BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH KITZMANN
Greek life is booming at FHSU with eight active chapters, four fraternities and four sororities, each with its own “unique culture and traditions.”
In today’s Student Organization Feature, readers can expect to learn all about the sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta (AGD), including its very own unique culture and Tiger traditions. AGD was founded in 1904 and came to FHSU in 1959.
According to the official Alpha Gamma Delta website, AGD is an international women’s organization “committed to providing opportunities for personal development, service to others and the space for members to forge their own paths – all through a lifelong spirit of sisterhood.”
President of Alpha Gamma Delta (AGD) at FHSU Abigail Miller, speaks on the purpose of the FHSU Chapter of AGD.
“Much like the national purpose of AGD, the overall purpose of our sorority’s chapter is to create long-lasting friendships, provide opportunities and experiences to our members for personal development, and to provide service to others by donating hours through volunteering,” Miller said.
Grace McCord, vice president of academic success for AGD at FHSU, is on the same page as Miller when it comes to what the sorority aims to accomplish for its members.
“Our organization strives to empower young women through providing endless possibilities for personal development, skill building, and creating life-lasting, meaningful friendships,” McCord said.
McCord goes on to state the benefits, which align with the organization’s objectives, that she has personally experienced through being a member of AGD.
“Being an Alpha Gam means having a fantastic support system, opportunities to lead, and getting out of your comfort zone,” she said.
According to Miller, there are three qualifications for joining AGD.
“The first is to be a full-time Fort Hays State student and the second is that each student is expected to maintain a 2.5 GPA or above to remain active,” she said. “The third, and most important, is the desire to be a part of AGD. We just really try to find girls that we think would be a great Alpha Gam.”
Miller then talks about a few of the activities that Alpha Gam sisters can expect to participate in once they have joined and highlights a few of her all-time favorites.
“We do a couple of different food fundraisers every year including Mac & Cheese with AGD for our fighting hunger philanthropy,” Miller said. “We also host an array of other events, which if you are interested in checking those out in further detail, we post regularly on our social media accounts.
“My most memorable moments are always the sisterhood retreats that we go on and all of the random, fun, spur-of-the-moment things that we have done with each other such as going out to eat, studying, or just hanging out around our house,” she said.
McCord agrees with Miller by saying that her favorite AGD moments happen naturally when sisters see each other in the cafeteria, end up chatting over lunch, telling funny stories, or helping each other study for tests.
“One of the best things about AGD is that nothing feels forced, and we always find a way to support each other,” she said.
McCord continues by emphasizing that being involved on campus is what makes a college student’s experience fun.
“FHSU gives so much to us as students and it is so important for us to give back,” McCord said.
Miller said it is important to be involved on campus in order for students to feel a sense of belonging.
“Being involved on the FHSU campus has created a complete community for me,” Miller said. “It has also, personally, given me more motivation and drive within my course work. Not to mention, I have made so many connections and even found my best friends through campus activities.”
McCord encourages anyone that has questions about AGD at FHSU, their chapter’s involvement with the Hays community, or the Alpha Gamma Delta organization as a whole to reach out.
“We love answering all questions that future Alpa Gams may have,” McCord said. “We especially love to talk about the ways that we help the community and help each other.”
More information about AGD can be found on their Tigerlink at https://tigerlink.fhsu.edu/organization/alphagammadelta, their Twitter @FHSUAlphaGams, their Instagram at @fhsualphagams and their Facebook @fhsuAGD.