Issue 1, Winter 2003
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Introduction to the Newsletter
~Betsy Colman '03, Alumnae Relations and Kate Reibel '03, VP/Public Relations |
Note from the President, Tatiana Fernandes '03
Dear Sisters, Alumnae,
parents and friends-
For the past year I have had the pleasure of serving as the President of the
Gamma Gamma chapter of Delta Delta Delta. Now that the '03 officers' tenure
is almost over, we are happy to take the chance to reflect over the work we
have done over the past months and recognize the amazing accomplishments of
our sisters and our organization.
When the '03 leadership took over last January, we had large shoes to fill.
The '02 leadership provided us with incredible examples to follow and with
superior resources and support. And they were a whole lot of fun. We miss
you guys!
After our spring Minimum Standards review, Tri Delta passed with distinction,
the highest honor awarded to a Greek house, for excellence in sisterhood,
leadership, scholarship, philanthropy, programming, and accountability. Tri
Delta has consistently led Greek organizations in chapter G.P.A., community
service hours, creativity in programming, chapter strength and recruitment.
This past summer, Maura, Nicole, and I attended the 2002 Tri Delta National
Convention in Disneyworld. We had a great time meeting sisters and alumnae
representing chapters from all over the United States and Canada as well as
learning about our organization's history and principles. At the awards banquet,
Gamma Gamma chapter was honored with the Reaching for Excellence Award and
placed on the Informal Recruitment Honor Roll. We also got to take a ride
on Splash Mountain!
This past year has certainly been a roller coaster ride for all of us, but
the highs have most definitely outweighed the lows. Looking back, I am honored
to have been given the opportunity to work with such an impressive group of
women. The 02's, 03's, and 04's have accomplished the highest of goals, supported
one another through the most difficult situations, and consistently raised
the bar for one another, Tri Delta, and Greek organizations on the Dartmouth
campus this year. Tri Delta continues to not only stand up for our sisters
and for the values we believe in, but to also work to proactively raise awareness
in the Dartmouth community.
But most of all, the women of Tri Delta have had a fantastically fun time
with one another. I still laugh out loud when I remember the Ms. Delta pageant,
apple picking, dancing at the formal, and the overwhelming number of jars
of "Con Queso" consumed. On a personal note, Tri Delta is a house
that has played an important part in shaping the person I am today. What I
will take away most from my three years in Tri Delta is the time spent with
a group of amazing women that I admire and look up to. Tri Delta has provided
me with invaluable opportunities: to serve the community; to broaden my intellectual
experience; develop leadership skills; and with a network of strong women
who truly support and care about one another. The women I have met through
Tri Delta and as a member of the Greek community have helped me create everlasting
friendships and unforgettable memories that make up an integral part of my
Dartmouth experience. Thank you for that.
I hope you all enjoy our first issue of the Gamma Gamma Grapevine. We look
forward to hearing from all of you in the future!
Dluv,
Tatiana
~Alumnae Updates~
Recently, several of our alums sent in updates on activities they've been
involved in, new jobs they've taken, etc. Enjoy! ** If you have a piece of
news you'd like to share with your fellow Deltas and would like to include
it in our next newsletter, please email gammagamma@dartmouth.edu **
Erica Musen '00 has been quite busy with graduate school but hopefully will finish up with her masters in genetic counseling in May. She has been living in Westchester but was in the city this summer and unfortunately did not run into any familiar delta faces. In other news, she has been planning her wedding, which will take place in September of next year. The wedding planning is helping her get through grad school as she and Tom have been living in separate states for the last two years. So things are quite busy but equally exciting for her. She hopes everyone is doing well!
Kate Ryan '00 just wrapped up her second year on Wall Street, living in the Flatiron District with Cabray Haines '00 and Katie Escherich '02. She's contemplating a move back to her native Midwest sometime after the New Year--possibly at the same time she starts some kind of graduate schooling. Alums in Chicago-she'd love to hear from you!
Pam Crikelair '01 is in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, where she has been since graduation, and is LOVING it. She is really working on her golf game and is planning on turning pro within the next 6 months with hopes of being on tour next year. She competed in the ReMax World Long Drive Championship and made it into the top twelve. Highlights have included playing golf with various celebrities, TV interviews, Pro/Am tournaments, to name a few. She says that life on the golf course is FANTASTIC!!!!!
Angela Russo '01 and Jen Ain '02 are currently attending law school at University of Chicago and Columbia, respectively. They invite any current Deltas to contact them if they have any questions about U Chicago or Columbia or law school in general.
Aki Naito '01
just moved to NYC a few weeks ago and is living with Carla Torrielli
'01 and Joyce Wang
'01. She says that the girls are absolutely wonderful and that she
is totally loving living with them. Aki is also working in Stamford doing
research for an executive search firm (Spencer Stuart), which has been interesting.
Talia Miranda '02 is currently spending her days in rural Vermont where she is in charge (principal and teacher) of a small Christian high school of 11 students. She officially teaches Biology, Spanish, French, AP US History, PE and Bible. She says that this has been quite the enlightening experience as far as what is education all about and what is the best way to teach students...it is often absolutely insane, but she loves doing it! Talia also says that if anyone ever wants to know anything about teaching or schools, or wants to come speak/teach/ prepare something fun for hers, to let her know!
Kate Escherich '02 is working at Major League Baseball Productions, a job she really likes. She says that she basically gets paid to watch baseball all day, which is fabulous! She sees a lot of Ariel Sinclair '02 and Max Goldstein '02, and can attest to the fact that they are both doing very well.
Lyndsay Marshall
'02 has been out in San Francisco since graduation and absolutely
loves it. She started off working as a receptionist for an advertising agency
and just recently was promoted to an account coordinator. She says life is
great out there; in fact she can't figure out why everyone doesn't move to
San Francisco after graduation. Ashley Frechette '02 also moved there recently
just moved out there and she and Lyndsay have joined the San Francisco alumnae
chapter-they especially enjoy the drinks and food!
Debbie Leight '02 is currently working for a Home Health Services
company in New York City called Progressive and is living with Kimberley Tait
'01. Debbie let us know that Kim ran the New York City Marathon on Nov 3rd
along with Erin Maxwell '01 and Katie Stewart '01.
~Special
Request~
Our Continuing Education Chair, Emily Murray '03, is trying to update Gamma Gamma's chapter histories. She requests that if any of our alums were here at Dartmouth during the following terms and recall any memorable events, that they email her and tell her a bit about them: 1984-1985, Fall 1986, 1987, Winter/Fall 1989, Spring/Winter 1990, Winter 1994, Spring/Winter 1995, Spring 1996, 1998, and 2000-2001. Thank you so much!
~Current
Gamma Gamma Chapter News~
For this issue of the newsletter, we asked each Officer to write a short blurb on what they have been up to over the last few terms. Read on!
Letter from Meredith
Liu '04, Sophomore Summer Tri Delta President
Between off-terms, two different rush classes, and prior lack of involvement,
the summer presented many problems with the development of sisterhood. Before
the summer, there were some sisters who didn't even recognize each other,
and there were certainly few close friendships that did not originate outside
the house.
Before summer, I honestly admit that as a member of Tri Delt, I derived my
main benefit from activities with fraternities and formals at Bates Mansion.
I expect many of the sisters felt the same way. It would have been easy to
spend the summer continuing to use Tri Delt primarily as a social outlet.
But for me, and I know for other sisters, it developed into much more. It's
been a resource for personal struggles - emotional, academic and otherwise.
It's been a comfortable social space and place to relax. And most importantly
for me, it's been a foundation for some of the closest relationships I've
had at Dartmouth.
I was incredibly impressed by, and appreciative of, the many sisters who made
an extra effort to improve the well being of their sisters and of the house
as a whole. It's difficult to institute a lot of positive change during Sophomore
Summer, since the environment is so laid back and many students are occupied
with their own commitments. The officers kept formal programming to a minimum,
but there were many spontaneous and informal activities that resulted in a
rising sense of sisterhood. For me, especially as a resident of the house,
it was the daily sharing of hilarious moments, engaging conversations, and
altogether unforgettable experiences.
Before this summer, I had difficulty justifying my membership to my friends,
my family, and even myself. But now, even outside the presidency, it is one
of the most significant facets of my Dartmouth experience. I look forward
to the challenges of getting to know many more of the sisters better, both
the seniors and my own pledge class. There will never be another term quite
like Sophomore Summer, but I think Tri Delt holds many more amazing experiences
for all of us.
Administration
Team
VP/Administration
Nicole Hauptman '03
During this past year, we've had some pretty exciting programming that a variety
of members have been able to plan. Last winter we welcomed two new members
into the house and into programming with an Indian Cultural Night that Priti
Rao '04 and Reena Dutta '04 planned, invited Professor Reiko Ohnuma of the
Religion Department and ordered food from Jewel of India!
Over the last few terms we have attempted to strengthen our relations with
other houses and faculty on this campus. With a variety of successful tea
talks with Professor Paul Christensen of the Classics Department and with
Dean Steven Cornish as well as a dinner co-sponsored with AD to highlight
the strongest professors on the campus. Additionally, last spring we co-sponsored
a VERY succsessful faculty BBQ with SAE in which over 30 professors attended.
Building a strong relationship with Carla, Manley, members of ORL as well
as with Dartmouth's esteemed faculty will be invaluable in our continued pursuit
of excellence on the Dartmouth campus.
House Manager
Molly McIntosh '03
Demand to live in the house is at an all-time high! It was unfortunate to
have to turn several girls away, but at the same time it is great to have
everyone so psyched to live at Tri Delt. We passed Fire Safety & Health
Code Inspections with flying colors and received the mark of Distinction on
physical plant portion of Minimum Standards. We are planting bulbs this October
before the frost so that we can have daffodils in the Spring! Overall, the
house is running like a well-oiled machine.
Secretary
Sarah Schwertner '03
As Secretary, I have reinforced the mission of this chapter by encouraging
strong attendance and participation. In implementing a point system for the
Sisterhood, the other officers and I have highlighted those individuals who
consistently make Tri Delt and its members a priority. We believe that this
system promotes a stronger Sisterhood and more everlasting friendships.
Chapter
Development Team
Continuing Education
Emily Murray '03
This year I tried to use the position of Continuing Education Chair to help
my sisters and I become more aware of the national activities of Tri Delt.
I would read everyone some of the articles on the website submitted by other
chapters for Sister of the Week or State of the Week, and I always made sure
that we stayed updated on national events, such as this summer's convention
in Florida. I also began working to include more Gamma Gamma chapter statistics
and updates in The Trident. Future plans for this term in Continuing Education
include cleaning up our chapter histories, which have unfortunately grown
a little cluttered over the past few years. This includes reorganizing them,
maintaining the same structure throughout, and filling in the few gaps that
are present. In the process, I have thankfully learned a lot about our chapter's
recent history that I am looking forward to showing the rest of the house
over the course of the term.
VP/Chapter Development
Maura Pritchard '03
This year, Tri-Delta experienced a tremendous amount of chapter development
in many areas. We initiated 47 new members and welcomed the class of 2004
into our sisterhood with a lavish National Ceremony in the Hanover Inn. Each
initiate was sponsored by a "big sister": the interaction between
older and younger women truly benefited the house dynamic.
As we prepared to welcome one class, we also prepared to bid farewell to another:
the Class of 2002 graduated in June, but not without a proper Delta send-off!
"Delta Week" provided younger sisters with an opportunity to honor
the 02s as they surprised them with secret treats like cookies, flowers and
goodies from the Delta Shop. Revelations were held during the final meeting
of the year - a beautiful and touching moment for all involved.
One of the most successful programs promoting chapter development in 2002
was a "Tea Talk" with the wife of our Dartmouth College president
- Susan Wright. Mrs. Wright asked members to share with her their definitions
of what it means to be a sister of Tri-Delta. That simple question encouraged
a thought-provoking discussion, one that exemplified how interactions between
sisters should be. This year, we have high aspirations for continued chapter
development: we will be holding "Fireside Chats," informal discussions
between members in which sisters are encouraged to share their most intimate
feelings about the house and the sisterhood. Also, we will begin preparing
for Rush 2003 and for the initiation of the Class of 2005.
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VP/Social Development |
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Finally, I planned a Valentine's Dinner for those sisters without romantic engagements for the evening. Despite the cutting incident with a large knife and my subsequent emergency trip to Dick's House for gluing, the evening was a huge success! On October 5, a healthy group of fifteen 03 and 04 deltas journeyed to Poverty Lane Orchards in White River Junction for apple picking. A picture is included below! After filling our sacks full of crisp, sweet fruit we retired to the house where sisters baked several pies and then consumed them with vigor, topped of course with Ben & Jerry's best in vanilla ice cream.
VP/Academic Development
Katie Szilagyi '03
One of my main jobs as Academic Development Chair has been to organize weekly
events to allow sisters to relax, spend time together, and have some fun.
These events have been a great way to take a break from schoolwork and enjoy
the company of other sisters, while watching "Friends." Sisters
are always welcome to invite their friends to join them at the house and relax.
In May, we hired a local masseuse for our members and had smoothies, a cheese
platter with crackers and dips, ice water with lemons, and some cookies. We
also had a yoga video playing, We arranged this event to relax our members
before finals. We're also going to do a dinner this fall term. In addition,
I have an idea that I would like to develop called the 'Trident Professor".
Sisters would nominate a professor to get awarded, and we as a house would
vote on the nominees and then invite all of the nominated professors to a
dinner where we announce the winner. We could co-sponsor the event with a
fraternity, as well.
Finally, this past summer Laura Jones '04 organized a faculty BBQ with SAE
where sisters invited professors and everyone mingled and talked. It went
off really well!
Financial Team
Carolyn Maezes '03 and Tina Low '03
We have been working hard to make sure that all the women of Gamma Gamma chapter
remain in good financial standing. We are also making sure that the chapter
remains active in raising funds for local charities and organizations. To
support our programming and campus events, we would hope that both our alumnae
and family members would consider sending any modest donation, with checks
being made payable to Delta Delta Delta Fund.
Membership
Team
Winter and Spring
Rush
Kate McGinn '03 and Lindsey Wolf '03
Rush went well. We had a wonderful class of 10 spring pledges! Our Vegas Night
and Garden Party themes were quite a smash. We look forward to winter rush
and another opportunity to meet new girls and induct new Deltas!
New Member Education
- Spring
Emily Murray '03 and Jess Feingold '03
One of the benefits of being the New Member Educator and Sponsor Chair for
the Spring 2002 pledge period was that we had only nine new pledges to welcome
into Tri Delt. Having such a small, intimate group not only allowed us to
get to know each of the girls a lot better, but also allowed us to focus more
on their individual needs and questions as they went through the pledge education
and initiation processes. As well as teaching them the standard things most
Tri Delts learn as pledges - the history of the house, the songs, the responsibilities,
and the expectations - we also made sure to familiarize them with many of
the more current issues that students and Greek houses must address on college
campuses today. Our pledges attended a discussion hosted by Campus Safety
and Security, where an S&S officer spoke about the risks of alcohol and
drugs. We also hosted an informal Gender Talk with our pledges and those of
various fraternities. The talk proved to be very beneficial to everyone involved,
as all of the pledges were very honest and open in their discussion both about
gender issues on campus and about how they can help maintain a high public
opinion of Greek houses. The girls also proved to be very eager to become
quickly in tune with the house itself, and they often worked together in creative
ways to help their older sisters get to know them better. By initiation, the
girls were not only very close to each other and to us, but were more comfortable
with the other sisters in the house than we had anticipated. Overall, all
of the spring pledges were very excited to take part in house activities,
and their willingness and eagerness to get to know each other and the house
made our jobs really easy and fun.
Alumnae Relations
Betsy Colman '03
On Sunday, November 17th, we held our first Founder's Day Celebration in many
years. It was a huge success! Luncheon was served along with cake and brownies.
Our advisor, Carla Manley, spoke about her experiences with the Gamma Gamma
chapter and showed us her 1989 bid and initiation certificates. Molly McIntosh
'03 and Sarah Schwertner '03 each also spoke about what Tri Delt has met to
them over the past three years. There were some tears, but everyone enjoyed
themselves immensely. It was a wonderful way to commemorate the founding of
Tri Delt 114 years ago.
Public
Relations Team
Philanthropy
Katie Brown '03
As Tri Delt's Philanthropy chair, I try to find interesting and fun ways for
our chapter to get involved and help the community -- both within Dartmouth
and in the surrounding area.
Last Spring we were particularly involved on the Dartmouth campus helping
out other volunteer organizations with their programs. On April 3rd, we opened
up our house for the Clothesline Project to give survivors and secondary survivors
of abuse the chance to make T-shirts expressing their feelings and experiences
so that they could be hung in Collis to raise campus awareness of abuse. For
the Tucker Foundation's 50th Anniversary we had volunteers at the Social Justice
Coffeehouse, which provided the campus with an engaging and dynamic event
that drew students of divergent social and political mindsets and provides
performance messages that challenge conventional thought and lead to discussion
among many different groups. Also in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary,
we opened up Tri Delt as a "Romper Room" and served as babysitters
for the children of the attendees of the Tucker seminars on social change
and responsibility. On May 2nd and 3rd, we also worked in conjunction with
AIDS Workcrew in monitoring and guarding the AIDS quilt, which was on display
in Collis Commonground.
As we do every term, we also had an event with the local Brownie troop in
which we made dinner over a campfire at Storr's Pond and shared stories about
camping. We also had a team of 15 girls participate in the MS Walk in Hanover
on April 21st, and we were the largest team there! Lastly, at the end of the
term we learned the art of decorating cakes with Katie Blye's mother and made
and decorated 15 cakes, which were taken to Hannah House to wish them a Happy
Mother's Day.
This term we are working on developing our relationship with Tri Delt's National
Charity, St. Jude's Hospital, and our main philanthropy project is an e-mail
fundraising event called D-Life. The members of our chapter are looking to
raise funds for St. Jude's Hospital (a center for childhood cancer treatment
in Memphis, Tennessee) by contacting family, friends, professors, administrators,
employers and alumni via an e-mail letter. This event is going on for the
first few weeks of October, and all donations are due by November 15th.
In our own community, we are planning another event with the Brownie troops,
as well as looking to form a strong relationship with Hannah House, a charity
that houses young women who are either pregnant or have small children and
need help, through a weekly event in which we cook dinner for the girls and
then spend the evening eating and talking with them. We also had volunteers
that helped set up at the Not-for-Profit Career Fair on October 3rd.
Risk Manager
Courtney Bigda '03
I organized an informative discussion on eating disorders with the house.
I am also planning (well, probably) on having an S&S officer come in and
teach a self defense class some time next term.
| Social Events Lauren Gee '03 & Christine Sebourn '03 We have worked diligently in our planning to enrich our relationships with other houses. Over the summer, we organized a trip to Six Flags New England with the sisters of Kappa Delta Epsilon, subsidizing tickets and arranging a carpool. With both KDE and Kappa Kappa Gamma we sponsored a bagel breakfast before the annual Tubestock event. In celebration of the Superbowl, we joined the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon for a game watching, commercial critiquing, food and football fest. Many members of the non-Greek community were also in attendance. |
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Following formal recruitment, we organized a co-ed dinner with Chi Gamma Epsilon. New and senior members worked together to prepare the meal's different courses. It proved a civilized alternative to cafeteria dining.
To celebrate the onset of spring and warm weather, we again teamed up with XRE for a cookout. On their lawn we grilled up chicken kebabs and fresh corn, participated in a game of pick up tag football. Our spring term ended with a dance party with the brothers of Chi Heorot. This fall we further cultivated these inter-house relationships; we have made such community interaction an essential cornerstone of Tri Delta membership. One of the highlights of the term was a group trip to the Dartmouth vs. Cornell hockey game on November 16, 2002. We brought with us signs made to support some senior members of the Dartmouth Hockey team-and lo and behold, our picture showed up on the front page of the US College Hockey website (see above)!
Panhell
Mary Fraga '03 and Danielle Avedon '03
As Panhellenic Council representatives, we, Danielle Avedon and Mary Fraga,
are required to attend weekly meetings with members and presidents of the
other six sororities on campus. We gather together to discuss issues affecting
both affiliated and non-affiliated women and organize several campus-wide
fundraising and social events.
The events we participated in and implemented last Spring included: an 06
Dimensions Weekend BBQ, designed to introduce prospective students to the
Greek system; a discussion forum entitled "Dartmouth Sororities: A Look
from Within," which included topics ranging from body image and eating
disorders to rape and abuse to being a minority woman and sisterhood at Dartmouth;
and, finally, a Webster Avenue Block Party, where houses helped set up games,
food and other activities on Webster Avenue with prizes and charity donations.
Tri Delt actually came in first place and was rewarded with DJ Rockin' Lou
at our formal, in addition to a $250 check for a charity donation of our choice.
Also, during the winter, the Panhellenic council rented out Upper Valley Lanes
and Games for an all-sorority national local bowling tournament. The brave
Tri Delts went up against KDE and enjoyed several slices of pizza. Proceeds
from the sale of Panhell Bowl-o-Rama tshirts went to charity and Tri Delt
won first place for spirit!
Tri Delt has played a very active role in the Panhellenic council and we are
looking forward to upcoming Panhellenic events and planning for this fall.
Formal/Senior Dinner
Chair
Jodie Zimmerman '03
The winter formal at Coolidge and spring formal at Bates were both a great
success and even left us with extra funds for next year's events! Hillary
Shaw and Emily Murray planned a wonderful senior banquet: a great way to cap
off senior week.