Delta Gamma has stood the test of time. It remains the same and yet totally different. Below, read additional quotes that complement our ANCHORA’s summer feature to learn more of what like was like as a DG through the decades.
How do/did you "Do Good" as a collegian?
1962: I have always enjoyed volunteering and being involved in a community, whether it be a college community or a local community. In college I volunteered on Founders Day committee, planning parties and designing and building a Homecoming float one year. In communities I have volunteered with Delta Gamma alumnae, helping with Aid to the Blind, on collegiate campuses and with various local organizations.
1962: I learned how important philanthropy was to the Greek system. We raised money for sight conversation and Aid to Blind and supported other sororities and fraternities in their fundraisers.
1974: We did vision screening for the University child care center. We also raised money for our philanthropy.
1990: I fell in love with philanthropy through DG! I was philanthropy chairman one year and was in charge of Anchor Splash, trick or treated with my big sis & little sis for old eye glasses or donations to The Lions Club, volunteered feeding and tutoring the homeless, worked phone lines at the Crisis Center Hotline with my sisters and became a United Cerebral Palsy VIP fundraiser.
2017: by volunteering at the local nursing home and writing letters to soldiers overseas (sisters for soldiers) with my sisters
What is/was your favorite social event? Why? Tell us some details about what it was like.
1958: Founders Day was always special for me. Alumnae would come and we always had a luncheon on the second floor of Bun's Restaurant. Much like today, chapter roll call was taken, the chapter history was read, the candle-lighting ceremony took place, singing of "The Omega Toast" and then the fun started and toasts were given - standing with one foot on a chair, raising our glasses of water high, going around the tables giving individual toasts then ending with "DG ‘till we die."
1974: Not purely social, but I loved our big/little reveal string party. This was the most wonderful sisterhood event I ever witnessed.
1990: Rush retreats and rush, because so many fun memories were made during those times and I got closer with my sisters. Swaps and formals, because they helped me get to know people on campus and make funny memories with my sisters (especially searching for themed costumes).
1993: We went to Nashville to the Opryland Hotel one year for spring formal. We all rode buses and it was so much fun.
2006: Our crawfish date party was always the best event of the year! It was a more casual party with crawfish served during the day, usually with a band playing and so much fun.
2018: My personal favorite has to be our semi-formals and formals. I never had a particularly great experience at any of my high school’s homecomings or proms, it was high stress and filled with high school drama. So, to have the opportunity to get all dolled up again to go to an event where I know I’ll be surrounded by loving, supportive, and fun sisters in college is great! Our last formal was Mamma Mia themed, and it was such a blast! Many songs from the soundtrack were played, and the dance floor was filled with sisters dancing and belting their hearts out!
What is/was a challenge that most women at that time face(d)?
1962: job opportunities other than teaching, nursing, secretarial
1962: Getting married in college and then possibly not continuing on to finish degree was common. I know some of my sisters say now the wished they had waited to marry and gotten their degree.
1986: equality to men in pay and in opportunity
2005: The economy was just at the beginning of the downturn so finding jobs was extra hard at that time. After graduation, many of us took some time to find our first jobs.
2008: I graduated in 2011, before the “Me Too” movement became prominent. I experienced a sexual assault as a collegiate member and didn’t know how to talk about it with my friends or family. It was a lonely place to be, despite the sad reality that a significant percentage of our sisters have been through the same thing. Although I don’t know how many of my sisters were sexually assaulted, I am confident that many of us suffered through the experience and the aftermath silently. I hope that collegiate members today feel more empowered to speak up on this issue today.
2012: My chapter had a lot of women, including me, who suffered from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Many women also were victims of rape and sexual assault.
On winter or summer breaks, how do/did you keep in touch with sisters?
1958: Our only mode of communication was to write letters and postcards or call a friend on the phone.
1974: mostly letters and some phone calls, but they were expensive
1993: We wrote letters! It’s so funny to write that. My two best friends' parents were in the Air Force and stationed in Hawaii so my mom would let me call them long distance once a month over the summer.
2005: Facebook and texting even though it took forever (thanks T9)
2016: We had Snapchat group chats and used Facebook a lot to share pictures of what we were doing on breaks.
2018: group FaceTime
What do/did you do for fun on a casual weekday night in the chapter house/suite/lodge?
1958: Because our house would be called a "lodge" today, we had a housemother living on the second floor, and mainly we would hang out or perhaps bake cookies. Most of our evenings would be spent in dormitories in study groups or conversation with other women living on our floor.
1970: We watched TV or played cards. There was always at least one card game going in the living room.
1974: We watched Star Trek in the common areas. Occasional forays to movies or to Sweet Williams for ice cream.
1993: We all piled in to the chapter room every day at noon to watch Days of Our Lives together. We spent a lot of time grouped in the hall or in rooms hanging out and spending time together.
2006: We watched our favorite shows (Gossip Girl and Grey's Anatomy) in the chapter room together, and did homework together in our rooms.
2017: Bachelor Mondays in the Anchor Room (casual sitting room upstairs) and crafting nights during big/little season.
Why did you join Delta Gamma? What about Delta Gamma was special to you?
1962: To experience sisterhood, which certainly lived up to all I had heard. To this day my favorite friends are all Delta Gammas. About 10 of my Gamma Phi sisters and I keep in touch all the time. I keep in touch all the time with about 10-15 of Delta Gamma sisters I meet through alumnae involvement. When I say all the time, I mean weekly or monthly through phone calls, texts, emails and even Facebook. The old saying, "Delta Gamma is for a lifetime" certainly is played out in my Delta Gamma friendships.
1981: the friendliness of the women and the sense of belonging
1989: The friendships was my favorite part! We had so many diverse sisters. Everyone truly cared about the other even if we didn’t hang out all the time. We were always there for each other.
2002: I really liked the forever feeling I got from Delta Gamma. It was clear that Delta Gamma friendships didn't end at graduation and there were a lot of ways to maintain your involvement with the organization as a whole no matter where you were.
2005: The women are incredible, kind, intelligent, fierce and compassionate. And they are still some of my best friends!
2006: I wanted to join our chapter because the girls were so friendly and welcoming, and I was a legacy and had a strong sense of family ties to DG.
2015: I joined because the girls felt the most honest. Delta Gamma felt like the place I could learn to be the best version of myself.
2018: I felt really lost and alone when I first got to college, so after a semester I decided to see what the sorority community was all about, went through informal recruitment, and found a home away from home at DG. I can be very shy and I usually stay quiet around new people but at Delta Gamma recruitment events, I didn’t feel anxious or shy. I could actually talk to the women I met. I stayed for the entire three-hour long event and just absolutely found where I belonged. Delta Gamma was special to me because it was the first place at college that I felt comfortable and at home.
What skills did Delta Gamma help you develop?
1958: I think giving me self-confidence is one of the earliest skills I learned through DG. We had speakers at our chapter meetings frequently, who taught us social graces, how to present ourselves, and prepare us for life after college.
1963: speaking and leadership
1981: leadership and social skills
1986: thinking about others, speaking up, leadership
1993: leadership, self-control, overcame debilitating shyness, empathy, mercy, forgiveness, self-worth
2006: leadership, teamwork, and social skills
2015: leadership, public speaking, confidence in myself, conflict management resolution, collaboration, teamwork, excellent communication
2018: My leadership skills have improved a lot since I have been in Delta Gamma, as well as my people skills. I am much more comfortable talking in front of people and just striking up conversations with new people has gotten a lot easier.
What is/was a chapter meeting like? What do/did you wear? How is/was attendance taken? How is/was it organized?
1962: We had to wear dresses to dinner as well as chapter and we had to wear black dresses to formal chapter.
1962: Formal chapter meeting was once a month. Dresses, pantyhose, heels, we did complete ritual on coming in, handshake, password were all included.
1990: We had a suite in a Panhellenic building. Meetings were casual most nights, we wore running shorts or leggings and big tees or sweatshirts (basically exactly what college kids are wearing today). We had formal meeting the first Monday of the month. We did the handshake to enter formal meetings.
1993: Weekly meetings were informal three weeks of the year. Once a month we dressed up for "Formal Active" which was held after the weekly meeting. Roll was always in alphabetical order, pledges and then actives. I am certain I can recite my pledge class roll call even today.
2011: It was very formal. We wore "Pin Attire," i.e. dresses, nice tops and dress pants. Each name was called out for attendance. It was very organized with an agenda for each meeting.
2014: We wore business casual clothes most meetings, which were dresses or pantsuits, and we lined up in alphabetical order most times to take attendance. The president would host the meetings, and every other CMT officer would give their announcements, and we would usually have a bonding activity at the end before we did our secret vow.
2018: Formal and informal meetings aren’t too different. We just have to dress up and sit in alphabetical order while the president reads the written greeting. We use GIN to check in our attendance for informal chapter rather than taking it one name at a time for formal.
What is the best part about being a Delta Gamma?
1958: The very best part about being a Delta Gamma is ready made friends, called "sisters," no matter where in this world you find yourself. These friendships give me "hope" for the future generation of women.
1963: As an only child, I now have sisters who are always there to listen, commiserate with and offer a helping hand. 1985: My sisters are the best part! Looking back, we were so lucky to be just good down to earth friends and sisters. We lived together, loved each other through sorrows and triumphs and the everyday stuff. Some of my best adult friends are still my sisters, 30 years later!
1990: The lifelong friendships, the fun and special memories, and the person I became through my involvement, and now- sharing all of this with my DG legacy, Lindsay, are my favorite things . We just attended Founders Day together with my alumnae group!
1993: Post-college connections has been the best part! Many of my best friends today I met through the alumnae group or while serving on house corps. Many of these women I did not know in college but we're in book clubs, we travel together, and we serve our communities.
2005: Having a home away from home with women striving to be better versions of themselves. We supported each other rather than tore each other down. We were down-to-earth, funny and we welcomed all. Just recently, many women who were in the chapter with me became moms at the same time, so now we have our own Facebook group, Anchored Moms where we discuss the highs and lows of motherhood as well as turn to for advice. It’s been great to reconnect with sisters who have moved out of the area so I don't get to see them at the Central New Jersey Mommy and Me Special Interest Group events. It’s almost like having a virtual SIG!
2018: The best part about being a Delta Gamma is the community. I can go somewhere 1,000 miles away from home and meet another DG and instantly have a connection in the new place. Wherever I go, I know that I’ll probably find a sister somewhere close.
2018: To me, the best part about being a Delta Gamma is belonging to an organization that empowers women to embrace their individuality in a safe setting with a national network of women who will love and support them, as demonstrated this year by all the support of collegian and alumnae chapters to our sisters at Harvard.
Read more about Delta Gamma Then and Now in the Summer 2019 ANCHORA