“I remember always walking everywhere and seeing a DZ bag or a DZ shirt… They were just so genuine and kind and welcoming. You walked into their room and you felt like you were already a part of them. I felt like I had already found my home, my family,” said Allie Quintyne, a junior elementary education major and president of Delta Zeta.
Delta Zeta is the largest Greek chapter on campus with 146 women who make up the sorority. They strive to uphold the following values: sisterhood, exemplary grades and dedication to philanthropy.
Alana Kohn, a junior advertising and public relations major and vice president of Programming for DZ, manages 18 chair positions which include fundraising, philanthropy and social, just to name a few. The chair positions plan all of the events and what’s happening on campus, according to Kohn.
“It is my job to oversee that they are all fulfilling their positions and providing the chapter with fun and exciting news and events,” Kohn said.
DZ plans sisterhood activities to strengthen the bond among the sisters in the sorority. They participate in activities such as beach days, weekly sister dinners and froyo outings.
In addition to sisterhood, academics also plays an important part in the sisters’ lives. They are required to have a 2.5 or higher GPA to be in good standing. Those who have a 3.0 or lower have to complete two to four study hours a week in the study hour log program. If they have lower than a 2.5 then they have to complete four study hours a week.
“The girls take [GPA] seriously because academics is something that we all strive for, not only because it’s for themselves but also just to keep up our GPA for our chapter… We always want to be above the minimum,” Quintyne said.
Just like every Greek organization, DZ’s philanthropy is crucial to how they function as a sorority. Their focus is on speech and hearing impairment. Their two major national partners are Starkey Hearing Foundation, a program that is dedicated to global health for the hearing impaired, and The Painted Turtle, a year-round camp that gives children with serious medical conditions a unique camping experience.
“We’re really inclusive to the entire campus and I think that’s what makes DZ awesome. We’re so open and so willing and looking for things to get our hand in and help out UT in any way we can,” Quintyne said.