The crescent moon serves as a symbol of transitions, a cosmic marker of time. As it grows from a thin sliver to its fullest phase, it reflects the quiet rhythms of the solar system.
Observing the crescent moon is not just a visual experience but a moment for reflection, offering a rare opportunity to connect with the vastness and the stillness of the night.
In a world often filled with noise and rush, the sight of a crescent moon invites a moment of peace – an opportunity to pause and marvel at the simple yet profound beauty of the universe above.
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“When I was a part of the chapter, our sisterhood was always about trust and confidence. It means having a group of women to rely on for guidance and support, and it is a community used to build each other up to become our best selves. Chrissie it’s going to be okay, they aren’t going anywhere,” Gabbi Paluzzi said, reminiscing on her time in the Epsilon Psi chapter.
I called her before the senior celebration this year, an event that our chapter puts on every semester before the seniors get their opportunity to walk across the stage.
We read letters to the seniors, and the seniors give a speech letting us in on their own chapter experiences. It’s like a little party, except filled with tears and reminiscing of old memories.
Besides the fact that Gabbi is my Big, as an alumna, she would be able to give me some advice before I had to watch some of my closest sisters start their journey to somewhere new.
Almost like a rock, Gabbi has been someone I have counted on time and time again. Her words provided me with some foundation as I walked into this last event, one that would be one of my last memories of this group of sisters. It was this time last year I was reading her senior letter, reliving the same feelings I never thought I would have once more.
As I cross the threshold, the room’s chill hits me like no other. It’s a good thing I prepared beforehand. I take a breath and push through.
Here we go.
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Founded in 1874, Gamma Phi Beta’s four founding members chose the crescent as a meaningful symbol of the organization’s growth.
The crescent symbol can be seen on most Gamma Phi Beta apparel, news, and even email signatures. It is deeply embedded in the organization’s brand, allowing for a very apparent tradition to be formed throughout all chapters internationally.
The 29 members of the Epsilon Psi chapter at the University of North Carolina at Asheville carry on the tradition of the crescent.
The Panhellenic total includes 26 initiated sisters, soon to be 22.
For the sisters of the Epsilon Psi chapter of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, the crescent moon symbolizes growth and progress. It is a constant reminder that the organization’s past, present and future members are connected.
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“If anything comes from this letter, please just remember that this organization has helped me change and be the person who I am today. Not many people realize what we have here, but it is really something that I guess we shouldn’t take for granted,” Meghan Kent said as she spoke in her parting senior letter.
Tears slip down my face before I even realize they’re there, silent and steady as if they’d made the decision without me. I don’t wipe them away.
To me, they seem to be coming from the letter I just read Meghan about five minutes ago.
Being one of my best friends and the closest person I have ever known to be my sister, who’s not blood-related, Meghan has been another major pillar of my time in the chapter.
She has been one of the realest people that anyone comes across, especially when it comes to all things Gamma Phi.
“And of course Chrissie, this is for you. I have seen you grow and become one of the most wonderful versions of yourself that you could have ever possibly been. I know you, and don’t look at me like that because I will start crying too, you are going to do great things,” Meghan said.
The room is cold, the kind of cold that settles into your skin and stays there, and the tears don’t dry like they should — they just cling, stubborn against the chill. They gather along my cheeks, slick and half-frozen, tracing paths that feel too present, too real.
The cold turns them from soft to sharp, like they’ve become part of the air itself.
The chill around me feels wrong, like it doesn’t understand; it should be warmer to match the heat of my grief, pride and fear. But instead, the room stays cold, indifferent, while my heart tries to hold onto everything at once.
I never thought I would be this upset at someone leaving, but for some reason, this stuff usually gets me in.
“Gamma Phi is here for you, and it will be just like it was for me. I know I was blunt, but this organization is to make us have a place to learn how to speak up and be there for each other,” Meghan said as she took one last look around the room.
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The Epsilon Psi chapter of Gamma Phi Beta at UNC Asheville hums with a quiet, enduring pride — one built over the years, stitched together by the hands and hearts of every woman who has called it home.
Being the only chapter by Gamma Phi Beta established in North Carolina, the Women who have run Epsilon Psi have seen and been a part of the university’s history for years.
It has always been a smaller chapter, changing and cultivating a presence on campus with time. While it is not always liked, they never let that affect the small clan because of the tight-knit connections within the group.
It lives on not just within its charter but also in laughter echoing down hallways of the student union during recruitment, in late-night talks that stretched into sunrise, and in the countless moments that made up more than just a college experience—they made a legacy.
Each sister who passed through left something behind, something more than photos in scrapbooks or names in records.
There are over 500 sisters who are currently recognized as alumni of the chapter.
Each and every single one of them has left pieces of themselves—in traditions still honored, in values still lived, in the very spirit of the chapter. And they are never forgotten. Their stories are spoken often, and their names are brought up with soft smiles and bright eyes. The current chapter holds them close, not as distant alumni but as sisters still.
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“Wait, some of the letters this year were actually really good, like I am trying to to be sad or sappy but I really am,” Sarah Booth said as she looks at her senior basket with a slight smile.
She has a twinkle in her eye that would lead one to believe she is thinking of something else while talking. She looks excited for what’s about to happen in her future, but also a little nervous about stepping away from an organization she’s called home.
As the celebration wrapped up, plenty of pictures were taken, and hugs were shared. I eventually wiped my face off any teardrops left over from the letters that were read, coming to terms with the mark that these sisters have made on our chapter.
“If you couldn’t tell I was trying not to look at anyone, because I knew I was going to break too. But I am kinda tired, so I am ready to go home. Anyway, do you and Kat want to come over later,” Sarah said, as she was ruffling through the basket in front of her.
A calming feeling started to wash over the area as everyone began to clear out.
As we all leave the room, all I can think of is what it will be like next year, when it’s my turn.
Maybe then, they will turn the heat up a little bit, and I won’t be so emotional.
