Kappapedia - User contributions [en]

Delta Phi

2018-04-02T18:37:57Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

ΔΦ
{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Delta Phi
|GreekSymbol= ΔΦ
|Image= [[File:Delta_Phi.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1948|10|30}}
|College= [http://www.bucknell.edu/ Bucknell University]
|Location= Lewisburg, PA
|Homepage= [http://www.orgs.bucknell.edu/kkg/main/ Delta Phi Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Phi Media related to Delta Phi Chapter]}}

'''Bucknell University established 1846, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania'''

'''Delta Phi founded October 30, 1948 - 36 charter members'''

'''2,17 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Martha Jane Acker, Adah Lorraine Allen, Shirley May Andresen, Marian Louise Brown, Lois Jane Dial, Elizabeth Jane Diegel, Ruth Anita Dusenbury, Caryl Lois Galow, Jeanne Marie Grove, Janice Fields Gundaker, Marjorie Carol Haas, Jane Sheble Haigh, Mildred Jane Haigh, Blanche Barbara Hall, Lois Marjorie Harvey, Helen Ruth Hayden, Odette Rose Hutchinson, Evelyn Doris Jackson, Gloria Freia Kurzmann, Josephine Sproul LaBarr, Jean Eleanor Lampert, Judith Lee Martin, Shirley Anne Mathieson, Betty Jane OEsterle, Eleanor Ann Raup, Margery Jane Reinhart, Emilie Christine Riley, Jean Isabelle Ritchings, Betty Louise Snyder, Barbara Soyster, Patricia Ellen Steele, Barbara Lou Stine, Charlotte Dianne Stratton, Eloise Mary Triggs, Jean Lois Walker, Avilda Raynell Wilson.

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

'''Fraternity Council Members'''

Katherine Scholberg Weeks, Director of Membership 1996-2000, Field Secretary 1977-1978; Colby Giulin, Leadership Consultant 2008-2009

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award'''

'''Alumnae Achievement Awards'''

'''Additional Outstanding Delta Phi Alumnae'''

Katherine Scholberg (Weeks), Graduate Counselor 1976-1977, Foundation Board of Trustees, 2008 - Present;
Lola Nashashibi (Grace), Graduate Counselor 1977-1978

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==The Early Years==

Bucknell was the 100th college chartered in America, established as the University of Lewisburg in 1846, by a group of local Baptists. Among contributors for the founding was William Bucknell, a Philadelphia businessman. Other funds came from the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia and from other Baptist congregations in the state. In 1886 the university was renamed in Bucknell’s honor. The college later became privately controlled.

At the time of Delta Phi’s founding, there was an enrollment of 2,400 undergraduates, with students from 38 states and 8 foreign countries. A Second Century Development Program, which included planning for nine new buildings and an increase in the university’s endowment, was under way at that time.

The history of Delta Phi really began in late June 1946, when a student decided to start a local group at Bucknell University with membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma as its goal.

Another sorority was needed on the Bucknell Campus. An interested student expressed her feelings and desire to the Dean of Women and found, to her surprise, that the Dean had been a Beta Iota at Swarthmore. There were two other Kappas on the faculty from Gamma Rho, Allegheny, and Gamma Alpha, Kansas State. With their help and with data from the files, a list of girls was made. On June 23, 1946, a meeting was called. All were enthusiastic about forming the group, so much so that they temporarily forgot it was exam week! There was much to be decided, standards to uphold, goals to be attained, a constitution and bylaws to be written. They all agreed that they wanted first to work together as a local chapter to become Kappas. They took the name of Alpha Sigma Alpha.

By the following fall, Alpha Sigma Alpha is a going sorority. Six other sororities were on campus, all national groups. The new local became a member of the campus Panhellenic Council, and was anxious to cooperate and make its first rush season a most successful one. It was a busy time, and the membership was enlarged to 21.

Although they had not been close friends when they started, they had been carefully selected. Looking back after a year with Alpha Sigma Alpha, it seemed almost impossible that a group of women students, relatively unknown to each other, could have molded themselves into an active unit involved with rushing, pledging, dances, intra-mural activities, floats, song contests, and scholarship rules. All of these had parts in the process of unification. Each member had worked hard to give her sorority a position of esteem on the campus. As the membership grew, so did a spirit of loyalty and friendship, binding each with common ideals, aims, hopes, and purposes.
The national Fraternity was contacted, but gave no encouragement. Finally Kappa decided to look over the Bucknell group, which was now being approached by other leading women’s fraternities. After this official inspection, the chapter was approved unanimously.

Delta Phi was installed October 30, 1948, by Delta Alpha from nearby Pennsylvania State University. Six of the girls had been graduated in June 1948, including the chapter founder, but all came back for the installation that fall.

Few installations have been distinguished by the presence of so many who have made Kappa history. Fraternity President Helena Flinn Ege, Pittsburgh, read the ritual. Present were, among other alumnae, Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State; Rheva Ott Shryock, Pennsylvania; Mary Turner Whitney, Cincinnati; and Katheryn Bourne Pearse, Purdue. A dream was finally fulfilled.

The first year’s activities included a Christmas party, a mock rush party with skit, a Founders Day banquet, a semi-formal pledge dance, and cozies. The main fundraising projects included magazine sale and candy apple sale at the Kappa May Day booth. Delta Phi’s spring picnic became an annual event. A requirement of that year became a tradition—but it wasn’t a tradition for long, fortunately—a weekly study sheet, showing how many hours each member was studying.
A Christmas party for the children at Gersinger Medical Center was the first year’s philanthropy project. Later that year, the Kappas provided tea and entertainment at the Evangelical Home.

==Highlights of the 1950s and 1960s==

The Kappa Kappa Gamma banner was made in 1950; industrious pledges served breakfasts to the actives; and that favorite sport, bowling, was one way to get big and little sisters together.
The piano fund was started in 1951 with a perfume sale. In 1955, when the chapter discovered it needed a silver tea service, shampoo was sold.

Philanthropies have included the raising of money to support a child, Save the Children Foundation (1952), community projects such as collecting and distributing canned goods (1966), and group therapy at a local elementary school (1970). A pledge project became a tradition—an Easter basket sale with proceeds going to community and health services.

Social and campus highlights included a visit to the Delta Alphas, the first redecoration of the Delta Phi suite (1953), the first Powderpuff football game (1955), the Panhellenic Scholarship Cup (1956), and Monmouth Duo with Sigma Chi as hosts to the Kappas and Pi Phis (1958). The Pumpkin Walk tradition began in 1965 with the sophomores carving and delivering pumpkins to each fraternity while chanting pumpkin carols. Delta Phi won the Sigma Chi Derby in 1966, and the Monmouth Duo that year was especially fun since the Pi Phis wore dark and light blue and the Kappas wore wine and silver blue. In 1967, the name “Blue Hooters” was adopted by the Delta Phi singing group and has been kept ever since.

==Highlights of the 1970s==

Following the ravages of the flood of 1972, Delta Phi earmarked all 1972 fundraising profits for the Bucknell Flood Fund. Beginning with a Kappa-Tri Delta Powderpuff football game (0-0) and continuing with a Panhellenic cookbook sale, a sizable contribution was made for restoration of damaged areas of the Music and Arts Building.

With awareness of campus relations as well as of the changing roles of women, Kappa sponsored a fall Colloquy Seminar on “Women Today.” Spring Colloquy’s photography exhibit on prison reform was partly sponsored by Delta Phi.

From the time Delta Phi chapter was founded to 1973, when the chapter founder’s daughter took up the president’s gavel, Delta Phi has grown and kept pace with the changing times and the changing college student. The chapter can look with pride at the past 25 years, can set its present goals, and can look to the future with a new awareness and a strengthened sisterhood.
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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.
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'''Remainder of the 1970s:'''

From 1975-1979, the chapter members lived together in a dorm building. Delta Phi also had a suite to use for chapter activities and some housing, although only a small number of members were able to live in the suite.

==Highlights of the 1980s==
The 1980s were busy for the members of Delta Phi chapter as the chapter often recruited around 40 New Members. This decade saw the creation of the JUGS (Just Us Girls) event at the beginning of the school year to welcome back sisters who studied abroad during the spring semester. Other sisterhood activities included CommUNITY (Working for the Community; Working toward Unity), the Kappa Kotillion formal, and Monmouth Duo with Pi Phi. Members also benefited from programs focused on personal development, including a race relations workshop and an alcohol awareness lecture.

The chapter advanced their Risk Management policies with the creation of a “21 room” at social events. The members also focused on improving scholarship, which proved successful as Kappa was recognized for having the highest GPA on campus. In 1989, Delta Phi received several awards from IFC/Panhel, including Oustanding Greek Pledge, Outstanding Advisors, and Outstanding Public Relations.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Delta Phi’s commitment to philanthropy continued throughout the decade. In 1987, the chapter organized the Kappa Invitational golf tournament to benefit the Himmelreich Library, a historic library in Lewisburg. Each year, the Kappa’s also organized a Balloon Derby, a popular campus event. In 1989, the chapter worked to revise the Balloon Derby in order to make it more environmentally friendly.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of the 1990s==

The 1990s brought many changes to the Delta Phi chapter. In 1991, the university changed the timing of Recruitment. Instead of going through Recruitment during the spring semester of freshman year, women were required to wait until the fall semester of their sophomore year to join a sorority. Even with this change in Recruitment regulations, Kappa continued to add an average of 40 new members to its roster. Bucknell also made changes to rules regarding alcohol, which caused the students to revisit their Risk Management policies and programs. Although faced with these challenges, Delta Phi rose to the occasion and implemented a variety of new programs to meet the needs of the growing chapter.

In 1991, the Kappas paired with Sigma Chi to host Greek Smarts, a campus-wide Risk Management program. Members also attended the Lead to Succeed program hosted by Alpha Tau Omega during the spring of 1992. Delta Phi worked on membership development programs for chapter women, including ritual reviews, chapter-wide sisterhood retreats, and committee participation programs aimed at encouraging participation within a large chapter. Additionally, the chapter prided itself on the large number of members who studied abroad.

Delta Phi chapter members were rewarded for their hard work as they were often recognized during the campus IFC/Panhel awards ceremony. The chapter received the Outstanding Pledge Program award in 1991. In 1995, Kappa received the following awards: Outstanding Chapter Operations, Outstanding Community Service and Philanthropy, and Most Outstanding Chapter Leadership Development and Transition. More importantly, Delta Phi was repeatedly named Bucknell’s Most Outstanding Chapter throughout the decade. The chapter also rewards members for academic excellence with the Diamond Key award. On October 24, 1998, Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell celebrated its 50th anniversary.

'''Housing:'''

Throughout the decade, Delta Phi maintained a suite to be used for chapter activities.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Philanthropy remained important to Delta Phi during the 1990s. The chapter women hosted a multitude of philanthropic events, including Adopt-A-Highway, Crop Walk for Hunger, and Women in Transition. A popular fundraiser for the chapter was the Scrunchie Sale for Housatonic Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital. The Kappas also donated their time to the community by tutoring students at a local junior and senior high school and lunching with area senior citizens. For the campus community, the chapter hosted a Kappachino study break in 1997.

'''Convention Awards:'''

1996: Most Efficient Chapter

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Delta Phi chapter helped lead Bucknell into the twenty-first century. When the university imposed the Plan for Prominence, the seven sororities and twelve fraternities were encouraged to strive for a higher level of responsibility within the individual chapters. The fraternities and sororities remained in good standing with the faculty and staff, as a result of complying with the rules, hosting campus events and activities, and performing community service. Delta Phi excelled in the Plan for Promince challenge and was awarded the “Silver Star” in 2008. The chapter also maintained one of the highest GPAs of the Greek organizations on campus. Additionally, the Kappas served as leaders on campus as individual members were involved in a variety of clubs, activities, and sports teams.

Recruitment was successful throughout the decade as the chapter often added over 50 New Members, making Delta Phi the largest Greek organization on campus.

In 2005, Delta Phi chapter hosted the Beta Province Meeting. At the Founders Day dinner on October 18, 2008, the Kappas celebrated the 60th anniversary of the chapter’s establishment at Bucknell Univesrity.

'''Housing:'''

During the decade, Delta Phi chapter claimed a suite in Hunt Hall as its home. The Kappas shared this living space with members of five other sororities.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Kappas at Bucknell were kept busy with philathropic activities. In 2004, the chapter hosted its first annual Kappa Klassic co-ed soccer tournament to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. Delta Phi often contributed to the Special Olympics, Relay for Life, and Big Brother/Big Sister. The chapter organized a Locks of Love hair-drive on campus, which proved to be an annual success. Around Valentine’s Day each year, the chapter sold Kappa Kisses, little chocolates with personalized messages, to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In 2007, the Kappas brought a new project to Bucknell’s campus called Charity Denim. Designer and fashion jeans were sold at a discount price to university students and proceeds were donated to a local organization, the Donald L. Heiter Community Center. Delta Phi also remembered the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation in its philanthropic efforts and raised funds during the annual Parents’ Weekend Tailgate. Each year, the chapter devotes hundreds of hours of service to community organizations and raises thousands of dollars for philanthropies.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==2011==

Delta Phi continued its tradition of campus leadership in 2011. The chapter was well-represented in many different sports teams, clubs, and organizations around campus. Members were active in outreach organizations such as Bucknell Buddies tutoring program, the Bucknell Brigade, and Colleges Against Cancer. To benefit the Bucknell community, Kappa hosted five non-alcoholic all-campus events including a trip to Bounce Funplex, making holiday cards for the local Children’s hospital, a game night, and an ice cream social. The chapter continued its academic achievement with a high average GPA.

Although Bucknell’s Panhellenic Council mandated a “no frills” Recruitment policy, Delta Phi welcomed 46 New Members in 2011. In 2012, the chapter was able to participate in Continuous Open Bidding and added New Members during the spring semester.

'''Housing:'''
Delta Phi chapter occupies a suite within Hunt Hall, which is shared with six other sororities.

'''Philanthropy:'''
In 2011, the Bucknell Kappas continued to give back to the community through a variety of philanthropic activities, including the chapter’s annual Kappa Kisses sale. Delta Phi once again hosted a Locks of Love hair drive and a Reading Is Fundamental book drive. The chapter also supported RIF during its annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament. The Kappas raised money for Relay for Life.

Delta Phi often worked with other Greek-letter organizations at Bucknell for philanthropy events. The chapter women made Valentine’s Day cards for the elderly with Pi Beta Phi. They also teamed up with the brothers of Phi Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon and the sisters of Pi Beta Phi to raise money for the local dog shelter, Mostly Mutts, with a powder-puff football game.

==Highlights of 2012==

2012 was a great year for the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in which the whole chapter can reflect on with pride. Kappas were involved in multiple fronts on campus as they continued to pursue excellence in both academic and extracurricular realms. For the spring semester of 2011, we achieved an average term GPA of 3.49 and were able to maintain the same academic standard through the fall. This average falls above the campus all-female and all-sorority GPA average of the university. We are also very proud to have 11 members of our chapter earn a 4.0 GPA for the spring semester, and 9 members earn a 4.0 GPA in the fall.

Aside from academic accomplishment, Kappas were extremely eager to contribute to campus life and the surrounding Lewisburg community through clubs, community service, and varsity athletics. We have many Kappas who participate in the outreach organizations at Bucknell such as Bucknell Buddies tutoring program, the Bucknell Brigade, and Colleges Against Cancer. In addition, Kappa is well represented in the arts; whether it is on the Bison Girl dance team, dedicated members of the Bucknell Dance Company, actors of the Weis theater stage, or singers in the prestigious Bucknell acapella groups, our Kappa sisters’ creativity knows no bounds. On the other end of the spectrum, we have sisters involved in varsity sports on campus who are amazingly able to manage the physical demands of Division 1 athletics and academic requirements of the school and our sorority.

Needless to say, with all the incredible activities we participate around campus, Kappa sisters are always ready to volunteer and give back to our community. In the spring, Kappa made an extraordinary effort to give back through our fundraiser “Kappa Kisses” where we sold personalized valentines to the student body raising money for thyroid cancer. Within the next month Bucknell hosted its annual Relay for Life event in which every sister participated and supported one another in raising a minimum of $100.00 each to donate to the American Cancer Society.

After summer, we began the school year in the fall of 2011 with our annual book drive to benefit our national philanthropy “Reading is Fundamental” (RIF). All the sisters pulled together to collect hundreds of books for the cause and included handmade bookmarks for the recipients. In support of RIF, we followed this drive by hosting our annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament, inviting the whole student body out to play and raising almost $1000.00. On an athletic streak, we teamed up with other sororities on campus and the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha participating in their annual Watermelon Bust, which raised money for their philanthropic cause. Over the year our chapter hosted five non-alcoholic all-campus events ranging from a trip to Roller Rink to making holiday cards for the local Children’s hospital, from a game night to an ice cream social, all open to the entire student body. These events were both well attended and successful as they brought members of the Greek and non-Greek communities together for some fun.

Furthermore, the Delta Phi chapter was extremely enthusiastic to accept forty-five new Kappas into our sorority who, through the semester, have proven themselves to be womanly and true. Through weekly new members meetings and an overnight bonding trip before initiation, the girls grew together and built a true dedication to Kappa Kappa Gamma. We held a beautiful initiation ceremony where Kappa family members from across the country came to see their legacy passed down as they helped to welcome the new class into the sorority. Whether it was cheering for sisters at games, participating in community service events, or having fun at our formals, the Delta Phi chapter is proud of everything we have accomplished in 201 and will remember it as a year of excellent academic achievement, and sisterly support.

One of the main challenges our chapter has faced this year has been risk management regarding our events. With one of the sororities from our school getting kicked off campus this past semester the university has tightened down on all the Greek organizations on campus. We have taken many precautions in preparing for our Spring Formal Event. Our Event Chairman and Risk Chairman have been working very closely with council to ensure the security and success of our event. We have all been working hard to create a fun event, in a safe location while managing potential risks.

Specially we are distributing wristbands to members and their dates that are of age, using security personnel instead of fellow Kappa members. Additionally we are strictly requiring hand stamps before students go to the event. We have divided the check in by grades to make the process more efficient and effective for everyone involved. We are increasing the number of security guards as well as stationing our own members at various locations of the event. With regards to transportation we are positioning both the Event and Risk Chairs at the front of the bus to check wristbands and hand stamps and ensure that no negative discourse between Bucknell students and those providing transportation occurs.

==Highlights of 2013==

'''Awards''' - Gracious Living Award (Beta Province Meeting, Spring 2013), Oustanding New Member Award - Caroline Jaffe (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Excellence in Recruitment (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Academic Excellence Award (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Outstanding Academic Advisor - Chris Boyatzis (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014), Outstanding Junior Award - Rachel Wahl (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014)

'''Special Events'''
- Supported and will continue to support the NO MORE Campaign which works to end domestic violence and sexual assault all over the nation;
- Educational nutritionist event with Alpha Chi Omega (Spring 2014)

'''Philanthropic Involvement'''
- Participated in the Rose McGill Holiday Sharing Program;
- Kappa Klassic (Fall 2013) - raised over $1600 for Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and an orphanage in India;
- Collected over 500 books and donated them to local Lewisburg schools (Fall 2013);
- Kappa Kisses (Spring 2014) - proceeds benefitted Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Madison Holleran Foundation:

The women of Delta Phi Chapter have been very successful in their philanthropic efforts this semester. Last February and this past February, Kappa Kappa Gamma has publicized Kappa Kisses throughout campus, encouraging all of Bucknell to buy bundles of kisses to send to from anyone from a friend, to a secret admirer, and even to a full blown crush. Kappa Kisses is a great philanthropy activity that brings the entire student population together in order to celebrate Valentine's Day in a simple and fun way. The entire chapter becomes involved in the philanthropy activity by making bundles on the suite as well as by encouraging passerbys in the ELC mall to purchase a bag. In both 2013 and 2014 we made a large profit from Kappa Kisses, sending the money to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental (our national philanthropy). This past February, we were fortunate enough to have raised enough profit to send the money to a third organization, the Madison Holleran Foundation in honor of the recently deceased track star from University of Pennsylvania, in order to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

In October, Kappa Kappa Gamma puts on the annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament. Teams from every fraternity and sorority participate in a morning-long round of elimination soccer games, in order to win the championship cup. Three of the mod fields are taken over by various different colored shirts who are fighting and playing for the gold. Last year kappa raised $1,600, which was donated to our philanthropies. Finally, in accordance with Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa put on a wing eating contest, in order to raise money for each of our respective philanthropies.

In order to support our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, we organized a book drive over parents weekend and donated over 300 books to two local Lewisburg schools. We were also very excited to participate in The Rose McGill Holiday Sharing Program for the first time this fall. We sent various gifts and notes to an older Kappa woman who had recently fallen upon hard times. Our sisters have been participating in other Greek organizations' events throughout the semester, including Lambda's Watermelon Bust, Alpha Chi Omega's Dodge Domestic Violence dodgeball tournament, and Delta Gamma's Anchor Slam basketball tournament.

Local/ World Support - Donated money to an Orphanage in India (Kappa Klassic 2013 proceeds) & to The Madison Holleran Foundation (Kappa Kisses 2014 proceeds)

High Academic Excellence – GPA goal setting organized by VPAE to encourage girls to try to meet a specific goal each semester. If goal is met, the girls will receive a small treat and be recognized at chapter. Presentations with Academic Adviser about sisters involved in notable academic activities around campus. “Hoots” at the beginning of chapter will give girls the opportunity to anonymously submit compliments to be read aloud at chapter. Organize additional events with faculty members – for example, the University President will be speaking at our chapter this semester

In the Fall of 2013, a new sorority on our campus, Alpha Xi Delta, joined our recruitment process. Over the course of this year, we have supported and helped them grow and develop as an organization on campus. It is good to see new sororities sprouting up at Bucknell. All of the different sororities cooperate with one another, attending philanthropy events and doing community service together all over campus.

The Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell University is very involved with whatever project we set our minds to. The friendships that we make here are everlasting. The senior Kappa Kappa Gamma class has spoken in our previous five chapters about advice that they would give to sophomores if they could redo their Kappa Kappa Gamma experience. Everyone stays connected once they graduate. We receive letters from girls in our chapter who are abroad saying hello and can’t wait to get back to campus to be greeted by their sisters.

==Highlights of 2014==

Awards:
Outstanding Academic Advisor - Chris Boyatzis (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014), Outstanding Junior Award - Rachel Wahl (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014)

Special Events:

The Delta Phi chapter was able to participate in numerous special events throughout the past year! We joined with the brothers of Sig Chi for an extremely fun and relaxing yoga class! We also partnered with the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega for an educational nutrition event. The president of Bucknell University, John C. Bravman, spoke to us at chapter about issues surrounding our campus culture and provided each council member a copy of Sheryl Sandberg's, Lean In, a book that provides advice on how women can succeed and work towards a gender equal society. In June, two of our sisters, Janie Whelan and Julia Pilzer attended the Kappa Kappa Gamma convention in Texas and had a blast meeting fellow sisters nationwide! This fall Barbara G. Martin, Bucknell’s Compliance Officer & Title IX Coordinator, spoke to us at chapter about the process of a sexual misconduct cases here at Bucknell and informed of the resources available to us surrounding sexual misconduct.

Philanthropic Involvement:

The ladies of the Delta Phi Chapter have been active participants in various philanthropic endeavors this past year. Our annual Kappa Kisses philanthropy event last February raised over $500, which was donated to Reading is Fundamental, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the Madison Holleran Foundation. Kappa Kisses is a weeklong sale of Hershey kisses that students can send to each other along with a small valentines note. It always proves as a fun way to celebrate Valentines Day and is a great way to express appreciation across the Bucknell community! We are currently planning this years Kappa Kisses event and are hoping to sell out just like last year! This fall we had a successful book-drive over parents weekend and were able to donate over a hundred books to local libraries. We also held Kappa Klassic, our annual soccer tournament, and had an excellent turn out with multiple teams participating from each fraternity and sorority. The tournament brought out everyone’s competitive spirit and successfully raised $2,211! We donated our impressive earnings to Reading is Fundamental as well as two charities close to our sister’s hearts: the ALS Association and Gillian Reny’s (a survivor of the Boston Bombings) Stepping Strong Fund. In collaboration with the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon we hosted a wing-eating contest, which was a fun yet messy way to raise money for our respective charities.

Chapter Goals:

Our goals for the upcoming year include upholding strong chapter management by reviewing and familiarizing ourselves with the Chapter Bylaws and Standing rules in a more consistent manner. We also hope to incorporate more programming in the upcoming year and take advantage of the wonderful resources Bucknell offers in order to educate our chapter.

Academic Excellence:

The ladies of Delta Phi recognize the importance of scholarship and work hard each semester to achieve their academic goals. In the beginning of each semester we each set individual GPA goals, which if met, are recognized and rewarded in our chapter meetings.

The Delta Phi chapter is an extremely tight-knit community that values and upholds Kappa Kappa Gamma’s values. Our sister’s friendship, loyalty and trust are held to high standards as we push ourselves and each other to succeed as students, artists, athletes, and individuals. Our sisters mentor and advise each other through our college experiences as well as work to uphold our incredible bonds beyond graduation.

Our chapter meetings are held in Bucknell University’s owned Art Building. The Delta Phi Chapter occupies a suite in the Bucknell owned dormitory, Hunt Hall. Eighteen sisters can live on the suite at a time, however there is a large common room accessible to all Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters despite where they live on campus. Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of 7 sororities who occupy this dormitory.

==Highlights of 2015==

We had another great year of here at the Delta Phi Chapter. This past spring semester we were pleased to announce, yet again, our chapter’s overall GPA had increased, putting us at an overall 3.57! This surpassed both the all Greek and all women average GPA on campus, putting us in 2nd place out of a total of 7 sororities on campus. Seniors were celebrated during our final chapter this spring with letters from their parents expressing how proud they are of their daughter’s accomplishments at Bucknell University. It was a bittersweet end to another great semester. This fall we hosted yet another successful faculty luncheon, where our members invited their professors for a sit down lunch. It served as a great way for our sisters to connect with professors outside of the classroom and meet other Kappas! A fellow Kappa alumnus was gracious enough to come to speak to our chapter about her career path and possible career opportunities at Trunk Club, where she is currently employed. It was so generous of her to take time out of her day to talk to us and just goes to show how our chapter continues to support one another beyond gradation.

Awards:

We had Delta Phi members represented in all of the following honors societies for the Spring 2015 semester: Alpha Lambda Delta, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, Order of Omega, Psi Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, Beta Gamma Sigma. Our advisor also earned, Advisor of the Year, our chapter earned the Academic Excellence Award, and our President Rachel Wahl won the Individual Pillar of Excellence award.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
On September 4th we welcomed 47 new members.

Chapter Philanthropy:

The women of the Delta Phi chapter have been eagerly participating in philanthropy events all across campus, all while helping to run our own exciting events over the past semester. In September over Parents Weekend here on campus, we encouraged parents to stop by the Kappa Kappa Gamma Suite to bring with them from home new or gently used children’s books. The support was overwhelming, as we were able to collect over 300 children’s books to donate to various locations around the local Lewisburg community.
On October 4th, we held our annual Kappa Klassic Soccer Tournament. Almost every Greek organization participated and signed up at least one team, and in many cases, sent multiple teams, while non-Greek organizations participated as well! In total, over 35 teams signed up for the tournament, helping us raise approximately $3,725. We were thrilled with this grand total, of which 25% went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, 25% to our national philanthropy, Reading Is Fundamental, 25% to The Jimmy Fund, which will help support one of our sister’s fathers in his fight against cancer, and 25% to Cycle for Survival, which helps with the fight against rare childhood cancers.

Our chapter has even extended our charitable work beyond just our own fundraising events. Besides participating in other Greek organization’s fundraisers, our Kappa’s have volunteered in our local elementary schools, community garden, food bank and more. Many members of our chapter have even orchestrated their own charity events, which our chapter has been eager to both attend and support.

==Highlights of 2016==

In September, the Delta Phi chapter eagerly welcomed 42 new members to Kappa Kappa Gamma. The Delta Phi chapter believes that it is important to immerse itself in philanthropic opportunities hosted by other Greek organizations and Bucknell student organized events. In addition to participating in all philanthropy events hosted by other organizations in the Panhellenic community, the Delta Phi chapter had a strong presence in an event hosted by the Bucknell Student Club called "ACE" where proceeds were donated to charities in the Lewisburg community.
Overall the past year, the Panhellenic Community welcomed a new chapter, Delta Zeta, to the Bucknell Greek Community and the Delta Phi chapter was noted for being exceptionally welcoming to the Bucknell's newest organization.

'''Chapter Philanthropy:'''
The Delta Phi chapter has raised money for Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation over the past few years through our annual philanthorpy events, Kappa Klassic and Kappa Kisses.

The Delta Phi chapter meets in the Art Building located centrally on Bucknell University's campus. Meetings are held in the lecture hall where there is plenty of room for all chapter members and there are adequate facilites for visual and audio support if need be.

==Highlights of 2017==

The Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Bucknell
University was extremely involved and active throughout the university and the community. This
chapter believed it was essential to go to other greek life philanthropic events, such as raising
money for domestic violence awareness and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Along with
this, members also worked in our community’s garden and soup kitchen, helping those in need.
In September, the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Bucknell University welcomed
37 new members. These new members have become very involved within the philanthropic
events, and have several ideas for the future of the Delta Phi chapter.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Bucknell University has become a very welcoming and inclusive campus. The university
now has gender neutral bathrooms, rallies, and open discussions about the social, academic and
spiritual life at Bucknell. Due to recent events regarding greek life throughout the country,
Bucknell has had several round table discussions about making greek life safer and open to
everyone. Several Delta Phi members attend these meetings and speak freely about the changes
they wish to see. This displays that Kappa Kappa Gamma is passionate about positive changes,
and this chapter wants their voices heard in the Bucknell Community.
The Delta Phi chapter historically raises money for Reading is Fundamental and has
donated hours by going to local libraries and elementary schools to read to children. This
chapter raises money through the two main philanthropy events, Kappa Klassic and Kappa
Kisses.
Our chapter continues to support Reading is Fundamental because as educated leaders,
we believe reading is an essential key to becoming an influential member of society. We believe
every child should get that support and knowledge and have the resources to do so. Therefore,
we are passionate about donating books and money in order to make an impact.
The Delta Phi chapter holds our weekly meetings in the Art Building on Bucknell’s
beautiful campus. It is centrally located on campus and is easy for all members to walk to. The
specific room we use has plenty of seating and a large screen in which we can play videos,
slideshows and display important reminders for our members.

==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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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!

Delta Alpha

2018-04-02T18:29:37Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Delta Alpha
|GreekSymbol= ΔA
|Image= [[File:Delta_Alpha.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1930|10|03}}
|College= [http://www.psu.edu/ Pennsylvania State University]
|Location= University Park, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/deltaalpha/pages/welcome.php Delta Alpha Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Alpha Media related to Delta Alpha Chapter]}}

'''Pennsylvania State University''', formerly the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania established in 1855. At that time, it was a village in the wilderness in the geographic center of Pennsylvania with no name.

'''Chapter founded October 3, 1930'''

'''2,251 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Elizabeth Cordelia Bell, Doris Buckalew Bidlack, Mary Elizabeth Crozier, Mary Trescott Davenport, Velma Mae Egolf, Elizabeth Everett, Rosemary Forbes, Helen Elizabeth Fowler, Fern Edvina Harmon, Margaret Scott Hopwood, Rachael Sara Anne Johnson, Helen Strickler Keepers, Sue Kern, Helen Lambert Kinsloe, Margaret Frances Knoll, Josephine Shannon La Barre, Marjorie Elizabeth Lyons, Anne Elizabeth Mellinger, Marjorie Elizabeth Stitt, Margaret Tschan, Isabelle Jayne Wielnad, Margaret Anna Yotter.
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'''Some of Delta Alpha’s Outstanding Alumnae:''' (Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Fraternity Council Members:

Gay Chuba Barry: 1976 – 1980, Director of Alumnae; 1980 – 1988 Fraternity Vice President; 1984 – 1988, Director of Field Representatives; Patricia Coffee Gesell: 1988 – 1990, Director of Chapters; Marjorie Gohn (Felsburg): Field Secretary, 1970-71; Anne Riley: Field Secretary, 1964-1966; Linda Pierson (Henkelman): Field Secretary, 1980-1981; Catharine Carbonetta (Mayer): Traveling Consultant, 1990-1991; Niki Rawlins (Salata): Traveling Consultant, 1998-1999; Erin Wischum: Leadership Consultant, 2004-2005; Lauren Sullivan Paitson: Executive Director, 2005-2009; Beth Ann Sharp: 2010 – 2012, Director of Programs and Education, 1973-1974, Graduate Counselor at Arizona; Patricia Coffee Gesell: 2009-, National Panhellenic Conference Delegate, 1994-1996, Regional Director of Chapters, 1992-1994, Risk Management Chairman, 1990-1992, History Chairman, 1988-1990, Fraternity Director of Chapters, 1979-1980, Province Director of Alumnae.

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

Gay Chuba Barry - 1996
Patricia Coffee Gesell - 2016

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

Jane McCormick (Lewis) – 1978, Leader in higher education; served as president of National Association of Women Deans and Counselors; Ruth Johnson (Holden) – 1980, Educator; inventor, pioneer in speech and hearing programs and tools;

'''Additional Outstanding Alumnae'''

Patty Meily (Mershon): Graduate Counselor, 1948-1950;
Ella Louise Williams (Bassett): Graduate Counselor, 1951-1952;
Silvia Brown (Trumbower): Graduate Counselor, 1965-1967;
Christine Lowry (McKeag): Graduate Counselor, 1970-1972;
Beth Ann Sharp: Graduate Counselor, 1973-1974;
Deborah Smith (Fischer): Graduate Counselor, 1975-1977;
Linda Pierson (Henkelman): Graduate Counselor, 1981-1983;
Carol Bender (Mason): Chapter Consultant, 1986-1988;

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

Chartered in 1855 to provide a scientific agricultural education, the so-called Farmers High School, a misleading title, became the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1862. This experimental college was designated the commonwealth’s representative in the national system of state land-grant colleges in 1863. Benefits from this innovative federal-state contract to support higher education came slowly to Penn State, but in 1871 the first women were admitted, and in 1874 the name became Pennsylvania State College. In 1930 the college celebrated its 75th anniversary at “Old Main” on the site of the building which had been the entire campus when the first students arrived in 1859. Since 1953 it has been the Pennsylvania State University.
The non-university locality is still State College, Pennsylvania, and the Kappa alumnae association is the State College Alumnae Association.

The first coeds, occupying part of an upper floor dormitory in “Old Main,” followed strictly enforced rules for “association with the opposite sex.” Separate housing began after the first state appropriation for buildings. Maintenance was granted in 1887, a milestone year, when intercollegiate and extracurricular activities were added, national affiliations for men’s clubs developed, and campus buildings were constructed. Faculty, enrollment, and curricula grew steadily, checked only by the two world wars and the Depression.

When Pennsylvania State trustees authorized the organization of women’s social groups in 1922, six girls met in a campus oak grove and founded Sychor. The plan was to petition Kappa Kappa Gamma as soon as national affiliations were permitted.

Sychor, Pennsylvania State’s second women’s local, became Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa in 1930, the sixth women’s national sorority on campus. Sychor’s green and gold colors and its little gold acorn badge were replaced by Kappa’s light and dark blue and the key October 3, 1930, at the Wesley Foundation Hall of the State College Methodist Church.

Fraternity President Florence Tomlinson Myers (Wallace), Drake, conducted the service with Fraternity Director of Provinces Eleanor V.V. Bennett, UC Berkeley, and Kappa’s new Executive Secretary Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State, officiating for the first of many times. Province officers and University of Pittsburgh actives assisted.

The reception was given in Beta Theta Pi’s new chapter house. The next day the chapter’s first President Margaret Knoll (Oliver) conducted initiation for 28 Sychor alumnae including two founders, Elsie Kohler Moore and Ruthanna Sharpless Ely. Founders Day dinner was in the Centre Hills Country Club.

With dormitory space at a premium in the 1920s, women’s social organizations enjoyed the use of former faculty residences, but had all meals in the McAllister Hall dining commons. The three-story frame Willard Cottage became the Sychor and later the Kappa house, and was operated as dormitory. When it was moved slightly west in 1938 for the building of Pattee Library, Delta Alpha had the one and only private chapter room in the new basement. Moves to McElwain Hall in 1949 and to Cooper Hall in 1958 were to suites in the large residence hall complexes that Penn State had begun to build. Each group rents a living room, kitchenette, and storage closet unit; occupies adjacent dormitory rooms; and shares larger facilities for meetings and initiations. The old Kappa house, renamed Moffat Cottage, was torn down in 1964 to make way for the west addition of the library.

Sensing problems which might arise in an unhoused (by Kappa definition) chapter bound by the local Panhellenic policy of sophomore pledging, the Fraternity assigned a graduate co-organizer, Marion Cheyne (Felton), William and Mary, to live with the Delta Alphas during 1931-32. Marjorie Matson (Converse), Purdue, was Delta Alpha’s Graduate Counselor 1945-46.

Delta Alpha’s small group of State College alumnae served as advisers and formed an association in 1933, with Margaret Oliver again as first President. The chapter and association were hostesses for Beta Province Conventions in 1933, 1955 and 1967.

Anne Riley was Delta Alpha’s first Field Secretary, 1964-66. She was followed by Marjorie Gohn (Felsburg,) 1970-71. Ella Louise Williams (Bassett) was sent to Beta Phi, Montana, 1951-52; Silvia Brown (Swiss) was the Graduate Counselor for the Puget Sound, and Beth Sharp was Graduate Counselor at Arizona in 1973-74.

Helen Kinsloe, charter member and notable Kappa personality, has been honored by the chapter’s only memorial award for Fraternity loyalty and scholarship. It was established by Delta Alpha alumnae and State College Kappas in 1963 after her death, which deprived the Fraternity of a dynamic leader whose rapport with the chapter was enhanced by her faulty position as student adviser and teacher of bacteriology.

A Kappa memorial scholarship for graduate study abroad, in languages, was endowed in 1966 by the husband of Susanna Stover Root, a Sychor alumna. The chapter supports a university scholarship in memory of Alona Williams, who died of leukemia in 1969, her junior year.

Individual interests give a chapter its personality. Delta Alphas are recognized for scholarship, student leadership, and the arts, in publications and in athletics. Before beauty and talent queens were out of fashion, Kappas frequently wore their crowns, including that of Miss Penn State. Delta Alphas were among the charter members when Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Alpha Lambda Delta, Cwens and other honor societies were installed.

In 1972, Rhonda Egidio was one of the two first women elected to Lion’s Paw, a prestigious senior “men’s” honorary. A Sychor-Delta Alpha, Dr. Mary R. Freer Keeler, was an early recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She was Penn State’s “Women of the Year” in 1959 for academic achievement and as dean of faculty of Hood College. When the title of “Dean of Women” was abolished, Jane E. McCormick, Penn State, became head woman administrator in the university’s student affairs office. Donna Symonds Clemson, associate editor of the Penn State Alumni publications, now limits her Kappa activity to chapter advising. Another good friend to Delta Alpha was Doris M. Seward, Delta, Indiana, executive assistant to president of Pennsylvania State and professor of human development.

Consistently high rating among Penn State’s Panhellenic groups strengthened Delta Alpha for survival during the partial eclipse of the Greeks in the late 1960s, and membership quotas were maintained. By 1970 sorority chapters on the campus were in the low 20s with smaller memberships, after peaking at nearly 30 in the early 1960s.

Firmly established chapters are coping with changes in campus situations, and playing a vital role on campuses where liberalized housing creates problems. By exerting Panhellenic leadership in the 1970s, Delta Alpha hoped to become free of the unstructured disunity of the chaotic 1960s and to combine recognition of individuality with Kappa’s traditional values of honor through group organization and the loyalty of members.
--------------------------------
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:==
Delta Alpha, like many of our chapters, was affected by the events of the world. The campus became more involved in issues of our country and the ongoing war in Vietnam. Saigon fell, the Watergate scandal, President Nixon had left office and Gerald Ford became president, which all left their mark. Peace movements began and hippies were everywhere. The Delta Alphas answered by focusing on philanthropies hoping to attract more members. Disco fashion were sweeping the nation – bellbottoms, platform shoes, mini-skirts were in vogue and flower power influence permeated the campus

Rush (Recruitment) numbers were noticeably lower in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s. For those years the total membership was just in the 30s. It wasn’t until 1979 that it was back in fashion to be a Greek. Academic achievement was foremost on the members’ minds and the GPA average for the decade was 3.21.

Coach Joe Paterno had a decade of winning football seasons. Saturdays were always a highlight for the campus known as “Happy Valley.” The campus continued to grow not only in the number of students but in increasing the number of academic buildings.

Spring Week and Greek Week were major highlights for the Delta Alphas as well as for the campus. The Delta Alphas in conjunction with their partner fraternity always gleaned several awards each year.

January 15, 1979, the 1,000th member of Delta Alpha was initiated.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Kappas were well-known on campus for their participation and involvement in philanthropies. They participated in the Delta Gamma Anchor Splash and THON, now one of the largest student run philanthropic events in the country as well as other Greek groups’ events. THON is short for a mara”thon” dance competition which takes place during a four-day period.

==Highlights of the 1980s:==
On campus the Paterno Library was dedicated and named in football Coach Joe Paterno’s honor not only for his major gift to the project but because of the importance he placed on academics with his teams. It almost doubled the size of the existing Patee Library.

“The Dairy” continued to be a favorite of undergraduates and returning graduates. Penn State began as the Farmer’s High School so it is only natural that the Agricultural degree were highly acclaimed. Various flavors of ice cream and cream cheese were the favorites.

Ice skating, square dances and popcorn parties were held monthy and were well attended. Tailgating occurred before each home football game and “mother/daughter” events were held often culminating in a Mother’s Day tea party.

The chapter continued to maintain a high GPA and the members participated in many campus events. Since the chapter was essentially unhoused it was difficult to plan sisterhood events on campus. The chapter strived to maintain the importance of sisterhood. Founders Day was celebrated every year with the State College alumnae and was one of the opportunities to bring together the whole chapter.

Many of the members were involved in intramural sports and student councils across the campus. March 31, 1980, Delta Alpha was recognized as the outstanding chapter on Penn State campus. This award is given by an administrative committee and was most prestigious.

'''Philanthropy:'''

For the third decade THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, was not only the major focus of the entire campus but of Greeks in general. The money raised was for the Four Diamonds Fund of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center which primarily treated children with cancer. Kappas and their partners raised on average more than $40,000 a year.

==Highlights of the 1990s:==
Delta Alpha continued to be proud of its many philanthropic efforts.The members were proud to be carrying on the traditions of the past. For example, still participating in Derby Days and winning Spring Week with the Sigma Chis as well as the participation in THON.
Kappas maintained a great relationship with other Greek organizations by continuously attending their events and getting to know other members involved in Greek life. This helped to boost Kappa’s reputation on campus and in the community.

During these years the Delta Alpha Chapter won the outstanding chapter at Penn State award multiple times. The award was based on activities in philanthropies and involvement in THON. Kappa was one of the top organizations that raised money for THON over the course of years.
Delta Alpha was excited to host the Beta Province Meeting. The chapter prided itself on its GPA for the decade and continued to express the importance of academic studies.

==Highlights of 2000-2010:==
Penn State is known for having excellent academic programs. In fall 2010 The Wall Street Journal named Penn State as the number one school where business recruiters seek to hire students. Also, the Women’s Volleyball Team won its fourth consecutive national championship.
Here at Penn State the chapter is very well respected. It has a reputation on the campus and among fellow students of having outstanding members. The chapter continues to participate in Greek Week and Spring Week – a major event on the campus each year.

The chapter focused on promoting sisterhood with special events and retreats. Campus involvement by so many members left little time for sisterhood. Founders Day continued to be a favorite event among sisters and a time when they can all be together.

Scholarship was once again a prime focus with a decade average of 3.42. The chapter also hosted a LEAD seminar with the Dickinson and Bucknell chapters.

'''Philanthropy:'''

In 2004, Delta Alpha with its partner fraternity raised $81,875 to contribute to the fight against pediatric cancer – THON. The campus in total raised $3.5 million.In 2006, $91,1798 was raised; in 2009 Delta Alpha raised an unbelievable $136,443 for THON, placing third. Also, in 2004 the chapter began its decade association with Reading Is Fundamental. The first activity was a story time and help with an elementary school.
Other RIF activities for the decade to raise money were an ice cream eating contest, “Kappa Klassic” tennis tournament; Kappa Winter Tales – children attended an event to listen to a profession story teller.

The Delta Alphas are proud of their long heritage of contributing to society and at the same time making academic success and philanthropy involvement its top priorities.

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

2000 – Scholarship Honorable Mention: Greatest Scholarship Improvement Honorable Mention
2002 – Efficiency Award, Ritual Honorable Mention, Scholarship Honorable Mention, Recruitment Honorable Mention, Advisory Board Honorable Mention,
2006 – Risk Management Honorable Mention
2008 – Panhellenic Award, Standards Honorable Mention

==Highlights of 2011-2019:==

==Highlights of 2011==

The Delta Alpha Chapter now consists of 91 active members, after this past fall when we received a new fairly large pledge class of 31 new sisters! We also just welcomed a spring pledge class of 9 new girls currently going through their pledging process. Seven of our active members are currently studying abroad in Florence, Barcelona and Paris. This year, 2012, we received a new THON family! We are very excited to welcome this young girl into our THON family. THON this year was a bit different than the past due to a tragic car accident of a girl in another sorority who was traveling to someone's home for a canning weekend. A “canning” weekend means going to a fellow sister’s house and being welcomed by her family for a weekend, The family provides shelter and home-cooked meals and during the day we go into the streets and raise money for the Hershey Medical Center’s Four Diamonds Fund.

After this incident the THON committee proceeded to put regulatilons on canning weekend and require students participating to go to a workshop that talked about how to ensure our safety. You would then receive a wristband that showed you completed this workshop and were allowed to go! Kappa is paired with Delta Chi Fraternity once again for THON 2012. We had a birthday party for Ashley, one of our THON family members at Delta Chi which was a lot of fun, and a good chance for the new girls to get to know the family better. We held a philanthropy event this year with obstacle courses and pie eating contests, that Kappa actually won! In addition we held a Founder's Day brunch this fall at the Nittany Lion Inn. All of our sisters and alumni came together to reminisced on Kappa traditions and passed events. Here at Pennsylvania State University the Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is very respected and we have a very classy reputation among the campus and fellow students.

'''Campus:''' This past fall a very sad scandal actually came out about. A former football staff members here at Penn State was charged with counts of child sex abuse which shocked the campus and the entire Penn State community. There was a definite gloom that hung over the campus for a week or two, but the entire school really came together to show that this one staff member's actions do not reflect the Penn State community and the students here on campus. The members of Kappa supported the victims that were apart of these awful events by attending a football game in all blue for child abuse, and attending a candle light vigil here on campus in support of the young boys affected. In response to this, former icon football coach, Joe Paterno was fired. This caused a great unroar and a lot of emotions on campus. Though, the students stuck together and supported this man who has done so much for our school. The following football game that would be the first that Joe Paterno was not present at, was sold out to capacity and the student section was louder and had more spirit than ever. As a result there has been more student leadership, and more alumni support and a call for more transparency and administration. In the end the campus has become more unified to maintain Penn State's future goals and reputation.

'''Chapter:''' Due to these events this year on campus, the Delta Alpha chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma we made an effort to represent Penn State as best as we could as a chapter to show the outside world that Penn State is not one person. We strived to raise even more money for THON, which is such an incredible cause here that our school does, and we did not want the previous events to lead us to any financial losses for this great cause that helps so many people in need. Here on campus Kappa has one of the highest held GPA's and we take great pride in our academic success. Many of our members also participate in club activities. We are a very well rounded group of young ladies.

A recent visit from a Leadership Consultant helped us identify things we can improve on in our chapter. This includes become more open and welcoming to the members of other sororities who participate in our philanthropies or come to our suite for activities. In terms of making relationships, we also need to try to reeach out to nationals to and create a better relationship with the people out there who want to help us most! We also need to do a better of job of getting in our paper work on time. We are very motivated to step up and improve these things that we need to work on. We are constantly trying to better ourselves.

==Highlights of 2012==

The Delta Alpha Chapter had a great year. The Chapter consists of 117 active members and welcomed a new pledge class of 36 girls in the fall! Several girls are currently studying abroad in places such as Paris, Barcelona, Argentina, and even Africa! This year we went on many canning trips to support and raise money for THON. Our chapter is thrilled to be working with three amazing THON families and we are so proud to say we help them with all of our hearts. Through raising money for the Hershey Medical Center's Four Diamonds Fund we have gained a full understanding of how lucky we are and how our actions and hard work can help so many people that are in need of love and care. We hosted a birthday party for one of our THON children, Ashley, at our partner, Delta Chi Fraternity's house. We also raised a lot of money to donate to our philanthropy by holding different philanthropy events throughout the year. Our chapter had very successful recruitment periods and gained so many great friendships and bonds. Many pearls were given out to reward the sisters who received GPA's of 3.8 or higher. Although Penn State has been going through a tough time in the recent years, Kappa Kappa Gamma has kept a very leveled head and worked to improve the campus. As a whole chapter we supported the football team and many campus events to show our loyalty as a sisterhood and as a Penn Stater. All year we were proud to wear our KKG letters around and spread information about why we love being a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

As a chapter we have changed over the years. Bonds have grown stronger and it is apparent that each individual is making a huge effort to give Kappa Kappa Gamma a great reputation. Recently there has been a strong effort to make the new pledge class feel at home and a desire to get them very involved. Our chapter continues to work with our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, as well as Penn State's dance marathon will all of our hearts. Kappa has one of the highest GPA's among other sororities and we have maintained that and are so proud.

Some chapter challenges included miscommunication between all members of the Delta Alpha Chapter. We have been aiming to meet and overcome these challenges by working with our advisers and talking things through in a mature and lady-like way. We have attended many meetings to help us open up and learn how to communicate properly and womenly. We are working hard to develop a strong communication with the sororities around us on campus and to nationals. One last thing we have struggled with in the past is turning in paper work on time and finishing important documents and webinars. The new CC is working so hard and coming up with many ideas to keep us on top of our tasks so we can improve!

Our campus has gone through many changes that have to do with the scandal involving the coaches on our beloved football team. Like the previous year all Penn State students kept a positive attitude and maintained their pride. Kappa made sure to attend the Blue-out game to support victims of child abuse. Other recent changes on campus have included new sorority housing being built in which the Delta Alpha chapter will be able to live in next year. Many sororities are moving into the new buildings along with us, which will help us get to know many other people. The amount of girls that decided to go through recruitment this year was very high, and the Delta Alpha chapter worked their hardest to have the most successful recruitment process as possible.

==Highlights of 2013==

-The Delta Alpha Chapter had a very fulfilling year. The Chapter now consists of 149 active members and initiated a new pledge class of 54 girls in the fall, including three legacies! Our chapter had a very successful recruitment process and integrated our new members with the enthusiasm to uphold Kappa’s traditions. This year our chapter participated in many fundraising activities to raise money for both THON and our national charity. We went on many canning trips with our partners in the Delta Chi Fraternity, sent Thonvelopes, and created many fundraising events with the local restaurants such as Five Guys and Cold Stone. This year our chapter is working with two amazing THON families, who are loving and caring. It has brought our chapter so much pride to get to know these families and we are so excited to spend the weekend with them for THON weekend. Participating in such a meaningful organization has made every girl in our chapter proud to be supporting such a cause. In academics, our chapter gave out many pearls to the girls that earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher to recognize and reward their academic achievements.

As a whole chapter we work to improve our sorority, our school and our community. All year we work to spread awareness of the great benefits of sisterhood and the bonds formed in Kappa Kappa Gamma. However, like every other organization we have faced some challenges that we have worked to overcome together as a chapter united. Some chapter challenges that we have met in the past and continue to work on is being more organized with our documents and struggling to turn in important paperwork in on time.

Our members and the new CC has been working endlessly to overcome these challenges by working with our advisers and staying on top of our tasks. Every girl takes their individual responsibility seriously in order to achieve everything our chapter is capable of. The last challenge that we have met as a sorority is being able to handle a new pledge class of fifty- four girls, the biggest pledge class we have had yet. This was a challenge for not only our sorority, but all sororities on campus as the number of girls going through recruitment has increased yearly. Integrating such a big group of girls into our chapter brought about many organizational issues within the sorority. This is a challenge that we faced with grace and our now proud to say that by working together have successfully integrated the new pledge class.

Our Penn State campus has undergone many changes this year including new housing for all sororities to move into. Our chapter moved into a new building this spring semester. This move has given us the opportunity to meet the other sororities that also moved into the building, allowing all the sororities on campus to become closer to each other, and given all Pan-Hellenic women the opportunity to get to know each other and make us closer as a whole. There have also been some changes within Pan- Hellenic itself because new sororities have been invited to join the Greek community on campus. Some new sororities will be coming on to our campus for the upcoming year, and we have also said good -bye to other sororities that have left our campus. Pledge classes are now bigger than they have ever been on Penn State campus. This increased Greek life as a whole on campus.

As a chapter we continue to change and improve. Our members are still working tirelessly to represent Kappa Kappa Gamma accurately, giving our sorority the reputation that it deserves. As a chapter we stick together and support our sisters to the fullest. The biggest change within our chapter has been the increase in pledge class size and our sisters are also working very hard to include the new pledge class that has grown significantly this year and will probably continue to grow in the upcoming years.

==Highlights of 2014==
The Delta Alpha Chapter had a very rewarding year. At the 2014 convention, the Delta Alpha chapter was awarded the Chapter/Advisory Board Relations Award, as well as Honorable Mention for Greatest Improvement! We were also fortunate enough to had been given two awards from the Greek Column Awards ceremony. There we were awarded Chapter of Excellence and Most Improved Chapter by the Penn State Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. In addition, out chapter has flourished and took in a large, quota pledge class of 66 amazing New Members, who have all been initiated and remain dedicated to the sisterhood! For 2014 one huge goal was to attain that Chapter of Excellence status, so we are very proud to say we have accomplished that. We will continue to strive for this in 2015 and in years to come. Some other goals we have been working on and will continue to work on this year include establishing a signature philanthropy event and furthering member commitment and involvement at chapter events. These are both areas of struggle for our chapter that we have been making great strides in through strong leadership and standards. As evident by the Honorable Mention from Kappa and the award from Panhellenic, we have made great strides in 2014, but there is always room to grow.

Our Penn State campus has undergone many changes in the past year. One addition is the new south dorm located right near the sorority suites. There has also been a recent addition to the HUB-Student Center which is a great place for sororities to meet up and hold events. There have also been some changes within Panhellenic itself. New sororites have joined our campus and we have also said goodbye to others. Pledge classes are now bigger and greek life as a whole has really grown on the Penn State campus.

The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma holds chapter meetings weekly in the chapter room which is located on the ground floor of Ewing Hall. This building is owned by the Pennsylvania State University and is considered on campus dorm.

Thirty three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter get the opportunity to live on the sorority floor each semester. During the fall, six girls are placed in supplemental housing located in overflow housing. Then in the spring they get the chance to move onto the floor when other girls move out for study abroad. Our chapter was housed in Cooper Hall since 1958, and in January of 2014 we moved to the renovated Ewing Hall. In the renovated "Greek Village," suites are now located right on the chapters' floors, while they used to be all on the first floor. This gives the hall a more house-like feel. The suite was beautifully decorated and stocked with the help of our advisers and House Board.

==Highlights of 2015==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We had a very successful recruitment process and welcomed 59 New Members this fall! Our new sisters are so proud to be apart of our sisterhood, and are very enthusiastic to be a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s wonderful traditions.

We recently gained a new THON family and could not be more excited to be working with them! Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was the loss of two canning trips, where a majority of our fundraising for THON occurs. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we also are holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. We held a philanthropy event recently at a local church with 1-4 year olds to promote our philanthropy and it was a great success! Our sisters and the local children really enjoyed the time we spent together. One of our goals for this year that we will continue to strive for is to create a signature philanthropy event. We have been making remarkable achievements in 2015, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

Thirty three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

==Highlights of 2016==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. To go along with our outstanding honors, we also had a very successful recruitment process and welcomed 70 New Members this fall! Our new sisters are so proud to be apart of our sisterhood, and are very enthusiastic to be a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s wonderful traditions.
We gained a new THON family last year and are so excited to continue working with them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 2 trips. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.
We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2016 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. This fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2016, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.
Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.
Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

==Highlights of 2017==
The Delta Alpha chapter had an challenging year year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. This year, due to recent changes in policies on our campus, we did not do our usual Fall recruitment. Penn State University has changed the rules that there is to be no more Fall recruitment and it will only take place in the Spring. Although we did not have recruitment, we have been super busy planning for recruitment in the Spring and cannot wait to welcome new members when the time comes!

We gained a new THON family two years ago and are so excited to continue working with them. On another note, our second THON family decided to not continue with us because Jacob is now older. We wish him and his family the best of luck and always keep a special place in our hearts for them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 1 trip. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2017 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. Last fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2017, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

==Highlights of 2017==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. This year, due to recent changes in policies on our campus, we did not do our usual Fall recruitment. Penn State University has changed the rules that there is to be no more Fall recruitment and it will only take place in the Spring. Although we did not have recruitment, we have been super busy planning for recruitment in the Spring and cannot wait to welcome new members when the time comes!

We gained a new THON family two years ago and are so excited to continue working with them. On another note, our second THON family decided to not continue with us because Jacob is now older. We wish him and his family the best of luck and always keep a special place in our hearts for them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 1 trip. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2017 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. Last fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2017, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

-----------
'''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 Kappa

2018-03-19T14:32:53Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of the 1980s: */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Epsilon Kappa
|GreekSymbol= EK
|Image= [[File:Epsilon_Kappa.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1967|02|18}}
|College= [http://www.sc.edu/ University of South Carolina]
|Location= Columbia, SC
|Homepage= [http://www.usckkg.org/ Epsilon Kappa Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Kappa Media related to Epsilon Kappa Chapter]}}

'''University of South Carolina established in 1801, Columbia, South Carolina'''

'''Founded February 18, 1967'''

'''2,318 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

----

'''Charter Members:'''
Gloria Jean Allen, Mary Dolores Armstrong, Joy Alyce Cook, Betty Love Emmons, Marsha Gittinger, Deborah Ann Gough, Nancy Jane Groover, Jean Martha Huston, Marilyn Claudette Keen, Rebecca Suzanne Strange, Candice Jordan Walker, Julia Katherine Wilshin

'''Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae:'''

'''Fraternity Officers:'''
Anna Fowlkes, Chapter Consultant 1983-1984; Jamie Gardner, Headquarters Intern, 2013

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

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

'''Additional Outstanding Epsilon Kappa Alumnae:'''

==The Early Years==

From September 17, 1962, when an alumnae club was chartered in Columbia, there had been the hope that an active chapter of Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma would be installed at the University of South Carolina. The Kappas felt that South Carolina had been neglected by the Fraternity as far as colonizing chapters was concerned. However, this neglect was understood when only 120 Kappa alumnae living in South Carolina were listed in the first galley sheets send by Headquarters in 1962.

The University of South Carolina is a large university located in the heart of the city. Real estate in this area was quite high. Since a sorority house would have to be close to the university for the girls’ safety, it was the consensus of opinion that perhaps the university would make the next girls’ dormitory a Panhellenic dormitory.

In the spring of 1966, an evaluating team was sent by Kappa to the university, by invitation, to examine the possibilities of colonizing. The team was favorably impressed, and a “red carpet welcome” was extended by the university, culminating in a luncheon by Panhellenic with the dean of women as hostess. An invitation was extended to Kappa Kappa Gamma to become the eight national sorority on campus, the first since the early forties to establish a chapter on campus. Preceding was Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Pi Beta Phi. An inspection committee arrived shortly thereafter. Upon recommendation of this committee, a vote was taken by the Council and Associate Council, and was approved.

Frances Fatout Alexander, ''DePauw'', Fraternity President at that time, lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, not far away. Mary Turner Witney, Cincinnati, lived in Beaufort, South Carolina. Jean Hess Wells, ''Georgia'', and Dorothy McCampbell Nowell, ''Georgia'', lived in Georgia. The last two were with the chapter during the first rush in September, 1966, as was Marsha Lynn Love, Florida State, slated to be the graduate counselor for the new Chapter. Some of the actives from Delta Upsilon, University of Georgia, came over for two weekends to put on skits and rushing parties, and later for initiation in February, 1967. They demonstrated Kappa loyalty to the fullest. Some actives from Epsilon Epsilon, Emory University, came, too.

It was agreed to enter recruitment in the fall, and the university provided a chapter room in the Wade Hampton Dormitory. On September 29, 1966, twelve girls accepted bids. Four more were added in informal rush. The twelve who made their grades became charter members of Epsilon Kappa and the four who did not make their grades became charter pledges. On February 17, 1967 the colony became the Epsilon Kappa Chapter at the University of South Carolina; Kappa's ninety-third Chapter and the first Kappa Chapter in the state.

First on the initiates' agenda was the Fireside Service at the Baptist Student Center, complete with members of sister Chapter, ''Georgia.'' This was followed by a social hour in the flower-filled Kappa room. Many Kappa songs, combined with shining faces and expectant smiles, produced a truly unforgettable evening. Twelve happy members received their new badges and long awaited charter in the Saturday afternoon ceremony. Immediately after installation, Epsilon Kappa Chapter adjourned to the Kappa room for the ceremony conducted by former Fraternity President Whitney to pledge five women to the newly installed Chapter. The gala banquet was held at Columbia's Palmetto Club and presided over by toastmistress and Central South Carolina Alumnae Association president, Barbara Grimsley Burns, ''UCLA''. Various gifts to the Chapter were presented during the evening, including the awarding of three special keys. In addition, flowers, telegrams, and letters from Kappas coast to coast gave South Carolina's Kappa Chapter a warm welcome.

==Highlights of the 1970s:==

Due to the smallness of the chapter at the time, an active often had to hold two offices or chairmanships. Epsilon Kappa received an award at the Centennial Convention for scholarship improvement among smaller chapters and in 1973 had two members of Phi Beta Kappa.

Members of Epsilon Kappa earned honors in university scholastic organizations such as nursing, music, education, and the freshman honorary. The Chapter won in intramural swimming, two girls were voted sweethearts, and one Kappa was named the Sorority Woman of the Year.

Epsilon Kappa Chapter, along with the Columbia Alumnae Club, hosted the 1973 Mu Province meeting.

----------------
Most of 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 HAt the University of Tennessee, as the Epsilon Lambda chapter, Kappa Kappa Gamma is committed to helping women reach their full potential and aspirations, while never losing sight of its dedication to the community. Kappa offers its members experience ranging from friendship to mentoring, from leadership to service, and from campus activities to a lifetime of community involvement. With 180 members, Kappa Kappa Gamma at UT represents a diverse group of women coming together to make a difference, a difference that the entire Knoxville community will never forget.

==Highlights of the 1980's==

Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity is one of the oldest women's fraternities with a total membership of more than 260,000 women and 140 collegiate chapters in the United States and Canada. At the University of Tennessee, Kappa Kappa Gamma prides itself on the tradition of leadership. The chapter strives in every aspect to uphold the fraternity's national mission statement: "Kappa Kappa Gamma is an organization of women, which seeks for every member throughout her life bonds of friendship, mutual support, opportunities for self-growth, respect for intellectual development, and an understanding of and an allegiance to positive ethical principles." Being a member of Kappa is really about opportunity: to grow, to connect, to serve, to befriend, to aspire. History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key.

==Highlights 2011 - 2019==

==Highlights of 2011==

In the spring of 2011 the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had its largest spring pledge class with eight new members. After a great recruitment in the fall of 2011 the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma gained 98 new members.Our annual fall philanthropy event, Kappa Kickoff, was a successful flag football tournament, with participation from other Greek organizations and University sports teams.

'''Chapter:''' The Epsilon Kappa chapter has grown drastically in the past year. We nearly doubled in size after our spring and fall recruitment, growing from 159 members to 262.

==Highlights of 2012==

'''Scholarship:'''

- Kappa Kappa Gamma logged the most hours in the Library out of the entire greek community last year.
-Our chatper improved our GPA both semesters, ranking us 5th in the entire greek community.

'''Philanhropic Involvement:'''
-This fall we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on November 18th. This event raised money for a scholarship fund that we call the Hill Family Fund, started by our chapter, for the children of one of our former chefs who tragically passed away along with his wife in a car accident. The event itself raised over $2,500.

-We had 2 members on the Panhellenic Circle of Sisterhood Committee and as a chapter raised around $300 for that effort.
-We had 16 girls participate in Dance Marathon, an organization that supports Children's Miracale Network Hospitals and our team raised over $6,500
-Through a combination of t-shirt sales, percent nights and other various philanthropic efforts we raised over $3,000 and divided it between the Hill family fund and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
-We made weekly trips to read to children at local elementary and middle schools. As well as held a book drive to donate hundreds of books to local schools through RIF.
-We hosted the CEO of RIF for an informational session which was such a treat!

''Leadership:'''

-Riley Shipman and Jamie Gardner attended SLDC (Student Leadership and Diversity Conference on Feburary 4th) as well as SEPC (South Eastern Panhellenic Conference March 29-April 1st) representing both Kappa and USC’s Sorority Council.
-Members of the 2012 Chapter Council also attended Kappa Kappa Gamma Annual Convention June 20-24th in Jacksonville, Florida.
-On September 13-16th 2012, collegiate Rachel Haselden and alumni Myra Morton attended Kappa’s annual Leadership conference in Columbus, Ohio.

'''Goals:'''
-The three main goals from 2012 of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma were as follows: to be more involved in the Greek community at the University of South Carolina, to improve academically, and to be more active in our national philanthropy Read is Fundamental (RIF). The chapter accomplished these goals ten-fold and will continue to do so in the future. Two main examples of our increased involvement in the Greek community are the fact that we had to representatives of Kappa Kappa Gamma on Sorority Council as well as our sisterhood event with Alpha Kappa Alpha and Phi Mu in September 2012. In this sisterhood event, Alpha Kappa Alpha was able to educate the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Phi Mu about Incorporated Sororities and their sorority’s history as well. It was a lot of fun and cultivated many diverse friendships.

The second goal of academic improvement was carried out through increased study hours and availability of educational tools, such as sister tutors. We also increased the amount of academic incentives that we gave out, for example, gift cards and gift baskets. Using these tools, we were able to increase our average GPA to 3.43 and are continuing to improve that with our New Member class having a GPA average 3.45. The third goal of becoming more involved with Kappa Kappa Gamma’s national foundation was carried out through many different ways. We began a program in which a group of about 10 sisters went to BC Grammar School (a RIF certified school) in Columbia, and read with children in the school library for a few hours on Friday afternoons. We also had to honor of having Reading is Fundamental’s CEO, Carol Hampton Rasco, speak to our chapter this fall. She not only spoke with us about the RIF organization and how we could become more involved but also about being a woman in leadership. Our sisters benefited immensely from this experience. All in all, the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma set high goals for itself and delivered in reaching each one. We are excited to continue to work on these goals that we have set and set new ones for the future of our chapter.

'''Programs:'''

-We invited all alumni to attend a mock-recruitment showcase round before the rounds started on August 4, 2012 at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. They got to see what we were presenting during recruitment for the upcoming year, and then stay for sweet tea and desserts.

-Our parents event this year was the Parents’ Cocktail, held September 26th, 2012 at our house in the Greek Village. We hold this event every year to allow parents to meet other sisters and also enjoy a social gathering. The night included food, presentations from our exec board, house tours and a silent auction to raise money for our philanthropy.

During the fall, We hosted a Yoghut Percent night with Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. to raise money for Sorority Council’s Philanthropy, Circle of Sisterhood.

Last spring, We hosted a Sister Sorority of the Month Event with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Phi Mu on October 13, 2012. We did a bonding evening at the KKG house where we learned about one another’s sororities and histories. Had dinner and dessert and then gave speeches to one another about what makes us who we are.

Last Spring, our chapter sent 5 of our largest committees to attend a drunk driving seminar at the Delta Zeta House. Not only did this give our members a real perspective on Drunk Driving and how it affects family members, but it also provided us a chance to support another organization’s educational efforts.

'''Awards:'''
-Our chapter was awarded with Most Improved GPA at our General Convention (national conference) in June 2010. We were also awarded and award for Gracious Living, Academic Most Improved, Opal Humphrey Membership Award, and the Felice Wood Pralle House Board Relations Award at our National Convention on October 20, 2012.
-Received the Silver Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Received the Academic Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Received the Chapter Involvement Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Recived the Challenge The Process Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life

==Highlights of 2013==

'''Scholarship:'''
Kappa Kappa Gamma logged the most hours in the Library for 2013. Our chapter has continued to improve our GPA both semesters, however, the rank is not known yet.

'''Philanthropic Involvement:''' This Fall, we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on October 13, 2013. This event raised money for a scholarship fund that we call The Hill Family Fund, started by our chapter, for the children of one of our former chefs who tragically passed away along with his wife in a car accident. The event itself raised over $7,000.

We had 25 girls participate in Dance Marathon, an organization that supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. We also had 5 girls on moral, a selected group of people who help organize and run the event. Our team raised over $4,500.

We made weekly trips to read to the children at local elementary and middle schools. Participated in Reading Rocks a book drive event and celebration of reading at local elementary school. Through a combination of t-shirt sales, percent nights and other various philanthropic efforts we raised over $3,000 and divided it between the Hill family fund and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

'''Leadership:'''
- We sent new member, Taylor Kessock, to 2014 SLDC.
-2 women of Epsilon Kappa were selected to be resident mentors on campus
-5 new members selected to participate in Greek Emergaing Leaders Program
-Riley Shipman and Jamie Gardner attended SLDC (Student Leadership and Diversity Conference on Feburary 4th) as well as SEPC (South Eastern Panhellenic Conference March 29-April 1st) representing both Kappa and USC’s Sorority Council. Lindsay Webb will be attending SEPC this year. Both Riley and Jamie are going to be Leadership consoltents next year.

'''Goals:'''
The three main goals from 2013 of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma were as follows: to be more involved in the Greek community at the University of South Carolina, to improve academically, and to be more active in our national philanthropy Read is Fundamental (RIF). The chapter accomplished these goals ten-fold and will continue to do so in the future.

Two main examples of our increased involvement in the Greek community are the fact that we had sisters on Sorority Council, Greek Conduct and Programming board, as well as Greek ambassadors and Pi Chi’s. We also held an informational sisterhood event with Sororos of Delta Sigma Theta which gave them a chance to present about NPHC & their national organization. It was an very interactive event and I think our girls learned a TON and had fun doing it. The second goal of academic improvement was carried out through increased study hours and availability of educational tools, such as sister tutors.

We also increased the amount of academic incentives that we gave out, for example, gift cards and gift baskets. The third goal of becoming more involved with Kappa Kappa Gamma’s national foundation was carried out through many different ways. We continued our program in which a group of about 10 sisters at a time went to BC Grammar School (a RIF certified school) in Columbia, and read with children in the school library for a few hours on Friday afternoons. We continued to participate in the back to school parade and collected books to donate with local elementary and middle schools. Our sisters benefited immensely from both experiences. All in all, the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma set high goals for itself and delivered in reaching each one. We are excited to continue to work on these goals that we have set and set new ones for the future of our chapter.

'''Programs:'''
Members from the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in an event called Make Moves for Martha benefit concert- an event that raised awareness and support of a young lady who was tragically paralyzed while she was in downtown Columbia.

We invited all alumni to attend a mock-recruitment showcase round before the rounds started on August 4, 2012 at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. They got to see what we were presenting during recruitment for the upcoming year, and then stay for sweet tea and desserts. Our parents event this year was the Parents’ Cocktail, held September 26th, 2012 at our house in the historic Seibels House and a bruch on Sunday for the parents and family at our house in greek village. We hold this event every year to allow parents to meet other sisters and also enjoy a social gathering. The night included food, presentations from our exec board, house tours and a tshirt sale to raise money for our philanthropy.

We hosted a Sister Sorority of the Month Event with Delta Zeta Feb 20th . We did a bonding evening at the KKG house where we learned about one another’s sororities and histories. There was dinner and dessert and then gave speeches to one another about what makes us who we are.

'''Sisterhood Events'''
March 20th 2013 – Tye Dye Sisterhood Event – 90% attendance
August 25th 2013 – Bid Day event at the Riverbanks Zoo, 100% attendance
October 30th – Pumpkin Painting Sisterhood event – 90% attendance
October 13th 2013– Founders Day Celebration – 90% attendance

'''Awards:'''
-Received the Silver Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Received the Academic Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Received the Chapter Involvement Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Received the Challenge The Process Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
-Received the Outstanding Academic Excellence Award at Mu Province Spring 2013
-Received the Most improved Advisor Relations Award at Mu Province Spring 2013

Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
After gaining 110+ girls, our chapter meetings had to be held in the Nursing Building Auditorium to fit such a high capacity. USC is set to have Pi beta Phi on campus in the fall

==Highlights of 2014==

Scholarship:

-Our chapter has continued to improve our GPA both semesters. Our chapter was ranked tenth out of all of the University of South Carolina’s sororities and fraternities for the spring of 2014 and ninth in the fall of 2014 in regards to GPA.

-Our chapter fostered academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Exam Breakers during exam week, Sweet Tea with KKG, Kappa Kappaccino, and study hours.

Awards:

-Received the Silver Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for both spring and fall 2014

-Honorable mention in Recruitment and Public Relations from the Kappa Kappa Gamma National Convention in June of 2014

-Voted “Best Sorority” of the University of South Carolina for Best of Carolina 2014

Leadership:

- National Conference in Houston, TX June 25-29th, 2014: Officers attended: President, Public Relations Chairman, Event Chairman, Marshal, Treasurer

- Leadership Academy September 11th-14th, 2014 attended by Taylor Kessock

-South Eastern Panhellenic Conference (SEPC) March 28-30th, 2014 attended by Lindsay Webb

- Student Leadership and Diversity Conference (SLDC) February 1st, 2014 attended by Taylor Kessock

Traditions:

-A sister presents Lady Minerva at each chapter meeting. One sister writes a letter in a journal to a sister who inspires her and then reads her letter aloud to the whole chapter. The sister who is written about writes about another sister and reads her note aloud at the next chapter and so on and so forth.

Programs:

-We hosted a Sister Sorority of the Month Event with Delta Zeta on Feb 20, 2014. We had an ice cream social at the Delta Zeta house where we learned about one another’s sororities and histories.

-Alumni Babysitting event planned by Amy Stonecipher.

-We placed 3rd at Greek Week in April 2014.

-Our parent’s event this year was the Parent’s Cocktail, held September 26, 2014 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The night included food, dancing, and a silent auction. The auction raised $3,000 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

-Our chapter placed second overall in USC’s Homecoming Competition by participating in events throughout Homecoming week with our Homecoming partners, Lambda Chi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma.

-Reinstallation of a Founder’s Day activity: we held a banquet at the Kappa house on October 19, 2014.

-Sisterhood Events

March 19th, 2014 – HiWire

September 30th, 2014 - Pinterest Party

October 2nd, 2014 - Cycling Class

November 18th and 20th, 2014 – UnWine

-Spring 2014 New Member Weekly Events:

• New Member Meetings are held every Sunday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House)

• Meet with the different officers and discuss how their positions work and what you can learn from them in relation to Kappa

• Chapter Meetings are held every Monday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House)

• Study Hours- 2/week (Library Logs in T-Coop and Kappa House)

-Fall 2014 New Member Weekly Events:

• New Member Meetings are held every Sunday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House).

• Meet with the different officers and discuss how their positions work and what you can learn from them in relation to Kappa

• Chapter Meetings are held EVERY Monday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House)

• Study Hours- 2/week (Library Logs in T-Coop and Kappa House)

-One Time New Member Events:

• New Member Retreat- October 4, 2014

• Learn about yourselves and the other members of your pledge class. Discuss and build upon what you and your pledge class want to contribute to the chapter as a whole. Sisterhood bonding and individual growth. The retreat involved low ropes courses which helped the new members learn to work together.

• Big/Little Reveal- April 3 (spring) and October 9 (fall)

• Initiation (OVERNIGHT)- April 4-5 (spring) and October 17-18 (fall)

-Functions:

• Spring: Mixer with Beta Theta Pi (Winter Olympics Themed), Kappa Kappa Gatsby, Sapphire Ball, Spring Luau/Senior Band

• Fall: Woodstock Function, Backwoods, Semiformal

Philanthropic Involvement:

-Members of our chapter participated in the University of South Carolina's Dance Marathon on March 1, 2014. Our team's fundraising contributed to Dance Marathon's total of $318,469 raised for Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital.

-Our chapter's Relay for Life team raised over $8,000. Relay for Life took place on April 4, 2014.

-Some of our sisters participated in Light the Night, a walk benefitting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, on October 30, 2014. Our team raised $4,405.

-This fall we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on November 7th, 2014. When advertising for this event we went to each campus organization that may be interested and gave our flyers & sign up sheets. We told them about the tournament and what the money would benefit. This event, in the past, gave money to a scholarship fund that we called the Hill Family Fund started by our chapter for the children of one of our former chefs who tragically passed away along with his wife in a car accident. Every year that we have held Kappa Kickoff we have invited the Hill family to come spend time with their Kappa family and to give the organizations involved a chance to meet the family that they are providing an education for. Through the support that the Hill family has received from Kappa Kickoff, they are now in a stable financial position. Because of this, we decided to use Kappa Kickoff to help another family in need. This year’s Kickoff benefited the family of Amy Hampton Knight Caldwell. Amy was a very active member of the Epsilon Kappa chapter, and she went on to become a Leadership Consultant after she graduated. Unfortunately, Amy was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and tragically passed away. Her death left her husband and two boys with expensive medical bills. We decided to donate the funds from Kappa Kickoff 2014 to help the family cover Amy’s medical bills. We raised over $3,500.

-We made weekly trips to read to the children at local elementary and middle schools. Participated in Reading Rocks a book drive event and celebration of reading at local elementary school.

-Through a combination of percent nights and other various philanthropic efforts we raised over $5,000 and divided it between RIF and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

Goals:

The three main goals from 2014 of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma were as follows: make the chapter feel more involved in activities and reward those who participate, come closer to ritual, and improve attendance at events. During recruitment we took over an hour to work through different sections of chapter life and take suggestions from people on philanthropy events, socials etc. This lead to the alumni babysitting event Amy Stonecipher planned, as well as the ticket system Katie O’Donovan, our VP of Organization invented. In order to come closer to ritual, Maggie Reade announced Kappa facts at every chapter meeting, and asked a question to get people involved in fun aspects of our ritual. A reward was given at the end of the semester for those who answered the question. We restructured ritual reviews so that there was a reflection question on what Kappa means to you. There was reinstallation of doing a founder's day activity; this year we held a banquet for our Founder’s Day. To improve attendance and efficiency of taking attendance, we adopted a ticket system, EventBrite makes taking attendance extremely easy. We restructured bylaws so that attendance at chapter is more mandatory and worth our members’ time. Before members were allowed two unexcused absences per semester and could send in excuses to the Recording Secretary if they had a reason for missing. Now, all members have three absences per semester, excused or unexcused.

With our newly renovated house, we were able to begin having chapter and all other meetings at our house. Our chapter welcomed our largest pledge class yet with 131 new members. Pi Beta Phi colonized in the Fall of 2014, becoming the twelfth Panhellenic sorority at the University of South Carolina. Members of our chapter supported them through social media and by wearing Pi Beta Phi buttons on our backpacks.

Our chapter holds chapter meetings in our house. Our chapter has its own house in the Greek Village. The land the house is on is owned by the University of South Carolina but each house in the Greek Village is privately owned and operated by an Alumni House Corporation. 20 sisters live in our house along with our house mom. Our chapter has only owned this one house throughout its history.

==Highlights of 2015==

Scholarship:

- Our chapter was ranked fourteenth out of all of the University of South Carolina’s sororities and fraternities for the spring of 2015.

-Our chapter fostered academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Kappa Kappaccino, Sweet Tea with KKG , Study Groups for New Members, Trivia, Yoga to foster healthy minds and bodies, and study hours.

-Our Vice President of Academic Excellence utilized an app called MyGreekStudy to keep track of study hours instead of the old fashioned paper logging system previously used.

Awards:

-Received the Silver Excellence Award, Greek Unity Award, and Philanthropy Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for spring 2015.

-Voted “Best Sorority” of the University of South Carolina for Best of Carolina 2015 for the third year in a row.

Leadership:

- Leadership Academy attended by Lindsay Bratun.

-Southeastern Pan-Hellenic Conference (SEPC) March 26-28, 2015 attended by Alex Hiser.

Traditions:

-A sister presents Lady Minerva at each chapter meeting. One sister writes a letter in a journal to a sister who inspires her and then reads her letter aloud to the whole chapter. The sister who is written about writes about another sister and reads her note aloud at the next chapter and so on and so forth.

-PR Star of the Month: every chapter meeting, a different sister with exceptional social media is given this title.

-Supportive Sister: every chapter meeting, a different sister who has been recommended for this award is named the Supportive Sister of the week, meaning she has gone above and beyond to help her sisters.

-Pan-Hell Princess award is given at chapter to the most widely involved sister of the week.

-Little sisters paint wooden keys for Big Appreciation Day (December 2, 2015).

Programs:

-Chapter Meetings are held every Monday at 8pm in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House.

-Our parent’s event this year was the Parent’s Cocktail, which was held September 25, 2015. The event took place at the Hampton Preston Mansion; the night was filled with dancing, desserts, and most importantly, time spent with sisters and their families.

-Epsilon Kappa Founders Day Celebration: Cookies and cake were served with a yummy dinner. Sisters wore their letters to classes to celebrate our 48th Founders Day!

-Founders Day Celebration: The Education Chairman presented the Voyage of Discovery PowerPoint and the Ritual Chairman performed ritual at the Kappa house on October 14, 2015. Also as part of our Heritage Workshop, our chapter watched the Founders Day 2015 video. There was a Founder’s Day cake served at dinner the night before.

-Our Sisterhood Chairman planned many fun events, such as Hot Yoga, for our sisters!

-Senior Sisterhood Events

Photo Shoot
Bowling
Hiking
Senior Tea
Manicures and Pedicures
Exercise Class
Pot Luck Dinner

-Senior Programming Events

Finance Presentation
Self Defense
Cooking Class

-Senior Gifts

Spring: Shutterfly Scrap Book
Fall: Coordinates (of the Kappa House) Cuff Bracelets

-Fall 2015 New Member Weekly Events:

New Member Meetings are held every Sunday in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House.

Meet with the different officers and discuss how their positions work and what you can learn from them in relation to Kappa

Learn about our sisterhood and what it means to be a Kappa

-One Time New Member Events:

• Big/Little Reveal- October 13

• Initiation (Overnight)

o Spring (took place at Furman): February 27-28

o Fall: I-Week leading up to Initiation Sleepover and Initiation on October 16-17 followed by Initiation Brunch

-Functions:

• Spring:

o 1/22 Paint Party with Phi Sigma Kappa

o 2/21 Mardi Gras Function

o 4/11 Sapphire Ball/Formal: Kappa Kasino Royale

o 4/27 Kappas of the Caribbean (seniors recognized)

• Fall:

o 9/10 Fall Band

o 10/30 Backwoods

o 11/13 Semi Formal

Special Events

-Participated in Greek Week with our partners: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Iota Alpha, and Phi Sigma Kappa

Philanthropic Involvement:

-Donated to Lambda Chi Food Drive in February

-3/16-3/20 Participated in TKE Week (Benefitting St. Jude’s)

-3/16-3/20 Participated in Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Week (Benefiting Prevent Child Abuse America)

-3/20 Successful percent night at Jason’s Deli

-3/21 Members of our chapter participated in the University of South Carolina's Dance Marathon; our chapter’s team raised $8,622 that was contributed to University of South Carolina Dance Marathon's total of $501,528 raised for Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. For 2016’s Dance Marathon, Our chapter posted a tweet that for each time retweeted, we would donate $0.20 to Dance Marathon. The tweet raised $133.60 for 2016’s Dance Marathon.

-3/22-3/26 Participated in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days (Benefiting Huntsman Cancer Foundation)

-Our chapter created a team for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Campus Walk and our team raised $2,338 for the foundation.

-4/4-4/17 April Book Drive for Midlands Reading Consortium program. Our chapter held a Greek-wide book drive in the spring, during which we collected over 250 books to be distributed to underprivileged children in local schools.

-4/14 Percent night at Salsarita’s

-4/15 Members of our chapter participated in Walk a Mile in Their Shoes.

-April Candy Grams for Reading is Fundamental.

-4/17 Our chapter's Relay for Life team raised $4,091. The money we raised was donated to The American Cancer Society.

-10/29 Our chapter created a team for Light the Night, a walk benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our team raised over $4,700 and was the third top fundraising team of the Columbia walk. Our sister Allegra Marino was one of the Top Fundraising Club Members, raising over $2,000.

-10/20 and 10/27 Brookland-Cayce (BC) Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting

-10/27 Percent Night at PDQ

-10/29 Trick or Treat with the Greeks

-11/3 BC Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting

-This fall we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on November 7, 2015. This year we decided that the money raised through Kappa Kickoff would be donated to our new chapter philanthropy, the SEGA Girls School. Our chapter had t-shirts and buttons made to promote the event. Aspyre, an apartment complex in the Columbia area, had a table and handed out drinks. Cromers, a local gourmet shop, sponsored our event as well. PDQ donated to our event as well and provided the lunches served to our sisters. The Philanthropy Committee set up a corn hole set that people could play for one ticket which cost one dollar. There were also various raffles for prizes such as a free spray tan, restaurant and grocery store gift cards, and a spa gift card. Each entry into the raffle cost $1. The weather was a little dicey, but our sisters and the Kappa Kickoff teams had a wonderful time together raising money for the SEGA Girls School.

-11/9 Harvest for Hope Food Bank (40 sisters)

-11/10 BC Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting

-11/10-11/13 Percent Days at Glowout Salon

-11/16 BC Grammar Fitness Night

-11/17 BC Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting

-11/16-11/20 Pencils and Compliments on Greene Street

-12/2 Percent Night at Southern Squeezed

-We made weekly trips to read to the children at local elementary and middle schools.

Goals:

Three of the goals that Epsilon Kappa worked to achieve this year were: try to take all of our sisters’ ideas into account, promote more of Kappa’s ideals during recruitment, and to remind ourselves of our values and why we were founded throughout the year. Our social chairman often created chapter surveys to decide function themes and Chapter Council created a survey at the end of the spring semester to hear the chapter’s concerns. Also, sisters received support when they came forth with ideas, and concerns of members were taken seriously and addressed. Lastly, our chapter had a successful values-based recruitment. Kappa Leadership Consultant, Whitney, and a representative from Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters, Marty, assisted us through the recruitment process, guiding us by Kappa’s values. We began recruitment by discussing what values matter most to us. As a result, we now have 113 wonderful new sisters. We reminded ourselves of our ideals by trying to uphold them throughout the year. Many sisters partook or started movements or events that have positively impacted our chapter and the University of South Carolina campus. Dropping out of the Homecoming competition was another way that our chapter stayed true to our values. Our words and actions inspired each other to be sisterly and represent Kappa to the best of our ability.

Our chapter welcomed a pledge class of 113 new members into our sisterhood this year. A Kappa sister transferred to South Carolina from Georgia Southern and was accepted into our chapter. It was very special since we already shared a bond of sisterhood with her! The state of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina, and our chapter faced hardship when Hurricane Joaquin ultimately caused catastrophic flooding, especially in Columbia and Charleston. Our sisters came together to collect various necessities, including clothing, food, and toiletries, for the victims of the flood. Many sisters volunteered their time and effort, aiding the recovery efforts of the city.

Our chapter dropped out of the University of South Carolina’s Homecoming Week competition due to how the Homecoming Commission handled events throughout the week. We strongly believe in the four pillars that guide our Greek Community: leadership, scholarship, friendship, and service. In dedication to those pillars and standing in solidarity with everyone that is included in the Greek Community, NPC and NPHC organizations alike, we believed it was the best plan of action to withdraw from Homecoming and act out our vision for a community based on mutual understanding and support to all.

Also, our House Director and Chapter Council worked together to introduce the film, The Hunting Ground to our chapter as well as other chapters in the Greek Community. Counselors and other qualified personnel spoke to us about sexual assault, how to prevent it, and the actions to take if assaulted. They were available to speak to any members of our chapter after the showing. Our chapter signed an It’s On Us banner with the pledge painted on it as a sign of our dedication to end sexual assault.

Chapter Philanthropy:

What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? SEGA Girls School, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Reading is Fundamental

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?

Our chapter chooses to support Reading is Fundamental (RIF) because it is Kappa Kappa Gamma’s partner. RIF is wonderful because it gives underprivileged children the gift of reading and it unites all Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters together. The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation is also important to our chapter since one never knows when she will be in need of her sisters’ help. We are all sisters and supporting each other during difficult times is important to us. Our chapter voted on a new chapter philanthropy this year that we plan to continue to support. The result of the vote was the SEGA Girls School, a residential secondary school for bright motivated Tanzanian girls who otherwise are unable to attend school due to extreme poverty. We felt that the SEGA Girls School ties into RIF since The SEGA Girls School values the education of disadvantaged youth like RIF does. Also, The SEGA Girls School is an organization that our fundraising could really make a difference for.

==Highlights of 2016==

'''Scholarship'''

Our chapter's average GPA of 3.51 was ranked 5th out of the 12 Panhellenic sororities at the end of the spring semester. We focused on academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Kappa Kappaccino, Sweet Tea with KKG, study groups for the new members, and chapter-wide study hours. For Kappa Kappaccino and Sweet Tea with KKG, members were encouraged to invite a professor to the house for refreshments in order to encourage socialization outside of the classroom. We had the goal to earn 1870 study hours on the app called MyGreekStudy during Academic Excellence Month (February), and we rented out a study room in Thomas Cooper Library on Sunday nights.

'''Awards'''

Voted Best Sorority on Campus by the Columbia community for the fourth year in a row!

Awarded for our Achievement in Involvement and Achievement in Scholarship by USC's Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Recruitment Award Winner, Honorable Mention for Standards Award, and for the Sally Moore Nitschke Lifelong Education Award at Convention.

Richland One School District recognized us for Continuous Involvement with Reading Rocks.

Literacy Leaders Award from USC College of Library and Information Sciences.

Our sister Megan O'Brien was given the Courage Award for It's On Us from Joe Biden.

'''Leadership'''

Leadership Academy attended by Grace Chadwick.

Southeastern Panhellenic Conference (SEPC) attended by Libby Allen.

Lindsay Webb appointed to be a Leadership Consultant.

71st Biennial Kappa Kappa Gamma Convention attended by Emily Fuldner, Libby Allen, Taylor Kane, and Lindsay Bratun.

'''Traditions'''

At each chapter, the Lady Minerva stands up and reads aloud a meaningful letter that she wrote for a sister that is important to her. The sister who is written about becomes the new Lady Minerva and takes possession of the journal in which all the letters are written. She will write her own letter to a different sister and present her it at the following chapter. Geek of the Week acknowledges a sister for her academic achievement. She is awarded a Starbucks giftcard at chapter for her achievement. Pan-Hell Princess was started back up in March. This award is given at chapter to acknowledge a sister that has participated in various Panhellenic events. Senior spotlight highlights a senior's academic achievement and favorite Kappa memory on the chapter's Instagram page. Jars for sister shout-outs and prayer requests are located in the Chapter room. Sister shout-outs are read aloud at chapter. Cards are sent to families in regard to prayer requests. Risk Minute was started back up during the spring to encourage safety precautions. Our chapter President sends out a newsletter to everyone after chapter with weekly news.

'''Programs'''

Chapter meetings held every Monday night at 8 pm in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House. Parents' cocktail was held at 701 Whaley on September 16, 2016. Sisters and their family members enjoyed yummy desserts, a live band, a photobooth, and other fun activities. Epsilon Kappa Founders Day Celebration: Cake and candy were served with dinner. Sisters wore their stitched letters to class to celebrate our 49th Founders Day! Our Education Chairman planned a separate celebration that got cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew; however, our chapter celebrated Founders Day at our Initiation Brunch. Our sisterhood committee worked together to plan exciting sisterhood events throughout the year. Our sisters participated in yoga, Barre3, pilates, kickboxing, self defense, movie nights, a day trip to Charleston, pottery, iceskating, and many other fun activities together. Our Chaplain holds weekly Bible study sessions in the yellow room of the Kappa house on Wednesday nights at 8 pm.

Senior Sisterhood events include: Senior Tea; Mad Platter; Photoshoot; Yoga

Senior Programming events include: Senior Superlatives; Senior Wills; attending the Initiation sleepover to bond with New Members

Senior gifts include: bracelets with the coordinates of the Kappa House

'''Fall 2016 New Member Events'''

New Member information meetings were held every Sunday night in the chapter room of the Kappa house. New Members learned the history of Kappa Kappa Gamma and what it means to be a woman in Kappa. New Members also learned about our own chapter through presentations made by various sisters with Chapter Council positions.

One Time New Member Events: Sisterhood potluck event; Big/Little Reveal; Initiation (Oct 22, 2016, following I-Week, Fireside, and the Initiation sleepover); the Initiation Brunch was held the day after Initiation with all of our sisters and several alumnae; New Member Retreat (overnight trip held on November 5, 2016 - New Members spent the night in cabins which allowed them to further bond with the sisters in their NM class).

'''Kappa Trainer Events'''

2/7/16 on Social Media

4/10/16 on Bystander Accountability

11/7/16 Alcohol Training

'''Functions and Special Events'''

-Spring: Mixer with Lambda Chi Alpha #throwbackthursday; Every Day's a Holiday Function; Red Carpet Formal at Williams-Brice Stadium
-Fall: Sweet Home Carolina; Backwoods; Semi Formal

-3/21-24/16: Participated in Greek Week; a week long event to unite the USC Greek community. This year the overall theme was Disney. Our chapter was teamed with Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Phi Beta Sigma, and our specific theme was Snow White. Events from this week included: A blood drive, Night at Strom, a cultural food fest, and Greek Sing.

-10/31/16 - 11/4/16: Homecoming Week, partners with the Club Hockey team; first time in history that a sorority was not paired with a fraternity. Overall we came in 4th place and got 2nd in the float building contest!

'''Philanthropy'''

Our chapter chose to support the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental because these are Kappa's two national philanthropies. We love being able to help our own sisters that are in need through the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Giving back to them is so special especially when they have given so much to this organization. In addition, we choose to support Reading is Fundamental (RIF) because it is so important that all children are given the resources necessary to learn how to read. We love how we can see the impact of our philanthropy throughout our own community's primary schools. We get to travel to different schools throughout South Carolina through Cocky's Reading Express and deliever books to children in need. Seeing our direct impact to a cause that is so important makes our philanthropy so special. At the beginning of this year, we were also supporting the SEGA Girls School which is located in Tanzania; however, our chapter voted to currently stop our support to this organization. Although it is for a good cause, our chapter has decided that we want to get more involved with local organizations so that we can make more of a direct impact. As of now, we have not added a new chapter philanthropy; however, this is something we look forward to doing in the near future.

Our chapter held a Lip Sync Battle as our main Philanthropy event in the spring. Various teams signed up to perform in front of a large audience in the Russell House Ballroom. Our Philanthropy Committee paired with Carolina Productions in order to successfully pull off this new event. As a result, this event encouraged all students at the University of South Carolina to participate instead of just the Greek Community. Members in our chapter participated by being team captains for the participating teams and selling tickets at the door of the event. This event was very fun for everyone involved and our chapter was able to raise a total of $2,001.85 for Reading is Fundamental.
Other involvement included: Cupcake Sendout during finals, raised $384 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation; Successful Village Idiot percent night; Many of our members participated in the University of South Carolina's Dance Marathon all-nighter event. In order to participate in the event, you were required to raise $119; however, many chose to raise much more than this minimum. Our chapter's team was able to raise a record amount of $15,337 towards the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; Our chapter also made a team that raised a total of $1,970.30 for the all-nighter Relay for Life event which directly benefitted the American Cancer Society. Our team wore the color Amber to specifically represent appendix cancer; Various sisters participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk to directly benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Participated in the local event "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes" to benefit Sexual Trauma Services in the Midlands; Participated in Sigma Chi's Derby Day events to benefit the Children Network of Miracle Hospitals; Various sisters attended Alpha Gamma Delta and Alpha Eplison Pi's event "Poker and Pearls" to benefit the American Diabetes Association; Sisters participated in Kappa Delta's Shamrock Week events to benefit Confiedence Coalition; A team of sisters participated in Chi Omega's "War of the Wings" to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation; Supported USC's Panhellenic philanthropy during Circle of Sisterhood Week; Our chapter participated in the RIF event "Reading Rocks" to benefit schools in Richland County School District One. We went to the Sanders Middle School Campus to give away free books and assist with various games and fun activities; Participated in Lambda Chi Alpha's Watermelon smash event to benefit their philanthropy; Participated in Theta Chi's Hope for Hoag event; Sisters participated in Phi Mu's Bonnamu event benefitting the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; Successful Five Below percent days; Participated in Alpha Chi Omega's Paint War benefitting Domestic Violence Awareness; Various sisters raised $5,321 for the event "Light the Night" to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Successful percent night at Entourage; A team participated in Chi Omega's Cookoff event to benefit Make a Wish; Donated to Pike's Powderpuff football event to benefit their philanthropy; Our chapter's main philanthropy event in the fall was our annual Kappa Kickoff. Various teams signed up to participate in our flag football tournament. We included fun activities such as face painting, balloon darts, cornhole, etc. In total, we were able to raise $1,406 towards Reading is Fundamental. The T-shirts for this event added $434 in proceeds; Donated $3,690 of extra money in our Fall budget to Dance Marathon. With this donation our chapter will get our logo advertised at the event.

'''Goals'''

During 2016, our chapter had two main goals. Our first goal was to improve involvement throughout our entire chapter. Since our chapter is so large, it can often be difficult for everyone to feel as if their individual voice is being heard. This year, we aimed to keep everyone involved by using the entire chapter's opinion on big ideas and decisions. In addition, we decided to make certain positions such as our t-shirt, banner, and intramural sports chairs semester-long terms. As a result, more of our sisters were able to hold these leadership positions since they were changed more frequently. In addition, more of our Chapter Council positions such as Treasurer, Membership, and New Member offered assistant positions to sisters in our chapter. Girls that were chosen as assistants got to work on big assignments more closely with girls on Chapter Council. Our other main goal for this year was to improve our overall philanthropic involvement. At the beginning of the year, we were benefitting our two national philanthropies plus the SEGA girls school. In the spring, our chapter voted to discontinue our involvement with the SEGA girls school so that we could focus our attention more to our main two philanthropies and possibly a more local philanthropy in the near future. Although we have not yet decided on a new philanthropy for our chapter, we were able to get more involved with the local Reading Rocks events. In addition, we added a successful philanthropy event in the spring which we plan to make an annual event for our chapter. Our sisters worked together to make these decisions that would be in the best interest of our chapter as a whole.

This August we had a very successful recruitment and welcomed 114 new members into the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In addition, we welcomed two temporary exchange students into our sisterhood; one from California State Northridge and another from the University of Kentucky. Both of these girls were welcomed into our sisterhood this August, and they are planning to stay for one semester before returning to their original schools.

This fall, our campus welcomed Alpha Xi Delta into our Greek community. The University of South Carolina now offers thirteen different Panhellenic sororities to its students. During the beginning of October, our campus experienced the consequences of yet another natural disaster. Hurricane Matthew closed campus for three entire days at the beginning of October. Thankfully, the city of Columbia was not directly affected by the storm; however, Charleston and other coastal areas in South Carolina were impacted by devastating flooding. Once again our campus was able to assist our neighboring communities that were directly affected by this hurricane.

This fall, our Sorority Council took the initiative to enact a Greek-wide plan that ensures safer Greek events. Under this new plan, events must be approved by the University of South Carolina's Fraternity and Sorority Life a few weeks prior to the actual event. Events are only approved if they follow strict guidelines in order to ensure the safety of its participants. Each week, a list of the approved events are sent out to the members in Greek organizations, discouraging the attendance of events that do not follow the University's regulations.

==Highlights of 2017==

'''Scholarship'''

-Our chapter's average GPA of 3.48 was ranked 5th out of the 13 Panhellenic sororities at the end of the spring semester and ranked 7th overall Panhellenic Sororities and Fraternities.
-We focused on academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Kappa Kappaccino, Sweet Tea with KKG, study groups for the new members. We also introduced smarty pants as an award once a month.
-For Kappa Kappaccino and Sweet Tea with KKG, members were encouraged to invite a professor to the house for refreshments in order to encourage socialization outside of the classroom.
-We also created an EK Kappa Google Drive to allow all members to access sisters’ teacher recommendations, class recommendations and other very helpful academic resources.

'''Awards'''

-This year our university changed the date of the award ceremony to the spring so we won’t know any of the awards we won until this spring.

'''Leadership'''

-Leadership Academy attended by Kat Gerrity.
-Coalition for Collegiate Women’s Leadership was attended by Lulu Hawken and Lindsay Bratun.
-Kappa Leadership Conference- Attended by Beth Pochè, Kristin Stotler, Brenna Shipman, Kate Jepson, and Olivia King

'''Traditions'''

-At each chapter, the Lady Minerva stands up and reads aloud a meaningful letter that she wrote for a sister that is important to her. The sister who is written about becomes the new Lady Minerva and takes possession of the journal in which all the letters are written. She will write her own letter to a different sister and present her it at the following chapter.
-Geek of the Week acknowledges a sister for her academic achievement. She is awarded a giftcard at chapter for her achievement.
- Our Vice President of Academic Excellence added “Smarty Pants” to chapter once a month. This award is presented to one sister who has excelled in academics. She is awarded with a pair of smarty pants (underwear) of her choosing.
-Our Chapter Recording Secretary sends out a newsletter to everyone after chapter with the weekly news.
- Supportive sister is nominated weekly and is awarded the Supportive Bar.

'''Programs'''
-Chapter meetings held every Sunday night at 7 pm in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House.
-Epsilon Kappa Celebrated our 50th anniversary. Founders Day Celebration: We had a huge Gala weekend planned by our Education Chair and active alums. We had a Welcome Event at the Top of Carolina on Friday, February the 17th, then on Saturday, February the 18th Alums were welcomed to tour the Kappa House, and the night was ended with a Golden Key Gala where sisters danced, took pictures, and listened to stories from alum.
-Recruitment workshops were held early in the spring semester to prepare members for the upcoming fall recruitment process.
-Parent's cocktail was held at the State Museum on October 6, 2017. Sisters and their family members enjoyed yummy desserts, a dj, and other fun activities.
-Founders Day Celebration was held on October 10th during Inspiration Week. Our Education Chair planned a fun educational slideshow followed by cake and conversations between sisters.
-Our sisterhood committee worked together to plan exciting sisterhood events throughout the year. Our sisters participated in cycle classes, ice cream parties, bachelor watch parties, a trip to a pumpkin patch, a barre class held in the Kappa house to help benefit Dance Marathon,
-Our Chaplin holds weekly Bible study sessions in the yellow room of the Kappa house on Monday nights at 8 pm.
-Every Tuesday at 3:30 there is a nutrition committee meeting to talk about the menu for the next week

'''Seniors'''

Senior Sisterhood events include: Senior Tea; Sweat Cycle Class; Senior Recognition; Barre Class at the Kappa House. Senior Programming events include: Senior Superlatives; Senior Wills ; attending the Initiation sleepover to bond with New Members. Senior gifts include: gold bracelets with a fleur de lis on them.

'''Fall 2017 New Member Weekly Events'''

New Member information meetings held every Wednesday night in the chapter room of the Kappa house. New Members learned the history of Kappa Kappa Gamma and what it means to be a woman in Kappa. New Members also learned about our own chapter through presentations made by various sisters with Chapter Council positions.

'''One Time New Member Events'''

Big/Little Reveal: October 05, 2017; Initiation: On October 14, 2017, following I-Week, Fireside, and the Initiation sleepover. The Initiation Brunch was held the day after Initiation with all of our sisters and several alumnae; Alcohol Education: On 11/15/2017 New Members attended an alcohol education seminar; New Member Retreat: Overnight trip held on November 4, 2017. New members spent the night in cabins which allowed them to further bond with the sisters in their pledge class.

'''Kappa Trainer Events'''
9/24/17 One Love came and taught us about warning signs of unhealthy relationships and what healthy relationship looks like; 10/15/17 on best places to live on and off campus and sisters shared their experiences with internships.

'''Functions'''
Spring: 2/11/17 Dynamic Duos; 3/24/17 Kappa Kup; 4/21/17 Masquerade Formal.

Fall: 9/15/17 That’s So 1870’s Show; 11/17/17 Backwoods; 12/1/17 Semi Formal; 12/7/17 Rock and Roll Mixer with Sig Ep.

'''Special Events'''

4/10-14/17: Participated in Greek Week; a week-long event to unite the USC Greek community. This year the overall theme was 90’s Throwback. Our chapter was teamed with Kappa Sigma and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Events from this week included: A blood drive, Night at Strom, a cultural food fest, and Greek Sing; 10/23-27/17: Homecoming Week, partners with the Phi Kappa Tau. Overall we came in 3rd place and got 2nd in the float building contest!

'''Philanthropic Involvement'''

Spring: This spring out chapter had many difficulties trying to put on our regular spring philanthropy of Lip Sync Battle, so we decided to create a new event called Kappa Cookies. We had an extended bake sale, for three days we tabled on our campus’s busiest street selling baked good that sisters baked themselves; 2/25/2017: Many sisters participated in USC’s Dance Marathon; this event was able to raise over $700,000; 3/1/2017: Sisters attended a percent night at Village Idiot Pizza to support Circle of Sisterhood; 3/16/2017: A Literacy is Key event was held at AC Moore Elementary; 4/5/2017: We as a chapter voted to skip a meal at the house and donate the $800 to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. This same night we hosted a Percent night at Village Idiot Pizza for RIF and raised $286 from our pizza orders; 4/7/2017: Many sisters participated in UCS’s Relay For Life

Fall: 9/20/2017: Phi Mu’s Bonnamu was held to support Children’s Miracle Network; 9/21/2017: Successful Petal Percent night; 9/26/2017: Pelicans Percent night; 9/27/2017: Barefoot Percent night; 9/29/2017: Barbeque for Books was our main philanthropy event for the fall semester. It was advertised for far in advance, so other members of the Greek community could purchase tickets. Tickets could also be purchased at the door as well! It was held at a music venue in Columbia called Breakers Live. There was a band and unlimited food with purchase of a ticket. Sisters came out enjoyed the music, food, conversation, and supporting RIF. The event was a success we were able to raise $2,863 for RIF; 9/30/2017: Many sisters supported St. Jude at Delta Delta Delta’s Game Day event at Jake’s on Devine; 10/9/2017: Pelicans Percent Night; 10/24/2017: Vestique percent night; 10/25/2017: We participated in Trick-or-Treat with the Greeks, which was a Homecoming event that invites the local community children to come and trick-or-treats; 10/27/2017: A group of sisters went to Satchel Ford Elementary and volunteered at their Fall Festival. Sisters helped with a variety of different stations; 11/15/2017: A team participated in Chi Omega's Cookoff event to benefit Make a Wish and was awarded 3rd place.

Our chapter choose to support the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental because these are Kappa's two national philanthropies. We love being able to help our own sisters that are in need through the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Giving back to them is so special especially when they have given so much to this organization. In addition, we choose to support Reading is Fundamental (RIF) because it is so important that all children are given the resources necessary to learn how to read. We love how we can see the impact of our philanthropy throughout our own community's primary schools. We get to travel to different schools throughout South Carolina through Cocky's Reading Express and deliver books to children in need. Seeing our direct impact to a cause that is so important makes our philanthropy so special. At the beginning of the year we also voted on whether to host Girls Academy. We all saw this as an amazing opportunity to help young women in our community. We as not only college women, but sorority women have so much to offer young minds. We have the power to inspire these young girls in such an important time of growth in their lives. We are so excited to be active in so many amazing philanthropies.

This fall, our campus experienced the consequences of yet another natural disaster. Hurricane Irma closed campus for two entire days the weekend after labor day. Thankfully, the city of Columbia was not directly affected by the storm; however, other coastal areas in South Carolina were impacted by flooding and strong winds. Once again our campus was able to assist our neighboring communities that were directly affected by this hurricane.

'''Goals'''

During 2017, our chapter had two main goals. Our first goal was to improve communication throughout our entire chapter We noticed that we had so many different forms of communication. We had two Facebook pages; one was the EK Facebook page, and the other is Kappa Klassifieds Facebook page. We also created a Google Drive created for all members, and we also use GinSystem. The Ek page was for all important announcements, updates from officers, philanthropy information, and minutes were posted there as well. It was a great resource but we found it lacked many of the feature that GinSystem already had and we are all paying for GinSystem, so we as a chapter council decided to delete the EK Facebook and take full advantage of Gin. This way we can streamline information to all members. Now Gynsystem is the go to place for everything. Members can check in to mandatory events here, look at the calendar and find all the events happening in the month. Also, anyone can post announcements on the board similar to the EK Facebook page. We still have out Kappa Klassified Facebook page, which is where sisters can ask other sisters about Columbia recommendations, teacher recommendations, questions, and where members can go to sell their loved Kappa apparel. We also use the Google Drive, which is where all things academic are held. There are teacher recommendations, class recommendations, and other helpful tips to help with some of the most difficult courses. Our second goal was, as a chapter council, be as transparent to all members as we possibly could. To do this we presented on the budget so members know exactly where their money is going when they pay dues. We also did presentations on standards expectations, so there is no confusion on what is expected when it comes to the standards process. Lastly, we did presentations on PR and risk reminders before especially high risk periods like spring break, first game day, Halloween, and functions. We all worked together to try and enact these and many other small changes throughout our chapter, to try and create the best and most effective chapter we could.

'''Recruitment'''

This year’s recruitment was a values based recruitment. The Colligate Panhellenic Association decided to switch the sisterhood and philanthropy round. This August we had a very successful recruitment and welcomed 118 new members into the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma on Bid Day.

'''Chapter Facility'''

Our chapter regularly meets in the chapter room of the Kappa House. We are lucky enough to be one of the only sororities on our campus that has a big enough room to accommodate for our entire chapter at once. For informal chapter, we sit around our tables, on the floor, or on the couches. For formal chapter, we will arrange chairs into rows throughout the entire room so that everyone has a seat. There is a new stage at the front of the room that member present on. We usually display a powerpoint for chapter notes across the back wall so that everyone can follow along. We occasionally have paper chapters which means that only the most important things are presented and the rest of the announcements are provided in our newsletter. This not only insures an efficient chapter meeting, but it also encourages members to read the newsletter.

[[File:Epsilon Kappa Chapter Room.png|thumb|Epsilon Kappa's Chapter Room 2017]]

----------------
'''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!

Zeta Beta

2018-02-20T01:18:09Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Zeta Beta
|GreekSymbol= ZB
|Image= [[File:Zeta_Beta.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1980|04|26}}
|College= [http://www.lafayette.edu/ Lafayette College]
|Location= Easton, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/zetabeta/ Zeta Beta Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Zeta_Beta Media related to Zeta Beta Chapter]}}
'''Lafayette College established in 1826, Easton, Pennsylvania'''

'''Zeta Beta founded April 26, 1980 -- 55 charter members'''

'''1,106 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

------------------------
'''Some of Zeta Beta’s Outstanding Members:''' (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Fraternity Officers:'''

Maureen Kelly (McLaughlin), Traveling Consultant 1985-1986

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award:'''

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

'''Additional Outstanding Zeta Beta Alumnae:'''

Maureen Kelly (McLaughlin), Chapter Consultant 1984-1986; Linda Grebe (DeLaurentis), Graduate Consultant 1981-1983

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

==Installation==

Lafayette College was founded in Easton, Pennsylvania, just one mile west of the New Jersey border in 1826. The college was named to honor the Marquis de Lafayette for his contributions during the Revolutionary War and has a long and proud history as an outstanding liberal arts college for men. Women were first admitted in 1970 and in the current 1980 academic year comprised 43 per cent of the total enrollment.

A long tradition as a Greek campus made Lafayette a fine place for the establishment of Zeta Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. There were 17 national men’s groups dating from Beta Theta Pi established in 1855 and including the Alpha Chapter of Phil Delta Theta. With the increase in women’s enrollment, the women approached the administration with the idea of national groups for women. Locals were formed and required to wait two years before seeking national affiliation to assure the continued interest of Lafayette women. The probationary period having been completed by three of the five groups, national fraternities were invited to make formal presentations to the three eligible groups.

Kappa is proud to have been preferenced by Gamma Tau Delta, an outstanding group of young women who exemplified the highest standards, scholarship and campus leadership. Pi Beta Phi and Sigma Kappa joined Kappa on the Lafayette campus.

Zeta Beta Chapter was installed on April 26, 1980, after being formally pledged February 24th. Installing officers included Jean Hess Wells,Georgia, president; Gay Chuba Barry, Penn State, director of alumnae and Lisa Schmidt, Oklahoma, graduate counselor for Dickinson.

The Lehigh Valley alumnae were most enthusiastic in arranging the use of College Hill Presbyterian Church for the installation, Hogg Hall for the reception and Marquis Hall for the banquet. Sue Peterson Fream, Syracuse, served as toastmistress for the delicious prime rib banquet and Dean Alice Sivulick, Panhellenic adviser, welcomed Kappa to the Lafayette campus. Shirley Mertz Arther, Allegheny, PDC; and Barbara Cranston Granat, Michigan State, PDA helped with the installation. The lovely fireside ceremony was held at the home of Mary Kathern Cannon Fox, DePauw. She is the pledge daughter of former Fraternity president Frances Fatout Alexander, and her father-in-law was chairman of the Board of Lafayette College. Alumnae from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware all attended this historic event.

Since there is no graduate school at Lafayette, Kappa was fortunate in having Virginia Logan, .Massachusetts, on campus as an "undergraduate counselor". The chapter was filled with 60 outstanding girls. Captain and five of the Lafayette cheerleaders were all Kappas - Veronica DeBeradine, Meline DelRio, captain Nancy Gifford, Sue Miller and Jane Williams. Nancy Pretzfelder held six swimming records for the school and Sue Cassin (one of the founders of Gamma Tau Delta) was a Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics honorary) and won the John H. Allen award in economics.

There were 20 Kappas on the Dean’s List, ten in Maroon Key Society (academic honorary), Stacey Gladstone was student government secretary and Karen Larson was secretary of Tau Beta Pi, engineering honorary. Marie Whelan was the Panhellenic president and many of the girls were in sports and studied abroad.

Three award keys were presented at the banquet. The president’s badge (all garnets in honor of the school colors) was presented by the Lehigh Valley Club to Linda Grebe. Margaret (Peg) Raymond Shuttleworth, Middlebury, presented an opal badge to be worn by the Kappa (other than the president) who by her actions and deeds best exemplifies the ideals of KKΓ. Jacqui Castelnau, chapter treasurer, was the recipient of the Shuttleworth Key. The diamond and sapphire badge of Naomi Burnstan, Northwestern, was given by her son in her honor (her husband attended Lafayette) to be used as a scholarship key. Maureen Forrester with a 3.8 accum was the recipient. Naomi lived in Princeton, New Jersey, prior to her death.

Many gifts were presented to the new chapter including a Bible, si ilver bowl, popcorn popper, stained glass decoration, tray, owl print, trivet and candlesticks. But perhaps the best gift of all was the beautiful quilt and the fact the Beta Province now boasted seven active chapters with Zeta Beta completing the roll.

'''Housing'''

When Zeta Beta was first founded at Lafayette, the chapter had no place for gathering that was designated solely for Kappa’s use.

==Highlights of the 1980s==

Zeta Beta raised membership numbers by successfully adding between 27-37 new members each year. Academic excellence was important to the chapter, and “Scholar Dollars” were frequently given to members to encourage scholarly achievement. Their efforts paid off as Kappa was recognized for having the highest G.P.A. of all five sororities on campus in 1988. The chapter also provided Risk Management programs about date rape and alcohol awareness and other useful programs. Zeta Beta also enjoyed social life and held a spring and fall formal each year, in addition to attending the Panhellenic Ball.

The chapter women quickly established a relationship with the faculty of Lafayette. In 1985, Zeta Beta held a number of Faculty Dinner Parties in order to exchange ideas with professors and chapter advisers. The Kappas also attended the Faculty Social event held yearly. Zeta Beta also worked on forging a connection with chapter alumnae by hosting an alumnae brunch at homecoming every year.

Although a young chapter, Zeta Beta became involved with programming and events of the Fraternity at-large. In 1987, the chapter hosted Beta Province Meeting, which was a great success. The following year, Zeta Beta helped to initiate a new chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Zeta Rho, at Colgate University.

'''Housing:'''

In 1986, Zeta Beta won the campus lottery for acquisition of a new apartment just for Kappa members. The new Kappa apartment was located on Parsons Street and was soon graced by a new chapter composite—the first to be printed in color.

The chapter soon wished for a larger space in which to meet. In 1989, Zeta Beta won the campus lottery for the Lerch House, an old dorm, which they soon transformed into a welcoming house. The Fraternity’s letters were installed on the front of the dwelling and composites were hung proudly around the house. The new house held 38 Kappas and boasted a large meeting room and living room on the first floor as well as an informal meeting space on the second floor.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Philanthropy was important to the newly-established chapter. The chapter fundraised for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and sold Kappa Kisses to sponsor a child in Uganda. Zeta Beta, devoted to helping the local community, sent members Christmas caroling at Easton Hospital and hosted a Christmas party in 1989 to support the College Hill Day Care Center. Pairing with Delta Kappa Epsilon, the Lafayette Kappas participated in the Battle of the Bands, an event that benefited the Easton State Theater.

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

1986: Honorable mention for Most Improved Chapter

==Highlights of the 1990s==

In 1990, Zeta Beta chapter celebrated two important milestones: the twentieth anniversary of when Lafayette College became coeducation and the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the chapter on campus. Five years later in 1995, Zeta Beta joined together with the the Kappa chapter from Bucknell, Delta Phi, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Fraternity.

In 1995, Lafayette changed Recruitment so that it would take place during the fall semester. Even with this change, Zeta Beta continued to add between 27 and 35 New members each year. Scholarship remained a focus of the chapter as the officers implemented a study buddy/tutor program to raise members’ G.P.A.s. At the same time, Zeta Beta also hosted a Scholarship Tea to acknowledge the hard work of the chapter women. Throughout the decade, the chapter sponsored a variety of events to promote personal development and relationships between members: Career Night, an event when Kappa alumnae returned to campus to discuss their their different career paths and achievements; Women’s Appreciation Week celebrations; and Gone Abroad-Going Abroad, a program where Kappas who traveled abroad to exchange information about their experience with members planning to go abroad.

Social events still included fall and spring formals as well as the Panhellenic Ball. The chapter participated in programs with other Greek-letter organizations and campus groups, including holding a Monmouth Duo event with Pi Beta Phi and co-sponsporing a movie review with the International Affairs Club.

'''Housing:'''

During the 1990s, Zeta Beta continued to live in the Lerch House.

'''Philanthropy:'''

In addition to traditional philanthropic events hosted by the chapter, such as Christmas caroling at Easton Hospital and Kappa Kisses, Zeta Beta also went Halloween trick-or-treating with local children, played kickball with children of St. Anthony’s, and participated in an Adopt-A-Family program. The chapter also took part in events sponsored by other Greek-letter organizations during the decade, including Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash, Alpha Gamma Delta’s Halloween fundraiser, and Delta Delta Delta’s pictures with Santa.
Chapter Convention Awards:

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Zeta Beta worked hard throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century to improve every aspect of their chapter. 25-30 women joined the chapter each year, although women at Lafayette could not go through Recruitment until the fall semester of their second year. After implementing programs encouraging Academic Excellence, Kappa could boast that they raised the chapter’s G.P.A. The chapter hosted a Founders Day Brunch that included Kappa alumnae, thus improving the ties between active and alumnae members. Zeta Beta proved that they were able to overcome various challenges.

In 2010, the women of Zeta Beta chapter were faced with the tragic loss of a beloved sister. Although the sisters were devastated, the chapter dedicated an entire day to celebrate her life and her influence on Lafayette College. The event was well-attended by members of the Lafayette community who wished to honor the life of the young Kappa.

'''Housing:'''

Zeta Beta occupied the Lerch House throughout the decade.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Many of Zeta Beta’s philanthropic traditions continued throughout the decade, including Kappa Kisses, and the chapter also participated in Relay for Life. Kappa participated in another Greek organization’s event, Dance Marathon, and won. In 2008, Zeta Beta established a new philanthropy project supporting Reading Is Fundamental and Paxinosa Elementary School, an underprivileged local school. During the event, the Kappa sisters visited the school to help students build confidence and enthusiasm for reading along with advancing the students’ reading skills.
Recognizing the efforts of Zeta Beta, the Lafayette community presented the chapter with a Philanthropy award in 2010.

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

(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.)

==2011==
2011 saw the sisters of Zeta Beta focusing on the chapter’s relationship both with the Fraternity and with Lafayette College. Zeta Beta hosted a LEADS conference with the chapters from Villanova and Princeton that focused on leadership and teamwork. That same year, the chapter participated in a “State of the College Forum” at Lafayette, which was designed to share information between students, faculty, and administration, but served as a platform to create discussion of the role of Greek Life at the school.

At Lafayette, Zeta Beta chapter occupies Lerch House, located on March Field. Although only 34 sisters live in the three story building, the sisters consider it a home away from home on campus.

Zeta Beta remained committed to philanthropy in 2011. The chapter fundraised for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through its Kappa Kisses Valentine’s Day candygrams program. The Kappas also participated in collecting a number of books and magazines throughout the year to donate to Reading Is Fundamental programs. In 2011, Zeta Beta held its first annual fashion show, RIF in Thrift, a event where all of the clothing modeled in the fashion show was donated or purchased for under $10 at neighborhood thrift stores. RIF in Thrift raised funds for the Spring Garden Children’s Center in Easton, PA.

In 2011, the chapter began an annual program to raise money to establish a study abroad scholarship in the memory of a beloved Kappa sister who passed away in 2010.

==2012==
With a remarkable 143 girls participating in recruitment, 2012 was an especially eventful year. As per usual, the Zeta Beta chapter excelled with a 100% return rate for all five nights of recruitment. We gained 25 fabulous new members this fall, all of whom charged across March Field and jumped into the arms of their new sisters on Bid Day.

Members of the Zeta Beta chapter started off 2012 with a relatively strong GPA, but our major goal was to improve for the fall semester. Each week during chapter, the Vice President of Academic Excellence inspires girls to get As by rewarding one person per week with some candy from the "A folder" for their scholastic victories. This encouragement clearly paid off, improving the chapter's average GPA to the third best of all fraternities and sororities on campus.

The Zeta Beta chapter also embraced our philanthropic duties for the year and organized many successful events. In February, Kappa Kappa Gamma raised around $200 selling "Kappa Kisses" candy grams for Valentine's Day. The proceeds from this event were donated to the Rose McGill Foundation. The sisters also volunteer at a day care center in Easton, PA biweekly in order to help promote Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). The girls spend an hour twice a week helping kids ages 2-10 with their homework, playing games with them, and acting as role models for these young children. It is a fun and rewarding experience for both the kids and the Kappa girls.

A senior member decided to get the entire chapter involved in collecting bottle caps to donate to a little 7 year old girl for her brownie troop. For every cap we helped her raise, one dollar was donated to cancer research. Although this was not originally meant to be a chapter-wide collaboration, many girls pitched in to help collect the caps for this amazing cause. Kappa Kappa Gamma's Third Annual Marina Day, held on April 29, was the most successful event of the year. All members of the Lafayette community, Greek and non-Greek, joined Kappa in celebrating the life of their beloved sister Marina Petersen. This year, the chapter was striving to raise money for a Study Abroad Scholarship in honor of Marina. They accomplished their mission by raising over $5000 for the scholarship and look forward to doing it all over again in 2013.

The sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma were also the proud recipients of multiple awards in 2012. We received three Honorable Mention awards for Philanthropy (RIF), Finance, and Recruitment, as well as third place in this year's Convention Challenge. 2012 was a year of triumph and great times for all of the sisters of the Zeta Beta chapter, and we all look forward to what 2013 will bring.

Since 2009, the campus has been undergoing major construction. As a community, we are striving to direct this campus toward more of a walking campus. So far, the road in front of the Farinon Center had been turned into a sidewalk. Both the High Street and McCartney Street entrances have been improved, with new welcoming Lafayette College signs. The quad has been completely redone, with many new sidewalks leading from the academic buildings to Farinon and the Skillman Library.

This prioritization of the closeness of the community has definitely carried over to the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Both the lounge and the basement are always full of girls doing homework, watching TV, or just hanging out. As a chapter, trust, honesty, and confidence shine through each and every sister. We are constantly striving to make ourselves and each other better, and putting our sisters first comes naturally to everyone. We are a close knit group of individuals, who will maintain these close relationships even after we leave Lafayette.

==Highlights of 2014==

As we entered the 2014 fall semester the Zeta Beta chapter proudly welcomed 21 new Kappa sisters along with a sister that transferred from the Gamma Chi chapter at George Washington University. Due to construction on the Delta Kappa Epsilon house taking place on March Field the Bid Day tradition that is known by many as the “running of the bulls,” in which the new members run and jump into the arms of their new sisters was moved to the quad.

Throughout spring and fall semester of 2014 and spring 2015 we have had many Zeta Beta members all around the world on both interim and semester long trips. Although the chapter entered 2015 with a strong GPA, the Vice President of Academic Excellence has many plans to motivate our sisters to maintain and improve their GPAs, such as the “A folder” that gets passed around at weekly chapter meetings and study hours that we host with other sororities on campus. The Zeta Beta chapter was also proud to be a part of Lafayette College’s first ever Accreditation Program.

Our chapter also embraced our philanthropic duties for the year and organized and co-sponsored a variety of extremely successful events both on and off campus. A group of our sisters volunteer twice a week at a day care center in Easton, PA). At the day care we not only help children, ages 2-10 on their homework and play different games with them, but we also act as role models for these young children. As a chapter we also co-sponsored an event with fraternity, Zeta Psi and raised a total of $700 for St. Baldricks day. In addition we co-sponsored sorority, Tri Deltas “D-Hop,” their annual late night breakfast event in which hundreds of pancakes are made and served to students and faculty, and all the proceeds are donated to St. Judes Hospital.

Kappa Kappa Gamma’s annual Marina Day in which all members of the Lafayette community, Greek and non-Greek, joined Kappa in celebrating the life of their beloved sister Marina Petersen. At the event there are many activities that range from wing eating contests to hair wraps. The chapter raised a striking $4500 that went to the Study Abroad Scholarship in honor of Marina. We look forward to continuing the tradition this year and hope to raise even more than last year. As a chapter we also participated and supported other philanthropic events that other chapters on campus were holding such as Pi Phi’s Dance Marathon fundraiser, Alpha Phi’s heart healthy dinner and Delta Gamma’s Anchor Dash.

Lafayette College has been expanding and are proud to be holding classes in the two new academic buildings that opened for the first time for Spring 2015. The Oechsle Center for Global Education houses International Affairs, Area Studies and the department of Anthropology and Sociology. This building was designed with long term sustainability in mind and features regionally sources and environmentally friendly materials. The new Film and Media and Theater program building is located in redeveloped former commercial/industrial properties along the Bushkill Creek. This building still remains unnamed but two options so far are either ‘Mohegan’ or ‘Sand Box.’ The Lafayette Community looks forward to finding out what the building will be named.

The emphasis on community and closeness that Lafayette generates is most definitely carried over into our chapter. The sisters that make up Kappa Kappa Gamma here at the Zeta Beta chapter represent friendship, honesty and trust. The bonds made in this chapter are life long. We support each and everyone of our sisters and celebrate each others accomplishment while encouraging each other to be the best sister, friend and students that we can possibly be.

==Highlights of 2015==

This fall semester of 2015, the Zeta Beta chapter proudly welcomed 26 new Kappa sisters. For this semester, the Bid Day tradition that is known by many as the “running of the bulls,” in which the new members run and jump into the arms of their new sisters was held on the quad for the second time.

Throughout the spring and summer of 2015 we have had many Zeta Beta members all around the world on both interim and semester long trips. Even though, the chapter entered 2015 with a strong GPA, the Vice President of Academic Excellence made plans to motivate our sisters to maintain and improve their GPAs, such as the “A folder” that gets passed around at weekly chapter meetings and study hours that we host with other sororities on campus. During this semester, these plans were put in to place, and during new membership period new members met with our Vice President of Academic Excellence to discuss academic goals. Sisters were able to gain the support they needed to get through the semester.

The Zeta Beta chapter took part in the Lafayette College Accreditation Program again this semester, where we presented how the chapter has improved in many areas. Our chapter received Silver Standing Status, on a bronze, silver, and gold level. The Lafayette College Fraternity & Sorority Life Chapter Accreditation Program is designed as a mechanism to measure each chapter’s health and performance through key categories: Intellectual Development, Leadership Development, Community Development, Chapter Development, and Living-Learning Community Development. To improve the Intellectual Development of our chapter our total chapter average GPA was a 3.48 in the spring 2015 semester, which was 0.01 higher than the all upper class, non-affiliated women’s average. We were ranked third for highest GPA out of the six sororities on campus as well as third out of the nine Greek organizations on campus, and hope to rank even higher this semester. In regards to Leadership Development this semester we hosted a Leadership Consultant during the Recruitment Week. She met with each member of Chapter Council individually and reviewed goals and responsibilities for each position. She also greatly advised us during the Recruitment process (in terms of voting and making sure we did not go over time during each party). She reported back with strengths and focus areas to work on. Our strengths were sisterhood, academics, and philanthropy. She encourages us to work on transitions in leadership, utilizing our resources, and maintaining the cleanliness of our house. For Community Development, members participated in Make A Difference Day with the Landis Center on Saturday, October 24th. Members went to the Children's Edible Garden in Easton and put the garden to bed for the winter, added compost and mulch to the garden, etc. We also participated in Safe Harbor where members helped to finish painting the men's dormitory and prepare the grounds for winter. In regards to Chapter Development, members attended the Kaleidoscope “Cultural Appropriation” Talk on October 29th. It was discussion based around themes/costumes that are seen as racist or culturally inappropriate. Lastly, for Living-Learning Community Development our chapter House Board met and discussed what we want as our long-term goals for our house, and our past and current new president are in the process of updating our Bylaws and Standing Rules regarding the housing policies. Chapters use the Accreditation Program as a roadmap for success that guides them towards achieving a high level of viability. The program is a useful tool in establishing a vision for our, priorities for the academic year, and to track performance in each of the five standards categories.

In Kappa, we encourage our members to be a part of something outside of Greek life. We value other leadership roles and learning experiences on campus, and believe that the more involved you can be, the more experience you can gain as a person. On campus Kappa members have involved themselves in numerous activities, many of which include leadership roles. Involvement includes Division I athletes, Athletes C.A.R.E., Student Government, Tour Guide, Standup Lafayette: A Social Justice Blog, Humans of Lafayette, Investment Club, Marquis Scholars, Writing Associates, Lafayette Activities Forum (L.A.F.), Club Field Hockey, Club Lacrosse, Landis Volunteer, Dance Team, and Dance Company. Leadership roles include: Orientation Leaders, Treasurer of Lafayette Student Government, Co-President of Standup, Chair of Novelty for L.A.F, Music Committee Chair for L.A.F., President of Club Field Hockey, Vice President of Dance Team, Public Relations chair for Dance Company, and more.

The emphasis on community and closeness that Lafayette generates is most definitely carried over into our chapter. The sisters that make up Kappa Kappa Gamma here at the Zeta Beta chapter represent friendship, honesty and trust. The bonds made in this chapter are life long. We support each and every one of our sisters and celebrate each other’s accomplishments while encouraging each other to be the best sister, friend and students that we can possibly be.

What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? Study Abroad Scholarship, RIF

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?

Our chapter also embraced our philanthropic duties for the year and organized and co-sponsored a variety of extremely successful events both on and off campus. Kappa Kappa Gamma’s annual Marina Day in which all members of the Lafayette community, Greek and non-Greek, joined Kappa in celebrating the life of their beloved sister Marina Petersen. At the event there are many activities that range from wing eating contests to hair wraps. The chapter raised a striking $4500 that went to the Study Abroad Scholarship in honor of Marina. We look forward to continuing the tradition in the spring and hope to raise even more than last semester. As a chapter we also participated and supported other philanthropic events that other chapters and organizations on campus were holding such as Pi Phi’s Dance Marathon fundraiser, a book and school supplies drive for Good Will in Bethlehem for RIF, Close Loop Fashion Show, Landis Holiday Helpers, Standup’s Fall Ball, and the L.A.F. Rivalry Week Flag Football Powderpuff Game. In efforts for our chapter to be able to do RIF next semester, almost ever member of the chapter got fingerprinted to be able to volunteer with children in the state of Pennsylvania. Many of our members received Safe-Zone training, but as spaces were limited, and training will continue in the spring.

==Highlights of 2016==

Part of Kappa’s message to branch out, and bring the leadership and support we experience within the fraternity to other organizations. This year our sisters were engaged in an incredible amount of activities outside of Kappa. Our sisters participated in the dance company, alumni relations council, Science Horizons, Recreation Services, Athlete’s Care, The Lafayette student newspaper, WJRH, our student-led radio station, Cadence, the all-women’s a capella group, Lafayette Activities Forum, American Chemical Society, College Democrats, Government and Law Society, Investment Club, Landis, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Student Government, and Health Professional Club.

Kappa competes for Spring and Winter Track, Cross Country, Women’s Varsity Lacrosse, Club Lacrosse, Club Soccer, Club Field Hockey, Equestrian Team, and Women’s Varsity Tennis. The Zeta Beta chapter also works as Orientation Leaders, PARDners, Supplemental Instructors, ATTIC Peer Tutors, Writing Associates, Reunion Weekend Staffers, and Tour Guides. We were proudly Marquis and McKelvy Scholars.

On September 24, 2016 we initiated 29 new members into our chapter. Our new pledge class has become extremely close in a short amount of time, quickly bonding with the older members as well. Our chapter has become even more cohesive with the addition of these new members.

Our sisters jumped at the chance to engage in programs such as Lafayette Landis’ Holiday Helpers, where care packages for new, low-income mothers were put together. Zeta Beta also co-sponsored a Zumba-thon and participated in Pi Beta Phi’s Dance Marathon, both incredibly fun and philanthropic events. Our annual Marina Day was also held in April, in honor of one of our sister who passed away in the summer of 2009.

As women who work to foster support for each other, aiding charities that support struggling mothers was extremely important to us, thus our participation in the Holiday Helpers program. The Zumbathon was also geared towards women, with the proceeds going towards breast cancer awareness and research. The Dance Marathon we participated in benefited the Boys and Girls club, which aligned with our commitment to youth development. Marina Day proceeds went to the Marina Peterson Interim Abroad Fund, supporting our commitment to diverse and fulfilling educational experiences.

Our chapter meetings are held in the basement chapter room of our chapter house, the Lerch House on the Lafayette College campus. Julia Muller, a current member of our Zeta Beta chapter has a heartwarming story about how being a Kappa has helped her overcome her difficult high school years and become an empowered and confident woman.

==Highlights of 2017==

The sisters of Zeta Beta participated in a wide range of enriching and amazing experiences. In March we sent new officers to the Regional Kappa District meeting in Pittsburgh for training. And in the fall a sister participated in Leadership Academy. We engaged in our usual plethora of philanthropic events as well as several new ones. We set and achieved chapter goals such as the revitalization of the Standards Committee as well as reclaiming our spot as the second highest grade point average of Greel organizations. Qw qwew lucky to be able to hold spring recruitment where we welcomed another member to our chapter in April. We initiated 23 new members in September and hosted a Parents brunch that morning of Parents weekend. What a busy weekend we had but it was so hreat to welcome Kappa Alumnae Moms.

Lafayette College has recently begun to increase the size of the student body to about 2,900 students. A few fraternites have been allowed back on campus and Greek Life is exploring the possibility of adding a new Panhellenic group or cultural interest sorority. Kappa is looking forward to these changes on campus and is eager and excited to adapt to these changes in the coming years.

==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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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!

Zeta Lambda

2018-02-20T00:34:27Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Zeta Lambda
|GreekSymbol= ZΛ
|Image= [[File:ZetaLambda reduced.JPG|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1984|04|07}}
|College= [http://www.washjeff.edu/ Washington and Jefferson College]
|Location= Washington, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/zetalambda/ Zeta Lambda Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Zeta_Lambda Media related to Zeta Lambda Chapter]}}

'''Washington & Jefferson College established in 1781 in Washington, Pennsylvania'''

'''Zeta Lambda founded April 7, 1984 - 35 charter members'''

'''743 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

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

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

'''Fraternity Officers:'''

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award:'''

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

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

Washington & Jefferson College is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. It is is one of America’s oldest and most distinguished co-ed, four-year liberal arts colleges for undergraduate students.

The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to the American frontier in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. These early schools eventually grew into two competing academies and colleges, with Canonsburg Academy, later Jefferson College, located in Canonsburg and Washington Academy, later Washington College, in Washington. These two colleges merged in 1865 to form Washington & Jefferson College. The 60-acre campus, located in Washington, Pennsylvania, has more than 40 buildings, with the oldest dating to 1793. While the college has historically had a difficult relationship with the city of Washington, including clashes over college expansion and finances, recent efforts have been made to improve those relations.

During the 1860s, a state charter united Washington College with Jefferson College, which was located in nearby Canonsburg. Washington and Jefferson remained an all-male school until 1969, when the college authorized the granting of undergraduate degrees to women and inaugurated a new curriculum. The first undergraduate female students were admitted in September of 1970.

==The Beginning==

On April 7, 1984, Zeta Lambda Colony became Kappa’s 113th active chapter. Zeta Lambda’s Installation capped several months of exciting activity that began in the fall when Kappa accepted W&J’s invitation to colonize, joining Delta Gamma and Pi Beta Phi on campus. With a student body of approximately 1,000, including more than 400 women on campus, the college determined that a third sorority was needed. During the weekend of November 8–10, 1983, Kappa Kappa Gamma colonized Zeta Lambda at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.

“We are very pleased that Kappa Kappa Gamma agreed to colonize here at W&J,” said the associate dean of students. “As we narrowed the field of prospective sororities, it became clear that Kappa’s fine national reputation was well deserved. KKG is a welcome addition to W&J’s Greek system and will offer yet another excellent alternative to our undergraduate women.”
The warm welcome and unflagging assistance of W&J’s administration and Greek-letter organizations were outstanding. Panhellenic circulated publicity, helped sign up eligible upperclassmen, and assisted in many other ways.

'''Colonization Week'''

Colonization Week began with a well-attended open house at the Student Center. Kappa’s Extension Team, local alumnae, and a group of actives from Beta Upsilon, West Virginia, gathered to meet the 46 excited, curious students who had come to learn more about Kappa.

Refreshments were served by the alumnae, a slide presentation about the Fraternity was shown, and the Beta Upsilon actives sang several Kappa songs. The event was capped by an enthusiastic rendition of “Pat Said She,” which they taught to the W&J women.

As the open house ended and the assembled Kappas realized that every girl had signed up for an interview the next day, it was clear that the open house had been a resounding success.
The Extension Team consisted of Marjorie Matson Converse, Purdue, Chairman of Extension; Jan Singleton McAllister, Mississippi, Director of Personnel; and many others.

For Zeta Lambda’s first preference party, the Student Center was decorated with flowers, candlelight, and white-clothed banquet tables. Cheesecake and coffee were served to the 26 girls, as well as the hungry colonization team, alumnae, and the Beta Upsilon actives, which again made the journey from Morgantown, W.Va. to conduct the colonization. Several songs were sung by the W. Va. actives, interspersed with readings about the meaning of Kappa.

As the girls filed out to make their important decision, they were clearly filled with excitement and anticipation. That excitement was certainly shared and possibly exceeded by the Kappa actives and alumnae who remained behind to await the results and prepare for the formal pledging ceremony.

The lights were dimmed and the 25 girls reentered the room and received their New Member pins in a lovely ceremony presided over by Jan McAllister.

Congratulatory wishes filled the air and, before the first New Member meeting, everyone ran to the Beta monument, a W&J Greek landmark, to sing several rousing verses of their first and already favorite Kappa song … Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma, I’m so happy that I am a Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma, Nobody knows … how happy I am!

'''Recruitment and Housing'''

The months between Colonization and Installation passed quickly. In February, the colony took part in formal Recruitment and gained 13 new members. With the able assistance of Fraternity officers, Field Representatives, Advisory, and House Board members and the installation chairman, the new colony thrived while alumnae raced against the clock to finish remodeling the new chapter house in time for Installation. Although owned by the college, the Zeta Lambda house was lovingly furnished by its House Board.

'''Installation'''

When the installation weekend arrived, 35 young women gathered at the Kappa House in a state of anticipation on Thursday as Fraternity officers from near and far began arriving. The new members enjoyed a dinner with the installing officers including Sally Moore Nitschke, Ohio State, Fraternity President; Jan Singleton McAllister, Mississippi, Director of Personnel, Marjorie Matson Converse, Purdue, Extension Chairman; and Marjorie Cross Bird, Colorado, Council Assistant, as well as local advisers and alumnae.

On Friday evening, actives from all over Beta Province joined the group for a lovely Fireside Service at the colonial home of a local alumna and House Board President. Punch and cookies were served and the Zeta Lambdas and guests later returned to the Kappa house where songs were sung. The girls shared their last-minute excitement with their active visitors from Beta Upsilon and Beta Province.

Saturday dawned chilly but clear and the girls had a short trip across the street to the Church of the Covenant where Initiation took place. The installing officers were assisted by the Chapter Council Adviser, the Advisory Board Chairman, and Field Secretaries as well as several Presidents of Beta Province chapters. Zeta Lambda’s President proudly accepted the charter on behalf of her newly-initiated sisters.

After a buffet luncheon in the church social hall provided by alumnae, the new Kappas and Fraternity officers moved to a meeting room in the church to conduct a model chapter meeting. Afterward, following a quick change of clothes, everyone gathered at the chapter house for a well-attended reception where family and friends gathered with members of W&J’s administration, faculty, and Greek community to congratulate the Zeta Lambdas.

On Saturday evening, almost 200 Kappas and their guests gathered at the George Washington Hotel for dinner. Toastmistress Marj Converse introduced the president of Beta Upsilon—West Virginia, who offered a toast to the new chapter. The Dean of Students and Associate Dean of Students and Panhellenic adviser spoke as representatives of the college and officially welcomed Kappa Kappa Gamma to Washington & Jefferson. The members of the advisory board were introduced, and Sally Nitschke welcomed the new chapter to the Fraternity.

One of the evening’s highlights occurred when the chapter President received a badge, a special key given by the Pittsburgh-South Hills Alumnae Association. The key is set in garnets to represent W&J. Many other special gifts to the new chapter were opened as well.

After the traditional closing ceremony, the tired but happy Zeta Lambdas drifted out of the hotel talking about dozens of memories that were already a part of their Kappa storehouse of dreams. Zeta Lambda’s Installation was over, but the excitement and sisterhood had just begun.

==Highlights of the 1980s:==

Zeta Lambda continued to grow and prosper at W&J throughout the remainder of the 1980s. In spring 1985 and again in fall 1985, a Chapter Consultant was assigned to Zeta Lambda to help the young chapter get on its feet.

Throughout the rest of the decade, the Kappa chapter at W&J continued to have success during Recruitment. Formal Recruitment was held every spring and Zeta Lambda added an average of 23-25 new members each year. The chapter also gained new Kappa sisters during a series of fall Recruitment periods.

The morale of members was kept high through the development of “Hoot ‘n Salutes” and other awards that were given to Zeta Lambdas at chapter meetings. The chapter also reached the goal of its “S.O.S.-Save Our Scholarship” initiative by improving scholarship. In order to advertise their presence on campus, and to have a little fun, Zeta Lambda participated in campus activities throughout the period such as the annual Greek Week celebration and often placed in competitive events. The chapter even created its own activity, Apache Relay, to challenge other members of the Greek community during W&J’s annual Carnival weekend. Other chapter traditions that were created in this period include the annual Kappa Krush semi-formal.

'''Housing:'''

During the 1980s, Zeta Lambda was housed in a historic home owned by the College but lovingly furnished by the House Board. Although the entire membership of Zeta Lambda was unable to live in the house together, the house on Beau Street remained the center of chapter activity.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Although a new chapter, Zeta Lambda placed an emphasis on chapter philanthropy. The women gathered donations for a variety of organizations, including Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, through activities comprised of only chapter members as well as events pairing Kappas with another campus group. The Balloon Derby was held annually in order to raise money for Washington Youth Social Services. The Balloon Derby was discontinued in 1989 in favor of a campus-wide Twister game, a more environmentally-friendly way to support the community. Zeta Lambda was also a frequent participant in philanthropic events sponsored by other Greek organizations, such as Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash.
Chapter Convention Awards:

==Highlights of the 1990s==

Zeta Lambda began the 1990s as a strong chapter ready to lead Greek Life at W&J. The chapter excelled in Recruitment throughout the decade, averaging between 15-21 new members each year. The strong Recruitment numbers each year reflected the chapter’s hard work and the success the numerous Recruitment workshops held throughout the year.

Scholarship remained a top priority of the chapter, and through careful chapter programming and supportive sisters, the Kappas at W&J repeatedly ranked first on campus out of all Greek organizations. During this period, Zeta Lambda focused on strengthening the bonds of sisterhood within the chapter. Fun activities, such as Secret Santa and Secret Spooks, held during Christmas and Halloween, brought the sisters together. Eventually, the chapter could boast that they reached their goal of 75% member attendance of sister-only events held each month. Traditions such as the Sapphire Ball spring formal and Kappa Krush also gave the sisters the opportunity to bond and have fun together. Zeta Lambda also proved that sisterhood did not end of the school year as the chapter introduced a pen pal program that kept the W&J Kappas in touch with one another throughout the summer.

Zeta Lambda worked hard to forge strong relationships between the chapter and other Greek organizations on W&J’s campus. Throughout the 1990s, the Kappas held numerous events with other groups, including Monmouth Duo events with Pi Beta Phi and Kites and Keys with Kappa Alpha Theta. After Beta Province Meeting in 1999, Zeta Lambda challenged the W&J Greek community to consider the negative effects of hazing and work to eliminate hazing on campus through an anti-hazing program, Something of Value.

In 1994, Zeta Lambda celebrated its 10th anniversary as a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. By this time, the chapter began wearing its signature blue blazers, a tradition that remains to this day.

'''Housing:'''

During most of the 1990s, Zeta Lambda still operated out of the chapter house on Beau Street. When the Beta Province Meeting was held in Washington in 1993, the chapter and its House Board worked tirelessly to update the house by repainting the wood work and giving the entire building a thorough scrubbing. In 1994, the chapter was shocked by the collapsed of the house’s roof. Luckily, the disaster happened during Spring Break and no one was injured.

In addition to the original house, the chapter also used Dorm C for housing. Dorm C was located in the Quads, an area of campus housing dedicated to W&J’s fraternities and sororities. Zeta Lambda was eventually relocated to Dorm C in 1999. The sisters felt that, while it was difficult to adjust to life in a new house, living in the Quads was ideal because the chapter members could maintain a better relationship with members of the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Zeta Lambda faced the end of an era when the old house was demolished on Wednesday, July 28, 1999 at 5:45pm.

'''Bold text'''Philanthropy:

The 1990s were a busy time for Zeta Lambda as the chapter undertook a number of philanthropic endeavors. In 1991, the chapter hosted a Fifties Dance at Southminster Nursing Home, and similar events became an annual occurrence for Zeta Lambda. The chapter also sent care boxes to soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf in the early 1990s. Zeta Lambda participated in the March of Dimes, the Adopt-A-Highway program, and a local walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society, where, in 1995, the chapter was awarded Outstanding Group Attendance by W&J’s Panhellenic Council. Zeta Lambda also focused on giving back to the W&J community by distributing packets of information about sexual assault to fellow students.

'''Convention Awards:'''

1990: Most Improved Chapter; Membership-Runner-up

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Zeta Lambda welcomed the 21st century by continuing to improve chapter life. Monthy sister-only events, as well as large chapter activities such as Kappa Krush and the Sapphire Ball, brought the members together and kept morale high. Zeta Lambda continued its tradition of academic excellence throughout the decade by implementing a variety of activities focused on helping sisters reach their individual academic goals. The efforts of the chapter paid off as Kappa’s G.P.A. remained one of the highest on campus.

Recruitment remained a top priority for Kappa, and the chapter introduced a variety of new and interesting Recruitment events such as Kappaccino and the S’mores party. Recruitment numbers were high throughout the decade, and the chapter had several large new member classes, especially in 2005 when Zeta Lambda welcomed 27 women to Kappa.

During this decade, Greek Life at W&J went through several changes and many old campus traditions, such as Carnival and the homecoming parade, were discontinued. However, Zeta Lambda continued to participate in Greek Life activities such as Greek Week and the Snowball Swirl, a formal dance sponsored by the Panhellenic Council in 2007. Kappa proved to be a true leader in the Greek community as several members served in leadership positions for a variety of Greek-centered organizations: W&J’s Panhellenic Council, Order of Omega, and Gamma Sigma Alpha. In 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, a member of Zeta Lambda was chosen as Greek Woman of the Year by Order of Omega.

Special anniversaries did not go unobserved during this decade. In 2004, Zeta Lambda celebrated its 20th anniversary and, in 2009, the chapter commemorated 25 years as a chapter. Alumnae were invited back for the anniversaries to remember the fun times at W&J.

'''Housing:'''

Dorm C served as the chapter house for Zeta Lambda in the early portion of the decade. By then, the House Board had assisted the chapter women in decorating the common rooms and making them feel more like a home. In 2005, Greek Life at W&J changed drastically when the College constructed new houses for the fraternities and sororities along Chestnut Street at the edge of campus. Zeta Lambda was able to participate in the planning of the new houses and was allowed to choose the design of the house, paint and carpet colors, and the style of furniture.

At the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year, Kappa remained in Dorm C with half of the fraternities and sororities and waited for the new house to be finished. The other Greek organizations moved to the new houses, leaving W&J’s Greek Life torn in two for a semester. Finally, during Finals Week of the fall 2005 semester, Zeta Lambda packed up and moved to the brand-new house on Chestnut Street. The new house held 24 members and featured a President’s suite, chapter room, and study room, in addition to common areas found on the second and third levels. Because of the new space, Zeta Lambda was able to start holding Initiation and Recruitment events in the house.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Zeta Lambda continued its tradition of philanthropy in the 2000s and participated in a philanthropic activity each month. New events included the Jail and Bail fundraiser, where members of other Greek organizations were placed in a pretend “jail” until they were bailed out by their brothers and sisters. The chapter also regularly took part in philanthropies held by other fraternities and sororities, such as Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash and Pi Beta Phi’s Singled Out, as well as events organized by the Panhellenic Council and Inter-Fraternity Council.
In 2008, Zeta Lambda began to hold a large philanthropy event, a softball tournament to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. “Catch the Cure” annually attracts teams from across W&J’s campus and has become a huge success.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

(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.)

==Highlights of 2012==

The past year has been a period of growth to achieve chapter goals and to strengthen the bonds of lifelong friendships. The spring semester began with formal recruitment, February 9-12, when we welcomed 21 new members to our fraternity. The sisters bonded with the new members through chapter gatherings and sister only social events during our annual Inspiration Week, April 16-20, which led up to Initiation. All members, both new and old, wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty.

The first event was the “Blue & Blue Dinner” which was held in the house as a time to bond with all sisters while enjoying a lovely dinner. Tuesday was “Kappa Hearts and Poems”, where older sisters made their new key sister a heart that had a picture of them together on the front and a sisterly quote of their choice on the back. Wednesday, key sisters bonded over delicious Rita’s Italian Ice. Thursday, the Return of the Pledge Pin ceremony was held in the chapter room followed by a special surprise for the new members. Friday was Fireside, which was held at alumni Steph Kubric’s house. After fireside, the sisters stayed at the house and the older sisters prepared for Initiation. The next morning, Initiation was held in our house and 21 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters into our fantastic fraternity.

Shortly after bid day, the new members continued to bond with each other and the older members by attending monthly sister only social events. A few months after bid day, in April, our annual spring formal took place. The theme of our formal was “A Night in Vegas”; the hall was decorated with confetti, playing cards, and chips. This social is very important to all members because it is the last formal with the current seniors before they graduated in May. Everyone treasured this social because it was the last time this particular chapter would be all together. The third date social was held in November of the fall semester, called Kappa Krush, with a theme of “Kappa has the Key to my Heart”. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.

Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after bid day in the spring semester, an annual sister only is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; a tradition that takes place each year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our annual Mother’s Day Brunch, which we have changed to be called the “Special Person’s Brunch”. It was changed so that sisters who would like to share this special day with another person other than their mothers can do so. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas.

In November, during Homecoming Weekend, we had a special alumni cookout. We invited alumni’s back to cookout with the current chapter, catch up with good conversation, and to show off our house. The cookout included hamburgers, hotdogs, soda, and various other treats while showing off our brand new furniture, various awards, and scrap books to all of the alumni that came back. This was a great opportunity to bond with our sisters who had come before us. Also during Homecoming weekend we were proud to have one Kappa up for the title of Homecoming queen, Miss Eva Pfeffer. Eva Pfeffer clinched the title, allowing Kappa to have bragging rights of having W&J’s homecoming queen for two consecutive years in a row. In December, the annual sister only was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night”. Though our house did not win, we were still proud of the brightly strung lights, the frosty windows, and the beautifully decorated Christmas trees around the house. All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season.

Throughout the semester, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 5th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise awareness and money for breast cancer. All proceeds went towards the Susan G. Komen foundation. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organization together, but the Washington and Jefferson community as a whole. A total of 19 teams filled Cameron Stadium to participate in our event. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out; we raised a total of $5,028. We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. In the fall semester, we participated in Pi beta Phi’s lip-synching contest, “Arrowbands”, in which we came in 2nd place of six fraternities. We also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s annual dodge ball tournament. In December, we ended the year attending various events such as Washington and Jefferson’s “Up Till Dawn” and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters holiday party. Kappa was ranked 2rd highest GPA in the fall semester for all female fraternities at Washington and Jefferson. Everyone was proud of our fraternity and our great achievements.

In addition to social and philanthropic events, Zeta Lambda has held recruitment events to meet potential new members. This year our recruitment chairman, Nicole Raupach, thought of new, creative events to meet the potential new members. The first event “Kappa Karnival” was held at our house, where the sisters could meet potential new members over carnival foods and games. With this being a new event, there was a great turnout of potential new members. The next event was “Kappa Kupcakes” which was held in October. All potential new members came to our house and decorated a cupcake that was previously made with pink icing and sprinkles for our breast cancer awareness month bake sale. The next day, we held a bake sale with the cupcakes the potential new members decorated and all of the proceeds went to the Susan G. Komen foundation. The event and bake sale were both very successful for our chapter. Our last two recruitment events include “Kappa and Co.”, which is a classy “Tiffany” themed event served with cheesecake bites, and “Christmas with the Kappas”, which could perhaps be our most fun event that included Christmas music, delicious Christmas cookies, and punch. Each event held by our chapter was very successful and helped us get to know potential new members and allow those potential new members to see how fabulous is it is to be a part of our fantastic chapter. All of the new events turned out fabulous.

This year we witnessed President Barack Obama get re-elected for a second term as the President of the United States. We also witnessed the natural disaster of Hurricane Sandy. Ashley Ayre, a current Kappa senior, placed a box in our house and asked for any type of donation to help out the victims. Ashley and her mother collected numerous items from our generous chapter and brought them to New York when they went on a trip to see a friend. Another catastrophic event we witnessed was the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. This tragic event really made us realize to never take life for granted, always say I love you to the ones you love, and appreciate life everyday you are given. This brought our chapter closer together on a whole different level, if that is even possible.

'''CAMPUS AND CHAPTER PROFILE'''
CAMPUS: Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private, liberal arts school with a main focus of academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with 40% of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social activities of the campus.

CHAPTER: Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community, as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Our members are involved in everything from being captains of various athletic teams to being officers of service and academic fraternities. Not only does our chapter like to be involved in the activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5 +) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.

'''CHAPTER CHALLENGES'''
This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strives to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek Community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the Greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and by other fraternities on campus.

Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students, as well as the faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students. As a way to show our appreciation to our professors and staff members, the sisters of Zeta Lambda elect one professor and one staff member every month to give the title “Professor of the Month” and “Staff member of the Month”, respectively. We pride ourselves on being the campus leaders and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leaders in not just the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set an example for others to respect and hopefully follow.

This has been an extremely wonderful year for the Zeta Lambda chapter and we are looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the fun-filled events and experiences it will bring to our chapter!

==Highlights of 2014==

The past year has been a period of growth to achieve chapter goals and to strengthen the bonds of lifelong friendship. The spring semester began with formal recruitment, February 6-8, when we welcomed 19 new members to our fraternity. The sisters bonded with the new members through chapter gatherings and sister only social events during our annual Inspiration Week, March 31-April 5, which led up to Initiation. All members, both new and old, wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty. The first event was the “Blue & Blue Dinner” which was held in the house as a time to bond with all sisters while enjoying a lovely dinner. Tuesday was “Kappa Hearts and Poems,” where older sisters made their new key sister a heart that had a picture of them together on the front and a sisterly quote of their choice on the back. Wednesday, key sisters bonded over delicious Rita’s Italian Ice. Thursday, the Return of the Pledge Pin ceremony was held in the chapter room followed by a special surprise for the new members. Friday was Fireside, which was held at alumni Steph Kubric’s house. After Fireside, the sisters stayed at the house and older sisters prepared for Initiation. The next morning, Initiation was held at our house and 19 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters to our fantastic fraternity.

Shortly after bid day, the new members continued to bond with each other and the older members by attending monthly sister only events. A few months after bid day, in April, our annual spring formal took place. The theme of our formal was “Under the Sea”; the hall was decorated with cute painted fish and tropical colors. This social is very important to all members because it was the last formal with the current seniors before they graduated in May. Everyone treasured this social because it was the last time this particular chapter would all be together. The third date social was held in November in the fall semester, called Kappa Krush. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.

Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after bid day in the spring semester, an annual sister only is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; a tradition each year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our Mother’s Day Brunch, which we have changed to be called the “Special Person’s Brunch.” It was changed so that the sisters who would like to share this special day with another person other than their mothers can do so. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas. In October during homecoming weekend, we had a special alumni cookout. We invited alumni back to cook out with the current chapter, catch up with a good conversation, and to show off our house. The cookout included hamburgers, hotdogs, soda, and various other treats while showing off our brand new furniture and painted walls, various awards, and scrapbooks to all of the alumni that came back. This was a great opportunity to bond with our sisters who had come before us. In December, the annual sister only was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night.” Though our house did not take first place, we were still proud of the brightly strung lights, the frosty windows, and the beautifully decorated Christmas trees around the house. All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season.

Throughout the semester, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 7th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Some of the proceeds went towards the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The rest of the money we were able to donate to a sister’s aunt who is currently fighting breast cancer. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organizations together, but the Washington and Jefferson and local community as a whole. A total of 22 teams filled Cameron Stadium to participate in our event. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all of the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out. We raised over $6,000. We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. In the fall semester we participated in Pi Beta Phi’s lip-synching and dancing contest, “Arrowbands,” where we proudly took 2nd place. We also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s color run. Near the end of the fall semester we participated in various other events, such as the “B+ Dance Marathon,” where we stayed up until 3 AM painting faces and dancing to raise money for a local boy diagnosed with cancer.

In addition to social and philanthropic events, Zeta Lambda has held recruitment events to meet potential and new members. This year our recruitment chairman, Abigail Kunkel, thought of new and creative events to meet potential new members. The first event, “Kappa Kookout,” was held at our house, where the sisters could talk to potential new members over hamburgers and hotdogs. With the beautiful weather for this event, there was a great turnout of potential new members. The next event, “Kappa Kupcakes” was held in October. All potential new members came to our house and decorated cupcakes that were previously made with pink icing and sprinkles for our breast cancer awareness month bake sale. The following day, we held a bake sale with the cupcakes that were decorated at our event. All of the proceeds were donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The event and bake sale were very successful for our chapter. Our last two recruitment events include “Kappa Karaoke,” which was a fun event held at Monticello’s with karaoke and milkshakes, and “Holidays with the Kappas,” which included Christmas music and cookies, punch, and Christmas decorations. Each event held by our chapter was very successful and helped us get to know potential new members and allowed them to see how fabulous it is to be a part of our fantastic chapter. All of the new events turned out wonderful.

This year we had one of our members, Anna Shaffner, bring Christmas cards for all of the sisters to fill out to send to the troops for the holidays. All of our sisters were able to fill out several and they were sent to the U.S. troops to make their holidays a little brighter. This small event brought us together as a chapter and we were thrilled to spread our joy with others.

CAMPUS: Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private liberal arts school with a main focus of academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with over 40% of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social events of the campus.

CHAPTER: Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Our members are involved in the activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5+) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.

This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strived to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the Greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and the other fraternities on campus.

Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students and faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students. As a way to show our appreciation to our professors and staff members, the sisters of Zeta Lambda elect one professor and one staff member every month to give the title “Professor of the Month” and “Staff Member of the Month,” respectively. We pride ourselves on being the campus leaders and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leaders in not only the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set an example for others to respect and hopefully follow.

This has been an extremely wonderful year for the Zeta Lambda chapter and we are looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the fun-filled events and experiences it will bring to our chapter!

Unfortunately, none of our chapter’s officers wear historical badges. All of the chapter’s officers wear one badge, which is the golden key that every one of the women in our fraternity wears. All of our 64 current members proudly wear the golden key, with their initials and the date they were initiated on on the back of the key. We take immense pride in wearing the golden key.

==Highlights of 2015==

The past year has been a period of growth to achieve chapter goals and to strengthen the bonds of lifelong friendship. The spring semester began with formal recruitment, February 4-8, when we welcomed 16 new members to our fraternity. The sisters bonded with the new members through chapter gatherings and sister only social events during our annual Inspiration Week, April 20-25, which led up to Initiation. All members, both new and old, wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty. The first night of the week sisters bonded over delicious Sarris ice cream. Tuesday was “Kappa Hearts and Poems,” where older sisters made their new key sister a heart that had a picture of them together on the front and a sisterly quote of their choice on the back. Wednesday was the “Blue&Blue Dinner” which was held in the house as a time to bond with all sisters while enjoying a lovely dinner. Thursday, the Return of the Pledge Pin ceremony was held in the chapter room followed by a special surprise for the new members. Friday was Fireside, which was held at alumni Steph Kubric’s house. After Fireside, the sisters stayed at the house and older sisters prepared for Initiation. The next morning, Initiation was held at our house and 16 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters to our fantastic fraternity.

Shortly after bid day, the new members continued to bond with each other and the older members by attending monthly sister only events. A few months after bid day, in April, our annual spring formal took place. The theme of our formal was “Masquerade”; the hall was decorated with masks and streamers. This social is very important to all members because it was the last formal with the current seniors before they graduated in May. Everyone treasured this social because it was the last time this particular chapter would all be together. The third date social was held in November in the fall semester, called Kappa Krush. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.

Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after bid day in the spring semester, an annual sister only is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; a tradition each year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our Mother’s Day Brunch, which we have changed to be called the “Special Person’s Brunch.” It was changed so that the sisters who would like to share this special day with another person other than their mothers can do so. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas. In October during homecoming weekend, we had a special alumni event. We invited alumni back to hang out with the current chapter, catch up with a good conversation, and to show off our house. The event included small snacks like fruit and pastries while showing off our various awards and scrapbooks to all the alumni who came back. This was a great opportunity to bond with our sisters who had come before us. In December the annual sister only was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night.” All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season. We also participated in the campus wide Holiday event where everyone on campus was invited to participate in a gingerbread house making contest, ugly sweater contest, ice skating, and many other activities.

Throughout the semester, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 8th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organizations together, but the Washington and Jefferson and local community as a whole. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all of the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out and we raised over $3,500! We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. In the fall semester we participated in Pi Beta Phi’s lip-synching and dancing contest, “Arrowbands,” where we proudly took first place! We also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s color run. Near the end of the fall semester we participated in various other events, such as the “B+ Dance Marathon,” where we painted faces and danced to raise money and awareness for cancer.

In addition to the social and philanthropic events, Zeta Lambda has participated in several Panhellenic recruitment events on campus. Near the beginning of the semester, we participated in a bonfire where independent women could get more information about Greek life. We also participated in a pizza party, ice cream party, and hot chocolate party, all sponsored by Panhel. These events helped girls to meet potential members.

In the fall semester we began training at the local animal shelter in order to become more involved with the community. All of the girls received training in order to begin walking dogs and playing with cats at the shelter in the spring semester. All of the girls were very enthusiastic to work with the shelter and provide any help we could.

CAMPUS: Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private liberal arts school with a main focus of academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with over 40% of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social events of the campus.
CHAPTER: Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Our members are involved in the activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5+) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.

CHAPTER CHALLENGES: This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strived to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and the other fraternities on campus.

Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students and faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students. As a ways to show our appreciation to our professors and staff member, the sisters of Zeta Lambda elect one professor and one staff member every month to give the title “Professor of the Month” and “Staff Member of the Month,” respectively. We pride ourselves on being the campus leader and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leader in not only the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set and example for others to respect and hopefully follow.

This has been an extremely wonderful year for the Zeta Lambda chapter and we are looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the fun-filled events and experiences it will bring to our chapter!

==Highlights of 2016==

The past year for our chapter has consisted of new opportunities for the Zeta Lambda Chapter, and proved that we are a tight knit sisterhood, who continues to gain strength from every new challenge presented and we are motivated to move forward into the new year together stronger than ever. Washington and Jefferson College started the spring semester with Formal Recruitment, which was incredibly successful. The Zeta Lambda Chapter welcomed home 21 new members from the recruitment process that spanned from February 18th to the 20th. Initiation for the new members was held on Saturday, April 23rd and the week leading up to it was Inspiration Week, in which sister only social events were held to strengthen our bond of sisterhood. All members of the chapter wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty. Initiation was held at our house and our 21 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters to our fantastic fraternity.

Our annual spring formal took place on Saturday, April 2nd. The theme for our formal was “Lights, Camera, Action,” and was so perfectly decorated that we felt like we were at the movies. There was even a photo booth with various props, which was a hit and all the sisters embraced the opportunity to take silly pictures with their adoring sisters and dates. The second social was held on Saturday, November 5th during the fall semester, and is called Kappa Krush. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.

Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after Bid Day in the spring semester, an annual sister only event is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; which is a tradition every year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our Special Person’s Brunch, which is a tradition every year. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas. In October during Homecoming weekend, we had a special alumni event. We invited alumni back to visit with the current chapter, catch up with old and new friends, and to show off our incredible house while sharing our various awards and scrapbooks to all the alumni who came back. In December the annual sister only event was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night.” All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season. We also participated in the campus wide Holiday Event where everyone on campus was invited to participate in a gingerbread house making contest, ugly sweater contest, ice skating, and many other activities.

==Highlights of 2017==

The past year for our chapter has consisted of new opportunities for the Zeta Lambda Chapter, and proved that we are a tight knit sisterhood, who continues to gain strength from every new challenge presented and we are motivated to move forward into the new year together stronger than ever. Washington and Jefferson College started the spring semester with Formal Recruitment, which was incredibly successful. The Zeta Lambda Chapter welcomed home 20 new members from the recruitment process that spanned from February 16th to the 19th. Initiation for the new members was held on Saturday, April 8th and the week leading up to it was Inspiration Week, in which sister only social events were held to strengthen our bond of sisterhood. All members of the chapter wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty. Initiation was held at our house and our 20 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters to our fantastic fraternity. This year we were able to hold recruitment events at our house, so we planned a Karving with Kappa event, where PNMs were able to help sisters carve pumpkins to display on our front porch.

In the last month, three sisters have been awarded international study aboard scholarships. Danielle Shellgren and Alex Scalise were awarded the Vira I. Heinz scholarship to pursue their dreams of studying in different countries over the summer. Danielle Shellgren will use this opportunity to study in New Zealand and pursue her Communications major by interning with various companies to increase her knowledge of the field. Alex Scalise plans on travelling to Germany over the summer for her Language major requirement and will use this opportunity to embrace the culture and expand her understanding of world interactions. Elizabeth Holmes and Lila Thompson were both awarded the International Programs Fund Award, which will allow Elizabeth Holmes to study in Athens, Greece during the spring semester, and Lila Thompson will be able to study in France for the semester. Their sisters here at home wish them all the best in their worldly endeavors!

This summer, Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted the Kappa Convention in San Diego, California. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to send our sister, Jazmyn Meredith, and our chapter president, Alana Lomis. This experience allowed them to connect with sisters from all over the country and learn more about our fraternity, which they shared with our chapter when we reconvened in the fall. Claire Maxwell, who served as our New Member chairman, received honorable mention for chapters under 100 for her dedication to supporting and educating the new members through her new member program she developed. Danielle Shellgren served as our Philanthropy chair this last year, and also received honorable mention at this year’s Kappa Convention, due to her passion for serving the community and making our chapter as successful as can be.

Throughout this past year, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 8th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organizations together, but the Washington and Jefferson and local community as a whole. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all of the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out and we raised just under $3,000! We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. Also in the spring, we participated in Delta Gamma’s annual Anchor Splash, where we placed first for the syncretized swimming and dance section. In the fall semester we participated in Pi Beta Phi’s Arrowbands, which is a lip-synching and dance competition, known as “Arrowbands,” where we placed second. Near the end of the fall semester we participated in various other events, such as the “B+ Dance Marathon,” where we painted faces and danced to raise money and awareness for cancer.

This year, our chapter started off the academic school year by holding a Chapter Council retreat, in order to strengthen our Council so that our dedication and hard work could be reflected in the rest of the chapter for the coming school year. Our Vice President Organization, Morgan Leckie, organized the entire event, and invited Maria Brown to teach us about different leadership styles so that we could understand that everyone is different and is important to realize that and find a way to cooperate amongst ourselves in the most effective and efficient way possible. This was an extremely effective workshop retreat and was clearly reflected in our Chapter Council and chapter.

This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strived to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the Greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and the other fraternities on campus.
Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students and faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students, who are dedicated to their academics. Through the extremely well planned out program by our Vice President of Academic Excellence, Kayla Grey, we were able to go from last place ranking out of the four sororities on campus, to second this year. We are extremely proud of this accomplishment. We pride ourselves on being campus leader and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leader in not only the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set an example for others to respect and hopefully follow.
This year, we were sad to see four sisters leave our sisterhood for various reasons. These were great losses to our chapter, but we saw them as an opportunity to look within our chapter and build upon our strengths, and understand our weaknesses and work through each and every one. Despite these recent events, we have continued to grow as a chapter and support each other. We have accepted the outcome and what has happened and hope to only learn from this experience in the coming year and become stronger from it.

'''Campus and Chapter Overview'''

Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private liberal arts school with a main focus on academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with a majority of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social events of the campus. This year we welcomed a new Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Kaitlyn Bamrick, who has proven to be an instrumental part of our Greek life thus far. Also this year, our campus has started the construction of a new auxiliary gymnasium to our existing Henry Memorial Gymnasium. Students are very excited for the complementation of this addition to our beautiful campus.
Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Three out of the five members of the Student Government Association Executive Board are Kappas, and we are extremely proud of their involvement and their leadership roles. Our members are involved in the various activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5+) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.

'''Chapter Philanthropy'''

Previously mentioned was our major annual philanthropy event, Catch for the Cure, which is held during the spring semester. We generally raise a couple thousand dollars for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which raises money for breast cancer awareness. Several sisters’ family members, including mother, grandmothers, and aunts, have been affected and we make sure that we recognize survivors and those who have lost their battle with the terrible illness. In the past year, we began training at the local animal shelter in order to become more involved with the community. All of our sisters received training in order to begin walking dogs and playing with cats at the shelter in the spring semester. All of our sister are very enthusiastic to work with the shelter and provide any help we can. In early January, we teamed up with the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega to collect gently used coats to donate them to the Washington City Mission to ensure those who are less fortunate than us have the necessary outerwear to bare the cold weather. Before Easter, our sister packed over 100 Easter eggs with candy and sent them to troops overseas. October is Domestic Violence Awareness, and we paired up with the brothers of Phi Delta Theta to sell donuts for the Domestic Violence Center in Washington, and called this event “Donut Let Love Hurt.” This past month we also teamed up with the brothers of Beta Theta Pi to decorate Christmas cards for soldiers overseas, who can’t be home for the holidays. We understand their sacrifice and wanted to thank them for their support and share some holiday spirit. Also this month, we held an event with the sisters of Delta Gamma to respond to notes children from the LeMoyne Community Center in Washington wrote to Santa Clause. We saw the importance of imagination and encouraging hopes and dreams, and again wanted to share the holiday spirit with the community.

In combination with local community philanthropy, we also support our national Kappa Kappa Gamma philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. In April, our sisters had the opportunity to compete against other sororities and fraternities on campus during the College X Games, which were held at the Meadows Casino in Washington. We had three Kappa teams that competed in events varying from bowling to basketball to even an obstacle course! Every sister that participated had a great deal of fun and we were even able to win $400 for Reading is Fundamental in the process. Our Zeta Lambda chapter is dedicated to helping our community and supporting our national philanthropy in any way possible, and we strive to out due ourselves in the following year.

'''Chapter Facility'''

Kappa Kappa Gamma Zeta Lambda Chapter is fortunate enough to have beautiful house on campus. Twenty-four lucky members are able to live in the house each year. Living in the house can be a blessing because you’re surrounded by your best friends and sisters and always have someone to lean on for support or closets to raid when you have nothing to wear! We have a Chapter Room downstairs where we hold chapter every Sunday at 8:00 pm. Across from the Chapter Room is the Party Room, which is the ideal place to hold Standard Meetings, meetings of other varieties, or just a place to study or watch a movie because comfortable sitting is provided. Also downstairs is a small kitchen and the presidents suite for the outgoing president to live in during their final year at W&J. 301 Chestnut Street will always be home to our Zeta Lambda chapter.

==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:'''

'''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!

Zeta Iota

2018-02-20T00:23:55Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Zeta Iota
|GreekSymbol= ZI
|Image= [[File:Zeta_Iota.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1982|11|13}}
|College= [http://www1.villanova.edu/ Villanova University]
|Location= Villanova, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/zetaiota/ Zeta Iota Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Zeta_Iota Media related to Zeta Iota Chapter]}}

'''Villanova University established in 1842, Villanova, Pennsylvania'''

'''Zeta Iota founded November 13, 1982 - 60 charter members'''

'''1,546 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

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

'''Some of Zeta Iota’s Outstanding Members:''' (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Fraternity Officers:'''

Christine Orr (Sullivan), Traveling Consultant 1991-1993; Robyn A. Tierney, Traveling Consultant 1999-2000

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award:'''

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

'''Additional Outstanding Zeta Iota Alumnae:'''

Kathleen Wall, Chapter Consultant 1993-1994

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==About Villanova University==

Villanova University has been sponsored by the Augustinian Order since its founding in 1842. Today, the University is comprised of five colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences (Villanova College), Engineering, School of Business (formerly known as the College of Commerce and Finance), Nursing and the School of Law. The University traces its origins to old Saint Augustine’s Church in Philadelphia, which the Augustinians founded in 1796, and to its parish school, Saint Augustine’s Academy, established in 1811.

Since its founding, Villanova has been privileged to mediate Saint Augustine’s vision of education as a community activity of scholars searching for truth in open discussion, commitment to ethical values, and dedication to social justice and human rights. This commitment is realized in its humanities programs, which are an integral part of the curriculum of each of its professional schools, and in the three essential characteristics of our Augustinian tradition: the relationship between mind and heart, the role of community, and the unity of knowledge. This commitment and tradition also provides the key for interpreting Villanova’s mission statement which states that the University is a community that "seeks to reflect the spirit of Saint Augustine by the cultivation of knowledge, by respect for individual differences, and by adherence to the principle that mutual love and respect should animate every aspect of University life."

==Installation==

It was a chilly fall morning, but just as words in the ceremony referred to reflections of sunshine in each life, the sun came out on cue to add to the brightness of smiling faces and shining keys. And with this bright omen, Zeta Iota, Kappa's ll1th active chapter, was installed at Villanova University on November 12 and 13, 1982.

Founded 140 years ago and named for the 16th century Augustinian, St. Thomas of Villanova, the university admitted women for the first time in 1968. They comprised about 35 of the student population of 10,000 the year Zeta Iota was founded. A wide variety of undergraduate and master’s programs and a few doctoral programs appealed to the hard working student body. The suburban campus just north of Philadelphia also offered the many advantages and cultural opportunities of the city.

Delta Kappa Nu formed as a local in 1974 was the first service-social sorority and had been an outstanding group, providing strong leadership on campus. They petitioned Kappa, were accepted, and on April 14th, 68 excited young women were pledged as charter members of Zeta Iota Colony. Two carloads of Kappas from Zeta Beta-Lafayette and many alumnae from the Delaware, West Chester, and Philadelphia Alumnae Associations added to the celebration.

During the remainder of the spring semester, and again in the fall, Zeta Iota Colony plunged into work and study to become initiated members. Carol Tesner, Miami (Ohio), came to the campus as graduate counselor. Margaret Porter Cardamone, Penn State, put her super energies to work in two capacities - as installation chairman and as chapter council adviser. Area alumnae were eager to serve as advisers and met for a training session early in the fall with Beta Province director of chapters, Shirley Mertz Arther, Allegheny.

Finally, when the anticipation could rise no higher, it was time. Quietly, but with a strong undercurrent of excitement, 60 young women walked into a candlelit room at the Philadelphia Country Club to take their first step into initiation as members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Deanie Hosmer Miller, Penn State, had arranged for a lovely Fireside Service, but the glow from the huge fieldstone fireplace could hardly match the glow on the initiates’ faces. Later, the punch and cookies disappeared quickly as Zeta Iotas chatted with the many guests and Fraternity officers.

Did the girls sleep that night? Maybe not, but they did arrive bright and early at the Baptist church in the Great Valley for initiation. It was fun for them to discover later that the two men directing parking on the church grounds were Kappa husbands doing their bit to see that things went smoothly while enjoying the excitement around them.

Installing officers Sally Moore Nitschke, Ohio State, Fraternity president, and Gay Chuba Barry, Penn State, Fraternity vice president, were assisted by Rheva Ott Shryock, Pennsylvania, former Grand Presiident (Fraternity President 1936-1940); Shirley Arther; Barbara Cranston Granat, Michigan State, Beta Province director of alumnae; Carol Tesner and Peg Cardamone. Others who took part in the ceremony in various ways were visiting graduate counselors Susan Howells, Miami (Ohio), at Massachusetts; Heather Hering, Ohio Wesleyan, at Vermont; and field secretary Pam Anthrop, Purdue. It was a proud chapter president, Kathleen Henneberry, who accepted the charter on behalf of Zeta Iota Chapter.

After a buffet lunch provided by the alumnae, the new Kappas and Fraternity officers returned to Villanova to conduct a model chapter meeting. There was little time to catch their breath before changing for the Installation Banquet at Stouffer's Valley Forge Hotel.

A many-mirrored banquet room could do little to heighten the effect of 200 smiling faces. Fraternity officers, committee members, alumnae friends, parents and the new Kappas of Zeta Iota Chapter enjoyed warm conversations and a delicious dinner arranged by Judy Noone Richardson, Pittsburgh. Toastmistress Shirley Arther introduced Sally Jo Harris, president of Lafayette who offered a toast to the new chapter. Kathy Henneberry graciously responded and thanked Dr. Robert Langren, faculty moderator for Delta Kappa Nu, and all who helped the members reach this special day. Dr. Richard A. Neville, Vice President of Student Life, and Gary H. Bonos, Assistant Director of Student Activities, welcomed the Zeta Iotas on behalf of the university and encouraged them to continue their fine record of scholarship, service and participation in college activities. Gay Barry read a few of the many greetings from chapters and alumnae groups nation-wide and even from the alumnae club of London, England. Sally Nitschke welcomed the chapter to the Fraternity and the heritage of excellence established by others in the past. They, and all Kappas, have unlimited opportunities to contribute to the continuing growth and excellence of the fraternity. A special moment for Kathy Henneberry was the pinning on of the president's badge, a special key given by the Philadelphia Alumnae Association and presented by Mary Hutchinson Tucker, Northwestern, alumnae president.

After the traditional closing, with the singing of the Banquet Song and the eight chapter presidents participating in the Passing of the Light Ceremony, Barbara Granat presided over the opening of gifts sent to the chapter. All the necessities, from silver candlesticks to a corn popper, were received with expressions of surprise and delight from the members. To tie it all together, the Delaware Alumnae Association gave a trunk, painted blue and decorated with a fleur-de-lis, in which to store the chapter's goodies. Kathy Henneberry said it was like an early Christmas.

A campus reception on Sunday afternoon ended the festivities. Arranged by Betsy Granat, Penn State, it enabled faculty, administration and members of the 13 men's fraternities to welcome the Zeta Iotas to campus as they joined Delta Delta Delta as National Panhellenic Conference groups at Villanova. Alpha Chi Omega had a colony on the campus at the time of Zeta Iota’s founding and two other groups remained locals.

It was all over but the shouting . . . the much anticipated event was now a wonderful memory, as Installation treasurer Odette Hutchison Locher, herself a charter member at Bucknell, balanced the books and registration chairman Jane Hall Cobb, New Mexico, checked off those who had attended. Carolyn Horner Wilson, West Virginia, and Debbie Schultz, Iowa State, packet up initiation equipment. La Von Gehrke Arms, Colorado College, and Marlie Richards Williams, Wisconsin, collected the decorations while Jane Coombs, Miami (Ohio), and Karen Collins, Hillsdale, were en route back to Columbus in the blue and blue Kappa van. They carried not only the installation equipment, but also a shadow box showing a miniature chapter room of 1882 and 1982. It was designed and executed by Judy Cutler Diver, Connecticut, and presented to the Heritage Museum by Beta Province.

Zeta Iota Installation was history . . . and a special bit of history. Just before the Passing of the Light, Rheva Shryock said to one of the Kappas, “You know, I believe I must be the link. Here I am at the installation of our newest chapter and yet I also touched hands with Louise Bennett Boyd.”

Kappa history, Kappa heritage, Kappa members . . . all reflecting the sunshine.

==Highlights of the 1980s==

After Zeta Iota was founded, the members worked to create unity and strengthen the sisterhood within the chapter. This was achieved through a variety of programs and retreats, including a Standards Retreat held in the fall each year. Chapter officers also attended an Officer’s Retreat during the spring semester while new members learned about Kappa through an annual retreat. In 1987, Villanova moved Recruitment until the spring semester of freshman year and that year, Zeta Iota welcomed 35 new members. In 1989, the chapter recruited 61 young women and although getting to know everyone was a challenge, it was one the Kappas gladly tackled. Other sisterhood events included ice cream socials, a spring formal, and a Christmas formal. Zeta Iota also worked to prepare members for a future beyond college graduation and hosted a Career Day for juniors and seniors.

Zeta Iota acknowledged the importance of a strong relationship between active and alumnae members and often included alumnae in the chapter’s programming. For Founders Day, the chapter joined together with local alumnae. In 1987, Fraternity President Marian Williams, Missouri, joined Zeta Iota and local alumnae for the October celebration. During the homecoming weekend, the Kappas paired up with chapter alumnae for a homecoming formal. Chapter Council was eager to maintain a relationship with the Advisory Board and hosted a dinner so that members could become better acquainted with one another.

Throughout the decade, Zeta Iota proved to be a leader on Villanova’s campus. Many members were active in other campus clubs and organizations and several also played on the university’s sports teams. The chapter often had a strong presence in Villanova’s Greek Week.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Zeta Iota women were busy with different philanthropic activities throughout the 1980s, such as the popular Kappa Kisses program. The chapter raised money for the Special Olympics through a ring toss with a goldfish prize. The Kappas devoted their time to Christmas caroling at a local nursing home, wrapping Christmas gifts at a local mall, and hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and Halloween party with local children. Each year, Zeta Iota participated in Villanova’s Balloon Day, a campus-wide annual fundraising carnival, by hosting activities such as a pretzel booth.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of the 1990s==

In the 1990s, Zeta Iota continued many of the traditions that began the decade prior, such as holding a fall and spring formals. In order to maintain the bonds of sisterhood after taking more large new member classes, the chapter held meet-the-sister nights where members could enjoy ice cream, bake, cook, dye Easter eggs, and more. Zeta Iota also took weekend trips to the Philadelphia Zoo for the enjoyment of the sisters.

The chapter worked hard to improve chapter communications and develop a better understanding of Fraternity Ritual. The Kappas again scheduled several retreats to benefit members, including the Officer Retreat, Pledge Retreat, and Standards Retreat. Zeta Iota also implemented a tutor program and hosted professional development workshops—Career Day for seniors and a résumé writing seminar for juniors—in order to prepare members for academic and professional success. Founders Day was annually celebrated with the local alumnae association, where some Zeta Iotas received awards in recognition of their dedication to the Fraternity.

'''Housing:'''

'''Philanthropy:'''

During the 1990s, Zeta Iota carried on philanthropic traditions and contributed to events such as Villanova’s Balloon Day. In 1996, the Kappas operated a cotton candy booth at the university’s Special Olympics Fall Festival and several sisters held leadership positions on the Festival’s planning committee. The chapter again participated in Christmas caroling and gift-wrapping within the local community while also taking to to make sandwiches to deliver to homeless in Philadelphia.

In 1996, the chapter paired with Lambda Chi Alpha during a softball tournament benefiting the Jimmy V. Foundation. Zeta Iota participated in philanthropy events for other Greek groups, including Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Lip Syncing and Pi Beta Phi’s soccer tournament.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Zeta Iota remained busy as the twenty-first century dawned as the chapter focused on improving the quality of programs offered to members. The Vice President-Academic Excellence implemented new programs that encourage scholastic achievement, such as the “Support Your Sister Award” that acknowledged the hard work of a chapter member. Beginning in 2005, Zeta Iota also offered Alumnae Connections planning events for seniors and alumnae to network.

The chapter won multiple awards throughout the decade, including the “Most Panhellenic” award from Villanova’s Panhellenic Council. In 2008, the chapter was honored when an article written by members was published in an issue of The Key. Zeta Iota also remained true to its Kappa roots and celebrated Founders Day with the local alumnae association each year.
Housing:

'''Philanthropy:'''

Zeta Iota’s biggest philanthropic project throughout the decade was breast cancer awareness. The chapter began sponsoring "Hoops for Hope," a campus-wide basketball tournament, to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, the Kappas wore pink on campus and made trips to local breast cancer treatment centers. In 2007, the chapter had six members participate in the three-day walk through Philadelphia that ended on Villanova's campus. The six sisters raised approximately $2,000 for the walk and, as a whole, the chapter raised a total of $28,000 by selling breast cancer bracelets and ribbons on campus. Every year, Zeta Iota hosted a candle-lighting ceremony to remember those who lost their lives to breast cancer and to honor those who survived the disease. During the 2010 ceremony, a member of the Komen family joined the chapter to talk about Susan and her foundation.

The chapter also created a new philanthropy event, the Greek God and Goddess pageant, which was held each year in December.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

In 2011, Zeta Iota worked hard to promote sisterhood within the chapter. A sisterhood event was held every month to promote bonding with sisters and growth as a chapter. Examples of the sisterhood events included an ice cream social and a pizza party. In October 2011, 75 members of Zeta Iota attended "Kamp Kappa," a two-day retreat at Camp Green Lane, Pa. for sisterhood bonding and chapter planning. The sisters learned about Kappa values and traditions from a Kappa Trainer and an alumna member led the chapter in a ritual review. That year, chapter officers also received training through participation in the LEAD Seminar at Lafayette College.
Academic excellence remained a priority for the chapter as a "study buddy" program was implemented. Zeta Iota also utilized a "Support Your Sister Award" and the Skippy Jar to encourage scholarship among members.

==Highlights of 2011==

The Zeta Iota chapter has had a successful year filled with many great memories and triumphs. Our chapter has participated in many Greek events on campus supporting other chapters, including Chi Omega's Karaoke Night, Alpha Chi Omega's Wiffleball Tournament, and Tri Delta's Kickball Tournament. We have worked on our leadership as a chapter through the chapter council participation in the LEAD Seminar at Lafayette, every sister's involvement in different committees, assigning "unofficial" titles for leadership opportunities including pledge class leader and retreat group leader, and Kappa HQ Webinar training for each position on Chapter Council. One of our sisters attended the Leadership Academy in the Fall and two of our sisters attended Beta Providence in Pittsburgh.

Zeta Iota received formal awards this past year through the Georgi Clymer Award, received by Kelsey O'Rourke, and the Peg Cardamone Academic Award, received by Amanda Leggio. We received an award for Recruitment of the year in 2011, and then received letters and special recognition in the KKG newsletter for our success. Zeta Iota focused on creating Breast Cancer Awareness by hosting the Hoops for Hope 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament in the Spring of 2011 and Breast Cancer Awareness week in October 2011 which included passing out lollipops with breast cancer facts, ribbons to promote awareness, receiving donations, and hosting a vigil where Patty Evans shared her breast cancer survival story.

Our sisters also worked to support Reading is Fundamental by hosting Greek God and Goddess in the Fall of 2011 and reading to children with cancer at CHOP. Zeta Iota supported the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation by hosting a charity jewlery party at an alumni's house to raise money. Zeta Iota has encouraged the planning of a sisterhood event every month to promote bonding with sisters and to grow closer as a chapter. In November 2011, a study pizza party was held where 80% of the chapter was present, and in December 2011 an ice cream social was held where 85% of the chapter attended.

On October 1, 2011, 75 members of Zeta Iota attended "Kamp Kappa," a two day retreat for sisterhood bonding and chapter planning. The sisters took a bus to Camp Green Lane, PA and were divided into eight Retreat groups. A Kappa Trainer came to speak about Kappa values, traditions and "wearing your letters 24/7." We also had a ritual review with a Kappa advisor and a fireside ceremony where sisters shared personal expereinces about their life in Kappa and spoke about what Kappa means to them.

'''Campus:''' The campus began renovations over the summer of 2011. Phase One of Villanova's transformation was completed in November 2011 and "the quad," an area where many of our sisters live, has been transformed and made more appealing. The landscape has been made pedestrian friendly and more aesthetically beautiful. There have been additions to the quad so that there are more places for students to socialize.

'''Chapter:''' The overall nature of our chapter is very enthusiastic and sisterly. We have become very close as a chapter and have been working together to better ourselves as a whole, as well as bettering our individual members. We have worked together to reach our goals and will continue to do so by staying organized, focused and determined. We have learned what it means to embody Kappa Kappa Gamma's values at all times and do our best to maintain a positive image on campus.

This year our chapter has faced some challenges in Academic Excellence, Ritual, Greek Week, and Committee Involvement. Our Vice President of Academic Excellence worked to improve our chapter's overall GPA by creating an Academic Focus Plan including mandatory study hours, a "study buddy" program, selecting a VPAE Committee to monitor sisters grades and assist with goals, and arranging tutors for members who sought extra help from sisters. Members of Zeta Iota were rewarded for Academic Excellence through the "Support Your Sister Award," ans the Skippy Jar, in order to keep sisters motivated to go to class and to get better grades.

Our chapter was struggling to incorporate ritual into our weekly activities, however, by implementing formal chapter once a month, as well as having weekly ritual reviews, we have improved our knowledge of Kappa Kappa Gamma's ritual and have been able to perform our ritual more smoothly. This year we participated in Greek Week and strived to win since we have lost many years in a row. Although we did not win, we worked together to get a large majority of our chapter to participate and be enthusiastic during Greek Week. We also encouraged the members of our chapter to be panhellenic and supportive of the other chapters. This past year we had some difficulty getting girls involved in committees. Our Vice President of Organization created a virtual sign-up sheet for all of the different committees and made it mandatory for every member to join at least one committee. If they did not sign up for one, they were assigned to a random committee.

==2012==
The Zeta Iota chapter has had a successful year filled with many great memories and triumphs. Our chapter has participated in many Greek events on campus supporting other chapters and their philanthropies, including the welcoming of Villanova's newest sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, Pi Beta Phi's Arrow Spike Volleyball Tournament, Sig Chi's Derby Days, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Tri Delta, and Alpha Chi Omega's "Kristin's Story" Event, Alpha Phi's Fiesta Bowl, Kappa Delta's Anti-Hazing week, and Villanova's Own Special Olympics.

Zeta Iota received numerous formal awards this past year. The Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life at Villanova University awarded Kappa Kappa Gamma the Most Improved Chapter of 2012, the Best Sisterhood of 2012 and Best Alumnae Relations. Kappa Kappa Gamma also awarded Zeta Iota, the 2012 Advisory Board Award at the Fraternity Convention. The Georgi Clymer Award was received by Katie Felter this past Founder's Day, and the Peg Cardamone Award was also given to Courtney Scioscia.

Zeta Iota focused on creating Breast Cancer Awareness by hosting Breast Cancer Awareness week in October 2012, which included pasing out lollipops with breast cancer facts, ribbons, pins, pens and stickers to promote awareness. We received many donations, and hosted a Ladder Ball Tournament sponsored by Powerade. Last but not least Zeta Iota hosted a vigil where Jackie Roth shared her breast cancer survival story. Our sisters also worked to support Reading is Fundamental by hosting Greek God and Goddess in the Fall of 2012 and sponsored a Book Drive, the Monmouth Duo, with Pi Beta Phi. Zeta Iota has encouraged the planning of a sisterhood event every month to promote bonding with sisters and to grow closer as a chapter.

On October 6, 2012, the members of Zeta Iota attended "Kamp Kappa" that was hosted at a member's home near campus. It was a retreat for sisterhood bonding and chapter planning, where members were divided up into eight Retreat Groups and spent the day reviewing and embracing Kappa tradition and ritual. A Kappa Trainer came to speak about Kappa values, traditions and "wearing your letters 24/7." We also had a ritual review with a Kappa advisor and a fireside ceremony where sisters shared personal experiences about their life in Kappa and spoke about what Kappa means to them.

Following our chapter retreat, our letter of feedback from our LC stated that Zeta Iota's strengths were Philanthropy, seeking advice and embracing change and our Kappa pride. Our focus area, or future challenges are Ritual and Sisterhood. We have been embracing Ritual at every Chapter and thinking of new ways to engage and educate our members on the founding principles, ceremonies, and traditions that outline what it means to be a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We have been hosting many "JUGS", just us girls events, such as lunch groups with our new members. We also have started giving special tokens to girls who have exemplified true Kappa sisterhood, as our President Kate calls it, "Kate's Key Kappa". We decide the winner at ever Chapter Council Meeting, and give the prize out during Chapter. We have implemented this to reward girls for their efforts, to emphasize the importance of sisterhood, and let our members know that their actions do not go unnoticed.

We are continuing to strengthen Academic Excellence as well. Our Vice President of Academic Excellence worked to improve our chapter's overall GPA by creating an Academic Focus Plan including mandatory study hours, a "study buddy" program, selecting a VPAE Committee to monitor sisters grades and assist with goals, and arranging tutors for members who sought extra help from sisters. Members of Zeta Iota were rewarded for Academic Excellence through the "Support Your Sister Award," and the Skippy Jar, in order to keep sisters motivated to go to class and to get better grades.

Last but not least, we have worked on our leadership as a chapter in numerous ways. Our outgoing President, Katie Felter, went to the 2012 Kappa Kappa Gamma Convention in Jacksonville, FL to strengthen her knowledge of leadership. Also, every sister is actively involved in different committees, and we have continued to assign "unofficial" titles for leadership opportunities including pledge class leader, and retreat group leader. Incoming Chapter Council has also participated in the Kappa HQ Webinar training to highlight the importance of each position and outline their roles, duties, and responsibilities to the chapter. Our sisters also attended the Basics Training Workshop, on November 9th, 2012, that targeted the strengthening of both Standards and Membership. Our current President, Katherine Carlucci, attended the Leadership Academy in the Fall of 2012. This experience changed her hopes, expectations, and goals for the entire chapter. Our goal for this year is to further strengthen the bonds of our sisterhood, through ritual training, off-campus sisterhood events, and overall Kappa morale so that we may be knowledgeable, proud, and confident in our Zeta Iota Chapter.

Zeta Iota's biggest triumph this past year was getting off our letter of probation. This was a longtime struggle and goal for the chapter. The removal of the letter was a huge accomplishment, and is a clear indicatior of the hard work, time, and effort that Zeta Iota is dedicating to strengthening the chapter. This year, Hurricane Sandy struck the hearts and homes of many of our sisters and their families. Zeta Iota made clothing drive donations and monetary donations to the numerous websites aiding in the relief efforts.

Villanova is continuing the campus renovations that began over the summer of 2011. Phase One and Two of Villanova's transformation was completed in November 2011, and then in Summer of 2012. The "quad," an area where many of our sisters live, has been transformed and made more appealing. It has opened up more space for organizations on campus to host events, set up tables and interact with the Villanova Student Body. The landscaped area outside the mailroom, bookstore, and Connelly Center (dinning hall) has been made more pedestrian friendly and more aesthetically beautiful. By making the landscape more open, the campus promotes socialization and interaction among its students.

The overall nature of our chapter is one of sisterhood, dedication, and enthusiasm. Our chapter has striven to become very close, and work together to better ourselves as a whole, as well as bettering ourselves individual members. We have worked together to reach our goals and will continue to do so by staying organized, focused and determined. We have learned what it means to embody Kappa Kappa Gamma's values at all times and do our best to maintain a positive image on campus by wearing out letters twenty-four seven.

==Highlights of 2013==

The Zeta Iota chapter has had successful year filled with many great memories and triumphs. Our chapter has participated in multiple Greek events on campus in an effort to support other chapters and their philanthropies, including Kappa Delta’s Corn Hole Tournament, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Tri Delta, and Alpha Chi Omega’s “Kristin’s Story” Event, Alpha Phi’s Fiesta Bowl, Pi Beta Phi’s “Pi Phi Gives You Wings” Event, Alpha Chi Omega and Beta Theta Pi’s “Rubbery Ducky Race” Event, Villanova’s St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service and Villanova’s own Special Olympics.

Zeta Iota received several formal awards this past year. At the Beta East Province Meeting, Zeta Iota was awarded with the Suzan Syover Root Chapter Improvement Award and the New Member Program Award. Zeta Iota focused on creating Breast Cancer Awareness by hosting Breast Cancer Awareness Week in October 2013, which included passing out lollipops with breast cancer facts, ribbons, baked goods and stickers to promote awareness. We received many donations and hosted a Ladder Basket Ball Tournament on campus where members of other chapters and organizations on campus played and donated to the cause. Our sisters also worked to support Reading is Fundamental by sponsoring a Book Drive, the Monmouth Duo, with Pi Beta Phi.

Zeta Iota has encouraged the planning of a sisterhood event every month to promote bonding with sisters and to grow closer as a chapter. In the spring of 2013, our outgoing Pledge Class Mom held a retreat for the new members at the home of a new member whose mother was a Kappa at Villanova. During this retreat, the new members grew closer together as sisters and learned more about what it means to be a member of this sorority. In the fall of 2013, the members of Zeta Iota attended “Kamp Kappa” that was hosted at a member’s home near campus. “Kamp Kappa” was a retreat for sisterhood bonding and chapter planning, where members were divided up into eight Retreat Groups and spent the day reviewing and embracing Kappa tradition and ritual. A Kappa Trainer spoke about Kappa Values, traditions, and “wearing your letters 24/7.”

We also had a ritual review with and a fireside ceremony where sister shared personal experiences about their life in Kappa and spoke about what Kappa means to them. Following our chapter retreat, our letter of feedback from our LC stated that Zeta Iota’s strengths were Philanthropy, seeking advice and embracing change and our Kappa pride. Our area of focus, or challenges, were Ritual and Sisterhood. In light of this, we have been embracing Ritual at every Chapter and thinking of new ways to engage and educate our members on the founding principles, ceremonies, and traditions that outline what it means to be a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We have also been hosting several “JUGS,” just us girls, events such as lunch groups with new members. We also continued giving special tokens at Chapter to members who have exemplified true Kappa sisterhood. This year we started “Polished Kappa,” an award in which a member receives a nail polish for exemplifying a true Kappa. We have implemented this to reward girls for their efforts, to emphasize the importance of sisterhood, and to let our members know that their actions do not go unnoticed.

We are continuing to strengthen Academic Excellence as well. Our Vice President of Academic Excellence worked to improve our chapter’s overall GPA by creating an Academic Plan including mandatory study hours, a “study buddy” program, selecting a VPAE Committee to monitor sisters grades and assist with goals, and arranging tutors for members seeking extra help from sisters. Members of Zeta Iota were rewarded for Academic Excellence through “Support Your Sister Award,” and the Skippy Jar, in order to keep sisters motivated to go to class and to get better grades. In the fall of 2013, our VPAE also implemented the “Smart Cookie Award” where a member was awarded with a cookie at Chapter for doing well on a paper or exam that week.

Last but not least, we have worked on our leadership as a chapter in numerous ways. This fall Jenna Sula, a sophomore and our current Education Chair, attended a Leadership Academy in Ohio to strengthen her knowledge of leadership. In addition, every sister is actively involved in different committees, and we have continued to assign “unofficial” titles for leadership opportunities; these include pledge class leader, and retreat group leader. On December 12, 2013, we conducted Leadership Training with advisers and reviewed The Kappa Leadership Guide with outgoing and incoming Chapter Council members. Our goal for this year is to further strengthen the bonds of our sisterhood, through ritual training, off-campus sisterhood events, and overall Kappa morale so that we may be knowledgeable, proud, and confident in our Zeta Iota Chapter.

Villanova’s continuing efforts to beautify the campus have progressed since construction began in the summer of 2011. The “quad,” an area where many of our sophomore members reside, has been made more appealing. This space has been opened up for organizations on campus to host events and set up tables and interact with the Villanova Student Body. In the spring and in the fall, we set up tables in the quad in order to promote our ladder basketball tournament and to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. In addition, the construction on the landscaped areas around the Grotto, bookstore, mailroom, Connelly Center (dining hall) and library has been completed, making the campus more pedestrian friendly. This new, open landscape has promoted socialization and interaction among its students.

The overall nature of our chapter is one of sisterhood, dedication, enthusiasm and support. Our chapter has strived to become very close, and work together to better ourselves as a whole, as well as bettering ourselves as individual members. We have worked together to reach our goals and will continue to do so by staying organized, focused and determined. We have learned what it means to embody Kappa Kappa Gamma’s values at all times and to do our best to maintain a positive image on campus by wearing our letters twenty-four seven.

==Highlights of 2014==

This past year for Zeta Iota chapter has been successful, filled with many great accomplishments and triumphs. Our chapter continues to hold a strong presence on campus by being involved in multiple Greek events in an effort to support other chapters and their philanthropies. These events include Kappa Delta’s Corn Hole Tournament, Alpha Phi’s Fiesta Bowl, Pi Beta Phi’s Wiffle Ball Tournament, Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, Delta Gamma’s “Capture the Anchor” Tournament, and Delta Delta Delta’s Kickball Tournament. Zeta Iota also took part in campus wide events like Villanova’s St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service, Villanova’s own Special Olympics Weekend in the fall, and Villanova’s “NOVADance” for childhood cancer where Zeta Iota surpassed our fundraising expectations and made a difference in these children’s lives. With each of these events attended by our Zeta Iota sisters, our relationships with other chapters have strengthened as well as with each other.

Zeta Iota supported our local philanthropy, Susan G. Komen for Breast Cancer Awareness, by hosting Breast Cancer Awareness Week in October 2014, which included passing out lollipops with breast cancer facts, ribbons, baked goods and stickers to promote awareness. We received many donations and hosted a 3 on 3 Basket Ball Tournament appropriately called “Hoops for Hope” on campus where members of other chapters and organizations played and donated to the cause. Our sisters also worked to support Reading is Fundamental by sponsoring a Book Drive, the Monmouth Duo, with Pi Beta Phi.

Zeta Iota has encouraged the planning of a sisterhood event every month to promote bonding with sisters and to grow closer as a chapter. Prior to Breast Cancer Awareness Week in the fall, members of Zeta Iota gathered together at a sister’s house where we decorated cupcakes, tied ribbons, and bonded over the excitement of the upcoming week. In the spring of 2014, our outgoing Pledge Class Mom held a retreat for the new members. During this retreat, the new members grew closer together as sisters and learned more about what it means to be a member of this sorority. In the fall of 2014, the members of Zeta Iota attended a sisterhood event at Linvilla Orchards where we picked apples and went on hayrides, enjoying each other’s time together. With an LC visit in the fall of 2014 we carefully looked over the feedback later after her departure. It was stated that Zeta Iota’s strengths were Philanthropy, seeking advice and embracing change, and our Kappa pride. We were commended for our newly implemented and successful tutoring program where we traveled into Philadelphia every Friday during the Spring of 2014. Here, we helped the children prepare for their upcoming state exams and built relationships while doing so. Our areas of focus, or challenges, were Ritual and Sisterhood. In light of this, we have been embracing Ritual at every Chapter and thinking of new ways to engage and educate our members on the founding principles, ceremonies, and traditions that outline what it means to be a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We continue giving special tokens at Chapter to members who have exemplified true Kappa sisterhood through the members favorite “Polished Kappa,” an award in which a member receives a nail polish for exemplifying a true Kappa. We continue to implement rewards like this for the girls' efforts, to emphasize the importance of sisterhood, and to let our members know that their actions do not go unnoticed.

We are continuing to strengthen Academic Excellence as well. With Kappa National's higher GPA expectations, each member of Zeta Iota is striving to improve her overall GPA with different study habits and tips supplied by our Vice President of Academic Excellence. Smart Cookie awards for the member with the highest GPA continues to be a popular incentive for our members to do well and keep attendence in class up. Along with that, our VPAE sends weekly emails to our members giving insight to recruiting events on campus for future job positions or internships.

2014 has been a successful year for Zeta Iota. We have accomplished and have improved heavily in terms of sisterhood and philanthropy goals. We strive to achieve more goals throughout 2015 like continuing to stress the importance of ritual and sisterhood as well as keeping our Kappa pride at the highest level so we can all continue being involved, dedicated members of Zeta Iota.

With renovations finally completed to Villanova’s campus, the atmosphere around the “quad” where most of our sophomore sisters reside has evolved into an area for all of campus to flock to for fundraising events and enjoying each other's company. On warmer days music will play and you cannot miss seeing a handful of Zeta Iota members working or socializing around the new renovations.

The overall nature of our chapter is one of sisterhood and support for one another. We constantly encourage one another to exceed our own expectations to do better and have become increasingly close over the years because of this. Our chapter today is stronger than it has ever been and that is because of each of our member’s focus, determination, and dedication to Zeta Iota and Kappa Kappa Gamma as a whole. Each of us truly embodies what it means to be a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma and we will continue to uphold our values and image as a chapter for years to come.

Zeta Iota gathers for chapter meetings in a classroom located on Villanova's campus. The room stays consistent for every chapter gathering and is large enough to hold each of our members and any adivsors attending that week.

Villanova University does not provide sorority housing. Members of Zeta Iota are spread out living in dorms on campus or throughout the surrounding area. We are very diverse, living with fellow sisters or friends in other sororities or activities on campus.

==Highlights of 2015==

Zeta Iota had a great 2015-year! As always, Zeta Iota worked collectively with the rest of the panhellenic community at Villanova to support each other’s chapter philanthropies and to keep an positive light shining on each chapter overall. We were involved with different sororities to raise awareness for their philanthropic events like Delta Delta Delta’s events for St. Jude, Alpha Phi’s for heart health, Delta Gamma’s service for sight, and countless other events for each organization.

As a service to our school and the surrounding neighborhoods, Zeta Iota sisters helped clean up a nearby park as a part of Villanova’s Day of Service. From this day, we gained much more than just knowing how many people we made happy. We as sisters came together to help problem solve and work our way through problem solving when things were not going as planned. One of the most exciting weekends on Villanova’s campus is Special Olympics in October where Zeta Iota had our own table for Spin Art. Here, sisters helped athletes and families make beautiful pictures and danced with those who were waiting in line. After, sisters cheered at the multiple events taking place throughout campus. These activities were not just panhellenic wide, but campus wide as well. Zeta Iota was able to bond with those not apart of Greek Life and strengthen bonds with those who are involved.

Zeta Iota continued to support the philanthropies that are closest to our hearts: Reading is Fundamental and Breast Cancer Awareness. This year Zeta Iota started something new where once a week sisters go to a local charter school in Philadelphia and read to the younger children there. Through this, we formed a deeper bond with the children there than just us volunteering or collecting books. Since we were able to experience first hand how badly these kids need books, Zeta Iota started a book drive that, when finished, books will be donated to those who need them. This October, Zeta Iota supported our local philanthropy Susan G. Komen during Break Cancer Awareness week. This week, Zeta Iota sisters set up tables across campus filled with baked goods and items that inform others of the dangers of Breast Cancer. The Villanova community donated $1000 to our cause and all proceeds went directly to Susan G. Komen for Breast Cancer research. Spring of 2015, we hosted our popular “Hoops for Hope” 3 on 3 basketball tournament where members of other chapters and organizations played and donated to the cause.

The year of 2015 has been a big highlight for sisterhood for the Zeta Iota chapter. Sisters went to a local orchard in the fall where we picked apples, pumpkins, and were able to indulge in delicious treats. This past November, Zeta Iota gathered together for our annual retreat at a sister’s house close by. Here we split into small groups and got to know each other on a deeper level than normal; we were able to open up to one another in an emotional and fun way. Continued emphasis on sisterhood seems to be Zeta Iota’s biggest success. We have built on last year’s suggestions and have created a bond that is bigger than ever. Chapter Council members continue to give special tokens at Chapter meetings to those who have exemplified being a star sister through the favorite “Smart Cookie” for the member who obtained a high grade in her class that week.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.

Villanova’s Panhellenic community continues to change with new ways for all chapter members to be involved on campus. We continue to promote a positive outlook when it comes to those considering being apart of such an organization. Zeta Iota certainly agrees with this attitude and exemplifies it with everything we do. We as sisters continuously work on embodying what a true Kappa is and, because of that, our chapter continues to shine.

Chapter Philanthropy:

What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
Zeta Iota raises money for our local philanthropy Reading is Fundamental as well as our national philanthropy of Susan G. Komen.

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
With many underprivileged school systems in Philadelphia, we choose to support Reading is Fundamental because our sisters go and experience first hand why these kids need books to grow. Over the years, we hope that our bond continues to get stronger with the children so we can continue to donate to their needs.

==Highlights of 2016==

Overall this year, the Zeta Iota chapter has been very involved on campus. In March 2016 the chapter participated in Women's Empowerment Week by hosting a work out class with another sorority and participating in a feminine hygiene drive. On March 31st we had one of our biggest fundraisors, Hoops for Hope which is a three on three basketball tournament. In the week leading up to this event, we had bakesales in three different locations on campus where students could sign up for the tournament as well as give donations. In April, we paired up with NROTC to host a 5K on campus to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation as well as many members attended Nova Dance, a 12 hour hour dance marathon that supports the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.

One challenged that we had faced in the past was participation in greek life events on campus. In past years, we had always been in last place for Greek Week in April. However this year, more members really got involved and we were able to improve in our ranking at Greek Week. October 17th-20th was our Breast Cancer Awareness Week which we had bakesales throughout the week raising money for our philanthropy. As a chapter, we also participated in Villanova's Day of Service in September. We were successful again with our goal of more participation as seen by almost all members participating in this event. One special event that we had in the fall was our Ladies Brunch which was an event where every member got to invite a special woman in their life to the brunch. It was a really great way for our mothers, aunts, grandmothers and sisters to learn more about we do as a chapter and to see the impact that we do through our philanthropic involvement.

We also support other sororities and fraternities on campus attending their fundraisors and philantropic events throughout the year. We also did monthly chapter dinners at a dinning hall on campus which was a great way for all members to bond with each other and take a break from our busy schedules and spend more time with each other.

This Spring the Villanova basketball team won the National Championship which brought a huge change to the campus and overall student spirit. This was a very special time that brought the campus as a whole together. It also brought many of our sisters closer as many traveled to New York City, Louisville and Houston together and they were really able to bond through this victory. On campus, it united all of greek life and really embodied the Villanova Greek Life slogan "No matter the letter we are all greek together."

==Highlights of 2017==

One of Zeta Iota's chapter goals for this year was to establish a strong pledge class of 2017 as part of our
continuous goal of building a stronger tradition of sisterhood and creating a more involved
chapte. To accomplish this, we dedicated a lot of energy and organization to Recruitment,
Continuous Open Bidding, and the New Member process. We made all new members feel
welcome by hosting study sessions and other activities where they could get to know each other
and the old members. We also elected Pledge Class Captains to continue the bonding within a
pledge class. All of the 2017 new members are active chapter members as of the writing of this
report.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Campus is talking a lot about sexual misconduct, especially in light of national allegations
against high-profile figures like Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and more. At Princeton, several
graduate students have spoken out about harassment in their departments. According to the
third annual "We Speak" survey, which was distributed to all students in the spring of 2017 to
learn more about their knowledge and experiences of sexual misconduct at Princeton and their
awareness of the University’s policies, procedures, and resources, 1 in 5 undergraduate students
experienced sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or
stalking during the 2016-2017 academic year.
In other news, University President Chris Eisgruber announced that a seventh residential college
would be built in the next 10 years as part of his initiative to expand Princeton's opportunities to
more students, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds. A bigger student body
would most likely increase the amount of women going through recruitment and diversify our
membership.
Zeta Phi has seen a surge in sisterhood in the past year. With our 42 new members, we surpassed
our expectations and welcomed an amazing and enthusiastic group of new sisters. Our members
characterize our chapter as chill, supportive, artsy, funny, kind, involved, accommodating,
respectful and considerate.
Our members believe that our chapter cares a lot about supporting each other in achieving our
goals, focusing on developing our academic, professional, and extracurricular interests. They
appreciate how their Kappa sisters are always willing to take time to support each another at
performances and competitions of all kinds. Members also believe that our chapter really values
philanthropy, from Kappa-related events/fundraisers to volunteering on our own time. Samone
Blair '18, Sonia Hashim '18, and Kristy Yeung '18 are Community Service Representatives for
their eating clubs on campus.
CR-08 Page 2 of 3 17.11.A
Our members see the purpose of our chapter as fostering a safe and welcoming space for women
of all backgrounds on campus, and standing for positivity and inclusivity under the banner of
sorority tradition. They view our chapter as an unconditional support system that encourages and
supports sisters in their diverse pursuits on and off campus, and alleviates some of the hardships
that can arise at a demanding environment like Princeton's.
Zeta Phi sisters have achieved considerable recognition for their skills and accomplishments. Kat
Giordano '18 is the President of the Princeton University Wildcats, Samone Blair '18 is the Music
Director and Claire Jones '18 is the Performance Chair. Meredith Hooper '20 is the Secretary of
Glee Club and Rosamond van Wingerden '20 is the Alumni Liason. Samone Blair '18 is the
President of the Princeton University Chapel Choir. Shriya Sekhsaria '18 won first place at Ivy
League Championships for archery. Maia Chamberlain '20 finished third place in NCAAs for
fencing. Kat Giordano '18 won the Princeton Silver Choice Award at Princeton Research Day
2017. Ashlyn Lackey '18 and Shriya Sekhsaria '18 entered their third year as TigerChallenge
Fellows. Claire Jones '18 is the Editor in Chief of the Princeton Historical Review.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in
your community?
In Spring of 2017, we did a Reading is Fudamental (RIF) event with the Princeton YMCA and we
also volunteered with them afterwards.
In Fall of 2017, we donated money to HomeWorks, an organization working to provide Trenton
girls with housing and academic enrichment.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We chose to support the Princeton YMCA because they were a local organization who worked
with children. We chose to donate to HomeWorks because they are focused on young women
and the organization is founded and run by a Princeton student. This semester we also
volunteered with the Princeton Disability Awareness organization because a fellow Kappa,
Mayya Velitskaya '18, is president of the group.

'''Chapter Philanthropy'''

Our local philanthropy is BreastCancer.Org and we hold several events throughout the year to raise money. In the Spring we have a week in March where we have bake sales everyday in different locations on campus where we have baked goods that can be purchased by a donation. Students can also sign up for Hoops for Hope which was on the Thursday night of that week. This was a very successful event for our chapter this year and we raised about $6,000 from the week. Then in the fall we had Breast Cancer Awareness week where we had the same bake sales and we were able to raise $4,000. Our chapter also supports Reading is Fundamental by sending a group of members to the Chester Charter School of the Arts in Philadelphia every Friday were we read and support the children. We hosted a Ladies Brunch in Novemeber where we raised $6,200 for Reading is Fundamental. We also asked every member and their guest to bring their favorite children's book which we also donated.

Our chapter chose to support BreastCancer.org because it is an organization that is very near to many of our chapter member's hearts. Almost everyone in the chapter knows at least person in their life that had or has breast cancer. We selected this organization because it is based out of Ardmore, Pa which has allowed us to connect with them and even have speakers from the organziation come talk to the chapter. Our philanthropy chair has put in a lot of time and effort this year for our chapter to be more involved with Reading is Fundamental. In the past years, our chapter was not as involved with RIF, however now each Friday, a group of members attends the Chester Charter School of the Arts to read to the children. We chose to support this organization because it is the National philathropy of Kappa Kappa Gamma as well as because it is a very interactive organization where the members really see the difference their work is making in the children's lives.

==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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

-------------------------------
'''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!

Zeta Phi

2018-02-20T00:16:37Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Zeta Phi
|GreekSymbol= ZΦ
|Image= [[File:Zeta_Phi.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1992|04|11}}
|College= [http://www.princeton.edu/main/ Princeton University]
|Location= Princeton, NJ
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/zetaphi/pages/welcome.php Zeta Phi Chapter]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Zeta_Phi Media related to Zeta Phi Chapter]}}
----

'''Princeton University established in 1746, Princeton, New Jersey'''

'''Founded April 11, 1992 with 52 charter members'''

'''864 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

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'''Some of Zeta Phi’s Outstanding 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.)

'''Fraternity Council Members:'''

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award:'''

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

'''Additional Outstanding Zeta Phi Alumnae''':
Melissa Gesell (Waterstredt), Chapter Consultant 1999-1999

==Princeton University==
Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton University is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton became a fully-coeducational institution in 1969 following a period of limited attendance by female students. Today, approximately 5,000 undergraduate and 2,500 students attend Princeton University. Fraternities and sororities are currently not officially recognized by Princeton University.

'''Colonization'''
On February 8, 1992, fifty-two young women gathered in the Prince William Room of the Nassau Inn to be colonized as the charter members of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey Area alumnae who had played pivotal roles in bringing Kappa Kappa Gamma to the Princeton campus or who would offer the chapter great support in the future the ceremony led by Marilyn Bullock, Kansas State, Director of Membership.

On that day, everyone was introduced to the Chapter Consultant who would guide the women through pledge education. Zeta Phi rented university classrooms for the weekly meetings where pages of Kappa’s mission, purpose, history, rituals, symbols, chapter and national organization, policies, and rules were discussed. The pledge retreat was held March 28-29 at a Firehouse on the Jersey Shore, led by alumnae who introduced the colonizers to the Kappa candle-passing traditions. Everyone put together the first pledge book of Zeta Phi—magazine clippings about the women in the colony, the world, and Kappa at Princeton. One of the most significant events of the pledge period was the great honor bestowed on us by the oldest Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna. Unbeknownst even to the Fraternity, she had in her possession a book of Kappa history signed by one of the Fraternity’s Founders. She presented this rare archive as a gift to Zeta Phi.

Since the Greek system was not formally recognized by Princeton University, difficulties arose for the sororities and fraternities seeking housing. No “official” off-campus fraternity houses existed and the sororities make due with a rented room or office space. However, since Kappa was colonizing and needed the Chapter Consultant to stay close to help the women take every step of the way, the Fraternity generous rented an apartment in Princeton at 72 Witherspoon Street and promised to support the apartment for the chapter’s first three years.

Close to our installation, we had begun to realize the great responsibility we had taken upon ourselves to start a new chapter. Still, at the end of the six week pledgeship, the most frequent to pass between the future sisters was: “Do we have to know the alphabet?”

'''Installation'''
Inspiration Week finally arrived, and with help from area alumnae, the Chapter Consultant acted as a big sister to all forty-nine of us (three of the original 52 would have to initiate in the fall). Monday, March 6 found us up early in the morning at the “Kappa apartment” for a bagel breakfast. The colonizers received antique hotel keys from one of the New Jersey Alumnae Associations, special notes to be opened each day, and other various gifts. On Tuesday the women decorated T-shirts; on Wednesday two alumna established the Zeta Phi candlelight reading ceremony; on Thursday the colony attended a formal meeting with the Fraternity officers; and Friday’s Fireside Ceremony was held at the Nassau Inn and attended by dozens of alumnae (“Alum Chums”), our big sisters from Dickinson College, and the mothers of our two charter legacies. Saturday, Installation was held at the First Reformed Church of Rocky Hill, led by Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity President Kay Smith Larson, Washington.

Now officially the 122nd active chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in the Fraternity’s 122nd year. A reception was held at the Nassau Presbyterian Church, followed by a mock formal chapter meeting and an evening banquet at the Nassau Inn. Zeta Phi was presented with silver platters, banners, a punch bowl set, and other gifts from other chapters and alumnae. As a gift of gratitude to the alumnae and the Fraternity, a member composed a song expressly for the occasion. At the end of the evening we stood at our tables and sang:

Oh, we’re so glad to be here~
All womanly and true~
On April the eleventh~
Of 1992.

We’re psyched to be at Princeton~
We cannot tell a lie~
We’re thrilled that Kappa came here~
To start up Zeta Phi.

We love our orange and black clothes~
We’re tigers through and through~
But also wearers of the key,~
We love our blue and blue.

Sincerity and friendship~
And love and loyalty~
These are the things we promise~
To dear old K-K-G.

==The First Year==
While the Princeton women of Kappa had come together motivated by the common desire to form special friendships with women in a more structured activity at Princeton University, the other activities and interests of Zeta Phi’s first active members were very diverse. Nearly one third were involved in theater (Princeton Triangle Club, Princeton University Players, Theater Intime, and directing). Singers aplenty came from the Glee Club, Chapel Choir, and the student a capella singing groups (Tigerlilies, Roaring 20, and Katzenjammers). Half of the class was involved in some aspect of the Student Volunteers Council (Big Sisters, Young Mothers Outreach, Children’s After School Sports Program, English as a Second Language Program, Tutoring, Habitat for Humanity, Somerset Youth Shelter, and Interpreting). Club sports activities included soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, water polo, equestrian team, and skiing. Varsity sports practiced were crew, volleyball, soccer, and cheerleading. Princeton’s new Kappas also participated in Orange Key Tours, the Debate team, the Daily Princetonian, the Academics Committee, Eating Club Councils, yearbook, WPRB radio, the Women’s Center, the Honor Committee, the Rainforest Conservatory, Girl Scouts, and Student Government.
Monday, March 20, the members attended the chapter’s first formal chapter meeting and elected its first chapter officers. The last two months of school were a time of organizational learning for the council and members. The last chapter meeting was held on May 17. Kappa Kappa Gamma members began their summer vacations in June, excited and uncertain about the tasks that lay ahead of them, rush and having new pledges, and the role of a sorority in their lives.

The first thing to take care of upon returning from summer vacation was the initiation of the three women who had completed their pledgeship in the spring but were unable to initiate on April 11. It was difficult to be on the other side of Initiation for the first time, but we were grateful for the practice. Organized by its dedicated chapter council, Zeta Phi finally gathered together for normal chapter business in October. Kappa was off to a great start after an overnight retreat during the first weekend in October, attended by an alumna member and led by our new Chapter Consultant.

Soon it was time for Zeta Phi to prepare for our first RUSH. In a few mad days, the Kappas learned scores of songs and rotation patterns—almost perfected by our first party night. Rush Week was Sunday, November 8 through Saturday, November 14. Parties were held at the eating clubs Tower, DEC, and Dial. We made decorations and wrote songs for the themes “Kappa Under the Sea,” “A League of Our Own,” and “Silver Screen.” 130 young women rushed Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Pi Beta Phi. On Saturday, all was decided. Kappa pledged 16 wonderful pledges who reflected the diversity of the chapter. They were officially pledged on November 14. Since the charter members of Zeta Phi had not rushed to join Kappa, the chapter extended and opened the bids to a few selected young women who had not been able to take part in Rush Week. On December 4, three more pledges were welcomed into Zeta Phi’s circle. After all the excitement, the chapter presented an alumna with a gift certificate in deep gratitude for her time and dedication throughout the Rush period.
The pledges began their “Kappa education” on November 16. The pledge retreat was held at an alumna’s home. Most memorable were the personal stories the future sisters shared and trusted with one another. In the actives’ world, the chapter was honored with the visit of a Kappa alumna who was a former Advisor to President George Bush. Following her visit on December 4, the Nominating Committee presented the slate for the 1993 Chapter Council and the vote was taken.

Zeta Phi took part in philanthropic projects which included working for Isles in Trenton. The chapter gave donations to St. Peter’s Hospital and Womanspace. Members took part in Princeton University Players’ “A Chorus Line.” A Zeta Phi was elected USG Vice President (12/92) and Chairman of the Student Health Advisor Board (SHAB) and another Kappa made All Ivy League Crew for 1992. Two sisters, a violinist and a pianist, gave senior performances. One Kappa was accepted to Oxford University and left for England after graduation for a three-year program in Immunology.

In a short period of time, Zeta Phi was well on its way to establishing itself as a significant and respected organization at Princeton University. Both Chapter Consultants and alumnae commented on how far the chapter had come and grown as a sorority and as individuals in understanding the members’ roles. Friendships were strengthened, new friendships formed, and the Zeta Phis were eternally grateful for the overwhelming support and love given to them by the consultants and area alumnae. And now, they were full sisters in the bonds of Kappa Kappa Gamma, though still not sure about the alphabet!
(The preceding information was adapted from Zeta Phi chapter’s 1993 newsletter, “Zeta Phigest.”)

==Highlights of the 1990s==
Following Zeta Phi’s founding, the chapter continued to grow, regularly initiating approximately 30 members each year. To keep up with the needs of the expanding chapter, many sisterhood events were planned. The Kappas hosted sister-bonding retreats, a sightseeing and ice skating trip to New York City, game nights, winter semi-formals, and spring formals. The chapter paired with local alumnae for events such as Founders Day, Holiday Brunch, Chapter Weekend, and Senior BBQ. In 1995, Zeta Phi hosted Fraternity Vice-President, Cathy Thompson Carswell, Illinois Wesleyan, for Founders Day.

Zeta Phi provided programs and activities to improve the lives of members. The Kappas participated in campaigns to raise awarness for issues affecting women, such as eating disorders. The chapter also brought a Kappa alumna to campus to talk about the interview and job application process. Zeta Phi also hosted study breaks and sister dinners for chapter members.

'''Housing:'''

At Princeton, Greek-letter organizations do not have houses. For the first several years, Kappa maintained an apartment used for housing Chapter Consultants, holding social events, and maintaining records. When Zeta Phi no longer needed an apartment to house Chapter Consultants, the chapter obtained space a short distance from campus to store archives and other chapter possessions.

'''Philanthropy:'''
Throughout the 1990s, Zeta Phi emphasized the importance of philanthropy. The chapter hosted clothing and food drives for the needy, worked at a Trenton soup kitchen, painted houses for Habitat for Humanity, and visited a local nursing home. The Kappas also participated in events coordinated by other organizations: the Special Olympics; the Run for the Tiger, a 10k to raise conservation funds; and the annual Communiverity celebration, a festival hosted by Princeton town and university for local children and children from Trenton.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2000-2010==
Zeta Phi continued to strengthen both membership numbers and bonds of sisterhood as the chapter entered the twenty-first century. The Princeton Kappas added between 25-35 members to their ranks every year. In 2005, Zeta Phi took the initiative to learn more about the Fraternity’s history by utilizing the Archives in a Box program supported by the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Zeta Phi planned fun events through the decade, such as the 2006 semi-formal bowling event and the annual Sapphire Ball spring formal. Other chapter traditions included a Senior Roast held in May to say goodbye to the graduating sisters.

'''Housing:'''
Zeta Phi rang in the millennium with a house-cleaning event for the chapter office space near campus. The sisters came together to clean and organize the archives and memorabilia to make room for the next decade of memories and records.

'''Philanthropy:'''
Philanthropy remained important to Zeta Phi throughout the decade. Annual philanthropic events included the Valentine’s Day Crush Project and the Kappa Kappacino charity bake sale. The sisters also regularly volunteered at a soup kitchen and Trenton and went “Kappa Karoling” to a local nursing home at Christmas. The Kappas were always represented in events such as the Race for the Cure and the annual Powder Puff football game on campus, which raised money for charity through the sale of refreshments.

In response to the tragedies on September 11, 2001, Zeta Phi participated in Arts Alive, a University-sponsored program that took children affected by the events to cultural and artistic programs in New York City and surrounding areas. Because of Princeton’s close geographic proximity to New York, students were able to directly respond by raising money, helping children, and contributing to funds that benefited the families of victims.

==Highlights of 2011-2019==
(Information 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.:

==Highlights of 2012==

'''Biennial Convention in Jacksonville, FL'''
The President Margaret Tait '14 , Autumn Waryjas '15 and Sooyeon Kim '15 were fortunate to attend the Kappa Kappa Gamma convention over the summer and this experience augmented their appreciation for and understanding of the workings of Kappa. Our chapter won the houseboards award for a chapter without a house. It was also a great opportunity to meet and get to know Kappa sisters from all over the United States and Canada.

More than 70 girls participated in Recruitment this fall. The number of undergraduates who participated in rush was higher than expected as the ban on freshman participation in sororities at Princeton went into effect in September, 2012 . We were pleased with the recruitment results and we welcomed 20 new members to the Zeta Phi chapter (our chapter surpassed the panhellenic minimum number accepting the most new members out of the three sororities.)

This past year the chapter council sought to shorten meetings and have a specific agenda set for each meeting to increase efficiency and enjoyment for all. We continued our philanthropic efforts with a spring panhellenic philanthropy event held at Neiman Marcus. The proceeds raised during this event were donated to the Kappa Foundation. In the fall, many of the members participated in the annual Princeton Disabilities Awareness conference and spent a day with children with disabilities.

Members of our chapter have been engaged in a myriad of extracurricular activities. To name but a few: Jillian Wilkowski '15 interned with the New Jersey Democratic State Committee--which campaign for every Democratic candidate from Obama to Senator Menendez to Congressman Holt to local officials. Diane Hu '15 was a fellow for Obama for America in Pennsylvania and volunteered there over fall break. Senior, Ashley Eberhart '13 and a fellow Kappa Rebecca Scharstein '12 received first place in The Princeton Entrepreneurship Club’s annual startup challenge. Megan Partridge '14 founded Stitch your Story that enables conscious consumers to design and purchase fashion products that support the organizations and causes that they care most about.

In December 2012 we elected new chapter council members and Kellen Heniford '14 was selected as our chapter President.

Our chapter is a member of a campus Panhellenic which includes 3 National Panhellenic Conference Groups. Our university does not formally acknowledge the Greek organizations on campus. Since September 2012, the university prohibited freshman from participating in the recruitment process and has imposed numerous restrictions on the sororities and fraternities to prevent them from affiliating with or offering bids to freshman.

Princeton University is a 4 year liberal arts college with approximately 5,000 undergraduate students. Princeton is a coeducational, independent and nondenominational institution.The Kappa Kappa Gamma Zeta Phi Chapter was founded in 1992. We do not have a chapter house and all of our members reside on campus in university housing. We are the 119th chapter founded and we are in Region 1 and part of the Beta East province. Our province Director of Chapters is Alicia Hayden.

==Highlights of 2013==

Throughout 2013, members of Zeta Phi were involved in a wide range of chapter and campus-wide activities. In April, Zeta Phi hosted Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Beta Province Convention under the leadership of Krystle Manuel-Countee ’13. At the Province Convention, Zeta Phi won the Risk Management Award (awarded to Risk Management Chair Lakshmi Davey ’15) and the Helen Kinslow Chapter Loyalty Award.

The following is just a brief list of some of the activities in which Zeta Phi members participated throughout 2013: Megan Partridge ’14 co-founded the startup company Stitch Your Story, Joan Cannon ’15 started a newsletter for the Princeton University Geosciences Society to help get freshmen and sophomores interested in joining the department, Clarissa Lotson ’16 attended a Princeton-sponsored Global Seminar in Rio during the summer, Emilie Burke ’15 was elected President of the Princeton University Women’s Rugby FC, Rebecca Zhang started a new club – The Princeton Film Society, Stephanie Rigizadeh ’15 interned at CBS News Washington working for CBS This Morning, and Katherine Pogrebniak ’14 won the Princeton Class of 1939 Scholar Award as well as the Churchill Scholarship.

One of Zeta Phi’s goals for 2013 was to increase the chapter’s philanthropic involvement. Under the leadership of Philanthropy Chair Yael Wollstein ’15, “Philanth Week” was created – a week during which the chapter participated in different philanthropic activities each day (ranging from making sandwiches for a homeless shelter to writing letters to soldiers). Increased philanthropic involvement was part of a larger effort to increase Zeta Phi’s interpersonal development. Other chapter goals included improved attendance at chapter meetings and greater unification between pledge classes. In addition to working on these goals, Zeta Phi excelled academically throughout 2013 and had a very successful Recruitment season in the fall. At the end of 2013 (in December), Zeta Phi elected new Chapter Council members, and Sooyeon Kim ’15 was elected President.

This year’s Recruitment was the second Recruitment after Princeton University’s ban on freshman participation in Greek life. Over 200 girls participated in Recruitment this year, and Zeta Phi successfully welcomed 48 new members to the chapter.

Increased philanthropic involvement, successful leadership, and a variety of meaningful sisterly social activities are just several indicators of growth that Zeta Phi has seen throughout 2013. Overall, the future of Zeta Phi looks very promising, and the Chapter Council is very optimistic about the direction in which Zeta Phi is heading.

==Highlights of 2014==

Zeta Phi members collected a large number of achievements both on- and off-campus during 2014. Stephanie Rigizadeh was awared the Sue Fream Scholarship, an award that covers one member's dues for an entire year. Other members were involved in a variety of other activities: Katherine Pogrebniak '14 was selected as valedictorian of the Princeton University Class of 2014; Joan Cannon '15 won an Ivy League Championship as a member of the Princeton Women's Tennis Team and was elected president of the Princeton University Geosciences Society; Miranda Rehaut '16 helped to campaign for Wendy Davis in Texas; Sofia Suarez '16 was project leader on two trips to Kenya to implement a rain water cachement system at a primary school in Muchebe village; Arianna Lanz '17 was awarded the Bell-Burnell prize in Physics; Samantha Lee '15 was elected president of the Princeton Student Chapter of the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers; Divya Krishnan '16 was elected president of the campus dance group Naacho; Sophia Robertson-Lavalle '16 was named an American Chemical Society Scholar.

Our chapter goal of continuing philanthropic involvement also continued. Staying true to Kappa Kappa Gamma's emphasis on literacy, one philanthropic project was aiding in a Read Record Replay project. Read Record Replay is a group whose focus is on teaching English overseas. Members also participated in a panhellenic Powder Puff game, the proceeds of which were given to charity. In addition, a charity night was held at a local Lilly Pulitzer retailer, where a portion of all purchases was donated to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. The chapter also beta tested a polling app, which raised money for philanthropic causes.

Recently the panhellenic community has become much more unified, as evidenced by the increase in panhellenic events. A panhellenic Powder Puff football game was held among all the sororities, the proceeds of which were donated to charity. Another panehellenic unity event was held at a local ice cream shop, where a portion of purchases made by Greek community members was donated to charity. There has also been promising discussion of adding another chapter to the Greek community, as the high interest in recruitment has indicated there might be enough women to sustain another Greek organization.

Zeta Phi continued to hold their meetings in rooms rented from the University, as they have in past years. The Zeta Phi chapter has never owned a house, lodge, apartment or suite. An off-campus storage unit is rented and maintained by the House Chair. Members may live together in University housing if they so choose.

==Highlights of 2015==
Zeta Phi members, as usual, have collected many awards, scholarships, and other achievements
this year. Vivian Mo '18 won 3rd place Hardware, Facebook's Favorite Hack at HackPrinceton this
fall. Regina Zeng'18 was awarded "Outstanding work by a Freshman in Theater" by the Princeton
University Department of Theater, Lewis Center for the Arts. Nicole Neville '18 was awarded the
Cape Cod Association Scholarship. Kate Maffey '16 was awarded the John Page Award for
leadership excellence in ROTC, Iron Mike Award for best physical fitness score in the battalion,
82nd Airborne Division Scholarship, ASIS Chapter Scholarship, and an FSPA Scholarship. Summer
Ramsay-Burrough '17 was awarded the Leach Summer Scholars Fellowship to fund her summer
chemistry research on nickel catalysts. Samone Blair '18 received the Judith Laffan Memorial Prize
from the NES department for exemplary work in elementary Arabic. Sophia Robertson-Lavelle '16
was named an American Chemical Society Scholar. Allyson Brown '18 was awarded a scholarship
by the Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation and while working as a camp counselor this summer,
was also awarded the Rookie of the Year for teaching new subjects and dealing with tough
situations. Caroline Tucker '17 served as President of the Princeton Glee Club and Opera
Company. Valerie Wilson '18 received a $4600 grant to intern at an arts organization in Kampala,
Uganda over the summer; she also presented her writing seminar research at the Quin Morton '36
Freshman Research Conference. Kat Giordano '18 was elected the tour chair and events chair of the
Princeton University Wildcats. Clare Jeong '18 won Junior National Championships and competed
in Poland in the Junior World Championships for speed skating. Safeeyah Quereshi '16 was named
Arthur Liman Public Interest Undergraduate Summer Fellow , which funded her internship at the
Midwestern Office of the US Commission on Civil Rights; she is also a Center for the Study of
Religion Fellow and was awarded the Henrietta S. Treen Scholarship.

One of our goals was more active philanthropy work within the chapter. We participated in a
philanthropy event at Fruity Yogurt, a local bubble tea and froyo shop, where a percentage of all of
our orders went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. We also packed bags of cookies for
TASK, a local food kitchen, for Thanksgiving.

This year, we have faced some financial issues and some problems with member retention. We've
worked hard to ameliorate these problems, and our 2015 recruitment season was very successful
and has renewed the energy in our chapter.

Campus climate has been slightly tenser than usual with protests and discussions centered around
race and diversity, attracting nationwide media coverage. However, the chapter has been a refuge
of comfort, acceptance, and friends. Members have commented on the supportive, positive, and
welcoming environment they find in Kappa. For many, Kappa is a source of light in our campus
community. Our successful recruitment season has reinvigorated our members and brought us
closer together as a chapter. Princeton's rigorous schedule can be stressful but many sisters have
noted that Kappa is a destressing and refreshing aspect of their campus life.

Chapter Philanthropy:

What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in
your community?
Our chapter raises money for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental, our national organizations. Within the community, our philanthropic commitments change as various organizations express their needs. This past year we have donated hours to TASK (Trenton Area Soup Kitchen).

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We chose to support TASK because they needed food and snacks for Thanksgiving. We thought this was the perfect opportunity to give back to our community, give thanks, and show our appreciation for our wonderful community.

==Highlights of 2016==

At convention, Zeta Phi Chapter received an honorable mention for Academic Excellence. In the
spring, the chapter took proactive steps regarding interpersonal and gender based violence by
participating in Princeton University's Public Safety self-defense class and bringing in speakers
from Womanspace. Zeta Phi faced low recruitment numbers, but worked to overcome this
challenge by placing a revitalized emphasis on sisterhood events, boosting morale and improving
member retention.

On December 11, 2016 Zeta Phi held a philanthropy event to stuff bears to
donate to Toys for Tots for the holidays. In the future our goals are to increase membership, to
continue to promote sisterhood by making our chapter a strong emotional and academic support
network and by getting to know our sisters better through more casual sisterhood events.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
As a result of increasingly open campus dialogues, the University has made several important
changes this fall.

On campus, some of the eating clubs have begun to have student read consent
pledges upon admittance to parties as part of an effort to address the problem of sexual assault
on college campuses. The University has moved to adopt gender inclusive housing options
beginning next spring. The University has also bent to popular demand and announced that final
exams will be held before winter break rather than in January in the near future.
In the words of our members, Zeta Phi chapter is warm, welcoming, open, smart, caring, laidback, diverse, inclusive, and generally a fabulous group of young women.

==Highlights of 2017==

One of our chapter goals for this year was to establish a strong pledge class of 2017 as part of our
continuous goal of building a stronger tradition of sisterhood and creating a more involved
chapte. To accomplish this, we dedicated a lot of energy and organization to Recruitment,
Continuous Open Bidding, and the New Member process. We made all new members feel
welcome by hosting study sessions and other activities where they could get to know each other
and the old members. We also elected Pledge Class Captains to continue the bonding within a
pledge class. All of the 2017 new members are active chapter members as of the writing of this
report.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Campus is talking a lot about sexual misconduct, especially in light of national allegations
against high-profile figures like Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and more. At Princeton, several
graduate students have spoken out about harassment in their departments. According to the
third annual "We Speak" survey, which was distributed to all students in the spring of 2017 to
learn more about their knowledge and experiences of sexual misconduct at Princeton and their
awareness of the University’s policies, procedures, and resources, 1 in 5 undergraduate students
experienced sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or
stalking during the 2016-2017 academic year.
In other news, University President Chris Eisgruber announced that a seventh residential college
would be built in the next 10 years as part of his initiative to expand Princeton's opportunities to
more students, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds. A bigger student body
would most likely increase the amount of women going through recruitment and diversify our
membership.
Zeta Phi has seen a surge in sisterhood in the past year. With our 42 new members, we surpassed
our expectations and welcomed an amazing and enthusiastic group of new sisters. Our members
characterize our chapter as chill, supportive, artsy, funny, kind, involved, accommodating,
respectful and considerate.
Our members believe that our chapter cares a lot about supporting each other in achieving our
goals, focusing on developing our academic, professional, and extracurricular interests. They
appreciate how their Kappa sisters are always willing to take time to support each another at
performances and competitions of all kinds. Members also believe that our chapter really values
philanthropy, from Kappa-related events/fundraisers to volunteering on our own time. Samone
Blair '18, Sonia Hashim '18, and Kristy Yeung '18 are Community Service Representatives for
their eating clubs on campus.
CR-08 Page 2 of 3 17.11.A
Our members see the purpose of our chapter as fostering a safe and welcoming space for women
of all backgrounds on campus, and standing for positivity and inclusivity under the banner of
sorority tradition. They view our chapter as an unconditional support system that encourages and
supports sisters in their diverse pursuits on and off campus, and alleviates some of the hardships
that can arise at a demanding environment like Princeton's.
Zeta Phi sisters have achieved considerable recognition for their skills and accomplishments. Kat
Giordano '18 is the President of the Princeton University Wildcats, Samone Blair '18 is the Music
Director and Claire Jones '18 is the Performance Chair. Meredith Hooper '20 is the Secretary of
Glee Club and Rosamond van Wingerden '20 is the Alumni Liason. Samone Blair '18 is the
President of the Princeton University Chapel Choir. Shriya Sekhsaria '18 won first place at Ivy
League Championships for archery. Maia Chamberlain '20 finished third place in NCAAs for
fencing. Kat Giordano '18 won the Princeton Silver Choice Award at Princeton Research Day
2017. Ashlyn Lackey '18 and Shriya Sekhsaria '18 entered their third year as TigerChallenge
Fellows. Claire Jones '18 is the Editor in Chief of the Princeton Historical Review.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in
your community?
In Spring of 2017, we did a Reading is Fudamental (RIF) event with the Princeton YMCA and we
also volunteered with them afterwards.
In Fall of 2017, we donated money to HomeWorks, an organization working to provide Trenton
girls with housing and academic enrichment.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We chose to support the Princeton YMCA because they were a local organization who worked
with children. We chose to donate to HomeWorks because they are focused on young women
and the organization is founded and run by a Princeton student. This semester we also
volunteered with the Princeton Disability Awareness organization because a fellow Kappa,
Mayya Velitskaya '18, is president of the group.

The enthusiasm this year is exciting and there seems to be a renewed sense of purpose and spirit among the chapter as a whole.

'''Chapter Philanthropy:'''

Reading is fundamental is Kappa's national philanthropy.

We held meetings in lecture halls. This year, we moved our meeting to the campus art museum's
McCormick Hall to make the chapter feel more comfortable and homey.

==Highlights of 2020s==
(Information 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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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 Omega

2018-02-19T23:49:42Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights OF 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Epsilon Omega
|GreekSymbol= EΩ
|Image= [[File:Epsilon_Omega.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1979|03|10}}
|College= [http://www.dickinson.edu/ Dickinson College]
|Location= Carlisle, PA
|Homepage= [http://www2.dickinson.edu/storg/kappa/ Epsilon Omega Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Omega Media related to Epsilon Omega Chapter]}}

'''Dickinson College established in 1783, Carlisle, Pennsylvania'''

'''Epsilon Omega founded March 10, 1979 - 33 charter members'''

'''1,190 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

------------------------
'''Charter Members:''' Catherine Andriadis, Susan Bacon, Nancy Bauer, Joan Brandonburg, Elise Dagostino, Susan Dague, Shelly Dalrynmple, Cheryl Daugherty, Karen Ford, Lynne Forrey, Janice Friedman, Angela Gelason, Katherine Grant, Elizabeth Gray, Lynette Hewitt, Kathleen Kipp, Darcie Lolo, Sandra Lopatofsky, Ruthann Mamrak, Laura Marshall, Julie McMullen, Susan Miller, Mary Beth Monahan, Wendy Paxton, Kathleen Poole, Yvonne Schirm, Susan Shane, Joan Sommers, Elizabeth Spizzirro, Constance Tambakis, Cynthia Waldron, Donna Weir, Alison Whitmer

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

'''Fraternity Council Members'''

Wendy Paxton (Alfano), Field Secretary 1981-1982;
Susan Berg (Abbott), Graduate Counselor, 1983-1984

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award'''

'''Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients'''

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

==Colonization (From The Key, Fall 1978)==

As alive and contemporary as today’s student, Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania is equally endowed with history and proud tradition. The heritage and traditions of Kappa Kappa Gamma blended well with the background of Dickinson as the Fraternity established Epsilon Omega Colony during the first week of October 1979.

Three years before America declared her independence from England, a grammar school was opened on land given by the Proprietors of Pennsylvania. By 1873, under the direction of Benjamin Rush, its founder, Dickinson College was chartered by the Pennsylvania legislature. Named in honor of John Dickinson, “penman of the revolution” and then governor of the commonwealth, the college has grown from a land purchase costing all of $151.00 to a campus of 117 acres and valued at over $25,000,000. The physical heart of the campus is “Old West,” a national historic landmark designed by Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the capitol in Washington, D.C. At present, part of the campus is a 65-acre recreational area and the college also manages a 3,300-acre wildlife sanctuary and research station.

In 1884, women students were admitted to Dickinson, despite opposition from faculty and students, and only three years later the Pennsylvania Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed. In addition to a number of honorary fraternities, there are now ten national men’s fraternities on campus and about half of the 800 male students are members. Kappa joins Pi Beta Phi as the only other national sorority on campus, but there are two local groups and about 35 per cent of the approximately 800 women students belong to the three current groups. The men live in college-owned fraternity dormitories, and the women rent apartment meeting rooms.

Kappa’s colonization team was headed by Gay Chuba Berry, Penn State, Director of Alumnae; assisted by an adviser to the Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell, the Province Director of Chapters, a field secretary, and a graduate counselor assigned to the new colony. Members of Delta Phi—Bucknell and Delta Alpha—Penn State assisted with rush functions.

Located in an historic area and surrounded by rolling farm lands, Dickinson is only 20 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital, 30 miles from Gettysburg National Military Park, and 30 miles from Hershey, “Chocolate Town, U.S.A.” The grave of Molly Pitcher, heroine of the revolution, is in Carlisle, and the area claims several lovely parks with scenic views, swimming and fishing, not to mention numerous limestone caves for those who enjoy spelunking.

Life at Dickinson centers on a traditional liberal arts education that is continually sharpened and focused by innovation. On the lighter side, the mermaid atop the ivy-covered walls of Old West presents a challenge to the men. Each fall a male student climbs up and removes the mermaid. Each spring members of the women’s honorary are responsible for putting the weather vane back in place. Tradition takes many forms!

In a more academic vein, the current catalogue presents the philosophy of the college: “Liberal knowledge, learning for its own sake and learning for the cultural enrichment it provides, is the oldest and most fundamental aim of Dickinson education.” A statement from the 1960s encourages Dickinsonians to see their world as one in which they are able, “by virtue of the power gained through knowledge, to influence both their environment and the course of history,’ and thereby to use their power in the service of the human community.”

The ideals of Dickinson College—learning, liberty and virtue, and those of Kappa Kappa Gamma should provide an ideal background for the growth of Epsilon Omega Chapter. Welcome!
FLASH! On October 5th, 33 upper-class women were pledged.

==Installation (From The Key)==

Despite a cool, drizzly day, the atmosphere was warm and spirits high as Epsilon Omega Chapter was installed at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. on March 9 and 10, 1979. A symbol of the enthusiasm and pride of the 33 charter members was the banner hung high on the wall of the Holland Union Dining Room. Months of pledge study and a recent rush period were not enough to weaken the strength or spirit of the girls who stayed up most of Thursday night to create a poster telling the rest of the campus how they felt about becoming Kappa’s 103rd active chapter:
“Sisters you are, sisters we’ll be. Congratulations, Kappa Kappa Gamma; we’ve only just begun.”
Registration in the Mary Dickinson Room on Friday afternoon gave visitors a chance to meet Kappa local and national officers and enjoy refreshments prepared by the Harrisburg Alumnae Club.

Though only 45 in paid membership, these women are delighted to have a chapter nearby and have worked hard to help the colony and make the installation a memorable occasion. Registration and hospitality were headed by a former Beta Province meeting treasurer from 1973, the year Harrisburg was hostess. Handling the checkbook and financial arrangements was a local alumna.
A cheery fire in the lovely home of a Penn State alumna was a welcome setting for Fireside Service. The quiet ritual was soon replaced by a happy din as initiates and visitors became acquainted and enjoyed a reception co-hosted by local alumnae.

Carlisle is an attractive town with a rather old-fashioned square at its hub. On one corner of the square is St. John Episcopal Church, site of the initiation. Two Kappas drove from Headquarters in our blue and blue van and performed their customary magic act of setting the scene and arranging the equipment for what proved to be a beautiful initiation ceremony.

Installing officers Jean Hess Wells, Georgia, Fraternity President, and Gay Chuba Barry, Penn State, Director of Alumnae, were assisted by the installation chairman, Beta Province Director of Chapters, Field Secretary, Alumnae Editor of The Key, and the graduate counselor for Epsilon Omega. It was a proud chapter president who received the charter on behalf of the chapter.
The new initiates barely had time to change clothes before the formal pledging of 29 terrific freshmen women. The chapter president had excellent practice for her presidency when, as membership chairman, she led the colony through a series of parties based on Kappa facts, making Christmas ornaments which were later given to a nursing home, a “Roaring Twenties” party, a country theme that included Kappa Pickers, a nightclub theme entitled “Kappakabana” and finally, “Cinderella” for preference party. Although they say that they surprised themselves and others with their enormous success in rush, it seems likely that they had not yet realized the power-potential of Kappa when 33 super colonizers set out to strengthen their group. The dedication with which these girls do everything was evident in the polished was they conducted the pledge ceremony.

Again, there was barely time to catch their breath when everyone congregated in Drayer Lounge for the campus reception. An alumna from Carnegie Mellon was chairman of this event which saw a room crowded with well-wishers. Panhellenic members, parents, faculty and friends joined in welcoming Kappa Kappa Gamma to the Dickinson campus. It was here that the chapter outdid itself by distributing copies of their first newsletter—a beautiful 13-page issue complete with photos and excellent articles on their activities thus far.

In whatever spare moments could be found during the day, visitors dropped in to see the Kappa apartment, just a few blocks from campus and right off the square. Empty and cold when rented last fall, it now shows signs of loving care and looks like home. Under the supervision of two alumnae, including a decorator from the Philadelphia area, the apartment is bright, cheerful and comfortable. Gifts from alumnae included a kitchen shower, and several pieces of furniture from the recently-closed Beta Alpha Chapter at the University of Pennsylvania were welcome additions.
Still riding high on a bubble of excitement, Kappas picked up their long skirts and stepped over puddles to return to campus for the Installation Banquet. A lovely setting and delicious dinner were around by the banquet chairman. The installation chairman provided a warm welcome as toastmistress. A special greeting and toast to the new chapter was given by the president of Delta Phi Chapter, Bucknell, and a gracious response came from the Epsilon Omega president.

Greetings were sent by individuals and groups throughout the province and nation and Gay Barry read many of them to the 200 guests. The Associate Dean of Students and member of Delta Delta Delta welcomed Kappa on behalf of the college. Everyone who was even remotely involved with the colonization and installation knew how helpful she had been and how her personal assistance had helped to smooth the way for us.

==Highlights of the 1980s==

Epsilon Omega grew as a chapter throughout the 1980s and was successful in recruitment as evident by the 35 new members who joined the chapter in 1987. The chapter continued to strengthen its commitment to membership development and sisterhood. Epsilon Omega celebrated the accomplishments of the chapter women by holding a scholarship banquet and the chapter was recognized for their scholastic achievement and high G.P.A. The Kappas were among the leaders of Dickinson’s campus and participated in a variety of activities, including campus clubs and sports teams. The chapter also exuded Panhellenic spirit by having two events with other Dickinson sororities: Monmouth Duo with Pi Beta Phi and Kite and Key with Kappa Alpha Theta.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Dickinson women were also committed to Kappa’s tradition of philanthropy and embarked on a series of fundraisers, including an All-Greek Car Wash, Sham-o-grams, and an Easter Egg Hunt. The chapter also supported Paraguay Orphans during this period.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of the 1990s==

The 1990s brought new challenges for Epsilon Omega chapter. In 1990, Dickinson College revised its policies on Recruitment and the sororities transitioned to a fall Recruitment for upper-class women. Although the chapter had to make adjustments, they did so quickly and continued to recruit between 25-30 members each year. The Kappas remained devoted to sisterhood activities and development and continued old traditions such as hosting the scholarship banquet while holding new events like an Initiation banquet. Epsilon Omega also reached out to alumnae members through alumnae receptions held during Homecoming weekend.

The chapter continued to forge strong relationship with the Dickinson College community. A Faculty Tea was held every year to better acquaint the faculty with the Kappa women and the Fraternity’s goals. The chapter was also recognized for having the highest G.P.A. on campus.

'''Housing:'''

In 1991, Epsilon Omega took a bold step and applied for on-campus housing. The request was approved and the chapter received on-campus housing, making Kappa the first sorority at Dickinson to do so. In order to celebrate this milestone, and to make the new house more like a home, the chapter women held a decorating day at the house. In 1995, the chapter, still living in the house on College Street, diligently worked on raising money for new furniture.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Philanthropy remained one of Epsilon Omega’s priorities throughout the decade. Fundraisers included a pole sitting event for cystic fibrosis and a plant sale for Safe Harbor, an organization that assists the homeless. The Kappas with with Phi Psi to host the Rock-a-thon, which raised funds for a scholarship to help a high school senior from Carlisle go to college. The chapter also sponsored a child in India through the United Christian’s Fund, chaperoned a youth dance at a local church, and sent letters to soldiers in Saudi Arabia. In 1998, the chapter and other Greek-letter organizations were involved with the March for Gay Rights and Respect, which was held in response to anti-gay letters on Dickinson’s campus.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

As the twenty-first century dawned, Epsilon Omega remained devoted to membership development and the recognition of personal and chapter achievement. New programs such as “Smart Cookies” and the “Word of the Week” were implemented to encourage Academic Excellence within the chapter. Epsilon Omega still remembered to have fun and held a Kappa Krush party and fall and spring formals each year. The active members also continued to reach out with alumnae members through the annual alumnae brunch. The chapter also retained its relationship with the Dickinson College faculty through hosting the Faculty Tea.

In 2007, Dickinson College’s Panhellenic Association completely reorganized itself and added Recruitment events in the spring to get Potential New Members excited for the recruitment process in the fall in addition to hosting multiple recruitment workshops with the campus sororities. As a result, Dickinson had the most successful sorority Recruitment in college history, and Kappa welcomed a large class of New Members.

'''Housing:'''

The chapter still retains a house where 17 of the second-year members live.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Epsilon Omega remained involved in various philanthropies. The chapter hosted philanthropy activities such as a Lip Sync Contest benefiting Reading Is Fundamental, Kappa Kisses for a local domestic violence shelter, and flag football for research on the Marfan Syndrome. The chapter women also honored the memory of Kappa sisters by organizing Rock 'N Bowl, which raised money for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation in memory of a sister at Virginia Tech, and Run for Steph, held in honor of a sister killed in a car accident after graduation. Epsilon Omega participated in other campus-wide philanthropies such as Up Till Dawn which raised more than $40,000 dollars for Saint Jude’s Hospital.

'''Convention Award:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==Highlights of 2011==

In 2011, Epsilon Omega focused on working with other organizations on campus to improve life at Dickinson College and Greek Life. The chapter collaborated with Dickinson students, especially Greek women, to strengthen campus policy on sexual assault. The chapter participated in a forum about Greek Life for the entire campus which permitted the women to weigh in on the benefits of membership in a Greek-letter organization.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Epsilon Omega continued to host many of its annual philanthropic events, including Run For Steph and Lip Sync for Literacy. The chapter participated in a variety of activities sponsored by other Greek-letter organizations, including the Nu Factor, which was organized by Delta Nu and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The chapter also sent volunteers weekly to help out at a local soup kitchen and elementary school.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of 2012==

The past chapter year was a big year of change for the Epsilon Omega chapter. We started the year with a new Chapter Council and our first big philanthropy event was Kappa Kisses for Valentine's Day. Kappa Kisses is our annual event where we create Valentine's Day goodie bags to be sold and put in students' mailboxes. The proceeds raised from our efforts go towards Domestic Violence Services.

Our chapter participated in the college wide Relay for Life and raised money as a team for the American Cancer Society. At the end of the semester we helped fraternity Kappa Sigma with their annual Parkinson's Walk, working with them to raise money, sell t-shirts, and promote the event. In addition to all of these special events, girls volunteered weekly at a local soup kitchen as well as participated in the Homework Club at local elementary schools, LaTorte Elementary and in Grandview Park, an area where there are many underprivileged families who we help mentor, tutor, and just hang out with students after school.

The new academic year began with a wonderful and successful recruitment that gave a new member class of thirty-two new Kappas! Shortly after recruitment, the Northeast experienced Hurricane Sandy which devastated areas across the east coast including several of our own members' homes. In late October we organized bake sale efforts to raise money toward Hurricane Sandy Relief and successfully donated the proceeds to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Next we hosted our annual Lipsync for Literacy event, teaming up with fraternity Kappa Sigma to raise money in support of Reading is Fundamental, an organization that seeks to promote reading and literacy in American youth. We continued our participation this fall with the food banks and soup kitchens of Carlisle as well as our involvement with the elementary schools and homework clubs. We ended the semester with a lovely and heartwarming holiday sisterhood event where we celebrated the holidays as well as wrapped donated books we received that were distributed to Project Share of Carlisle, an organization supporting underprivileged and homeless families.

==Highlights of 2013==

Epsilon Omega Chapter found in 2013 one of our happiest and most successful years both philanthropically and personally for our sisters. In January we elected new Chapter Council. This CC was comprised of new and veteran members who created an atmosphere of well-rounded ideas and opinions for the New Year. This group of girls was especially motivated to help Epsilon Omega work towards the goals and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the national as well as local level. We started the calendar year off with one of our two major philanthropy events, Kappa Kisses. Kappa Kisses is an annual event in which we sell homemade Valentine greeting cards with heresy kisses attached to them. All the proceeds go to Domestic Violence Center. For 2013 we ended up donating around $650!

During the winter months we also held several sisterhood dinners. These dinners always proved to be a great time and never ceased to bring all the girls closer and closer together. Our hard-working Event Committee also organized a beautiful dinner with some of the sister’s favorite Professors and Dickinson Administrators. The room was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious and there was a slide show projecting photos that had been taken throughout the year. We ended the academic year with a senior send-off dinner to say goodbye to the senior class and have one final sisterhood event before we all went our separate ways for summer vacation. All the senior parents sent in baby pictures and the littles of the senior girls each stood up and recited a funny anecdote about her big. It was a great way to say goodbye to a very memorable group of girls.

Before we knew it we were back at Dickinson and ready to start a new school year! Recruitment began in late August and all went smoothly. Carly ’15 part of the new member class of 2012 said of her first recruitment, “It brought all the classes closer together which made the whole recruitment process very special”. The New Member class has twenty-six great girls who were all so excited to receive bids from Kappa! Our New Member Education Program was completely re-vamped thanks to our wonderful New Member Educator who worked tirelessly on it making sure it was perfect and succinct. Before initiation current members got a refresher course on ritual and they all said it was beneficial and made the girls feel more connected to Kappa and its rich history. The calendar year concluded with the Kappa sponsored Lip-Sync. We had a great-turn out and all the proceeds went to “Reading is Fundamental”.

Our chapter has made great strides this year as individuals, as a group and as a sisterhood. We have faced challenges with maturity and tackled them head-on thanks to exceptional leadership. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals.

We faced some difficulties at the end of the year as a chapter but have laid out our goals and plan of action for the upcoming year that we are confident we can accomplish. We plan on making the next chapter year even busier than the last, filling our time with even more philanthropy events, a monthly sisterhood bonding event, and more to propel our chapter to even greater heights!

With the new year came new changes for the chapter on campus and the college's perspective on Greek Life. While the college created some new challenges governing our role as a Greek organization on campus, it has motivated us to demonstrate even more our role as a group of women supporting women on our campus and all that Kappas contribute to the Dickinon community.

Our members are involved in many different areas at Dickinson, whether it be captain of the nationally recognized Mock Trial team, distinguished varsity athletes, Dean's List honor students, and more, the Kappas of Dickinson never cease to impress and truly represent Kappa in every sense of the word.

We have outlined plans to become an even closer group of women who support each other every step of the way, regardless of the challenges created by the school. Our plans include strengthening our Chapter Council and making this the brain power and center of our chapter, utilizing each member to their fullest potential and working together to create a great year ahead. Our community service efforts are going to be even stronger and we are already adding multiple events to our schedule, as well as mandatory hours for each member to have completed by the end of the semester. In addition, in order to improve our image on campus we are coordinating with our new faculty adviser who will come and sit in on meetings, have dinner with the chapter once a month, and we hope will give us a new perspective looking in on our chapter. This also includes our greater involvement with the Women's Center on campus as we hope to show both the school and other students that Kappas truly are women in support of other women and the positive effect and role models Kappas can be for women. We look forward to continuing our traditions through the spring and into the fall as well as becoming even better Kappas each and every day.

==Highlights of 2014==

Epsilon Omega Chapter found 2014 to be one of our most successful years, both philanthropically and personally for our sisters. In January we elected new Chapter Council. This CC was comprised of new and veteran members who created an atmosphere of well-rounded ideas and opinions for the New Year. This group of girls was especially motivated to help Epsilon Omega work towards the goals and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the national as well as local level. We started the calendar year off with one of our two major philanthropy events, Kappa Kisses. Kappa Kisses is an annual event in which we sell homemade Valentine greeting cards with heresy kisses attached to them. The kisses and cards are assembled at a sisterhood event and the cards are made during a rush event. All the proceeds go to Domestic Violence Center. For 2014 we ended up donating around $750, over $100 more than last year!

During the fall and winter months we also held several sisterhood events. These events ranged from supporting our varsity athletes at field hockey and soccer games, to helping plan and run in our annual 5k, Run For Steph. These events always proved to be a great time and never ceased to bring all the girls closer and closer together. Our hard-working Event Committee also organized a beautiful dinner with some of the sister’s favorite Professors and Dickinson Administrators. The room was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious and there was a slide show projecting photos that had been taken throughout the year. We ended the academic year with a senior send-off brunch to say goodbye to the senior class and have one final sisterhood event before we all went our separate ways for summer vacation. All the senior parents sent in baby pictures and the littles of the senior girls each stood up and recited a funny anecdote about her big. It was a great way to say goodbye to a very memorable group of girls.

Before we knew it we were back at Dickinson and ready to start a new school year! Recruitment began in late August and all went smoothly. Isabel ’17 part of the new member class of 2014 said of her first experience with rush, “It brought all the classes closer together which made the whole recruitment process very special”. The New Member class has thirty-three great girls who were all so excited to receive bids from Kappa! Our New Member Education Program was completely re-vamped thanks to our wonderful New Member Educator who worked tirelessly on it making sure it was perfect and succinct. Before initiation current members got a refresher course on ritual and they all said it was beneficial and made the girls feel more connected to Kappa and its rich history. The calendar year concluded with the Kappa sponsored Lip-Sync. We had a great-turn out and all the proceeds went to “Reading is Fundamental”.

Our chapter has made great strides this year as individuals, as a group and as a sisterhood. We have faced challenges with maturity and tackled them head-on thanks to exceptional leadership. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals.

There have been no significant changes on campus. The overall nature of our chapter is very positive and optimistic. We plan on have just as a successful 2014 as we did a 2013. Our chapter is excited to continue on this progressive path in the year to come.

==Highlights of 2015==
Epsilon Omega Chapter started off 2015 with a bang when we welcomed 26 new Kappas into our fraternity. This is the first time the school has done recruitment in the spring of students’ first year at Dickinson, and it was a great success! We also gave out COB bids to two very special and deserving girls.

We started the year with philanthropy in mind when we held our annual Kappa Kisses fundraiser. We made Valentine’s Day cards, attached chocolate kisses to them, and students were able to send notes to friends. We raised $740 for the Domestic Violence Services in the area. Our Kappas also assisted in serving a Pancake Breakfast for the local Children’s Center. It was extremely rewarding and we have continued our relationship with the coordinator there. We also sent Kappas to the Winter Carnival at North Dickinson Elementary School. The volunteers ran games, sold refreshments, and overall had an amazing, energetic afternoon!

Other highlights of the spring semester include the college’s Relay for Life. Many of our sisters have witnessed the horrifying effects of cancer, so we all walked that night in letters to support them and everyone else who has battled cancer. We ended the year with the Senior Brunch. This was an incredibly sentimental morning, as we wish our seniors could stay with us, but it was great to have one last sisterhood event with them.

We began the new academic year volunteering for the annual 5K, Run for Steph. This is an event on campus that is very close to our hearts and helps to bring us closer together. We hosted Lip Sync in October. There was an impressive turnout—we raised around $3,725 as well as collected many books. The money and books were donated to our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. Our sisters continue to volunteer for Homework Club, which is an after school program at two local elementary schools. This is an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience for them, and many girls continue their volunteer work there all throughout their time at Dickinson. Our chapter attended a gender based violence prevention workshop with Kelly Wilt, the Violence Prevention Coordinator at Dickinson. It was an engaging and eye opening presentation. We can’t wait to work with Kelly again!

The Epsilon Omega chapter named Lauren Gessner ’16 as the recipient for the Kauffman Key. She was voted by her sisters as demonstrating a true and joyful love of learning, of friends, and of Kappa that serves as an inspiration and model to all chapter members. We also started polished sister awards this semester. Sisters can nominate other Kappas who have been working hard and have been in good spirits, as well as have been put together. The “polished sisters” receive a bottle of Essie nail polish as a prize. This has been a fun way to recognize those who have represented Kappa well.

This calendar year, our chapter has faced a few challenges but has worked tirelessly to overcome them and improve. In response to our focus letter, we implemented Round Robins for the Chapter Council. In response to our chapter’s mediocre GPA, Kate Eby ’18, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, has initiated changes within the chapter to encourage our sisters to improve their academics. We are implementing a period of concern for 2016, sisters with ‘U’s on their roll call grades are required to meet with the VPAE and President, etc. While our LC was here, she listed officer training and leadership as one of Epsilon Omega’s weaknesses. To fix this, all members of Chapter Council updated their leadership binders and included extra tips for the next girl to hold the position. We also are bringing in a leadership trainer and having a leadership workshop when we get back to school in January 2016. A challenge we foresee in 2016 is a large group of girls going through recruitment. To be proactive with this issue, it is now mandatory for all seniors to attend every night of recruitment. We are bursting with excitement to meet our next class of Kappas and see what 2016 has in store for us!

Our campus has continued to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Greek life on campus. We have worked with the other Greek organizations on campus to support each other and the college, showing all that Kappa and Greek life in general add to campus life. The Blue Ribbon Project was started to evaluate Greek life from a third party perspective. This is a great way for us to voice our opinions of Greek life. In order to unify the sororities on campus with administration and faculty, we held a Teacher Appreciation night. We are motivated to continue working with the college to improve the impression of Greek life on campus!
The nature of the Epsilon Omega chapter in general is one of extreme pride, sisterhood, and optimism. We are looking forward to continuing to make a difference on campus and in the community. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals!

Chapter Philanthropy:

What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?

We support our national philanthropies, Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Organization. We also support the Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland County and Perry County.

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?

Our chapter has a devotion to literacy and education. We also love children and try to involve them in our philanthropy efforts whenever we can!

==Highlights OF 2016==

Epsilon Omega Chapter started off Fall 2015 as we welcomed 36 new Kappas into our
fraternity. This was the second time we ever had Spring recruitment in the Spring instead of the fall
and we were so excited about having such a large class!

We started the year with philanthropy in mind when we held our annual Kappa Kisses fundraiser.
We made Valentine’s Day cards, attached chocolate kisses to them, and students were able to send
notes to friends. We raised a lot money for Domestic Violence Services in the area. Our Kappas also
assisted in serving a Pancake Breakfast for the local Children’s Center. It was extremely rewarding
and we have continued our relationship with the coordinator there. We also sent Kappas to the
Winter Carnival at North Dickinson Elementary School. The volunteers ran games, sold
refreshments, and overall had an amazing, energetic afternoon! Other highlights of the spring
semester include the college’s Relay for Life. Many of our sisters have witnessed the horrifying
effects of cancer, so we all walked that night in letters to support them and everyone else who has
battled cancer.

We began the new academic year volunteering for the annual 5K, Run for Steph. This is an event
on campus that is very close to our hearts and helps to bring us closer together. We hosted Lip
Sync in October. We raised over 3000 dollars and the money and books were donated to our
national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. Our sisters continue to volunteer for Homework
Club, which is an after school program at two local elementary schools. This is an incredibly
rewarding and memorable experience for them, and many girls continue their volunteer work there
all throughout their time at Dickinson. We also did an event this fall we called Kappacinos. We sat
outside on our academic quad and handed out free coffee to all the faculty and staff that walked by.
We had a sign out explaining our philanthropy and asked for donations if anyone felt generous and
wanted to donate. Overall, it was very fun and a great success.

We continued polished sister awards this semester. Sisters can nominate other Kappas who have
been working hard and have been in good spirits, as well as have been put together. The “polished
sisters” receive a bottle of Essie nail polish as a prize. This has been a fun way to recognize those
who have represented Kappa well. We also have “Standards Standouts” that the standards
committee nominates to reward in front of the chapter. This could be anyone who has been an
exemplary student, and an exemplary Kappa. They get a little goodie bag with all fun Kappa gifts.
We also have “Officer of the Month.” This is something similar where we acknowledge a girl on
our chapter council who is doing her job successfully. It is nice to be recognized in your chapter
and feel rewarded for the job you are doing.

This calendar year, our chapter has faced a few challenges but has worked tirelessly to overcome
them and improve. In response to our focus letter, we have continued to implement Round Robins
for the Chapter Council. In response to our chapter’s mediocre GPA, Maddie Vance ’19, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, has initiated changes within the chapter to encourage our sisters to improve their academics. We are implementing a period of concern for 2016, sisters with ‘U’s on their roll call grades are required to meet with the VPAE and President, etc. She also has started a “smartie panties” reward system where members nominate other sisters for their good grades. Maddie picks a few girls to recognize throughout our chapter and gives them little rewards for their hard work. We just recently had a Kappa trainer come in and work with our leaving and coming in chapter council. It was a very productive and meaningful way for our chapter’s leaders to come together and work with each other to figure out how to better our sorority as a whole for next semester. We spoke about ways to positively run recruitment and ensure we give bids to the best possible group of girls next semester.

Our campus has continued to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Greek life on campus. We have worked with the other Greek organizations on campus to support each other and the college, showing all that Kappa and Greek life in general add to campus life. The Blue Ribbon Project was started to evaluate Greek life from a third party perspective. This is a great way for us to voice our opinions of Greek life. In order to unify the sororities on campus with administration and faculty, we held a Teacher Appreciation night. We are motivated to continue working with the college to improve the impression of Greek life on campus!
The nature of the Epsilon Omega chapter in general is one of extreme pride, sisterhood, and optimism. We are looking forward to continuing to make a difference on campus and in the community. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals!

We have a new President as of this past fall so it has been our chapter and all of Panhel's goal to make a good impression and have him support Greek life. It is very important to us to ensure that our administration sees all the good we do for our school as a whole. Since Dickinson College is relatively small, we have a smaller chapter in size comparison to many other chapters nationwide. This allows us to be not only know every individial member's name, but also formulate relationships with our sisters beyond our weekly chapter meetings. We all see eachother every day, multiple times a day, on campus and because of this, our chapter is a strong cohesive unit.

'''Chapter Philanthropy'''

We support our national philanthropies, Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Organization. We also support the Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland County and Perry County.
Our chapter has a devotion to literacy and education. We also love children and try to involve them in our philanthropy efforts whenever we can.

Kappa continues to have a house where 17 members live. However due to the large size of our chapter we meet in a large classroom in one of our academic buildings known as "Denny."

==Highlights of 2017==

Epsilon Omega Chapter had a great start to 2017! We welcomed 29 new Kappas into our fraternity in Februrary. Although we were sad to see one of our new members transfer to North Eastern at the end of the semester, the rest of the new recruietment class has been an amazing addition to our chapter.

We started the year with philanthropy in mind when we held our annual Kappa Kisses fundraiser. We made Valentine’s Day cards, attached chocolate kisses to them, and students were able to send notes to friends. We raised a lot money for Domestic Violence Services in the area.

Our Kappas also assisted in serving a Pancake Breakfast for the local Children’s Center. It was extremely rewarding and we have continued our relationship with the coordinator there. We also sent Kappas to the Winter Carnival at North Dickinson Elementary School. The volunteers ran games, sold refreshments, and overall had an amazing, energetic afternoon! Other highlights of the spring semester include the college’s Relay for Life. Many of our sisters have witnessed the horrifying effects of cancer, so we all walked that night in letters to support them and everyone else who has battled cancer. We also participated in Run for Hope, an annual 5K event run through Dickinson College in support of Cumberland Country YWCA for Domestic Violence Prevention.

We began the new academic year volunteering for the annual 5K, Run for Steph. This is an event on campus that is very close to our hearts and helps to bring us closer together because it is in memory of a Kappa alumi. We hosted Lip Sync in October. We raised over 4000 dollars and the money and books were donated to our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. Our sisters continue to volunteer for Homework Club, which is an after school program at two local elementary schools. This is an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience for them, and many girls continue their volunteer work there all throughout their time at Dickinson. We also did an event this fall we called Kappacinos. We sat outside on our academic quad and handed out free coffee to all the students, faculty, and staff that walked by. We had a sign out explaining our philanthropy and asked for donations if anyone felt generous and wanted to donate. Overall, it was very fun and a great success.
We began a new award called "Supportive Sister" where the sister who is found to support the chapter the most in the month prior is given a bag of goodies and wears a very large decorated bra gifted from her sisters. This has been a fun way to recognize those who have represented Kappa well. We also have “Standards Standouts” that the standards committee nominates to reward in front of the chapter. This could be anyone who has been an exemplary student, and an exemplary Kappa. They get a little goodie bag with all fun Kappa gifts. We also have “Officer of the Month.” This is something similar where we acknowledge a girl on our chapter council who is doing her job successfully. It is nice to be recognized in your chapter and feel rewarded for the job you are doing.

A new addition to boosting moral and participation on campus is the positive point system we created. Through three separate teams; the key, the owl, and the fleur de leis, girls were given points for attending events on campus. The team with the most amount of points recieves a prize at the end of the semester.

This calendar year, our chapter has worked very hard as a community. In response to our focus letter, we have continued to implement Round Robins for the Chapter Council. In response to continuing to boost our chapter's GPA, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, has continued to encourage our sisters to improve and focus on their academics. We have continued to utilize "smartie panties" as an incentive to work hard and produce good grades that can be shared with your sisters. We have also worked on bettering the chapters understanding of the standards process through severeal different presentations in chapter. In addition, we have continued to recognize the instiutions and Kappa's hazing policies and traditions to ensure a positive experience for everyone in the organiztaion. Lastly, we have addressed chapter functioning such as increasing transperency and emphasizing the importance of wearing your letters 24/7. In result of our hard works, we have officially been removed from our focus letter. In order to maintain constant communication with our advisors and headquarters we will continue to utilize Round Robbins.

We just recently had a Kappa trainer come in and work with our leaving and coming in chapter council. It was a very productive and meaningful way for our chapter’s leaders to come together and work with each other to figure out how to better our sorority as a whole for next semester. We spoke about ways to positively run recruitment and ensure we give bids to the best possible group of girls next semester. In addition to the leadership transitioning we have decided to go paperless and transferred our binders into Google Docs. Each position has their own gmail with the information needed to function in their role on chapter council.

==Highlights of 2020s:==

(Information from the 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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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!

Delta Phi

2018-02-19T23:42:06Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

ΔΦ
{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Delta Phi
|GreekSymbol= ΔΦ
|Image= [[File:Delta_Phi.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1948|10|30}}
|College= [http://www.bucknell.edu/ Bucknell University]
|Location= Lewisburg, PA
|Homepage= [http://www.orgs.bucknell.edu/kkg/main/ Delta Phi Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Phi Media related to Delta Phi Chapter]}}

'''Bucknell University established 1846, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania'''

'''Delta Phi founded October 30, 1948 - 36 charter members'''

'''2,17 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Martha Jane Acker, Adah Lorraine Allen, Shirley May Andresen, Marian Louise Brown, Lois Jane Dial, Elizabeth Jane Diegel, Ruth Anita Dusenbury, Caryl Lois Galow, Jeanne Marie Grove, Janice Fields Gundaker, Marjorie Carol Haas, Jane Sheble Haigh, Mildred Jane Haigh, Blanche Barbara Hall, Lois Marjorie Harvey, Helen Ruth Hayden, Odette Rose Hutchinson, Evelyn Doris Jackson, Gloria Freia Kurzmann, Josephine Sproul LaBarr, Jean Eleanor Lampert, Judith Lee Martin, Shirley Anne Mathieson, Betty Jane OEsterle, Eleanor Ann Raup, Margery Jane Reinhart, Emilie Christine Riley, Jean Isabelle Ritchings, Betty Louise Snyder, Barbara Soyster, Patricia Ellen Steele, Barbara Lou Stine, Charlotte Dianne Stratton, Eloise Mary Triggs, Jean Lois Walker, Avilda Raynell Wilson.

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

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

'''Fraternity Council Members'''

Katherine Scholberg Weeks, Director of Membership 1996-2000, Field Secretary 1977-1978; Colby Giulin, Leadership Consultant 2008-2009

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award'''

'''Alumnae Achievement Awards'''

'''Additional Outstanding Delta Phi Alumnae'''

Katherine Scholberg (Weeks), Graduate Counselor 1976-1977, Foundation Board of Trustees, 2008 - Present;
Lola Nashashibi (Grace), Graduate Counselor 1977-1978

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

==The Early Years==

Bucknell was the 100th college chartered in America, established as the University of Lewisburg in 1846, by a group of local Baptists. Among contributors for the founding was William Bucknell, a Philadelphia businessman. Other funds came from the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia and from other Baptist congregations in the state. In 1886 the university was renamed in Bucknell’s honor. The college later became privately controlled.

At the time of Delta Phi’s founding, there was an enrollment of 2,400 undergraduates, with students from 38 states and 8 foreign countries. A Second Century Development Program, which included planning for nine new buildings and an increase in the university’s endowment, was under way at that time.

The history of Delta Phi really began in late June 1946, when a student decided to start a local group at Bucknell University with membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma as its goal.

Another sorority was needed on the Bucknell Campus. An interested student expressed her feelings and desire to the Dean of Women and found, to her surprise, that the Dean had been a Beta Iota at Swarthmore. There were two other Kappas on the faculty from Gamma Rho, Allegheny, and Gamma Alpha, Kansas State. With their help and with data from the files, a list of girls was made. On June 23, 1946, a meeting was called. All were enthusiastic about forming the group, so much so that they temporarily forgot it was exam week! There was much to be decided, standards to uphold, goals to be attained, a constitution and bylaws to be written. They all agreed that they wanted first to work together as a local chapter to become Kappas. They took the name of Alpha Sigma Alpha.

By the following fall, Alpha Sigma Alpha is a going sorority. Six other sororities were on campus, all national groups. The new local became a member of the campus Panhellenic Council, and was anxious to cooperate and make its first rush season a most successful one. It was a busy time, and the membership was enlarged to 21.

Although they had not been close friends when they started, they had been carefully selected. Looking back after a year with Alpha Sigma Alpha, it seemed almost impossible that a group of women students, relatively unknown to each other, could have molded themselves into an active unit involved with rushing, pledging, dances, intra-mural activities, floats, song contests, and scholarship rules. All of these had parts in the process of unification. Each member had worked hard to give her sorority a position of esteem on the campus. As the membership grew, so did a spirit of loyalty and friendship, binding each with common ideals, aims, hopes, and purposes.
The national Fraternity was contacted, but gave no encouragement. Finally Kappa decided to look over the Bucknell group, which was now being approached by other leading women’s fraternities. After this official inspection, the chapter was approved unanimously.

Delta Phi was installed October 30, 1948, by Delta Alpha from nearby Pennsylvania State University. Six of the girls had been graduated in June 1948, including the chapter founder, but all came back for the installation that fall.

Few installations have been distinguished by the presence of so many who have made Kappa history. Fraternity President Helena Flinn Ege, Pittsburgh, read the ritual. Present were, among other alumnae, Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State; Rheva Ott Shryock, Pennsylvania; Mary Turner Whitney, Cincinnati; and Katheryn Bourne Pearse, Purdue. A dream was finally fulfilled.

The first year’s activities included a Christmas party, a mock rush party with skit, a Founders Day banquet, a semi-formal pledge dance, and cozies. The main fundraising projects included magazine sale and candy apple sale at the Kappa May Day booth. Delta Phi’s spring picnic became an annual event. A requirement of that year became a tradition—but it wasn’t a tradition for long, fortunately—a weekly study sheet, showing how many hours each member was studying.
A Christmas party for the children at Gersinger Medical Center was the first year’s philanthropy project. Later that year, the Kappas provided tea and entertainment at the Evangelical Home.

==Highlights of the 1950s and 1960s==

The Kappa Kappa Gamma banner was made in 1950; industrious pledges served breakfasts to the actives; and that favorite sport, bowling, was one way to get big and little sisters together.
The piano fund was started in 1951 with a perfume sale. In 1955, when the chapter discovered it needed a silver tea service, shampoo was sold.

Philanthropies have included the raising of money to support a child, Save the Children Foundation (1952), community projects such as collecting and distributing canned goods (1966), and group therapy at a local elementary school (1970). A pledge project became a tradition—an Easter basket sale with proceeds going to community and health services.

Social and campus highlights included a visit to the Delta Alphas, the first redecoration of the Delta Phi suite (1953), the first Powderpuff football game (1955), the Panhellenic Scholarship Cup (1956), and Monmouth Duo with Sigma Chi as hosts to the Kappas and Pi Phis (1958). The Pumpkin Walk tradition began in 1965 with the sophomores carving and delivering pumpkins to each fraternity while chanting pumpkin carols. Delta Phi won the Sigma Chi Derby in 1966, and the Monmouth Duo that year was especially fun since the Pi Phis wore dark and light blue and the Kappas wore wine and silver blue. In 1967, the name “Blue Hooters” was adopted by the Delta Phi singing group and has been kept ever since.

==Highlights of the 1970s==

Following the ravages of the flood of 1972, Delta Phi earmarked all 1972 fundraising profits for the Bucknell Flood Fund. Beginning with a Kappa-Tri Delta Powderpuff football game (0-0) and continuing with a Panhellenic cookbook sale, a sizable contribution was made for restoration of damaged areas of the Music and Arts Building.

With awareness of campus relations as well as of the changing roles of women, Kappa sponsored a fall Colloquy Seminar on “Women Today.” Spring Colloquy’s photography exhibit on prison reform was partly sponsored by Delta Phi.

From the time Delta Phi chapter was founded to 1973, when the chapter founder’s daughter took up the president’s gavel, Delta Phi has grown and kept pace with the changing times and the changing college student. The chapter can look with pride at the past 25 years, can set its present goals, and can look to the future with a new awareness and a strengthened sisterhood.
---------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------

'''Remainder of the 1970s:'''

From 1975-1979, the chapter members lived together in a dorm building. Delta Phi also had a suite to use for chapter activities and some housing, although only a small number of members were able to live in the suite.

==Highlights of the 1980s==
The 1980s were busy for the members of Delta Phi chapter as the chapter often recruited around 40 New Members. This decade saw the creation of the JUGS (Just Us Girls) event at the beginning of the school year to welcome back sisters who studied abroad during the spring semester. Other sisterhood activities included CommUNITY (Working for the Community; Working toward Unity), the Kappa Kotillion formal, and Monmouth Duo with Pi Phi. Members also benefited from programs focused on personal development, including a race relations workshop and an alcohol awareness lecture.

The chapter advanced their Risk Management policies with the creation of a “21 room” at social events. The members also focused on improving scholarship, which proved successful as Kappa was recognized for having the highest GPA on campus. In 1989, Delta Phi received several awards from IFC/Panhel, including Oustanding Greek Pledge, Outstanding Advisors, and Outstanding Public Relations.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Delta Phi’s commitment to philanthropy continued throughout the decade. In 1987, the chapter organized the Kappa Invitational golf tournament to benefit the Himmelreich Library, a historic library in Lewisburg. Each year, the Kappa’s also organized a Balloon Derby, a popular campus event. In 1989, the chapter worked to revise the Balloon Derby in order to make it more environmentally friendly.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of the 1990s==

The 1990s brought many changes to the Delta Phi chapter. In 1991, the university changed the timing of Recruitment. Instead of going through Recruitment during the spring semester of freshman year, women were required to wait until the fall semester of their sophomore year to join a sorority. Even with this change in Recruitment regulations, Kappa continued to add an average of 40 new members to its roster. Bucknell also made changes to rules regarding alcohol, which caused the students to revisit their Risk Management policies and programs. Although faced with these challenges, Delta Phi rose to the occasion and implemented a variety of new programs to meet the needs of the growing chapter.

In 1991, the Kappas paired with Sigma Chi to host Greek Smarts, a campus-wide Risk Management program. Members also attended the Lead to Succeed program hosted by Alpha Tau Omega during the spring of 1992. Delta Phi worked on membership development programs for chapter women, including ritual reviews, chapter-wide sisterhood retreats, and committee participation programs aimed at encouraging participation within a large chapter. Additionally, the chapter prided itself on the large number of members who studied abroad.

Delta Phi chapter members were rewarded for their hard work as they were often recognized during the campus IFC/Panhel awards ceremony. The chapter received the Outstanding Pledge Program award in 1991. In 1995, Kappa received the following awards: Outstanding Chapter Operations, Outstanding Community Service and Philanthropy, and Most Outstanding Chapter Leadership Development and Transition. More importantly, Delta Phi was repeatedly named Bucknell’s Most Outstanding Chapter throughout the decade. The chapter also rewards members for academic excellence with the Diamond Key award. On October 24, 1998, Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell celebrated its 50th anniversary.

'''Housing:'''

Throughout the decade, Delta Phi maintained a suite to be used for chapter activities.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Philanthropy remained important to Delta Phi during the 1990s. The chapter women hosted a multitude of philanthropic events, including Adopt-A-Highway, Crop Walk for Hunger, and Women in Transition. A popular fundraiser for the chapter was the Scrunchie Sale for Housatonic Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital. The Kappas also donated their time to the community by tutoring students at a local junior and senior high school and lunching with area senior citizens. For the campus community, the chapter hosted a Kappachino study break in 1997.

'''Convention Awards:'''

1996: Most Efficient Chapter

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Delta Phi chapter helped lead Bucknell into the twenty-first century. When the university imposed the Plan for Prominence, the seven sororities and twelve fraternities were encouraged to strive for a higher level of responsibility within the individual chapters. The fraternities and sororities remained in good standing with the faculty and staff, as a result of complying with the rules, hosting campus events and activities, and performing community service. Delta Phi excelled in the Plan for Promince challenge and was awarded the “Silver Star” in 2008. The chapter also maintained one of the highest GPAs of the Greek organizations on campus. Additionally, the Kappas served as leaders on campus as individual members were involved in a variety of clubs, activities, and sports teams.

Recruitment was successful throughout the decade as the chapter often added over 50 New Members, making Delta Phi the largest Greek organization on campus.

In 2005, Delta Phi chapter hosted the Beta Province Meeting. At the Founders Day dinner on October 18, 2008, the Kappas celebrated the 60th anniversary of the chapter’s establishment at Bucknell Univesrity.

'''Housing:'''

During the decade, Delta Phi chapter claimed a suite in Hunt Hall as its home. The Kappas shared this living space with members of five other sororities.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Kappas at Bucknell were kept busy with philathropic activities. In 2004, the chapter hosted its first annual Kappa Klassic co-ed soccer tournament to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. Delta Phi often contributed to the Special Olympics, Relay for Life, and Big Brother/Big Sister. The chapter organized a Locks of Love hair-drive on campus, which proved to be an annual success. Around Valentine’s Day each year, the chapter sold Kappa Kisses, little chocolates with personalized messages, to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In 2007, the Kappas brought a new project to Bucknell’s campus called Charity Denim. Designer and fashion jeans were sold at a discount price to university students and proceeds were donated to a local organization, the Donald L. Heiter Community Center. Delta Phi also remembered the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation in its philanthropic efforts and raised funds during the annual Parents’ Weekend Tailgate. Each year, the chapter devotes hundreds of hours of service to community organizations and raises thousands of dollars for philanthropies.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==2011==

Delta Phi continued its tradition of campus leadership in 2011. The chapter was well-represented in many different sports teams, clubs, and organizations around campus. Members were active in outreach organizations such as Bucknell Buddies tutoring program, the Bucknell Brigade, and Colleges Against Cancer. To benefit the Bucknell community, Kappa hosted five non-alcoholic all-campus events including a trip to Bounce Funplex, making holiday cards for the local Children’s hospital, a game night, and an ice cream social. The chapter continued its academic achievement with a high average GPA.

Although Bucknell’s Panhellenic Council mandated a “no frills” Recruitment policy, Delta Phi welcomed 46 New Members in 2011. In 2012, the chapter was able to participate in Continuous Open Bidding and added New Members during the spring semester.

'''Housing:'''
Delta Phi chapter occupies a suite within Hunt Hall, which is shared with six other sororities.

'''Philanthropy:'''
In 2011, the Bucknell Kappas continued to give back to the community through a variety of philanthropic activities, including the chapter’s annual Kappa Kisses sale. Delta Phi once again hosted a Locks of Love hair drive and a Reading Is Fundamental book drive. The chapter also supported RIF during its annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament. The Kappas raised money for Relay for Life.

Delta Phi often worked with other Greek-letter organizations at Bucknell for philanthropy events. The chapter women made Valentine’s Day cards for the elderly with Pi Beta Phi. They also teamed up with the brothers of Phi Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon and the sisters of Pi Beta Phi to raise money for the local dog shelter, Mostly Mutts, with a powder-puff football game.

==Highlights of 2012==

2012 was a great year for the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in which the whole chapter can reflect on with pride. Kappas were involved in multiple fronts on campus as they continued to pursue excellence in both academic and extracurricular realms. For the spring semester of 2011, we achieved an average term GPA of 3.49 and were able to maintain the same academic standard through the fall. This average falls above the campus all-female and all-sorority GPA average of the university. We are also very proud to have 11 members of our chapter earn a 4.0 GPA for the spring semester, and 9 members earn a 4.0 GPA in the fall.

Aside from academic accomplishment, Kappas were extremely eager to contribute to campus life and the surrounding Lewisburg community through clubs, community service, and varsity athletics. We have many Kappas who participate in the outreach organizations at Bucknell such as Bucknell Buddies tutoring program, the Bucknell Brigade, and Colleges Against Cancer. In addition, Kappa is well represented in the arts; whether it is on the Bison Girl dance team, dedicated members of the Bucknell Dance Company, actors of the Weis theater stage, or singers in the prestigious Bucknell acapella groups, our Kappa sisters’ creativity knows no bounds. On the other end of the spectrum, we have sisters involved in varsity sports on campus who are amazingly able to manage the physical demands of Division 1 athletics and academic requirements of the school and our sorority.

Needless to say, with all the incredible activities we participate around campus, Kappa sisters are always ready to volunteer and give back to our community. In the spring, Kappa made an extraordinary effort to give back through our fundraiser “Kappa Kisses” where we sold personalized valentines to the student body raising money for thyroid cancer. Within the next month Bucknell hosted its annual Relay for Life event in which every sister participated and supported one another in raising a minimum of $100.00 each to donate to the American Cancer Society.

After summer, we began the school year in the fall of 2011 with our annual book drive to benefit our national philanthropy “Reading is Fundamental” (RIF). All the sisters pulled together to collect hundreds of books for the cause and included handmade bookmarks for the recipients. In support of RIF, we followed this drive by hosting our annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament, inviting the whole student body out to play and raising almost $1000.00. On an athletic streak, we teamed up with other sororities on campus and the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha participating in their annual Watermelon Bust, which raised money for their philanthropic cause. Over the year our chapter hosted five non-alcoholic all-campus events ranging from a trip to Roller Rink to making holiday cards for the local Children’s hospital, from a game night to an ice cream social, all open to the entire student body. These events were both well attended and successful as they brought members of the Greek and non-Greek communities together for some fun.

Furthermore, the Delta Phi chapter was extremely enthusiastic to accept forty-five new Kappas into our sorority who, through the semester, have proven themselves to be womanly and true. Through weekly new members meetings and an overnight bonding trip before initiation, the girls grew together and built a true dedication to Kappa Kappa Gamma. We held a beautiful initiation ceremony where Kappa family members from across the country came to see their legacy passed down as they helped to welcome the new class into the sorority. Whether it was cheering for sisters at games, participating in community service events, or having fun at our formals, the Delta Phi chapter is proud of everything we have accomplished in 201 and will remember it as a year of excellent academic achievement, and sisterly support.

One of the main challenges our chapter has faced this year has been risk management regarding our events. With one of the sororities from our school getting kicked off campus this past semester the university has tightened down on all the Greek organizations on campus. We have taken many precautions in preparing for our Spring Formal Event. Our Event Chairman and Risk Chairman have been working very closely with council to ensure the security and success of our event. We have all been working hard to create a fun event, in a safe location while managing potential risks.

Specially we are distributing wristbands to members and their dates that are of age, using security personnel instead of fellow Kappa members. Additionally we are strictly requiring hand stamps before students go to the event. We have divided the check in by grades to make the process more efficient and effective for everyone involved. We are increasing the number of security guards as well as stationing our own members at various locations of the event. With regards to transportation we are positioning both the Event and Risk Chairs at the front of the bus to check wristbands and hand stamps and ensure that no negative discourse between Bucknell students and those providing transportation occurs.

==Highlights of 2013==

'''Awards''' - Gracious Living Award (Beta Province Meeting, Spring 2013), Oustanding New Member Award - Caroline Jaffe (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Excellence in Recruitment (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Academic Excellence Award (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Outstanding Academic Advisor - Chris Boyatzis (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014), Outstanding Junior Award - Rachel Wahl (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014)

'''Special Events'''
- Supported and will continue to support the NO MORE Campaign which works to end domestic violence and sexual assault all over the nation;
- Educational nutritionist event with Alpha Chi Omega (Spring 2014)

'''Philanthropic Involvement'''
- Participated in the Rose McGill Holiday Sharing Program;
- Kappa Klassic (Fall 2013) - raised over $1600 for Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and an orphanage in India;
- Collected over 500 books and donated them to local Lewisburg schools (Fall 2013);
- Kappa Kisses (Spring 2014) - proceeds benefitted Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Madison Holleran Foundation:

The women of Delta Phi Chapter have been very successful in their philanthropic efforts this semester. Last February and this past February, Kappa Kappa Gamma has publicized Kappa Kisses throughout campus, encouraging all of Bucknell to buy bundles of kisses to send to from anyone from a friend, to a secret admirer, and even to a full blown crush. Kappa Kisses is a great philanthropy activity that brings the entire student population together in order to celebrate Valentine's Day in a simple and fun way. The entire chapter becomes involved in the philanthropy activity by making bundles on the suite as well as by encouraging passerbys in the ELC mall to purchase a bag. In both 2013 and 2014 we made a large profit from Kappa Kisses, sending the money to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental (our national philanthropy). This past February, we were fortunate enough to have raised enough profit to send the money to a third organization, the Madison Holleran Foundation in honor of the recently deceased track star from University of Pennsylvania, in order to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

In October, Kappa Kappa Gamma puts on the annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament. Teams from every fraternity and sorority participate in a morning-long round of elimination soccer games, in order to win the championship cup. Three of the mod fields are taken over by various different colored shirts who are fighting and playing for the gold. Last year kappa raised $1,600, which was donated to our philanthropies. Finally, in accordance with Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa put on a wing eating contest, in order to raise money for each of our respective philanthropies.

In order to support our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, we organized a book drive over parents weekend and donated over 300 books to two local Lewisburg schools. We were also very excited to participate in The Rose McGill Holiday Sharing Program for the first time this fall. We sent various gifts and notes to an older Kappa woman who had recently fallen upon hard times. Our sisters have been participating in other Greek organizations' events throughout the semester, including Lambda's Watermelon Bust, Alpha Chi Omega's Dodge Domestic Violence dodgeball tournament, and Delta Gamma's Anchor Slam basketball tournament.

Local/ World Support - Donated money to an Orphanage in India (Kappa Klassic 2013 proceeds) & to The Madison Holleran Foundation (Kappa Kisses 2014 proceeds)

High Academic Excellence – GPA goal setting organized by VPAE to encourage girls to try to meet a specific goal each semester. If goal is met, the girls will receive a small treat and be recognized at chapter. Presentations with Academic Adviser about sisters involved in notable academic activities around campus. “Hoots” at the beginning of chapter will give girls the opportunity to anonymously submit compliments to be read aloud at chapter. Organize additional events with faculty members – for example, the University President will be speaking at our chapter this semester

In the Fall of 2013, a new sorority on our campus, Alpha Xi Delta, joined our recruitment process. Over the course of this year, we have supported and helped them grow and develop as an organization on campus. It is good to see new sororities sprouting up at Bucknell. All of the different sororities cooperate with one another, attending philanthropy events and doing community service together all over campus.

The Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell University is very involved with whatever project we set our minds to. The friendships that we make here are everlasting. The senior Kappa Kappa Gamma class has spoken in our previous five chapters about advice that they would give to sophomores if they could redo their Kappa Kappa Gamma experience. Everyone stays connected once they graduate. We receive letters from girls in our chapter who are abroad saying hello and can’t wait to get back to campus to be greeted by their sisters.

==Highlights of 2014==

Awards:
Outstanding Academic Advisor - Chris Boyatzis (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014), Outstanding Junior Award - Rachel Wahl (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014)

Special Events:

The Delta Phi chapter was able to participate in numerous special events throughout the past year! We joined with the brothers of Sig Chi for an extremely fun and relaxing yoga class! We also partnered with the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega for an educational nutrition event. The president of Bucknell University, John C. Bravman, spoke to us at chapter about issues surrounding our campus culture and provided each council member a copy of Sheryl Sandberg's, Lean In, a book that provides advice on how women can succeed and work towards a gender equal society. In June, two of our sisters, Janie Whelan and Julia Pilzer attended the Kappa Kappa Gamma convention in Texas and had a blast meeting fellow sisters nationwide! This fall Barbara G. Martin, Bucknell’s Compliance Officer & Title IX Coordinator, spoke to us at chapter about the process of a sexual misconduct cases here at Bucknell and informed of the resources available to us surrounding sexual misconduct.

Philanthropic Involvement:

The ladies of the Delta Phi Chapter have been active participants in various philanthropic endeavors this past year. Our annual Kappa Kisses philanthropy event last February raised over $500, which was donated to Reading is Fundamental, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the Madison Holleran Foundation. Kappa Kisses is a weeklong sale of Hershey kisses that students can send to each other along with a small valentines note. It always proves as a fun way to celebrate Valentines Day and is a great way to express appreciation across the Bucknell community! We are currently planning this years Kappa Kisses event and are hoping to sell out just like last year! This fall we had a successful book-drive over parents weekend and were able to donate over a hundred books to local libraries. We also held Kappa Klassic, our annual soccer tournament, and had an excellent turn out with multiple teams participating from each fraternity and sorority. The tournament brought out everyone’s competitive spirit and successfully raised $2,211! We donated our impressive earnings to Reading is Fundamental as well as two charities close to our sister’s hearts: the ALS Association and Gillian Reny’s (a survivor of the Boston Bombings) Stepping Strong Fund. In collaboration with the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon we hosted a wing-eating contest, which was a fun yet messy way to raise money for our respective charities.

Chapter Goals:

Our goals for the upcoming year include upholding strong chapter management by reviewing and familiarizing ourselves with the Chapter Bylaws and Standing rules in a more consistent manner. We also hope to incorporate more programming in the upcoming year and take advantage of the wonderful resources Bucknell offers in order to educate our chapter.

Academic Excellence:

The ladies of Delta Phi recognize the importance of scholarship and work hard each semester to achieve their academic goals. In the beginning of each semester we each set individual GPA goals, which if met, are recognized and rewarded in our chapter meetings.

The Delta Phi chapter is an extremely tight-knit community that values and upholds Kappa Kappa Gamma’s values. Our sister’s friendship, loyalty and trust are held to high standards as we push ourselves and each other to succeed as students, artists, athletes, and individuals. Our sisters mentor and advise each other through our college experiences as well as work to uphold our incredible bonds beyond graduation.

Our chapter meetings are held in Bucknell University’s owned Art Building. The Delta Phi Chapter occupies a suite in the Bucknell owned dormitory, Hunt Hall. Eighteen sisters can live on the suite at a time, however there is a large common room accessible to all Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters despite where they live on campus. Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of 7 sororities who occupy this dormitory.

==Highlights of 2015==

We had another great year of here at the Delta Phi Chapter. This past spring semester we were pleased to announce, yet again, our chapter’s overall GPA had increased, putting us at an overall 3.57! This surpassed both the all Greek and all women average GPA on campus, putting us in 2nd place out of a total of 7 sororities on campus. Seniors were celebrated during our final chapter this spring with letters from their parents expressing how proud they are of their daughter’s accomplishments at Bucknell University. It was a bittersweet end to another great semester. This fall we hosted yet another successful faculty luncheon, where our members invited their professors for a sit down lunch. It served as a great way for our sisters to connect with professors outside of the classroom and meet other Kappas! A fellow Kappa alumnus was gracious enough to come to speak to our chapter about her career path and possible career opportunities at Trunk Club, where she is currently employed. It was so generous of her to take time out of her day to talk to us and just goes to show how our chapter continues to support one another beyond gradation.

Awards:

We had Delta Phi members represented in all of the following honors societies for the Spring 2015 semester: Alpha Lambda Delta, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, Order of Omega, Psi Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, Beta Gamma Sigma. Our advisor also earned, Advisor of the Year, our chapter earned the Academic Excellence Award, and our President Rachel Wahl won the Individual Pillar of Excellence award.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
On September 4th we welcomed 47 new members.

Chapter Philanthropy:

The women of the Delta Phi chapter have been eagerly participating in philanthropy events all across campus, all while helping to run our own exciting events over the past semester. In September over Parents Weekend here on campus, we encouraged parents to stop by the Kappa Kappa Gamma Suite to bring with them from home new or gently used children’s books. The support was overwhelming, as we were able to collect over 300 children’s books to donate to various locations around the local Lewisburg community.
On October 4th, we held our annual Kappa Klassic Soccer Tournament. Almost every Greek organization participated and signed up at least one team, and in many cases, sent multiple teams, while non-Greek organizations participated as well! In total, over 35 teams signed up for the tournament, helping us raise approximately $3,725. We were thrilled with this grand total, of which 25% went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, 25% to our national philanthropy, Reading Is Fundamental, 25% to The Jimmy Fund, which will help support one of our sister’s fathers in his fight against cancer, and 25% to Cycle for Survival, which helps with the fight against rare childhood cancers.

Our chapter has even extended our charitable work beyond just our own fundraising events. Besides participating in other Greek organization’s fundraisers, our Kappa’s have volunteered in our local elementary schools, community garden, food bank and more. Many members of our chapter have even orchestrated their own charity events, which our chapter has been eager to both attend and support.

==Highlights of 2016==

In September, the Delta Phi chapter eagerly welcomed 42 new members to Kappa Kappa Gamma. The Delta Phi chapter believes that it is important to immerse itself in philanthropic opportunities hosted by other Greek organizations and Bucknell student organized events. In addition to participating in all philanthropy events hosted by other organizations in the Panhellenic community, the Delta Phi chapter had a strong presence in an event hosted by the Bucknell Student Club called "ACE" where proceeds were donated to charities in the Lewisburg community.
Overall the past year, the Panhellenic Community welcomed a new chapter, Delta Zeta, to the Bucknell Greek Community and the Delta Phi chapter was noted for being exceptionally welcoming to the Bucknell's newest organization.

'''Chapter Philanthropy:'''
The Delta Phi chapter has raised money for Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation over the past few years through our annual philanthorpy events, Kappa Klassic and Kappa Kisses.

The Delta Phi chapter meets in the Art Building located centrally on Bucknell University's campus. Meetings are held in the lecture hall where there is plenty of room for all chapter members and there are adequate facilites for visual and audio support if need be.

==Highlights of 2017==

The Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Bucknell
University was extremely involved and active throughout the university and the community. This
chapter believed it was essential to go to other greek life philanthropic events, such as raising
money for domestic violence awareness and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Along with
this, members also worked in our community’s garden and soup kitchen, helping those in need.
In September, the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Bucknell University welcomed
37 new members. These new members have become very involved within the philanthropic
events, and have several ideas for the future of the Delta Phi chapter.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Bucknell University has become a very welcoming and inclusive campus. The university
now has gender neutral bathrooms, rallies, and open discussions about the social, academic and
spiritual life at Bucknell. Due to recent events regarding greek life throughout the country,
Bucknell has had several round table discussions about making greek life safer and open to
everyone. Several Delta Phi members attend these meetings and speak freely about the changes
they wish to see. This displays that Kappa Kappa Gamma is passionate about positive changes,
and this chapter wants their voices heard in the Bucknell Community.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in
your community?
The Delta Phi chapter historically raises money for Reading is Fundamental and has
donated hours by going to local libraries and elementary schools to read to children. This
chapter raises money through the two main philanthropy events, Kappa Klassic and Kappa
Kisses.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
Our chapter continues to support Reading is Fundamental because as educated leaders,
we believe reading is an essential key to becoming an influential member of society. We believe
every child should get that support and knowledge and have the resources to do so. Therefore,
we are passionate about donating books and money in order to make an impact.
CR-08 Page 1 of 3 17.11.A
Chapter Facility:
In what kind of a facility does your chapter meet? Please attach a clear photo of where you typically hold
chapter meetings – whether in a classroom, chapter house or elsewhere.
The Delta Phi chapter holds our weekly meetings in the Art Building on Bucknell’s
beautiful campus. It is centrally located on campus and is easy for all members to walk to. The
specific room we use has plenty of seating and a large screen in which we can play videos,
slideshows and display important reminders for our members.
Oral History
Are there any current members, alumnae or advisers from your chapter that you recommend for the
Fraternity’s oral history project? We are looking for Kappas with stories to tell – funny chapter memories,
great professional achievement stories, heartwarming stories of how Kappa has helped them, etc.
N/A
Photographs
Are there any interesting photos in your chapter’s archives that you would like to share with us?
Kappa Klassic 2017
CR-08

==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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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!

Delta Phi

2018-02-19T23:41:10Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

ΔΦ
{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Delta Phi
|GreekSymbol= ΔΦ
|Image= [[File:Delta_Phi.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1948|10|30}}
|College= [http://www.bucknell.edu/ Bucknell University]
|Location= Lewisburg, PA
|Homepage= [http://www.orgs.bucknell.edu/kkg/main/ Delta Phi Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Phi Media related to Delta Phi Chapter]}}

'''Bucknell University established 1846, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania'''

'''Delta Phi founded October 30, 1948 - 36 charter members'''

'''2,17 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Martha Jane Acker, Adah Lorraine Allen, Shirley May Andresen, Marian Louise Brown, Lois Jane Dial, Elizabeth Jane Diegel, Ruth Anita Dusenbury, Caryl Lois Galow, Jeanne Marie Grove, Janice Fields Gundaker, Marjorie Carol Haas, Jane Sheble Haigh, Mildred Jane Haigh, Blanche Barbara Hall, Lois Marjorie Harvey, Helen Ruth Hayden, Odette Rose Hutchinson, Evelyn Doris Jackson, Gloria Freia Kurzmann, Josephine Sproul LaBarr, Jean Eleanor Lampert, Judith Lee Martin, Shirley Anne Mathieson, Betty Jane OEsterle, Eleanor Ann Raup, Margery Jane Reinhart, Emilie Christine Riley, Jean Isabelle Ritchings, Betty Louise Snyder, Barbara Soyster, Patricia Ellen Steele, Barbara Lou Stine, Charlotte Dianne Stratton, Eloise Mary Triggs, Jean Lois Walker, Avilda Raynell Wilson.

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

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

'''Fraternity Council Members'''

Katherine Scholberg Weeks, Director of Membership 1996-2000, Field Secretary 1977-1978; Colby Giulin, Leadership Consultant 2008-2009

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award'''

'''Alumnae Achievement Awards'''

'''Additional Outstanding Delta Phi Alumnae'''

Katherine Scholberg (Weeks), Graduate Counselor 1976-1977, Foundation Board of Trustees, 2008 - Present;
Lola Nashashibi (Grace), Graduate Counselor 1977-1978

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

==The Early Years==

Bucknell was the 100th college chartered in America, established as the University of Lewisburg in 1846, by a group of local Baptists. Among contributors for the founding was William Bucknell, a Philadelphia businessman. Other funds came from the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia and from other Baptist congregations in the state. In 1886 the university was renamed in Bucknell’s honor. The college later became privately controlled.

At the time of Delta Phi’s founding, there was an enrollment of 2,400 undergraduates, with students from 38 states and 8 foreign countries. A Second Century Development Program, which included planning for nine new buildings and an increase in the university’s endowment, was under way at that time.

The history of Delta Phi really began in late June 1946, when a student decided to start a local group at Bucknell University with membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma as its goal.

Another sorority was needed on the Bucknell Campus. An interested student expressed her feelings and desire to the Dean of Women and found, to her surprise, that the Dean had been a Beta Iota at Swarthmore. There were two other Kappas on the faculty from Gamma Rho, Allegheny, and Gamma Alpha, Kansas State. With their help and with data from the files, a list of girls was made. On June 23, 1946, a meeting was called. All were enthusiastic about forming the group, so much so that they temporarily forgot it was exam week! There was much to be decided, standards to uphold, goals to be attained, a constitution and bylaws to be written. They all agreed that they wanted first to work together as a local chapter to become Kappas. They took the name of Alpha Sigma Alpha.

By the following fall, Alpha Sigma Alpha is a going sorority. Six other sororities were on campus, all national groups. The new local became a member of the campus Panhellenic Council, and was anxious to cooperate and make its first rush season a most successful one. It was a busy time, and the membership was enlarged to 21.

Although they had not been close friends when they started, they had been carefully selected. Looking back after a year with Alpha Sigma Alpha, it seemed almost impossible that a group of women students, relatively unknown to each other, could have molded themselves into an active unit involved with rushing, pledging, dances, intra-mural activities, floats, song contests, and scholarship rules. All of these had parts in the process of unification. Each member had worked hard to give her sorority a position of esteem on the campus. As the membership grew, so did a spirit of loyalty and friendship, binding each with common ideals, aims, hopes, and purposes.
The national Fraternity was contacted, but gave no encouragement. Finally Kappa decided to look over the Bucknell group, which was now being approached by other leading women’s fraternities. After this official inspection, the chapter was approved unanimously.

Delta Phi was installed October 30, 1948, by Delta Alpha from nearby Pennsylvania State University. Six of the girls had been graduated in June 1948, including the chapter founder, but all came back for the installation that fall.

Few installations have been distinguished by the presence of so many who have made Kappa history. Fraternity President Helena Flinn Ege, Pittsburgh, read the ritual. Present were, among other alumnae, Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State; Rheva Ott Shryock, Pennsylvania; Mary Turner Whitney, Cincinnati; and Katheryn Bourne Pearse, Purdue. A dream was finally fulfilled.

The first year’s activities included a Christmas party, a mock rush party with skit, a Founders Day banquet, a semi-formal pledge dance, and cozies. The main fundraising projects included magazine sale and candy apple sale at the Kappa May Day booth. Delta Phi’s spring picnic became an annual event. A requirement of that year became a tradition—but it wasn’t a tradition for long, fortunately—a weekly study sheet, showing how many hours each member was studying.
A Christmas party for the children at Gersinger Medical Center was the first year’s philanthropy project. Later that year, the Kappas provided tea and entertainment at the Evangelical Home.

==Highlights of the 1950s and 1960s==

The Kappa Kappa Gamma banner was made in 1950; industrious pledges served breakfasts to the actives; and that favorite sport, bowling, was one way to get big and little sisters together.
The piano fund was started in 1951 with a perfume sale. In 1955, when the chapter discovered it needed a silver tea service, shampoo was sold.

Philanthropies have included the raising of money to support a child, Save the Children Foundation (1952), community projects such as collecting and distributing canned goods (1966), and group therapy at a local elementary school (1970). A pledge project became a tradition—an Easter basket sale with proceeds going to community and health services.

Social and campus highlights included a visit to the Delta Alphas, the first redecoration of the Delta Phi suite (1953), the first Powderpuff football game (1955), the Panhellenic Scholarship Cup (1956), and Monmouth Duo with Sigma Chi as hosts to the Kappas and Pi Phis (1958). The Pumpkin Walk tradition began in 1965 with the sophomores carving and delivering pumpkins to each fraternity while chanting pumpkin carols. Delta Phi won the Sigma Chi Derby in 1966, and the Monmouth Duo that year was especially fun since the Pi Phis wore dark and light blue and the Kappas wore wine and silver blue. In 1967, the name “Blue Hooters” was adopted by the Delta Phi singing group and has been kept ever since.

==Highlights of the 1970s==

Following the ravages of the flood of 1972, Delta Phi earmarked all 1972 fundraising profits for the Bucknell Flood Fund. Beginning with a Kappa-Tri Delta Powderpuff football game (0-0) and continuing with a Panhellenic cookbook sale, a sizable contribution was made for restoration of damaged areas of the Music and Arts Building.

With awareness of campus relations as well as of the changing roles of women, Kappa sponsored a fall Colloquy Seminar on “Women Today.” Spring Colloquy’s photography exhibit on prison reform was partly sponsored by Delta Phi.

From the time Delta Phi chapter was founded to 1973, when the chapter founder’s daughter took up the president’s gavel, Delta Phi has grown and kept pace with the changing times and the changing college student. The chapter can look with pride at the past 25 years, can set its present goals, and can look to the future with a new awareness and a strengthened sisterhood.
---------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------

'''Remainder of the 1970s:'''

From 1975-1979, the chapter members lived together in a dorm building. Delta Phi also had a suite to use for chapter activities and some housing, although only a small number of members were able to live in the suite.

==Highlights of the 1980s==
The 1980s were busy for the members of Delta Phi chapter as the chapter often recruited around 40 New Members. This decade saw the creation of the JUGS (Just Us Girls) event at the beginning of the school year to welcome back sisters who studied abroad during the spring semester. Other sisterhood activities included CommUNITY (Working for the Community; Working toward Unity), the Kappa Kotillion formal, and Monmouth Duo with Pi Phi. Members also benefited from programs focused on personal development, including a race relations workshop and an alcohol awareness lecture.

The chapter advanced their Risk Management policies with the creation of a “21 room” at social events. The members also focused on improving scholarship, which proved successful as Kappa was recognized for having the highest GPA on campus. In 1989, Delta Phi received several awards from IFC/Panhel, including Oustanding Greek Pledge, Outstanding Advisors, and Outstanding Public Relations.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Delta Phi’s commitment to philanthropy continued throughout the decade. In 1987, the chapter organized the Kappa Invitational golf tournament to benefit the Himmelreich Library, a historic library in Lewisburg. Each year, the Kappa’s also organized a Balloon Derby, a popular campus event. In 1989, the chapter worked to revise the Balloon Derby in order to make it more environmentally friendly.
Convention Awards:

==Highlights of the 1990s==

The 1990s brought many changes to the Delta Phi chapter. In 1991, the university changed the timing of Recruitment. Instead of going through Recruitment during the spring semester of freshman year, women were required to wait until the fall semester of their sophomore year to join a sorority. Even with this change in Recruitment regulations, Kappa continued to add an average of 40 new members to its roster. Bucknell also made changes to rules regarding alcohol, which caused the students to revisit their Risk Management policies and programs. Although faced with these challenges, Delta Phi rose to the occasion and implemented a variety of new programs to meet the needs of the growing chapter.

In 1991, the Kappas paired with Sigma Chi to host Greek Smarts, a campus-wide Risk Management program. Members also attended the Lead to Succeed program hosted by Alpha Tau Omega during the spring of 1992. Delta Phi worked on membership development programs for chapter women, including ritual reviews, chapter-wide sisterhood retreats, and committee participation programs aimed at encouraging participation within a large chapter. Additionally, the chapter prided itself on the large number of members who studied abroad.

Delta Phi chapter members were rewarded for their hard work as they were often recognized during the campus IFC/Panhel awards ceremony. The chapter received the Outstanding Pledge Program award in 1991. In 1995, Kappa received the following awards: Outstanding Chapter Operations, Outstanding Community Service and Philanthropy, and Most Outstanding Chapter Leadership Development and Transition. More importantly, Delta Phi was repeatedly named Bucknell’s Most Outstanding Chapter throughout the decade. The chapter also rewards members for academic excellence with the Diamond Key award. On October 24, 1998, Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell celebrated its 50th anniversary.

'''Housing:'''

Throughout the decade, Delta Phi maintained a suite to be used for chapter activities.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Philanthropy remained important to Delta Phi during the 1990s. The chapter women hosted a multitude of philanthropic events, including Adopt-A-Highway, Crop Walk for Hunger, and Women in Transition. A popular fundraiser for the chapter was the Scrunchie Sale for Housatonic Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital. The Kappas also donated their time to the community by tutoring students at a local junior and senior high school and lunching with area senior citizens. For the campus community, the chapter hosted a Kappachino study break in 1997.

'''Convention Awards:'''

1996: Most Efficient Chapter

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Delta Phi chapter helped lead Bucknell into the twenty-first century. When the university imposed the Plan for Prominence, the seven sororities and twelve fraternities were encouraged to strive for a higher level of responsibility within the individual chapters. The fraternities and sororities remained in good standing with the faculty and staff, as a result of complying with the rules, hosting campus events and activities, and performing community service. Delta Phi excelled in the Plan for Promince challenge and was awarded the “Silver Star” in 2008. The chapter also maintained one of the highest GPAs of the Greek organizations on campus. Additionally, the Kappas served as leaders on campus as individual members were involved in a variety of clubs, activities, and sports teams.

Recruitment was successful throughout the decade as the chapter often added over 50 New Members, making Delta Phi the largest Greek organization on campus.

In 2005, Delta Phi chapter hosted the Beta Province Meeting. At the Founders Day dinner on October 18, 2008, the Kappas celebrated the 60th anniversary of the chapter’s establishment at Bucknell Univesrity.

'''Housing:'''

During the decade, Delta Phi chapter claimed a suite in Hunt Hall as its home. The Kappas shared this living space with members of five other sororities.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Kappas at Bucknell were kept busy with philathropic activities. In 2004, the chapter hosted its first annual Kappa Klassic co-ed soccer tournament to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. Delta Phi often contributed to the Special Olympics, Relay for Life, and Big Brother/Big Sister. The chapter organized a Locks of Love hair-drive on campus, which proved to be an annual success. Around Valentine’s Day each year, the chapter sold Kappa Kisses, little chocolates with personalized messages, to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In 2007, the Kappas brought a new project to Bucknell’s campus called Charity Denim. Designer and fashion jeans were sold at a discount price to university students and proceeds were donated to a local organization, the Donald L. Heiter Community Center. Delta Phi also remembered the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation in its philanthropic efforts and raised funds during the annual Parents’ Weekend Tailgate. Each year, the chapter devotes hundreds of hours of service to community organizations and raises thousands of dollars for philanthropies.

'''Convention Awards:'''

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==2011==

Delta Phi continued its tradition of campus leadership in 2011. The chapter was well-represented in many different sports teams, clubs, and organizations around campus. Members were active in outreach organizations such as Bucknell Buddies tutoring program, the Bucknell Brigade, and Colleges Against Cancer. To benefit the Bucknell community, Kappa hosted five non-alcoholic all-campus events including a trip to Bounce Funplex, making holiday cards for the local Children’s hospital, a game night, and an ice cream social. The chapter continued its academic achievement with a high average GPA.

Although Bucknell’s Panhellenic Council mandated a “no frills” Recruitment policy, Delta Phi welcomed 46 New Members in 2011. In 2012, the chapter was able to participate in Continuous Open Bidding and added New Members during the spring semester.

'''Housing:'''
Delta Phi chapter occupies a suite within Hunt Hall, which is shared with six other sororities.

'''Philanthropy:'''
In 2011, the Bucknell Kappas continued to give back to the community through a variety of philanthropic activities, including the chapter’s annual Kappa Kisses sale. Delta Phi once again hosted a Locks of Love hair drive and a Reading Is Fundamental book drive. The chapter also supported RIF during its annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament. The Kappas raised money for Relay for Life.

Delta Phi often worked with other Greek-letter organizations at Bucknell for philanthropy events. The chapter women made Valentine’s Day cards for the elderly with Pi Beta Phi. They also teamed up with the brothers of Phi Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon and the sisters of Pi Beta Phi to raise money for the local dog shelter, Mostly Mutts, with a powder-puff football game.

==Highlights of 2012==

2012 was a great year for the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in which the whole chapter can reflect on with pride. Kappas were involved in multiple fronts on campus as they continued to pursue excellence in both academic and extracurricular realms. For the spring semester of 2011, we achieved an average term GPA of 3.49 and were able to maintain the same academic standard through the fall. This average falls above the campus all-female and all-sorority GPA average of the university. We are also very proud to have 11 members of our chapter earn a 4.0 GPA for the spring semester, and 9 members earn a 4.0 GPA in the fall.

Aside from academic accomplishment, Kappas were extremely eager to contribute to campus life and the surrounding Lewisburg community through clubs, community service, and varsity athletics. We have many Kappas who participate in the outreach organizations at Bucknell such as Bucknell Buddies tutoring program, the Bucknell Brigade, and Colleges Against Cancer. In addition, Kappa is well represented in the arts; whether it is on the Bison Girl dance team, dedicated members of the Bucknell Dance Company, actors of the Weis theater stage, or singers in the prestigious Bucknell acapella groups, our Kappa sisters’ creativity knows no bounds. On the other end of the spectrum, we have sisters involved in varsity sports on campus who are amazingly able to manage the physical demands of Division 1 athletics and academic requirements of the school and our sorority.

Needless to say, with all the incredible activities we participate around campus, Kappa sisters are always ready to volunteer and give back to our community. In the spring, Kappa made an extraordinary effort to give back through our fundraiser “Kappa Kisses” where we sold personalized valentines to the student body raising money for thyroid cancer. Within the next month Bucknell hosted its annual Relay for Life event in which every sister participated and supported one another in raising a minimum of $100.00 each to donate to the American Cancer Society.

After summer, we began the school year in the fall of 2011 with our annual book drive to benefit our national philanthropy “Reading is Fundamental” (RIF). All the sisters pulled together to collect hundreds of books for the cause and included handmade bookmarks for the recipients. In support of RIF, we followed this drive by hosting our annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament, inviting the whole student body out to play and raising almost $1000.00. On an athletic streak, we teamed up with other sororities on campus and the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha participating in their annual Watermelon Bust, which raised money for their philanthropic cause. Over the year our chapter hosted five non-alcoholic all-campus events ranging from a trip to Roller Rink to making holiday cards for the local Children’s hospital, from a game night to an ice cream social, all open to the entire student body. These events were both well attended and successful as they brought members of the Greek and non-Greek communities together for some fun.

Furthermore, the Delta Phi chapter was extremely enthusiastic to accept forty-five new Kappas into our sorority who, through the semester, have proven themselves to be womanly and true. Through weekly new members meetings and an overnight bonding trip before initiation, the girls grew together and built a true dedication to Kappa Kappa Gamma. We held a beautiful initiation ceremony where Kappa family members from across the country came to see their legacy passed down as they helped to welcome the new class into the sorority. Whether it was cheering for sisters at games, participating in community service events, or having fun at our formals, the Delta Phi chapter is proud of everything we have accomplished in 201 and will remember it as a year of excellent academic achievement, and sisterly support.

One of the main challenges our chapter has faced this year has been risk management regarding our events. With one of the sororities from our school getting kicked off campus this past semester the university has tightened down on all the Greek organizations on campus. We have taken many precautions in preparing for our Spring Formal Event. Our Event Chairman and Risk Chairman have been working very closely with council to ensure the security and success of our event. We have all been working hard to create a fun event, in a safe location while managing potential risks.

Specially we are distributing wristbands to members and their dates that are of age, using security personnel instead of fellow Kappa members. Additionally we are strictly requiring hand stamps before students go to the event. We have divided the check in by grades to make the process more efficient and effective for everyone involved. We are increasing the number of security guards as well as stationing our own members at various locations of the event. With regards to transportation we are positioning both the Event and Risk Chairs at the front of the bus to check wristbands and hand stamps and ensure that no negative discourse between Bucknell students and those providing transportation occurs.

==Highlights of 2013==

'''Awards''' - Gracious Living Award (Beta Province Meeting, Spring 2013), Oustanding New Member Award - Caroline Jaffe (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Excellence in Recruitment (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Academic Excellence Award (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2013), Outstanding Academic Advisor - Chris Boyatzis (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014), Outstanding Junior Award - Rachel Wahl (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014)

'''Special Events'''
- Supported and will continue to support the NO MORE Campaign which works to end domestic violence and sexual assault all over the nation;
- Educational nutritionist event with Alpha Chi Omega (Spring 2014)

'''Philanthropic Involvement'''
- Participated in the Rose McGill Holiday Sharing Program;
- Kappa Klassic (Fall 2013) - raised over $1600 for Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and an orphanage in India;
- Collected over 500 books and donated them to local Lewisburg schools (Fall 2013);
- Kappa Kisses (Spring 2014) - proceeds benefitted Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Madison Holleran Foundation:

The women of Delta Phi Chapter have been very successful in their philanthropic efforts this semester. Last February and this past February, Kappa Kappa Gamma has publicized Kappa Kisses throughout campus, encouraging all of Bucknell to buy bundles of kisses to send to from anyone from a friend, to a secret admirer, and even to a full blown crush. Kappa Kisses is a great philanthropy activity that brings the entire student population together in order to celebrate Valentine's Day in a simple and fun way. The entire chapter becomes involved in the philanthropy activity by making bundles on the suite as well as by encouraging passerbys in the ELC mall to purchase a bag. In both 2013 and 2014 we made a large profit from Kappa Kisses, sending the money to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental (our national philanthropy). This past February, we were fortunate enough to have raised enough profit to send the money to a third organization, the Madison Holleran Foundation in honor of the recently deceased track star from University of Pennsylvania, in order to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

In October, Kappa Kappa Gamma puts on the annual Kappa Klassic soccer tournament. Teams from every fraternity and sorority participate in a morning-long round of elimination soccer games, in order to win the championship cup. Three of the mod fields are taken over by various different colored shirts who are fighting and playing for the gold. Last year kappa raised $1,600, which was donated to our philanthropies. Finally, in accordance with Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa put on a wing eating contest, in order to raise money for each of our respective philanthropies.

In order to support our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, we organized a book drive over parents weekend and donated over 300 books to two local Lewisburg schools. We were also very excited to participate in The Rose McGill Holiday Sharing Program for the first time this fall. We sent various gifts and notes to an older Kappa woman who had recently fallen upon hard times. Our sisters have been participating in other Greek organizations' events throughout the semester, including Lambda's Watermelon Bust, Alpha Chi Omega's Dodge Domestic Violence dodgeball tournament, and Delta Gamma's Anchor Slam basketball tournament.

Local/ World Support - Donated money to an Orphanage in India (Kappa Klassic 2013 proceeds) & to The Madison Holleran Foundation (Kappa Kisses 2014 proceeds)

High Academic Excellence – GPA goal setting organized by VPAE to encourage girls to try to meet a specific goal each semester. If goal is met, the girls will receive a small treat and be recognized at chapter. Presentations with Academic Adviser about sisters involved in notable academic activities around campus. “Hoots” at the beginning of chapter will give girls the opportunity to anonymously submit compliments to be read aloud at chapter. Organize additional events with faculty members – for example, the University President will be speaking at our chapter this semester

In the Fall of 2013, a new sorority on our campus, Alpha Xi Delta, joined our recruitment process. Over the course of this year, we have supported and helped them grow and develop as an organization on campus. It is good to see new sororities sprouting up at Bucknell. All of the different sororities cooperate with one another, attending philanthropy events and doing community service together all over campus.

The Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell University is very involved with whatever project we set our minds to. The friendships that we make here are everlasting. The senior Kappa Kappa Gamma class has spoken in our previous five chapters about advice that they would give to sophomores if they could redo their Kappa Kappa Gamma experience. Everyone stays connected once they graduate. We receive letters from girls in our chapter who are abroad saying hello and can’t wait to get back to campus to be greeted by their sisters.

==Highlights of 2014==

Awards:
Outstanding Academic Advisor - Chris Boyatzis (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014), Outstanding Junior Award - Rachel Wahl (Bucknell Greek Awards, Spring 2014)

Special Events:

The Delta Phi chapter was able to participate in numerous special events throughout the past year! We joined with the brothers of Sig Chi for an extremely fun and relaxing yoga class! We also partnered with the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega for an educational nutrition event. The president of Bucknell University, John C. Bravman, spoke to us at chapter about issues surrounding our campus culture and provided each council member a copy of Sheryl Sandberg's, Lean In, a book that provides advice on how women can succeed and work towards a gender equal society. In June, two of our sisters, Janie Whelan and Julia Pilzer attended the Kappa Kappa Gamma convention in Texas and had a blast meeting fellow sisters nationwide! This fall Barbara G. Martin, Bucknell’s Compliance Officer & Title IX Coordinator, spoke to us at chapter about the process of a sexual misconduct cases here at Bucknell and informed of the resources available to us surrounding sexual misconduct.

Philanthropic Involvement:

The ladies of the Delta Phi Chapter have been active participants in various philanthropic endeavors this past year. Our annual Kappa Kisses philanthropy event last February raised over $500, which was donated to Reading is Fundamental, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the Madison Holleran Foundation. Kappa Kisses is a weeklong sale of Hershey kisses that students can send to each other along with a small valentines note. It always proves as a fun way to celebrate Valentines Day and is a great way to express appreciation across the Bucknell community! We are currently planning this years Kappa Kisses event and are hoping to sell out just like last year! This fall we had a successful book-drive over parents weekend and were able to donate over a hundred books to local libraries. We also held Kappa Klassic, our annual soccer tournament, and had an excellent turn out with multiple teams participating from each fraternity and sorority. The tournament brought out everyone’s competitive spirit and successfully raised $2,211! We donated our impressive earnings to Reading is Fundamental as well as two charities close to our sister’s hearts: the ALS Association and Gillian Reny’s (a survivor of the Boston Bombings) Stepping Strong Fund. In collaboration with the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon we hosted a wing-eating contest, which was a fun yet messy way to raise money for our respective charities.

Chapter Goals:

Our goals for the upcoming year include upholding strong chapter management by reviewing and familiarizing ourselves with the Chapter Bylaws and Standing rules in a more consistent manner. We also hope to incorporate more programming in the upcoming year and take advantage of the wonderful resources Bucknell offers in order to educate our chapter.

Academic Excellence:

The ladies of Delta Phi recognize the importance of scholarship and work hard each semester to achieve their academic goals. In the beginning of each semester we each set individual GPA goals, which if met, are recognized and rewarded in our chapter meetings.

The Delta Phi chapter is an extremely tight-knit community that values and upholds Kappa Kappa Gamma’s values. Our sister’s friendship, loyalty and trust are held to high standards as we push ourselves and each other to succeed as students, artists, athletes, and individuals. Our sisters mentor and advise each other through our college experiences as well as work to uphold our incredible bonds beyond graduation.

Our chapter meetings are held in Bucknell University’s owned Art Building. The Delta Phi Chapter occupies a suite in the Bucknell owned dormitory, Hunt Hall. Eighteen sisters can live on the suite at a time, however there is a large common room accessible to all Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters despite where they live on campus. Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of 7 sororities who occupy this dormitory.

==Highlights of 2015==

We had another great year of here at the Delta Phi Chapter. This past spring semester we were pleased to announce, yet again, our chapter’s overall GPA had increased, putting us at an overall 3.57! This surpassed both the all Greek and all women average GPA on campus, putting us in 2nd place out of a total of 7 sororities on campus. Seniors were celebrated during our final chapter this spring with letters from their parents expressing how proud they are of their daughter’s accomplishments at Bucknell University. It was a bittersweet end to another great semester. This fall we hosted yet another successful faculty luncheon, where our members invited their professors for a sit down lunch. It served as a great way for our sisters to connect with professors outside of the classroom and meet other Kappas! A fellow Kappa alumnus was gracious enough to come to speak to our chapter about her career path and possible career opportunities at Trunk Club, where she is currently employed. It was so generous of her to take time out of her day to talk to us and just goes to show how our chapter continues to support one another beyond gradation.

Awards:

We had Delta Phi members represented in all of the following honors societies for the Spring 2015 semester: Alpha Lambda Delta, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, Order of Omega, Psi Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, Beta Gamma Sigma. Our advisor also earned, Advisor of the Year, our chapter earned the Academic Excellence Award, and our President Rachel Wahl won the Individual Pillar of Excellence award.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
On September 4th we welcomed 47 new members.

Chapter Philanthropy:

The women of the Delta Phi chapter have been eagerly participating in philanthropy events all across campus, all while helping to run our own exciting events over the past semester. In September over Parents Weekend here on campus, we encouraged parents to stop by the Kappa Kappa Gamma Suite to bring with them from home new or gently used children’s books. The support was overwhelming, as we were able to collect over 300 children’s books to donate to various locations around the local Lewisburg community.
On October 4th, we held our annual Kappa Klassic Soccer Tournament. Almost every Greek organization participated and signed up at least one team, and in many cases, sent multiple teams, while non-Greek organizations participated as well! In total, over 35 teams signed up for the tournament, helping us raise approximately $3,725. We were thrilled with this grand total, of which 25% went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, 25% to our national philanthropy, Reading Is Fundamental, 25% to The Jimmy Fund, which will help support one of our sister’s fathers in his fight against cancer, and 25% to Cycle for Survival, which helps with the fight against rare childhood cancers.

Our chapter has even extended our charitable work beyond just our own fundraising events. Besides participating in other Greek organization’s fundraisers, our Kappa’s have volunteered in our local elementary schools, community garden, food bank and more. Many members of our chapter have even orchestrated their own charity events, which our chapter has been eager to both attend and support.

==Highlights of 2016==

In September, the Delta Phi chapter eagerly welcomed 42 new members to Kappa Kappa Gamma. The Delta Phi chapter believes that it is important to immerse itself in philanthropic opportunities hosted by other Greek organizations and Bucknell student organized events. In addition to participating in all philanthropy events hosted by other organizations in the Panhellenic community, the Delta Phi chapter had a strong presence in an event hosted by the Bucknell Student Club called "ACE" where proceeds were donated to charities in the Lewisburg community.
Overall the past year, the Panhellenic Community welcomed a new chapter, Delta Zeta, to the Bucknell Greek Community and the Delta Phi chapter was noted for being exceptionally welcoming to the Bucknell's newest organization.

'''Chapter Philanthropy:'''
The Delta Phi chapter has raised money for Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation over the past few years through our annual philanthorpy events, Kappa Klassic and Kappa Kisses.

The Delta Phi chapter meets in the Art Building located centrally on Bucknell University's campus. Meetings are held in the lecture hall where there is plenty of room for all chapter members and there are adequate facilites for visual and audio support if need be.

==Highlights of 2017==

the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Bucknell
University was extremely involved and active throughout the university and the community. This
chapter believed it was essential to go to other greek life philanthropic events, such as raising
money for domestic violence awareness and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Along with
this, members also worked in our community’s garden and soup kitchen, helping those in need.
In September, the Delta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Bucknell University welcomed
37 new members. These new members have become very involved within the philanthropic
events, and have several ideas for the future of the Delta Phi chapter.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Bucknell University has become a very welcoming and inclusive campus. The university
now has gender neutral bathrooms, rallies, and open discussions about the social, academic and
spiritual life at Bucknell. Due to recent events regarding greek life throughout the country,
Bucknell has had several round table discussions about making greek life safer and open to
everyone. Several Delta Phi members attend these meetings and speak freely about the changes
they wish to see. This displays that Kappa Kappa Gamma is passionate about positive changes,
and this chapter wants their voices heard in the Bucknell Community.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in
your community?
The Delta Phi chapter historically raises money for Reading is Fundamental and has
donated hours by going to local libraries and elementary schools to read to children. This
chapter raises money through the two main philanthropy events, Kappa Klassic and Kappa
Kisses.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
Our chapter continues to support Reading is Fundamental because as educated leaders,
we believe reading is an essential key to becoming an influential member of society. We believe
every child should get that support and knowledge and have the resources to do so. Therefore,
we are passionate about donating books and money in order to make an impact.
CR-08 Page 1 of 3 17.11.A
Chapter Facility:
In what kind of a facility does your chapter meet? Please attach a clear photo of where you typically hold
chapter meetings – whether in a classroom, chapter house or elsewhere.
The Delta Phi chapter holds our weekly meetings in the Art Building on Bucknell’s
beautiful campus. It is centrally located on campus and is easy for all members to walk to. The
specific room we use has plenty of seating and a large screen in which we can play videos,
slideshows and display important reminders for our members.
Oral History
Are there any current members, alumnae or advisers from your chapter that you recommend for the
Fraternity’s oral history project? We are looking for Kappas with stories to tell – funny chapter memories,
great professional achievement stories, heartwarming stories of how Kappa has helped them, etc.
N/A
Photographs
Are there any interesting photos in your chapter’s archives that you would like to share with us?
Kappa Klassic 2017
CR-08

==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:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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!

Delta Alpha

2018-02-19T23:30:19Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Delta Alpha
|GreekSymbol= ΔA
|Image= [[File:Delta_Alpha.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1930|10|03}}
|College= [http://www.psu.edu/ Pennsylvania State University]
|Location= University Park, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/deltaalpha/pages/welcome.php Delta Alpha Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Alpha Media related to Delta Alpha Chapter]}}

'''Pennsylvania State University''', formerly the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania established in 1855. At that time, it was a village in the wilderness in the geographic center of Pennsylvania with no name.

'''Chapter founded October 3, 1930'''

'''2,251 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Elizabeth Cordelia Bell, Doris Buckalew Bidlack, Mary Elizabeth Crozier, Mary Trescott Davenport, Velma Mae Egolf, Elizabeth Everett, Rosemary Forbes, Helen Elizabeth Fowler, Fern Edvina Harmon, Margaret Scott Hopwood, Rachael Sara Anne Johnson, Helen Strickler Keepers, Sue Kern, Helen Lambert Kinsloe, Margaret Frances Knoll, Josephine Shannon La Barre, Marjorie Elizabeth Lyons, Anne Elizabeth Mellinger, Marjorie Elizabeth Stitt, Margaret Tschan, Isabelle Jayne Wielnad, Margaret Anna Yotter.
------------
'''Some of Delta Alpha’s Outstanding Alumnae:''' (Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Fraternity Council Members:

Gay Chuba Barry: 1976 – 1980, Director of Alumnae; 1980 – 1988 Fraternity Vice President; 1984 – 1988, Director of Field Representatives; Patricia Coffee Gesell: 1988 – 1990, Director of Chapters; Marjorie Gohn (Felsburg): Field Secretary, 1970-71; Anne Riley: Field Secretary, 1964-1966; Linda Pierson (Henkelman): Field Secretary, 1980-1981; Catharine Carbonetta (Mayer): Traveling Consultant, 1990-1991; Niki Rawlins (Salata): Traveling Consultant, 1998-1999; Erin Wischum: Leadership Consultant, 2004-2005; Lauren Sullivan Paitson: Executive Director, 2005-2009; Beth Ann Sharp: 2010 – 2012, Director of Programs and Education, 1973-1974, Graduate Counselor at Arizona; Patricia Coffee Gesell: 2009-, National Panhellenic Conference Delegate, 1994-1996, Regional Director of Chapters, 1992-1994, Risk Management Chairman, 1990-1992, History Chairman, 1988-1990, Fraternity Director of Chapters, 1979-1980, Province Director of Alumnae.

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

Gay Chuba Barry - 1996
Patricia Coffee Gesell - 2016

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

Jane McCormick (Lewis) – 1978, Leader in higher education; served as president of National Association of Women Deans and Counselors; Ruth Johnson (Holden) – 1980, Educator; inventor, pioneer in speech and hearing programs and tools;

'''Additional Outstanding Alumnae'''

Patty Meily (Mershon): Graduate Counselor, 1948-1950;
Ella Louise Williams (Bassett): Graduate Counselor, 1951-1952;
Silvia Brown (Trumbower): Graduate Counselor, 1965-1967;
Christine Lowry (McKeag): Graduate Counselor, 1970-1972;
Beth Ann Sharp: Graduate Counselor, 1973-1974;
Deborah Smith (Fischer): Graduate Counselor, 1975-1977;
Linda Pierson (Henkelman): Graduate Counselor, 1981-1983;
Carol Bender (Mason): Chapter Consultant, 1986-1988;

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

Chartered in 1855 to provide a scientific agricultural education, the so-called Farmers High School, a misleading title, became the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1862. This experimental college was designated the commonwealth’s representative in the national system of state land-grant colleges in 1863. Benefits from this innovative federal-state contract to support higher education came slowly to Penn State, but in 1871 the first women were admitted, and in 1874 the name became Pennsylvania State College. In 1930 the college celebrated its 75th anniversary at “Old Main” on the site of the building which had been the entire campus when the first students arrived in 1859. Since 1953 it has been the Pennsylvania State University.
The non-university locality is still State College, Pennsylvania, and the Kappa alumnae association is the State College Alumnae Association.

The first coeds, occupying part of an upper floor dormitory in “Old Main,” followed strictly enforced rules for “association with the opposite sex.” Separate housing began after the first state appropriation for buildings. Maintenance was granted in 1887, a milestone year, when intercollegiate and extracurricular activities were added, national affiliations for men’s clubs developed, and campus buildings were constructed. Faculty, enrollment, and curricula grew steadily, checked only by the two world wars and the Depression.

When Pennsylvania State trustees authorized the organization of women’s social groups in 1922, six girls met in a campus oak grove and founded Sychor. The plan was to petition Kappa Kappa Gamma as soon as national affiliations were permitted.

Sychor, Pennsylvania State’s second women’s local, became Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa in 1930, the sixth women’s national sorority on campus. Sychor’s green and gold colors and its little gold acorn badge were replaced by Kappa’s light and dark blue and the key October 3, 1930, at the Wesley Foundation Hall of the State College Methodist Church.

Fraternity President Florence Tomlinson Myers (Wallace), Drake, conducted the service with Fraternity Director of Provinces Eleanor V.V. Bennett, UC Berkeley, and Kappa’s new Executive Secretary Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State, officiating for the first of many times. Province officers and University of Pittsburgh actives assisted.

The reception was given in Beta Theta Pi’s new chapter house. The next day the chapter’s first President Margaret Knoll (Oliver) conducted initiation for 28 Sychor alumnae including two founders, Elsie Kohler Moore and Ruthanna Sharpless Ely. Founders Day dinner was in the Centre Hills Country Club.

With dormitory space at a premium in the 1920s, women’s social organizations enjoyed the use of former faculty residences, but had all meals in the McAllister Hall dining commons. The three-story frame Willard Cottage became the Sychor and later the Kappa house, and was operated as dormitory. When it was moved slightly west in 1938 for the building of Pattee Library, Delta Alpha had the one and only private chapter room in the new basement. Moves to McElwain Hall in 1949 and to Cooper Hall in 1958 were to suites in the large residence hall complexes that Penn State had begun to build. Each group rents a living room, kitchenette, and storage closet unit; occupies adjacent dormitory rooms; and shares larger facilities for meetings and initiations. The old Kappa house, renamed Moffat Cottage, was torn down in 1964 to make way for the west addition of the library.

Sensing problems which might arise in an unhoused (by Kappa definition) chapter bound by the local Panhellenic policy of sophomore pledging, the Fraternity assigned a graduate co-organizer, Marion Cheyne (Felton), William and Mary, to live with the Delta Alphas during 1931-32. Marjorie Matson (Converse), Purdue, was Delta Alpha’s Graduate Counselor 1945-46.

Delta Alpha’s small group of State College alumnae served as advisers and formed an association in 1933, with Margaret Oliver again as first President. The chapter and association were hostesses for Beta Province Conventions in 1933, 1955 and 1967.

Anne Riley was Delta Alpha’s first Field Secretary, 1964-66. She was followed by Marjorie Gohn (Felsburg,) 1970-71. Ella Louise Williams (Bassett) was sent to Beta Phi, Montana, 1951-52; Silvia Brown (Swiss) was the Graduate Counselor for the Puget Sound, and Beth Sharp was Graduate Counselor at Arizona in 1973-74.

Helen Kinsloe, charter member and notable Kappa personality, has been honored by the chapter’s only memorial award for Fraternity loyalty and scholarship. It was established by Delta Alpha alumnae and State College Kappas in 1963 after her death, which deprived the Fraternity of a dynamic leader whose rapport with the chapter was enhanced by her faulty position as student adviser and teacher of bacteriology.

A Kappa memorial scholarship for graduate study abroad, in languages, was endowed in 1966 by the husband of Susanna Stover Root, a Sychor alumna. The chapter supports a university scholarship in memory of Alona Williams, who died of leukemia in 1969, her junior year.

Individual interests give a chapter its personality. Delta Alphas are recognized for scholarship, student leadership, and the arts, in publications and in athletics. Before beauty and talent queens were out of fashion, Kappas frequently wore their crowns, including that of Miss Penn State. Delta Alphas were among the charter members when Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Alpha Lambda Delta, Cwens and other honor societies were installed.

In 1972, Rhonda Egidio was one of the two first women elected to Lion’s Paw, a prestigious senior “men’s” honorary. A Sychor-Delta Alpha, Dr. Mary R. Freer Keeler, was an early recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She was Penn State’s “Women of the Year” in 1959 for academic achievement and as dean of faculty of Hood College. When the title of “Dean of Women” was abolished, Jane E. McCormick, Penn State, became head woman administrator in the university’s student affairs office. Donna Symonds Clemson, associate editor of the Penn State Alumni publications, now limits her Kappa activity to chapter advising. Another good friend to Delta Alpha was Doris M. Seward, Delta, Indiana, executive assistant to president of Pennsylvania State and professor of human development.

Consistently high rating among Penn State’s Panhellenic groups strengthened Delta Alpha for survival during the partial eclipse of the Greeks in the late 1960s, and membership quotas were maintained. By 1970 sorority chapters on the campus were in the low 20s with smaller memberships, after peaking at nearly 30 in the early 1960s.

Firmly established chapters are coping with changes in campus situations, and playing a vital role on campuses where liberalized housing creates problems. By exerting Panhellenic leadership in the 1970s, Delta Alpha hoped to become free of the unstructured disunity of the chaotic 1960s and to combine recognition of individuality with Kappa’s traditional values of honor through group organization and the loyalty of members.
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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.
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==Highlights of the 1970s:==
Delta Alpha, like many of our chapters, was affected by the events of the world. The campus became more involved in issues of our country and the ongoing war in Vietnam. Saigon fell, the Watergate scandal, President Nixon had left office and Gerald Ford became president, which all left their mark. Peace movements began and hippies were everywhere. The Delta Alphas answered by focusing on philanthropies hoping to attract more members. Disco fashion were sweeping the nation – bellbottoms, platform shoes, mini-skirts were in vogue and flower power influence permeated the campus

Rush (Recruitment) numbers were noticeably lower in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s. For those years the total membership was just in the 30s. It wasn’t until 1979 that it was back in fashion to be a Greek. Academic achievement was foremost on the members’ minds and the GPA average for the decade was 3.21.

Coach Joe Paterno had a decade of winning football seasons. Saturdays were always a highlight for the campus known as “Happy Valley.” The campus continued to grow not only in the number of students but in increasing the number of academic buildings.

Spring Week and Greek Week were major highlights for the Delta Alphas as well as for the campus. The Delta Alphas in conjunction with their partner fraternity always gleaned several awards each year.

January 15, 1979, the 1,000th member of Delta Alpha was initiated.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Kappas were well-known on campus for their participation and involvement in philanthropies. They participated in the Delta Gamma Anchor Splash and THON, now one of the largest student run philanthropic events in the country as well as other Greek groups’ events. THON is short for a mara”thon” dance competition which takes place during a four-day period.

==Highlights of the 1980s:==
On campus the Paterno Library was dedicated and named in football Coach Joe Paterno’s honor not only for his major gift to the project but because of the importance he placed on academics with his teams. It almost doubled the size of the existing Patee Library.

“The Dairy” continued to be a favorite of undergraduates and returning graduates. Penn State began as the Farmer’s High School so it is only natural that the Agricultural degree were highly acclaimed. Various flavors of ice cream and cream cheese were the favorites.

Ice skating, square dances and popcorn parties were held monthy and were well attended. Tailgating occurred before each home football game and “mother/daughter” events were held often culminating in a Mother’s Day tea party.

The chapter continued to maintain a high GPA and the members participated in many campus events. Since the chapter was essentially unhoused it was difficult to plan sisterhood events on campus. The chapter strived to maintain the importance of sisterhood. Founders Day was celebrated every year with the State College alumnae and was one of the opportunities to bring together the whole chapter.

Many of the members were involved in intramural sports and student councils across the campus. March 31, 1980, Delta Alpha was recognized as the outstanding chapter on Penn State campus. This award is given by an administrative committee and was most prestigious.

'''Philanthropy:'''

For the third decade THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, was not only the major focus of the entire campus but of Greeks in general. The money raised was for the Four Diamonds Fund of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center which primarily treated children with cancer. Kappas and their partners raised on average more than $40,000 a year.

==Highlights of the 1990s:==
Delta Alpha continued to be proud of its many philanthropic efforts.The members were proud to be carrying on the traditions of the past. For example, still participating in Derby Days and winning Spring Week with the Sigma Chis as well as the participation in THON.
Kappas maintained a great relationship with other Greek organizations by continuously attending their events and getting to know other members involved in Greek life. This helped to boost Kappa’s reputation on campus and in the community.

During these years the Delta Alpha Chapter won the outstanding chapter at Penn State award multiple times. The award was based on activities in philanthropies and involvement in THON. Kappa was one of the top organizations that raised money for THON over the course of years.
Delta Alpha was excited to host the Beta Province Meeting. The chapter prided itself on its GPA for the decade and continued to express the importance of academic studies.

==Highlights of 2000-2010:==
Penn State is known for having excellent academic programs. In fall 2010 The Wall Street Journal named Penn State as the number one school where business recruiters seek to hire students. Also, the Women’s Volleyball Team won its fourth consecutive national championship.
Here at Penn State the chapter is very well respected. It has a reputation on the campus and among fellow students of having outstanding members. The chapter continues to participate in Greek Week and Spring Week – a major event on the campus each year.

The chapter focused on promoting sisterhood with special events and retreats. Campus involvement by so many members left little time for sisterhood. Founders Day continued to be a favorite event among sisters and a time when they can all be together.

Scholarship was once again a prime focus with a decade average of 3.42. The chapter also hosted a LEAD seminar with the Dickinson and Bucknell chapters.

'''Philanthropy:'''

In 2004, Delta Alpha with its partner fraternity raised $81,875 to contribute to the fight against pediatric cancer – THON. The campus in total raised $3.5 million.In 2006, $91,1798 was raised; in 2009 Delta Alpha raised an unbelievable $136,443 for THON, placing third. Also, in 2004 the chapter began its decade association with Reading Is Fundamental. The first activity was a story time and help with an elementary school.
Other RIF activities for the decade to raise money were an ice cream eating contest, “Kappa Klassic” tennis tournament; Kappa Winter Tales – children attended an event to listen to a profession story teller.

The Delta Alphas are proud of their long heritage of contributing to society and at the same time making academic success and philanthropy involvement its top priorities.

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

2000 – Scholarship Honorable Mention: Greatest Scholarship Improvement Honorable Mention
2002 – Efficiency Award, Ritual Honorable Mention, Scholarship Honorable Mention, Recruitment Honorable Mention, Advisory Board Honorable Mention,
2006 – Risk Management Honorable Mention
2008 – Panhellenic Award, Standards Honorable Mention

==Highlights of 2011-2019:==

==Highlights of 2011==

The Delta Alpha Chapter now consists of 91 active members, after this past fall when we received a new fairly large pledge class of 31 new sisters! We also just welcomed a spring pledge class of 9 new girls currently going through their pledging process. Seven of our active members are currently studying abroad in Florence, Barcelona and Paris. This year, 2012, we received a new THON family! We are very excited to welcome this young girl into our THON family. THON this year was a bit different than the past due to a tragic car accident of a girl in another sorority who was traveling to someone's home for a canning weekend. A “canning” weekend means going to a fellow sister’s house and being welcomed by her family for a weekend, The family provides shelter and home-cooked meals and during the day we go into the streets and raise money for the Hershey Medical Center’s Four Diamonds Fund.

After this incident the THON committee proceeded to put regulatilons on canning weekend and require students participating to go to a workshop that talked about how to ensure our safety. You would then receive a wristband that showed you completed this workshop and were allowed to go! Kappa is paired with Delta Chi Fraternity once again for THON 2012. We had a birthday party for Ashley, one of our THON family members at Delta Chi which was a lot of fun, and a good chance for the new girls to get to know the family better. We held a philanthropy event this year with obstacle courses and pie eating contests, that Kappa actually won! In addition we held a Founder's Day brunch this fall at the Nittany Lion Inn. All of our sisters and alumni came together to reminisced on Kappa traditions and passed events. Here at Pennsylvania State University the Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is very respected and we have a very classy reputation among the campus and fellow students.

'''Campus:''' This past fall a very sad scandal actually came out about. A former football staff members here at Penn State was charged with counts of child sex abuse which shocked the campus and the entire Penn State community. There was a definite gloom that hung over the campus for a week or two, but the entire school really came together to show that this one staff member's actions do not reflect the Penn State community and the students here on campus. The members of Kappa supported the victims that were apart of these awful events by attending a football game in all blue for child abuse, and attending a candle light vigil here on campus in support of the young boys affected. In response to this, former icon football coach, Joe Paterno was fired. This caused a great unroar and a lot of emotions on campus. Though, the students stuck together and supported this man who has done so much for our school. The following football game that would be the first that Joe Paterno was not present at, was sold out to capacity and the student section was louder and had more spirit than ever. As a result there has been more student leadership, and more alumni support and a call for more transparency and administration. In the end the campus has become more unified to maintain Penn State's future goals and reputation.

'''Chapter:''' Due to these events this year on campus, the Delta Alpha chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma we made an effort to represent Penn State as best as we could as a chapter to show the outside world that Penn State is not one person. We strived to raise even more money for THON, which is such an incredible cause here that our school does, and we did not want the previous events to lead us to any financial losses for this great cause that helps so many people in need. Here on campus Kappa has one of the highest held GPA's and we take great pride in our academic success. Many of our members also participate in club activities. We are a very well rounded group of young ladies.

A recent visit from a Leadership Consultant helped us identify things we can improve on in our chapter. This includes become more open and welcoming to the members of other sororities who participate in our philanthropies or come to our suite for activities. In terms of making relationships, we also need to try to reeach out to nationals to and create a better relationship with the people out there who want to help us most! We also need to do a better of job of getting in our paper work on time. We are very motivated to step up and improve these things that we need to work on. We are constantly trying to better ourselves.

==Highlights of 2012==

The Delta Alpha Chapter had a great year. The Chapter consists of 117 active members and welcomed a new pledge class of 36 girls in the fall! Several girls are currently studying abroad in places such as Paris, Barcelona, Argentina, and even Africa! This year we went on many canning trips to support and raise money for THON. Our chapter is thrilled to be working with three amazing THON families and we are so proud to say we help them with all of our hearts. Through raising money for the Hershey Medical Center's Four Diamonds Fund we have gained a full understanding of how lucky we are and how our actions and hard work can help so many people that are in need of love and care. We hosted a birthday party for one of our THON children, Ashley, at our partner, Delta Chi Fraternity's house. We also raised a lot of money to donate to our philanthropy by holding different philanthropy events throughout the year. Our chapter had very successful recruitment periods and gained so many great friendships and bonds. Many pearls were given out to reward the sisters who received GPA's of 3.8 or higher. Although Penn State has been going through a tough time in the recent years, Kappa Kappa Gamma has kept a very leveled head and worked to improve the campus. As a whole chapter we supported the football team and many campus events to show our loyalty as a sisterhood and as a Penn Stater. All year we were proud to wear our KKG letters around and spread information about why we love being a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

As a chapter we have changed over the years. Bonds have grown stronger and it is apparent that each individual is making a huge effort to give Kappa Kappa Gamma a great reputation. Recently there has been a strong effort to make the new pledge class feel at home and a desire to get them very involved. Our chapter continues to work with our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, as well as Penn State's dance marathon will all of our hearts. Kappa has one of the highest GPA's among other sororities and we have maintained that and are so proud.

Some chapter challenges included miscommunication between all members of the Delta Alpha Chapter. We have been aiming to meet and overcome these challenges by working with our advisers and talking things through in a mature and lady-like way. We have attended many meetings to help us open up and learn how to communicate properly and womenly. We are working hard to develop a strong communication with the sororities around us on campus and to nationals. One last thing we have struggled with in the past is turning in paper work on time and finishing important documents and webinars. The new CC is working so hard and coming up with many ideas to keep us on top of our tasks so we can improve!

Our campus has gone through many changes that have to do with the scandal involving the coaches on our beloved football team. Like the previous year all Penn State students kept a positive attitude and maintained their pride. Kappa made sure to attend the Blue-out game to support victims of child abuse. Other recent changes on campus have included new sorority housing being built in which the Delta Alpha chapter will be able to live in next year. Many sororities are moving into the new buildings along with us, which will help us get to know many other people. The amount of girls that decided to go through recruitment this year was very high, and the Delta Alpha chapter worked their hardest to have the most successful recruitment process as possible.

==Highlights of 2013==

-The Delta Alpha Chapter had a very fulfilling year. The Chapter now consists of 149 active members and initiated a new pledge class of 54 girls in the fall, including three legacies! Our chapter had a very successful recruitment process and integrated our new members with the enthusiasm to uphold Kappa’s traditions. This year our chapter participated in many fundraising activities to raise money for both THON and our national charity. We went on many canning trips with our partners in the Delta Chi Fraternity, sent Thonvelopes, and created many fundraising events with the local restaurants such as Five Guys and Cold Stone. This year our chapter is working with two amazing THON families, who are loving and caring. It has brought our chapter so much pride to get to know these families and we are so excited to spend the weekend with them for THON weekend. Participating in such a meaningful organization has made every girl in our chapter proud to be supporting such a cause. In academics, our chapter gave out many pearls to the girls that earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher to recognize and reward their academic achievements.

As a whole chapter we work to improve our sorority, our school and our community. All year we work to spread awareness of the great benefits of sisterhood and the bonds formed in Kappa Kappa Gamma. However, like every other organization we have faced some challenges that we have worked to overcome together as a chapter united. Some chapter challenges that we have met in the past and continue to work on is being more organized with our documents and struggling to turn in important paperwork in on time.

Our members and the new CC has been working endlessly to overcome these challenges by working with our advisers and staying on top of our tasks. Every girl takes their individual responsibility seriously in order to achieve everything our chapter is capable of. The last challenge that we have met as a sorority is being able to handle a new pledge class of fifty- four girls, the biggest pledge class we have had yet. This was a challenge for not only our sorority, but all sororities on campus as the number of girls going through recruitment has increased yearly. Integrating such a big group of girls into our chapter brought about many organizational issues within the sorority. This is a challenge that we faced with grace and our now proud to say that by working together have successfully integrated the new pledge class.

Our Penn State campus has undergone many changes this year including new housing for all sororities to move into. Our chapter moved into a new building this spring semester. This move has given us the opportunity to meet the other sororities that also moved into the building, allowing all the sororities on campus to become closer to each other, and given all Pan-Hellenic women the opportunity to get to know each other and make us closer as a whole. There have also been some changes within Pan- Hellenic itself because new sororities have been invited to join the Greek community on campus. Some new sororities will be coming on to our campus for the upcoming year, and we have also said good -bye to other sororities that have left our campus. Pledge classes are now bigger than they have ever been on Penn State campus. This increased Greek life as a whole on campus.

As a chapter we continue to change and improve. Our members are still working tirelessly to represent Kappa Kappa Gamma accurately, giving our sorority the reputation that it deserves. As a chapter we stick together and support our sisters to the fullest. The biggest change within our chapter has been the increase in pledge class size and our sisters are also working very hard to include the new pledge class that has grown significantly this year and will probably continue to grow in the upcoming years.

==Highlights of 2014==
The Delta Alpha Chapter had a very rewarding year. At the 2014 convention, the Delta Alpha chapter was awarded the Chapter/Advisory Board Relations Award, as well as Honorable Mention for Greatest Improvement! We were also fortunate enough to had been given two awards from the Greek Column Awards ceremony. There we were awarded Chapter of Excellence and Most Improved Chapter by the Penn State Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. In addition, out chapter has flourished and took in a large, quota pledge class of 66 amazing New Members, who have all been initiated and remain dedicated to the sisterhood! For 2014 one huge goal was to attain that Chapter of Excellence status, so we are very proud to say we have accomplished that. We will continue to strive for this in 2015 and in years to come. Some other goals we have been working on and will continue to work on this year include establishing a signature philanthropy event and furthering member commitment and involvement at chapter events. These are both areas of struggle for our chapter that we have been making great strides in through strong leadership and standards. As evident by the Honorable Mention from Kappa and the award from Panhellenic, we have made great strides in 2014, but there is always room to grow.

Our Penn State campus has undergone many changes in the past year. One addition is the new south dorm located right near the sorority suites. There has also been a recent addition to the HUB-Student Center which is a great place for sororities to meet up and hold events. There have also been some changes within Panhellenic itself. New sororites have joined our campus and we have also said goodbye to others. Pledge classes are now bigger and greek life as a whole has really grown on the Penn State campus.

The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma holds chapter meetings weekly in the chapter room which is located on the ground floor of Ewing Hall. This building is owned by the Pennsylvania State University and is considered on campus dorm.

Thirty three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter get the opportunity to live on the sorority floor each semester. During the fall, six girls are placed in supplemental housing located in overflow housing. Then in the spring they get the chance to move onto the floor when other girls move out for study abroad. Our chapter was housed in Cooper Hall since 1958, and in January of 2014 we moved to the renovated Ewing Hall. In the renovated "Greek Village," suites are now located right on the chapters' floors, while they used to be all on the first floor. This gives the hall a more house-like feel. The suite was beautifully decorated and stocked with the help of our advisers and House Board.

==Highlights of 2015==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We had a very successful recruitment process and welcomed 59 New Members this fall! Our new sisters are so proud to be apart of our sisterhood, and are very enthusiastic to be a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s wonderful traditions.

We recently gained a new THON family and could not be more excited to be working with them! Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was the loss of two canning trips, where a majority of our fundraising for THON occurs. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we also are holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. We held a philanthropy event recently at a local church with 1-4 year olds to promote our philanthropy and it was a great success! Our sisters and the local children really enjoyed the time we spent together. One of our goals for this year that we will continue to strive for is to create a signature philanthropy event. We have been making remarkable achievements in 2015, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

Thirty three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

==Highlights of 2016==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. To go along with our outstanding honors, we also had a very successful recruitment process and welcomed 70 New Members this fall! Our new sisters are so proud to be apart of our sisterhood, and are very enthusiastic to be a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s wonderful traditions.
We gained a new THON family last year and are so excited to continue working with them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 2 trips. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.
We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2016 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. This fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2016, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.
Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.
Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

==Highlights of 2017==
The Delta Alpha chapter had an challenging year year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. This year, due to recent changes in policies on our campus, we did not do our usual Fall recruitment. Penn State University has changed the rules that there is to be no more Fall recruitment and it will only take place in the Spring. Although we did not have recruitment, we have been super busy planning for recruitment in the Spring and cannot wait to welcome new members when the time comes!

We gained a new THON family two years ago and are so excited to continue working with them. On another note, our second THON family decided to not continue with us because Jacob is now older. We wish him and his family the best of luck and always keep a special place in our hearts for them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 1 trip. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2017 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. Last fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2017, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

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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!

Delta Alpha

2018-02-19T23:26:59Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Delta Alpha
|GreekSymbol= ΔA
|Image= [[File:Delta_Alpha.jpeg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1930|10|03}}
|College= [http://www.psu.edu/ Pennsylvania State University]
|Location= University Park, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/deltaalpha/pages/welcome.php Delta Alpha Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Alpha Media related to Delta Alpha Chapter]}}

'''Pennsylvania State University''', formerly the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania established in 1855. At that time, it was a village in the wilderness in the geographic center of Pennsylvania with no name.

'''Chapter founded October 3, 1930'''

'''2,251 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Elizabeth Cordelia Bell, Doris Buckalew Bidlack, Mary Elizabeth Crozier, Mary Trescott Davenport, Velma Mae Egolf, Elizabeth Everett, Rosemary Forbes, Helen Elizabeth Fowler, Fern Edvina Harmon, Margaret Scott Hopwood, Rachael Sara Anne Johnson, Helen Strickler Keepers, Sue Kern, Helen Lambert Kinsloe, Margaret Frances Knoll, Josephine Shannon La Barre, Marjorie Elizabeth Lyons, Anne Elizabeth Mellinger, Marjorie Elizabeth Stitt, Margaret Tschan, Isabelle Jayne Wielnad, Margaret Anna Yotter.
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'''Some of Delta Alpha’s Outstanding Alumnae:''' (Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

'''Fraternity Council Members:

Gay Chuba Barry: 1976 – 1980, Director of Alumnae; 1980 – 1988 Fraternity Vice President; 1984 – 1988, Director of Field Representatives; Patricia Coffee Gesell: 1988 – 1990, Director of Chapters; Marjorie Gohn (Felsburg): Field Secretary, 1970-71; Anne Riley: Field Secretary, 1964-1966; Linda Pierson (Henkelman): Field Secretary, 1980-1981; Catharine Carbonetta (Mayer): Traveling Consultant, 1990-1991; Niki Rawlins (Salata): Traveling Consultant, 1998-1999; Erin Wischum: Leadership Consultant, 2004-2005; Lauren Sullivan Paitson: Executive Director, 2005-2009; Beth Ann Sharp: 2010 – 2012, Director of Programs and Education, 1973-1974, Graduate Counselor at Arizona; Patricia Coffee Gesell: 2009-, National Panhellenic Conference Delegate, 1994-1996, Regional Director of Chapters, 1992-1994, Risk Management Chairman, 1990-1992, History Chairman, 1988-1990, Fraternity Director of Chapters, 1979-1980, Province Director of Alumnae.

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

Gay Chuba Barry - 1996
Patricia Coffee Gesell - 2016

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

Jane McCormick (Lewis) – 1978, Leader in higher education; served as president of National Association of Women Deans and Counselors; Ruth Johnson (Holden) – 1980, Educator; inventor, pioneer in speech and hearing programs and tools;

'''Additional Outstanding Alumnae'''

Patty Meily (Mershon): Graduate Counselor, 1948-1950;
Ella Louise Williams (Bassett): Graduate Counselor, 1951-1952;
Silvia Brown (Trumbower): Graduate Counselor, 1965-1967;
Christine Lowry (McKeag): Graduate Counselor, 1970-1972;
Beth Ann Sharp: Graduate Counselor, 1973-1974;
Deborah Smith (Fischer): Graduate Counselor, 1975-1977;
Linda Pierson (Henkelman): Graduate Counselor, 1981-1983;
Carol Bender (Mason): Chapter Consultant, 1986-1988;

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

Chartered in 1855 to provide a scientific agricultural education, the so-called Farmers High School, a misleading title, became the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1862. This experimental college was designated the commonwealth’s representative in the national system of state land-grant colleges in 1863. Benefits from this innovative federal-state contract to support higher education came slowly to Penn State, but in 1871 the first women were admitted, and in 1874 the name became Pennsylvania State College. In 1930 the college celebrated its 75th anniversary at “Old Main” on the site of the building which had been the entire campus when the first students arrived in 1859. Since 1953 it has been the Pennsylvania State University.
The non-university locality is still State College, Pennsylvania, and the Kappa alumnae association is the State College Alumnae Association.

The first coeds, occupying part of an upper floor dormitory in “Old Main,” followed strictly enforced rules for “association with the opposite sex.” Separate housing began after the first state appropriation for buildings. Maintenance was granted in 1887, a milestone year, when intercollegiate and extracurricular activities were added, national affiliations for men’s clubs developed, and campus buildings were constructed. Faculty, enrollment, and curricula grew steadily, checked only by the two world wars and the Depression.

When Pennsylvania State trustees authorized the organization of women’s social groups in 1922, six girls met in a campus oak grove and founded Sychor. The plan was to petition Kappa Kappa Gamma as soon as national affiliations were permitted.

Sychor, Pennsylvania State’s second women’s local, became Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa in 1930, the sixth women’s national sorority on campus. Sychor’s green and gold colors and its little gold acorn badge were replaced by Kappa’s light and dark blue and the key October 3, 1930, at the Wesley Foundation Hall of the State College Methodist Church.

Fraternity President Florence Tomlinson Myers (Wallace), Drake, conducted the service with Fraternity Director of Provinces Eleanor V.V. Bennett, UC Berkeley, and Kappa’s new Executive Secretary Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State, officiating for the first of many times. Province officers and University of Pittsburgh actives assisted.

The reception was given in Beta Theta Pi’s new chapter house. The next day the chapter’s first President Margaret Knoll (Oliver) conducted initiation for 28 Sychor alumnae including two founders, Elsie Kohler Moore and Ruthanna Sharpless Ely. Founders Day dinner was in the Centre Hills Country Club.

With dormitory space at a premium in the 1920s, women’s social organizations enjoyed the use of former faculty residences, but had all meals in the McAllister Hall dining commons. The three-story frame Willard Cottage became the Sychor and later the Kappa house, and was operated as dormitory. When it was moved slightly west in 1938 for the building of Pattee Library, Delta Alpha had the one and only private chapter room in the new basement. Moves to McElwain Hall in 1949 and to Cooper Hall in 1958 were to suites in the large residence hall complexes that Penn State had begun to build. Each group rents a living room, kitchenette, and storage closet unit; occupies adjacent dormitory rooms; and shares larger facilities for meetings and initiations. The old Kappa house, renamed Moffat Cottage, was torn down in 1964 to make way for the west addition of the library.

Sensing problems which might arise in an unhoused (by Kappa definition) chapter bound by the local Panhellenic policy of sophomore pledging, the Fraternity assigned a graduate co-organizer, Marion Cheyne (Felton), William and Mary, to live with the Delta Alphas during 1931-32. Marjorie Matson (Converse), Purdue, was Delta Alpha’s Graduate Counselor 1945-46.

Delta Alpha’s small group of State College alumnae served as advisers and formed an association in 1933, with Margaret Oliver again as first President. The chapter and association were hostesses for Beta Province Conventions in 1933, 1955 and 1967.

Anne Riley was Delta Alpha’s first Field Secretary, 1964-66. She was followed by Marjorie Gohn (Felsburg,) 1970-71. Ella Louise Williams (Bassett) was sent to Beta Phi, Montana, 1951-52; Silvia Brown (Swiss) was the Graduate Counselor for the Puget Sound, and Beth Sharp was Graduate Counselor at Arizona in 1973-74.

Helen Kinsloe, charter member and notable Kappa personality, has been honored by the chapter’s only memorial award for Fraternity loyalty and scholarship. It was established by Delta Alpha alumnae and State College Kappas in 1963 after her death, which deprived the Fraternity of a dynamic leader whose rapport with the chapter was enhanced by her faulty position as student adviser and teacher of bacteriology.

A Kappa memorial scholarship for graduate study abroad, in languages, was endowed in 1966 by the husband of Susanna Stover Root, a Sychor alumna. The chapter supports a university scholarship in memory of Alona Williams, who died of leukemia in 1969, her junior year.

Individual interests give a chapter its personality. Delta Alphas are recognized for scholarship, student leadership, and the arts, in publications and in athletics. Before beauty and talent queens were out of fashion, Kappas frequently wore their crowns, including that of Miss Penn State. Delta Alphas were among the charter members when Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Alpha Lambda Delta, Cwens and other honor societies were installed.

In 1972, Rhonda Egidio was one of the two first women elected to Lion’s Paw, a prestigious senior “men’s” honorary. A Sychor-Delta Alpha, Dr. Mary R. Freer Keeler, was an early recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She was Penn State’s “Women of the Year” in 1959 for academic achievement and as dean of faculty of Hood College. When the title of “Dean of Women” was abolished, Jane E. McCormick, Penn State, became head woman administrator in the university’s student affairs office. Donna Symonds Clemson, associate editor of the Penn State Alumni publications, now limits her Kappa activity to chapter advising. Another good friend to Delta Alpha was Doris M. Seward, Delta, Indiana, executive assistant to president of Pennsylvania State and professor of human development.

Consistently high rating among Penn State’s Panhellenic groups strengthened Delta Alpha for survival during the partial eclipse of the Greeks in the late 1960s, and membership quotas were maintained. By 1970 sorority chapters on the campus were in the low 20s with smaller memberships, after peaking at nearly 30 in the early 1960s.

Firmly established chapters are coping with changes in campus situations, and playing a vital role on campuses where liberalized housing creates problems. By exerting Panhellenic leadership in the 1970s, Delta Alpha hoped to become free of the unstructured disunity of the chaotic 1960s and to combine recognition of individuality with Kappa’s traditional values of honor through group organization and the loyalty of members.
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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.
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==Highlights of the 1970s:==
Delta Alpha, like many of our chapters, was affected by the events of the world. The campus became more involved in issues of our country and the ongoing war in Vietnam. Saigon fell, the Watergate scandal, President Nixon had left office and Gerald Ford became president, which all left their mark. Peace movements began and hippies were everywhere. The Delta Alphas answered by focusing on philanthropies hoping to attract more members. Disco fashion were sweeping the nation – bellbottoms, platform shoes, mini-skirts were in vogue and flower power influence permeated the campus

Rush (Recruitment) numbers were noticeably lower in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s. For those years the total membership was just in the 30s. It wasn’t until 1979 that it was back in fashion to be a Greek. Academic achievement was foremost on the members’ minds and the GPA average for the decade was 3.21.

Coach Joe Paterno had a decade of winning football seasons. Saturdays were always a highlight for the campus known as “Happy Valley.” The campus continued to grow not only in the number of students but in increasing the number of academic buildings.

Spring Week and Greek Week were major highlights for the Delta Alphas as well as for the campus. The Delta Alphas in conjunction with their partner fraternity always gleaned several awards each year.

January 15, 1979, the 1,000th member of Delta Alpha was initiated.

'''Philanthropy:'''

The Kappas were well-known on campus for their participation and involvement in philanthropies. They participated in the Delta Gamma Anchor Splash and THON, now one of the largest student run philanthropic events in the country as well as other Greek groups’ events. THON is short for a mara”thon” dance competition which takes place during a four-day period.

==Highlights of the 1980s:==
On campus the Paterno Library was dedicated and named in football Coach Joe Paterno’s honor not only for his major gift to the project but because of the importance he placed on academics with his teams. It almost doubled the size of the existing Patee Library.

“The Dairy” continued to be a favorite of undergraduates and returning graduates. Penn State began as the Farmer’s High School so it is only natural that the Agricultural degree were highly acclaimed. Various flavors of ice cream and cream cheese were the favorites.

Ice skating, square dances and popcorn parties were held monthy and were well attended. Tailgating occurred before each home football game and “mother/daughter” events were held often culminating in a Mother’s Day tea party.

The chapter continued to maintain a high GPA and the members participated in many campus events. Since the chapter was essentially unhoused it was difficult to plan sisterhood events on campus. The chapter strived to maintain the importance of sisterhood. Founders Day was celebrated every year with the State College alumnae and was one of the opportunities to bring together the whole chapter.

Many of the members were involved in intramural sports and student councils across the campus. March 31, 1980, Delta Alpha was recognized as the outstanding chapter on Penn State campus. This award is given by an administrative committee and was most prestigious.

'''Philanthropy:'''

For the third decade THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, was not only the major focus of the entire campus but of Greeks in general. The money raised was for the Four Diamonds Fund of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center which primarily treated children with cancer. Kappas and their partners raised on average more than $40,000 a year.

==Highlights of the 1990s:==
Delta Alpha continued to be proud of its many philanthropic efforts.The members were proud to be carrying on the traditions of the past. For example, still participating in Derby Days and winning Spring Week with the Sigma Chis as well as the participation in THON.
Kappas maintained a great relationship with other Greek organizations by continuously attending their events and getting to know other members involved in Greek life. This helped to boost Kappa’s reputation on campus and in the community.

During these years the Delta Alpha Chapter won the outstanding chapter at Penn State award multiple times. The award was based on activities in philanthropies and involvement in THON. Kappa was one of the top organizations that raised money for THON over the course of years.
Delta Alpha was excited to host the Beta Province Meeting. The chapter prided itself on its GPA for the decade and continued to express the importance of academic studies.

==Highlights of 2000-2010:==
Penn State is known for having excellent academic programs. In fall 2010 The Wall Street Journal named Penn State as the number one school where business recruiters seek to hire students. Also, the Women’s Volleyball Team won its fourth consecutive national championship.
Here at Penn State the chapter is very well respected. It has a reputation on the campus and among fellow students of having outstanding members. The chapter continues to participate in Greek Week and Spring Week – a major event on the campus each year.

The chapter focused on promoting sisterhood with special events and retreats. Campus involvement by so many members left little time for sisterhood. Founders Day continued to be a favorite event among sisters and a time when they can all be together.

Scholarship was once again a prime focus with a decade average of 3.42. The chapter also hosted a LEAD seminar with the Dickinson and Bucknell chapters.

'''Philanthropy:'''

In 2004, Delta Alpha with its partner fraternity raised $81,875 to contribute to the fight against pediatric cancer – THON. The campus in total raised $3.5 million.In 2006, $91,1798 was raised; in 2009 Delta Alpha raised an unbelievable $136,443 for THON, placing third. Also, in 2004 the chapter began its decade association with Reading Is Fundamental. The first activity was a story time and help with an elementary school.
Other RIF activities for the decade to raise money were an ice cream eating contest, “Kappa Klassic” tennis tournament; Kappa Winter Tales – children attended an event to listen to a profession story teller.

The Delta Alphas are proud of their long heritage of contributing to society and at the same time making academic success and philanthropy involvement its top priorities.

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

2000 – Scholarship Honorable Mention: Greatest Scholarship Improvement Honorable Mention
2002 – Efficiency Award, Ritual Honorable Mention, Scholarship Honorable Mention, Recruitment Honorable Mention, Advisory Board Honorable Mention,
2006 – Risk Management Honorable Mention
2008 – Panhellenic Award, Standards Honorable Mention

==Highlights of 2011-2019:==

==Highlights of 2011==

The Delta Alpha Chapter now consists of 91 active members, after this past fall when we received a new fairly large pledge class of 31 new sisters! We also just welcomed a spring pledge class of 9 new girls currently going through their pledging process. Seven of our active members are currently studying abroad in Florence, Barcelona and Paris. This year, 2012, we received a new THON family! We are very excited to welcome this young girl into our THON family. THON this year was a bit different than the past due to a tragic car accident of a girl in another sorority who was traveling to someone's home for a canning weekend. A “canning” weekend means going to a fellow sister’s house and being welcomed by her family for a weekend, The family provides shelter and home-cooked meals and during the day we go into the streets and raise money for the Hershey Medical Center’s Four Diamonds Fund.

After this incident the THON committee proceeded to put regulatilons on canning weekend and require students participating to go to a workshop that talked about how to ensure our safety. You would then receive a wristband that showed you completed this workshop and were allowed to go! Kappa is paired with Delta Chi Fraternity once again for THON 2012. We had a birthday party for Ashley, one of our THON family members at Delta Chi which was a lot of fun, and a good chance for the new girls to get to know the family better. We held a philanthropy event this year with obstacle courses and pie eating contests, that Kappa actually won! In addition we held a Founder's Day brunch this fall at the Nittany Lion Inn. All of our sisters and alumni came together to reminisced on Kappa traditions and passed events. Here at Pennsylvania State University the Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is very respected and we have a very classy reputation among the campus and fellow students.

'''Campus:''' This past fall a very sad scandal actually came out about. A former football staff members here at Penn State was charged with counts of child sex abuse which shocked the campus and the entire Penn State community. There was a definite gloom that hung over the campus for a week or two, but the entire school really came together to show that this one staff member's actions do not reflect the Penn State community and the students here on campus. The members of Kappa supported the victims that were apart of these awful events by attending a football game in all blue for child abuse, and attending a candle light vigil here on campus in support of the young boys affected. In response to this, former icon football coach, Joe Paterno was fired. This caused a great unroar and a lot of emotions on campus. Though, the students stuck together and supported this man who has done so much for our school. The following football game that would be the first that Joe Paterno was not present at, was sold out to capacity and the student section was louder and had more spirit than ever. As a result there has been more student leadership, and more alumni support and a call for more transparency and administration. In the end the campus has become more unified to maintain Penn State's future goals and reputation.

'''Chapter:''' Due to these events this year on campus, the Delta Alpha chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma we made an effort to represent Penn State as best as we could as a chapter to show the outside world that Penn State is not one person. We strived to raise even more money for THON, which is such an incredible cause here that our school does, and we did not want the previous events to lead us to any financial losses for this great cause that helps so many people in need. Here on campus Kappa has one of the highest held GPA's and we take great pride in our academic success. Many of our members also participate in club activities. We are a very well rounded group of young ladies.

A recent visit from a Leadership Consultant helped us identify things we can improve on in our chapter. This includes become more open and welcoming to the members of other sororities who participate in our philanthropies or come to our suite for activities. In terms of making relationships, we also need to try to reeach out to nationals to and create a better relationship with the people out there who want to help us most! We also need to do a better of job of getting in our paper work on time. We are very motivated to step up and improve these things that we need to work on. We are constantly trying to better ourselves.

==Highlights of 2012==

The Delta Alpha Chapter had a great year. The Chapter consists of 117 active members and welcomed a new pledge class of 36 girls in the fall! Several girls are currently studying abroad in places such as Paris, Barcelona, Argentina, and even Africa! This year we went on many canning trips to support and raise money for THON. Our chapter is thrilled to be working with three amazing THON families and we are so proud to say we help them with all of our hearts. Through raising money for the Hershey Medical Center's Four Diamonds Fund we have gained a full understanding of how lucky we are and how our actions and hard work can help so many people that are in need of love and care. We hosted a birthday party for one of our THON children, Ashley, at our partner, Delta Chi Fraternity's house. We also raised a lot of money to donate to our philanthropy by holding different philanthropy events throughout the year. Our chapter had very successful recruitment periods and gained so many great friendships and bonds. Many pearls were given out to reward the sisters who received GPA's of 3.8 or higher. Although Penn State has been going through a tough time in the recent years, Kappa Kappa Gamma has kept a very leveled head and worked to improve the campus. As a whole chapter we supported the football team and many campus events to show our loyalty as a sisterhood and as a Penn Stater. All year we were proud to wear our KKG letters around and spread information about why we love being a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

As a chapter we have changed over the years. Bonds have grown stronger and it is apparent that each individual is making a huge effort to give Kappa Kappa Gamma a great reputation. Recently there has been a strong effort to make the new pledge class feel at home and a desire to get them very involved. Our chapter continues to work with our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, as well as Penn State's dance marathon will all of our hearts. Kappa has one of the highest GPA's among other sororities and we have maintained that and are so proud.

Some chapter challenges included miscommunication between all members of the Delta Alpha Chapter. We have been aiming to meet and overcome these challenges by working with our advisers and talking things through in a mature and lady-like way. We have attended many meetings to help us open up and learn how to communicate properly and womenly. We are working hard to develop a strong communication with the sororities around us on campus and to nationals. One last thing we have struggled with in the past is turning in paper work on time and finishing important documents and webinars. The new CC is working so hard and coming up with many ideas to keep us on top of our tasks so we can improve!

Our campus has gone through many changes that have to do with the scandal involving the coaches on our beloved football team. Like the previous year all Penn State students kept a positive attitude and maintained their pride. Kappa made sure to attend the Blue-out game to support victims of child abuse. Other recent changes on campus have included new sorority housing being built in which the Delta Alpha chapter will be able to live in next year. Many sororities are moving into the new buildings along with us, which will help us get to know many other people. The amount of girls that decided to go through recruitment this year was very high, and the Delta Alpha chapter worked their hardest to have the most successful recruitment process as possible.

==Highlights of 2013==

-The Delta Alpha Chapter had a very fulfilling year. The Chapter now consists of 149 active members and initiated a new pledge class of 54 girls in the fall, including three legacies! Our chapter had a very successful recruitment process and integrated our new members with the enthusiasm to uphold Kappa’s traditions. This year our chapter participated in many fundraising activities to raise money for both THON and our national charity. We went on many canning trips with our partners in the Delta Chi Fraternity, sent Thonvelopes, and created many fundraising events with the local restaurants such as Five Guys and Cold Stone. This year our chapter is working with two amazing THON families, who are loving and caring. It has brought our chapter so much pride to get to know these families and we are so excited to spend the weekend with them for THON weekend. Participating in such a meaningful organization has made every girl in our chapter proud to be supporting such a cause. In academics, our chapter gave out many pearls to the girls that earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher to recognize and reward their academic achievements.

As a whole chapter we work to improve our sorority, our school and our community. All year we work to spread awareness of the great benefits of sisterhood and the bonds formed in Kappa Kappa Gamma. However, like every other organization we have faced some challenges that we have worked to overcome together as a chapter united. Some chapter challenges that we have met in the past and continue to work on is being more organized with our documents and struggling to turn in important paperwork in on time.

Our members and the new CC has been working endlessly to overcome these challenges by working with our advisers and staying on top of our tasks. Every girl takes their individual responsibility seriously in order to achieve everything our chapter is capable of. The last challenge that we have met as a sorority is being able to handle a new pledge class of fifty- four girls, the biggest pledge class we have had yet. This was a challenge for not only our sorority, but all sororities on campus as the number of girls going through recruitment has increased yearly. Integrating such a big group of girls into our chapter brought about many organizational issues within the sorority. This is a challenge that we faced with grace and our now proud to say that by working together have successfully integrated the new pledge class.

Our Penn State campus has undergone many changes this year including new housing for all sororities to move into. Our chapter moved into a new building this spring semester. This move has given us the opportunity to meet the other sororities that also moved into the building, allowing all the sororities on campus to become closer to each other, and given all Pan-Hellenic women the opportunity to get to know each other and make us closer as a whole. There have also been some changes within Pan- Hellenic itself because new sororities have been invited to join the Greek community on campus. Some new sororities will be coming on to our campus for the upcoming year, and we have also said good -bye to other sororities that have left our campus. Pledge classes are now bigger than they have ever been on Penn State campus. This increased Greek life as a whole on campus.

As a chapter we continue to change and improve. Our members are still working tirelessly to represent Kappa Kappa Gamma accurately, giving our sorority the reputation that it deserves. As a chapter we stick together and support our sisters to the fullest. The biggest change within our chapter has been the increase in pledge class size and our sisters are also working very hard to include the new pledge class that has grown significantly this year and will probably continue to grow in the upcoming years.

==Highlights of 2014==
The Delta Alpha Chapter had a very rewarding year. At the 2014 convention, the Delta Alpha chapter was awarded the Chapter/Advisory Board Relations Award, as well as Honorable Mention for Greatest Improvement! We were also fortunate enough to had been given two awards from the Greek Column Awards ceremony. There we were awarded Chapter of Excellence and Most Improved Chapter by the Penn State Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. In addition, out chapter has flourished and took in a large, quota pledge class of 66 amazing New Members, who have all been initiated and remain dedicated to the sisterhood! For 2014 one huge goal was to attain that Chapter of Excellence status, so we are very proud to say we have accomplished that. We will continue to strive for this in 2015 and in years to come. Some other goals we have been working on and will continue to work on this year include establishing a signature philanthropy event and furthering member commitment and involvement at chapter events. These are both areas of struggle for our chapter that we have been making great strides in through strong leadership and standards. As evident by the Honorable Mention from Kappa and the award from Panhellenic, we have made great strides in 2014, but there is always room to grow.

Our Penn State campus has undergone many changes in the past year. One addition is the new south dorm located right near the sorority suites. There has also been a recent addition to the HUB-Student Center which is a great place for sororities to meet up and hold events. There have also been some changes within Panhellenic itself. New sororites have joined our campus and we have also said goodbye to others. Pledge classes are now bigger and greek life as a whole has really grown on the Penn State campus.

The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma holds chapter meetings weekly in the chapter room which is located on the ground floor of Ewing Hall. This building is owned by the Pennsylvania State University and is considered on campus dorm.

Thirty three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter get the opportunity to live on the sorority floor each semester. During the fall, six girls are placed in supplemental housing located in overflow housing. Then in the spring they get the chance to move onto the floor when other girls move out for study abroad. Our chapter was housed in Cooper Hall since 1958, and in January of 2014 we moved to the renovated Ewing Hall. In the renovated "Greek Village," suites are now located right on the chapters' floors, while they used to be all on the first floor. This gives the hall a more house-like feel. The suite was beautifully decorated and stocked with the help of our advisers and House Board.

==Highlights of 2015==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We had a very successful recruitment process and welcomed 59 New Members this fall! Our new sisters are so proud to be apart of our sisterhood, and are very enthusiastic to be a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s wonderful traditions.

We recently gained a new THON family and could not be more excited to be working with them! Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was the loss of two canning trips, where a majority of our fundraising for THON occurs. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we also are holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. We held a philanthropy event recently at a local church with 1-4 year olds to promote our philanthropy and it was a great success! Our sisters and the local children really enjoyed the time we spent together. One of our goals for this year that we will continue to strive for is to create a signature philanthropy event. We have been making remarkable achievements in 2015, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

Thirty three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

==Highlights of 2016==

The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. To go along with our outstanding honors, we also had a very successful recruitment process and welcomed 70 New Members this fall! Our new sisters are so proud to be apart of our sisterhood, and are very enthusiastic to be a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s wonderful traditions.
We gained a new THON family last year and are so excited to continue working with them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 2 trips. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.
We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2016 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. This fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2016, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.
Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.
Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

==Highlights of 2017==
The Delta Alpha chapter had an outstanding year. We progressed academically and continued to strive for greatness in our academics. This year, due to recent changes in policies on our campus, we did not do our usual Fall recruitment. Penn State University has changed the rules that there is to be no more Fall recruitment and it will only take place in the Spring. Although we did not have recruitment, we have been super busy planning for recruitment in the Spring and cannot wait to welcome new members when the time comes!

We gained a new THON family two years ago and are so excited to continue working with them. On another note, our second THON family decided to not continue with us because Jacob is now older. We wish him and his family the best of luck and always keep a special place in our hearts for them. Our THON families have brought our chapter so much pride and excitement to have the opportunity to dance FTK and spend the most amazing weekend with all of them. In the past there were 3 canning trips per year. One of the challenges that our chapter faced this year was only having 1 trip. Canning trips are where a majority of our fundraising for THON comes from. To overcome this challenge, we needed to be creative and think of alternative ways to support THON and raise funds For The Kids. Our chapter overcame this challenge together and brainstormed effective way to fundraise. Our sisters all sent out extra THONvelopes, donation boxes were set up around numerous hometowns, and we are also holding fundraisers at local restaurants, such as Cold Stone.

We have also been working hard towards promoting our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. We have been meeting with our RIF partners every week of 2017 and have goals to do more philanthropy for them this upcoming winter. Last fall we created an annual philanthropy event called Kappa Kookoff. This event was very successful and all of the profits were donated to “Out of the Cold”, a homeless shelter in State College. We are very excited that this event was such a success and we are looking forward to continuing it in future years! We have been making remarkable achievements in 2017, but there is always room to improve and continue to grow! We are very excited for the year to come.

Our Penn State campus always seems to be improving in one way or another. Our impressive campus offers renovated housing for each sorority, and each sorority floor has a suite as well. The suites are perfect places for our sisters to meet up and study in, or just relax together after a busy day of classes. The Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has a sorority suite located in the renovated Ewing Hall in the South Residence area, which is also where we hold our weekly chapter meetings in the chapter room on the ground floor of Ewing.

Thirty-three sisters of the Delta Alpha chapter are given a chance to live on the sorority floor each fall. In the spring, many of our juniors travel abroad, and this gives a numerous amount of other sisters the opportunity to move onto the floor for the spring semester. Living on the floor is a wonderful fortune that our sisters value.

-----------
'''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 Epsilon

2018-02-19T20:57:49Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Gamma Epsilon
|GreekSymbol= ΓE
|Image= [[File:Gamma_Epsilon.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1919|02|21}}
|College= [http://www.pitt.edu/ University of Pittsburgh]
|Location= Pittsburgh, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/gammaepsilon/ Gamma Epsilon Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Gamma_Epsilon Media related to Gamma Epsilon Chapter]}}

'''University of Pittsburgh – founded in 1787''' as Pittsburgh Academy on what was then the American frontier. It is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of higher education in the United States.

'''Chapter founded as Gamma Epsilon in 1919'''

'''1,690 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

----
'''Charter Members:'''

Irene Garrison Cramblet, Ruth Brown Crawford, Helena Kathryn Flinn, Thelma Marie Herron, Emma Irene Hopkins, Sarah Hudson, Katherine Ruth Johnson, Mary Alma Barton Johnson, Margaret Davis Loomis, Janet McDonald, Anna Marshall, Vera Leone Neish, Laura Elizabeth Niebaum, Harriet Elizabeth Smith, Elsie May Young.

'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''

Helena Flinn Ege, Fraternity Director of Alumnae 1944-1988, Fraternity President 1948-1952; Kelly Matyas Magyarics, Traveling Consultant 1995-1996; Leanne Aurich, Leadership Consultant 2009-2010

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

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

'''Additional Outstanding Gamma Epsilon Alumnae:'''

Patricia Nealon (Burt), Graduate Counselor 1970-1972

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

The University of Pittsburgh was chartered in 1787 as the Pittsburgh Academy. It became Western University of Pennsylvania in 1819, and in 1908 was named the University of Pittsburgh. The Cathedral of Learning, focal point of the university, is a 42 story building occupying two acres. It contains the famed Commons Room, which is modeled after an English castle great hall, and the nationality classrooms, which are furnished with materials and decorations from the respective countries. The nationalities represented are those to be found in the make-up of the diverse people who built Pittsburgh.

==The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)==
Gamma Epsilon Chapter received its charter in 1919 and since then has stood continuity and innovative change in fraternity life at the University of Pittsburgh. A Panhellenic first in housing is listed among the innovative changes.

Epsilon Rho Omicron was formed February 22, 1916 with the purpose of petitioning Kappa Kappa Gamma for membership. On February, 1919, this dream came true when Grand President Lydia Voris Kolbe, Akron, conducted installation ceremonies for the fifteen charter members.

Home for Epsilon Rho Omicron had been a room in Carnegie Library, or a member’s house. As Kappas, meetings were held in Heinz House which is a building given by H.J. Heinz as a place of recreation for women of the university. In 1921 Kappas shared their first house at 4633 Center Avenue with the Chi Omegas. Neither could have managed alone. Gamma Epsilon moved into its first home, 272 Bellefield Avenue, on May 13, 1922.

The chapter loved this house but soon knew it needed a larger one, so in 1929 a move was make to 401 Neville Street, next door to the Theta chapter. These were happy years, but as the chapter continued to grow, the desire grew to own a house. The fall of 1938 found the group at 165 North Dithridge Street, a house that was bought later. The move was celebrated with a party for all Greeks on the campus and a visit from Grand President Elizabeth Bogert Schofield, Butler.
All the women’s fraternity houses at Pitt were also student houses. There were many commuters and not enough Kappas living on campus to fill the house. Any woman student who was approved by the dean of women could live there. It was not until the 1959-60 school year that the house became all Kappa. By the time the mortgage burning celebration had been held for the house which twenty years before had been described as “the most beautifully decorated woman’s fraternity house on campus” and the future looked promising.

A bitter blow was struck in 1959. The university condemned the third floors of all the women’s houses as unsuitable for occupancy because of fire code violations. This made operation of the houses economically unsound. An so began the story of the building of the present Kappa house at 4401 Bayard Street, which is also the Kappa Alpha Theta house on Bellfield.

The first meeting of the Pittsburgh Kappas and Thetas took place at the suggestion of Executive Secretary Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State, on April 14, 1959. The decision of bother groups was that they did not want to move their chapters into the dormitory suites offered by the university so they chose to build together.

What seemed like hundreds of meetings later, money was raised by a joint Building Fund Committee. A Building Committee met with architects, builders and lawyers and the informal partnership became legal, establishing a Theta-Kappa Board of Management. Selling the Kappa house and tearing down the Theta house enable the cornerstone to be laid in January, 1964.
On September 8, 1964, the two chapters moved into “their house.” It marked a Panhellenic first: the housing of two fraternity chapters in one building, financed by monies given by alumnae and actives of the two groups from all over the world.

The Kappa – Theta duplex provides identical, but separate units. Each unit contains a living room, chapter room – dining room, kitchen, ten bedrooms which house twenty girls, a house director’s room and bath, the usual storage rooms, powder rooms and bathrooms. The chapters share a central fire tower which separates one unit from the other, as well as the mechanical rooms, laundry rooms, sunken patio, roof, and driveway. Inside, except for the size, the rooms bear no resemblance to one another, for each group decorates according to its own wishes. From the outside the pink brick building has a “town house” appearance. The house’s rectangular shape and the corner lot enabled the Thetas to retain the old Bellfield address, while the Kappa entrance is on Bayard Street.

Even Dedication Day, October 4, 1964, was a joint Kappa – Theta affair, with each fraternity holding its own service, and then joining with an open house for all fraternity and university friends. Now, more than ten years later Kappas and Thetas continue to live happily in “their house”.

Through the years Gamma Epsilon have striven to maintain a chapter of which the Fraternity could be proud. There are members of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Cwens, and many other honorary fraternities. Gamma Epsilon members have word the Homecoming Queen often, have been fraternity sweethearts many times, have been elected Senior Queen, and have served as president of the Women’s Self Government Association, Student Congress and Panhellenic members. Many editors of student publications have been Gamma Epsilons. Pitt’s Hall of Fame lists many Kappas, and each ear it is evident that Kappa keys are worn by student leaders. The chapter has taken first place in Greek Week, Greek Sing, and Homecoming, as well as other events. Gamma Epsilon has won both Fraternity and Beta Province awards for program and scholarship, including the Fraternity Finance Award and the Province Royalty Award.

Visits of Fraternity officers through the years have highlighted chapter meetings. A tea was given in honor of Helena Flinn Ege, Gamma Epsilon’s own charter member and former chapter president, when she became Fraternity president in 1948. Excitement, joy, and pride on such festive occasions were happily recorded.

The shape of the times is evident in the yearly chapter histories. They tell of banquets in the 1920s in the Schenley Hotel and the custom of making toasts. Members sold Fab soap to earn money to wallpaper a room. An influenza epidemic in 1928 forced cancellation of a formal dance. They tell of The Doll Cabaret used during rushing in 1929 when rushees were given French dolls to make and stuff by Kappas. Today owls are made for rushes.

The Kappa sponsored Sychor Club at Penn State, assisted in the installation of Delta Alpha in 1930 and in 1931, agonized over the Panhellenic ruling of “rushing without men.” The Gamma Epsilons purchased a baby grand piano in 1932, installing the first payphone in 1933, and christened it with a bottle of Coke.

The first annual Kappa –Delt reception for faculty took place in 1941. The Kappas sold Defense Bonds in 1942 and worked on benefit committees to earn money for the dean of women’s 12th floor.
On its 25th anniversary in February, 1944, Gamma Epsilon helped install Delta Xi Chapter at Carnegie Institute of Technology (renamed Carnegie Mellon University in 1967). Chapter members attended the installation of Delta Phi Chapter at Bucknell University in 1948.

Pitt adjusted to the trimester plan in 1959 and the KKΓs lived in the dormitory suite while their house was being built in 1963. They rejoiced because the chapter limit was raised from 30 to 50 members and watched the demise of women’s self government and the establishment of student government.

Gamma Epsilon hosed Beta Province Convention in 1969 and celebrated Gamma Epsilon’s 50th anniversary at the same time, saying “thank you” to the wonderful alumnae who worked with the chapter as advisers and house board members through the years.

A Kappa was selected as the first Pitt Woman in 1972 and there was pride in the fact that the chapter president of 1969-1970, Patrica Nealon, was chosen to be a graduate counselor.
Women students are important in the life of the university today, although it was not until 1895 that Pitt became coeducational. Today women are admitted to every school, and Gamma Epsilon members are currently enrolled in the schools of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and law, in addition to those working for undergraduate and other graduate degrees. Today women are members of the faculty, administration, and even Board of Trustees. In 1971 for the first time, a member of the student body was appointed to the University’s Board of Trustees. The student was a woman, a member of Gamma Epsilon. It is the hope of the chapter that it will continue to contribute much to the University of Pittsburgh, and that it will continue to instill into the lives of its members the high standards of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
--------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------

==Highlights of the 1980s:==

'''Housing:''' Paid off their mortgage in 1989

'''Philanthropy:'''

'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''

'''Trends:'''

After looking through the chapter scrapbooks, it was obvious that the members loved spandex, big hair, and bright colors, specifically neon, and denim. Ronald Regan was elected president in 1980, and the chapter participated by campaigning as a sisterhood together.

==Highlights of the 1990s==
In 1991, Gamma Epsilon became more recognized on campus by having four executives on Greek Week committee. High campus involvement continued after a sister was attacked in a campus building. The sisters ensured that campus was a safe place for studying and living with the help of Student Government to institute a shuttle and escort system. Sisters participated with MTV and their campaign “Rock the Vote” to get more students to vote.

'''Housing:'''

30-years after the house was built, each room received a facelift and the kitchen was renovated.

'''Philanthropy:'''

Every year, the sisters of Gamma Epsilon volunteered at a Halloween party benefiting the Children’s Hospital. They also worked for several years to gain the Cathedral Award through being involved in volunteer activities.

==Highlights of 2000-2010==
In remembrance of the one year anniversary of September 11th, sisters attended a ceremony wearing their letters to show chapter support. The chapter continued to show a strong presence on University of Pittburgh’s campus through having a high GPA and in 2010, they were awarded External Relations Award at the Cathedral Awards.

'''Housing:'''
In 2006, Gamma Epsilon bought the other half of their house and moved in. After an initial struggle of filling the house, the women were excited to have the whole house to themselves. To help in the housing transition, for Founders Day each sister created a quilt square that included chapter memories and inspiring quotes about sisterhood.

'''Philanthropy:'''
In 2009, Gamma Epsilon continued to hold many philanthropy events including Bowl-a-thon.

'''Convention Awards:'''
2002 Risk Management Award
2006 Greatest Scholarship Improvement Honorable Mention
2006 House Board Award
2006 Panhellenic Honorable Mention

==Highlights of 2011-2019:==

==Highlights of 2012==

In the spring our chapter participated in Greek Sing with Pi Kappa Alpha, although we did not place in the competition. Our chapter did succeed however in winning a week-long philanthropy event in April, Derby Days, which was hosted by Sigma Chi. As a result of this win, our chapter received a trophy in recognition for our efforts and a donation to a charity of our choice. Additionally, we received the Gracious Living Award from Nationals in June, while our Vice President of Standards attended the convention. Also in June, our house underwent renovations that resulted in improved conditions in two dorm quadrants of the building and our study room.

In September, our chapter sponsored a member's mother's artwork exhibit titled "Portraits of Lupus" by raising money through a Lunch Box Auction with members of Delta Tau Delta. Our chapter participated in a second Lunch Box Auction with the fraternity in November. Our chapter also raised money for the charities which we support through our annual Hot Dog Days. This year, we raised more money than we have ever raised in the past. In terms of campus-wide events, our chapter had many members participate in Pitt Make a Difference Day. In terms of nation-wide events, our chapter witnessed the fall 2012 election resulting in the re-election of President Obama.

There have been a variety of changes this year on campus. The first of which was a series of bomb threats targeted at various university buildings. The threats began in February and persisted through April. Members of our chapter were forced to evacuate their classrooms multiple times per week. The threats were both a nuisance but also a legitiate concern to many of our sisters. The person responsible for these threats was eventually identified by the FBI and resulted in an arrest. Students on campus were relieved of the burden of having their belongings searched before entering classrooms when they returned to campus in the fall. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett came to campus this past spring as well to explain the severe budget cuts that higher education will face (including Pitt). Some positive changes on campus included a new football coach, who coincidentally is one of our newer sister's father. The university is also in the process of building a new dorm building for freshmen that wil be complete this spring.

==Highlights of 2014==
Awards: Cathedral Standards of Excellence Risk Management Award

Special Events: Trip to Pittsburgh Zoo, "Welcome to the Sweet Life" Bid Day Celebration, Trip to Soergel's Orchard

Traditions: Dean's List Celebrations, Chapter Dinners, Founder's Day Celebration, Sister of the Week, Smart Cookies (sweets awarded weekly to sisters who have received an outstanding grade or employment/internship), Participation in Greek Sing and Pitt Dance Marathon

Philanthropic Involvement: Lunchbox Auction (fraternities bid for meals prepared by the sisters) and the Kappa Spelling Bee to benefit Reading Is Fundamental, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation; Participated in Pitt Make A Difference Day; Kappa Dog Days (sold hot dogs) to benefit Children's Miracle Network, Volunteer at Boys and Girls Club

Our chapter has grown substantially as a result of taking 33 new members during Fall '14 Recruitment. We're very excited about the diversity, creativity, and leadership experience these girls have brought to our chapter.

The chapter owns a house on Bayard Street which we acquired in full in 2006. Our chapter-owned house is occupied by approx. 35 sisters and a house mom. It is a 3-story building with a study room, TV room, dining room, formal room, and two kitchens. Our cook prepares meals for the sisters who live in on most days of the week.

Historical Badge: This badge is traditionally and currently worn by the chapter president. It once belonged to Olive Phillips, born 4/15/1815 and deceased 4/01/1915. Olive was initiated into the Rho Deuteron Chapter (Ohio Wesleyen) and as an "honorary" member.

==Highlights of 2015==
Awards: Cathedral Standards of Excellence Risk Management Award

Special Events: Sapphire Ball, Mardi Gras Bid Day Celebration, Trip to Soergel's Orchard, Alien Invasion Greek Sing Theme, Movie night bonding event with Tri Sigma, Holiday Decorating Party

Traditions: Dean's List Celebrations, Chapter Dinners, Founder's Day Celebration, Supportive Sister of the Week, Smart Cookies (sweets awarded weekly to sisters who have received an outstanding grade or employment/internship), Parent's Brunch

Philanthropic Involvement: Participated in Pitt Dance Marathon and Pitt Make a Difference Day, Lunchbox Auction (fraternities bid for meals prepared by the sisters), hosted Kappa Dog Days (hotdog stand and block party), and volunteered to read to and play with children from the Boys and Girls Club. We support Reading Is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Children's Miracle Network, and participate in numerous philanthropic events of other organizations.

A huge change that we had to adjust to was deferred recruitment. I order to switch from fall to spring, we had a formal recruitment in the fall for sophomores and ware gearing up for another one in January for freshman. This created a lot of extra work and innovation for our chapter as we had to make many adjustments to our schedule, housing, and budget. Additionally, changes were made to the housing board staff, we gained 10 new members in the fall, and we integrated the GYN system into our chapter to track study hours and maintain an accessible calendar.

==Highlights of 2016==

This year, Gamma Epsilon had their first formal spring recruitment and informal fall recruitment. This past
calender year we gained Spring 2016 and Fall 2016, making wonderful additions to our chapter. We
received an award for parent and alumni engagement in Cathedral Standards of Excellence, as well
as a Standards award at the Kappa convention. We had several successful sisterhood events; in
October, we went to Sorgels, the local pumpkin patch, and in December, we had a holiday event
where we decorated the house for the holidays and decorated cookies.

We participated in several philanthropy events hosted by other sororities and fraternities; we won Pi Kappa Alpha's wiffleball tournament, which raised money for one of their brothers that was diagnosed with Leukemia. We also placed first in Tri Sigma's Twister event, which raised money for their philanthropy. Our
chapter has also focused a lot on enhancing our leadership skills. In order to improve on this, one of our upcoming Chapter Council members volunteered to participate in a Greek leadership
academy, which taught Greek members how to be a supportive member, a strong leader, and handle conflict.

This year, our chapter really focused on trying to become more involved both in our Greek comminuty and on our campus with other non-greek organizations. One way we showed a great deal of support for greek life was by participating in the University of Pittsburgh's annual Pitt Dance Marathon. There, we had seventeen of our sisters raised over one hundred dollars each for Children's Miracle Network by either participating as a dancer (participants who stood and danced for the full sixteen hours) or dreamers (participants who remained active for eight hours). Through this, our sisters spent the day dancing and raising money with other greek organizations in order to raise money for the kids. Gamma Epsilon also wanted to support other clubs outside of the greek community, and one way we achieved this goal was by supporting one of Pitts improvisation clubs,
Rukus. We collaborated with Rukus in order to support the arts and raise money for the club by sending almost half of our chapter to watch one of their performances and provide them with
monetary contributions, part of which they donated to us to help support our philanthropy.

==Highlights of 2017==

The year has brought many fabulous events for Gamma Epsilon and they are as follows by each month:

January
World EventsInauguration of President Donald Trump
Kappa Events: Successful Formal Recruitment, Bid Day (welcomed 39 new members, biggest pledge class yet)

February
World Events: Super Bowl between the New England Patriots & the Atlanta Falcons with the Patriots winning, annual Stadium Series Penguins vs. Flyers hockey game with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning
Kappa Events: BIG MONTH IN THE WORLD OF KAPPA! successful Big/Little Reveal, annual Date Skate, participation in Sigma Chi Wrap-Up philanthropy event, Valentine’s Day bake sale with Delta Chi, Dean’s List Lunch composites, Initiation of all the new members, 2 sisters participated for the Steel City Step Show for the second year in a row

March
World Events: Celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and the beginning of warm weather FINALLY
Kappa Events: Greek Week, partnered with Pike for this year’s Lunchbox Auction and raised $828

April
Kappa Events: Senior Recognition Night, Bed Time Story themed Greek Sing with our partners Pi Kappa Phi, AEPi, and ZBT, participated in many panel events such as Delta Zeta’s soccer tournament and Pike’s volleyball tournament, annual PDM, Senior Date Party

September
World Events: Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, heat wave in Pittsburgh
Kappa Events: Apple Picking, Dog Days (raised $600)

October
World Events: Las Vegas Shooting
Kappa Events: Founder’s Day, Soergels Trip, KD Shamrock Powder Puff, sisters participating in Donut Dash, PMADD, Delta Chi Haunted House

November
Kappa Events: DIY Box with ATO, Dinner with ADPi, Formal, slate nominations & voting

December
Kappa Events: election of new Executive Board, Leadership Day

Awards: Risk Management

Special Events: Olympics themed Bid Day Celebration, Date Skate, Senior Date Party, Sapphire Ball, Trip to Soergel's Orchard

Traditions: Dean's List Celebrations, Chapter Dinners, Founder's Day Celebration, Sister of the Week, Smart Cookies, Participation in Greek Sing, Pitt Dance Marathon

Philanthropic Involvement: Lunchbox Auction, Participated in Pitt Make A Difference Day, Kappa Dog Days to benefit Children's Miracle Network, Volunteered at Boys and Girls Club, Sigma Chi Wrap-Up, Derby Days, Support Reading is Fundamental & the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation

Campus Events: Our chapter has grown by about 50% as a result of taking 39 new members during Spring '17 Recruitment. We're very excited about the what they will all individually bring to the chapter and the friendships and connections they will make along the way.

==Highlights of 2017==

January Events: Successful Formal Recruitment, Bid Day (welcomed 39 new members, biggest pledge class yet)

February Events: BIG MONTH IN THE WORLD OF KAPPA! successful Big/Little Reveal, annual Date Skate, participation in Sigma Chi Wrap-Up philanthropy event, Valentine’s Day bake sale with Delta Chi, Dean’s List Lunch composites, Initiation of all the new members, 2 sisters participated for the Steel City Step Show for the second year in a row

March Events: Greek Week, partnered with Pike for this year’s Lunchbox Auction and raised $828

April Events: Senior Recognition Night, Bed Time Story themed Greek Sing with our partners Pi Kappa Phi, AEPi, and ZBT, participated in many panel events such as Delta Zeta’s soccer tournament and Pike’s volleyball tournament, annual PDM, Senior Date Party

September Events: Apple Picking, Dog Days (raised $600)

October Events: Founder’s Day, Soergels Trip, KD Shamrock Powder Puff, sisters participating in Donut Dash, PMADD, Delta Chi Haunted House

November Events: DIY Box with ATO, Dinner with ADPi, Formal, slate nominations & voting

December Events: election of new Executive Board, Leadership Day

'''Awards:''' Risk Management

'''Special Events:''' Olympics themed Bid Day Celebration, Date Skate, Senior Date Party, Sapphire Ball, Trip to Soergel's Orchard

'''Traditions:''' Dean's List Celebrations, Chapter Dinners, Founder's Day Celebration, Sister of the Week, Smart Cookies, Participation in Greek Sing, Pitt Dance Marathon

'''Philanthropic Involvement:''' Lunchbox Auction, Participated in Pitt Make A Difference Day, Kappa Dog Days to benefit Children's Miracle Network, Volunteered at Boys and Girls Club, Sigma Chi Wrap-Up, Derby Days, Support Reading is Fundamental & the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation

'''Campus Events:''' Our chapter has grown by about 50% as a result of taking 39 new members during Spring '17 Recruitment. We're very excited about the what they will all individually bring to the chapter and the friendships and connections they will make along the way.

==Highlights of 2020s:==

'''Philanthropy:'''

'''Housing:'''

'''Convention Awards:'''

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

'''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 Rho

2018-02-19T20:34:50Z

GClymer74: /* Highlights of 2017 */

{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Gamma Rho
|GreekSymbol= ΓP
|Image= [[File:Gamma_Rho.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1888|02|13}}
|College= [http://www.allegheny.edu/ Allegheny College]
|Location= Meadville, PA
|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/gammarho/ Gamma Rho Homepage]
|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Gamma_Rho Media related to Gamma Rho Chapter]
}}

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'''Allegheny College established in 1815, Meadville, Pennsylvania'''

'''Founded February 13, 1888'''

'''2,087 initiates (as of June 2017)'''

'''Charter Members:'''
Kate Christy, Mary Eliza Christy, Carrie Frances Mount, Bessie Lucina Putnam, Jessie Wilhelmina Smith.

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'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
Gayle Gianniny (Stiles), Field Secretary 1977-1979; Lisa Morrison, Traveling Consultant 1987-1988

'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''

'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
Muriel Matson Kennedy, 1982, President of American Women in Radio and Television; health expert

'''Additional Outstanding Gamma Rho Alumnae'''
Norma Fix (Butts), Graduate Counselor, 1946-1947;
Phyllis Brooks (Cox), Graduate Counselor 1963-1964;
Dusty Elias (Kirk), Graduate Counselor 1978-1980;
Dawn Murray (Lawson), Chapter Consultant 1987-1988;
Lisa Morris, Chapter Consultant 1992;
Tricia Haller, Chapter Consultant 1992-1993

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==The Early Years==
The first president of Allegheny College was a descendent of John and Priscilla Alden, a Harvard graduate, Timothy Alden. Even though the college opened in 1815, women were not admitted until 1870. Since they were refused membership in the men’s literary societies, the Margaret Fuller Ossoli Society was founded for women. Men’s fraternities began to appear during the mid-1850s and 1860s. In 1876, three of the seven women on campus received a Kappa Alpha Theta charter, soon surrendered, and regained in 1881.

In the fall of 1887, nine female students organized themselves through correspondence and became the nucleus of Rho Chapter. The designation “Rho” had first been given to the chapter at Ohio Wesleyan. When the college administration forced that chapter to disband, the name was given to the chapter at the University of Cincinnati, which existed only briefly (but was later reinstalled as Beta Rho Deuteron). The chapter at Allegheny became the third Rho. When Fraternity policy changed in 1890, and the names of closed chapters were no longer reassigned, “Gamma” was prefixed to Allegheny’s Rho, to indicate it was the third of that name.

Minnie Barney (Wilson), Syracuse, editor of the Chautauquean, published in Meadville, initiated the five charter members on February 13, 1888. Within a few months, rooms in Hulings Hall were found, and they remained the chapter home until 1905. The uncle of two 1889 initiates, Lillian Manett (Morgan) and Eula Manett (Hill), presented the chapter with a well-formed skeleton, named Mrs. Potter-Brown. For years, the gift was a part of chapter rites. It was mentioned in the September 1890 issue of ''The Key''.

The Gamma Rho story is filled with the delicious adventures of Mrs. P.B., her theft, her recovery, her desecration—at one time was discovered on the Phi Gamma Delta mantel, holding a beer bottle and a cigarette! One year she became a Gamma Rho Christmas tree. It is stated that she has “gave much enjoyment and an air of excitement to many years of Gamma Rho activities.”
The thrill of living in Meadville in the 1890s is evident in The Key letters: We went on many chestnutting expeditions and risked our lives behind nervous horses.” (December 1891) … “Our newsletter would not be complete without a catastrophe to relate … the week following Commencement a boat containing two of our girls was overturned just at the pump-house in the ‘old canal.’ The current into the pump was very strong but they were rescued with no injury save the wetting.” (October 1892) … and (January 1893) “We are not making history at a very rapid rate … and in writing chapter letters have to be careful not to say too much and exhaust our resources, else when the next quarter comes we are lost.”

==The Early 1900s==
In August 1908, the General Convention was held at Allegheny. Men’s chapter houses were thrown open, Alpha Chi Omega gave a musical, a reception for the Grand Council was held and the assembled Kappas were presented to the townspeople at a lawn fete. There would never be enough space for it to happen again.

The centennial of the college was celebrated in 1915 and a historical pageant involving every student put all other matters aside. Gamma Rhos played roles involved with Meadville’s founding. Several children taking part later became Kappas and the slanted observation of the 1930 chapter historian was that these tots had “attentively noticed the golden keys so prominent on the campus.”

An addition had been built to Hulings Hall in 1905 and a move made to the fourth floor, women’s dormitory section. The women’s fraternities were quartered there with a living room and kitchenette, apiece. A Panhellenism not possible in separate houses was possible in this cozy arrangement. The girls lent or borrowed ingredients for recipes, in a spirit of affectionate reciprocity.
From 1888 to 1930, there were 30 Phi Beta Kappas among the Gamma Rhos. Other prominent members included writers and editors Bessie Lucine Putnam, Katherine Dewey Wilson and Edna Yost. Louise Bollard More was the dean of women at Ohio Wesleyan and Helen McCormick Sprague held the same position at Geneva College.

Other Gamma Rhos of note include Hildegarde Dolson (Lockridge), writer; Jane Beranice Eckert, educator; Jean Risser Aiken, assistant dean, University of Pittsburgh; Marian Whieldon Bell and Sara McQuiston Clark, civic workers; Joan Martin Douglas, clubwoman; Gladys Haddad, assistant professor of education and director of the new office of College Community Field Studies, Lake Erie College; Marguerite Kift Pritchard, artist; Dorothy Allen Wisehart, business executive. All of these alumnae are included in Who’s Who of American Women.

Other alumnae serving as role models include Dawn Dwight Bouse, an IBM executive in Dayton; Joanne Bochel Carroll, director of Cambria County Welfare Services; Carol Sholle Schupp, director of student activities, University of Maryland, Munich, Germany, campus; Donna Marie Guenter (Baillere), who received a Kappa fellowship in medicine; and Jane Davis Schaefer, wife of the governor of Pennsylvania.

At Allegheny, freshman rushing was abolished in 1936 and sophomore rushing was limited by a quota and preferential bidding. Plans for the “New Allegheny” were formulated in 1938. This meant that the old Hulings Hall would be incorporated in a new women’s dormitory. The chapter newsletter, Gamma Rhote, was started in 1936.

==World War II Years==
Gamma Rho felt the influence of World War II during the 1940s. The chapter began a philanthropy program and members broadened their interests to include cultural meetings, an accelerated scholastic program, knitting, rolling bandages, selling bonds and clothing babies in Norway. During this time, there was no May Day celebration and serenades were eliminated.

The Kappa library was improved, redecorating and Saturday night socials were resumed as times allowed during the 1940s. Permission hours for Monday through Thursday were set at 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. for weekends. Boys had to be out of the house by midnight and drinking was not permitted, nor were overnight guests.

'''Changes and Unrest'''
In the 1950s, the Kappas were stressing public relations and an increase in personal philanthropy. However, as outside involvements progressed, scholastic achievement regressed, and the scholarship program had to be reemphasized. Gamma Rho hosted the Beta Province Convention, supported several war orphans, collected and reconditioned old toys and clothing, and pledges volunteered at a hospital for crippled children.

Changes and unrest, as well as Vietnam involvement marked the 1960s. Major issues at Gamma Rho were chapter integration and efficiency. The Fraternity faced self-examination concerning “relevance” from the national to local levels. The Kappas were first in Panhellenic scholarship on campus several times. Phyllis Leslie Brooks (Cox) became Graduate Counselor at Auburn University. “Ask not what Kappa can do for you, but what you can do for Kappa” was the slogan of the times.

Motivators such as the Kappa of the Month pillow and Fleur of the Week were begun. Suzanne Kidervatter was Allegheny’s student ambassador to Ceylon. The Fraternity approved the first pledging of a girl after she had been out of the chapter for more than a year. Kappa Kalendar and Kappa Klutz Award were introduced as Elsie Etiquette was eliminated. Mary Lou Lehman (McGee) became a Graduate Counselor at West Virginia in 1968. Allegheny tried some pass-fail courses and disputed women’s permission hours.

There were open houses in the dormitories twice a week and the university allowed 18-hour dorm visitations. Alpha Xi Delta disbanded and Panhellenic lowered the cumulative average requirement for pledging to 2.0. An alumna donated an opal key badge, which the chapter President would wear.
Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Chi Omega temporarily disbanded in the early 1970s. Some Gamma Rhos resigned and the chapter had a re-evaluation. Talk sessions led to new goals and aims as well as the elimination of some offices, but chapter unity was strengthened through personal awards and buddy activities. Kappa’s strength in unity and spirit precipitated a new Panhellenic quota of 64 in a chapter and a guaranteed pledge class of 16.

The Kappas and the Phi Gams staged many battles over the years for the possession of the treasured skeleton, Mrs. Potter-Brown. An unwritten pledge between these two chapters terminated the shenanigans in 1959. The Kappas, feeling that they should put Mrs. P. B. carefully away, packed her in a laundry box, and as the story goes, mailed her to a “caretaker” in Pittsburgh for safekeeping in 1963. Following this, the Gamma Rhos lost track of Mrs. P. B. Suddenly, she turned up in the attic of a Kappa. In 1966, she participated with the Gamma Rhos in a party during rush week. While she was on display, several Phi Gam pledges loudly disrupted the party in a brave attempt to steal Mrs. P. B. They failed, and the Phi Gams were placed on probation by the college.

Since that time, Mrs. P. B. has only come out on special and rare occasions. The remainder of the time she stays securely packed away in a comfortable spot, known only to two members of the chapter. Mrs. P. B. has given much enjoyment and an air of excitement to many years of Gamma Rho actives and Gamma Rho hopes to keep her for many years to come.

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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.
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==Highlights of the 1970s==
It was very common to get married right after graduation, so ceremonies like "the pinning ceremony" to announce pinnings, engagements, etc. were very popular. With the end of the Vietnam war, more opportunities were opening for women, and sororities were considered old fashioned and irrelevant. So members of Gamma Rho remember a focus on survival of the chapter as numbers began to dwindle. The sisters overcame this challenge by encouraging girls to join Kappa so that Gamma Rho could be like their family away from home.

==Highlights of the 1980s:==
Gamma Rho celebrated their centennial in 1989 by refurnishing its house with new tables and curtains. After sexism became a prevalent issue on campus, the Kappas with sisters from the other organizations banned together to rid the campus of sexist events. With a goal of raising morale, the chapter chose to do more events focused on sisterhood and wellness.

'''Philanthropy''':

The Gamma Rho chapter began serving at a nursing home. Allegheny College Greek Sing Winner 1986

'''Awards'''

In 1989, the chapter received Province awards in Most Improved Scholarship and Best Pledge Program.

General Convention - Gracious Living Award 1986-1988

==Highlights of the 1990s==

Gamma Rho’s main focus during these years was scholarship. After winning multiple awards for scholarship, the chapter continued to raise their GPA using several different programs such as “Strive for Pie” where the chapter goal as 3.14.

'''Philanthropy:''' Each year, the Gamma Rho chapter sponsored a child for whom they would raise money each semester as well as a participated in other Sorority and Fraternity philanthropy events.

'''Awards:'''
Gamma Rho received the Gracious Living Award and Efficiency Award honorable mention at the 1990 Fraternity Convention.
Award of Merit Beta Province - Scholarship Improvement 1989-1991
Beta Province Meeting 1995 received the Academic Excellence Award
Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity - Golden Key Award Challenge to Excellence 1994-1995
Allegheny Greek - Panhellenic Award for Academic Achievement 1995
Allegheny Greek - Most Outstanding Chapter 1995

==Highlights of 2000-2010==

Kappa is known at Allegheny for its beautiful women, strong leaders, and academic excellence. In 2006 the chapter won awards in many events, including most beautiful display for our first recruitment event. Our recruitment went extremely well, with our "top 15" pledges accepting bids in the and an addition of three amazing new members in the fall.

During recruitment this year we will be trying a new philanthropy event. Since many of our sisters are involved volunteering at the Crawford County Humane Society, we are going to have the girls make dog biscuits with the sisters. This will be a fun way to get "down and dirty" with the potential new members. We hope this will allow the girls to let down their guard while seeing the importance of community service here in Gamma Rho.

For the second year in a row the chapter won Sorority Football, a competitive event put on by one of our fraternities to raise money for their philanthropy. It also won many activities at Greek Awards, including pie eating contests and tug -of-war. Our girls put on hilarious dances for Greek Sing and SAMS, a lip sync contest for multiple sclerosis. Kappa once again raised the most money of any participating club on campus. Lastly, more than 80% of the sisters participated in Relay For Life, where the chapter had three participating teams. One of our teams raised the most money of any other team at the college.

The chapter was very proud of its accomplishments this year! Chapter moral stayed high as Gamma Rho continued to raise philanthropy money through their own events and participating in other events such as Greek Sing. The chapter continued to be a strong influence on campus in many ways.
The Allegheny campus is rural, green, and friendly. Greek life makes up less than 25% of the population, and we make a big name for ourselves.

Gamma Rho is the strongest chapter on campus, very popular among the Greek community and the rest of campus. It is a tight-knit group with lots of spirit. For a small school, 81 members is a huge number. The chapter is the largest chapter on campus this year. Though we do not have a chapter house, many of our sisters are so close that they choose to live together. We are known as leaders at Allegheny. Many of our sisters are in charge of other student organizations. Members are in the running for most community service hours earned.

Allegheny considered bringing a fifth sorority to campus. The Panhellenic council surveyed campus and the Greek community to research the concerns of all sides. Though adding another sorority may lower each sorority’s numbers, it will allow for more women to go Greek at Allegheny. Also, it will ensure each girl has an option of a sorority that is really a great fit for her. The chapter believes that it will only benefit from the addition of a new sorority. A few of the sisters volunteered to help the sorority to get started. Gamma Rho will also continue to ensure we have the strongest recruitment as possible.

Our Standards committee has taken on the task of dealing with attendance issues. Unlike other chapters on our campus, Gamma Rho does not fine members for failure to participate. However, sometimes there is a poorer turnouts for events that are not purely social. The upper claaamen particularly struggle with excellent attendance. The VPS is doing an excellent job of making each sister realize that every event is important for a strong chapter. Improvement in attendance can already be seen.

In 2007, Gamma Rho displayed items from the archives in the chapter suite. As a chapter we display awards, trophies, and other Kappa memorabilia in bookcases in the suite. It is one of Gamma Rho's goals for the year to create a more meaningful display.

The past year for Gamma Rho has been quite successful. We started off the year gaining seventeen wonderful new members. Everyone from the 2007 pledge class was initiated successfully. The year continued with the award for most money raised at the event Students Against Multiple Sclerosis as well as Relay for Life. Gamma Rho held Sapphire Ball and Party semi-formals. The semester ended with Gamma Rho co hosting a Carnival with Sigma Alpha Epsilon where both chapters raised money for their philanthropies.

When the fall 2007 semester started Gamma Rho was unable to take a fall pledge class because of the full-house limits. The chapter is proud to say that Gamma Rho created a new event which was held in the end of September this year, Special Person's Brunch. Each sister was encouraged to invite one special person in her life to have brunch with the chapter. We started the first annual Kappa Dodgeball Tournament where sisters worked together to raise money for RIF. Greek Week followed this event, where the Gamma Rho's shined. The chapter won Greek Sing as well as placing in many of the Greek Week events. The fall semi-formal followed with a theme of Fairytale. During Halloween, the Gamma Rhos sold candy bags for a trick or treat sale to raise money for RIF. In November, we held the annual elections and things ran seamlessly. The semester ended with a traditional Kappa Holiday Party.

Allegheny College as well as Gamma Rho has been focused on community service for the past year. The sisters and many other students of Allegheny have come united together to help out the surrounding communities.

During the past year the chapter has raised the most money as a group of Students Against Multiple Sclerosis and Relay For Life. Each sister volunteered during the annual Make a Difference Day and we held many other events such as our Carnival and Kappa Kisses Sale to raise money for RIF.

The major challenge plaguing Gamma Rho this year was attendance and participation. The primary challenge was to increase attendance at non-mandatory events. A change has been encouraged by giving sisters more advance time to plan for these events, as well as using email to get the word about events to sisters more quickly. A Keeper of the Key award was introduced. It is given to a sister who goes above and beyond the call of sisterhood. This award encourages attendance and dedication.

During 2008, Gamma Rho displayed many articles from its archives in the suite. Kappa memorabilia that highlights our chapter’s interesting history was displayed. Since the chapter is not housed, the memorabilia in the displays is rotated so that the members have a chance to see as much of the chapter history as possible.

Gamma Rho started 2008 by pledging 23 new sisters in its pledge class. They all completed their pledge period and were initiated. The chapter also began utilizing RR again. Very soon after our chapter participated in a campus sponsored event called (Students Against Multiple Sclerosis). Kappa raised the most money out of all the organizations on campus who participated. We were also very involved with Relay for Life having all of our sisters participating, and even many of them in very important leadership positions. For our individual philanthropy we raised money buy selling Kappa Kisses for Valentines Day, and also co hosted a Carnival with the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Both chapters raised money for their philanthropies as well as interacting with the campus community and the Meadville community. Gamma Rho also had two successful semi-formals, Sapphire Ball and Party.

The Fall 2008 semester started off by pledging seven new sisters who were successfully initiated after their new member period in which they learned the ideals of Kappa. In the fall we held many events to raise money for our philanthropy. The first event was with the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi. It was a volleyball tournament in which the proceeds went evenly to both our philanthropies. We also sold raffle tickets and auctioned off a digital camera at our Homecoming game. The camera was donated by a Kappa alumna. We also sold candy bags around Halloween, and had our first pumpkin carving contest. Our second annual Kappa Dodgeball tournament was held.

Throughout the semester we partnered with the headstart programs of Meadville and began Kappa Headstart. This program entails sisters from our chapter volunteering the same time every week to help the teachers with the different children are working on socially or academically at the time. It has been very successful and we are carrying it on into the year of 2009. Greek Week was the event in the fall. Gamma Rho shined in many of the events with sisters participating and making Kappas very proud of their sorority and their good sportsmanship. We held a fall semi-formal themed Kappa Kasino. There were cards and casino type games for the sisters and their dates to play. There was a sisterhood event help by our VP Standards in which our chapter rented a bed a breakfast and played bonding games very late into the night. We ended the semester in true Kappa form.

The elections of the new Chapter Council went flawlessly with electing 18 sisters to help lead and guide Gamma Rho in the year of 2009. We also have a member of our chapter who was selected for the Panhellenic position of Public Relations chairman, and there were many sisters who were selected to be Recruitment Counselors for 2009 formal rush.

Allegheny College, Gamma Rho, and the rest of the organizations on campus have been creating a unified feeling with the inauguration of our new college President Jim Mullen. The theme "We Are Allegheny" has made this campus an open and supporting community of which Gamma Rho is very proud.

We have chosen to support the students of the Allegheny College by having sisters at the philanthropy events for other sororities and fraternities, and also supporting the clubs, teams, and extra curricular activities of our sisters and the campus as a whole.

The chapter had been having trouble with enthusiasm and participation. The problem has thankfully been lessened as more and more girls are supporting their sisters and being leaders even when they are not in positions of direct leadership.

It was a great 2009 for Gamma Rho. The year began with a successful recruitment process that allowed the chapter to welcome 18 new sisters into our pledge class. After completing their pledge period, the girls were initiated at the end of February. Soon after initiation, our chapter participated in a campus-wide event called SAMS ( Students Against Multiple Sclerosis). Kappa won for the most money raised and best costumes out of all of the organizations that participated. The chapter was also very involved in Relay for Life, having all of our members participate in the event as well as several sisters hold leadership positions on the Relay for Life committee.

For philanthropy, the chapter raised money by selling Kappa Kisses for Valentine's Day, and co hosted a Carnival with Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The chapter held two formals; first Sapphire Ball and then Party at the end of the Semester. The Fall 2009 semester began by pledging nine new members who were initiated after their new member period. This fall many events were held to raise money for philanthropy. The chapter hosted a volleyball tournament with Phi Kappa Psi and the proceeds were split evenly between each chapter’s philanthropies. Around Halloween we sold candy bags to raise money for RIF. In addition to philanthropy events, we participated in Greek Week. Kappa shined in the tug-o-war during Greek Olympics and in Greek Sing at the close of the week where we earned second place. The sisters made Gamma Rho very proud throughout the entire week with their pride in their sorority and good sportsmanship.

We also held a fall formal themed "The Notorious KKG." The following weekend, we attended a sisterhood retreated planned by our VP of Standards and her committee. We rented out a bed and breakfast and spend the night playing fun bonding games. That fall we also hosted our "special persons brunch" in which each sister invited a person that is special to them to come to a nice brunch and learn more about what we do in Kappa. Throughout the entire year numerous sisters volunteered their time with the Meadville Head Start program in which they read to underprivileged children. In addition, our entire chapter donated books and school supplies to the program to get the children excited about reading and learning.

Allegheny College as well as Gamma Rho has been focused on unity and community service for the past year. The members as well as numerous members of other organizations have come together to help the surrounding community. Once such event is "Make A Difference Day," in which students offered an entire day of service to people in need of Meadville.

As a chapter, Gamma Rho raised the most money as a group for SAMS and Relay For Life and well as participated in countless other events to raise money for our philanthropy. Many of the sisters also volunteer their time once a week to go to Meadville's Head Start program and read to underprivileged children. We continued to support our fellow students by attending other fraternities and sororities' philanthropy events in addition to Allegheny's sports teams and clubs events.

We were having some trouble getting sisters to sign up for tabling in the campus center for events such as Kappa Kisses, Halloween Candy bags, ect. However by requiring every girl to table at least three times a semester and giving Kappa Cash to use at the end of the year chapter auction, there has been a great improvement in tabling participation.

'''Philanthropy:''' A new philanthropy event, Kappa DodgeBall was instituted. The chapter also held a Carnival with Sigma Alpha Epsilon as part of their philanthropy and continually raised large sums of money.

==Highlights of 2011-2019==

==Highlights of 2011==

The year 2011 proved to be successful for Gamma Rho. The chapter started off the year by pledging 19 new sisters in formal recruitment. The pledge class completed its pledge period and was initiated. Soon after recruitment, our chapter participated in SAMS (Students Against Multiple Sclerosis) and won the award for most money raised out of all of the organizations on campus who participated.

In February, we raised money for the Rose McGill Fund by hosting a philanthropy event, Kappa Kisses. February ended with a successful semi-formal, Sapphire Ball. Additionally, we sold skittles to benefit RIF on St. Patrick’s Day. At the end of March, with help from the men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, we hosted the first annual KKG-SAE Talent Show. The talent show was a major success, raising money for both chapters’ philanthropies as well as showcasing talents from all across campus. Kappa was also very well-represented at Relay for Life with many sisters in leadership positions, as well as having almost the entire chapter participate.

The semester ended with a wonderful party as well as the award for highest sorority GPA on campus! The fall semester began with the addition of eight new members through informal recruitment. The new members completed their pledging period and were initiated. During September, the sisters of Gamma Rho worked very hard and won first place at Greek Sing! A volleyball tournament held in September was organized with the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi and benefited both of our philanthropies.

November began with a Special Persons Brunch, where each sister invited a parent, sibling, or friend to show them a little bit about Kappa at Allegheny. The chapter joined with the SAEs to volunteer at Fresh from the Vines, a local, sustainable farm and bakery. Later in the month, a sisterhood retreat took place with almost our entire chapter at a bed and breakfast in a neighboring town. The retreat proved to be a perfect and relaxing opportunity to bond with each other. The year ended in faultlessly electing 18 well-qualified sisters to each of the Chapter Council positions as well as celebrating the holiday season with a festive semi-formal, Yule Ball.

The college has decided to develop a long-term plan for sorority housing. Allegheny has also decided to allow Phi Gamma Delta to recruit new members again after having left the campus in recent years.

The overall nature of the Gamma Rho chapter is optimistic, spirited, and whole-hearted. We participate in campus-wide events, especially philanthropy events of other fraternities and sororities. The sisters of Gamma Rho thoroughly enjoy spending time together and getting to know each other better.

Unfortunately, in the fall of 2011, the Gamma Rho chapter underwent disciplinary action because of a violation of the Panhellenic constitution on Bid Day. Our status changed from a chapter in good-standing to a chapter on warning of probation. Many guidelines now govern our chapter to help it return to a chapter in good-standing again. One of the guidelines is that the chapter holds only one chapter-wide event each week and a sisterhood event each month with 90% of the chapter attending each of these. The chapter has been extremely dedicated to following these criteria by implementing new attendance policies and event planning systems. Furthermore, the women of Gamma Rho find it very important to strengthen the bond between the members and the Fraternity in order to rebound from the aforementioned situation.

The Greek organizations and members shared a camaraderie on campus that seemed to separate them from unaffiliated students. With this in mind, Kappa made Homecoming floats, had parties, and shared in little traditions with the men’s fraternities on campus. Many of the sisters of Gamma Rho were athletes, so they shared the time that they weren’t at practice together. A trend at this time seemed to be that the sororities, KKG included, would pull pranks on the men’s fraternities, stealing little objects and banners, or putting lipstick hearts on their windows. Overall, the campus seemed joyous, and Kappa was a fun, loving safe-haven for the sisters of Gamma Rho.

The only challenge was that of attendance at events. A lot of this issue was due to the fact that many of the sisters were athletes as well, so their time was split between practice, games, and Kappa. This problem was dealt with by the addition of rewards for high attendance.

The chapter sent 12 sisters to the 2011 Province Meeting at Washington & Jefferson College. The chapter won the “New Member Program” award, given to the chapter exemplifying an exceptionally strong new member program. It was an amazing weekend that helped elevate spirit and unity within the chapter. Additionally, Gamma Rho and other area chapters were invited to attend a new Beta West LEAD Seminar hosted by the Kappas of the University of Pittsburgh. It was an extremely successful event in which we played games, formed bonds with sisters from neighboring chapters, and were able to leave our worries about school behind for a day.

During the past year, Gamma Rho has worked hard to promote the chapter by excelling in academics and encouraging high chapter morale. By revamping our Kappa Karnival into a new “Do It for the Kids” Talent Show, we helped to boost campus support of the Reading is Fundamental program, while working to spark a new chapter tradition. Gamma Rho’s accomplishments of the year also include raising the most money among campus organizations for the Students Against Multiple Sclerosis Lip-Synching Competition. In addition, Gamma Rho earned the highest GPA among Greek chapters at Allegheny, proving that the members really are the wisest owls on campus!

I look forward to spending another amazing year with the women of Gamma Rho, and I am sure the chapter will continue to flourish each year. I could not be more proud of our unbelievably gifted sisters. If Gamma Rho is a representation of chapters across the county, the future of Kappa will surely be bright.

Throughout the past semester, the Standards Committee made strengthening the bonds of sisterhood within Gamma Rho a top priority. Starting in January, a special sisterhood event has been held each month to give members an opportunity to spend time and have fun with their sisters. The first event, a Kappa Kappa Pajama Party, had nearly the whole chapter crowding into the Kappa suite in their most stylish sleepwear to enjoy a movie and get to know our newest pledge class. Other events that have been held include a Tie-Dye Party/Barbecue and a Monte Carlo & Mocktails night. Upcoming events include a dinner outing, a scary movie night near Halloween, and the annual overnight retreat to the D’Casa Bed & Breakfast in Franklin, PA (formerly known as the Peach Basket Bed & Breakfast). This year’s fall retreat will be held the day after initiation, so it will surely be an exciting weekend for all.

In addition to holding monthly events to celebrate Kappa sisterhood, the Standards Committee also recognizes one Gamma Rho member weekly for being an especially faithful sister. The Soaring Owl of the Week Award was given each week to a sister who the members believed had been the unsung hero of the chapter. The sister chosen for the award receives special recognition at the weekly Standards meeting, a certificate, and a small gift.

By continuing to encourage the priceless friendships found within the chapter and acknowledging those who best uphold Kappa’s standards, it is hoped that our sisterhood stronger than ever.

Gamma Rho has done exceedingly well throughout the years in surpassing the all-College GPA. The sisters of KKG soared to new heights during the semester of 2011, earning an average GPA of 3.29 and achieving the highest GPA among all the sorority chapters on campus. The chapter is thrilled to report this achievement and proud of each member for working hard to increase academic excellence in the chapter. The members have continued the tradition of the “Wise Owl of the Week” award presented during chapter meetings to acknowledge a sister’s hard work and dedication to academic excellence. The chapter is filled with many wise owls who work hard in and out of the classroom, including weekly study hours in the suite. We also have continued the “Kappa Kores” competition, which encourages members to record grades, step up their leadership in the chapter, and rewards them for their hard work. The new pledge class has certainly taken a great part in our accomplishments, showing much enthusiasm for its academic endeavors and how they relate to membership in the chapter.

'''Philanthropy'''

The sisters of Gamma Rho have had an eye-opening but revitalizing experience with philanthropy this year. Kappa Kappa Gamma's national philanthropy, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), lost its national funding. This event could have had tumultuous consequences on the morale of our chapter, but instead, the sisters rallied together to create new and innovative fundraisers to support Reading is Fundamental.

In February, Gamma Rho held its Valentine's Day fundraiser called Kappa Kisses. The sisters sold Hershey kisses and spiced up the sale by also selling "songs." Any member of the Allegheny community could purchase a song for a friend, and the sisters of Kappa would publicly serenade them. For St. Patrick's Day, Gamma Rho sold bags of Skittles, which went very well. In an effort to revitalize the Reading Is Key event, the sisters of Gamma Rho brainstormed and decided to launch a campus-wide talent show. Both Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Kappa hosted the show, raising money for Reading is Fundamental and showcasing some excellent talent in the Greek and college communities. In addition, the sisters of Gamma Rho will continue to work with Head Start, an integral part of Meadville's elementary school, and will host the Active Aging service mixer with Kappa Alpha Theta. Phi Kappa Psi and the Gamma Rho members will again team up for a sports fundraising event in the late fall. Gamma Rho hopes to continue to develop the passion and dedication to both Reading is Fundamental and the Rose McGill Fund. The upcoming semester will be especially important in advancing Kappa’s education and efforts toward philanthropy.

==Highlights of 2012==

The Gamma Rho chapter at Allegheny College proved to have an eventful and very much beneficial year in 2012. We started off the Spring semester by gaining seventeen wonderful new sisters. Our new members participated in SAMS (Students Against Multiple Sclerosis) by performing a dance/lip-singing competition and we raised the most money again! As Valentines Day rolled around we launched our annual Kappa Kisses were we sell candy packages and songgrams to the students and faculty of our campus, all profits were contributed to the Rose McGill Fund.

We then had our annual Saphire Ball in which everyone had an enjoyable time to keep us going through the semester. Then along came our big philanthropy event of the semester: the "Do It For the Kids" Talent Show hosted by KKG and SAE. We received many acts of all sorts that attracted a wide variety of the campus to support our two philanthropies, while enjoying a night of quality talent. When we came back for the Fall semester we gained four new sisters that made great contributions to our chapter. To kick off the semester we held our first RIF event of the semester on a Saturday where we stuffed the envelopes that were being sent out in the Pittsburgh area raising awareness and gaining support for Reading is Fundamental.

We held a Fall Formal around Halloween that allowed all of the sisters to enjoy a nice evening together. Finally, when the semester began to wind down we held an event with Alpha Chi Omega, called "Alpha Chais and Kappacinos" where we provided free coffee and donuts to our peers while studying hard for all of their finals. We established fun and unique sisterhood events each month sometimes including other sororities on campus some of which included movie nights, cupcake decorating, and philanthropy work. In addition, our Chapter Council has implemented a round robin letter describing what our chapter's plans are each month that is sent to our advisors. Our goals are focused on forming better connections with advisors and utilizing their skills to further the strength of Gamma Rho.

This year Phi Gamma Delta was brought back to Allegheny's campus where we helped in the process of nominating their founding fathers and then all headed out for "A Night With the FIJIs" to welcome them to Greek life. Our chapter has seen a very beneficial improvement in the running of chapter council and the organization of our chapter overall. We wrapped up the Fall semester having successfully elected our new chapter council and preaping for the transition. As a chapter, we set some goals to follow the bilaws more effectively and have made some changes to things that have since completely improved. With the new year ahead we see ourselves opening up new doors and pushing Gamma Rho to reach it's full potential.

==Highlights of 2013==

The Gamma Rho chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began their 2013 spring semester by welcoming twenty beautiful new members into their home. Shortly after, the new member pledge class participated in a campus-wide philanthropic event, SAMS (Students Against Multiple Sclerosis), a lip-synching competition that raises money and awareness for those suffering with Multiple Sclerosis. Gamma Rho successfully raised the most money for this noteworthy cause.

In addition to SAMS, Gamma Rho’s members worked to raise money for the Rose McGill Fund through their annual Kappa Kisses and Song-grams event. Students had the opportunity to purchase either a delicious Valentine’s Day treat or an entertaining song-gram for another lucky individual. Along with this holiday event, the Gamma Rho chapter made great strides with their local philanthropy, Head Start of Meadville, PA. Every week, sisters volunteered at Head Start in order to read to children, clean toys, and tag books, along with many other tasks. Through much hard work and endless effort, Kappa was able to raise enough money to bring back a Book of the Month club at Head Start. Every month, each child at Head start received a book in order to encourage their interest in reading. Having the opportunity to implement a literacy program at Head Start has meant so much to us, considering the parallel that it has with our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. In April, along with the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Kappa worked arduously to promote our main philanthropic event: ‘Do it For the Kids’ talent show! After a night filled with great performances, Kappa and its co-sponsor raised over $1300 for their respective philanthropies. Kappa also joined with another sorority on campus, Alpha Chi Omega, to provide students with light refreshments during finals. Our mini-event, Alpha Chai’s and Kappachinos, put a smile on many faces while finals week drudged on.

In addition to our many philanthropic endeavors, the sisters of Kappa worked endlessly to promote academic excellence within our chapter. Every month, sisters were constantly encouraged to log their study hours and gather for group study sessions to maintain productivity and time management. Worksheets were created to help implement stronger organizational skills in order to aid with procrastination and other unfavorable study habits. After a semester of tough academic schedules, three members of Gamma Rho achieved a 4.0 grade point average. We couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments! Furthermore, the chapter’s suite on the fourth floor of Brooks underwent major renovations over the previous year. Painted a lovely pale blue, filled with new furniture and an owl figurine, the newly renovated suite projects an air of optimism and happiness throughout every chapter meeting and sisterhood event.

Our alumni-relations grew much stronger over the past few months. In an effort to reestablish correspondence between alumnae and active members, a pen-pal program was created. Through this program, active members were able to connect and create lasting relationships with past sisters of Gamma Rho. Along with the pen-pal program, our Alumni Chair challenged each member to trace her respective key family back through time. Through this investigation, the sisters of Gamma Rho were able to successfully identify members of their key-family from over a decade ago! The largest alumni-relations event of the year, however, was Gamma Rho Chapter’s 125th anniversary celebration. On October 19th, 2013, the active members of Gamma Rho invited dozens of alumnae back to Allegheny’s Campus to celebrate 125 years of sisterhood. Much preparation was done in order to pull off this spectacular event. Each sister wrote letters to alumni informing them of the event and of their excitement and eagerness to welcome them back onto campus. Centerpieces were crafted to create a warm and peaceful atmosphere during the luncheon. An entertaining skit was composed to remind alumnae of traditional Gamma Rho stories and events. A ritual review session was conducted for all of the alumnae and active members. And lastly, the alumnae were treated to a special rendition of “O, Pat!” in an effort to recreate their very own run-out day. The celebration was a giant success, and everyone, both active members and alumnae, left with a renewal of their Kappa pride and spirit.

The Gamma Rho chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma constantly strives to support the philanthropic efforts of other fraternities, sororities, and campus-wide organizations. It seeks to exude a positive image of Greek Life every single day, and it always yearns to search for new ways to promote a Panhellenic atmosphere on campus. Lately, Greek life at Allegheny has been confronted with the issue of inclusivity. As a result, the fraternities and sororities at Allegheny have been taking the necessary strides to learn about the concerns presented by students on campus in order to create a more inclusive Greek life community. The Gamma Rho chapter has gone through much advancement over the past year, and I am so proud to have had the opportunity to witness these positive changes. Although Gamma Rho has already improved many aspects of its foundational elements, the active members continue to explore their opportunities to strengthen their chapter even further. I cannot wait to see where we end up next year.

==Highlights of 2014==

We are Kappa’s, and now more than ever we are involved! No matter what activity, club or class you find yourself in on campus there is a high possibility that you will see one of our sisters there too. Our chapter morale has reached a record high throughout this year. Together as a chapter many of us see the importance of working together and being proud of the group of girls that are in Kappa with us. Our friendship and support for one another is clearly evident to people on our campus.

One way that we help each other out as sisters is through academic support. Because we are busy and Allegheny academics can be challenging we try to support and congratulate our sisters when they achieve something great. Each week during chapter we nominate a “wise owl”. A wise owl is a member in the chapter that should be recognized for achieving something great academically. We also have study hours in our library several times a week. Many of our sisters spend time together studying for exams. We also hold each other accountable for going to class too! Academic support is important to us, we love to see our sisters succeed.

An accomplishment that we are proud of this year were our two awards that we won during Greek Week. Greek Week is a friendly competition between Greek life that lasts throughout the course of a week. Every day there is a new competition that takes place. Throughout the week the organizations earn points for winning the challenges. Our sister’s preformed a circus themed Greek Sing with songs from Britney Spears, Katy Perry and other artists. We were delighted when we were awarded first place in Greek Sing. We also won the title as over-all Greek Week Sorority Champions. During the Greek Awards this year we were nominated and won “Breakout Chapter of the Year”.

This year was filled with many philanthropy events. We continued to host our usual events and even managed to throw in a few new ones. In the spring we started our philanthropic year by selling Kappa Kisses and Song Grams for the Rose McGill Fund. In March we won the award of most money raised for the annual SAMS (Students against Multiple Sclerosis) competition. A few weeks after SAMS, Kappa Alpha Theta asked us to co-host an open mic night with them in Grounds for Change. Together we raised money for the Panhellenic Emergency Grant. Many of our sisters also participate in Up Till Dawn. This is a special night that happens once a year where members of Allegheny Community individually raise $100 each to benefit St. Jude. The night is full of games, and snacks. Because some of our sisters are especially great at baking cookies and treats we decided to hold our own bake sale in the Campus Center. The money that we had raised from the bake sell was put towards our national philanthropy RIF. When the weather started to warm up Kappa participated in Relay for Life. All along the stretch of Brooks-Walk many organizations set up tables with games and activities for the members of the Meadville community to play. The money received from Relay for Life helps fund Cancer research.

Instead of just pairing exclusively with other Greek organizations, this year we reached out to other groups on campus to help us host events. Together with GAP we hosted a car smash. A large van was donated to us and students paid to hit and smash the van. The money raised from this event went towards the Children’s Miracle Network. In the future we anticipate co-hosting events with the clubs and groups that we have on our campus.
We started out our fall semester by hosted a kickball tournament with Phi Kappa Psi. It was frigidly cold outside at Robinson Field but the turnout was fantastic and we raised a significant amount of money for the Crawford County Humane Society.

Our local philanthropy is still Headstart. Every week our sisters make visits to see the children. We play, read, and learn with them. This year we hosted the very first Holiday Party with Headstart. We invited the children and their families to come to Allegheny’s Campus and celebrate the Winter Holidays with us. There was even a special appearance from Santa and his favorite reindeer Rudolph. Each child was given a toy to take home with them. It was such a great experience for everyone.

This year we have continued working hard to improve our communication with our Gamma Rho alumni and our advisors. Many of our active sisters are still pen-pals with alumni. This year we celebrated our 126th anniversary on this campus. It’s important that we keep in contact with the sisters that have been here before us. We have such valuable networking through our alumni. We want them to know that we care about keeping them informed and included in our chapter still today. Along with improving alumni connections we want to increase our knowledge about the history of our chapter. Every week we share fun things that we find in our archives and pass them around for the sisters to read during chapter. There are many pictures and notes that show the loyalty and sisterhood that has been on our campus for so long.

Over the past year our chapter grew together very close. It is awesome to watch us improve as individuals and together as sisters. This upcoming year I anticipate to see many great things from the Gamma Rho chapter.

Our campus has really been striving to be more diverse. We support this too!

We hold meetings in our suite. It is on the fourth floor of a dorm building (Brooks Hall). We have been holding meetings in the suite for many years. It was just re-done last year. None of our sisters are able to live in the suite. But several of our sisters live on the fourth floor of Brooks, which is reserved specifically for women of greek life.

==Highlights of 2015==
The Gamma Rho chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began their 2015 spring semester by welcoming fifteen new members into their sisterhood. Following Bid Day 2015, the new pledge class participated in a campus-wide philanthropic event, SAMS (Student Against Multiple Sclerosis), a lip-syncing competition that raises money and awareness for those suffering with Multiple Sclerosis. Gamma Rho’s newest members received an award for the most money raised.

During Valentine’s Day, sisters participated in an event that raised money for the Rose McGill Fund. This annual event, Kappa Kisses and Song-grams, is an event where students purchase a treat or a song-gram for another individual. The treats are then delivered to the individuals campus mailbox and sisters publicly perform song-grams for the intended recipients.

Throughout the semester, we held many events to support our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental (RIF). In the spring, Kappa joined another sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, to hold an open mic night. During the event, we collected donations to give to our respective philanthropies. A special guest singer from The Voice, Chris Jamison, made an appearance.

Gamma Rho also held a Prince and Princess Party to support RIF where children could dress up as either princes or princesses. Sisters dressed up as Disney princesses so the children could take pictures.

During the fall semester 2015, Kappa held a Trend Tribe jewelry party. It allowed ladies from across the campus to enjoy an evening of shopping and treats. A portion of the proceeds were donated to RIF. Also during the fall, Kappa partnered with a fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, to hold our third annual kickball tournament. The event was very successful and a portion of the proceeds was donated to our respective philanthropies.

Throughout the Fall semester, sisters volunteered monthly at the local Head Start in Meadville, PA. It is a wonderful opportunity to promote literacy in our local community. In December, the sisters hosted a holiday party for the children at Head Start. The afternoon included sisters dressed up as holiday characters and an enjoyable afternoon of reading, games, and laughter.

In addition to hosting various philanthropic events throughout the semester, our chapter strives to achieve academic excellence. Every month, sisters are encouraged to log their study hours and meet with their study buddies. As an incentive to maintain good study habits and grades, sisters are rewarded with fun stickers and decals. All study hours are logged on an Excel spreadsheet to keep an organized record. During the semester, sisters gathered for a stress-free night of fitness. The fitness class provided sisters with a time of energy boosting and relaxation before getting back to their studies.

It was very important to our chapter that we maintain a relationship with our alumnae. Each sister was given a pen-pal to contact and keep in-touch with throughout the semester.

In 2015, Allegheny College celebrated its Bicentennial. For this celebration, alumnae were invited back in May to see the college and the sorority suite. The alumnae were given the opportunity to look through scrapbooks full of memories, and reunite with some of their sisters.

Gamma Rho constantly strives to support the philanthropic efforts of other fraternities, sororities, and campus-wide organizations. After Kappa Kappa Gamma paired with the White House “It’s On Us” campaign, the Gamma Rho chapter decided to partner with other sororities on campus to promote awareness of the Red Zone. During this event, Kappa and other sororities raised awareness for the Red Zone by informing students that the first six weeks of the semester is the time when sexual assault most likely occurs. In relation to the Red Zone, Gamma Rho wanted to educate its members even further on sexual assault and sexual violence. The chapter invited a speaker from Women’s Services to present on the dynamics of abuse and interpersonal violence with an emphasis on personal safety.

In addition to the Red Zone, sisters participated in National Hazing Prevention campaign. Many sisters took pledges by writing why hazing should not occur. Overall, Gamma Rho strives to ‘kick hazing to the fleur’ because we love our sisterhood; we will always ensure that the strong support system of our chapter stays intact.

==Highlights of 2016==

The Gamma Rho chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began their 2016 year by welcoming 14 wonderful new members into their sisterhood in late January. KKG loves to spread positivity and sisterhood throughout campus and the community. At the end of October, Kappa handed out Kappa Koko to students as they were heading to class in the morning as a bright way to start their day. Kappa also celebrated with their role models and loved ones at their Special Persons Brunch in our Alumni Center. At the brunch, sisters shared the achievements of the chapter. Kappa had a blast participating in Allegheny’s annual Greek Week this past fall, placing second overall for the whole week. The highlight, though, was being crowned Greek Sing champions with the unique theme, zombie apocalypse. In November, KKG honored some of their favorite professors at a coffee hour. For every professor that attended, one of the sisters wrote a little blurb about that professor for them to read. It was a fantastic way for the chapter to honor some of their favorite professors. Additionally, KKG strives to support the philanthropies of the other sororities, fraternities, and campus-wide organizations as much as possible. You can always find a group of sisters at almost every fundraiser on campus.

Gamma Rho also has a strong focus on academics, and strives to better itself each year. This past year, Kappa’s average GPA was once again higher than the all-college GPA, something the chapter prides itself on. Sisters have numerous ways they stay on top of academics, such as studying with each other, and taking a snapchat to send to a member of the education committee. As an incentive to get and maintain good grades, girls can submit good grades to the VPAE and receive fun stickers and decals. Finally, before tackling finals, sisters participated in a programming event about stress-relief.

Throughout 2016, the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma have been extremely busy with various philanthropic and sisterhood events. Through these events, the chapter has not only become an even more friendly face on Allegheny’s campus, but has also strengthened its sisterhood.

'''Chapter Philanthropy:'''

One of the chapter’s favorite new memeber traditions is participating in a lip-syncing competition with other sororities and fraternities on campus entitled SAMS (Students Against Multiple Sclerosis). At the beginning of February, sisters sold Kappa Kisses, a bag of Hershey Kisses, and song grams to students on campus for Valentine’s Day. Allegheny students could buy either of these for their friends, and sisters either delivered the Hershey kisses to their mailbox, or sang a song to the person who received the song gram. All the money raised went toward our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental (RIF). In the spring, KKG partnered with Kappa Alpha Theta to host an open mic night on campus. During this event, girls from both sororities, as well as students from all over campus, showed off their musical talents on stage. The money donated was split between Kappa and Theta, and donated to each of our respective philanthropies.

This past fall, Kappa celebrated their sisterhood and Greek like as a whole during Fall Run Out in September. During National Hazing Prevention Week, our sisters took a stand against sorority hazing by pledging not to haze. Many sisters took pictures with the phrase “these hands don’t haze” written on their hands. Kappa also tabled on campus during Red Zone Awareness Week and handed out Airhead candies that said “don’t be an airhead about sexual assault” and facts on the red zone attached to them. Near the end of September, about seven sisters participated in Allegheny’s Service Saturday, a campus-wide event where students are sent out into the community to help with various service projects.

Our sisters went to a retreat center for combat veterans and their families, and absolutely loved it. Almost all of the sisters that went commented on how they really felt the difference they made, and hoped to be able to go back soon. In October, more sisters participated in Make A Difference Day (MADD), another event similar to Service Saturday. For MADD, over a dozen Kappas worked alongside the mayor of Meadville in one of the local parks. Girls cleared an entire invasive species along French Creek, as well as mulched throughout the park. Kappa also sold Boo Grams on campus, which were lollipops decorated like ghosts. All the money raised from this event went toward the Rose McGill Fund.

In November, the chapter tabled for Kappa Kookies, where sisters baked several types of cookies from scratch and sold them to students on campus. The sisters were ecstatic to announce that they sold out of cookies on just their third day of tabling, and all the money went to RIF. Kappa also hosted a jewelry party with jewelry from Chloe and Isabel in the latter part of November.

In December, Kappa partnered with Men Of Color Advancement Association (M.O.C.A.A.) for a philanthropy dance party. Donations were accepted at the door, and Kappa and M.O.C.A.A. split the proceeds for each of their philanthropies. Kappas especially love the holidays in December because they get the opportunity to throw a Christmas party for their local Head Start. Children come for food, crafts, dancing, and even a visit from Santa Claus. Sisters love the event because it allows one-on-one time with the kids, and many of the sisters dress up as holiday characters for even more fun.

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support? All of these organizations are one of our three tiers of philanthropy, so we tried equally split up our fundraising for each of the three organizations.

==Highlights of 2017==

Our sisters in the Gamma Rho Chapter have not only been involved in their local communities this past year, but the global community as a whole. We had sisters rallying for LGBTQ rights/the Me Too Movement, sisters traveling abroad to Morocco, Moldova, Spain and Italy, local philanthropic involvement with Head Start Foundation, and special events with friends, family and community. Within the Chapter, we had sisterhood bonding events like our annual retreat and events put on by our Education Chairman like a self defense class. During the time the new members were learning about the chapter and its members, the Registrar would pose questions regarding the history of gamma rho using old scrapbooks in chapter on Mondays. By doing this, not only did the chapter have the opportunity to receive a small gift if they got the answer correct, they were also able to reflect and look back on memories from previous sisters. A tradition of our chapter is our Special Person’s Brunch, which we held in November in our Alumni Center where sisters invite a close person in their lives to be honored by our members. Gamma Rho also is involved with other sororities on campus and holds events like Alpha Chi’s and Kappachino’s with the Alpha Chi Omega chapter and a pumpkin smashing event in the fall with Kappa Alpha Theta. In a small community such as Allegheny College and Meadville, Pennsylvania, our chapter strives to be actively involved.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
The Gamma Rho chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began their 2017 year by welcoming 11 wonderful new members into our sisterhood mid-January. KKG loves to spread positivity and sisterhood throughout the campus and the community. Gamma Rho handed out free hot chocolate to the campus community in December as part of Kappa Koko in efforts to brighten student's week day. Our sisters can be seen doing community service outside of our chapter philanthropies, such as Allegheny College's Make a Difference Day. For this event, sisters went out into our Meadville community and helped do physical labor for residents of Meadville. Our sisters are frequently seen in our Campus Center, tabling to raise money for our philanthropies, such as for Valentine's Day with Kappa Kisses. Our sisters can be seen having fun while participating in Greek Semester events such as Greek Games, Greek Sing, and the Greek talent show. In October we initiated two more amazing members to the 2017 Pledge Class. We took a chapter retreat which served as a wonderful bonding experience especially for the newest members. Our chapter, being around 35 girls during the 2017 academic year, is extremely tight knit and close. We have open study hours in our sweet, frequently get meals together, and spend lots of time strengthening our bonds of sisterhood.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
One of the chapter’s favorite new member traditions is participating in a lip-syncing competition with other sororities and fraternities on campus entitled SAMS (Students Against Multiple Sclerosis). At the beginning of February, sisters sold Kappa Kisses, a bag of Hershey Kisses, and song grams to students on campus for Valentine’s Day. Allegheny students could buy either of these for their friends, and sisters either delivered the Hershey kisses to their mailbox, or sang a song to the person who received the song gram. All the money raised went toward our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental (RIF). Also for RIF, in December Gamma Rho co-hosted a philanthropy dance party with The Men of Colored Advancement Association (MOCAA). In the spring, KKG partnered with Kappa Alpha Theta to host an open mic night on campus. During this event, girls from both sororities, as well as students from all over campus, showed off their musical talents on stage. The money donated was split between Kappa and Theta, and donated to each of our respective philanthropies. Gamma Rho chooses to support our local Head Start foundation as part of our philanthropy efforts. We raise money for and donate time to the foundation. In November, we had sisters take time to go to Head Start to assist families in taking Christmas card photos. The sisters played with the children while the parents made preparations and then assisted the photographer in making the children laugh and smile for photos. One of our favorite events with Head Start through the years which takes place in December, is the co-hosted Holiday party with Head Start on Allegheny's campus. Here, the families with their children get to eat food, decorate cookies, do fun crafts and take cute photos.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We choose to support Head Start because they are an amazing Federal Government preschool program for low income households in our community. They provide early childhood education in addition to offering other services supporting children's health, growth and development. Since Reading Is Fundamental is so dear to our hearts, we love supporting this local organization, which also promotes early childhood education, and improving literacy rates, which can be connected to higher success rates in adulthood.
Chapter Facility:
In what kind of a facility does your chapter meet? Please attach a clear photo of where you typically hold chapter meetings – whether in a classroom, chapter house or elsewhere.

==Highlights of the 2020s==

'''Philanthropy''':

'''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!