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Eta Sigma

2019-06-10T18:30:21Z

Efetcho: 2018 Highlights

'''Chapman University, Orange, Calif., founded in 1861'''

'''Chapter founded April 19-20, 2013'''

'''Number of charter members: 97'''

'''441 Initiates (as of June 2018)'''

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'''Some of Eta Sigma’s Outstanding Members:'''

'''Fraternity Officers:'''

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award:'''

'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''

'''Additional Outstanding Eta Sigma Members:'''

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==History of Chapman University==

Chapman University, one of California’s oldest private universities, is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, Calif., affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Founded as Hesperian College in Woodland, Calif., the school began classes on March 4, 1861. Hesperian admitted students of both sexes and all races—a radical educational concept at that time. In 1920, the assets of Hesperian College were absorbed by California Christian College, which held classes in downtown Los Angeles. In 1934, the school was renamed after the chairman of its board of trustees (and primary benefactor), Charles Clarke Chapman.

In 1965, Chapman took undergraduate education to the high seas when it began running World Campus Afloat, the program that would eventually become Semester at Sea. Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, Schmid College of Science, College of Performing Arts, School of Law and College of Educational Studies. Chapman University had 6,398 students in 2011 when it marked its 150th anniversary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapman_University - cite_note-3

==Colonization==

In November 2011, Chapman University opened the campus for extension, and Kappa and two other groups were invited to make presentations to the campus extension committee headed by Alli Segal, Assistant Director for Student Affairs. The presentation team included Fraternity President Julie Marine Leshay, Colorado College; Fraternity Director of Programs and Education Beth Uphoff Black, Illinois Wesleyan; Colonization Chairman and Ritual Chairman Susanne Wolff Vander Heyden, Washington State; Regional Director of Alumnae Region 3 Linda Price Patton, Oklahoma State; Regional Director of Chapters Region 4 Ella Gaumer, UC Riverside; and, from Fraternity Headquarters, Social Media & Communications Specialist Claire Davis, Auburn.

Upon accepting the invitation to colonize at Chapman University May 3, 2012, Kappa Kappa Gamma joined a Panhellenic community which included Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta and Phi Sigma Sigma.

Members of the Colonization team included the following Kappas: Colonization Chairman, Susanne Vander Heyden; Regional Director of Chapters Region 7 Hannah Meehan Spector, Utah; Regional Director of Chapters Region 4 Ella Gaumer; Regional Director of Chapters Region 6 Angela Disalvo, Iowa; Province Director of Alumnae Kappa South Beth Bartle Greulich, San Jose State; Province Director of Chapters Kappa Central Deanne Palmer, Colorado; Province Director of Chapters Kappa North Lauren Nogy, UC San Diego; Province Director of Chapters Kappa South Jessica Klepper, Washington; Leadership Consultants Britt Nelson, Colorado, and Charlotte Rhodes, SMU; and Local Installation Chairman Mary Ruddick Silzel, Whitman.

Recruitment took place February 13-16, 2013. Prior to the colonization recruitment, Director of Membership Susan Pile, Miami (Ohio) and Assistant to the Director of Membership Melissa Shearer, Vanderbilt, conducted a conference call to plan for the membership selections sessions. This conversation brought everyone together to reinforce the common vision and reminded participants of the seriousness of this process.
On February 16, 2013, 106 women at Chapman University accepted bids to become charter members of Eta Sigma Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The chapters that participated in the colonization recruitment were UC Riverside, USC (Calif.) and San Diego. The Coordinator of Chapter Development for Chapman was Kylee Garton, UCLA.
The theme for recruitment was Be Kappa Chapman.

Colonization Chairman Susanne Wolff Vander Heyden coordinated the assignments for alumnae as well as flowers and planning with the Chapman catering department. Eta Sigma Chapter Consultant Andrea Schug, Minnesota, and Leadership Consultants Brittany Nelson, Colorado, Charlotte Rhodes, SMU, and Haley Smith, William& Mary coordinated the communication with the Potential New Members during recruitment. The following Fraternity Headquarters staff members assisted: Fraternity Director of Marketing & Communications Ashley Gilbert Moyer, Purdue, Fraternity’s contact with Chapman’s College Panhellenic; Fraternity Marketing & Communications Specialist Claire Davis, Auburn, responsible for audio-visual arrangements, interview scheduling, legacy verification and the details of voting; Fraternity Membership Services Chapter Support representative Libbi Rettew, Virginia Tech, coordinated matters involving Fraternity Headquarters and formal pledging.
The recruitment events included open houses, interviews and a preference party. Following the pledging ceremony, the colonization team departed with smiles knowing they were part of history and had been part of a job well done The theme for colonization was Be Kappa Chapman.

==Installation==

Members of the Installation team included: Installation Chairman Carol George Sanders, Cal State Northridge; Fraternity President Julie Leshay; Director of Standards Sharon Pickrell Gober, Oklahoma State; Eta Sigma Chapter Consultant Andrea Schug; Regional Director of Chapters Region 7 Hannah Spector; Regional Director of Alumnae Region 7 Vikki Haag Day, Whitman; Regional Director of Chapters Region 6 Angela Disalvo; Province Director of Chapters Kappa North Carroll Gommel Mueller, Arizona; Province Director of Chapters Kappa Central Deanna Palmer; Province Director of Chapters Kappa South Jessica Klepper; Publications Copy Editor Vicki Hill Carrigan, UC Riverside; Fraternity Ritual Chairman & Chapman Colonization Chairman, Susanne Vander Heyden; Eta Sigma Coordinator of Chapter Development Kylee Garton, UCLA;. Fraternity Extension Chairman Barbara Goettelman; and Local Installation Chairman Mary Silzel.

The Fireside was held April 20, 2013, at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Orange. The service was led by Director of Standards Sharon Pickrell Gober.

Following the Fireside service, gifts from alumnae associations and chapters throughout the country were presented to the chapter. Orange County Alumnae Association (OCAA) President Jeanette Justus, Missouri, received Barbara Bradshaw Sillesen’s, DePauw, badge. She said, “It is an honor to accept from OCAA member Libby Sillesen Fuller, UC Davis, this badge that belonged to Libby’s mother, Barbara Sillesen, and present it to the Eta Sigma president tonight and pin it on her tomorrow after the installation. Barbara was widely known throughout Orange County as Foothill High School’s top counselor and a vigorous proponent of a college education. She was president of the Southern Orange County Alumnae Association as well as serving in other offices. She was actively involved in UC Irvine’s colonization and served on its house board for many years. Barbara was highly respected by all colleges and universities in the area, including Chapman, for being such an effective counselor and inspiration for students. She always knew the outstanding women graduates in Central Orange County and made sure that Kappa knew where they were headed! We can thank Barbara for helping us pledge some great Kappas. Barbara was a truly stellar Kappa and role model for Eta Sigma women. When you wear Barbara’s badge, hold high the honor of Kappa, tempering word and deed according to the influence they will have. When you wear the key, give in all things the best that you have.”

The next morning, the installation service was held at the Grand Street Center in Orange. The UC Riverside and USC (Calif.) chapters served as sponsor chapters for Chapman and took part in the service. This installation was very special for five initiates whose mothers are Kappas and shared the weekend with them.

Following the installation, a lovely luncheon was held at The Villa banquet facilities in Orange. The buffet-style luncheon was attended by 230 Kappas, parents and friends. Fraternity Extension Chairman Barb Goettelman was the luncheon speaker and master of ceremonies. Alli Segal, assistant director for student affairs at Chapman, attended and welcomed Kappa to the campus on behalf of the administration. Chapman Panhellenic President Samantha Cressey, Delta Gamma, also attended.

Orange County Alumnae Association President Jeanette Justus, Missouri, presented the President’s Badge to Eta Sigma’s first chapter president, Hayley Chandler, who was also the chapter’s first affiliated member. Hayley was initiated at the University of Arizona, transferred to Chapman, affiliated and was elected president of the chapter.

Jeanette said, “This badge belonged to Barbara Sillesen and was presented by her daughter, Libby Fuller, both members of OCAA and role models for Eta Sigma women. When I wear my badge, I think of Kappa—the True, the Beautiful and the Good. Goodness is the quality everyone has in her heart to shine through the toughest situations. It is genuine caring and sharing of the self unselfishly. Goodness makes us capable of friendship and happiness through a constant striving to live each day to its fullest. Goodness cannot hide because it is what keeps us together. It allows us a humble acceptance of our failures and those of others, and it presents itself in all acts of kindness. Goodness must be displayed wholeheartedly in order to be seen.

The model chapter meeting was held at Covenant Presbyterian Church following the installation luncheon. Fraternity President Julie Leshay preformed the opening ritual and presided until the Chapter President Hayley Chandler was installed. She presided during the remainder of the meeting and performed the closing ritual. The ritual review and meeting instructions were given by Fraternity Ritual Chairman Susanne Vander Heyden.
Previous information provided by 2010-2014 Fraternity Extension Chairman Barb Adams Goettelman, Syracuse.

==Highlights of 2013==

In the first year of the Eta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Chapman University took
two classes, the original Charter Class and in fall, the Alpha Class. When the chapter was colonized,
the Charter Class bonded and held a Brandy Melville sisterhood, their first formal, and prepared for
their first formal recruitment!

After fall recruitment, Eta Sigma welcomed the largest pledge class on campus, and began integrating them into the sisterhood. We participated in Gamma Phi Beta’s Airbands show, FIJI’s Turkey Bowl, and Kappa Alpha Theta’s KAT walk philanthropies, as well as putting on our own philanthropic event, Kappa Klassroom, where different greek organizations on campus competed in challenges to be named the “wisest owl.” We were part of the Orange County Breast Cancer Walk, and on a smaller scale to complete 15 required community service hours, sisters
volunteered at a local elementary school and at another organization, Operation School Bell.

Since we have been a new chapter, one of the main objectives we’ve focused on is creating lists of words we would like associated with us as a whole, such as classy, genuine, and diverse. We also conducted our second full cycle of elections and elected a new chapter council! Finally, we were a part of Greek Week at Chapman, held a semi formal, and are looking forward to Spring Recruitment! !!!

Our chapter itself has been a change on campus, as we colonized in the Spring of 2013, and since
then we have focused on building our sisterhood as well as integrating ourselves into campus. Eta
Sigma is a diverse, supportive, and exciting chapter to be a part of, and since colonization has
participated in most Greek life events as well as philanthropic endeavors off campus.

In May 2013, chapter members Kira Weiner and Annaliese Baker were honored as two of the ten freshmen to receive Chapman’s Outstanding First-Year Award.

==Highlights of 2014==
Spring 2014
Membership
The Eta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma started Spring Semester at Chapman University off with an extremely successful Spring Recruitment. After a week of informal recruitment events such as “Kappa Kappaccinos”, “S’Mores with Sisters” and “Kick Up Your Heels with Kappa” Eta Sigma welcomed in an amazing Beta Class.

Our New Membership Chairman and her committee planned “The Kappa Games” a Hunger Games themed Bid Day in celebration of the Beta Class at a nearby park. The chapter as a whole played many bonding games and enjoyed lunch together from an InAndOut food truck.

Philanthropy
The Spring Semester brought on many philanthropic opportunities for Eta Sigma. On March, 8th 2014 we hosted women from the Orange County Alumni Association for luncheon entitled “LoyalTea”, raising money to apply for Girls Academy and building our relationship with the Alumni Association. With the success of LoyalTea, Eta Sigma and OCAA have plans to host similar events in the future.

Eta Sigma was also very involved in the philanthropy events hosted by other chapters on Chapman’s campus to assist in the fundraising for their philanthropies as well as to bond with the Greek Community. These included:

● Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s “Chapman Idol” (2nd Place)

● PI Kappa Alpha’s “Chapman Olympics”

● Phi Sigma Sigma’s “Phi Set Spike”

● Delta Gamma’s “Anchor Splash”

● Delta Tau Delta’s “Delta Queen”

● Beta Theta Pi’s “March Madness”

Outside of Chapman the ladies of Eta Sigma were highly involved in philanthropic endeavors in the Orange County and Los Angeles. Each member logged 10 hours of philanthropy. Some philanthropic events included:

● “Standup for the Cure Paddle Board”

● Operation School Bell

● St. Jude

● Walk For Wishes

● Chapman’s Relay For Life

Events
Eta Sigma’s Events Chairman and her committee were busy last Spring planning exceptional events for our chapter. The first event of the semester was our Sapphire Masquerade formal. This was a night of dancing and celebrating our senior members who were graduating in just a few months. The event included a dance floor and photo booth to keep the night fun and exciting.

The second event hosted by Eta Sigma was our Date Party called Kappa Olympics. Our sisters dressed up in sports themed outfits with their dates and celebrated the night with fun games and activities.

Other events included sorority swaps with other sororities on campus as well exchanges with Chapman fraternities.

Sisterhood
Eta Sigma went into the Spring semester with goals to continue growing as a sorority as well as a sisterhood. With these goals in mind our Vice President of Standards and her committee put on a wide array of sisterhoods to foster sisterly bonding and chapter appreciation. For our all chapter retreat the chapter went to a local beach to bond and share a meal together.

To continue fostering sister bonding Eta Sigma has “Kappa Kompliments,” a private Facebook page, where sisters can anonymously send in compliments, words of encouragement, and any other positive messages that will then be submitted for the chapter to view. The Spring marked a full calendar year of Eta Sigma being on Chapman’s campus. The chapter was able to successfully become a part of the chapman Greek Community as well as
become close as sisters.

Fall 2014 Summary
Membership
Eta Sigma started Fall 2014 off with another amazing recruitment. We were able to welcome a fantastic Gamma class. Our Membership Chairman and our chapter were able to put on a flawless recruitment that brought the chapter closer as a whole and also helped start the year off with a bang!

Our New Membership Chairman and her committee hosted another exceptional Bid Day. The chapter and our new Gamma Class went to a nearby restaurant to enjoy food, a photobooth, the beautiful sunset, and of course get to know the new Gamma Class! The celebration had an “American” theme, and the chapter sported shirts saying “KKG, The American Dream”.

Philanthropy
Knowing that we would be hosting Girls Academy in Spring 2015 Eta Sigma eagerly began our philanthropic work. The first philanthropy event put on by Eta Sigma was Kappa Karnival. We welcomed other chapters in the Greek Community to take part in a carnival to fundraise for Girls Academy.

Eta Sigma also took part in other chapters’ philanthropy events such as:

● Gamma Phi Beta’s “Air Bands” (3rd Place)

● Kappa Alpha Theta’s “KatWalk” (1st Place in Sororities/3rd Place Overall”)

● Alpha Phi’s “Mr. University”

● Alpha Gamma Delta’s “So You Think You Can DiaBEAT This”

The women of Eta Sigma also individually logged 10 philanthropy hours. Sisters becameinvolved in a variety of philanthropies in the surrounding area of Chapman.

Events
Our Events Chairman and her committee were able to put on many wonderful events this past semester. One of the highlights was our Kappa Kabanna Semi Formal. This tropical themed semiformal was a blast for our sisters as well as friends.

Eta Sigma also put on many events with other fraternities and sororities. One highlight was an exchange with the Phi Delta Theta fraternity where we played laser tag.

We were also able to co-host Founders Day with University of California at Riverside. This was a great experience for initiated members, as well as a great way for our newest members to see how much Kappa Kappa Gamma means to so many women. Our events brought us all closer together in a fun and exciting environment.

Sisterhood
With such a large pledge class our chapter grew substantially this Fall. In order to keep our
chapter close and make sure everyone felt that they had found their home within Eta Sigma
our chapter hosted a variety of sisterhoods and events. These included sisterhoods such as
backyard movie nights, attending a trampoline gym, crafting with sisters, and many other
small events that foster chapter bonding. Eta Sigma sisters also took part in Greek Week. We
worked as a team to represent Kappa and support our fellow Greek Members.
One of the major sisterhoods was our chapter retreat that doubled as Big/Little Reveal. With
the whole chapter coming together to attend this one event everyone was able to see how
great it is to have such an amazing group of women as our sisters and friends.

Challenges/Goals
Eta Sigma was challenged to become closer as a sisterhood as well as to work on understanding and knowing ritual. By hosting sisterhoods and fostering chapter involvement Eta Sigma has become much closer. Our Marshall also worked on ritual review with initiated members and we were able to put on a flawless initiation ceremony.

Campus Changes/Nature of Eta Sigma
Chapman University is constantly making changes. Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council made changes to Greek Week by pairing each sorority up with a fraternity. This was great for Eta Sigma because it gave us an opportunity to meet more members of the Greek Community. More so, a new sorority will be coming to Chapman this Spring, this has been a great opportunity for Eta Sigma to reflect on what it means to be a newer sorority on campus and how we would like to present ourselves in the Greek Community. As a whole Eta Sigma is a group of women who are proud and excited to be members of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Chapter Meetings and Housing
The Eta Sigma chapter holds meetings as well as our events on Chapmans campus. The chapter does not have a house.

Women Behind The Badge
Members with Historical Badges:
Kelsey Leach has her grandmother’s pin from 1952. She was in the Gamma Alpha Chapter
at Kansas State.

Emmy Gyori also has her grandmother’s pin from when she was a Kappa at University of
Arizona.

==Highlights of 2015==

Membership:

The Eta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma started our fall semester with an extremely successful formal recruitment. Rooted in Kappa values, our chapter took one of the largest Fall 2015 pledge classes at Chapman, exceeding quota by 4 women. Leading up to recruitment, the Eta Sigma chapter put many hours into practice and preparation which started in late spring. This included our chapter retreated called Kappa Kamp. The entire chapter headed to the Gamma Xi Chapter at UCLA to spend a night in their beautiful house. This gave our members the experience of living together, and an opportunity to leave the Chapman community to be with just our Kappa sisters. A successful recruitment, and fantastic new pledge class, was an amazing start to the semester.

Philanthropy:

The 2015 calendar year was a busy philanthropic time for Eta Sigma. Within the first week of the spring semester the chapter hosted Kappa Kloset, which sold donated clothes to raise money for Girls Academy. Not soon after the event, in April, Eta Sigma had the honor of hosting our first Girls Academy. Our sisters came together as role models, friends, and leaders to provide an inspiring weekend for 50 local middle school girls. Our fall philanthropy event was a great way for our new Delta class to experience Kappa’s philanthropy first hand. Our Kappa Karnival hosted the local Orange community offering carnival games and food. The event also had carnival games in which each of the other Greek chapters on campus could compete against each other. The event was not only a fundraising success, but also a great way to show the Greek community Kappa’s value of philanthropy. Throughout the calendar year, Eta Sigma also took part in all of the philanthropic events held on campus by the other Chapman chapters. During which, our chapter took third place in Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash, first place in Alpha Phi’s Mr. University, and first place in Phi Sigma Sigma’s Phi Set Spike.

Chapter Goals:

A major goal the Eta Sigma chapter had for the 2015 calendar year was to bring our sisterhood closer together and raise chapter moral throughout the year. This was achieved through many sisterhoods, events and exciting chapter meetings. Eta Sigma had two formal events in 2015, the spring Black Tie Affair event included an In-N-Out food truck and all guests were encouraged to wear either black or white. The chapter’s fall semi-formal was held on a boat, which cruised the Long Beach bay. The events were truly magical. In the fall, sisters were able to invite a special woman in their life to “Ladies Who Brunch.” Women brought their mothers, sisters and friends to this beautiful event which showcased the close sisterhood of Eta Sigma. Standards Committee put on a variety of sisterhoods, which included yoga, rock climbing and bowling. These sisterhoods gave the Eta Sigma members an opportunity to spend time together in a fun and casual way. With the goal of keeping chapter moral high, Chapter Council members worked to make Sunday meetings fun, concise, and organized. Making sure chapter meetings were efficient and enjoyable was a major part in increasing moral. We were able to shorten meeting times by electronically taking roll through student ID cards, keeping announcements organized and well prepared as well as having interesting speakers such as a personal stylist come to chapter. Eta Sigma has grown so much since its first year at Chapman and was awarded the Chapman Greek Award for Chapter Growth. Eta Sigma has proven to be a strong chapter that can only continue to grow.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Chapman University recently announced a shift to deferred spring recruitment. This change in recruitment will change the nature of Chapman Greek Life. With this major change in mind, Chapter Council worked to brainstorm the many ways in which spring recruitment will have an effect on our chapter in both positive, and negative ways. To best prepare for the Spring 2017 recruitment Chapter Council discussed a new budget to accommodate the shift in payments, ways in which each Chapter Council position will need to be altered, as well as a discussion of future officer transitions to make sure there is a smooth officer change during such a busy time. These discussions will continue on with the new Chapter Council to insure that Eta Sigma continues to have successful recruitments. Overall, the shift to spring recruitment will put pressure on all of Chapman University Greek Life, but Eta Sigma is working hard to be as best prepared as possible. We are confident that this shift will ultimately be positive for our chapter, community, and potential new members.

Chapter Meetings and Housing:

Where does your chapter hold chapter meetings? In the chapter owned or rented facility? In a university owned facility, house, dorm, lodge or classroom?

Eta Sigma holds meetings inside a classroom on campus.

What is the history of your chapter’s housing? Have your members had the opportunity to live together in any way? Does your chapter have a house, lodge, apartment or suite? If yes, is it chapter owned or rented, or university owned? How many sisters can live there? Has your chapter owned or lived in more than one house during its history?

Eta Sigma does not have any official housing. However, many of our sisters choose to live together in apartments, houses, and even dorms. The sisters who live together off campus provide a space for the members of Eta Sigma to get together off campus in a casual way, bringing our sisterhood closer together.

Woman Behind the Badge:

As we look ahead to the Fraternity’s Sesquicentennial celebration in 2020, please tell us the story of any historical badge being worn by a member of your chapter. Such a badge might be worn by your chapter’s president, another officer or a member who is recognized for her high scholarship. We are compiling information about the fantastic women who have brought us to this point in our history, the Women Behind the Badge.

What is inscribed on the back of the badge?

This badge is worn by Kelsey Leach, it was her grandmother’s pin from 1952 from the Gamma Alpha Chapter at Kansas State.

==Highlights of 2016==

Eta Sigma has had a fabulous year. From our New Orleans French Quarter Semi Formal to our surprise date party Kappa Gone Country, our events were a blast. Our Spring Retreat was at Ronald Reagan Park with the goal of having a meaningful conversation with someone that you haven't before. The entire standards committee
helped facilitate bonding activities. We hosted our first annual Golden Key Gala, raising over $6,000. It was a night to remember as we were able to showcase all the philanthropic work our chapter has done thus far. In regards to academics, from fall 2015 to spring 2016 our GPA went up from 3.381 to 3.407. Eta Sigma had 13 4.0’s in Spring 2016 and 61% (117) of the women maintained or improved their GPA’s. In union with the Greek community, Eta Sigma participated in Chapman University's
annual Skit competition. We won 5th place overall and 3rd place for sororities with our performance to Mamma Mia. At the 2016 Biennial convention, we are honored to
have won the Recruitment Award for campuses with 8-11 Panhellenic groups and received Honorable Mention in Chapter/Advisory Board relations, Excellence in
Chapter Management, and Standards.

During Labor Day Weekend we held our second annual Kappa Kamp. This weekend was a key factor in furthering our sisterhood as we kicked off the Fall semester. Kappa Kamp was filled with stories, inspiration, bonding, and all things Kappa! Another exciting event for Eta Sigma was our philanthropy event that was completely new to Eta Sigma: Fleurish. It is a week dedicated to bringing the Chapman community and surrounding areas together to create a space that fosters conversation on important topics. This year we chose to focus on the topics of empowerment and respect. The week consisted of daily self empowerment activities on campus; these events were used to tackle some of the problem that college students face on a regular basis, all leading up to our keynote speaker on that Thursday evening. We were fortunate enough to host the founder of I Am That Girl and Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Tau alumnae Alexis Jones. The event was a huge success as we had over 530 people attend, the majority of which were not involved in Greek life. We look forward in hosting this event every fall semester! To wrap up the semester, we had our Winter Wonderland Semi Formal and a Parent's BBQ during Homecoming weekend. We are so excited to welcome our new members next semester!

One of the most recent changes on our campus is deferred recruitment. Chapman University's Panhellenic Council has moved formal recruitment from the Fall to Spring. This is the first year our chapter is having formal recruitment in the Spring. We are adjusting well and Chapter Council is extending positions to go through recruitment so the upcoming officers can shadow throughout the two month transition.

Our fundraising is split between Kappa’s national philanthropies. Our fall event “Fleurish” raises funds for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. And our Spring event “Golden Key Gala” raises money for Reading is Fundamental. We volunteer with over 50 different organizations in the area! In the past some of our repeat organizations have been the Ronald McDonald House of Orange County, Operation School Bell, and local elementary and middle schools. We hope to be rebuilding our mentorship program, in partnership with Reading is Fundamental of Southern California, where we will be paired with a local school to meet with some of their
students.

We donate to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental because they are the nationally supported philanthropies for Kappa, and because their values closely align with those of the Eta Sigma chapter specifically. Additionally, we choose to volunteer for a variety of local organizations to help
promote community relations, but specifically seek out organizations that focus on empowerment; whether that be academic or personal empowerment. We also love
organizations that focus on the theme of promoting literacy and a love for learning.

The Eta Sigma chapter holds meetings as well as our events on Chapman's campus.The chapter does not have a house.

==Highlights of 2017==

This year our chapter was proud to successfully put on our annual event Fleurish for the second time. Fleurish was designed to bring the community and students together to raise discussion about important topics affecting our society. As it is more important now than ever to build one another up, this year we focused on a platform of love, respect, and desire to seek common ground despite our differences. We wanted to empower one another by practicing intentional acts of love. In addition to Fleurish, our chapter actively participated in philanthropy events of other greek chapters on campus and was proud to place first in Kappa Alpha Theta's annual event KATwalk, supporting Court Appointed Special Advocates, (CASA), and place second in Gamma Phi Beta's Airbands, supporting Girls on the Run. We gladly initiated 2 women into our chapter who transferred from other chapters. Another special event our chapter held again this year was Kappa Kamp, a weekend spent at the UCLA Kappa house full of meaningful bonding to continue to grow as a chapter and strive towards goals we created.

A recent change on our campus is a change to deferred recruitment. Chapman University’s Panhellenic Council moved formal recruitment from the fall to the spring the last academic year. This is the second year our chapter will hold formal recruitment in the spring. It is a hard adjustment, but it will get easier year by year. We have extended Chapter Council position transitions, so that upcoming officers work with their outgoing officer through this period. This is largely beneficial to the incoming membership chairman because she is able to participate in recruitment with an outlook that she will be in charge the following year. She has the opportunity to play a significant role in the recruitment process, so she has a better idea of her role and expectations. Additionally, we must modify the budget to accommodate this change. It was a challenge the first year, but it was much easier this time around.

Whether it be a fundraiser to support one of our sisters such as Relay for Life or a beach clean-up on a Saturday morning, the Eta Sigma Chapter is always looking for new ways to give back. In support of our national philanthropy, we have fundraised nearly $1,000 for Reading is Fundamental in the Spring of 2017 while partnering with the Friendly Center for our first Reading is Key Event. We were able to donate books to over 130 children from grades K-8. The Friendly Center provided us with a list of the reading levels, helping us cater to each child's needs. There were different shift sign-ups throughout the week allowing Kappas to pair-up one-on-one with a child. There were fun games and activities to help promote a love for reading. Further, we hosted our second annual Fleurish event this October. Fleurish was designed to bring students and the community together to raise discussion about important topics. The theme for this year was “Choose Love” with keynote speaker Houston Kraft. Houston talked about how we could increase our capacity for compassion and choose love in the hardest of situations. We had over 500 students, high schoolers, and community members join us in this conversation. It was a night where we all could laugh, be honest with ourselves, and come together to better ourselves and better those around us. All while raising $2,000 for GIRLS Academy this coming April.

As detailed above, Eta Sigma has established itself as a chapter dedicated education and empowerment. We choose organizations that members in our chapter can connect to. With events such as Reading is Key, Fleurish, and our upcoming GIRLS Academy experience, it is important that our members can see the effects of their efforts. Not only are we encouraging members to explore their passions, but we are creating more hands-on opportunities and ways to build relationships within our local community.

The Eta Sigma chapter holds all of our chapter meetings, as well as the majority of our events, on the Chapman campus.

==Highlights of 2018==

An exciting highlight for 2018 Eta Sigma was taking First Place in our university’s annual Skit competition put on by the Greek Life community. It was our first time winning and our video actually went viral online. It is a choreographed presentation of The Parent Trap condensed down to six minutes. All hands were on deck for this huge event, with Kappas stepping up to make the show happen through everything from planning the dance to designing costumes, music, and lighting. Our favorite part about Skit is the fact that it allows so many members in the chapter to step into different leadership roles that allow them to utilize their gifts and strengths. Numerous members are nominated from the floor and voted into positions such as “choreography chair,” “costume chair,” and “skit chair.” All positions have the opportunity to work together in creating the set, sound design, lighting effects, costumes, as well as working on administrative responsibilities and communication efforts. They develop their teaming skills while developing their leadership skills and presence in the chapter as well.

Our chapter was honored to have been recognized at Kappa Convention for earning one of the top five for “Most Outstanding Chapter,” a “Lifetime Education Award,” and six honorable mentions (finance, chapter management, new membership, membership, standards, and public relations). We feel blessed to have been able to send seven actives, and were blown away by how much they got out of their experience. They came back with new ideas, new passion, and a renewed sense of focus and excitement about their involvement in Eta Sigma.

We were proud to debut a brand new event this past semester. On the weekend of October 13th, we held a combined Parents Weekend and Founder’s Day brunch in which we highlighted all of the important reasons that we call Kappa home. Here we held a silent auction to raise proceeds for our fall philanthropy event, Fleurish. It was incredible to hear current active members speak as well as alumni who were being honored for their years of devotion. We found that by combining our Parents Weekend event with our Founder’s Day Celebration, we were better able to convey the meaning and value that Kappa holds in our lives while honoring our founders. We were also able to increase chapter and parent buy-in regarding our annual philanthropy event, Fleurish (details below). It was amazing to see and hear the parent and alumni reactions to the unveiling of our Fleurish theme for 2018 – “Turn On a Light.”

We are also proud to have had Kaitlin Wong, an active member, serving on the 2018 Chapman Panhellenic council as Vice President of Recruitment. We found that having one of our members on the council increased our chapter’s allegiance to the Panhellenic community as a whole, and we are looking forward to two new active members serving on the council in 2019.

Another notable event from the year included Kappa Kamp, a 3-day sisterhood retreat held at the UCLA kappa house. Each year we find that Kappa Kamp instills a renewed sense of pride and excitement for the coming year in each and every one of our members lives. We are also able to define our values and priorities as we enter into recruitment season, and get to know sisters we may not know as well while deepening the bonds we have with our good friends as well.

Our Chapter Council held a retreat during January of 2018 and set forth 5 strategic goals for the year. They included the following:
1. Improve timeliness of programming. 2. Increase chapter member retention. 3. Utilize committees more. 4. Improve Ritual and Chapter History Knowledge. 5. Increase Accountability and Compliance with Bylaws and Standing Rules. While we truly saw improvement in each and every one of these aspects of the chapter, we especially saw improvements in numbers 1, 2 and 3. Programming was bettered through the VPO role which created a within-chapter-council calendar that allowed us to communicate dates, times, and events far in advance before releasing them to the chapter to avoid potential over programming. This, in turn, had a positive effect on attendance at chapter events. We also saw an increase in chapter member retention. We believe that this is primarily due to the betterment of the sisterhood within our chapter as a whole, the establishment of a more fluid and bonding new member program, and the intentional programming that we put forth for the chapter. We also saw many members step into leadership roles within their committees. We felt that this could be attributed to the pre-set and thought through agendas for their meetings, and different group chats that were created to increase communication between committees. Additionally, with some of our committees, we were able to nominate/ assign different roles that were larger to girls looking to take on semi-big leadership positions in the chapter. We saw many of these girls step into chapter council positions for the 2019 year. We look forward to continuing to improve on our goals in 2019 as well.

We have adjusted to Chapman Panhellenic’s switch to spring deferred recruitment, as historically recruitment was always held in fall at the beginning of first semester. With two sessions under our belt, we feel confident stepping into this next recruitment and are proud of the goals and values we uphold as a chapter and look forward to adding new members.

Our chapter is dedicated to supporting a number of philanthropies. Fleurish is Eta Sigma’s annual fall philanthropy event that is focused around the keynote performance of a motivational speaker. However, it is so much more than that. From October 22nd to 25th, the women of Eta Sigma set up a table in the Piazza to lead our community in meaningful activities and fundraise money. This year’s theme was mental wellness, prompting our community to think empathetically about our mental health and consider it in the same light we think about our physical health. The tabling activities asked students to sign a pledge committing themselves to mental wellness, share things that help them get them through the day, reframe everyday intrusive thoughts and worries in a positive light, and consider how they can individually turn to our Chapman community for support.

Then, on Thursday, October 25th, award-winning mental health advocate Ross Szabo gave his keynote speech about mental health in Memorial Hall. He shared his story of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school, in a community where resources and education about mental wellness were scarce, and how building a platform for him to be vulnerable and share this story has helped him and others heal. He spoke in a candidly and uplifting manner, finding a way to make the audience laugh while asking sincere questions about how we treat ourselves every day.

In addition to this programming, Eta Sigma fundraised $21,000 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Orange County chapter. This donation will help provide free support groups and educational resources for individuals in our community who struggle with mental health, as well as their families. This is a record amount of money fundraised for Eta Sigma chapter! Overall, Fleurish was a representation of the values of the women in our chapter. We gave our community a platform to open up, be vulnerable, and support each other, and the results of this have surpassed the week of Fleurish. As a result of this event, our community has barriers and stigmas broken down so people feel more comfortable asking for help when they need it, even if it just means talking to their friend about something difficult.
Additionally, we raised funds for Reading is Fundamental and spent a week tutoring students at the Friendly Center in Orange and were able to donate over 100 books to them. Also, we raised money for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

We chose to have Fleurish this year focus on the issue of mental wellness, something we see affect our own sisters, the Chapman community, and beyond, and felt it imperative to foster positive conversations for how we can acquire tools to increase our mental health. We selected the local chapter of NAMI to fundraise for because they provide mental wellness resources to the nearby community.

'''Highlights of 2020s:''' Information from chapter history reports, scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.

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'''Note to Chapter Registrar:'''
Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance. Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!

Epsilon Psi

2019-06-10T18:25:03Z

Efetcho: 2018 Highlights

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Epsilon Psi
|GreekSymbol= EΨ
|Image= [[File:EpsilonPsi_House1.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1978|10|14}}
|College= [http://www.ucsb.edu/ University of California, Santa Barbara]
|Location= Goleta, CA
|Homepage= http://www.kappa.org
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Psi Media related to Epsilon Psi Chapter]}}
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'''UC Santa Barbara, established in 1949, Santa Barbara, California'''

'''Installed Epsilon Psi on October 14, 1978.'''

'''Charter members of Epsilon Psi include''': Susan Anne Bartishen, Audrey Lynn Bein, Lisa Marie Burnett, Elizabeth Catherin De Matei, Robin Alyse Durst, Lisa Anne Ehrenreich, Andrea Renee Emold, Carol Joyce Frankowski, Julie Margaritte Gumucio, Susan Corinne Hite, Leslie Ann Hyde, Kimberly Dawn Iverson, Mary Frances Jacobs, Connie Abigail Koch, Susan Jane Leeuwenburgh, Elizabeth Megan Love, Elizabeth Ann McCall, Amy Ellem Menkes, Lisa Michiyo Morimoto, Karen Anne O'Kane, Karen Parrish, Erin Elizabeth Perry, Cynthia Lucille Podesta, Letetia Louise Rowe, Theresa Marie Rubcic, Susan Elise Sampson, Sally Lynn Shoemaker, Nancy Lynn Tanimasa, Gail Elaine Thompson, Sally Claire Trabert, Carol Jean Warner.

'''1,569 initiates (as of June 2018)'''

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'''Fraternity Council Members:'''

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''

'''Notable Honored Epsilon Psi Alumnae:'''

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==Early Years==

Epsilon Psi Installed at Santa Barbara By Marilyn Boggess Sullivan ΔH – Utah.

The University of California at Santa Barbara has acquired an invaluable addition to its fraternity system with the installation of Epsilon Psi—the 101st chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. A three-day celebration took place in Santa Barbara on October 13-15, 1978. All events were perfectly planned by co-chairmen Mary Huff Penfield, BK – Idaho, and Jean McHenry Bailey, ΠΔ – California, and were full of memories for all those who participated—especially the 31 brand new initiates.

Weekend activities began Friday evening with a beautiful Fireside held at the home of Cynthia Parker Heyer, ΓZ-Arizona. Here, an inspirational mood was set which prepared for the events that were to follow.

Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Santa Barbara was the perfect setting for the installation service on Saturday morning. The presence of ΓΞ – UCLA Kappas—big sisters to the UCSB colony Kappas—added special meaning to the service, which was led by installing officers Jean Hess Wells, Δγ. ΔY – Georgia, Fraternity president; Marian Klingbeil Williams, Θ – Missouri, director of membership; and Kay Smith Larson, BΠ – Washington, former director of chapters. Also assisting was Susan Duncan, Θ – Missouri, graduate counselor for Epsilon Psi.

A grand reception at the University Club began at 6:00 Saturday night. Those coming to celebrate included the parents and friends of the 31 charter members, new Kappa pledges, many of the UCLA big sisters and, of course, those supportive Kappa alums.

A banquet followed the reception, planned beautifully by Dorothy Freese Brandt, BPΔ – Cincinnati, with 150 people in attendance.
Blue candles and yellow chrysanthemums highlighted each table and the dinner favors at each place were an exciting surprise—golden keys to be used as key chains (almost too beautiful for the intended purpose!). With Barbara Engel Anderson, ΓZ – as toastmistress, the dinner program ran in a delightful manner. Mary Huff Penfield, BK – Idaho, president of the Santa Barbara Alumnae Association, offered opening words of welcome to the group; in his welcome speech, Dr. Edward Birch, Vice Chancellor at UCSB, expressed his pleasure that Kappa has now come to the university.
Adding to the excitement was the fact that the Santa Barbara alumnae were observing their 30th anniversary. In recognition of this, Marguerite Bone Wilcox, BΠ – Washington, presented a delightful story of the group's founding, and long attempts to have a Kappa chapter at UCSB. Barbara Deutsch, Panhellenic adviser, was also present.

It was a great honor for all to have Jean Wells present the banquet address, where she spoke to the audience about the founding of the Greek system and the high ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The opening of gifts for the new chapter brought excitement to everyone in the room. The many lovely gifts reflected the kindnesses of friends, relatives and Kappa sisters.

Sunday afternoon, a campus reception was held in the courtyard of the Kappa house. Karen Heaton Jensen, ΔH-Utah, planned the beautifully catered affair, which attracted a multitude of visitors who passed through a receiving line that included Mary Penfield, Jean Wells, Marion Williams, Kay Larson and Susan Leeuwenburgh, colony president.

==Highlights of the 1980's==

Consistently pledged 35-42 new members each year. Scholarship was main as priority and we improved our standing with Greeks from 8 to 2 out of 10 groups.
Our philanthropies both with other Greeks and our won were successful and gave our money to the American Cancer Society. We also support a young boy from Africa.
We received the Alphonsine Howard Award at the 1981 Kappa Province Meeting. We received the Outstanding Philanthropy 2 years in a row at the Campus Panhellenic Award Banquet.
In 1987 we won the Most Outstanding Chapter at the Kappa Province Meeting.
In 1988 we placed 1st among all Greeks in scholarship.
Each year we joined other Greeks in Campus philanthropy activities and intramural activities.

==Highlights of the 1990's==

In 1990 we were active on campus, winning 1st in KD’s soccer tournament. WE raised money for the Rape Crisis Center. WE focused on scholarship and the entire house had a GPA over 3.0. In 1991 our house was redecorated including new floors and new furniture.
With other Greeks on campus we participated in Walk America and AIDS Walk and worked with Special Olympics. Our chapter President was given the Chapter President of the Year at the Greek Awards Banquet. At Kappa Province Meeting we won 1st in Scholarship, Gracious Living, Philanthropy and Public Relations.
In 1995 all pledges in every house attended Greek Awareness Programs to inform them of t campus problems and also positive issues. As a philanthropy we participated in fixing up and painting houses for Habitat for Humanity.
In 1997-1998 we had a successful philanthropy event to raise money for the salvation Army. We had a 20th chapter Reunion. We volunteered at the annual Goleta Lemon Festival.
We earned the highest house GPA of 3.13.

==Highlights of 2007==

Epsilon Psi received three UCSB Panhellenic awards for Best President, Best Philanthropy Program, and Campus Involvement. Kappas of Epsilon Psi shined on an individual basis as well. Epsilon Psi noteworthy women include: an intern of a group called HEAL (Healthy Eating and Living), an intern at the UCSB Office of Student Life, an intern for Congresswoman Lois Capps and California State Assembly member Pedro Nava, a writing tutor for Campus Learning Assistance Services, a tutor for the Autism Partnership, a teaching assistant for the Orfalea Family Children Center, a mentor for the UCSB Honors Program, an intern at couturecandy.com, volunteers at the Direct Relief Dental Clinic, an intern at KCET (PBS), a reporter and producer for "Inside Santa Barbara," a program that airs on City T.V., the Vice-Chair and Student Worker for the Community Affairs Board, a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the street team chairman for Relay for life. Two of our members are on the UCSB cheer squad, and many girls are active in intramural sports. There are also many Kappa women who are members of the UCSB honors program and other service and honors societies.

Epsilon Psi saw amazing return rates during fall Panhellenic recruitment. Our chapter not only welcomed 38 extraordinary women, but filled the Panhellenic Quota. Our chapter also got involved by participating in philanthropic events organized by every other sorority and fraternity on campus. One of the most memorable of these events was Alpha Tau Omega and All Sorority Volleyball Tournament where Kappa team made it to the playoffs. We also participated in Greek Week, which is a week of events designed to promote unity among all the Greek houses on campus.

Epsilon Psi upheld its phenomenal reputation through our contribution to the community and our commitment to philanthropy. Our annual philanthropic event, Kappa Dash, was held in late October and was very successful. Fellow UCSB students, members of the Greek community, Kappa parents, and community members participated in the 5k run, called "Key for the Cure" to raise money for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, The Cancer Detection Program of Santa Barbara, an ovarian cancer education program, and the Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The event raised over $13,000 and provided us with various opportunities to strengthen our sisterhood. In February, our chapter made and sold Valentine grams on campus to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. We also played a prominent role in Relay for Life, a campus-wide event that raises money for the American Cancer Society. Kappa’s team raised $8,954, the most out of 57 teams!

Once again, we started the year with the hope of increasing academic excellence in our Chapter. This past year, study hours were attended by more members and more frequently than last year. Even girls who did not live in made the trek to Kappa Sunday and Monday nights to study together in the chapter room even when snacks were not provided. Our efforts proved worthy when Panhellenic determined that our house GPA rank had risen to third in the entire sorority system! Our chapter has also struggled with committee involvement in the past. However, we have stressed the importance of utilizing committee members throughout the year and have required committee heads to create an agenda for committee nights and submit it to the VPO prior to Monday night meetings when committees are scheduled to meet.

==Highlights of 2008==

Epsilon Psi received two UCSB Panhellenic awards for Best Philanthropy and Outstanding Parent Relations Program. Kappas of Epsilon Psi shined on an individual basis as well. Epsilon Psi's noteworthy women include: an intern of a group called HEAL (Healthy Eating and Living), a writing tutor for Campus Learning Assistance Services, a street team chairman for Relay For Life, two interns at Santa Barbara Magazine, an intern at Epic Advertising Agency, several volunteer math tutors at Isla Vista Elementary, an intern for 20th Century Fox and another intern at Fox Sports, an intern for "Inside Santa Barbara," a program that airs on City T.V., two UCSB cheer squad members and one UCSB swim team member, several Meals on Wheels volunteers, an program director at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, an intern for NBC Universal's news program "Dateline NBC," a cheer coach at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, an intern at Santa Barbara Fitness Magazine, an intern at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, an intern Qualcomm, a volunteer at Direct Relief International, a labor and delivery intern at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, an intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and an intern at Benchmark Metrics Incorporated.

Epsilon Psi saw amazing return rates during fall panhellenic recruitment this year. UCSB had a record number of 600+ girls go through recruitment this year and Epsilon Psi maintained really high return rates the whole week: 97% came back for house tours and 87% for Greek pillar day. We made quota with 41 Alpha Upsilons, including two legacies. Our chapter also got involved by participating in philanthropic events held by other sororities and fraternities on campus. Most notably, we got first place in the Pi Beta Phi bowling tournament and third place in Sigma Nu's week-long relay event. We also participated in Greek Week, which is a week of events designed to promote unity among all of the Greek houses on campus.

Epsilon Psi upheld its phenomenal reputation through our contribution to the community and our commitment to philanthropy. Our annual philanthropic event, Kappa Dash, was held in mid October and was very successful. Fellow UCSB students, many members of the greek community, Kappa parents and families, and community members participated in the 5k run, called "Key for the Cure" to raise money for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, The Cancer Detection Program of Santa Barbara, an ovarian cancer education program, and the Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The event raised over $17,000 and provided us with various opportunities to strengthen our sisterhood. In February, our chapter made and sold Valentine's Day grams on campus to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. We also played a prominent role in Relay for Life, a campus-wide event that raises money for the American Cancer Society.

Our most re-occurring challenge that Epsilon Psi has faced over the past couple years is committee involvement. We have made great strides this year to promote delegation among chapter council officers so that everyone in the chapter feels included and accomplished. Also, the stressful week of pre-rush was alleviated with our chapter's newest addition of traditions, the Kappa retreat. We, as a chapter, spent one full day in the middle of pre-rush at the beach, relaxing and catching up on each other's summers and continued to spend an evening camping at a nearby campsite. It was a wonderful opportunity to boost morale during such a busy week while at the same time promoting sisterhood and unity.

==Highlights of 2010==

Kappa Kappa Gamma at UCSB is always recognized for our great efforts in every aspect of the Greek system and on campus. A prime example of our amazing recognition was our great success at UCSB Greek Awards, which were held during Spring quarter of 2009 in downtown Santa Barbara. Not only did we win for "excellence in philanthropy" for our annual Kappa dash and "chapter advisor of the year" for our outstanding advisor Jeanne Dixon, but we also won the best award of the night, "chapter excellence!" This was so exciting for our chapter because we certainly do excel in various areas and this award was a verification that we are a dominating sorority on campus.

In addition to winning many awards, we also participated in many philanthropies, including our own and all of the other Greek houses. This year in Kappa Dash, despite the poor economy, we still raised around $17,000 for the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of great California foundation, supporting breast and ovarian cancer. This amount of money is by far the greatest funding that any sorority or fraternity raised for a charitable organization. In addition, we also sold Valentine's Day grams in mid-February, and we were able to donate a few hundred dollars to the national Kappa philanthropic group, Reading is Fundamental. Besides our own efforts, we also participated in numerous other philanthropies including SigEp football, Pi Phi capture the flag, Theta kickball, AdPi wiffleball, AePi soccer, and SAE pumpkin carving. We also placed 2nd in ATO's all sorority volleyball tournament and also placed 2nd in Lambda Chi's watermelon bust week!

Although our entire chapter is great as a whole, each individual member is extremely unique and lends great diversity to Kappa Kappa Gamma. Most of our member highly excel in academics, which allowed us to place 6th out of 20 houses in grades for Fall quarter of 2009. Also, a few of our officers attended province during Spring quarter, and another officer attended the Kappa leadership conference in Ohio during this past summer. They were all able to give us great ideas to strengthen our chapter upon their return. Besides our officers, every single member is amazing and their involvement in school and in the community is very impressive. Our chapter is lucky to have girls who are on the club volleyball team, UCSB lacrosse team, UCSB cheer team, and perform in various UCSB dance performances. We also have some young ladies who are members of the Associated Student Board and the Program Board, which sets up various events and concerts that are popular on campus. One of members attended the UN climate change conference overseas in Copenhagen, which was attended by President Obama, Governor Schwarzenegger, Al Gore, and more prominent public figures. Many of our members also hold prominent internships such as working for the Santa Barbara Film Festival, helping on the red carpet for E! network, and managing the UCSB branch of the website, Hercampus.com. These are just some of the accomplishments held by our incredible members.

In conclusion, the past year has been full of worthy recognition, numerous awards, and most importantly has been a fun year to remember!

Although there are only 10 sororities on campus and only about 11% of total Greek involvement, the Greek system seems like it is huge because there is so much pride in each and every house. Kappa always continues to stand out on campus as classy role models who are involved in a multitude of groups. At UCSB, we are very lucky to have a campus that is stationed right on the beach, and very frequently, you can spot a Kappa on campus studying on the sunny lawn or beach, tabling in the arbor to promote a Kappa event, or even contributing to a beach clean up for community service.

Our chapter is definitely one of the most united and spirited houses on campus. All of our members are extremely eager and talk all about Kappa wherever they go. Any day on campus or in town you will spot a few girls wearing Kappa clothes, and definitely their Kappa book bag. Every single girl, no matter what age or year, is friendly with one another, which definitely differentiates us from other houses. We have very good relations with the other sororities and fraternities and hold the reputation of being kind, intelligent, classy, fun, and well-rounded.

Our chapter had financial issues meaning that many girls could not afford to pay dues. We overcame this by putting some girls on payment plans, and we also had a fundraiser hosted by Twisted Jewelry company, which was just for Kappas in our own house. We were able to raise enough money and buy cute jewelry, which resulted in being able to have our winter date party, Sapphire Ball, even despite our financial issues. We also had some problems filling the house, which are still present, but we were able to better the situation by having new and eager members move into the house.

==Highlights of 2012==

2012 brought much excitement and success to the women of Epsilon Psi at University of California, Santa Barbara. We held our annual philanthropy, Kappa Dash, a 5K walk/run around both the campus and Isla Vista, the surrounding college town. We rose around $8,500 to benefit breast and ovarian cancer research- specifically, all proceeds went to the following charities: Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Strong as Steele Foundation, and the Ovarian Cancer Circle (in memory of Robin Babbini, a beloved member of Epsilon Psi who passed away due to ovarian canter in 2006).

With around 250 participants, our chapter is proud of how large our philanthropy has grown and how much money we were able to raise for charity. In addition, in February we did our annual Valentine Grams sale to benefit Reading is Fundamental, our national philanthropy. An individual can send a flower, note, and chocolate to his or her valentine for only $3 dollars, and our philanthropy committee will hand deliver them anywhere on the campus or around Isla Vista.

Aside from our philanthropic involvement, members of our chapter uphold high standards of academic achievement- we ended the 2011-2012 school year with the 3rd highest GPA of all Panhellenic sororities on our campus.

One of the highlights of 2012 for our chapter was being asked to help colonize the newest chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma- Eta Rho at the California Polytechnic Institute. All of our members were so excited and honored to be given such an opportunity because we realize that it is something that not many Kappa chapters can say that they have done!

While it is unfortunate that our chapter went on a focus letter this year, it has made our chapter much more aware of the way that we function as a house by bringing to attention all the areas we could improve on. All of our members, chapter leaders in particular, are striving to make the changes necessary and make us a better, more successful chapter in general! It is our goal, as a chapter, is to fix the issues detailed in the letter in order to be the best that we can be, and we hope to get off of the letter as soon as possible!

One of the most important changes at our campus is the shift to becoming more environmentally friendly ("green"). In the year 2012, "TGIF," the University's green initiative fund, sponsored several projects to help make UCSB a green school; for example, they funded the installation of several "hydration stations" around campus so that students could fill up their reusable water bottles with filtered water for free! Our chapter has moved in the same direction as the campus at large- we have been working to make our house more environmentally friendly by reducing paper cup waste and speaking during meeting about the importance of using the glass and plastic cups rather than paper.

Another huge change in our chapter has been the introduction of our newest house mom, Barbara. House moms have a huge influence on the chapter, and we are proud to have such a positive figure in our house. She is very involved in the house, always suprising us with things such as treats during our stressful finals week and elaborate decorations for Christmas and Chanukah!

==Highlights of 2013==

During the year of 2013 the Epsilon Psi Chapter achieved much academically and philanthropically. It was an exciting year! Some highlights are:

Kappa Dash: Our yearly philanthropy. During Kappa Dash Epsilon Psi managed to raise $8,500, and approximately 250 people took part. A lot of friends and family came to show their support.

Valentine’s Grams: Every year we get together to sell grams for Valentine’s Day. The girls who participate always have lots of fun sending out the grams, and all the money gained goes to the charity Reading is Fundamental. We sold about 65 grams, bringing in approximately $195.

Academic Standing: Our chapter is constantly ranked in the top 4 among sororities at UCSB, and for the end of the academic year we managed to rank at number 3! This ranking is calculated from each sororities’ average GPA.

Colonization: During 2012, a few of Epsilon Psi chapter members went down to Cal Poly San Louis Obispo to colonize a new chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In 2013, we initiated the girls of Cal Poly. The girls involved said it felt amazing to be spreading the Kappa love to another campus, and the girls at Cal Poly could not have been more thrilled to be initiated by our members. We could not be more honored to have been a part of such a monumental experience. Congratulations to Eta Rho chapter!

As always, one of our goals was to maintain Kappa’s image on campus. We achieved this by having sisterhoods with other sororities, by promoting a positive image through social media, and by (of course) staying Kappa classy.

UCSB is making a constant effort to become greener and greener, and this was emphasized during the 2013 academic year. For instance, there is an environmental floor in one of the freshman dorms that doesn’t supply paper towels in the bathroom; instead, each resident is supplied a hand-towel to use for the year. If you look around our campus you see recycling bins everywhere, including each in room on campus. Kappa tries to be a part of this by volunteering to help pick up trash on the streets of Isla Vista – there is a program that runs every Thursday, and each week girls go out to try and make a difference. We also cut down the amount of paper used in the house by limiting the printer paper supplies.

Epsilon Psi always makes an effort to be as green as the campus we belong to. We strive to give back to the community, volunteering countless hours at a multitude of place. The girls of Kappa are kind and loyal and always there for each other.

==Highlights of 2014==

Kappa Dash: Epsilon Psi’s philanthropy we do every fall quarter. We raised over $5,800 and had an outstanding presence of fellow UCSB students who attended with their family and friends.

Academic Standing: At the end of the academic year in Spring 2014, our chapter ranked number 2 out of all UCSB’s sororities! We have increased our study hours each week and our members are always ready to help each other when it comes to school.

Beach Cleanups: Our chapter participated in a number of beach cleanups throughout the year. In the spring, we had a joint beach cleanup with another sorority at UCSB. Then in the fall, our chapter brought together over 30 girls for a beach cleanup in Isla Vista.

Valentines Day Grams: Our chapter’s annual philanthropy that raises money for the charity Reading is Fundamental. A large number of students purchased our grams and our girls had a great time delivering and selling them!

Throughout the 2014 year, our chapter was very involved in campus philanthropies such as Relay for Life and Dance Marathon. We are very actively involved in other philanthropies put on by Greek life at UCSB. We had many great sisterhoods with other sororities as well!

Unfortunately, UCSB experienced a tragedy in May of 2014 where we lost six of our students. Our chapter really came together and supported each other through a time of grief. We attended memorials as well as hosted a dinner at our chapter house. We also received numerous packages and cards from other Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters and alumni, letting us know that they were all thinking of us.

On a lighter note, our chapter is opening more opportunities for its members to become more involved. We promote and encourage members not in leadership positions to help out and be aware of the upcoming changes that are going to be made in our chapter.

We hold chapters meetings in the living room at our chapter house. Our members have the opportunity to live together in our chapter house, which holds 41 girls and is filled every year. The house is rented. Our chapter has occupied the same house it’s entire time at UCSB.

==Highlights of 2015==
Kappa Dash: Our annual philanthropy. We invite all UCSB Greek life as well as families and other students to participate in a 5k color run around Isla Vista. We raised over $5,500 to donate to the Ovarian Cancer Circle and Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Academic Standing: Two of our members received Inter-Greek Council academic excellence awards this year and our overall GPA has also improved since we reported last year!

Kappachino: Every quarter during the week before finals, our chapter provides free coffee and refreshments to students at UCSB. We each spend a few hours a day giving our fellow students a little “pick-me-up” cup of coffee to help them get through finals.

Valentines Day Grams: Our chapter’s annual philanthropy in which we raised over $850 for the charity Reading is Fundamental this year. A large number of students purchased our grams and our girls had a great time delivering and selling them!

Volunteer Reading: In addition to donating money to RIF from our Valentine’s Day Grams, our members also go to the local elementary school to read books to the kids. We donate books as well as volunteer in the classroom frequently each year.

Campus Involvement: Kappas at UCSB are very involved in many of the other organizations our school has to offer. One of our members holds an off campus senator position and a lot of our girls serve as UCSB tour guides. The women of Epsilon Psi show well-rounded involvement in Greek life and school organizations.

Campus Changes and Chapter Nature:

UC Santa Barbara will be opening a brand new library in January 2016 and our members are extremely excited to get to use it! Our house also was just renovated to include a new study room that has become a great place for our members to study any time of the day. Our chapter is focusing on creating more opportunities for our members to hold leadership positions and to get more involved. Epsilon Psi is a great group of genuine, ambitious, and classy women who are contributing to our community in amazing ways every day.

Chapter Philanthropy:

One of our members, Robin Babbini, lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2006. Her mother, Paulinda Babbini started the Ovarian Cancer Circle to educate women about the disease. Our chapter donates to this cause in honor of Robin, and we are very passionate about educating women about this disease to prevent its devastating effects.

==Highlights of 2016==

Kappa Dash: Our annual 5K color run was a huge success this year! We had over 200 participants and raised over $5800 for The Ovarian Cancer Circle and Reading is Fundamental.

Academic Standing: We continue to be above the all-sorority GPA average!

Kappacino: Every quarter during dead week, we get free coffee donated from Starbucks and hand it out to the students on campus!

Valentine's Day Grams: This year, we raised $904 from the Valentine's Day grams we sold and donated the money to Reading is Fundamental. These included a flower, personalized note, and a bag of candies!

Other RIF Donations: During recruitment this year, we collected over 200 children's books to donate to local elementary schools and decorated several hundred bookmarks for the kids as well!

Campus Involvement: The members of Kappa are not just committed to the chapter, but also to several other clubs and organizations on campus. They are involved in a variety of activities like the on-campus Pre-Law Fraternity, Excursion Club, Campus United, as well as many having jobs and being extremely involved in academics, just to name a few.

Awards: At Convention, we were awarded the Gracious Living Award (Housed Chapter) 2014-2016, and we also received a $250 grant for Outstanding Philanthropic Achievement from UCSB First.

Other News: UCSB's new library was finished this January and has proven to be a great place for the girls to study! The school is also in the process of constructing new off-campus apartments, as well as renovating the off-campus freshman housing. Our own house got brand new floors and paint downstairs, and more renovations are in the works for next summer!

==Highlights of 2017==

[[File:Epsilon Psi 2017.png|thumb|Epsilon Psi Chapter, 2017]]

One of our members was presented with the UCSB service award from Panhellenic. Another member of our chapter was elected as the UCSB Letters and Science Senator. In addition, our chapter exceeded our goal with recruitment by recruiting our largest pledge class to date, totaling 75 girls. On another note, unfortunately, our chapter lost a recent alumna. Kelly Pesrman was a member of our chapter who graduated from UCSB in June 2017. She passed away a few weeks after graduated. She was loved by all our Kappas. Kelly will be remembered for the light she brought to our chapter and will be missed dearly.

Our chapter consists of a very diverse group of women who are involved in both Kappa and other areas on campus. Some members are part of the honors program, others have jobs or internships, and some are even involved in other Greek organizations such as pre-law and pre-medical fraternities. We participate in other Greek organizations' philanthropies and maintain strong relationships with each of them.

Our chapter raises money for the Ovarian Cancer Circle in addition to Reading is Fundamental. This year we donated 508 books to the local elementary school and 80 books to the Goleta public library. In addition, we raised $3,962 at our annual philanthropy, Kappa Dash. The proceeds were split between RIF and the Ovarian Cancer Circle.

We support Reading is Fundamental because it is Kappa's national philanthropy and our chapter believes giving children the opportunity to read and promote literacy is extremely important. We also choose to support the Ovarian Cancer Circle because it has a special place in our hearts. One of our members, Robin Babbini, lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2006. Her mother founded the charity so we choose to support her in raising awareness for the devastating disease.

We hold meetings every Monday at our chapter house and formal meetings in a lecture hall on campus.

==Highlights of 2018==

One of our members was presented with the Robin Babini Community Service Achievement Award for demonstrating outstanding acts of community service. A few members attended the National Convention in Denver and our chapter recruited a pledge class of 62 girls in September 2018. During recruitment, our chapter worked together to create a natural and enjoyable environment for all. We participated in many philanthropies on campus this year and created a new event for our own philanthropy, Kappa Kapture the Flag. The event was a success and we will continue it in the future. We are also actively spending more time focusing on ritual in order to maintain the traditions of Kappa.

Our chapter is extremely unified and consists of a diverse group of ladies. Many members have shown interest in leadership positions this year and we are excited to welcome the incoming Chapter Council. Members of our chapter are involved not only in Kappa, but also in other extracurricular activities, like ROTC, professional fraternities, and on-campus clubs. We encourage as much participation as possible at UCSB and support our members in all their endeavors.

Our chapter raises money for the Ovarian Cancer Circle in addition to Reading is Fundamental. We also donate books to IV Elementary School. This year Epsilon Psi hosted a new philanthropy called Kappa Kapture the Flag.

We support Reading is Fundamental because it is Kappa's national philanthropy and our chapter believes giving children the opportunity to read and promote literacy is extremely important. We also choose to support the Ovarian Cancer Circle because it has a special place in our hearts. One of our members, Robin Babbini, lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2006. Her mother founded the charity so we choose to support her in raising awareness for the devastating disease.

Eta Gamma

2019-06-10T18:20:05Z

Efetcho: 2018 Highlights

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Eta Gamma
|GreekSymbol= HΓ
|Image= [[File:Eta_Gamma.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1997|10|24}}
|College= [http://www.sandiego.edu/ University of San Diego]
|Location= San Diego, CA
|Homepage= [http://www.usdkkg.com/ Eta Gamma Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Eta_Gamma Media related to Eta Gamma Chapter]}}

'''University of San Diego, established in 1949 in San Diego, California'''

'''Eta Gamma founded September 21, 1997'''

'''899 initiates (as of June 2018)'''

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'''Some of Eta Gamma’s Outstanding Alumnae:''' (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Fraternity Council Members:'''

Brianne Tatarian, Traveling Consultant 2001-2002;

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''

'''additional Outstanding Eta Gamma Alumnae:'''

Brianne McGann, Leadership Consultant 2011-2012

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The University of San Diego is an independent Catholic institution known for its commitment to teaching and the liberal arts. Students live and work in a setting of Spanish Renaissance architecture overlooking Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The university serves approximately 4,000 undergraduates and more than 2,000 graduate students. Close to 90 percent of the freshman and a majority of upperclass students live on campus. The university offers 16 NCAA Division I sports as well as a variety of club and intramural level sports.

==Installation==

Two trips to the sunny coast of San Diego, Calif., have resulted in a new addition to the Kappa family. The University of San Diego (not to be confused with UC San Diego) became home to Kappa Kappa Gamma's 126th active chapter, Eta Gamma.

An outstanding group of young women became a Kappa Kappa Gamma Colony during a Colonization Recruitment held on campus September 19-21, 1997. Installation of the chapter was held November 7 -8, making these women charter members of Eta Gamma Chapter. Fifty-one colony members were initiated by Fraternity

President Cathy Thompson Carswell, Illinois Wesleyan; Chairman of Extension Juliana (J.J.) Fraser Wales, Ohio State; and the Fraternity's second delegate to the Panhellenic Conference Carol Morrison Sobek, Arizona State, also assisted with the Installation.

Alumnae from the San Diego area and members from Zeta Nu, UC San Diego; Zeta Eta, UC Irvine; Gamma Zeta, Arizona; and Epsilon Delta, Arizona State, participated in Installation activities, as well. Eta Gamma's Chapter Consultant was Anne Kieselbach, UC San Diego; Ragen Bradner, UC San Diego, served as the Coordinator of Chapter Development.

Other Panhellenic groups on campus are Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, and Kappa Alpha Theta.

==Highlights of the 1990s==

Eta Gamma Chapter was officially colonized on September 21, 1997 when 53 young women were informed that they were to represent this chapter as part of the Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity at the University of San Diego. These women were installed as Charter Members on November 8, 1997.
At that time, the University of San Diego had 4,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students. Approximately 23% of the study body was involved in Greek life. There were five fraternities; Phi Kappa Theta, Sigma Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Tau Delta, and Sigma Phi Epsilon. There were four sororities; Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Phi, Alpha Delta Pi, and the newly colonized Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Under the supervision of Anne Kieselbach, the Chapter Consultant, and Regan Bradner, the Coordinator of Chapter Development, the new pledge class took on the responsibilities of continuing the Kappa traditions.

During the first new member Recruitment in 1998 the chapter pledged 30 new members. Party themes included "Kappa Kappa Chino" coffee house, "Kappa Academy Awards," and "Kappa is Your Candle on the Water."

In 1998 Eta Gamma's President, Bridgett O'Neil was honored as the Greek Woman of the Year at USD.
Also, that year the chapter reported the highest GPA among the sororities on USD's campus.
The chapter goal in 1998 was P.P.U.R.C. - building a meaningful foundation through "Participation, Planning, Understanding, Respect, and Communication." The chapter worked toward this goal through philanthropy, social, fraternity education, sisterhood, and scholarship efforts.

Challenges facing the chapter in the 1990s included low participation and lack of communication. The chapter instituted a variety of ways to improve both of these areas including attendance awards for individual members, email distribution groups, reminders of upcoming events, and personal notes read at the end of meetings.

Eta Gamma members participated in many organizations and honorary societies on USD's campus. Through their newsletter, the Eta Gamma Gazette, they shared events and current activities that the chapter was involved with to the greater Kappa sisterhood of readers.

The chapter incorporated some successful scholarship ideas that included honoring members with high GPAs, hosting Scoops Night by grouping members in majors to assist each other with choosing classes, and treating the members to massages and relaxation sessions during Kappa Relief Days before finals.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The chapter participated in a variety of events that raised money and awareness, many of which were co-hosted with other campus fraternities or sororities. These efforts included a book drive, after-school tutoring, volunteering at a resale clothing store, building homes in Mexico, and gift giving to needy families during the holiday season.

In 1999 the chapter members logged more than 2,000 volunteer hours in philanthropic efforts.
Some of the organizations that benefited from Eta Gamma's philanthropy included St. Vincent de Paul Center, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, Project Mercy, and the Children's Miracle Network.

'''Awards:'''

At the 34th Biennial Province Meeting, Eta Gamma received the Marian Williams-Mitch Pflugh Public Relations Award.

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

The chapter continued its member bonding through theme parties, sisterhood events, social exchanges with other Greek groups, retreats, campus-wide events, intramurals, Moms Weekend, and Dads Weekend. The chapter also held theme nights for each class (sophomore, junior, and senior) to honor Eta Gamma members from each school year.

Participation continued to be a challenge, and the chapter committees worked on innovative efforts to increase attendance at events. These challenges also had an effect on finances, but the chapter was able to reorganize their budget to accommodate for the deficit. Also challenging the members were standards issues. The Standards Committee, along with other committees/officers on Chapter Council strengthened communication and sisterhood through events and awareness in order to improve morale overall for the chapter.

In 2005 the chapter reported that they received the honorable USD Dean's Trophy for the sixth consecutive year.

The chapter continuously displayed archives for members to see during Recruitment and throughout the year at meetings.

Eta Gamma hosted a successful Province Meeting in San Diego in 2009.

In 2010, the USD campus welcomed a new multicultural sorority; Sigma Theta Psi.
Through Recruitment in 2010 the chapter pledged 46 new members. The chapter's many sisterhood activities, including Key Sis themed events, strengthened the relationships between actives and new members.

Scholarship remained a core value, and members were rewarded for logging study hours and maintaining a high GPA.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Strong philanthropy efforts continued through the support of AVID, Haiti earthquake relief (UNICEF), breast cancer awareness, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, MS Walk, Rady Children's Hospital, and STEP.

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==Highlights of 2011==

In 2011, 54 new members were initiated - Eta Gamma's largest new member class to date. In 2011, the USD campus welcomed two new Greek organizations; Kappa Delta and Phi Gamma Delta.

==Highlights of 2012==

Eta Gamma Chapter has had a wonderful and successful 2012. Our spring recruitment brought us a pledge class of over 50 beautiful new members. These new girls have become an amazing asset to our chapter right from the get-go, and have continued to impress ever since. Our Bid Day consisted of an exciting bid reveal, followed by a fun filled trip to the bowling alley with froyo and dinner afterwards. The following weekend was our annual New Member retreat sleepover. New members mingled with actives and the Standards committee to learn traditional Kappa songs and chants, eat food, and bond over their new sisterhood. After that, our annual Presents date dash was held, where new members wore white and actives wore black.

Immediately after their first week in Kappa, new members began getting to know the sophomore pledge class better through "Sapphire Sis" dates. Our chapter's New Member chairman paired each new member with an older girl each week over the course of 6 weeks, so that new members could begin figuring out who they would choose as their Big sisters and who the sophomore pledge class would pick for their Little sisters. The dates were left up to the sophomore pledge class, but usually involved eating out, grabbing coffee, or even activities like bike riding or stand-up paddle boarding. In March, the big sisters give clues to their little sisters over the course of a week, leading up to a small ceremony where the Big sis reveals herself and her family to her new Little Sis.

The time immediately following Big Sis Reveal marks the beginning of Initiation. Girls strengthened the bond with their families as they went through Inspo Week, the week leading up to initiation. Each day was defined by a different color, and new members received gifts from their big sister's with different meanings on each day. This also gave active members the opportunity to explain to new member's exactly why they enjoy being a part of Kappa. On Blue Night, little sisters present handpainted keys to their big sister's, and big sister's give their little sisters pillows. This night helps girls to realize how Kappa has made a difference in the lives of other members. Following Blue Night, we have Fireside the evening prior to initiation at a YMCA in downtown San Diego. The following morning we iniated 54 beautiful new members.

In the past year our Kappa chapter held many philanthropy, social and sisterhood events. After our Presents dance, we held a "Drop It Like It's Yacht" mixer with Fiji and Lamda Chi Alpha fraternities, and our spring formal. This fall we held a mixer with Phi Kappa Theta themed as "High School Cliques", and we also held a "Kappa Klue" date dash, where girls invited guys and dressed as costumed pairs, like Barbie and Ken. We finished off the semester with our winter formal, held outdoors at the Boat House in Pacific Beach. Besides our dances, we held many sisterhood events as well as our annual Mom and Dad's weekends. We spent an entire day at Disneyland in November, and an evening shopping at Brandy Melville in Pacific Beach. We also spent a day at Balboa Park in Mission Beach, getting to bond and know each other better as sisters. Last semester we held a Bunco Night, and had prizes for people who won the Bunco games. We also had a sisterhood dinner, where large groups of girls got to know each other better at restaurants over yummy food. We also had a hypnotist come to campus and hypnotize some of our members, which led to many laughs and fond memories. Last spring also held our annual Mom's Weekend. The weekend began with cake decorating on campus, where girls and their mother's mingled with other girls from different pledge classes. The next morning, everybody met up at Torrey Pines park to go for a hike. To end the weekend, girls and their mother's went to brunch at a hotel in Pacific Beach. In the fall, we held Dad's weekend. The weekend started off with mini golf and a go karts outing, the next day featured a kayaking excursion and then the weekend ended with a beach harbor cruise.

Kappa followed through with its' commitment to philanthropy in 2012 by hosting many philanthropy events. We continued to hold our three main philanthropies: Ballers for Children, Journal Buddies, and Breastival. We held our annual Breastival in the fall. Breastival, a breast cancer themed carnival with activities such as "Nipple Ring Toss", "Milk Pong", and "Guess the Celebrity Cup Size". Throughout the semester we continued to hold our philanthropy, Journal Buddies, with underprivileged school children in the area. Each child is paired with a member of Kappa and they keep a journal throughout the semester in which they can communicate. At the end of the semester, we have a Journal Buddy Party, where the kids can meet the women that they have been writing to. We also held our Ballers for Children basketball tournament in the fall with the men of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Three on three teams compete in a bracket tournament to raise money for the Children's Hospital of San Diego. We had a great turn out, and many dressed up their teams with themes.

This year, Kappa also held a new philanthropy event with the men of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity. Called Survivor, teams could register to participate in an obstacle course race at Mission Bay Park. Although it was helf on a windy day, we managed to raise over $10,000 to benefit Orange County Children's Hospitals. We also held a raffle that benefited charity with prizes like giftcards to local restuarants and shops. We also participated in Greek Week with FIJI fraternity along with Sigma Theta Psi, the multicultural sorority, where all proceeds benefitted St. Jude's Children's Hospital. We got second place in Greek Week skits overall, and were a heavy contender in Penny Wars, with a light and friendly rivalry with Alpha Phi. Our skits were to the theme and music of the 80's, 90's and today. With the participation of FIJI men, we had a great time doing our skit, with costumes and fun backgrounds.

As always, we were eager to help other fraternity's and sorority's with their own philanthropic causes. We had a team of girls compete in Alpha Chi Omega's Kick It tournament, girls who walked in Alpha Delta Pi's fashion show, and a large team of girls who competed in Alpha Phi's powderpuff football tournament. We also had our president, Kendall Gilmore, be nominated for Beta Theta Pi's Sweetheart,

With so many great accomplishments, our Kappa chapter finished off the year strong. We grew as a chapter, both physically and figuratively, and became a lot closer. We worked hard and celebrated our academic accomplishments as well as each an individual member and the assets that she brings to the chapter.

This year, USD Greek Life was joined by Kappa Delta. Our chapter was eager to support them in their colonization, by attending their socials and informationals. Another exciting change was that our chapter was asked to be the "Big Sister" chapter to Kappa at Chapman University. Sisters are already planning how to help them during their recruitment and are thrilled to have the opportunity to create an entirely new Kappa chapter.

This past year, our chapter was put under an Academic Focus Plan. However, our sisters rose to the occasion and spent countless study hours together in the library and coffee houses on campus. This plan inspired a permanent change in sisters study habits- mandatory study hours became fun in library when groups of sisters were there. We finished the year second in GPA in all sororities on campus and third overall in all of Greek Life. It was a goal of ours to improve academic excellence in 2011 that was accomplished in 2012. It has helped us to become closer and to recognize our sisters' academic strengths.

Our chapter excelled this year on campus, and was awarded University of San Diego's chapter of the Order of Omega's Dean Trophy. This trophy is given to the best chapter on campus based in five different categories: academic excellence, social justice and selfless service, leadership, sisterhood and high social standards. Award winners are evaluated on how well these values are incorporated into the everyday life of our members. With a lot of hard work, our registrar, Kalie Flansberg, compiled a profile of every single member in our chapter to show just how great we are. It was an enormous accomplishment and something to truly be proud of.

Eta Gamma was also awarded the privilege of The Gracious Living Award at Convention this year. It was another achievement to be celebrated in 2012.

==Highlights of 2014==

Eta Gamma had an amazing 2014! Our spring recruitment brought us 52 new members who were eager to get involved right from the start. The new members possess leadership skills unlike any other. Our exciting Bid Day consisted of getting to know each other over frozen yogurt, painting picture frames, and a photo booth. The following weekend, actives and new members danced the night away at our annual Presents dance, where the actives wore black dresses and the new members wore white. One week later the new members enjoyed bonding with each other, the Standards committee, and several sophomores at their new member retreat. The retreat was a sleepover at one of the active's house where our members talked, ate dinner, learned Kappa songs, and watched movies.

After their first week in Kappa, our new members had the opportunity to get to know the sophomore pledge class during "Sapphire Sis" dates. Our New Member chairman paired up an active with a new member so that the girls could get to know each other and start finding a big or little sister. They had four different Sapphire Sisters dates, in which active members treated the new girls with dinner, coffee, or just meeting up on campus. In March Kappa holds a small ceremony in which the Big Sis reveals her family to a new member. In the meantime, February also brought with it "class nights," where the sophomore, junior, and senior pledge classes each hosted an activity with the new member class to get to know them better.

Big Sis Revealing is a very special and memorable time for us Kappas. Having a Kappa "family" allows us to develop an important lifetime bond with our sisters. The week leading up to initiation is called Inspo Week. Each day, a new member's big sis gives her a gift of a certain color or importance that teaches them something about what it means to be a Kappa. On Blue Night, big and little sis' exchange pillows and decorated keys, and new members have a chance to talk about what Kappa means to the active members. It is a special moment for the new members to understand the meaning of Kappa to the active members. Fireside was held the night before initiation at the YMCA in downtown San Diego. The next morning 52 new members were initiated--a very exciting and momentous day for our entire chapter.

Kappa held and participated in many philanthropy events on and off campus. This year we put on four main events: Journal Buddies, Ballers for Children, Survivor, and a brand new Surf for the Cure Event. Journal Buddies is a program where we write letters about college to underprivileged school children and then are able to meet them at our Journal Buddies party that we host on the USD campus. We like to encourage the students to aim for college by answering any questions they have and inspiring them with our own stories. Ballers for Children is the basketball tournament that we host with Lambda Chi Alpha to raise money Reading is Fundamental. This year we were thrilled to welcome a new event, Surf for a Cure, which our chapter hosted with Beta Theta Pi down on Mission Beach. This event combined our chapter’s Breastival and Beta’s Surf as One event. A fun day with music, carnival information games, and a surf competition the money raised helped support the Shades of Pink Foundation, the Scripps Foundation, and Life Rolls On Foundation. Kappas also participated in philanthropy events with other sororities and fraternities to benefit various organizations including letter writing for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and by providing teams for Delta Tau Delta Dodgeball, Gamma Phi Beta's Almost Famous talent show, Sigma Phi Epsilon Soccer Tournament, Sigma Phi Epsilon Bowling tournament, Beta Theta Pi Surf Competition, and Sigma Pi Inner tube water polo. Kappas also showed their dedication by joining in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day. This year with 9 girls (the biggest team yet!) walked 60 miles from Del Mar, CA to Petco Park in Downtown San Diego. As a team they raised over $30,000 and had sisters cheering them on every mile. show including a beautiful background, great costumes and props, catchy music, an adorable theme, and fun choreography.

Apart from the philanthropy events, Eta Gamma also had many memorable social and sisterhood events this past year. Along with Presents and Winter Formal, we also had many exciting events such an exchanges with Beta Theta Pi with a fun theme of "Stepford Wives&Saving Lives" and Fiji with "80’s Flicks and Kappa Chicks" and a theme of "Welcome to the Jungle" with Phi Kappa Theta. We had many memorable sisterhood events like picnics in a park, roller skating, dinner and a hypnotist show, and a sisterhood retreat. We also try to keep up our sisterhood throughout each semester by having "family" dinners with our big and little sisters and also having surprise sisterhood meetings, where we play fun games and participate in activities to build our sisterhood. Mom's Weekend was in the spring, where we started off the weekend with moms coming to a photobooth and then painting frames together. The moms and daughters spent the morning getting active with a zumba class by the bay and had a wonderful brunch Sunday at the Hotel Del Coronado. Dad's Weekend in the fall brought us together with our dads over a competitive day of Nerf Gun Wars, a classic viewing of “The Sandlot” and brunch on a cruise around the San Diego Bay. Both weekends were filled with sisters and their parents getting to know each other. We attended Founders Day Tea on the University of California, San Diego's campus. It was a moving experience to hear from many alumni about how Kappa has changed their lives and made an impact on what they chose to do after they graduated college. Seniors also participated in Senior Programming with fun activities such as cooking classes and yoga.

With so many accomplishments, Eta Gamma ended 2014 on a very positive note. Not only did we strengthen our chapter while having fun, but we also celebrated our academic achievements. As of Spring 2015, Kappa ranked second out of all of Greek life for our overall GPA with improving from a 3.22 to a 3.46!! Our Smarty Panties, Geek of the Week and Kappa Academic Resource list helped us attain this accomplishment.

Chapter-
Our chapter is comprised of 170 kind, funny, intelligent, and talented young women. Many of us have discussed how we did not know each other until we met in Kappa, but we are so glad that we are friends now. Through the latest recruitment, we have all become so much closer. We embrace each other's differences and strive to bring out the best in one another. We support each other by engaging in weekly "fleur-de-lis" friends, where members get paired up with other members and choose an activity to bond over, and learning about and understanding the positions on Chapter Council by utilizing our committees. Finally, we value the strengths of the five other panhellenic sororities on campus, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta and Sigma Theta Psi USD's multicultural sorority.

Campus-
The recent changes to our campus are the addition of a new wonderful chapter to the greek life at USD. Sigma Pi has been added to the greek system in order to help create a more inclusive greek life for more students at USD. Pi Beta Phi is colonizing Spring 2015 and Kappas have helped with tabling for information and meeting alumni at Sorority Recruitment Informationals. We are overly excited to welcome these chapters and make them feel at home at USD.

Our chapter meetings are held in our campus's University Center Forum B. The UCs hold a lot of campus life including the school's main dining hall (The Student Life Pavilion-SLP), the to-go food market, Offices, the Student Leadership and Involvement Center, USD's own restaurant and soon USD's new bookstore.

At USD there is no Greek housing, however, much of our chapter lives together on and off campus. Whether it's the dorms on campus, having your RA be a Kappa sister, or living with 7 other girls down at a house on Mission Beach there is no shortage of Kappas spending mornings cooking breakfast or sharing a laugh at dinner together at the SLP.

==Highlights of 2015==

Eta Gamma had an amazing 2015! Our spring recruitment brought us over 50 new members who were eager to get involved right from the start. The new members possess leadership skills unlike any other. Our exciting Bid Day consisted of getting to know each other over frozen yogurt, painting picture frames, and a photo booth. Following in February actives and new members danced the night away at our annual Presents dance, where the actives wore black dresses and the new members wore white. One week later the new members enjoyed bonding with each other, the Standards committee, and several sophomores at their new member retreat. The retreat held on campus and consisted of ice breakers, kappa songs, and skits.

After their first week in Kappa, our new members had the opportunity to get to know the sophomore pledge class during "Sapphire Sis" dates. Our New Member chairman paired up an active with a new member so that the girls could get to know each other and start finding a big or little sister. They had four different Sapphire Sisters dates, in which active members treated the new girls with dinner, coffee, or just meeting up on campus. In March Kappa holds a small ceremony in which the Big Sis reveals her family to a new member. In the meantime, February also brought with it "class nights," where the sophomore, junior, and senior pledge classes each hosted an activity with the new member class to get to know them better.

Big Sis Revealing is a very special and memorable time for us Kappas. Having a Kappa "family" allows us to develop an important lifetime bond with our sisters. The week leading up to initiation is called Inspo Week. Each day, a new member's big sis gives her a gift of a certain color or importance that teaches them something about what it means to be a Kappa. On Blue Night, big and little sis' exchange pillows and decorated keys, and new members have a chance to talk about what Kappa means to the active members. It is a special moment for the new members to understand the meaning of Kappa to the active members. Fireside was held the night before initiation at the YMCA in downtown San Diego. The next morning 52 new members were initiated--a very exciting and momentous day for our entire chapter.

Kappa held and participated in many philanthropy events on and off campus. This year we put on four main events: Journal Buddies, Kappa’s Kampus Feud, Reading is Key at Sherman Elementary, and Strides for Survival. Journal Buddies is a program where we write letters about college to underprivileged school children and then are able to meet them at our Journal Buddies party that we host on the USD campus. We like to encourage the students to aim for college by answering any questions they have and inspiring them with our own stories. Kappa’s Kampus Feud was brought to the USD campus as a Family Feud style game show to raise money for the Reading is Key event we hosted in the fall. This year continuing with new philanthropy events, Strides for Survival was a 5k walk which brought together the students of USD and the San Diego community and we raised over $4,500. A fun day with music, walking around Mission Bay the money raised is to benefit the Shades of Pink Foundation. Kappas along took a Friday afternoon to go to Sherman Elementary in downtown San Diego to read Curious George to classrooms of first graders. Kappas also participated in philanthropy events with other sororities and fraternities to benefit various organizations including letter writing for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and by providing teams for Delta Tau Delta Dodgeball, Gamma Phi Beta's Almost Eta Gamma had an amazing 2015! Our spring recruitment brought us over 50 new members who were eager to get involved right from the start. The new members possess leadership skills unlike any other. Our exciting Bid Day consisted of getting to know each other over frozen yogurt, painting picture frames, and a photo booth. Following in February actives and new members danced the night away at our annual Presents dance, where the actives wore black dresses and the new members wore white. One week later the new members enjoyed bonding with each other, the Standards committee, and several sophomores at their new member retreat. The retreat held on campus and consisted of ice breakers, kappa songs, and skits.

After their first week in Kappa, our new members had the opportunity to get to know the sophomore pledge class during "Sapphire Sis" dates. Our New Member chairman paired up an active with a new member so that the girls could get to know each other and start finding a big or little sister. They had four different Sapphire Sisters dates, in which active members treated the new girls with dinner, coffee, or just meeting up on campus. In March Kappa holds a small ceremony in which the Big Sis reveals her family to a new member. In the meantime, February also brought with it "class nights," where the sophomore, junior, and senior pledge classes each hosted an activity with the new member class to get to know them better.

Big Sis Revealing is a very special and memorable time for us Kappas. Having a Kappa "family" allows us to develop an important lifetime bond with our sisters. The week leading up to initiation is called Inspo Week. Each day, a new member's big sis gives her a gift of a certain color or importance that teaches them something about what it means to be a Kappa. On Blue Night, big and little sis' exchange pillows and decorated keys, and new members have a chance to talk about what Kappa means to the active members. It is a special moment for the new members to understand the meaning of Kappa to the active members. Fireside was held the night before initiation at the YMCA in downtown San Diego. The next morning 52 new members were initiated--a very exciting and momentous day for our entire chapter.

Kappa held and participated in many philanthropy events on and off campus. This year we put on four main events: Journal Buddies, Kappa’s Kampus Feud, Reading is Key at Sherman Elementary, and Strides for Survival. Journal Buddies is a program where we write letters about college to underprivileged school children and then are able to meet them at our Journal Buddies party that we host on the USD campus. We like to encourage the students to aim for college by answering any questions they have and inspiring them with our own stories. Kappa’s Kampus Feud was brought to the USD campus as a Family Feud style game show to raise money for the Reading is Key event we hosted in the fall. This year continuing with new philanthropy events, Strides for Survival was a 5k walk which brought together the students of USD and the San Diego community and we raised over $4,500. A fun day with music, walking around Mission Bay the money raised is to benefit the Shades of Pink Foundation. Kappas along took a Friday afternoon to go to Sherman Elementary in downtown San Diego to read Curious George to classrooms of first graders. Kappas also participated in philanthropy events with other sororities and fraternities to benefit various organizations including letter writing for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and by providing teams for Delta Tau Delta Dodgeball, Gamma Phi Beta's Almost Famous talent show, a 5k run for the Ronald McDonald House, and Sigma Pi’s Dancing with the Greeks.

Apart from the philanthropy events, Eta Gamma also had many memorable social and sisterhood events this past year. Along with Presents and Winter Formal, we also had many exciting events such an exchanges with Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Theta, and Lambda Chi Alpha. We had many memorable sisterhood events like picnics in a park, roller skating, and a sisterhood shopping event. We also try to keep up our sisterhood throughout each semester by having "family" dinners with our big and little sisters and also having surprise sisterhood meetings, where we play fun games and participate in activities to build our sisterhood. Mom's Weekend was in the spring. The moms and daughters spent the morning getting active with a yoga class by the bay and had a wonderful brunch Sunday in Downtown San Diego. Dad's Weekend in the fall brought us together with our dads over a competitive day Go-Kart Racing, a sunny day of Kayaking in La Jolla and a morning of breakfast burritos at the driving range. Both weekends were filled with sisters and their parents getting to know each other. We attended Founders Day Tea on the University of California, San Diego's campus. It was a moving experience to hear from many alumni about how Kappa has changed their lives and made an impact on what they chose to do after they graduated college. Seniors also participated in Senior Programming with fun activities such as cooking classes and yoga.

With so many accomplishments, Eta Gamma ended spring 2015 with awards from the most improved GPA and the most improved chapter awarded by Panhellenic.

==Highlights of 2016==

Eta Gamma had an amazing 2016! Our spring recruitment brought us 34 new members who were eager to get involved right from the start. The new members possess leadership skills unlike any other. Our exciting Bid Day consisted of getting to know each other over a game of Escape Room. Because of this, we learned how to work together and really bond. Following in February, actives and new members danced the night away at our annual Presents dance, where the active members wore black dresses and the new members wore white. A few weeks after, the new members enjoyed bonding with each other, the Standards committee, and several sophomores at their new member retreat. The retreat was held at an active member's house and consisted of ice breakers, kappa songs, and skits.

After their first week in Kappa, our new members had the opportunity to get to know the sophomore pledge class during "Sapphire Sis" dates. Our New Member chairman paired up an active with a new member so that the girls could get to know each other and start finding a big or little sister. They had hour different Sapphire Sister dates, in which active members treated the new girls with dinner, coffee, or just meeting up on campus. In March, Kappa holds a small ceremont in chihc the Big Sis reveals her family to a new member. In the meantime, February also brought with it "class nights," where the sophomore, junior, and senior pledge classes each hosted an activity with the new member class to get to know them better.

Big Sis Revealing is a very special and memorable time for us in Kappa. Having a Kappa "family" allows us to develop an important lifetime bond with our sisters. The weeks leading up to initiation is called Inspo Week. Each day, a new member's big sis gives her a gift of a certain color or importance that teaches them something about what it means to be a Kappa. On Blue Night, big and little sis' exchange pillows and decorated keys, and new members have a chance to talk about what Kappa means to the active members. It is a special moment for the new members to understand the meaning of Kappa to the active members. Fireside was held the night before initation at the YMCA in downtown San Diego. The next morning 34 new members were initiated--avery exciting and momentous day for our entire chapter!

Kappa held and participated in many philanthropy events on and off campus. This year we put on four main events: Journal Buddies, Field Day, Reading is Key at Sherman Elementary, and Strides for Survival. Journal Buddies is a program where we write letters about college to underprivileged school children and then are able to meet them at the end of the semester. We like to encourage the students to aim for college by answering any questions they have and inspiring them with our own stories. Kappa’s Field Day was put on with the fraternity Phi Kappa Theta to raise money for the Reading is Key event we hosted in the fall and the well-respected Children's Hospital of Orange County. This year continuing with new philanthropy events, Strides for Survival was a 5k walk which brought together the students of USD and the San Diego community and we raised over $3,200. This fun day was full of music and walking around Mission Bay. The money raised is to benefit the Shades of Pink Foundation. Kappas also took two Friday afternoons to go to Sherman Elementary in downtown San Diego to read books to classrooms of kinder to fifth graders. Kappas also participated in philanthropy events with other sororities and fraternities to benefit various organizations including letter writing for St. Jude's Childrens Hospital and by providing teams for Delta Tau Delta Dodgeball, Phi Gamma Delta's Knockout, and a 5k run for the Ronald McDonald House.

Apart from the philanthropy events, Eta Gamma also had many memorable social and sisterhood events this past year. Along with Presents and Sapphire Ball Formal, we also had many exciting events such an exchanges with Phi Gamma Delta, Beta Theta Pi, and Lambda Chi Alpha. We had many memorable sisterhood events like picnics in a park, roller skating, and a sisterhood shopping event. We also try to keep up our sisterhood throughout each semester by having "family" dinners with our big and little sisters and also having surprise sisterhood meetings, where we play fun games and participate in activities to build our sisterhood. Mom's Weekend was in the spring. The moms and daughters spent the morning getting active with a yoga class by the bay and had a wonderful brunch Sunday in beautiful La Jolla. Dad's Weekend in the fall brought us together with our dads over a competitive day of Go-Kart Racing and a morning of brunch in La Jolla. Both weekends were filled with sisters and their parents getting to know each other. We hosted Founders Day Tea on campus. It was a moving experience to hear from many alumni about how Kappa has changed their lives and made an impact on what they chose to do after they graduated college. Seniors also participated in Senior Programming with fun activities such as cooking classes and yoga.

Our chapter is comprised of kind, funny, intelligent, and talented young women. Many of us have discussed how we did not know each other until we met in Kappa, but we are so glad that we are friends now. Through the latest recruitment, we have all become so much closer. We embrace each other's differences and strive to bring out the best in one another. We support each other by engaging in weekly "fleur-de-lis" friends, where members get paired up with other members and choose an activity to bond over, and learning about and understanding the positions on Chapter council by utilizing our committees.

The recent changes to our campus are the addition of a new wonderful chapter to the Greek Life at USD. Last year Pi Beta Phi colonized in the Spring of 2015, and Kappas have helped their transition here on campus. Unfortunately, one of the chapters here on campus lost its charter. Because of this, however, Eta Gamma has learned to really value our chapter and the amazing women we call sisters.

Our chapter has continued to donate money to the KKG Foundation. We have also held an event called Strides for Survival, which is a 5k run/walk on Mission Bay. There were over 300 people in attendance. Over $5,000 was raised for the Shades of Pink Foundation. In addition, our Reading is Key event was a major success! We read a book to all students of kindergarten to fifth grade at a local elementary school, Sherman Elementary School. Afterwards we did an art project with the students, and each child received a book. To raise money for these books, our chapter put on an event called "Field Day," where we invited the entire student body and the middle school class we were writing back and forth to (Journal Buddies!), to participate. There was outdoor events where each team competed and all money raised in sign-up fees, raffles and through a dunk tank went to RIF. The amount of money raised for RIF was $10,000. In addition, our chapter has also put on various community service events such as making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless, making blankets for the Ronald McDonald Foundation, hosting beach cleanups, and writing letters to soldiers for the holidays.
We are also very proud of sisters who participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk. This 3- day walk is 60 miles long, where women and men walk to fight to end breast cancer. We had three of our members participate in this walk this year.

Eta Gamma is very passionate about helping fight to end breast cancer. The Shades of Pink Foundation support more than 115 women in five counties. Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have extra financial burdens places on them during treatment and recovery. Common issues are insurance payments, food, transportation, childcare, and other essentials of daily life. This Foundation offers temporary financial assistance during their time in need. We chose to support this organization because it is a local philanthropy that we are really passionate to help.

==Highlights of 2017==

[[File:Eta Gamma1.png|thumb|Eta Gamma Chapter, 2017]]

Eta Gamma has had an outstanding 2017! Our spring recruitment brought us 34 new members who were eager to get involved and participate right from the start. Our eventful Bid Day consisted of getting to know each other over fun sisterhood games and delicious food. In March, actives and new members danced the night away at our annual Presents dance, where active members wore black dresses and the new members wore white. This is always such a special and fun event for both actives and new members.

After their first week in Kappa, our new members had the opportunity to get to know the sophomore pledge class during “Sapphire Sis” dates. Actives and new members were paired up so that the girls could get to know each other and start finding a big or little sister. They had four different Sapphire Sis dates, in which active members treated the new girls to dinner, coffee, frozen yogurt, or just meeting up on campus. After dates were done and girls were matched up, Kappa holds a Big-Little ceremony to introduce the big sis and the rest of the family to the little sis in a fun way. Afterwards, families go and get dinner together and bond! Big Sis reveal is a very special and memorable time for us in Kappa. Having a Kappa “family” allows us to develop an important lifetime bond with our sisters.

The weeks leading up to initiation are called Inspo Week. Each day, a new member’s big sis gives her a gift of a certain color or importance that teaches them something about what it means to be a Kappa. On Blue Night, big and little sisters exchange pillows and decorated keys, and actives have a chance to talk about what Kappa means to them. It is a special moment for the new members to understand the meaning and value that Kappa holds to the active members. Fireside was held the night before initiation, and the next morning the new members were initiated. This is always such an exciting and momentous day for our chapter!

Kappa held and participated in many philanthropy events on and off campus. This year, we put on three main events: Field Day, Reading is Key at Sherman Elementary, and Kappa Koncert. Kappa’s Field Day was put on in order to raise money for the Reading is Key event we hosted in the Fall semester. We ended up raising $2,400 for Reading is Key! Our Kappa Koncert featured students at USD displaying their vocal talent, and ended up raising $3,000 for Shades of Pink Foundation. Kappas also went to Sherman Elementary School on a Monday morning to read books to elementary school students. Kappas also participated in philanthropy events with other sororities and fraternities to benefit various organizations.

Apart from philanthropy events, Eta Gamma also has had many memorable social and sisterhood events this past year. Along with Presents and Sapphire Ball Formal, we also had many exciting events such as exchanges with Phi Gamma Delta and Lambda Chi Alpha. We had many memorable sisterhood events, such as going to a pumpkin patch, having a kappa “Friendsgiving” with a catered thanksgiving meal, Disneyland, and planned dinners. We also have surprise sisterhood activities after some chapter meetings, where we play fun games and bond. Mom’s Weekend was in the spring, and featured a cooking class, a workout class, and a beautiful beachside brunch. Dad’s weekend was in the fall, and featured go cart racing, shopping at the Little Italy market, hanging out at the beach, and a fun brunch. Both weekends were filled with sisters and their parents getting to know each other. We hosted Founders Day Tea on campus, which was an incredibly special experience. It was so amazing to hear from so many alumni about their special experiences with Kappa and how many continue to participate in Kappa after graduation. Seniors also participated in Senior Programming activities such as yoga and sampling wines at a local winery.

[[File:Eta Gamma2.png|thumb|Class of 2017, Eta Gamma Chapter]]

Eta Gamma has also encouraged all members to donate to help Las Vegas shooting victims and victims of the California fires. Some members have been affected by these tragedies, and Eta Gamma’s Chapter Council has offered emotional support to these women.

There was an addition of a wonderful new sorority, Pi Beta Phi, which was colonized in Spring 2015. Kappas have greatly welcomed their transition here on campus, and now they have grown into a flourishing chapter here at USD. Unfortunately, one of the chapters here on campus lost its charter last year. Because of this, however, Eta Gamma has learned to really value our chapter and the inspirational women we call sisters.

Our chapter is comprised of kind, funny, intelligent, strong, and talented young women. Through the latest values-based recruitment, we have all become so much closer. We strive to continuously embrace each other’s differences. The Senior pledge class has gotten to know the new pledge class, as many of the Junior pledge class is abroad. Overall, we are always trying to plan sisterhood events to increase bonding, as this is very important to our chapter as a whole!

Our chapter has continued to donate money to the KKG Foundation. We have also hosted an event called Kappa Koncert, which was held at USD and featured many talented student singers from the USD student body (along with some of our own kappa sisters!). It was an amazing night, with beautiful pink decorations, Chipotle catering, raffles, photo booths, and great music. $3,000 was raised for the Shades of Pink Foundation. In addition, our Reading is Key event was a major success! We read books to students at a local elementary school, Sherman Elementary. We also were able to donate books to this school! To raise money for these books, our chapter put on an event called “Field Day,” where we invited the entire student body to participate. There were outdoor events where each team competed and all of the money that was raised in sign-up fees, raffles, and other activities went to RIF. The amount of money raised for RIF was $2,400. In addition, our chapter takes great pride in supporting other chapter’s philanthropy events, such as running in Alpha Delta Pi’s 5k run to support the Ronald McDonald House, and making teams in Delta Tau Delta’s Dodgeball tournament to raise money for JDRF (among many more!).

Eta Gamma is very passionate about helping fight to end breast cancer. The Shades of Pink Foundation supports more than 115 women in five countries. Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have extra financial burdens placed on them during treatment and recovery. Common issues are insurance payments, transportation, childcare, food expenses, and other essentials of daily life. This foundation offers temporary financial assistance during their time in need, so they can focus on improving their health and fighting cancer. We chose to support this organization because it is a local philanthropy that we are very passionate about. So many women are affected by breast cancer, and Eta Gamma strives to help!

Our chapter meetings are held in USD’s University Center Forum C. The UCs are the hub of campus life at USD, which includes the main dining hall in the Student Life Pavilion, a to-go food market, various offices, the Student Leadership and Involvement Center, USD’s own restaurant, USD’s bookstore, and a lounge for students to enjoy.

==Highlights of 2018==

Program Meetings:
1. Nutrition and Mindfulness – We welcomed a life coach, Sarah Andersen, and a
Nutrition and Health coach, Kayleigh Clark to our chapter meeting. We learned about healthy eating habits, exercising, managing stress, and maintaining confidence and a positive body image
2. Fitness - Our Education Chair had an instructor come into our meeting to show us some moves we can try at home to promote a healthy lifestyle.
3. Kappa Careers - There were speakers from the Humane League, MeTyme Network, Ecology Center, and IPJ at USD. It was fascinating and inspiring getting to explore various careers, with some in nonprofit organizations and start ups.

Philanthropy:
1. Spring: Kappa Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Theta Field Day
a. We raised $1,193.39 for Reading is Fundamental during our Field Day at Mission Beach! There were relay races, tug of war, flag football, and other events. Field Day is a well known and anticipated event
2. Fall: Kappa Koncert
a. Our fall philanthropy event raised $3,252 for the Shades of Pink Foundation through an on campus concert. Members of our chapter as well as student performers from USD put on a wonderful night of
music, food and friends.

Events:
1. Advisor and Officer BBQ:
a. At the start of spring semester, our advisor, Deanne Palmer, and our Chapter Council had a BBQ to kick off the semester, set goals, and plan upcoming events.
2. Greek Week:
a. Eta Gamma participated in USD Greek Week teamed up with Phi Gamma Delta. While we did not win, we had an incredible week of philanthropy and Greek companionship. Rehearsal for Friday Skits went by
quickly with the wonderful FIJI men.
3. Exchanges:
a. We had exchanges in the Spring with Phi Gamma Delta and Lambda Chi Alpha. Our themed exchanged are a great time to dress up and interact with other members of the Greek community
4. Inspo Week Sisterhood Dinners:
a. One night of Inspiration week, members went to dinners around San Diego with sisters to get excited about initiation and spend some quality time with their new families!
5. Kappa Mom’s Weekend:
a. Before Mother’s Day, Eta Gamma hosted Kappa mom’s on campus and around San Diego for a cooking class, spin class, and brunch!
6. Kappa Dad’s Weekend:
a. In the fall, Eta Gamma hosted Kappa dad’s on campus and around San Diego for go karting and brunch!
7. Kappa Christmas Party:
a. In December, we had a Secret Santa gift exchange at a restaurant downtown to spend some quality time with each other before the stress of finals!

Eta Gamma News
This fall, Eta Gamma introduced a new position on Chapter Council, Diversity Chairman. The position is currently filled by Lexie Rollings, an active member in the USD Women’s Center, USD LGBTQIA commons and a passionate member of the USD community. The Chapter Council nominated Lexie due to her compassion, commitment and grace. Every week during chapter, Lexie presents a few slides on relevant issues involving diversity. She presented on trans awareness, the sexuality spectrum and on the importance of hearing people with different opinions. Lexie will be working closely with our Membership Officer to ensure the members of Eta Gamma are well educated going into Spring 2019 recruitment.

Last spring, Eta Gamma welcomed 34 new members to our chapter. After a terrific new member series, we had our Big Little Reveal at the Immaculata Fountain on campus. It was a beautiful event and we welcomed our littles into our families. Initiation soon followed, and we initiated all 34 new members into the chapter.
This summer, 4 of our chapter council members attended Convention in Denver, where they brainstormed, networked and had a blast meeting sisters from around the country. The creation of Diversity Chairman came from Convention.

==Highlights of 2020s:==

From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:

'''Housing:'''

'''Philanthropy:'''

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

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'''Note to Chapter Registrar:'''
Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.

Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!

Gamma Zeta

2019-06-10T18:16:29Z

Efetcho: 2018 Highlights

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Gamma Zeta
|GreekSymbol= ΓZ
|Image= [[File:Gamma_Zeta.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1920|01|03}}
|College= [http://www.arizona.edu/ University of Arizona]
|Location= Tucson, AZ
|Homepage= [http://www.arizonakkg.com/ Gamma Zeta Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Gamma_Zeta Media related to Gamma Zeta Chapter]}}

'''University of Arizona, established in 1885'''

'''Gamma Zeta founded on January 3, 1920'''

'''3,658 initiates (as of June 2018)'''

----

'''Charter Members:'''

Bess Louise Alexander, Dorothy, Galpin Andrews, Ruth Sinclair Bird, Grace Coralie Chatham, Kathryn Vinson Haga, Edith Isabelle Harrison, Clara Bess Hildebrandt, Hazel Hodges, Isabelle Annette Irvine, Dorothy Elinor Knox, Frances Louise Leeson, Margaret Drucille Loflin, Zella Temple Jay Matthews, Ann Beatrice Pace, Eva Cathrine Prina, Ruth Prina, Florence Shelby, Lucy Anne Stanton, Mildred Margarite Stark, La Verna Stevens, Lois Augusta Wendell, Helen Louise Equen Westover, Helen Willits, Lillian Grouse Wood.

'''Fraternity Council Members:''' (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''

"Kim Stanley" (nee Patty Reid Conway),
Loretta McCarthy, 1984, A top executive with American Express;
Doris Born Monthan, 1984, Author, authority on American Indian culture;
Jewell McFarland Lewis, 2002, Former chairman of the board of Media America;
Holly Busche Cottor, pediatric respite-care facility co-founder, Founder of Ryan House, 2012;

'''Additional Outstanding Gamma Zeta Alumnae:'''

Molly Roller (Spingler), Graduate Counselor 1958-1959;
Sue Forster (Vincent), Graduate Counselor 1959-1960;
Loretta McCarthy, Graduate Counselor 1969-1971;
Mary Hendershott (Itani), Graduate Counselor 1969-1971;
Ellen Ruth (Ivey), Graduate Counselor 1971-1972
Loretta McCarthy, Field Secretary 1968-1970;
Ellen Ruth (lvey), Field Secretary 1971-1974;
Vicki Luciani, Leadership Consultant 2010-2011;
Morgan Weaver, Leadership Consultant 2015-2016;
Morgan Agster, Leadership Consultant 2016-2017

---------------

==The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)==

The story of Gamma Zeta's growth is also the story of the growth of the University of Arizona from the small 1,088 student Land Grant school of the 1920s to the fine university of over 27,000 students which it is today. The few university buildings of the past and the simply-structured student government have resulted in the complex campus of the 1970s.

Several Tucson women not then attending college organized Alpha Sigma, a local sorority, in the fall of 1916 for the purpose of "obtaining a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, also to derive social and scholastic benefits, and to promote college spirit as an organized society." The following year only one member, Norma Brazee (Sexton), returned to the university. Two other local groups existing then were receiving charters from Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi so it was important to reorganize Alpha Sigma quickly. Eight freshmen were pledged who became the core members of the reorganized Alpha Sigma.

In 1918-1919 Alpha Sigma partitioned Kappa, and on January 3, 1920, Grand President Lydia Voris Kolbe, Akron, and members of Gamma Beta (New Mexico) installed Gamma Zeta Chapter and its 24 charter members. Norma Brazee. whose "History of Alpha Sigma" is part of Gamma Zeta's was not able to be initiated,

The chapter's first decade was one of varied activities distinct social pattern. Teas, dinner dances, house dances (girls only), and powdered wig banquets were the order. Early records
refer to wedding and baby gifts for members, notably silver card trays and silver salt and pepper shakers.

Decorous behavior was the rule: no smoking in public, no smoking together of actives and pledges, and no smoking by men in the Gamma Zeta house. Pledges could not date before
4:30 p.m. nor during weekday nights. Juniors and seniors were allowed week night dates between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m. after which the house was locked for the night.

Intersorority tournaments were big campus events. Gamma Zeta won many basketball and hockey games. Individuals excelled in horseshows and other sports, dramatic presentations, and work on the Desert yearbook and Wildcat newspaper. YWCA also made up a busy program for the Arizona Kappas.

Special note is made in early chapter records of three non-related events: a 1921 pledge-sponsored Christmas formal (which continued in 1975 as a pledge sponsored Christmas activity); the sudden death in 1922 of charter member Dorothy Andrews, who was "so lively and enthusiastic and ... very talented in music and athletics and a brilliant student who was
admired by every student and faculty member"; and a house fund started in 1923 into which every active, pledge, and alumna put $25.

When a larger chapter house became necessary (a small house had been bought in 1923) a lot was purchased with a Fraternity loan and ground was broken on Founders Day 1934. The chapter moved into the new house on February 10, 1935. The "Kappa Kottage," a house on an adjacent lot, was remodeled and first used in 1956-1957. In 1963-64 a complex of adjacent to the Kottage was used for the first time after having been purchased by the Gamma Zeta Building Association. During 1966-67 the house was completed with the addition of the Dorothy Musser room, a large recreation room which connects the apartments and the west wing (formerly the
Kottage).

The second decade started off slowly socially, but well scholastically. All national sororities at Arizona were denied social privileges during the first semester for rush irregularities, and Gamma Zeta lost its social privileges in the spring because of failure to keep a sign-out book. Eventually parties resumed which included mother-daughter banquets, scavenger hunts, brother
and sweetheart dinners, "intellectual hours" and serenade, slumber and roller skating parties. Social life was maintained "in spite of the Depression."

Kappas were busy with campus activities: drama, athletics, Associated Women Students. Rush was conducted for a few girls at a time, and swim parties, shows, and spring teas for high school
girls were common. Freshmen and pledges were required to attend all football games, chewing gum was not allowed in public, pledges could smoke only in the basement, and had to be in bed by 11:00. Secret marriages were in vogue. During this time it seemed perfectly natural that two members of Delta Delta Delta had their meals for a year at the Kappa house since there was as yet no Tri Delta chapter on the Arizona campus.

The excellent grades of the early 1930s began to drop by the mid-1930s. The initiation average was lowered, and scholarship seemed to hit a new low in 1940 when the requirement for initiation was lowered again, yet ten out of 28 pledges still did make their grades.

At this time World War II was a reality for most of the world and the University of Arizona felt its impact. Girls gave dances for officers at Davis Monthan Air Base and for the Cavalry Post.
Victory Fund dances and War Bond contests were waged between sororities and fraternities. Kappas worked in canteens and rolled bandages. Gamma Zeta adopted an English war orphan and decided that house fines would purchase bonds. Girls saved their razor blades, magazines, and old clothes, and turned their ration books in to the house director. However, the house director was given an alligator purse and a sterling silver compact for Christmas.

With men so scarce, the girls concentrated on rodeos, swimming and volleyball. In November, 1941, the members were shocked to learn that a member had been thrown while riding and died.
In the spring of 1945 another death occurred, that of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the spring formal was cancelled in respect of mourning traditions.

The late 1940s found Gamma Zetas excelling in journalism and by 1949 they were dominating many activities. They built shiny whales, pink elephants, "Arks of Triumph," and storks
"expecting expansion." The chapter won top honors and took Sweepstakes prizes with these constructions. There were pledge classes of 40. Individual and team honors were won in
golf, swimming, tennis, rifle, and fencing. Gamma Zetas were officers of Associated Women Students, Student Government, and drama organizations. Repeatedly they took scholarship
trophies among living groups (dormitories, sororities, fraternities). There were several queens and a Miss Alaska. Near the decade's end the chapter was delighted to pledge daughters of
two film stars, the cowboy idol Johnny Mack Brown and the versatile Anthony Quinn.

In 1956 the chapter began its foreign student program by inviting a young student from Denmark to live in the house. Since then the girls have enjoyed guests from Uruguay, Holland, Argentina, Peru, Germany, and Norway.

The Gamma Zetas of the 1960s didn't rest on past laurels. Scholarship was of paramount importance, and members were in almost every honorary. There were many queens, many
hostesses, recognition in swimming and dance groups. In 1963-1964 the presidents of all four class levels of women's honoraries (Mortar Board, Chimes, Spurs, and Alpha Lambda Delta) were Kappas. They excelled individually and as a group, but perhaps in reaction to the war years seemed unconscious of the outside world, turning away from interest in or participation in anything beyond the campus.

At the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s social concerns again began to be of importance to members of Gamma Zeta. They participated in voter registration drives,
political campaigns, and stepped up their philanthropy concerns. The Vietnam War divided the chapter as it did the American people, but the girls were able to resolve their differences
peacefully and respect each other's rights to differing opinions.

Across the country the legal age of maturity was being lowered in Arizona to 18, and the University of Arizona Regents debated whether drinking on campus concept and began to stress individual rights and privacy. House keys were now issued to each girl, her hours were hers to decide, and her grades were to be given to her alone (not even to her parents). The scholastic rank of a chapter could be found out but not the names of houses above or below. Individuality and “doing your own thing" held sway. Apprehension arose among the alumnae concerning scholarship, almost always Gamma Zeta’s outstanding quality. Fears ceased when, in the spring of 1972, 22 pledges out of 22 were initiated and a Kappa won one of the two awards for outstanding senior women.

"You're a university woman," the statement made to pledges, implies dignity, personal responsibility, and promise for the years to come for Gamma Zeta.

Gamma Zeta members who have given special service to the Fraternity include graduate counselors Sue Forster (Vincent), 1959-60; Molly Roller (Spingler), 1958-59; Mary Hendershott (ltani), 1969-70; and Natalie Graff; and field secretary Ellen (Missy) Jester Ruth, 1971.
-------------------------------
The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.

==Highlights of the 1970s==

Women's liberation was a large factor in influencing the activities in this time period, especially reflected through social and clothing trends. The Vietnam war divided the chapter in differing opinions about the war. Also important to the members at the time was conservation. An increased awareness about reusing and recycling took effect.

The inaugural year for U of A's Spring Fling was 1975, a carnival themed event that involved all organizations on campus.

'''Housing:'''

There was a period of transition for the house "mom" after the chapter had to dismiss one woman who apparently falsified her application and treated the members in a harsh manner.

==Highlights of the 1980s:==

In 1985, Gamma Zeta strived to reach their chapter goal of "Image of Excellence" by making themselves more visible in the community. The three main points emphasized with this chapter goal were to excel in scholarship, increase awareness of fraternity standards, and exhibit respect and consideration to one another.

Some of the challenges they faced involved delinquent payments and alcohol infractions. The bylaws were amended to reflect current standards, and stricter enforcement of the rules were put in place.

Gamma Zeta experienced a sad loss of one of its members in 1985. Lauren Kay McLaughlin was killed in an automobile crash. Members of the chapter, alumnae, and the Greek system at Uof A mourned her loss.

The pledges of 1985 won the scholarship award for the highest pledge class GPA among the sororities on U of A's campus. The women of Gamma Zeta continued to participate in many campus clubs and organizations, and many members were named to honorary societies. Gamma Zeta consistently had strong and successful rush events, and one of the favorite party themes continued to be "Willy Wonka and the Kappa Factory."

The many social events included theme parties, holiday gatherings, homecoming float decorating, football game gatherings, Parents Weekend, and formals.

The Gamma Zeta chapter hosted Province Meeting in 1989.
In 1989 University of Arizona's student body was 35,000. Gamma Zeta had 203 active members the same year.

The members of Gamma Zeta maintained positive morale by introducing programs like Sisterhood Cozies, Kappa of the Week, Hoots & Salutes, Sweetest Kappa, Outstanding Pledge, and Outstanding Senior.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Philanthropy continued to be an important focus of Gamma Zeta. Some of the organizations that benefited from the chapter's support were the Tucson Boys Club, Cancer Center, local women's shelters, the Rose McGill Fund, American Red Cross, and the Tucson Table.

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

At the 1983 Province Meeting in Santa Barbara, Gamma Zeta received an award for chapter excellence as well as an award for the highest grade point average in the Kappa Province.
At the 1985 Province Meeting held in San Diego, Gamma Zeta won the House Board Award, alumna Thelma Dahlen, Minnesota, won the Betsy Prior Loyalty Award, and the chapter won the Chapter Excellence Award.

Gamma Zeta earned the Norma Dow Patton Gracious Living Award at the 1989 Province Meeting.

==Highlights of the 1990s==

The members of Gamma Zeta continued to maintain a high profile on the campus of University of Arizona. The women of the chapter were involved in scholarship honorary clubs, campus-wide efforts, student government, special interest clubs, and Greek hosted events.

Ritual, standards, and sisterhood were core values that the Gamma Zetas focused on through their activities and programming. Big Sis/Little Sis programming was successful, along with non-alcoholic exchanges, Parents Weekend events, alumnae events, and scholarship events.
The Gamma Zetas shared chapter news through its newsletter, Keyholes. Reports from officers were included, highlights from campus activities, adviser spotlight section, and a dedication to graduating seniors all contributed to a rich publication full of information.

In 1990 the sisters of Gamma Zeta initiated the Irimajiri Art Scholarship Fund in memory of one of their members, Maki Irimajiri, a student who died in an automobile crash. Director of Chapters, Jennie Helderman, Alabama, visited the chapter in 1991.

The members focused on scholarship with quiet study hours after 7 p.m., study buddies, scholarship awards, and study files. The chapter goal in 1991 "Shoot for Pi - 3.14" earned recognition in Kappa's Key magazine.

In Spring of 1991, eleven Gamma Zetas earned a 4.0 GPA.

In 1995 there were 16 sororities on the campus of University of Arizona. Aproximately 15% of the U of A students are members of the Greek system.

Fall recruitment theme parties included Kappa Kountry and Kappa Goes to Hollywood. In the fall of 1998, 55 women were initiated. This was the most women the chapter had ever initiated at one time. This was the first year that the chapter transitioned into the New Member program.

Chapter meetings were made interesting by adding a Romance Award, Hoots and Salutes, A's for the Week, Scholarship Bucks, and the Friendship Award each week.

In 1998 Gamma Zeta was voted Most Outstanding Panhellenic Chapter on U of A's campus. Also exciting for the chapter was receiving first place in Social Programming, second place in Scholarship Programming, Most Outstanding Adviser, a Kaplan Scholarship, and both the Freshman and Sophomore Greek Woman of the year.

'''Housing:'''

In 1991 a new house director started at Gamma Zeta; Shirley Roy.
In 1997 the house installed three new computers in its library to aid with studying. This computer lab was the first time Gamma Zeta had Internet access in the house.

In 1998 much of the house was remodeled. Tile replaced carpeted areas in the TV room, bulletin boards were placed in the front hall making it easier to get announcements to all of the women in the house, and some rooms were repainted and recarpeted.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Gamma Zetas continued to excel in the area of philanthropy. They participated in the American Red Cross blood drive, Cedric Depmsey Cancer Run, the American Cancer Society's Climb "A" Mountain to Conquer Cancer Benefit Walk, Tucson Area Literacy Coalition aerobics-a-thon, receycling events, ALS foundation fundraiser, senior home volunteer hours, Casa de los Ninos holiday party, and Ronald McDonald House meal preparation.

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

The members continued to focus on sisterhood. This was particularly important because the size of their house is so large. They focused on activities such as Greek Week, Spring Fling, Kore family activities, sisterhood retreats, all house lock-ins, Scholarship Recognition dinners, Apple Polisher Dinners, House Board Appreciation Dinners, Homecoming, Dad's Weekend (one year), Mom's Weekend (the next year), and Staff Appreciation Dinners.

The Gamma Zeta chapter received recognition and a variety of awards from the University of Arizona. Members were involved in intramural sports, all-Greek competitions, student government, homecoming festivities, clubs, and honorary societies.

Gamma Zetas often shared their archives at the Founders Day brunch. Old scrapbooks were the favorite item on display, and some years the Gamma Zetas put together a slide show to show the brunch attendees.

In 2006 there were 11 housed sororities on the U of A campus and more than 20 fraternities.
The 2007 newsletter of Gamma Zeta was titled "Keys and Fleur-de-Lis."

In 2007 the pledge class of Gamma Zeta was composed of 70 new members. Members of Gamma Zeta attended the Kappa Kappa Gamma Leadership Conference in San Diego in 2009. Scholarship was an area of focus during this time frame. Study tables were a popular way to encourage members with a low GPA to spend more time on their school work.

Some of the challenges faced by Gamma Zeta in 2009 and 2010 were communications and stealing. Officers improved their ways of communicating with chapter members regarding mandatory event attendance. Measures were taken to reduce the risk of stealing personal items in the house and in members' mailboxes.

'''Housing:'''

Seventy-five Gamma Zeta members lived in the house in 2006.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The primary organization that Gamma Zetas supported was the Giving Tree Foundation, an effort that supports homeless and needy children. In 2009 Gamma Zeta was able to raise $12,000 for this organization through their Hoops4Hope basketball tournament. Other organizations that received financial or volunteer support from the members included Race for the Cure, Rose McGill Magazine Drive, RIF, the Ally Adelman Foundation, and the Bobbi Olsen's Foundation for Women's Cancer Research.

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==Highlights of 2011==
Social, scholastic, and philanthropic events continued to fill the calendars of members of Gamma Zeta. Activities included Dad's Weekend, study hours, sisterhood events, Sigma Chi Derby Days philanthropy, Firefighter Challenge philanthropy, recruitment review sessions, Hoops for Hope philanthropy for Cystic Fibrosis, Spring Fling, theme parties, Greek Week, Senior Week, Recruitment, War of Roses philanthropy, Parent's Weekend, Founders Day, and Homecoming Week. A Kappa Trainer visited the chapter in 2011 and educated the members about Kappa standards and protocol.

As of current 86 women live in the house, located across the street from campus. It is the hub of the chapter members and creates the dynamic and lasting friendships between the members of Gamma Zeta.

Philanthropy efforts included Toast for Technology, Tucson Clean and Beautiful, cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House, and working at a community food bank. As a chapter, Gamma Zeta hosts a 3 on 3 basketball tournament at the University of Arizona, Hoops for Hope.

==Highlights of 2012==
Throughout the year of 2012, the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in a variety of events, both social and also philanthropic, representing our chapter on campus. Classes resumed on Wednesday, January 11th, but our house re-opened several days before, Sunday, January 8th, to allow the girls time to unpack and get settled before beginning classes again.

Our first chapter meeting was held on Monday, January 16th. During the first few weeks back, the new members attended many rookie recruitment meetings with the recruitment chair, Amy Noble, in order to prepare for fall recruitment. Ritual Review meetings also took place with our Marshall, Allie Finnegan, to become informed of initiation and chapter rituals.

Throughout the month of February, many philanthropy projects were held, such as Adopt a Street and Ronald McDonald volunteering. On the 14th of February, we held a Valentine’s Day Sisterhood event and later in the month we had Mom’s weekend, February 24th-26th, in which the ladies were able to spend time with each other and their moms. On February 19th, a Kappa Trainer gave a presentation to the girls to inform them about regulations and life as a Kappa. Study hours were implemented during the semester to ensure that the girls were keeping their grades up. Study hours occurred every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for 3 hours. This helped our chapter, for our all house GPA average for the spring semester of 2012 was 3.060 and our new members had an average of 3.106.

We held our annual philanthropy event, Hoops for Hope, headed by the philanthropy chair, Taylor Sloan. Taylor ran a very smooth, successful, and organized event. $10,500 was raised and the money was donated towards the Steele Children’s Research Center. During March, the girls participated in Sigma Chi’s “Derby Days” field day philanthropy as well as Pi Kappa Alpha’s “Firefighter Challenge.” Spring break was March 11th-18th. When the girls returned from break, there were multiple recruitment meetings for the entire chapter in preparation for fall recruitment.

Throughout the semester we had a few date dashes as well as our annual formal. We had Spring Fling from April 9th-13th. It was a week filled with festivities, fun, and games. Later in the month was Senior Week. After Senior Week was complete, girls took their finals and then moved out and back home with their families for a nice summer vacation. The girls returned to the Kappa Kappa Gamma house on August 3rd, for Work Week and Formal Recruitment. Bid Day took place on August 19th, where the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma welcomed 82 new members. The president was Lauren Mueller and the recruitment chair was Amy Noble. The new member chair, Audrey Lewter, did a fantastic job informing the new members of the history of the Gamma Zeta chapter.

Key Sis week began near the end of August and continued through the middle of September. These weeks were when the new girls were paired up with the older active members in order to get to know them and feel even more welcome in the chapter, as well as to potentially find their big/little. The ladies participated in Pi Kappa Phi’s War of Roses philanthropy. This was a great way for the new members to get involved, as well as the older members. We had our first date dash of the semester at the end of September. This was the first date dash for the new members and ending up being a very successful and safe night. Big/Little week occurred shortly after. The big sisters left anonymous clues and treats for the little sisters each day of the week, leading up to the exciting reveal. We then had Inspiration Week beginning October 8th, where the new members were introduced to the rituals and values of Kappa Kappa Gamma through a variety of sisterhood events. Each day the girls were encouraged to wear certain colors that highlighted a few of the main aspects of Kappa Kappa Gamma (Blue for Beauty, Red for Integrity, Yellow for Friendship, and Green for Loyalty). This week was also filled with a variety of sisterhood events that gave the girls another opportunity to bond with one another. The new members were then initiated on October 13th and the Founder’s Day Tea was hosted later that morning. The education chair, Ali Castillo, ran the event which was a great day involving the participation of many alumni.

Following this, we had Parent’s Weekend, as well as Pledge Presents. The new members were given the opportunity to show their parents the Kappa Kappa Gamma house and to also introduce them to the lovely ladies of the chapter. On October 24th, a pumpkin carving event was hosted with our members as well as with the ladies of Delta Gamma. Girls from both chapters got together to celebrate the upcoming Halloween holiday by carving pumpkins with each other. Homecoming Week began on November 5th, with the men of Pi Kappa Phi. On Thursday, November 8th, we had a date dash with those gentlemen. Our Reading is Key philanthropy event was held on November 16th. Each member went to Rio Vista Elementary School were the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma promoted the fun and importance of reading to the children through activities such as creating bookmarks, snacks, and reading one of their favorite books.

The first part of the election process for the new Chapter Council began on November 19th, and voting occurred the week of Thanksgiving break. The new members of Chapter Council were installed on November 26th, and began training with the old Chapter Council on December 3rd. To celebrate the holidays, Kappa hosted the Kappa Kozy event on December 4th, in which the girls participated in a gingerbread house decorating competition, was well as other holiday games. As the end of the semester came to a close, the girls really buckled down for their upcoming finals; the last day of finals being December 13th. Overall, the year of 2012 for the Gamma Zeta chapter was an outstanding and successful year. The values and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma were upheld and the meaning of sisterhood was expressed throughout the various activities throughout the year.

==Highlights of 2013==

Throughout the year of 2013, the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in a variety of events, both social and also philanthropic, representing our chapter on campus. Members were excited to be back together as a complete chapter after a long winter vacation. During the first few weeks back, the new members attended many rookie recruitment meetings with the recruitment chair, Lila Shtull, in order to prepare for fall recruitment.

Ritual Review meetings also took place with our Marshall, Jill Smith, to become informed of initiation and chapter rituals. Throughout the year, many philanthropy projects were held weekly, such as Adopt a Street and Ronald McDonald House volunteering in order to give back to the community and give our members frequent opportunities to serve. On the 8th of February, we held a Valentine’s Day Sisterhood event and on the 13th we had a cookie-decorating event. On February 15th we had our formal date dash, which was a great success. Later in the month we had Dad’s weekend, February 22th-24th, in which the ladies were able to spend time with each other and their dads. On February 27th, we attended a presentation on nutrition, and on March 5th we had a sisterhood event called “How to be Healthy” to help our members maintain a healthy lifestyle. Study hours were implemented during the semester to ensure that the girls were keeping their grades up. Study hours occurred every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for 3 hours. Our all house GPA average for the spring semester of 2013 was 3.134

On March 19th we had a roller blading sisterhood event to welcome all our sisters back after a wonderful spring break. On March 20-23rd we participated in the gentlemen of Sigma Chi’s philanthropy Derby Days. From March 28-30th we helped that gentlemen of Pi Kappa Alpha with their philanthropy the Pike Firefighter Challenge. Starting on April 1st we had senior week all while maintaining regular recruitment practices and ritual reviews. We had Spring Fling with the men of Sigma Chi from April 8th-13th. It was a week filled with festivities, fun, and games. On April 14th we had a cookie-decoration event with Alumni, which was a great experience for our girls to bond with Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna. We also held events with other sororities like academic programming with Chi Omega in order to spread Panhellenic love. Throughout the semester we had a few other date dashes. We held our annual philanthropy event, Hoops for Hope, on April 28th headed by the philanthropy chair, Brooke Beard. Brooke ran a very smooth, successful, and organized event. $15,000 was raised and the money was donated towards Generosity Water. After Hoops for Hope was complete, girls took their finals and then moved out and back home with their families for a nice summer vacation. The girls returned to the Kappa Kappa Gamma house on August 11th, for Work Week and Formal Recruitment.

Bid Day took place on August 25th, where the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma welcomed 96 new members. The president was Danielle Dozer and the recruitment chair was Lila Shtull. The new member chair, Allie Finnegan, did a fantastic job informing the new members of the history of the Gamma Zeta chapter. Key Sis week began near the end of August and continued through the middle of September. These weeks were when the new girls were paired up with the older active members in order to get to know them and feel more welcome in the chapter, as well as to potentially find their big/little. On September 13th the new members had a sleepover at Kappa to help them bond as a pledge class. The ladies participated in Pi Kappa Alpha's Firefighter Challenge philanthropy again for the 2013-2014 school year. We also participated in Alpha Epsilon Pi’s philanthropy Hollywood Nights. This was a great way for the new members to get involved, as well as the older members. We had our first date dash of the semester at the end of September.

This was the first date dash for the new members and ending up being a very successful and safe night. Big/Little week occurred shortly after. The big sisters left anonymous clues and treats for the little sisters each day of the week, leading up to the exciting reveal. We then had Inspiration Week beginning October 6th, where the new members were introduced to the rituals and values of Kappa Kappa Gamma through a variety of sisterhood events. Each day the girls were encouraged to wear certain colors that highlighted a few of the main aspects of Kappa Kappa Gamma (Blue for Beauty, Red for Integrity, Yellow for Friendship, and Green for Loyalty). This week was also filled with a variety of sisterhood events that gave the girls another opportunity to bond with one another. The new members were then initiated on October 12th and 95 of the 96 new members were initiated so we displayed a great retention rate.

The Founder’s Day Tea was hosted later that morning. The education chair, Hayley Shwartz, ran the event which was a great day involving the participation of many alumni. Following this, we had Parent’s Weekend, as well as Pledge Presents. The new members were given the opportunity to show their parents the Kappa Kappa Gamma house and to also introduce them to the lovely ladies of the chapter. Homecoming Week began on November 4th, with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha.

On Thursday, November 8th we had a date dash with those gentlemen. The first part of the election process for the new Chapter Council began on November 24th, and voting occurred on Monday, December 2nd at chapter. The new members of Chapter Council were installed on December 9th, and began training with the old Chapter Council throughout the month of December.

To celebrate the holidays, Kappa hosted the Kappa Kozy event on December 8th, in which the girls participated in a gingerbread house decorating competition, was well as other holiday games. As the end of the semester came to a close, the girls really buckled down for their upcoming finals; the last day of finals being December 18th. Our fall semester all house GPA was a 3.185 which was above the all sorority average and we moved up to fourth place for highest GPA for all Panhellenic chapters. Overall, the year of 2013 for the Gamma Zeta chapter was an outstanding and successful year. The values and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma were upheld and the meaning of sisterhood was expressed throughout the various activities throughout the year.

Over this past year, construction has continued to take place to the trolley system that will run around campus and travel downtown, as well as to University Boulevard. This system travels along the street located in front of the Kappa house. It is now being tested for use and will be usable in the near future. Also, a new couch was added to the house and the courtyard in the middle of our apartments was renovated. The kitchen was also updated. Our wifi system was improved so that our members can have better internet connection all over the house. As always, the University of Arizona is a beautiful and sunny campus with wonderful scenery. Most days of the year, the weather is warm and inviting, encouraging students to spend time outside. Kappa Kappa Gamma is located directly behind the Student Union, making it extremely accessible to members. Due to its location and large size, the house is easily noticed for all to see. The Gamma Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of the largest chapters on the campus of the University of Arizona. 95 women were initiated into our chapter this past year.

Each and everyone of the girls within our chapter have been striving for success, both academically and socially. While actively getting to know all of their new sisters, girls were keeping up with their academics. This chapter is composed of classy women that represent the ideal of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

==Highlights of 2014==

Throughout the year of 2014, the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in a variety of events, both social and also philanthropic, representing our chapter on campus. Classes resumed on Wednesday, January 15th, but our house re-opened several days before to allow the girls time to unpack and get settled before beginning classes again. Our first chapter meeting was held on Monday, January 27th. Members were excited to be back together as a complete chapter. During the first few weeks back, the new members attended many rookie recruitment meetings with the recruitment chair, Grace Herr, in order to prepare for fall recruitment. Ritual Review meetings also took place with our Marshall, Natalie Ramirez, to become informed of initiation and chapter rituals.

Throughout the year, many philanthropy projects were held weekly, such as Adopt a Street and Ronald McDonald House volunteering in order to give back to the community and give our members frequent opportunities to serve. On the 8th of February, we held a Valentine’s Day Sisterhood event and on the 13th we had a cookie-decorating event. On February 7th we had our formal date dash, which was a great success. Later in the month we had Dad’s weekend, February 22th-24th, in which the ladies were able to spend time with each other and their dads. On February 27th, we attended a presentation on nutrition, and on March 5th we had a sisterhood event called “How to be Healthy” to help our members maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Study hours were implemented during the semester to ensure that the girls were keeping their grades up. Study hours occurred every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for 3 hours. This On March 20-23rd we participated in the gentlemen of Sigma Chi’s philanthropy Derby Days. From March 28-30th we helped that gentlemen of Pi Kappa Alpha with their philanthropy the Pike Firefighter Challenge. Starting on April 1st we had senior week all while maintaining regular recruitment practices and ritual reviews. We had Spring Fling with the men of AEPI from April 8th-13th. It was a week filled with festivities, fun, and games. On April 14th we had a cookie-decoration event with Alumni, which was a great experience for our girls to bond with Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna.

We also help events with other sororities like academic programming with Chi Omega in order to spread PanHellenic love. Throughout the semester we had a few other date dashes. We held our annual philanthropy event, Hoops for Hope, on March 29th headed by the philanthropy chair, Waverly Newton. Waverly ran a very smooth, successful, and organized event. $17,000 was raised and the money was donated towards the Dermatology Division Arizona Cancer Center. After Hoops for Hope was complete, girls took their finals and then moved out and back home with their families for a nice summer vacation.

The girls returned to the Kappa Kappa Gamma house on August 9th, for Work Week and Formal Recruitment. Bid Day took place on August 24th, where the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma welcomed 109 new members. The president Caitlin Goebel and the recruitment chair was Grace Herr. The new member chair, Morgan Weaver, did a fantastic job informing the new members of the history of the Gamma Zeta chapter. Key Sis week began near the end of August and continued through the middle of September. These weeks were when the new girls were paired up with the older active members in order to get to know them and feel more welcome in the chapter, as well as to potentially find their big/little. On September 13th the new members had a sleepover at Kappa to help them bond as a pledge class. The ladies participated in Pi Kappa Alpha's Firefighter Challenge philanthropy again for the 2014 school year. This was a great way for the new members to get involved, as well as the older members. We had our first date dash of the semester at the end of September. This was the first date dash for the new members and ending up being a very successful and safe night. Big/Little week occurred shortly after. The big sisters left anonymous clues and treats for the little sisters each day of the week, leading up to the exciting reveal. We then had Inspiration Week beginning October 13th, where the new members were introduced to the rituals and values of Kappa Kappa Gamma through a variety of sisterhood events. Each day the girls were encouraged to wear certain colors that highlighted a few of the main aspects of Kappa Kappa Gamma (Blue for Beauty, Red for Integrity, Yellow for Friendship, and Green for Loyalty). This week was also filled with a variety of sisterhood events that gave the girls another opportunity to bond with one another. The new members were then initiated on October 18th and 105 of the 109 new members were initiated so we displayed a great retention rate.

The Founder’s Day Tea was hosted later that morning. The education chair, Lauren Thorell, ran the event which was a great day involving the participation of many alumni. Following this, we had Parent’s Weekend, as well as Pledge Presents. The new members were given the opportunity to show their parents the Kappa Kappa Gamma house and to also introduce them to the lovely ladies of the chapter. Homecoming Week began on November 3rd with the men of Kappa Sigma. On Thursday, November 8th with the men of Kappa Sigma. We also hosted our very first food philanthropy, Kappa Kon Queso, which was a huge success.

The first part of the election process for the new Chapter Council began on November 3rd, and voting occurred on Monday, December 1st at chapter. The new members of Chapter Council were installed on December 8th, and began training with the old Chapter Council throughout the month of December. To celebrate the holidays, Kappa hosted the Kappa Kozy event on December 12th, in which the girls participated in a gingerbread house decorating competition, was well as other holiday games. As the end of the semester came to a close, the girls really buckled down for their upcoming finals; the last day of finals being December 17th. Overall, the year of 2014 for the Gamma Zeta chapter was an outstanding and successful year. The values and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma were upheld and the meaning of sisterhood was expressed throughout the various activities throughout the year.

After last year's construction of the new trolly system, construction is finally finished. It runs around campus and travels downtown, as well as to University Boulevard. This system travels along the street located in front of the Kappa house. As always, the University of Arizona is a beautiful and sunny campus with wonderful scenery. Most days out of the year, the weather is warm and inviting, encouraging students to spend time outside. Kappa Kappa Gamma is located directly behind the Student Union, making it extremely accessible for members. Due to its location and large size, the house is easily noticed for all to see.

Gamma Zeta holds chapter every Monday in our chapter room located in our house. With our new 2014 initiated class being 109, it is a tight squeeze, but we make do.

Our house, owned by the university, and being one of the largest on campus, houses 84 girls. There are four living styles; the sleeping porch, the doubles, west wing (4 or 6 person room) and the apartments. The sophomres live in the sleeping porch, the doubles and west wing in the house, while the juniors typically live in the apartments in the back. Each and everyone of the girls within our chapter have been striving for success, both academically and socially. While actively getting to know all of their new sisters, girls were keeping up with their academics. This chapter is composed of classy women that represent the ideal of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Living in the house not only gives you a place to eat and sleep, but also a place to study and receive tutoring help if needed. Our sisters are our best resources.

==Highlights of 2015==

Throughout the year of 2015, the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in a variety of events, both social and also philanthropic, representing our chapter on campus. Classes resumed on Wednesday, January 14th, but our house re-opened several days before to allow the girls time to unpack and get settled before beginning classes again. Our first chapter meeting was held on Monday, January 26th. Members were excited to be back together as a complete chapter. During the first few weeks back, the new members attended many rookie recruitment meetings with the recruitment chair, Kalyanne Younker, in order to prepare for fall recruitment. Ritual Review meetings also took place with our Marshall, Brianna Marek, to become informed of initiation and chapter rituals.

Throughout the year, many philanthropy projects were held weekly, such as Adopt a Street and Ronald McDonald House volunteering in order to give back to the community and give our members frequent opportunities to serve. On the 13th of February, we held a Valentine’s Day Sisterhood event. Later in the month we had Dad’s weekend, February 20th-22th, in which the ladies were able to spend time with each other and their dads. On February 27th, we attended a presentation on nutrition. On the 10th of March, we had our Formal Date Dash, which was a great success!

Our chapter, for our all house GPA average for the spring semester of 2015 was 3.133 and our new members had an average of 3.5. We had several academic workshops including time management, final exam preparation, etc. We had Spring Fling with the men of Delta Tau Delta from April 6th-12th. It was a week filled with festivities, fun, and games. On April 13th-18th we participated in the gentlemen of Sigma Chi’s philanthropy Derby Days. Starting on April 20th we had senior week all while maintaining regular recruitment practices and ritual reviews. Before the Homecoming game, on April 11th Alumni stopped by to tour the house. We also help events with other sororities like yoga with Alpha Epsilon Phi, our sisterhood sorority, in order to spread PanHellenic love.

Throughout the semester we had a few other date dashes. We held our annual philanthropy event, Hoops for Hope, on May 2nd headed by the philanthropy chair, Jaime Hewitt. Jaime ran a very smooth, successful, and organized event. Approximately $31,000 was raised and the money was donated towards Stand up to Cancer. After Hoops for Hope was complete, girls took their finals and then moved out and back home with their families for a nice summer vacation. The girls returned to the Kappa Kappa Gamma house on August 19th, for Work Week and Formal Recruitment. Bid Day took place on August 23rd, where the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma welcomed 104 new members. The president was Morgan Agster and the recruitment chair was Kalyanne Younker. The new member chair, Emily Sill, did a fantastic job informing the new members of the history of the Gamma Zeta chapter.

Key Sis week began near the beginning of September and continued through the middle of September. These weeks were when the new girls were paired up with the older active members in order to get to know them and feel more welcome in the chapter, as well as to potentially find their big/little. On September 4th the new members had a sleepover at Kappa to help them bond as a pledge class. The ladies participated in Pi Kappa Alpha's Firefighter Challenge philanthropy on September 21st-25th. This was a great way for the new members to get involved, as well as the older members. Big/Little Week occurred September 28th-October 1st. The big sisters left anonymous clues and treats for the little sisters each day of the week, leading up to the exciting reveal.

We had our first date dash of the semester at the first weekend of October. This was the first date dash for the new members and ending up being a very successful and safe night. Following this, we had Family weekend, as well as Pledge Presents. The new members were given the opportunity to show their parents the Kappa Kappa Gamma house and to also introduce them to their new sisters of the chapter. The Founder’s Day Tea was hosted on October 18th. The education chair, Paloma Marcotte, ran the event which was a great day involving the participation of many alumni. Homecoming Week began on October 22nd, with the men of Sigma Chi.

We had Inspiration Week later this year, beginning November 2nd, where the new members were introduced to the rituals and values of Kappa Kappa Gamma through a variety of sisterhood events. To start off the week, the girls were encouraged to wear blue on Monday to highlight beauty as one of the main aspects of Kappa. This week was also filled with a variety of sisterhood events that gave the girls another opportunity to bond with one another. The new members were then initiated on November 7th and we displayed a great retention rate. Our philanthropy chair, Hailey Clark, was in charge of our food philanthropy for the second time ever, Kappa Kon Queso on November 12th and it was a huge success.

The first part of the election process for the new Chapter Council began on November 9th, and voting occurred on Monday, November 30th at chapter. The new members of Chapter Council were installed on December 7th, and began training with the old Chapter Council throughout the month of December. To celebrate the holidays, Kappa hosted the Kappa Kozy event on December 6th, in which the girls participated in a gingerbread house decorating competition, was well as other holiday games. As the end of the semester came to a close, the girls really buckled down for their upcoming finals; the last day of finals being December 17th. Overall, the year of 2015 for the Gamma Zeta chapter was an outstanding and successful year. The values and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma were upheld and the meaning of sisterhood was expressed throughout the various activities throughout the year.

The construction from the new Environment and Natural Resources 2 building finally finished. The Trolley system that was finally completely last year has been running smoothing around campus and travels downtown, as well as to University Boulevard. This system travels along the street located in front of the Kappa house. As always, the University of Arizona is a beautiful and sunny campus with wonderful scenery. Most days out of the year, the weather is warm and inviting, encouraging students to spend time outside. Kappa Kappa Gamma is located directly behind the Student Union, making it extremely accessible for members. Due to its location and large size, the house is easily noticed for all too see and admire.

==Highlights of 2016==

During 2016 Gamma Zeta had an amazing year as a chapter. Gamma Zeta and its powerful Chapter Council provided great structure and support throughout the year. At our National Convention in June Gamma Zeta was recognized and awarded Outstanding Chapter with the National Ritual Award, along with Honorable Mention in Panhellenic, Standards, and Academics. During The University of Arizona's Panhellenic Banquet in December, Gamma Zeta was awarded with Outstanding Dedication to Philanthropy and Highest Attendance in Reflections. We were #2 out of 15 chapters for G.P.A. for the entire Panhellenic Council and #5 for G.P.A. for all of Greek life we and have been able to maintain this GPA for the spring and fall semesters of 2016-2017. Our chapter main focus is on the importance of grades and has implemented many different activities to maintain this high distinction including: Geek of the Week Awards, Smarties Pants Awards, Most Improved G.P.A., 4.0 Pearls, Academic Workshops, and Planner Parties. Our Panhellenic Delegate did an excellent job keeping the chapter involved with the Greek Community. Members are encouraged to participate in other chapters philanthropy events. We had a Monmouth Duo Tea Party with Sister Sorority Pi Beta Phi. While we were able to participate in events outside our chapter, the best events were the ones spent with our sisters. A couple events we help this past year include Kappa Kozy Christmas Party with Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Kappa Grammies Sisterhood Event, New Member Sleepover Sisterhood Event, Founder's Day Celebration and Brunch, Spring Fling with Alpha Epsilon Phi, Keys Overseas, Big/Little Mentorship Program, Homecoming with our neighbors Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Sisterhood Movie Night where over 250 women attended. During chapter, we recognize those sisters who have gone above and beyond to help everyone with Supportive Sister Award (monthly), Sapphire Sister Award (weekly), and Kappa Kisses (weekly).

One of the most amazing things going on during 2016 was the preparation and planning we had to undertake as a chapter prior to the beginning of a multimillion dollar construction process that began in December. Everyone had to come together to accommodate each other, as women were moving out of the rooms being torn down and into different ones. The new construction is going to include new rooms, allowing more women to live in, new president and standards rooms, a new study room and tv room. A new and improved chapter room is the focus point of this construction. This new enlarged meeting area will provide improved technology and additional seating to encourage more members to attend meetings. We are so excited to see our beautiful home when completed in August 2017. We will be able to use all the new facilities when we return for recruitment and classes.

As Kappa Kappa Gamma, we are granted the privilege to choose an organization that has touched our chapter personally. After much deliberation over wonderful organizations, our chapter voted upon supporting the Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation. In total we raised over $27,000 for PMP Cancer Reasearch. We also had our annual Kappa Con Queso event to support Kappa's national philanthropy Reading Is Fundamental. In total we raised $4,450, collected 450 books, and donated 60 hours to Reading Is Fundamental. As a chapter we raised $15,620 and donated this to The KKG Foundation. Gamma Zeta members spent 900 hours doing campus service projects and over 2,400 hours to community service projects.

After much deliberation over wonderful organizations, our chapter voted upon supporting the Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation. Alumni Taylor Wood's father and a current member of Gamma Zeta Maddie Wood's uncle Dave Wood (a former University of Arizona football player) was unexpectedly diagnosed with PMP Cancer this past year. Because we found this to be one of the unexpected things in life that make us thankful for our sisterhood, we donated over $27,000 from our annual Hoops for Hope event to PMP Cancer Research. Hoops for Hope is Saturday morning/afternoon event in April we put on at a nearby school's basketball courts and has been our of our most successful fundraisers. Our chapter has continually made Reading Is Fundamental a part of our philanthropy projects throughout each year and have connected with our alumnae group to expand our efforts. In November of 2016 we had an extremely successful annual event called Kappa Con Queso, that all proceeds went to RIF. Kappa Con Queso is always a well attended event that we put on where everyone is invited into our chapter to join us for loaded and delicious nachos!

We meet in our chapter room inside our house located at 1435 E 2nd St, Tucson, Arizona 85719. Capacity issues in our current chapter room over the past years has lead us to have joint meetings with our house board and new construction of our house beginning December 2016- ending August 2017. These rennovations will include a new second story to the house and a new and improved chaper room that should service Gamma Zeta for many years to come. We are very excited about the rennovations and the new chapter room that will be able to house our chapter of over 350 girls comfortably. This new chapter room will help our chapter stand out among other houses who have had to turn to meeting in lecture halls as their chapter sizes have also increased. Holding chapter in our own house continues to keep the authenticity of ritual and binds our chapter together even more.

==Highlights of 2017==

[[File:Gamma Zeta3.png|thumb|Gamma Zeta Chapter, Arizona (2017)]]

Throughout the year of 2017, our Gamma Zeta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma received a variety of awards, hosted two large philanthropy events and was very persistent in achieving our chapter goals for the year. Our social and philanthropic events and involvement on campus are very important to our members and we were all very excited for the school year to begin again. When we returned back to school, spring classes began on January 11th and our first chapter of the year was held on the following Monday on January 23rd. Our house was began construction for our new renovations over winter break and finally finished in August. We were very excited to add another story on a part of our house in order to house a total of 93 girls. During the first months back, our youngest PC attended rookie recruitment practices on Sundays beginning in February with our recruitment chair, Hannah Matthiessen, in order to get them familiar with songs, rules, and the dos and don’ts of recruitment in the fall. There were also a handful of ritual reviews with our Marshal, Kate Hall, that began with our first one on February 7th, to become informed about initiation and chapter rituals.

Throughout the year there were multiple opportunities for volunteering such as Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, and serving at school carnivals. The chapter was very adamant about giving back our community and encouraging all our members to participate in a service. On January 17th we had our 'Kappa Krush Formal,' which was a great success and our members were very excited to attend. On February 24th - 26th we had our Dad's Weekend where we offered our girls to purchase baseball tickets for the baseball game and a BBQ at our house for them and their dads. On March 5th, we had a sisterhood event at Funtasticks where girls could go-kart and mini golf together. We had an amazing turn out and also filmed part of our recruitment video at this sisterhood event. On March 28th, we attended a presentation about Greek Rape Culture to inform our members about the dangers of sexual assault. After spring break, we had a Free Throw contest in our parking lot to begin raising money for our spring philanthropy Hoops for Hope. This year, we voted to support the National Meningitis Association because of the harmful effect the sickness had on some of our sisters' closest friend.

[[File:Gamma Zeta1.png|thumb|Gamma Zeta Chapter, Arizona, 2017]]

On April 1st we held our annual Hoops for Hope event which is a 3 on 3 basketball game of the teams that our girls coached. We raised about $21,790 for the National Meningitis Association. On April 2nd we had a senior event where there was a photoshoot for our seniors as they captured their last couple of months of being together. The week of April 3rd, we had our Spring Fling with the men of Kappa Sigma, and our members were excited to participate in festivities and games during the week. On April 20th we had a "How to Survive Finals" presentation to ease the stress of our members while they prepared for the busy week of tests soon to be coming up. On April 23rd we held an Alumni brunch at our house which was very successful. The alumni were excited to see how the construction of our house was coming along and have a blast from the past having another meal here. On April 24th-28th we had our senior week. We celebrated our seniors with fun events during the week such as icecream nights, bowling, and a date dash in celebration of their last couple of weeks at the university. We finished the last month of school with finals and then moved back home to enjoy our summer. On August 5th and 6th, everyone returned back to school and excited to begin practicing for recruitment during Work Week.

Our Formal Recruitment began on August 13th and finished with Bid Day on August 20th where we welcomed 98 lovely new members into our chapter. This years theme was influenced by the 90's and everyone had a wonderful time celebrating, taking pictures, and dancing during the day. After Bid Day, the new members were brought back to the Kappa house where they were informed about the history and rules of the Gamma Zeta Chapter. The first day of classes began August 21st, and we had a planner party that following Friday to plan out our academic year together. New Member meetings began on Sunday the 27th and continued every Sunday until they were ready to be initiated. On August 30th we had a trunk show with Sunny Co Clothing where girls were excited to purchase swimsuits, skirts, and other apparel for our hot Arizona months. We also had a Kappa clothing trunk show and Lululemon trunk show at our house the following two weeks for girls to purchase apparel here as well. On September 16th, we had our first date dash of the semester called 'Kappa Kabana.' This date dash had a pool and our members were very excited to attend. At the end of September, pledge class 16 began having ritual reviews again to prepare for initiation in November. Beginning on October 2nd we had our 'Big Little Week' with the final reveal to our littles on October 5th. All the members who finally received littles were so excited to finally be the role model and life long friend to the new members of our chapter. The weekend of October 13th we had Family Weekend beginning with a Pledge Presents brunch where big and little were presented together in front of the new members' families. We also rented out a Kappa section for the football game and offered brunch for our Kappas and their families.

[[File:Gamma Zeta2.png|thumb|Gamma Zeta Chapter, Arizona]]

On October 20th we had another sisterhood event at a pumpkin patch to get into the fall spirit. We had a great turn out and received a lot of pictures and participation in the activities at the pumpkin patch. Founder's Day was celebrated on October 21st and our members were very excited to socialize with our alumni as they shared their Kappa memories and we all celebrated the love for Kappa together as we had a lovely brunch. From October 22nd - 27th we celebrated Homecoming with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha and had a wonderful week of bonding and celebrations with them. Following Homecoming week, we had our fall food philanthropy, Kappa Kampfire. We raised $4,080 for our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental where we sold tickets for students to come eat s'mores, hotdogs and hamburgers as we played music, took photo booth pictures, and socialized with our supporting students. The new members were initiated on November 12th, and we officially welcomed 96 new members into our Kappa family. On December 3rd, we had our annual Kappa Kozy at our house to celebrate the holiday season. We invited our sister sorority of the semester, Alpha Chi Omega to join us in making gingerbread houses, taking polaroid pictures, and raffling off prize baskets.

Our selection process for the 2018 Chapter Council began on November 12th and after voting was completed, the new Chapter Council was installed on December 4th. Everyone was very excited and encouraging of what our new Chapter Council will bring for the upcoming year. As the end of the semester came to a close, everyone began studying for finals and 24 hour quiet hours were enforced throughout our house. Overall, the 2017 school year for Gamma Zeta was filled with hard work, success, and of course some fun. The values and morals of what it means to be a Kappa were enforced,and the members showed this through their actions and participation in everything they accomplished.

[[File:Gamma Zeta4.png|thumb|Gamma Zeta Chapter 2017]]

Although no significant changes has happened on our campus during this year, the University of Arizona continues to be a safe and beautiful campus that we are all thankful to be a part of. The warm weather gives us the opportunity to take advantage of our campus pool, participate in outdoor sports, or simply sit outside and do homework without being concerned about harsh weather. Our chapter is located in a very convenient spot that is close to most classrooms, University Boulevard, and the Student Union. This allows all our members, whether they live in or not, to come around often and spend time in the Kappa house before they have to run to class again. With that being said, the largest and most recent change for our chapter this year was the construction of our house. It is wonderful that we can now house more girls than we have ever had, and have a new chapter room that can fit all of our members-giving us the opportunity to host chapter in our house.

We supported Reading is Fundamental because it is our national philanthropy that we host a food philanthropy every fall to donate money to this organization. We also supported the National Meningitis Association because a group of our sisters were greatly affected by the death of their closest friend from having Meningitis. Later, we also found out that one of our alumni's son was also affected by Meningitis and passed away at a young age. We were excited to be able to raise money for an organization that supported more than one of our past and current members.

Our chapter meets in our chapter room located in the Kappa House. We have one of the largest chapters at the University of Arizona and we are very excited that we can fit all of our women in our newly built chapter room that now has a sound system and a projector for easy hearing and viewing purposes during Chapter.

==Highlights of 2018==

Throughout the year of 2018, the Gamma Zeta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has thrived and been successful in completing a number of goals. This past year we have received a variety of awards, hosted two successful philanthropy events, and welcomed home an amazing new pledge class. Our social and philanthropic events and involvement on campus are very important to our members and we were all very excited for a new semester to begin in January. When we returned back to school, spring classes began on January 10th. Our transitional meeting to welcome in the new Chapter Council was held the following Saturday on January 13th and our first chapter of the new year was held on Monday, January 15th. During the first few months back, our youngest pledge class attended rookie recruitment practices on Sundays beginning in February with our recruitment chair, Claire Gordan, in order to familiarize them with song, rules, and the do's and don't of formal recruitment in the fall. Our Marshal, Allie Kelley, also held a handful of ritual reviews that began in February, for the newest pledge class to become informed about initiation and chapter ritual.

Throughout the year there were multiple opportunities for volunteering such as Ronald McDonald House, Girl Scouts of America, Special Olympics, and serving at school carnivals. Our philanthropy chair, Kelsey Hodge, encouraged our members and was very adamant about giving back to our local community in Tucson and at the University of Arizona. On February 16th-18th we had our Mom's Weekend where we offered a variety of activities for members and their moms. We offered a mother-daughter spin class taught by one of our members, rented out a restaurant for everyone to mingle, and hosted a beautiful brunch made by our chefs in our Kappa house. The next weekend, on February 24th, we had our annual spring Formal, which was a great success and all of the members were so excited to attend. After returning back from spring break on March 11th, we began the final preparations for our spring philanthropy, Hoops for Hope. Our members were were excited to make basketball teams and promote the hot dog eating contest we held at Kappa the night before the event. This year, we voted to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention because of the tragic impact suicide had on two of our sisters' family.On March 24th we held our annual Hoops for Hope event which is a 3 on 3 basketball game of the teams that our girls put together and coached. We raised over $30,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

On August 4th and 5th, everyone returned back to school to begin practicing for recruitment during Work Week. Our Formal Recruitment began on August 12th and finished with Bid Day on August 19th where we welcomed 111 lovely new members into our chapter. The theme for this year was "The Ride of Your Life" and was inspired by Harley Davidson. Everyone had a great time taking picture, celebrating, and dancing during the day. Right after the Bid Day celebration, the new members were brought back to the Kappa house where they were given a brief history, rules, and expectations of the Gamma Zeta chapter. The first day of classes began August 20th.

No significant changes have happened on our campus during this year, but the University of Arizona continues to be a safe and beautiful campus that we are all thankful to attend. The warm weather gives us the opportunity to take advantage of our campus pool, participate in outdoor sports, or simply sit outside and do homework year round. Our chapter is located in a very convenient spot that is close to majority of classroom buildings, University Boulevard, and the Student Union. This allows all our members, whether they live in or not, to come around often and spend time in our beautiful house before they have to run to class again. While we didn't have any new construction on our chapter's house, we did come back from summer break to find that our living room had been redone and the paint on the exterior of the house had all been made the same uniform color. Nobody knew that these updates were happening to the house and everyone was very excited upon our return. Our chapter also welcomed a new house mom, Kelly, this year. Kelly has been so helpful, supportive, and involved this semester and has had such a positive impact on our chapter and members.

We supported Reading is Fundamental because it is our national philanthropy and we host a food philanthropy event every fall to donate money to this organization. We also chose to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in the spring because two of our sisters had recently been greatly affected by the death of a close family friend as a result of suicide. We were so honored to be able to support our Kappa sisters, the Dusses, by raising money for an organization that could provide the help and resources that their family friend did not have.

==Highlights of 2020s:==

(Information from chapter history reports, scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

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'''Note to Chapter Registrar:'''
Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of ''The Key'' to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.

Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!