After Thanksgiving is an especially exciting time for our chapter. Not only is there only one week of classes left, but it’s time to prepare for the holidays! Just like any family, the holiday season at Alpha Zeta is filled with events that help to not only bring in the holiday cheer, but also to improve brothership throughout the house. This holiday season was no different.  In preparation for the holiday season, the house purchased a Christmas tree for display in the formal room and together, members of the house decorated the Christmas tree...

At the end of every semester, members of Alpha Zeta gather to hold their semesterly formal. It is a time to honor the accomplishments of graduating seniors and a time to hand out their mugs. This semester we honored Veronica Pallidino 11’ as the winter graduating senior. On December 2nd, 65 members and guests of Alpha Zeta traveled just up the lake to the Taughannock Farms Inn for the Winter Formal...

For the last several years, members of our chapter have volunteered at the Ithaca Shooting Stars Girls Ice Hockey Tournament. Our chapter’s chef, Peter Seznek, is the president of the local girl’s hockey league and asks us to help our every year. The tournament was a weekend long (Dec. 2nd-Dec. 4th) with games played at two different rinks in the area. Members help out by running the clock and keeping score for games. Around 10 members participated in the event throughout the weekend.

On Thursday December 1, the Society for Social Entrepreneurhsip and Collaborative Action (SSECA) held the 2nd annual Cornell Alternative Gift Fair in the Art Gallery of Willard Straight Hall, the student union building on Cornell’s cmapus. The Alternative Gift Fair is way to avoid stressful holiday shopping and "stuff" accumulation while giving friends and family gifts that support their values. Attendees were able to browse displays from all the participating on campus student organizations, then make donations to the organizations they chose.

On Saturday November 12th, the Green Mountain Chapter at the University of Vermont in Burlington held its first ever pancake breakfast. Members worked tirelessly to make ends meet with the breakfast, and worked closely with the Dean's office of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as well as with the Proctor Maple Research center, owned by UVM for supplies...

On Saturday, December 10th, the Cook Chapter of Alpha Zeta participated in the Big Chill, an annual 5k run/walk that takes place at Rutgers. The entry fee for the race was a new, unopened toy. The Alpha Zeta team consisted of 44 members, both members of the fraternity as well as friends and family. Everyone on the team ran or walked the course wearing reindeer antlers, and the chapter advisor, Dr. Clark, walked the event dressed as Santa Claus. The event is one of the biggest charity races that takes place at Rutgers; last year over 8,000 toys were collected for donation. The Alpha Zeta team won an award for being the fraternity/sorority team with the most participants. The event was a great way for the chapter to bond and participate in a campus-wide event.

On November 10th, the Scholarship Committee of the Cook Chapter hosted a lunch with Dr. Bruce Clarke, an Alpha Zeta alumnus and professor of Plant Biology and Pathology at Rutgers. Dr. Clarke answered questions regarding the graduate school application process, and gave members tips on writing to prospective graduate school advisors. He also talked about what the Cook Campus community  and Alpha Zeta were like many years ago, and members discussed changes occurring on campus and Alpha Zeta's role in keeping a sense of community in the ever-changing Rutgers landscape. Members enjoyed getting the chance to talk to a professor and alumnus that they do not get to see very often.

On October 11th, the Scholarship Committee of the Cook Chapter hosted the second dinner with Alpha Zeta faculty on Cook Campus. Members met up with Dr. George Clark, a chapter advisor and professor in the Human Ecology Department, at a local pizza place. Dr. Clark talked about how he got to where he is now. Members learned some fun facts about their advisor, such as how he had originally wanted to be a dentist and that his favorite food is pizza (hence the restaurant choice). Members enjoyed getting to know one of their advisors better over a casual dinner.

On September 23rd, 9 members of the Cook College Chapter met for the first of a series of dinners with Alpha Zeta faculty on Cook Campus. The first on the list was Dean Mark Robson, an advisor of the chapter and previous Censor. Dr. Robson ordered sandwiches for the members and talked about his work in the Public Health field as well as how to get in to graduate school programs. Members asked questions and participated in discussions about these subjects. This event was organized by the Scholarship Committee. Dr. Robson is the Dean of Agricultural and Urban Programs.

The Florida Chapter joined up with Friends for Life who represents the annual Hearts for the Holidays event. The event encourages UF students, faculty and staff to make holiday cards to pediatric cancer patients who will spend the holidays in the hospital. They attempt to send cards to one hospital in every state. Hearts for the Holidays gives university students and our members the chance to provide support for children fighting cancer. Our chapter benefited by coming together in order to make the lives of others better during the time of year where hope is in the area. The cards were delivered to the Friends for Life representatives to distribute to the hospitals.