Gamma Zeta (Founded 25 February 1996) is located at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and is a member of the Mid South Region.

Chapter History

UNDER CONSTRUCTION (2/4/2020)

Gamma Zeta chapter of Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity has been active for eighteen strong years. Founded on February 25th 1996, Gamma Zeta had grown to 21 active brothers and continues to grow and retain committed brothers through their intensive 9 week initiation period. The brotherhood's initiation program was strengthened due to the Fall 2013 Initiate Advisor Peter Peltack who, through his Assitant Initiate Advisor position under Initiate Advisor Abigail Smith, was able to better structure the general initiation program into the ideal program. Based upon Peltack's program and the continuation of it, Gamma Zeta was able to welcome in two strong initiate classes.

The chapter's strength was officially instilled through the improved initiation program, and Gamma Zeta's step to become more involved with the Regional Consultant occurred when Becca Bleich became regional delegate in the Fall of 2012 to the Spring of 2013. Becca was the first Regional Delegate to keep in contact with the regional consultant, Jessica Iroche and in the Spring of 2014, Alison Criscoe became the first regional delegate to attend a regional conference (along with Dakota Parker, Brittany Hester, and John Spiegelman).

In Fall of 2019, the chapter inducted one new initiate under the initiation program led by Initiate Adviser Caitlyn White and Assistant Initiate Advisor Lindsey White. During this semester, several positions on the executive board were filled, including the Parliamentarian (Elijah Taylor) and the Historian (Madison Welte). In the fall, the Epsilon XI chapter from Eastern Tennessee State University attended a tailgate before the WCU vs. ETSU football game, which led to bonding between the two chapters.

Founding

Kevin Rogers was the Chapter founder and President in Gamma Zeta's year of establishment, 1996. Kevin and his now wife, Sherry Rogers still live in the Western Carolina area with their two children, Zeb and Mimosa. The Gamma Zeta Chapter was founded on February 25, 1996.

Early Years

In 1996 the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi had their own floor in Western's old honors college residence hall, Reynolds. Brothers inhabited the 2nd floor which made it easy for everyone to plan events and meetings. Brothers who lived on the floor claim that their favorite aspect of the fraternity was coming back from class and spending time with their Brothers on the hall.

After Kevin, Sherry and much of the Alpha pledge class went alumni, the chapter historical documents were stolen from the storage locker in which they were being stored. Unfortunately, to the chapters current knowledge, these documents have not been found nor returned. Also, the year in which the documents were stolen is also unknown.

The Active Chapter

Current Faculty Advisor: Colin Townsend

10 Current Officers (Spring 2022):

President - Taylor Hasick
Vice President - Grace Popp
Parliamentarian - Isabel Passant
Corresponding/Recording Secretary - Abby Hamilton
Treasurer - Avery Grice
Head IA - Maggie Grondy
Assistant IA - Kathryn Ross
Recruitment Advisor - David Prevette
Historian - Kelsey Bryant
Brother-at-Large - Heidi Stewart

Current Committees:

Alumni (Spring 2022):

Committee head: Victoria Frye

Awards & Scholarship (Spring 2022):

Committee head: Chandler Marlow

Finance & Fundraising (Spring 2022):

Committee head: Jules Chappell

Initiation Committee (Spring 2022):

Committee head: Maggie Grondy

Public Relations (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Abigail Gulley

Service (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Victor Venjohn

Social (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Leya Brown

Inter-chapter Relations (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Jacob Dillhyon

Semi-Formal (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Chandler Marlow

T-Shirt (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Kylie Ockomon

Retreat (Spring 2022)

Committee Head: Keely Wood

Master of Ceremonies (Spring 2020)

Committee Head: Victoria Frye

Past Chapter Presidents

Breona Tuft
Marissa
Kelsey
Jeremy Boucher (ΓΖ 352) Fall 2014-Spring 2015
Becca Bleich (ΓΖ) Fall 2013- Spring 2014
Natasha Swanson (ΓΖ 334) Spring 2013
Ariel Rymer (ΓΖ 332) Fall 2012
Sarah Justice Fall 2011-Spring 2012
John Kindy (Alpha Beta, ΓΖ roll number) Fall 2010- Spring 2011
Shanee Sullivan (Omega, ΓΖ rollnumber) Part of Spring 2010
Katelan Price (Psi, ΓΖ rollnumber) Fall 2009 part of Spring 2010
Ashley Hardin (Tau, ΓΖ 260) Spring 2008-Spring 2009
David Moss (Tau, ΓΖ 255) Fall 2007
Laura Burgdorf (Sigma, ΓΖ 250) Spring 2007
Carrie Petrea (Xi, ΓΖ 226) Fall 2006
Megan Chamblee (Rho, ΓΖ 235) Spring 2006
Cale Thornburg (Xi, ΓΖ 229) Fall 2004-Fall 2005
Brad McAbee (Mu, ΓΖ 201) Spring 2004
Patrick Pearce (Lambda,ΓΖ 185)Spring 2003-Fall 2003
Jennifer Kramer (Kappa, ΓΖ 173) Fall 2002
Samantha Rigby (Zeta, ΓΖ 141) Spring 2002
Kristy Philemon (Zeta, ΓΖ 132) Fall 2000-Fall 2001
Stephanie Roberson (Delta, ΓΖ 109) Spring 2000
Sarah Keener (Beta, ΓΖ 69) Fall 1999-Spring 2000
Kevin Philemon (Charter Member, ΓΖ 35) Fall 1998-Spring 1999
Samuel Chantes (Alpha, ΓΖ 60) Fall 1997-Spring 1998
Kevin Rogers (Charter Member, ΓΖ 3) Spring 1996-Fall 1997

Chapter Events & Activities

Spring 2022:

Scholarship head, Chandler Marlow, has held an event on how to build your resume correctly and has also held an event on how to decorate and spice up postcards. Chandler has also planned an Aspergers awareness and informational night in April.
Service head, Victor Venjohn, has held a tabling event to collect everyday care items for the homeless shelter. Victor also planned a tabling event to collect school supplies to donate to a local school.
Social head, Leya Brown, has held two game night social events, one night being musical chairs and another night being poetry for neanderthals. Leya has also hosted a movie night where members came to watch Shrek 2, converse, and eat popcorn.
Retreat committee head, Keely Wood, planned a March weekend retreat for the chapter in Montreat, North Carolina.

Founder's Day

On February 14th of every year, the chapter wears business casual dress as well as pin attire to signify the national founding date of Phi Sigma Pi.

On the 14th of every month, the chapter wears business casual to signify the national founding date.

Past Events or Activities

The brothers in the past have hosted an event called Rent-a-Puppy which encourages students to "rent" puppies for 15 minutes for 5 dollars.

In the past, the chapter has held a service event called Bowls for Bovines. In this event we collaborate with the Western Carolina University ceramics students (the WCU Mudcats) to make and sell bowls to raise money for Heifer International. Heifer International is an organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and boost the economy in impoverished areas around the world. The money we raise from Bowls for Bovines goes directly to this organization to purchase a livestock animal for a family (or multiple families when we do really well!) in these areas. The chapter has also made a tradition of doing the annual Tuck River Clean-up every April, as they get to experience bonding as well as do service for the community of Sylva, Dillsboro, and Cullowhee, North Carolina. This event is organized every year to clean up trash and do recycling on a section of the Tuckasegee River, then properly dispose of the litter collected. The chapter goes as a group and then splits off into different rafts to complete the cleanup. For service events in the past, the chapter has created cards for children's homes, nursing homes, and various other places in the chapter's local area. The chapter has also completed community garden workdays in the Cullowhee community garden in the fall semesters as well as in the late spring weather permitting.

For social events in the past, the chapter has done a variety of events. To support the chapter's university, social events have taken the form of going to basketball, football, and baseball games as a group. The chapter has also held several tailgating events, with one happening in Fall of 2019 that the Epsilon Xi chapter from East Tennessee State University attending as well, before going to the WCU vs. ETSU football game.

Notable Alumni

Kevin Rogers (Alpha pledge class, 1996)

- Office Held: President (1996)
- Kevin is a notable Alumni because he is Gamma Zeta's chapter founder

Chapter Honors and Awards

National Awards

2014-2015 Recruitment Incentive

University Awards

None to date

Chapter Service Key Recepients

Spring 2015 Alison Criscoe (ΓΖ roll number)
Spring 2013 Natasha Swanson (ΓΖ 334) and Brittany Cain (ΓΖ 319)
Spring 2011 Jenny Kindy (ΓΖ ) and John Kindy(ΓΖ )
Spring 2009 Zach Dearman (ΓΖ 280), Ashley Hardin (ΓΖ 260), Grant Newman (ΓΖ 275), Mark Phillips (ΓΖ 271), and Mike Young (ΓΖ 236)
Fall 2008 Rebecca Vickers (ΓΖ 213)
Spring 2007 - Heather Barnard (ΓΖ 218) and Carrie Petrea (ΓΖ 226)

Brother of the Semester Recipients (First Awarded in 2003)

Spring 2015 Taylor Santa (ΓΖ roll number)
Fall 2014 Steven Tripp (ΓΖ roll number)
Spring 2010 -Shanee Sullivan (ΓΖ 282) and Jenny Leigh Jessup (ΓΖ 299)
Fall 2009-----
Spring 2009 - Ashley Anderson (ΓΖ 283)
Fall 2008 - Zach Dearman (ΓΖ 280) and Shanee Sullivan (ΓΖ 282)
Spring 2008 - Brittany Cardenas (ΓΖ 252)
Fall 2007 - Ashley Hardin (ΓΖ 260) and Grant Newman (ΓΖ 275)
Spring 2007 - Laura Burgdorf (ΓΖ 250)
Fall 2006 - Laura Burgdorf (ΓΖ 250)
Spring 2006 - Heather Barnard (ΓΖ 218)
Fall 2005 - Megan Chamblee (ΓΖ 235)
Spring 2004 - Rita Kirby (ΓΖ 2
Fall 2004 - Cale Thornburg (ΓΖ 229)
Spring 2004 - Cale Thornburg (ΓΖ 229)
Fall 2003 - Brad McAbee (ΓΖ 201)

Brother of the Year Recipients (First Awarded in 2009)

2008-2009 Year - Mike Young (ΓΖ 236)

Further Resources

Phi Sigma Pi: Gamma Zeta Chapter Website

In the News

Student to receive impact award

Gamma Zeta Chapter
Founded February 25, 1996 • Western Carolina University
Presidents	Kevin Rogers • Samuel Chantes • Kevin Philemon • Sarah Keener • Stephanie Roberson • Kristy Philemon • Samantha Rigby • Jennifer Kramer • Patrick Pearce • Brad McAbee • Cale Thornburg • Megan Chamblee • Carrie Petrea • Laura Burgdorf • David Moss • Ashley Hardin • Katelan Price • Shanee Sullivan • John Kindy • Sarah Justice • Ariel Rymer • Natasha Swanson • Becca Bleich • Jeremy Boucher
History	List of Gamma Zeta Chapter Initiate Classes • List of Gamma Zeta Family Lines
Chapter Service Keys	Heather Barnard • Carrie Petrea • Rebecca Vickers • Zach Dearman • Ashley Hardin • Grant Newman • Mark Phillips • Mike Young • John Kindy • Jenny Kindy • Brittany Cain • Natasha Swanson • Alison Criscoe
National Council Members	none
Torchias	none

Collegiate Chapters
Alpha • Beta • Gamma • Delta • Epsilon • Zeta • Eta • Theta • Iota • Kappa • Lambda • Mu • Nu • Xi • Omicron • Pi • Rho • Sigma • Tau • Upsilon • Phi • Omega • Alpha Alpha • Alpha Beta • Alpha Gamma • Alpha Delta • Alpha Epsilon • Alpha Zeta • Alpha Eta • Alpha Theta • Alpha Iota • Alpha Kappa • Alpha Lambda • Alpha Mu • Alpha Nu • Alpha Xi • Alpha Omicron • Alpha Pi • Alpha Rho • Alpha Sigma • Alpha Tau • Alpha Upsilon • Alpha Phi • Alpha Chi • Alpha Psi • Alpha Omega • Beta Alpha • Beta Beta • Beta Gamma • Beta Delta • Beta Epsilon • Beta Zeta • Beta Eta • Beta Theta • Beta Iota • Beta Kappa • Beta Lambda • Beta Mu • Beta Nu • Beta Xi • Beta Omicron • Beta Pi • Beta Rho • Beta Sigma • Beta Tau • Beta Upsilon • Beta Phi • Beta Chi • Beta Psi • Beta Omega • Gamma Alpha • Gamma Beta • Gamma Gamma • Gamma Delta • Gamma Epsilon • Gamma Zeta • Gamma Eta • Gamma Theta • Gamma Iota • Gamma Kappa • Gamma Lambda • Gamma Mu • Gamma Nu • Gamma Xi • Gamma Omicron • Gamma Pi • Gamma Rho • Gamma Sigma • Gamma Tau • Gamma Upsilon • Gamma Phi • Gamma Chi • Gamma Psi • Gamma Omega • Delta Alpha • Delta Beta • Delta Gamma • Delta Delta • Delta Epsilon • Delta Zeta • Delta Eta • Delta Theta • Delta Iota • Delta Kappa • Delta Lambda • Delta Mu • Delta Nu • Delta Xi • Delta Omicron • Delta Pi • Delta Rho • Delta Sigma • Delta Tau • Delta Upsilon • Delta Phi • Delta Chi • Delta Psi • Delta Omega • Epsilon Alpha • Epsilon Beta • Epsilon Gamma • Epsilon Delta • Epsilon Epsilon • Epsilon Zeta • Epsilon Eta • Epsilon Theta • Epsilon Iota • Epsilon Kappa • Epsilon Lambda • Epsilon Mu • Epsilon Nu • Epsilon Xi • Epsilon Omicron • Epsilon Pi • Epsilon Rho • Epsilon Sigma • Epsilon Tau • Epsilon Upsilon • Epsilon Phi • Epsilon Chi • Epsilon Psi • Epsilon Omega • Zeta Alpha • Zeta Beta • Zeta Gamma • Zeta Delta • Zeta Epsilon • Zeta Zeta • Zeta Eta • Zeta Theta • Zeta Iota • Zeta Kappa • Zeta Lambda • Zeta Mu • Zeta Nu • Zeta Xi • Zeta Omicron • Zeta Pi • Zeta Rho • Zeta Sigma • Zeta Tau • Zeta Upsilon • Zeta Phi • Zeta Chi • Zeta Psi • Zeta Omega • Eta Alpha • Eta Beta • Eta Gamma • Eta Delta • Eta Epsilon • Eta Zeta • Eta Theta • Eta Iota • Eta Kappa • Eta Mu • Eta Lambda • Eta Mu • Eta Nu • Eta Xi • Eta Omicron • Eta Pi • Eta Rho • Eta Sigma

Gamma Zeta Chapter

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