Kappa Sigma Fire, the Fraternal Community Unites

It has been too long since we have updated our blog, but I guess now is as good of a time as ever.

This week our neighbors, the gentlemen of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, lost their home in an extremely severe house fire.

It is so sad to see members of our community lose their home, belongings and feeling of security.  We are however, SO incredibly lucky to be members of the fraternal community at SJSU.  It is fabulous to see fraternity and sorority chapters unite with local families, community members and the university to provide relief in this time of need for Kappa Sigma. 

The members that were displaced by the fire have temporary housing on campus and in other fraternity houses.  The community has come together to donate money and goods to replace the items lost in the fire.  Old Navy even provided special discounts for the brothers and for community members to purchase items like socks, underwear and other basics for the men in addition to providing them with various free items. 

Two donation sites have been set up to help the brothers of Kappa Sigma purchase necessary items like food, furniture, cell phones and lap tops.  If you're interested in donating, here are the links:  SJSU Office of Advancement Relief Fund and Kappa Sigma Relief Fund set up by their alumni.

Delta Zeta is helping out our neighbors in any way we can.  Our chapter donated $500 to their relief fund and our alumnae have set up a Chevy's fundraiser to help add to their relief fun.  Twenty five percent of all food purchases will be donated to Kappa Sigma.  Here is a link with information for the event.

Additionally our active and alumnae members have collected toiletries like towels, razors, deodorant and other goods for the brothers.  One of our members mothers even donated pillows and pillow cases for all of the members displaced by the fire.  In her words, "I am a mom and my heart breaks thinking that these boys are without a home while they are away at college.  I figure they could use a mother's touch.  The least I could do was provide them with comfortable pillows and pillow cases--even if some of them are pink!"

Our community is uniting as well to plan so very cool events with the goal of raising more funds for Kappa Sigma.  Spearheaded by the Interfraternity Council, Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity and Delta Upsilon Fraternity, a carnival type event will hopefully be held sometime in August with all of the fraternity and sorority chapters participating by hosting a booth, game, inflatable, food item, or items for purchase. 

Thank you everyone for your support of Kappa Sigma.  Delta Zeta will continue to support the brothers of Kappa Sigma as they rebuild their home and their personal lives.  Additionally, we would like to encourage our community members to look into purchasing renters insurance to protect their personal belongings in case of future disasters. 

The fire took several hours and 90 fire fighters to extinguish

Ariel views after the fire was extinguished

Spotlight on a Senior

As we reach the end of the semester, comes the time where we must send off some of our wonderful sisters to begin the third phase of their Delta Zeta membership as alumnae.  This semester, 14 women are beginning this phase of membership.  We will miss them dearly, but are so excited for all of the things they will do and hope that they will remain very active with our active chapter.  Here, we will share stories and wisdom from our seniors.  Our first senior is: 
 
Kendra

Semester Joined:

Spring 2008

 

Degree:

Child and Adolescent Development

 

Why did you chose Delta Zeta:

I chose Delta Zeta because I felt most at home here. I met women who were so diverse and gracious enough to welcome me into their sisterhood and made a genuine connection to get to know me.

 

Favorite Delta Zeta Memory:

I have TOO many favorites, but the one that stands out the most was throwing a pretend Bachelorette Party for Vanesa and myself. We invited sisters over for a night filled with fun games and activities, we also bought matching veils, and engagement rings. We also went out for a night on a town and told people we we're engaged to Twins and were having our wedding on the same day. My other favorite Delta Zeta Memory was this past sisterhood retreat to SF's Breast Cancer Walk (Fall 10). Vanesa, Jennifer, Jenny, and I decided to take an adventure after the walk to find the real Full House house. When we eventually found it, we were skeptical since it did not look anything like the house on tv. However, after much deliberation and a lot of googling, we agreed that this was the same house featured on TV. Super randomly, we made a video of us lip syncing to the Full House theme song and dancing on the steps of the House while neighbors and spectators awkwardly watched us.

 

Favorite memory at San Jose State University:

My favorite memory at SJSU would probably have to be living in the dorms freshman year. I lived in CVC, where I met my best friend (from college), and were super close with my 5 other roommates. We always thought of the craziest things to do. For example, right after the 4.0 earthquake that happened back in 2007, we played with a ouija board one night and asked it when the next big earthquake would be. It actually gave us a date that was upcoming soon. On that predicted day, my roommates and I watched Titanic and prepared an emergency EQ kit and waited in the parking lot of the ATMS at the exact time the predicted EQ would hit. After about half an hour we realized that the Ouija board was whack.

 

Best lesson Delta Zeta has taught you:

The best lesson Delta Zeta has taught me is to appreciate who you were in the past, embrace who you are in the present, and look forward to who you will become in the future. P.S. A little self-respect goes a long way

 

Advice you wish you knew before starting college/sorority membership:

Being in a sorority is a lifetime commitment. It is more than just the socials, events, chapter meetings, etc. It is being apart of something bigger than oneself and contributing to a legacy that was once started and is now being continued on. I have seen and heard others who have taken their membership very lightly and I think sometimes people loose sight of this aspect and view their membership as "voluntary".

 

What are your future plans?

After graduate THIS MAY, I am for sureeeee getting a puppy. I feel like everyone will be too busy for me once I become a big kid, so I need to invest my time into something lol. Although I am graduating with a degree in Child Development, I do not want to pursue a career in that field. My passion has always been in the health industry, so my tentative plans are to apply to nursing schools this summer where I can receive my Bachelors and Masters degree in nursing. I want to be a Nurse practitioner in pediatrics one day. Recently, my mom has been pushing me to think about a career as a dentist (probably because she wants free dental insurance/coverage) so that could be a possibility in my future as well. If either of those options fail, I want to marry rich to a professional athlete and live out my secret dream as a trophy wife.

 

What role has Delta Zeta played in your future? What skills have you gained? How will you be involved as an alumna?

 Delta Zeta has taught me about my potential to succeed in the future. I have definitely learned time management and organizational skills and have perfected it down to an art. I am not going to lie, being involved in a sorority mixed in with my crazy passion & dedication to school/obsession with getting straight A's is VERY time consuming. At first I struggled with balancing school and sorority life, but I somehow managed to figure it out. I don't think if I had been as busy/over-scheduled I would not have pushed myself to be as successful as I have become. Now, I am confident that I will be able to accomplish anything I set my mind to in the future. As an alumna, I want to be supportive of the active members and encourage them to be as involved in as much as possible. I will be sure to attend all aumna events as much as I can as well!

POV: Sparta Awards-Delta Zeta Win's Big

Last week I had the exciting opportunity to go to the Sparta Awards for San Jose State University .  The Sparta Awards is an awards banquet to honor and recognize all of the student organizations on campus, where there are over 300.

I went to the awards with other women from my chapter who had been nominated for awards; Audry, Kannadi, and Nicole Q.  It was a huge honor being nominated for an award and I know that the other women who were nominated were just as excited as I was.

The awards were broken up into different categories; athletics, greek life, and clubs.  Before the awards started, there were a few performances from different organizations on campus.  One of which was the gospel choir.  I was very surprised but excited to see that two of my sisters were preforming, Arianah and Jessica S. They sang a few beautiful songs that they had been working on during the semester.

During the athletics portion of the awards, two more of my sisters were represented, Annie and Stephanie A. who are on the women's lacrosse team.  I was so proud to see so many of my sisters at this awards banquet for being involved in different organizations on campus.  In Delta Zeta we have a 100% involvement program which allows every sister to be involved in another organization.  We have women who are on sports teams, student government, Panhellenic council and many other amazing organizations.

Finally it was time for the Greek awards to be given out. Kannadi went on the stage to be Delta Zeta's representative.  I am so proud to say that Delta Zeta won FOUR awards, the most out of all the Greek organizations!  

We won Commitment to Service for our dedication to philanthropy.  Delta Zeta is consistently one of the most involved greek organizations for community service.  Last year we had an average of 65 hours of community service per member as well as the Excellence in Philanthropy award for our region.  Next we won Best In Council, the best out of all Panhellenic sororities.  We also won Best Inter Fraternity Relations and Best Innovative Community Program for our Mocktail event, an alcohol awareness event that all greek organizations can participate in.  

All the the Delta Zeta women in attendance were so excited and proud of all that we had accomplished the past year.  

Lots of Delta Zeta Love!

Panhellenic Sister <3

Guest Blogger

*Panhellenic Sister joined Delta Zeta in the Fall of 2009 and is currently studying Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

Supportive Sis: Alissa

Alissa

Semester Joined:

FALL 2010

 

Major:

GRAPHIC DESIGN

 

Future goals:

TO GET AN INTERNSHIP WITH A DESIGN COMPANY AND CONTINUE ON TO ADVERTISING MARKETING AND HOPEFULLY CINEMA and HOLLYWOOD!!!

 

Favorite Delta Zeta Memory:

My favorite delta zeta memory will always and forver be the day that i first came to hang at the house after bid day! Neda had plastic bowling pins set up in the living room and we body bowled with an office chair! We went flying across the floor! I am looking forward to creating more memories and get to share my life at home with my sisters and have them experience summer and activities the way that i have my whole life! Papa Frankie is looking forward to me bringing my sisters on the boat and over to my house for sushi and bbqs!

 

How do you define sisterhood/What does Delta Zeta mean to you?

I define Sisterhood as the people you can trust your life with, a sister is someone whom you can always look over your shoulder and know they will be there for you. Delta Zeta has given me a home away from home. It means the world to me and i don't think my college experience would be happy and/or complete without it.
Alissa is an amazing sister!  She is always ready for anything.  This semester, she participated in Kappa Delta's Shamrock Showcase, helped out with our fire drill, and participated in an on campus undie run to raise awareness of sexual assault.  She manages a crazy class schedule and a great relationship with her family.  She is also the Sweetheart for Sigma Pi Fraternity. 

Alissa and the Supportive Sis Bra

So, you may be wondering why Alissa is wearing that super sassy bra.  At Delta Zeta we have a tradition called the supportive sis bra.  Each week, the bra is given to a member that has gone out of their way to be extra supportive and giving of their time.  That sister then adds something to our bra, like rhinestones, tassels, or a fun quote.  At the end of the semester, a sister is selected to keep the bra and is honored as the Supportive Sister for the semester.  We will begin posting information about the Supportive Sisters that were selected prior to the start of our blog soon!

Supportive Sis: Ally

Ally

Semester Joined:

Fall 2009

Major:

Currently a History Major but is changing to Hospitality, recreation and tourism management

Future goals:

I want to work on a cruise ship either as a cruise director or I would love to work in the children’s club planning events for the children.

Favorite Delta Zeta Memory:

My favorite Delta Zeta moment is living in the house. I have loved getting to know my sisters on a different level. I love our late night chats and weekend adventures. But one of my ALL time favorite memories would be over winter break Jorden and I went to LA and on our way back we got stuck in a snow storm and were stranded there until the next day. On that day we were stuck in traffic for 12 hours and at a top speed of 3.6 MPH. Everything that happened that day was unimaginable and it is definitely unforgettable and is going down in the books for years to come. Now whenever Jorden and I think of this... we always bust into laughter!! :)

How do you define sisterhood/What does Delta Zeta mean to you?

Sisterhood is something that is truly a precious gift that everyone should take full advantage of. Sisterhood is a group of women who are there for you during your time of need and it’s also a support system to encourage you on your daily life. Sisterhood helps make me a better person and encourages me to live by the creed everyday. This sisterhood inspires me to be my personal best at all times and has brought me the best of friends that I don’t know what I would do without. Sisterhood is something that will ever change my life and I will be eternally grateful for. I love you sisters!  Ally is a fabulous sister!  She is always ready to help with anything and is very warm and inviting.  This semester she is dedicated to her classwork, volunteered at her high school coordinating their cheer leading try outs, hangs out with her precious dalmatian, and helped with Sigma Chi's Derby Days and Pi Kappa Alpha's Capture the Flag.

Supportive Sis: Nicole S.

Nicole S.

Nicole at Pi Kappa Alpha's Capture the Flag

Semester Joined:

Fall 2010

Major:

Liberal Studies

Future goals:

Become a third grade teacher and a volleyball coach. I also want to travel and go on a mission to a third world country to help build schools and houses for kids.

Favorite Delta Zeta Memory:

I don't think I have just one...I loved Sisterhood Retreat my new member semester, finding out I got Nicole as my big sis, and all the nights and random adventures. I think it's the little moments that mean the most to me. And initiation was definitely was the turning point when I fell in love with Delta Zeta and all the sisters.

How do you define sisterhood/What does Delta Zeta mean to you?

I would define sisterhood as being able to rely on your sisters whenever. I want my sisters to know that they can call me at three in the morning if they need a ride or just to talk. Delta Zeta means the world to me. I love the person I am becoming and I can't wait for all the years to come!

Nicole is always full of energy!  She is involved on the women's volleyball club team at SJSU and continues to do a lot of things for Delta Zeta.  She helped out with Sigma Chi's Derby Days, Pi Kappa Alpha's Capture the Flag and many others.  She is very giving of her time and helps out whenever she can.  Nicole is the current Dream Girl of Theta Chi Fraternity.

POV: Region X Weekend

Hey All,

I am so excited to be posting on this blog for Delta Zeta.  I have my own blog, but this is pretty cool :)

I am currently writing from my sweet hotel room at the Ayres Hotel in Hawthorne, CA.  It is beautiful here!  The weather is amazing, too.  It has been sunny and warm all weekend.

This is my first Region Weekend, and I am so glad that I came.  I will be graduating in December, so I am so thankful that I had this opportunity before becoming an alumnae member of Delta Zeta.

Delta Zetas from all over California, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada met up at Loyola Marymount University to share experiences and attend leadership development sessions.  Most importantly, we had a ton of fun.

The sixteen members of our chapter had a great time meeting sisters from other chapters.  We shared ideas, songs, cheers, and stories.  It was amazing to be able to see how Delta Zeta really is bigger than just the Gamma Lambda chapter.

We had the opportunity to meet amazing alumnae from all over the country.  We also met a Delta Zeta celebrity, hahahah.  The National President of Delta Zeta, Michelle Smith, was here.  It was amazing to see how Delta Zeta truly lasts forever.

We ended the weekend with line dancing.  Yes, that's it, we line danced with the NATIONAL PRESIDENT of Delta Zeta.  It was so fun!!!!

There is more to come soon, from other attendees.  We will post pictures too!

DZ Love,

Sarah L.


*Sarah L. joined Delta Zeta in the Fall of 2007.  She will be graduating in the Fall of 2011 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Advertising.  Currently, she serves the chapter as the Vice President of Membership and Delta Zeta nationally as the collegiate liaison for the LAMP magazine, as the only collegiate woman on the committee.