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|Image= [[File:Epsilon_Epsilon.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1959|05|09}}
|College= [httphttps://www.emory.edu/home/index.html Emory University]
|Location= Atlanta, GA
|Homepage= [httphttps://chaptersemory.kappakappagammakappa.org/epsilonepsilon/ Epsilon Epsilon Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Epsilon Media related to Epsilon Epsilon Chapter]}}
'''Epsilon Epsilon founded in on May 9, 1959'''
'''2,009 102 initiates (as of June 20152018)''' '''Charter Members:'''Mary Jane Averitt, Ann Kay Axtell, Jacalwyn Barlow, Judith Montgomery Bowman, Barbara Page Brunson, Carolyn Christian, Betty Lou Davis, Dorothy Ann Fincher, Lynne Echols Ford, Carol Patricia Garrison, Sandra Lee Holland, Elizabeth Hale Ingham, Julie Hamilton Jones, Sara Loe Keller, Lillian Sinclair Kemper, Rosalyn Kempton, Nancy Lee King, Irene Lucille Lake, Bonnie Gail Little, Susan Louise Lott, Leone Brooks Maddox, Harriet Hayes McDevitt, Carlynn Louise McLendon, Lou Annis McMillan, Margaret Louise Palmer, Nancy Caroline Radford, Marianna Reynolds, Janet Clevenger Scott, Edith Joan Sims, Carolyn Jean Spann, Mary Bo Strozier, Barbara Elizabeth Tuggle, Travis Turner, Nancy Louise Vantress.
'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
Dr. Laurie Lee Humphries, 1986, Psychiatrist, eating disorders specialist;
Dr. Lucy Davidson, 1988, Epidemiologist for Center for Disease Control;
Our chapter chose to support this organization because we felt that the values of this organization aligned closely with those of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We also recognized the need the Hope Lodge had in terms of volunteerism and fundraising, and felt that we could truly make a positive impact in the organization.
==Highlights of 2016== 2016 proved to be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, years in memorable history. Our chapter and sisters faced a large number internal and external changes and tackled them with grace. EE welcomed an incredible new pledge class at the beginning of 2016. A major goal of the chapter was improving New Member education and integration. Our New Member chairman did a wonderful job of improving areas where we were lacking and welcoming the New Members to the rest of the chapter. Additionally, our chapter met its goal of researching and implementing a new local philanthropy while continuing our commitment to Girls Academy. Our members were as busy as ever - sisters were involved with the presidential and local elections, community service, varsity athletics, dance companies, singing groups, student government, residence life, and more. Our campus has been an increasingly positive force in social justice issues. Students at Emory are passionate about providing equality across campus and Kappas are at the forefront of these efforts. From supporting the rights of undocumented students to leading campus-wide silent protests, Epsilon Epsilon sisters are catalysts for change. We couldn't be prouder of our progress this year and can't wait to see what 2017 has in store. '''Philanthropy''' Epsilon Epsilon celebrated an exciting philanthropy milestone in 2016 - in the Fall we hosted our 25th Chill and Grill philanthropy event in collaboration with other Greek organizations. The event is one of the highlights of our year and lasts several days with the proceeds of the event benefitting Reading is Fundamental. Our chapter has long been associated with Emory’s Hope Lodge - a free housing facility for families of cancer patients. Because of the timing of volunteer events, our chapter chose to adopt a new local philanthropy. The philanthropy chairman presented a variety of options to the chapter and Our House was decided upon. Our House is a local shelter that provides for homeless families and newborns. The vulnerable populations the shelter serves and the opportunity for hands-on involvement made it attractive for our chapter. EE members take weekly service trips to the shelter and have had a wonderful experience thus far. ==Highlights of 2017== Our chapter has had an amazing 2017 year! We welcomed a wonderful New Member class in January and had a great time getting to know them during the spring semester. We had multiple date parties and a formal that were planned by our wonderful social chair! Graduation was a bitter sweet time as we lost our beautiful senior girls, but we were so happy to see them go on to medical schools, law schools, jobs, Peace Corps, graduate schools, Teach For America, etc. We began the 2017-2018 school year with acquainting the girls who were abroad last semester with our phenomenal new girls. Homecoming went off without a hitch, thanks for our Public Relations Chair, and we came in second place in the parade. Most recently, our social chair perfectly planned out Semi-Formal dance, and it was a great way to end the semester! [[File:EE Chapter Photo.png|thumb|EE Chapter Photo 2017]] '''Philanthropy''' For a few years now, our Epsilon Epsilon chapter has worked with Girls Academy, Reading Is Fundamental (Information from RIF), and Our House. For Girls Academy we do this program every other year. We have mentoring events each semester with the same girls, which include attending basketball games, a pen pal program, and a weekend sleepover. For RIF we organize Reading is Key once a year with a book drive and we donate most of our money to this organization. Reading Is Fundamental has been an organization that our chapter has supported for years and our girls are continuously supportive and love helping out with RIF. Some of our programs that we do with Girls Academy are new and are girls really love them! Last December we had a weekend sleepover event at the school, and I think our girls loved it just as much as the middle school girls did. We have another similar event coming up in March like this one. With Our House, we typically volunteer with the kids at this homeless shelter every other week and organize other events, like holiday parties, with them. ==Highlights of 2018== Overall, this past year has been an exceptional one for the ladies of the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.We started the year off welcoming 35 incredible young women into our sorority. After an incredible semester filled sisterhood events, philanthropy events such as girls academy, and new member education chapters; these young women were officially initiated into the organization. Since welcoming our newest sisters, the women of Kappa have been leaders across campus both within Kappa and in their own endeavors. From Emily Sharp organizing an incredibly successful Girls Academy, Lauren Karr and Chelsea Leversedge representing our chapter at convention, and Ellie Dunnigan having an incredible time at Leadership Academy, our sisters have truly shown their dedication and excitement towards our organization as a whole. Outside of Kappa, these women are leaders in research with our graduated seniors having completed exemplary theses in their areas of expertise. The Epsilon Epsilon Chapter as a whole is incredibly active on Emory's campus. From starting their own organizations on campus, being leaders for Emorys community service programs, being student ambassadors and orientation leaders, and lighting up the stage in Emory Dance Company performances, these women are exceptionally talented and passionate individuals who constantly are making a difference on our campus. That being said the passion of these women is not solely limited to happenings at Emory; with an incredibly important election taking place this semester, we witnessed many women not only exercising their right to vote but also canvassing and interning with local governors and officials. [[File:Epsilon Epsilon Sisterhood Event.jpg|thumb|Epsilon Epsilon Sisterhood Event]] As far as chapter history reportsgoals and challenges are concerned, scholarshipour main goal this year was to improve communication within the chapter, group honors/awardsparticularly between Chapter Council and the rest of the organization. We did so by increasing transparency by announcing projects that were in the works during weekly chapter meetings, traditionshaving open chapter council sessions, special in addition to relaying more work to each of our committees in order to increase involvement and enthusiasm in chapter procedures. This year as a chapter we became much more enthusiastic about chapter eventsdue to an increase in our prioritizing of committees. Each officer truly utilized their committee to the fullest and ensured that everyone in the chapter felt that they were needed and valued. Ultimately, changes this year was one of great growth for the chapter and I am truly constantly in awe of these incredible women. I have incredibly high hopes for what the chapter can accomplish and can't wait to see what lies ahead for the spectacular women of the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter in the coming year. '''Philanthropy''' Reading is Fundamental, Winship Cancer Institute, and Radloff Middle School (Girls Academy) ==Highlights of 2019== [[File:New Member Class 2019.JPG|thumb|New Member Class 2019]] This past year has been very successful for the ladies of the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We started off the year by initiating 36 incredible women into our sorority. Our spring Initiation was especially meaningful this year because we hosted an alumna to be Initiated as well. [[File:Alumnae on Founders Day.JPG|thumb|Alumnae on Founders Day]] Our semester was filled with several sisterhood events such as going out to eat in various restaurants across Atlanta, making pottery, and adopting succulents. We have also donated to many charitable causes such as the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Refugee Revive, and Snack in a Backpack. The women of our chapter have also been leaders across campus or within Kappa and in their other endeavors. Our chapter's Vice President of Academic Excellence, Sarah Samaranayake, created a LinkedIn group to connect current chapter members with chapteralumnae. Katherine Pitts, a member of our newest member class, developed her leadership skills and knowledge of chapter history at the Kappa Leadership Conference. Two of our members, Livia Severino and Alexa Miller, also lead cycling classes every week in our campus gymnasium. Two of our members, Jessica Schwenke and Maureen Schick, are student-athletes on the volleyball team and won the 2019 Volleyball UAA Championship. Another one of our chapter members, Hannah Lansberry, is an All-American track star. Many of our sisters were also orientation leaders, dancers in the AHANA dance company, and advocates for Greeks Go Green and Safe Greeks. In addition to being campus leaders, the sisters of our chapter are scholars. Our chapter also had the highest GPA of the spring and fall semester out of all on campus Greek organizations. Two of our newest members, Kimia Tabatabaei and Olivia Milloway, are Robert Woodruff Emory Scholars, totaling our chapter's count of Emory Scholars to seven, the highest of any campus Greek organization. Our Marshal, Penny McElwee, was 1 out of 18 college students from across the United States selected for the Beinecke Scholarship, which awards $34,000 towards graduate school. She and our Vice President Standards, Lauren Karr, were also awarded scholarships from the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation towards their collegiate expenses. Sarah Samaranayake was accepted to Emory's 3-2 cancer biology masters program, and Madeleine Jones and Nadia Paylor were accepted into nursing school. Jaylan Jacobs was accepted into the Rollins School of Public Health. Samantha Jaloza and Penny were also inducted into the United States' most prestigious and oldest honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. I am constantly inspired by our chapter women's ability to give so much of their time to our community while maintaining the highest degree of academic excellence. One of our chapter goals this year was to increase transparency between the Chapter Council and the chapter at large. This was accomplished by using an online Google Form, nicknamed "Kappa Komments," where any chapter member can leave the president and VPS a comment about any concerns they are having. Our Chapter Council also held open CC meetings where any chapter member could attend to learn about current topics being discussed by the Chapter Council. Our President, Sarena Ho, also hosted office hours every week where sisters could speak privately with her about any concerns. In all, this was a fantastic year of sisterhood and growth for our chapter. The future is truly bright for the women of Epsilon Epsilon chapter. The chapter's overall nature is warm, genuine, and fun. Our chapter members are always willing to help each other through anything and can be seen having fun together either off campus or studying together on our campus's new student center. [[File:Founders Day.JPG|thumb|Founders Day]] '''Founders Day and Sesquicentennial''' To celebrate Founders Day, our chapter council's education chair, Nadia Paylor, hosted a beautiful brunch in the Business School's atrium. Tens of alumna women joined our chapter for a morning of treats and celebration. We were delighted to see alumna women pinned for up to 50 years of membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma. We also read speeches celebrating the contribution of the women who founded our sorority. To begin celebrating Kappa's 150th anniversary, we are planning to host a special event where we decorate the lodge with blue and blue ribbons and balloons and invite alumnae from various years to join us in celebrating Kappa's long and rich history of sisterhood and service. '''Philanthropy''' Reading is Fundamental, Radloff Middle School (Girls' Academy), Snack in a Backpack (packing food for students at local underserved schools), Refugee Revive (Working with high school students from Refugee/immigrant backgrounds to assist them with the college application process) We chose these organizations due to their demonstrated need in our local community. ==Highlights of 2020== This year was unlike any other for the Epsilon Epsilon chapter. 2020 started out with a successful recruitment in which we welcomed 36 new members into our chapter. Soon after, however, we had to suddenly change the way we conducted all chapter operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our in-person chapter meetings and sisterhood events were replaced with entirely virtual events. We had a virtual 80s dance-off, virtual game nights, virtual study hours, and even a virtual charcuterie board competition. We successfully held two virtual initiations—one in the spring and a second in the fall, in which we added another seven members to our chapter. While the transition to online operations was challenging, our sisterhood is resilient, and many of us have found support in one another amidst a challenging year. One of our major goalsas a chapter was to reevaluate the impact we have as an organization on our members and members of the Emory University community as a whole. We have taken steps and as a chapter to ensure our presence is one that promotes empowerment and not inequality. We proudly achieved 100% voter registration of chapter members to influence change in our state and country, as well. 2020 has been a formative year for Epsilon Epsilon chapter, but we are excited to embrace the new direction our chapter is taking while still holding on to the values that drew us all to join Kappa in the first place. [[File:Epsilon Epsilon Member volunteering at a COVID-19 testing site.jpg|thumb|Epsilon Epsilon Member volunteering at a COVID-19 testing site]] '''Philanthropy''' Our chapter focused on supporting various local organizations this semester through fundraising and volunteer opportunities. Many of our members have strong ties to volunteer opportunities whether through Emory’s campus or through their own involvement with the Atlanta community. This summer, we raised $2690.13 for the Atlanta Solidarity Fund which provides assistance to individuals unfairly arrested and unable to pay bail. We also raised $235 for Snap 4 Freedom, which is an organization fighting against the mass incarceration of individuals in Atlanta, challenges and focused on finding solutions rather than punishment for many of the problems facing individuals. Right before the elections in November, we raised over $340 for the New Georgia Project which was coordinating with Lyft to subsidize the cost of rides to election polls for voters on Election Day. Emory’s Panhellenic Council also coordinated a fundraiser for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. which raised over $4000. We chose these organizations because they demonstrated core values that aligned with those of our members. Many of our members feel strongly about fighting against systems of oppression and supporting members of marginalized groups in our society, especially right here in Atlanta. '''Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion''' As a chapter, we acknowledged how Kappa began as a space to empower women but excluded others in the process and discussed how they to move forward in a more inclusive way. Our chapter voted to form a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to advise our Chapter Council on ways to promote more inclusion within our chapter. We had mandatory LGBTQIA+ ally training for our chapter members, as well as implicit bias training for our chapter leadership. Prior to Recruitment in the Spring, all of our members will be required to participate in unconscious-bias training sessions facilitated by Emory’s Social Justice Education Department, and we hope to continue with these types of educational workshops throughout the year, especially regarding recruitment. Our DEI committee has also worked with our Panhellenic Council to plan a panel discussion in which women of color from all eight of the Panhellenic Councils can discuss their experiences in Panhellenic Chapters to help potential new members navigate their decision about joining a chapter. '''Sesquicentennial''' Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were overcomenot able to host our usual Founders Day celebration with members of the Atlanta Alumnae Association. Instead, members of our chapter attended the virtual Founders Day hosted by the Fraternity, etcand we distributed information about Kappa’s history to the entire chapter virtually.)
The year of 2021 began with virtual recruitment workshops, meeting many girls online, and finally a virtual bid day. While it may not seem exciting, we still planned lots of zoom events to get the new MC 21 involved in Kappa right away. On March 6, the class was officially initiated into our chapter, and we quickly began the COB process to include even more people in Kappa Kappa Gamma at Emory. On April 29, we hosted our first big philanthropy event of the year called Chips, Cheese, and KKGs where we raised money to support a local charity called Women on the Rise. We finished the term strong, as our chapter had the highest GPA out of all the Greek organizations on Emory’s campus. Our chapter goals going into the next school year shifted to boosting involvement and the amount of sisterhood events in our chapter. Recently we introduced a points system as an incentive for the members of the chapter to get more involved. We have had many opportunities for the girls to bond. We participated in the annual Homecoming parade, hosted weekly Tea Time Tuesdays, set up bachelorette viewings, made bracelets together, and even had a viewing party to watch the girls on our soccer team compete in the Women’s Soccer NCAA tournament. On November 13, we had both members hosting and members participating in the Emory Miracle Color Run which raised money for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We also had a successful election where we had the opportunity to officially slate our first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair, Vivian Wen. Overall, we had a great year slowly transitioning back to safe in-person events.
[[File:Epsilon Epsilon Freshman Activity Fair for Greek Life.png|thumb|Epsilon Epsilon Freshman Activity Fair for Greek Life]]
'''Philanthropy'''
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our chapter had the opportunity to support many local organizations. In April, our philanthropy chair, Peyton Robertson hosted an event called Chips, Cheese, and KKGs which partnered with Alpha Tau Omega on Emory’s campus. Together, we donated about $600 to the Women on the Rise organization. We voted as a chapter to support Women on the Rise for multiple reasons. Women on the Rise was important to us because it is a local organization here in Georgia. We wanted to also pick an organization that supported minority groups because our chapter is passionate about helping promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Women on the Rise helps incarcerated women of color through education, empowerment, and justice. In the fall, we investigated many organizations that support mental health which is also something a lot of our members are passionate about. We now partner with the JED Foundation which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to being a mental health resource to teens and young adults with a focus in suicide prevention.
By hosting the large fundraising event for Women on the Rise, we sold t-shirts and gave out chips and queso! We had many girls working the event, advertising for Women on the Rise and handing out brochures for their organization. We have also implemented social media campaigns to increase awareness and boost donations for these different local organizations.
'''Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'''
'''Operating in a Pandemic'''
COVID-19 required all recruitment events to be on Zoom for our chapter over the spring semester. This meant doing recruitment through the screens of our computers. We had to work with the technology and its issues to create a cohesive environment for the PNMs. This came with its pros and cons. We were able to easily hear each other which is different from most years where everyone is packed in a small room. However, there was less of a bonding experience between the sisters working recruitment because we were missing that in person connection. Due to the nature of meeting people online, it is sometimes harder to form a connection through a screen. This also made recruitment difficult. Nevertheless, we found tons of amazing girls to join the chapter. We tried to do weekly zoom meetings that involved little games to help with sister bonding, but some of the girls who were more shy had difficulty participating and connecting with their peers. Since most people were in Atlanta, we were able to have outdoor walks at the local park, Lullwater, for sisterhood events. Initiation went smoothly on Zoom because it simplified the entire process. We were able to initiate the girls from formal recruitment in the spring, and still have spots for COB. We had another initiation over the summer for these girls which took a lot of planning, but we were able to get it done. This fall, we were able to come back to campus, but we had to be cautious and wear masks indoors. We were able to do another virtual initiation for the two COB girls who couldn’t get initiated over the summer. Things are finally starting to get back to normal, and soon we will be able to have our first in person initiation for the COB fall class. COVID-19 has made it more difficult for the girls in our chapter to connect, but we are doing as much programming as possible with smaller events like Tea Time Tuesdays and bracelet making. We have been wearing masks indoors which has still allowed us to communicate well with each other. Chapter every week in early 2021 was on zoom and it has since been moved to in person with a zoom option as of August.
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