For over 100 years, the women of the Gamma Phi Beta – Omega chapter have found a home away from home at Iowa State.

“We always say 100 years of women have walked on our floor because we still have the original hardwood flooring in our chapter house,” said Meghan Custis, junior in public relations and Gamma Phi Beta’s vice president of public relations.

Different symbols and mottos can be found around the chapter facility, like the pink carnation or a crescent moon.

An official motto of Gamma Phi Beta is “Founded on a rock,” which comes from a Bible verse and represents the women of the house being grounded and having a strong foundation in their sorority. An unofficial but popular motto of the house is “Empowered women empower women,” which reflects on their philanthropy.

“Our motto ‘Founded on a rock’ demonstrates the loyalty in our friendships with each other,” said Victoria Tappa, junior in nutritional science and member of Gamma Phi Beta. “Through thick and thin, our sisterhood prevails because of our strong foundation.”

Each year, Gamma Phi Beta hosts philanthropic events to support Girls on the Run, an after school exercise program for young girls.

“Girls on the Run is an organization that aims to give young girls the tools and knowledge to become confident women of character,” Custis said. “Girls in the program also learn curriculum that teaches them how to handle the struggles of growing up to help make them more comfortable to do amazing things as they get older.”

The chapter puts on two large philanthropy events each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The fall philanthropy event is called Crescent Classic Cakes, which is an all you can eat pancake dinner with a toppings bar, a unique trait in the Sorority and Fraternity Community.

The spring event is called Moon Ball, where groups of students can pay to participate in or watch a sports tournament.

“The past few years we have done volleyball,” Custis said. “But we’re going to try to switch to kickball this year, so that’s really exciting.”

Each year, members of Gamma Phi Beta also volunteer at the Girls on the Run 5K in the fall.

“We get to see all the girls’ hard work pay off and all the money we raised be put to good use, which is pretty cool,” Custis said.

As far as socials, Gamma Phi Beta hosts their own events that are popular in the Sorority and Fraternity Community, like formals and date parties. Various small socials are also put on throughout the year.

“Earlier this week, we had a Valentine’s Day social where we made vision boards and frosted cookies,” Custis said. “We also had a really fun one last year with Alpha Delta Pi where we made cards and got to know other women in the community.” 

Each semester, Gamma Phi Beta hosts about four to five socials with other Iowa State sororities and fraternities.

“We all think the unique collection of women we have is very special,” Custis said. “Everyone has such diverse personalities. We’re all oddballs and have a lot of fun encouraging each other to be unapologetically ourselves.”

Gamma Phi Beta has left a lasting impact on its members through its strong values and community involvement.

“Gamma Phi Beta has given me more than anything I’ve been a part of ever has before,” Olivia Miller, senior in marketing and member of Gamma Phi Beta, said. “I’ve met so many impactful people in my life, and a strong majority of the people in my adult life are rooted in some way in Gamma Phi Beta — and that’s a great thing. I don’t know where I’d be without this organization or this community.”

For more information on Gamma Phi Beta and its 135 members, visit any of their social media pages.