed up with our fraternity friends at Delta Chi to work with Williamsburg Housing Authority)

At 9 AM on Saturday, October 15th, a tired-looking group of guys and girls gathered on the terrace. However, during the walk over to the Braxton House, people began to perk up. They were on their way to participate in Make a Difference Day by donating six hours of service to the members of Braxton House.

The group split up into two—half outside, to re-mulch extensive gardens, and half inside to repaint all the hallways in the two-floor building. Although we got a wonderful pizza lunch break in the middle of the day, most of the day was spent doing hard work. Everyone, both the guys and the girls, made the work fun by talking and sharing stories and getting to know one another.

At 3 in the afternoon, after six hours of exhausting work, we all were excited to have successfully finished our hallways and mulching jobs! It was really fulfilling to give back to the community, and it was wonderful that Gamma Phi and Delta Chi were able to work together, doing service while also having fun and spending time together. Thanks to Elizabeth Keppel, Braxton House, and those on the philanthropy committee who helped to make this possible!!

- Annika

Hurrication

This weekend William & Mary students were asked evacuate the College in preparation for the coming onslaught of Hurricane Irene. Within about 1 hour of getting my text, phonecall & email from the College notifying me that the dorms would be closed, I had received about 7 invitations from current sisters and our chapter advisors to stay at their home while the College locked down our sorority house and other college dorms. As an out-of-state student, my sisters were acting as my family - making sure I had  a safe place to go and a safe way to get there. After preparing the Gamma Phi Beta house for any potential wind or water damage, I departed for Richmond, VA with my little sis and little-little for a family “hurrication.” We are staying in constant contact with our sisters scattered all over Virginia and the East Coast, keeping everyone updated on the storm, and can’t wait to be reunited when the College reopens later this week! Miss you ladies - stay safe and dry!

Anna Mahalak, Gamma Phi Beta Chapter President

GPhi’s “Capitol Barbie”: Sam’s Summer Update

            These days I feel a bit little like Elle Woods from Legally Blond 2- dogs included- but unlike Elle Woods, I don’t have a legal degree or a Mercedes. Elle Woods had it good- her own desk, a bangin’ wardrobe, and probably (and most importantly) a badge that didn’t say “Intern” all over it. Unfortunately, my run as Capitol Barbie (or Stacey, because I’m not blonde) hasn’t been as glamorous, but it has been amazing.

            I am one of about a billion (it feels like a billion) summer interns on Capitol Hill. I’m splitting my summer between two Congressional member offices on the House of Representatives side, and both members are from the great Commonwealth of Virginia. Interns are at the very, very bottom of the totem pole (we’re a dime a dozen in Washington), the days are long (8:30 am to 6 pm when we’re in session), and the work is tedious. I spend my days answering phones, giving Capitol tours, talking to constituents (some of whom are totally crazy), attending briefings, making food runs for the Congressman (my first boss lived on diet peach Snapple and Special K bars), and running errands. By the end of the day, my brain is usually a pile of mush and all I want to do is pass out.

            Although it sounds like I basically work in a sweatshop, I live for it. My advice to you all is that if you’re interested in politics at all, you NEED to spend some time on the Hill. I’m a public policy major and being on the Hill has made all of the class hours I’ve spent learning policy relevant. I get excited every time I see a Congressman- when I saw Paul Ryan in person for the first time I almost had a heart attack (he’s my Congressman crush). When I got to go onto the House floor and sit in a member’s chair, I could have died and gone to heaven (the House floor is much smaller than it looks on CSPAN). If you’re interested in politics at all, or really enjoy doing grunt work surrounded by amazing architecture, I highly recommend working in Washington for your respective member of Congress.

            My experiences in Gamma Phi Beta have definitely helped me with life on the Hill. Recruitment has taught me great small talk and listening skills, which are key when you’re talking for hours on the phone or networking at a reception (where you can snatch a free meal, which is very important when you’re working for free). Also, being able to dress and present yourself well is very important on the Hill, and dressing in formal “pin attire” for sorority meetings has prepared me for appropriate work attire (you don’t want to be “that intern” who throws a cardigan over a dress she would wear out on a Friday night). Furthermore, being Greek has helped me identify with my older co-workers- I have worked with sisters in many other sororities and fraternities and there is definitely some kinship there. There is a lot of Pan-hellenic (that is, inter-sorority) love on the Hill and Gamma Phi Beta has helped me make friends. Also, being able to meet a Gamma Phi after work or go to a museum with a sister who is also working in the city is a huge perk.

            All in all, my summer has been ballin’ and I can’t wait to head back to the Hill after graduation. I’ll be sad when I have to return my intern badge in August, but I’m excited to come back to The College for my senior year and I can’t wait to return to all of my sisters!

Recommitting to Ritual: Caroline’s Summer Update

Hi!  My name is Caroline Russell, and I’m starting my junior year at William & Mary in August.   In addition to Gamma Phi Beta I’m also involved with the International Relations Club at the College. 

When I went through sorority recruitment as a freshman, I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but I am so glad that I joined Gamma Phi Beta.  Gamma Phi has given me relationships with women that I know I will continue for the rest of my life. It has also helped me to realize my potential as a leader, and understand my values and commitment to those values.  After four semesters in the sorority, I understand that a sorority is more than just a group of girls who like to have fun together; it is a strong bond of sisterhood that will last a lifetime. 

This summer, I attended the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI), which is a five-day leadership conference for undergraduate members of the Greek Community across the country.  Almost immediately after my exams ended I flew out to Bloomington, Indiana to take part in an amazing experience that helped me to reaffirm my values and my commitment to my sorority.

I didn’t know what to expect from UIFI, especially since it is nicknamed ‘Frat Camp’ by alumni of the program. When I arrived at the Alpha Xi Delta sorority house at Indiana University, my accommodations for UIFI, I found out that I would be experiencing what living in a ‘dormer’ is like. That means that I kept all my things in a room on the second floor, which I shared with two roommates, but I slept, along with all the other girls at UIFI, in a massive dorm room with rows of bunk beds on the top floor of the house. There were two sleeping rooms, one for boys and one for girls, in separate wings of the house.

Throughout UIFI we spent our time in small group sessions, large group sessions, and in recreation time.  On the second day of UIFI, we took part in a large group session where we divided into two groups and presented a pro/con argument for the presence of Greek life on college campuses, and a small group of participants sat aside as debate judges. In an eye opening revelation, the con side won, and Pete, the conference leader, said that in all of his UIFI sessions, only one group had argued well enough for the pro side to win. This session was the turning point for many of the participants at UIFI. We spent the rest of the day talking about values, and what our commitment to our sorority or fraternity means. At the end of the night, in a large group session, Pete asked everyone to share his or her Greek organization’s creed and open motto. This moment was very poignant and had a huge impact on the way that I feel about my commitment to my sorority and my values.

The Gamma Phi Beta creed is broken down to our four core values: Love, Labor, Learning, and Loyalty. This especially hit home for me when I sat down and thought about the way that I live my values everyday. It helped me to think about what these values mean when on the morning of the third day we spent the morning volunteering in the UIFI Into the Streets Program. We looked at the difference between philanthropy and service, and for me, how important service, as opposed to philanthropy, is to my values.

Later, we looked at how Greek ritual is important to values and how to “live ritual” in our daily lives. “Ritual”, for sororities, is a set of traditions that demonstrate our core values.  Because everyone commits to their values in some way or another through their ritual, each member of the Greek community across the world is responsible for living up to their values and is responsible for working to elevate themselves, and a be better person.

The last morning of UIFI was a graduation ceremony where each member of the institute shared what they were thankful for and made a commitment to elevating themselves and their chapter. Despite having spent barely four days together, there were plenty of tears, from the girls at least, and lots more pictures with everyone dressed in their graduation finest. We spent one last meal as a group before we boarded the bus back to the Indianapolis airport.

 Even though I just painted a serious picture of UIFI, it was just as much fun as it was informative. We did laughed a lot, and I made some great friends who I won’t hesitate to call any time.  UIFI was an incredible experience, and I am so thankful that PHC at W&M awarded me the scholarship to attend. I’m excited to talk to other UIFI alumni at W&M and to work on leading the plans I made in my blueprint. Through UIFI I learned how to “earn my badge” everyday, that it’s not corny to love my sorority, and how important sorority ritual is to daily life.

Balancing Act: Ling’s Summer Update

                                 
“You do WHAT?” is the usual response when I tell people I perform gymnastics on the back of a moving horse.  I started equestrian vaulting when I was five years old and I compete internationally for China.  I was the first Chinese competitor at the World Equestrian Games in 2010 and am continuing my training for the next WEG in Normandy, France in 2014.  I am obsessed with equestrian vaulting and always welcome people to visit my home in Blacksburg, Va to try it out for themselves!

When I entered William and Mary in the fall of 2009, I knew I was taking the next spring and fall semester off for training.  I spent the spring of 2010 volunteering and coaching vaulting in South Africa and the summer and fall training and competing.  Before coming back to William and Mary, I spent the winter studying abroad in Peru.  I could go on for hours about how I was humbled volunteering in the townships of South Africa and studying the genocide of the Kichwa-Lamistas in Peru.

After taking the “redeye” to Williamsburg and getting driven to my 8am class by my dad, I spent the first week back at college just settling in.  I soon realized after taking a year off, I had matured and was better at multitasking.  During my first semester, I was terribly homesick.  But after spending much of my year off traveling on my own, living on my own during my second semester was much easier.  

Once I discovered I could live on my own and juggle classes and extracurriculars, I realized I wanted to join something that would create memories for a lifetime, something beyond books.  I grew up listening to my father’s stories about his fraternity.  He created life long memories by living in the house.  And best of all, he met the love of his life and has been happily married since college.  I knew I wanted to join a sorority but formal recruitment was not until the fall-  but luck was on my side! I was ecstatic when my favorite sorority invited me to informal spring recruitment.  Joining Gamma Phi Beta was the best decision I’ve made!

So far, my favorite parts of the sorority have been spending time with my fellow pledge sisters and getting a family - a group of older members to mentor and befriend you.  The sisters are always there for each other – supporting each other’s events, studying and taking breaks together, having ridiculously fun photo shoots, making movies, running to the outlets together and my favorite, doing yoga together!  

This summer I am heading to Hawaii to coach vaulting and then back to William and Mary and GAMMA PHI BETA!!

I am super friendly and already like you!  So feel free to come talk to me in person, I would love to meet you!  labeisecker@email.wm.edu

The Intern Experience: Lauren’s Summer Update

     There’s nothing more humbling as a rising senior in college than living at home for the summer and having an unpaid internship. It can be lonely at times – you see some friends jetting off to exotic places like Ghana or working well paid jobs at big-name places. But it was during this summer that I realized just how small of a world Washington, D.C. really is.

     I started my internship the day I got back from W&M in May, and at that point I could not imagine how quickly ten weeks would fly by. Samantha Sedivylived with me for our first week of work (she is interning on Capitol Hill and I am at a small nonprofit). It was amazing to be able to travel into D.C. with a sister, each of us calming the nerves of the other as the train approached the city on our first days of work.

     As time went on, I learned that my office was actually very close to where many of my friends from school were working. On any given day I would get a text from a sister or a friend from last year’s study abroad trip about meeting up after work. Also, W&M does a great job of connecting students with alumni through its Summer Events Program.

     Despite my obvious lack of income, my internship was still very rewarding. As an English and Psychology double major, people weren’t exactly knocking down my door to hire me for the summer. So I had to play to my strengths – social media! That’s right. My years of devotion to Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn etc. finally paid off when I was offered the position of Communications Intern. This allowed me to use my writing skills to write blogs and other content for the organization’s website along with posting to Facebook and Twitter on a regular basis. I went in thinking that my majors were too specific to attract a “cool” or “fun” job, but now I see that every company could benefit from a computer literate person who can also write. Start sending the job offers my way, future employers!

     This summer I’ve visited Great Falls, Vermont, Roanoke and many D.C. attractions with various sisters and friends. I thought my weekends were going to be pretty boring, but now I’m having trouble finding any down time! I’ve gained confidence this summer to venture out into the working world knowing that Gamma Phi Betas tend to pop up where I least expect them. This has led me to make great friends at work and improved my interpersonal skills – something Greek Life has been helping W&M students with since 1776 (and we definitely could use the help!).

     All of this, combined with learning that my internship supervisor is a Gamma Phi Beta, makes me so thankful for all of the great friends I’ve made through going Greek. Now I’m preparing to start my senior year and my fourth year as a Gamma Phi. Three years ago I would never have thought that I would be living in an adorable off-campus house with four other women (of whom two are Gamma Phis) – a house I snagged largely in part because my sorority Big  sister lived there the year before. Just like in D.C., it’s all about who you know!