Difference between pages "Eta Kappa" and "Epsilon Psi"

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{{Infobox Fraternity
 
{{Infobox Fraternity
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|Name= Eta Kappa
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|Name= Epsilon Psi
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|GreekSymbol= HK
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|GreekSymbol= EΨ
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|Image= [[File:Eta_Kappa.jpg|200px]]
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|Image= [[File:EpsilonPsi_House1.jpg|200px]]
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|Founded= {{start date and years ago|2007|03|04}}
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|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1978|10|14}}
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|College= [http://www.knox.edu/ Knox College]
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|College= [https://www.ucsb.edu/ University of California, Santa Barbara]
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|Location= Galesburg, IL
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|Location= Goleta, CA
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|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/etakappa/ Eta Kappa Homepage]
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|Homepage= [https://ucsb.kappa.org/ Epsilon Psi Website]
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|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Eta_Kappa Media related to Eta Kappa Chapter]}}
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|Media= [https://wiki.kkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Psi Media related to Epsilon Psi Chapter]}}
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'''Knox College established in 1837, Galesburg, Illinois'''
 
  
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'''UC Santa Barbara, established in 1949, Santa Barbara, California'''
  
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'''Founded March 4, 2007 - 31 charter members'''
 
  
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'''Installed Epsilon Psi on October 14, 1978.'''
  
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''' 181 initiates (as of June 2018)''' <br>
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'''Charter members of Epsilon Psi include''': Susan Anne Bartishen, Audrey Lynn Bein, Lisa Marie Burnett, Elizabeth Catherin De Matei, Robin Alyse Durst, Lisa Anne Ehrenreich, Andrea Renee Emold, Carol Joyce Frankowski, Julie Margaritte Gumucio, Susan Corinne Hite, Leslie Ann Hyde, Kimberly Dawn Iverson, Mary Frances Jacobs, Connie Abigail Koch, Susan Jane Leeuwenburgh, Elizabeth Megan Love, Elizabeth Ann McCall, Amy Ellem Menkes, Lisa Michiyo Morimoto, Karen Anne O'Kane, Karen Parrish, Erin Elizabeth Perry, Cynthia Lucille Podesta, Letetia Louise Rowe, Theresa Marie Rubcic, Susan Elise Sampson, Sally Lynn Shoemaker, Nancy Lynn Tanimasa, Gail Elaine Thompson, Sally Claire Trabert, Carol Jean Warner.
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'''1,569 initiates (as of June 2018)'''
  
 
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'''Charter Members:''' Caroline Brooke Allen, Ama Gyamfuaa Awua-Kyerematen, Jessica Rosalin Chan, Jennifer Beth Davis, Miriam Gillan, Danielle Marie Goebel, Virginia Baker Graves, Devynn Elise Hawley, Carolyn Elizabeth Hill, Jacqueline Elizabeth Johnson, Sibel Karabeyoglu, Carly Rose Kauffman, Rebeccah Jane Lanni, Jacqueline Claire Lee, Meryl Hope Leventon, Katya Colleen Manak, Kathleen Elizabeth Manly, Maureen Erin McDonnell, Nerissa Florentine Montes, Lindsey Annette Murrell, Jennifer Elizabeth Nefzger, Alexandra Kristin Nicasio, Stephanie Catherine Osthoff O'Brien, Alisha Carroll Statsinger Oscharoff, Catherine Adeline Ray, Jasmina Marie Ruano, Paloma Romero, Hadley Reese Standring, Jessica Anna Elaine Strache, Leslie Grace Stubbs, and Dana Samson Tipson.
 
  
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'''Fraternity Council Members:'''
  
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'''Current Eta Kappa Chapter Officers:''' <br>
 
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President Jeri Rosenbloom <br>
 
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Vice President of Standards Danielle Diaz <br>
 
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Vice President of Academic Excellence Briana Quintana <br>
 
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Vice President of Organization Ceren Ordas <br>
 
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Registrar/Marshal Emily Burns <br>
 
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Recording/Corresponding Secretary Kailey Bruns <br>
 
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Treasurer Annaliese McDermott <br>
 
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New Member Chairman Abigail Thillman <br>
 
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Education Chairman Madison Byrne <br>
 
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Public Relations Chairman Danielle Nichols <br>
 
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Philanthropy Chairman Haley Domin <br>
 
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Event/Risk Chairman Mickella Bryssa Montez <br>
 
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Membership Chairman Megan Koluch <br>
 
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House Chairman Tehreem Tufail <br>
 
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Panhellenic Vice President Finance Hannah Lewis <br>
 
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Panhellenic Delegate Caroline Hickey <br> 
 
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Diversity Chairman Marissa Arrez <br>
 
  
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'''Convention Awards:'''<br>
 
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2008 New Member Program Honorable Mention <br>
 
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2014 Excellence in Chapter Management
 
  
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'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
  
  
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== Some of Eta Kappa's Outstanding Alumnae==
 
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'''Fraternity Officers''' <br>
 
  
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'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
  
  
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'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients''' <br>
 
  
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'''Notable Honored Epsilon Psi Alumnae:'''
  
  
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'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients''' <br>
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==Early Years==
  
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Epsilon Psi Installed at Santa Barbara By Marilyn Boggess Sullivan ΔH – Utah.
  
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'''Additional Outstanding Eta Kappa Alumnae''' <br>
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The University of California at Santa Barbara has acquired an invaluable addition to its fraternity system with the installation of Epsilon Psi—the 101st chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. A three-day celebration took place in Santa Barbara on October 13-15, 1978. All events were perfectly planned by co-chairmen Mary Huff Penfield, BK – Idaho, and Jean McHenry Bailey, ΠΔ – California, and were full of memories for all those who participated—especially the 31 brand new initiates.
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Jordan Nichole Newsom Leadership Consultant 2013-2014, Standards Content Director 2018-2020 <br>
 
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Molly Anne Stein Chapter Council Adviser and Advisory Board Chairman of Eta Phi Chapter, Elmhurst College 2013-current <br>
 
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Kathleen Mary Podlipni President of Chicago Loop Alumnae Association 2014-2015, Province Director of Chapters Epsilon Central 2015-16 <br>
 
  
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== Historical Highlights==
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Weekend activities began Friday evening with a beautiful Fireside held at the home of Cynthia Parker Heyer, ΓZ-Arizona. Here, an inspirational mood was set which prepared for the events that were to follow.  
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'''October 16, 2006''' TSO shed its letters and began their journey to becoming Eta Kappa Chapter. <br>
 
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'''March 4, 2007''' Eta Kappa was installed. <br>
 
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'''Spring 2007''' Eta Kappa, in their 1st ever Greek Week, came in 3rd place. <br>
 
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In the 2007-2008 year, Eta Kappa made an appearance in every issue of ''The Key''. <br>
 
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'''Fall 2007'''  Eta Kappa began their annual fundraiser Win-A-Date. It was called the Uganda Initiative because all donations, monetary and school supplies, were going to be donated to schools in need in Uganda as suggested by Virginia Graves and Emily Putnam. The women raised $1,500 that year. The Win-A-Date fundraiser raises money towards a different philanthropy that is dear to our members' hearts every year since. <br>
 
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'''Spring 2008''' Eta Kappa held a scholarship banquet to recognize professors and build positive Kappa-faculty relationships. <br>
 
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'''Fall 2008'''  Eta Kappa got their house! <br>
 
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'''Fall 2008'''  Win-A-Date proceeds of $1856.15 went to Girl Effect BRAC programs for Safe Spaces and Small Loans for Teenage Girls in Tanzania as suggested by Kathleen Podlipni, who fell in love with Girl Effect and Emily Jensen, who studied abroad in Tanzania. This is the year that "Win-A-Date" was trademarked by Kathleen and the Win-A-Date committee, Chloe Bohm (Philanthropy Chairman at the time) and Hadley Standring.<br>
 
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'''February 2009'''  Eta Kappa co-hosted the Biennial Province Meeting with Alpha Deuteron Chapter (Monmouth College) and were honored with a Membership Award at the banquet. <br>
 
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'''Spring 2012'''  Eta Kappa won its 1st Greek Week. <br>
 
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'''Fall 2012'''  Eta Kappa achieved its highest GPA average thus far and had the highest Greek GPA overall.<br>
 
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'''Spring 2013'''  Eta Kappa won its 2nd Greek Week. <br>
 
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'''Fall 2013'''  Win-A-Date proceeds of over $2,000 went to Watts of Love as suggested by Jenna Butler. This was the largest amount fundraised by this event thus far. Founder of Watts of Love, Nancy Economou attended the event and provided an amazing presentation of her experience and work. <br>
 
  
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==The Story of Our Founding==
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Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Santa Barbara was the perfect setting for the installation service on Saturday morning. The presence of ΓΞ – UCLA Kappas—big sisters to the UCSB colony Kappas—added special meaning to the service, which was led by installing officers Jean Hess Wells, Δγ. ΔY – Georgia, Fraternity president; Marian Klingbeil Williams, Θ – Missouri, director of membership; and Kay Smith Larson, BΠ – Washington, former director of chapters. Also assisting was Susan Duncan, Θ – Missouri, graduate counselor for Epsilon Psi.
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Eta Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was originally founded because before Kappa Kappa Gamma came on Knox College's campus, there were only two NPC sororities (Pi Beta Phi and Delta Delta Delta) available for membership. Knox College was also home to these NPC sororities, Delta Zeta (1915-1964), Alpha Xi Delta (1929-1973) and Phi Mu (1912-1989), but they all became dormant or inactive and essentially Knox College was a two NPC sorority school for 18 years!
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A grand reception at the University Club began at 6:00 Saturday night. Those coming to celebrate included the parents and friends of the 31 charter members, new Kappa pledges, many of the UCLA big sisters and, of course, those supportive Kappa alums.
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A banquet followed the reception, planned beautifully by Dorothy Freese Brandt, BPΔ – Cincinnati, with 150 people in attendance.
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Blue candles and yellow chrysanthemums highlighted each table and the dinner favors at each place were an exciting surprise—golden keys to be used as key chains (almost too beautiful for the intended purpose!). With Barbara Engel Anderson, ΓZ – as toastmistress, the dinner program ran in a delightful manner. Mary Huff Penfield, BK – Idaho, president of the Santa Barbara Alumnae Association, offered opening words of welcome to the group; in his welcome speech, Dr. Edward Birch, Vice Chancellor at UCSB, expressed his pleasure that Kappa has now come to the university.
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Adding to the excitement was the fact that the Santa Barbara alumnae were observing their 30th anniversary. In recognition of this, Marguerite Bone Wilcox, BΠ – Washington, presented a delightful story of the group's founding, and long attempts to have a Kappa chapter at UCSB. Barbara Deutsch, Panhellenic adviser, was also present.
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It was a great honor for all to have Jean Wells present the banquet address, where she spoke to the audience about the founding of the Greek system and the high ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The opening of gifts for the new chapter brought excitement to everyone in the room. The many lovely gifts reflected the kindnesses of friends, relatives and Kappa sisters.
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Sunday afternoon, a campus reception was held in the courtyard of the Kappa house. Karen Heaton Jensen, ΔH-Utah, planned the beautifully catered affair, which attracted a multitude of visitors who passed through a receiving line that included Mary Penfield, Jean Wells, Marion Williams, Kay Larson and Susan Leeuwenburgh, colony president.
  
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Our Eta Kappa founders, Catherine Ray, Meryl Leventon, Stephanie O'Brien, Caroline Allen, Sibel Karabeyoglu, and Jennifer Davis believed in diversity and creating options for other women interested in participating in NPC Greek life.  <br>
 
  
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Before their affiliation and installation as a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, our founders took the letters Tau Sigma Omega, TSO, sometimes comically called Tau Sigma Omicron. As the story goes, these women met at Knox College's swimming pool where Stephanie O'Brien was employed as a student lifeguard. This is where the historic Alpha document was written. This document was approved by the Dean of Student Life and TSO was officially founded on Thursday, March 10, 2005. TSO had also increased their membership to 10 women. Membership would continue to increase as their first informal recruitment event was held in the Fall of 2005.
 
  
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Their first chapter council meeting consisted of Catherine Ray (President), Stephanie O'Brien (Vice-President), Meryl Leventon (Treasurer), Kathleen Manly (Philanthropy Chair), Jennifer Davis (Social Chair), Nerissa Montes (Recruitment Chair), Sibel Karabeyoglu (Secretary), and Caroline Allen (Treasurer).
 
  
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Other TSO members who became Eta Kappa Chapter members include Miriam Gillan (Pledge Educator), Emily Jensen (who has probably served the longest New Member period in KKG history from October 2006 until October 2007), Jacqueline Lee (who would become Eta Kappa's first President), Katya Manak, Maureen McDonnell (who would become Eta Kappa's second President), Alisha Oscharoff (Academic Chair), Jasmina Ruano (who designed the Eta Kappa flag), Dana Tipson, Hadley Standring and Jessica Strache.
 
  
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Their first philanthropy event was their participation in Galesburg's Polar Plunge event and fundraiser for Special Olympics, a tradition that Eta Kappa chapter carried on until 2009.
 
  
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TSO was not allowed to participate in formal recruitment in the winter of 2006, but they continued to grow regardless.
 
  
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By spring of 2006, TSO had been a Greek colony for a year and could begin the process of national affiliation.
 
  
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TSO ultimately decided to affiliate with Kappa Kappa Gamma (and not with Kappa Delta) because of Kappa Kappa Gamma's dedication to leadership, philanthropy, and scholarship. TSO felt that their ideals were similar to those of Kappa Kappa Gamma's.  The Knox Student Life Committee subsequently voted to invite Kappa Kappa Gamma to join the Greek community at Knox.
 
  
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TSO affiliated with Kappa Kappa Gamma on October 16, 2006 and became the Eta Kappa colony.
 
  
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As a colony of Kappa Kappa Gamma, the women formerly known as TSO, were allowed to participate in their first formal recruitment in the winter of 2007.
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==Highlights of the 1980's==
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Consistently pledged 35-42 new members each year.  Scholarship was main as priority and we improved our standing with Greeks from 8 to 2 out of 10 groups.
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Our philanthropies both with other Greeks and our won were successful and gave our money to the American Cancer Society.  We also support a young boy from Africa.
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We received the Alphonsine Howard Award at the 1981 Kappa Province Meeting.  We received the Outstanding Philanthropy 2 years in a row at the Campus Panhellenic Award Banquet.
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In 1987 we won the Most Outstanding Chapter at the Kappa Province Meeting.
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In 1988 we placed 1st among all Greeks in scholarship.
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Each year we joined other Greeks in Campus philanthropy activities and intramural activities.
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==Highlights of the 1990's==
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In 1990 we were active on campus, winning 1st in KD’s soccer tournament.  WE raised money for the Rape Crisis Center.  WE focused on scholarship and the entire house had a GPA over 3.0.  In 1991 our house was redecorated including new floors and new furniture.
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With other Greeks on campus we participated in Walk America and AIDS Walk and worked with Special Olympics.  Our chapter President was given the Chapter President of the Year at the Greek Awards Banquet.  At Kappa Province Meeting we won 1st in Scholarship, Gracious Living, Philanthropy and Public Relations.
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In 1995 all pledges in every house attended Greek Awareness Programs to inform them of t campus problems and also positive issues.  As a philanthropy we participated in fixing up and painting houses for Habitat for Humanity.
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In 1997-1998 we had a successful philanthropy event to raise money for the salvation Army.  We had a 20th chapter Reunion.  We volunteered at the annual Goleta Lemon Festival.
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We earned the highest house GPA of 3.13.
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==Highlights of 2007==
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Epsilon Psi received three UCSB Panhellenic awards for Best President, Best Philanthropy Program, and Campus Involvement. Kappas of Epsilon Psi shined on an individual basis as well. Epsilon Psi noteworthy women include: an intern of a group called HEAL (Healthy Eating and Living), an intern at the UCSB Office of Student Life, an intern for Congresswoman Lois Capps and California State Assembly member Pedro Nava, a writing tutor for Campus Learning Assistance Services, a tutor for the Autism Partnership, a teaching assistant for the Orfalea Family Children Center, a mentor for the UCSB Honors Program, an intern at couturecandy.com, volunteers at the Direct Relief Dental Clinic, an intern at KCET (PBS), a reporter and producer for "Inside Santa Barbara," a program that airs on City T.V., the Vice-Chair and Student Worker for the Community Affairs Board, a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the street team chairman for Relay for life. Two of our members are on the UCSB cheer squad, and many girls are active in intramural sports. There are also many Kappa women who are members of the UCSB honors program and other service and honors societies.
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Epsilon Psi saw amazing return rates during fall Panhellenic recruitment. Our chapter not only welcomed 38 extraordinary women, but filled the Panhellenic Quota. Our chapter also got involved by participating in philanthropic events organized by every other sorority and fraternity on campus. One of the most memorable of these events was Alpha Tau Omega and All Sorority Volleyball Tournament where Kappa team made it to the playoffs. We also participated in Greek Week, which is a week of events designed to promote unity among all the Greek houses on campus.  
 
   
 
   
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Kappa Kappa Gamma accepted the invitation to install its 132nd active chapter at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Eta Kappa was installed on March 4, 2007 by President, Denise Rugani, while Epsilon Chapter (Illinois Wesleyan) acted as Eta Kappa's installing chapter and key sisters.
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Epsilon Psi upheld its phenomenal reputation through our contribution to the community and our commitment to philanthropy. Our annual philanthropic event, Kappa Dash, was held in late October and was very successful. Fellow UCSB students, members of the Greek community, Kappa parents, and community members participated in the 5k run, called "Key for the Cure" to raise money for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, The Cancer Detection Program of Santa Barbara, an ovarian cancer education program, and the Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The event raised over $13,000 and provided us with various opportunities to strengthen our sisterhood. In February, our chapter made and sold Valentine grams on campus to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. We also played a prominent role in Relay for Life, a campus-wide event that raises money for the American Cancer Society. Kappa’s team raised $8,954, the most out of 57 teams!
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Once again, we started the year with the hope of increasing academic excellence in our Chapter. This past year, study hours were attended by more members and more frequently than last year. Even girls who did not live in made the trek to Kappa Sunday and Monday nights to study together in the chapter room even when snacks were not provided. Our efforts proved worthy when Panhellenic determined that our house GPA rank had risen to third in the entire sorority system! Our chapter has also struggled with committee involvement in the past. However, we have stressed the importance of utilizing committee members throughout the year and have required committee heads to create an agenda for committee nights and submit it to the VPO prior to Monday night meetings when committees are scheduled to meet.
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==Highlights of 2008==
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Epsilon Psi received two UCSB Panhellenic awards for Best Philanthropy and Outstanding Parent Relations Program.  Kappas of Epsilon Psi shined on an individual basis as well. Epsilon Psi's noteworthy women include: an intern of a group called HEAL (Healthy Eating and Living), a writing tutor for Campus Learning Assistance Services, a street team chairman for Relay For Life, two interns at Santa Barbara Magazine, an intern at Epic Advertising Agency, several volunteer math tutors at Isla Vista Elementary, an intern for 20th Century Fox and another  intern at Fox Sports, an intern for "Inside Santa Barbara," a program that airs on City T.V., two UCSB cheer squad members and one UCSB swim team member, several Meals on Wheels volunteers, an program director at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, an intern for NBC Universal's news program "Dateline NBC," a cheer coach at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, an intern at Santa Barbara Fitness Magazine, an intern at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, an intern Qualcomm, a volunteer at Direct Relief International, a labor and delivery intern at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, an intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and an intern at Benchmark Metrics Incorporated.
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Epsilon Psi saw amazing return rates during fall panhellenic recruitment this year.  UCSB had a record number of 600+ girls go through recruitment this year and Epsilon Psi maintained really high return rates the whole week: 97% came back for house tours and 87% for Greek pillar day.  We made quota with 41 Alpha Upsilons, including two legacies.  Our chapter also got involved by participating in philanthropic events held by other sororities and fraternities on campus.  Most notably, we got first place in the Pi Beta Phi bowling tournament and third place in Sigma Nu's week-long relay event.  We also participated in Greek Week, which is a week of events designed to promote unity among all of the Greek houses on campus.
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Epsilon Psi upheld its phenomenal reputation through our contribution to the community and our commitment to philanthropy.  Our annual philanthropic event, Kappa Dash, was held in mid October and was very successful.  Fellow UCSB students, many members of the greek community, Kappa parents and families, and community members participated in the 5k run, called "Key for the Cure" to raise money for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, The Cancer Detection Program of Santa Barbara, an ovarian cancer education program, and the Ovarian Cancer Coalition.  The event raised over $17,000 and provided us with various opportunities to strengthen our sisterhood.  In February, our chapter made and sold Valentine's Day grams on campus to raise money for Reading is Fundamental.  We also played a prominent role in Relay for Life, a campus-wide event that raises money for the American Cancer Society.
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Our most re-occurring challenge that Epsilon Psi has faced over the past couple years is committee involvement.  We have made great strides this year to promote delegation among chapter council officers so that everyone in the chapter feels included and accomplished. Also, the stressful week of pre-rush was alleviated with our chapter's newest addition of traditions, the Kappa retreat. We, as a chapter, spent one full day in the middle of pre-rush at the beach, relaxing and catching up on each other's summers and continued to spend an evening camping at a nearby campsite.  It was a wonderful opportunity to boost morale during such a busy week while at the same time promoting sisterhood and unity.
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==Eta Kappa Chapter & Knox College==
 
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Eta Kappa Chapter at Knox College is located only 13 miles from Monmouth College and the Stewart House Museum, the home of founder, Minnie Stewart.  The college was founded by social reformers who opposed slavery and believed in the potential of all to learn, grow, and contribute to the greater good of the community. Knox was one of the first colleges to admit African Americans and women and remains one of America's historically significant liberal arts colleges and is the only remaining site of the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858. The City of Galesburg, approximately 50 miles east of the Mississippi River, is a unique town in that it was a planned city whose purpose was fostering religious education. Knox College was the main reason for its existence. (From an official letter, November, 2006)
 
  
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Knox is consistently ranked in the top 20 liberal arts colleges in America. Most notable is its appearance in Loren Pope's book, ''Colleges That Change Lives'', where 40 schools are discussed that change the lives of their students through the students’ access to their PhD professors, an administration that is supportive of the Greek community, a high percentage of students succeeding in their graduate school pursuits, and other plaudits. Princeton Review, U.S. News and World Report and many other publications applaud this fine academic institution.
 
  
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Knox is a private, independent college committed to the liberal arts as the best educational preparation for life. The student enrollment in 2007 was 1,245, of which 54 percent were female. More than 20 percent of the student body is Greek with five national fraternities and chapters of Delta Delta Delta and Pi Beta Phi founded in 1889 and 1884 respectively.
 
 
   
 
   
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Kappa Kappa Gamma was honored to accept the invitation of the exceptional women of a local sorority to affiliate with the National Panhellenic Conference Fraternity. These new Kappas were recognized for their philanthropic efforts on campus and in Galesburg.
 
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==Highlights of 2007 - 2010==
 
  
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After Eta Kappa was installed, the chapter did not hesitate to wear their new letters while continuing their earlier philanthropic work and recruitment but were particularly excited to partake officially in Knox College's Greek Community.
 
  
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On a cold March morning, members of Eta Kappa took a Polar Plunge at Lake Storey in Galesburg, Illinois. With a minimum pledge of $75.00 for the icy dip for the Illinois Special Olympics. A photo of our team's plunge made it in the newspaper, The Register-Mail.
 
  
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Greek Week began with Sunday’s Greek Olympics with stations set up throughout campus. Monday was Trivia Night, which had a large turnout. Tuesday was devoted to philanthropy with a blood drive. Philanthropy actually went on all week with donations being accepted for The Boys and Girls Club with each Greek organization earning points for the amount of supplies and money donated. The Greeks were able to raise $125 for The Boys and Girls club as well as boxes of school supplies. On the evening of Thursday May 8th 2007, the Gizmo on the campus of Knox College was packed with excited sorority and fraternity members clad in neon green shirts which read, “Greekalodeon,” the Greek Week theme. Members had gathered to watch the popular Greek talent show and find out the winners of Greek Week. The show was filled with a variety of acts including Kappa Kappa Gamma’s singers and dancers playfully mocking Knox Greek organizations to much applause. As it would turn out, the chapter skit would win the award for funniest performance.  Many of the Greeks present were happy for such a relaxing and fun week, especially since there were previous tensions and difficulties in the Greek community the past year surrounding local greek colonies affiliating with NPC or IFC organizations. Overall, Kappa Kappa Gamma came in 3rd place with 122 points.
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==Highlights of 2010==
  
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The last three weekends of October 2008 were spent by having the women of Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma taking a twenty minute drive north of campus to scare the pants off people. The two sororities tried something new for the both of them - a joint philanthropic venture. We believed that since both of our organizations were founded “up the road in Monmouth", and with both of our national philanthropies being geared toward literacy, it would make for a great pairing. The women joined together at the Country Corner Farm Market and Pumpkin Patch to work the corn maze by either welcoming victims with the provided scary story or by actually scaring the people inside. Afterwards the proceeds from the ticket sales were split up among the organizations based on how many hours each worked. All our proceeds went to Reading Is Fundamental.  
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Kappa Kappa Gamma at UCSB is always recognized for our great efforts in every aspect of the Greek system and on campus. A prime example of our amazing recognition was our great success at UCSB Greek Awards, which were held during Spring quarter of 2009 in downtown Santa Barbara. Not only did we win for "excellence in philanthropy" for our annual Kappa dash and "chapter advisor of the year" for our outstanding advisor Jeanne Dixon, but we also won the best award of the night, "chapter excellence!" This was so exciting for our chapter because we certainly do excel in various areas and this award was a verification that we are a dominating sorority on campus.
  
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On the evening of October 24th, 2008, the ladies of the Eta Kappa chapter brought students, parents, and other members of the Greek community together for their second annual “Win-A-Date” event. $1,856.15 was raised to support Girl Effect through BRAC programs for Safe Spaces and Small Loans for Teenage Girls in Tanzania. The evening was the culmination of a week of fundraising through change wars between Greek organizations on campus. The two members from each of the social Greek organizations Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Pi Beta Phi, Phi Gamma Delta, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, and colony, ATP, as well as from the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity and Sigma Alpha Iota Music Sorority volunteered to be hosts and hostesses for the dates. Local businesses donated dinner, movie, and bowling certificates, which were given as prizes to the winning bidders and their dates. Among the many generous donations made that evening was one exceptional date that sold for over $230. Eta Kappa members felt a special connection to this particular cause not only as women, but also from the personal experiences of its members. One active’s travels to Uganda inspired the first Uganda Initiative event in 2007. Another member, studied abroad in Tanzania in 2007. With this in mind, Eta Kappa chapter was inspired by Girl Effect and was proud to support the education and empowerment of women internationally.
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In addition to winning many awards, we also participated in many philanthropies, including our own and all of the other Greek houses. This year in Kappa Dash, despite the poor economy, we still raised around $17,000 for the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of great California foundation, supporting breast and ovarian cancer. This amount of money is by far the greatest funding that any sorority or fraternity raised for a charitable organization. In addition, we also sold Valentine's Day grams in mid-February, and we were able to donate a few hundred dollars to the national Kappa philanthropic group, Reading is Fundamental. Besides our own efforts, we also participated in numerous other philanthropies including SigEp football, Pi Phi capture the flag, Theta kickball, AdPi wiffleball, AePi soccer, and SAE pumpkin carving. We also placed 2nd in ATO's all sorority volleyball tournament and also placed 2nd in Lambda Chi's watermelon bust week!
  
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As a chapter, we also emphasized the support and encouragement of our members in their leadership roles and involvement in other campus activities. These included AAINA, American Chemical Society, Alpha Phi Omega, Asian Student Association, Best Buddies, Business Club, Campus Progress, Carl Sandburg Literacy Coalition, College Art Association, Costume Shop, Cottage Hospital,Cross Country, Dance Squad, Film Production Club, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Golf, Habitat for Humanity, Harambee, Hillel Club, Intramural Sports, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Invisible Children, Jazz Combo, Junior Great Books, Knox Ambassadors, Knox Bloggers, Knox College Choir, Knox College Sign Language Club, Knox County Jail Literacy Project, Knox County Regional G.S., Knox Galesburg Symphony, Knox Sandburg Community Concert Band, Knox String Ensemble, Making Things Craft Club, Mortar Board, Odyssey Mentoring, Office of Admissions, Order of Omega, Prairie Players, Pre-Health Club, Pre-Vet Club, Reading Buddies, Rotaract Club, Rugby, SASS, SHAG, Soccer, Spanish Club, Student Athletic Advisory Council, Student Athletic Training, Student Senate, Studio Theatre, Tennis, Terpsichore, Track and Field, Union Board (Flunk Day planning!), Women’s Chorale, Water Polo, WVKC and Yoga Club.  
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Although our entire chapter is great as a whole, each individual member is extremely unique and lends great diversity to Kappa Kappa Gamma. Most of our member highly excel in academics, which allowed us to place 6th out of 20 houses in grades for Fall quarter of 2009. Also, a few of our officers attended province during Spring quarter, and another officer attended the Kappa leadership conference in Ohio during this past summer. They were all able to give us great ideas to strengthen our chapter upon their return. Besides our officers, every single member is amazing and their involvement in school and in the community is very impressive. Our chapter is lucky to have girls who are on the club volleyball team, UCSB lacrosse team, UCSB cheer team, and perform in various UCSB dance performances. We also have some young ladies who are members of the Associated Student Board and the Program Board, which sets up various events and concerts that are popular on campus. One of members attended the UN climate change conference overseas in Copenhagen, which was attended by President Obama, Governor Schwarzenegger, Al Gore, and more prominent public figures. Many of our members also hold prominent internships such as working for the Santa Barbara Film Festival, helping on the red carpet for E! network, and managing the UCSB branch of the website, Hercampus.com. These are just some of the accomplishments held by our incredible members.
  
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In May of 2009, Sigma Chi and Kappa Kappa Gamma co-hosted an ultimate frisbee tournament to raise money for the FISH Food Pantry. Proceeds from the event were donated to the pantry that provides families in need with enough food to feed them with three nutritious meals a day.
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In conclusion, the past year has been full of worthy recognition, numerous awards, and most importantly has been a fun year to remember!
  
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Eta Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma brought 14 Greek organizations and students together along with 35 businesses from Galesburg on Friday, October 16, 2009 in the Gizmo for the purpose of raising money for Valhalla Experimental Station in Guatemala through their 3rd Annual Win-A-Date event. The total amount of money raised for Valhalla was $1227.56. Previous to the actual event, the chapter fundraised through change wars again, as jars for the president of each Greek group participating was at a table in Seymour Hall during meals. The president’s jar with the most money earned the title of the “ultimate date” and received the biggest gift certificate received through donation from a local Galesburg business. Gift certificates for local Galesburg businesses such as Q’s Café, Kaldi’s, etc. were auctioned off as date packages with optional Greek male and female hosts/hostesses.
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Although there are only 10 sororities on campus and only about 11% of total Greek involvement, the Greek system seems like it is huge because there is so much pride in each and every house. Kappa always continues to stand out on campus as classy role models who are involved in a multitude of groups. At UCSB, we are very lucky to have a campus that is stationed right on the beach, and very frequently, you can spot a Kappa on campus studying on the sunny lawn or beach, tabling in the arbor to promote a Kappa event, or even contributing to a beach clean up for community service.  
  
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During the May 2010 Knox Greek Week, Eta Kappa Chapter had members win two very distinguished awards at the Greek Banquet: Adviser of the Year Renee Tadie (ABC/CCA/VPS Adviser from 2007-2010) and Emerging Female Greek Leader Emily Putnam. Raise the Roof!
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Our chapter is definitely one of the most united and spirited houses on campus. All of our members are extremely eager and talk all about Kappa wherever they go. Any day on campus or in town you will spot a few girls wearing Kappa clothes, and definitely their Kappa book bag. Every single girl, no matter what age or year, is friendly with one another, which definitely differentiates us from other houses. We have very good relations with the other sororities and fraternities and hold the reputation of being kind, intelligent, classy, fun, and well-rounded.  
  
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On Thursday, October 28, 2010, the Business Club’s Halloween Crafts Day provided an opportunity for Knox students and children from the local Boys and Girls Club to bond over Halloween-themed crafts and games. The multidimensional club along with members from Alpha Phi Omega and Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted 30 children, ranging from six to nine years old. The afternoon began with a game of freeze tag, followed by Duck, Duck, Goose and Red Light, Green Light. Refreshments were served.
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Our chapter had financial issues meaning that many girls could not afford to pay dues. We overcame this by putting some girls on payment plans, and we also had a fundraiser hosted by Twisted Jewelry company, which was just for Kappas in our own house. We were able to raise enough money and buy cute jewelry, which resulted in being able to have our winter date party, Sapphire Ball, even despite our financial issues. We also had some problems filling the house, which are still present, but we were able to better the situation by having new and eager members move into the house.
  
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On Friday, November 5, 2010 the women of Eta Kappa hosted its 4th Annual Win-a-Date event to fundraise for the BeLikeBrit foundation. According to the organization’s mission statement, BeLikeBrit works “to serve the children of Haiti by establishing a safe, nurturing and sustainable orphanage in an environment where they can grow, learn and thrive.” The money the sorority raised went towards building a new orphanage. Before the event began, the Greek men and women that went with each date package were asked to describe their ideal date, including the place and atmosphere. Each also chose a runway song that played while they were onstage, several using the opportunity to show off their dance moves. Various date packages, such as gift cards to Jimmy Johns or Cherry Street Restaurant, were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Members of 10 different Greek organizations volunteered their time to accompany the winner on each date. The successful auction raised approximately $1,850 dollars and the event had a large turnout.
 
  
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==Highlights of 2011==
 
  
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2011 began with a successful formal recruitment. On January 23rd, 2011 we welcomed 11 new members. In addition to new members, we welcomed a new advisor after Renee Tadie, our outgoing advisor, retired in 2010. Pat Kane began as the Standards Advisor in 2010, then our House Board Treasurer as well as our Event/Risk Advisor in 2011.
 
  
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When we returned for Spring Term, we had an informal recruitment. This gave us the opportunity to have four new members join our chapter. The pledging ceremony was held on April 10th, 2011. During that time, the new Chapter Council was installed. Their installation was quite special because this year marks the first time Eta Kappa held the event, Kappa Kabin. Kappa Kabin is a weekend of bonding and training for both the outgoing and the incoming Chapter Council. The event was held at Stephanie Bailey’s cabin in Peoria. Stephanie Bailey has been our Finance Advisor & House Board Member since 2008, our VPO advisor, and began her role as CCA/ABC this year. Amanda Crow, who was the Vice President of Organization at the time, held the event.
 
  
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When Eta Kappa returned for the new school year that September, they were excited to begin a new term of fresh opportunities. Unfortunately there was not an informal recruitment held during Fall Term. We did make the most of this term, however. Eta Kappa participated in Sigma Chi’s annual philanthropy event, Derby Days, and won the weeklong competition! Eta Kappa held their 5th annual Win-a-Date fundraiser, which allowed Eta Kappa to raise funds for the Joyful Heart Foundation. They also worked with Phi Gamma Delta to have a Light the Night event.  During Fall term, there were many Kappas who studied abroad and traveled to the U.K., Argentina, and Spain.
 
  
 
==Highlights of 2012==
 
==Highlights of 2012==
  
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We began 2012 by welcoming eight new members into Eta Kappa chapter with a successful formal recruitment. In February, we held our annual Reading is Key event at the Galesburg Public Library. In March, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of our chapter, and it was amazing to see just how far we haveve come in such a short amount of time.  
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2012 brought much excitement and success to the women of Epsilon Psi at University of California, Santa Barbara. We held our annual philanthropy, Kappa Dash, a 5K walk/run around both the  campus and Isla Vista, the surrounding college town. We rose around $8,500 to benefit breast and ovarian cancer research- specifically, all proceeds went to the following charities: Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Strong as Steele Foundation, and the Ovarian Cancer Circle (in memory of Robin Babbini, a beloved member of Epsilon Psi who passed away due to ovarian canter in 2006).  
  
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After Spring Break, we welcomed back three of our sisters who had been studying abroad in Spain and held informal recruitment, welcoming three additional sisters into our chapter. That month, we also elected our new Chapter Council, a group of strong and capable women who were installed in April. The incoming and outgoing members of Chapter Council participated in a weekend of bonding and training at our annual Kappa Kabin at Stephanie Bailey's cabin (Finance Adviser & House Board Member 2008-current, VPO Adviser 2010-11, CCA/ABC 2011-current). Amanda Crow, Vice President of Organization held the first Kappa Kabin in 2011.  
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With around 250 participants, our chapter is proud of how large our philanthropy has grown and how much money we were able to raise for charity. In addition, in February we did our annual Valentine Grams sale to benefit Reading is Fundamental, our national philanthropy. An individual can send a flower, note, and chocolate to his or her valentine for only $3 dollars, and our philanthropy committee will hand deliver them anywhere on the campus or around Isla Vista.  
  
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In the spring, we participated in our campus's annual Greek Week, in which we won 1st place against the 11 participating Greek-letter organizations. Also in the spring of 2012, Teresa Amott, was installed as the 19th president of Knox College. It was an inspiration to our chapter and women across campus to see our 1st female president.
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Aside from our philanthropic involvement, members of our chapter uphold high standards of academic achievement- we ended the 2011-2012 school year with the 3rd  highest GPA of all Panhellenic sororities on our campus.
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One of the highlights of 2012 for our chapter was being asked to help colonize the newest chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma- Eta Rho at the California Polytechnic Institute. All of our members were so excited and honored to be given such an opportunity because we realize that it is something that not many Kappa chapters can say that they have done! 
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While it is unfortunate that our chapter went on a focus letter this year, it has made our chapter much more aware of the way that we function as a house by bringing to attention all the areas we could improve on. All of our members,  chapter leaders in particular, are striving to make the changes necessary and make us a better, more successful chapter in general! It is our goal, as a chapter, is to fix the issues detailed in the letter in order to be the best that we can be, and we hope to get off of the letter as soon as possible!           
  
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Fall 2012 brought out the best in Eta Kappa. When we returned to campus in the fall of 2012, we began work on our annual Win-A-Date fundraiser. Through cooperation with other Greek-letter organizations on campus, we were able to raise almost $2,000 to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. Eta Kappa also won Sigma Chi's annual Derby Days, a friendly competition between all of the sororities on campus. Fall contineud its streak of good things as it provided our chapter with the prestige of having earned the highest GPA average that we have ever achieved as a chapter and additionally earning us the title of having the highest GPA out of all the Greek organizations for the term.
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One of the most important changes at our campus is the shift to becoming more environmentally friendly ("green"). In the year 2012, "TGIF," the University's green initiative fund, sponsored several projects to help make UCSB a green school; for example, they funded the installation of several "hydration stations" around campus so that students could fill up their reusable water bottles with filtered water for free! Our chapter has moved in the same direction as the campus at large- we have been working to make our house more environmentally friendly by  reducing paper cup waste and speaking during meeting about the importance of using the glass and plastic cups rather than paper.  
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Unfortunately in the fall, Knox's Panhellenic Council voted to lower quota, so we were unable to hold informal recruitment. Since then, quota has been raised and we are excited to hold informal recruitment again in fall 2013.
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Another  huge change in our chapter has been the introduction of our newest house mom, Barbara. House moms have a huge influence on the chapter, and we are proud to have such a positive figure in our house. She is very involved in the house, always suprising us with things such as treats during our stressful finals week and elaborate decorations for Christmas and Chanukah!
  
 
==Highlights of 2013==
 
==Highlights of 2013==
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In February, we celebrated Academic Excellence month for the first time by collecting study tips and sharing them with the campus, promoting our academic achievements through social media, and engaging in a “Letters in the Library” competition.  By the end of Winter Term, our House Chairman and her committee finished an ongoing renovation of our basement, and Eta Kappa celebrated a fun new wall color, waterproof floors, and furniture.  Just before Spring Break, we initiated eight lovely new members, some of whom were elected onto Chapter Council just the next day.
 
  
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Spring Term was bittersweet time for us as Eta Kappa prepared to say goodbye to 18 graduating seniors, who comprised nearly half of our chapter. Despite the major loss, this dynamic group of women made sure to leave Eta Kappa thriving. One way they did so was by teaching us to live Kappa’s ritual daily in a new ritual appreciation program.
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During the year of 2013 the Epsilon Psi Chapter achieved much academically and philanthropically. It was an exciting year! Some highlights are:
  
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In the spring, we won the annual Greek Week competition as well as several other chapter awards at the annual Knox College Greek Banquet. Afterwards we conveniently celebrated at our formal which was held at the Soangetaha Country Club this year. Continuing our winning streak, several members attended Province Meeting and brought home the Chapter Scholarship Award, as well as six honorable mentions.
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Kappa Dash: Our yearly philanthropy. During Kappa Dash Epsilon Psi managed to raise $8,500, and approximately 250 people took part. A lot of friends and family came to show their support.
  
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Eta Kappa focused on a new philanthropic organization during this time, selling friendship bracelets for Vitamin Angels, which brings essential nutrition to at-risk populations. However in continuing with philanthropic traditions, this year’s annual Reading is Key event had an “outer space” theme and was held at the Discovery Depot in Galesburg.  
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Valentine’s Grams: Every year we get together to sell grams for Valentine’s Day. The girls who participate always have lots of fun sending out the grams, and all the money gained goes to the charity Reading is Fundamental. We sold about 65 grams, bringing in approximately $195.  
  
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In attempting to bond with each other and our sisters from Monmouth, we joined Alpha Deuteron Chapter at Monmouth College for a tea party at the Minnie Stewart House for an event fondly titled, Loyal-Tea.
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Academic Standing: Our chapter is constantly ranked in the top 4 among sororities at UCSB, and for the end of the academic year we managed to rank at number 3! This ranking is calculated from each sororities’ average GPA.
  
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During the spring, we also renewed the lease on our house, but never imagined what was in store for us. First, we learned Knox College graciously offered to help the Greek community by allowing us to pay our rent through community service hours, which we have already been completing through our philanthropic endeavors. In other financial news, the Treasurer of Eta Kappa took great initiative this term to create a budget for the upcoming year that would be conducive to our small chapter size, and she educated the chapter on exactly where our money goes.
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Colonization: During 2012, a few of Epsilon Psi chapter members went down to Cal Poly San Louis Obispo to colonize a new chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In 2013, we initiated the girls of Cal Poly. The girls involved said it felt amazing to be spreading the Kappa love to another campus, and the girls at Cal Poly could not have been more thrilled to be initiated by our members. We could not be more honored to have been a part of such a monumental experience. Congratulations to Eta Rho chapter!
  
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When we returned to Knox in the fall, we were pleasantly surprised that one of our advisers, Pat Kane (Standards Adviser 2010-current, House Board Treasurer 2011-present, Event/Risk Adviser 2011-14), gave our chapter house a complete makeover during the summer. We could not be more thankful for our new furniture, shelving, remodeled bathrooms, and countless decorations. Although Fall was an adjustment period for Eta Kappa due to the large change in our chapter size, our sisters bonded on a deeply personal level and found a new appreciation for the changing chapter. We began the school year with informal recruitment, during which our Membership Chair implemented a completely new system by creating bump and rotation groups. Our new system also incorporated the values of our ritual into the recruitment process. We recruited and initiated three lovely new members. In October, we were lucky enough to join Alpha Deuteron chapter at Monmouth for Founders Day. We visited two of our founders' graves and shared a luncheon.  For our annual Win-a-Date philanthropy event, we chose to donate our proceeds to an organization called Watts of Love, which brings solar powered lights to people around the world with no electricity. We were lucky to have the organization’s founder, Nancy Economou, at our event to speak about her incredible experiences with Watts of Love, and we ultimately raised over $2000 for the organization. Fall Term was big for Eta Kappa’s public relations: Eta Kappa now has its own Twitter and Instagram accounts, and our Kore Groups are now utilizing our Facebook page and group to attend and support “Kappas on Kampus” events and clean the house together.  At the end of term, we prepared for formal recruitment.  
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As always, one of our goals was to maintain Kappa’s image on campus. We achieved this by having sisterhoods with other sororities, by promoting a positive image through social media, and by (of course) staying Kappa classy.  
  
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2013 was an exciting time for Knox as well as Eta Kappa, as the college finished raising the $11.7 million needed to restore Alumni Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus.  We are excited for our younger sisters to utilize the technology and resources in this building in the future.  Other exciting events for the college included bringing comedian Ed Helms to campus as our commencement speaker, witnessing a Knox graduate be named an adviser to President Obama, and welcoming President Obama himself to the campus in July, an event some of our sisters volunteered at. We feel lucky to be on a campus with so many inspiring visitors, as well as graduates who inspire us to be successful in our futures as graduates of Knox College as well.
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UCSB is making a constant effort to become greener and greener, and this was emphasized during the 2013 academic year. For instance, there is an environmental floor in one of the freshman dorms that doesn’t supply paper towels in the bathroom; instead, each resident is supplied a hand-towel to use for the year. If you look around our campus you see recycling bins everywhere, including each in room on campus. Kappa tries to be a part of this by volunteering to help pick up trash on the streets of Isla Vista – there is a program that runs every Thursday, and each week girls go out to try and make a difference. We also cut down the amount of paper used in the house by limiting the printer paper supplies.  
  
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The women of Eta Kappa continue to represent a wide variety of extracurricular activities, areas of study, philanthropic interests, athletics, and cultural backgrounds. We take great pride in supporting each other’s differences by attending shows, games, and academic presentations of our sisters. We consider ourselves to be a close-knit chapter, and hope that Eta Kappa continues on its current route of success for years to come.
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Epsilon Psi always makes an effort to be as green as the campus we belong to. We strive to give back to the community, volunteering countless hours at a multitude of place. The girls of Kappa are kind and loyal and always there for each other.
  
 
==Highlights of 2014==
 
==Highlights of 2014==
  
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We began winter term like every winter term by welcoming NMs into our sisterhood after a long and grueling yet rewarding formal recruitment. This year it was appropriately themed, “Winter Wonderland.” Diverging from tradition, Bid Day/Night was on a Sunday instead of a Saturday due to the Polar Vortex. We revamped Bid Day/Night and the NM process by establishing a buddy system to welcome NMs. In February 2014, Eta Kappa hosted its annual semi-formal (at Cherry Street) and their annual Reading is Key event (theme: “Reading is Wild").
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Kappa Dash: Epsilon Psi’s philanthropy we do every fall quarter. We raised over $5,800 and had an outstanding presence of fellow UCSB students who attended with their family and friends. 
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Academic Standing: At the end of the academic year in Spring 2014, our chapter ranked number 2 out of all UCSB’s sororities! We have increased our study hours each week and our members are always ready to help each other when it comes to school.
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Beach Cleanups: Our chapter participated in a number of beach cleanups throughout the year. In the spring, we had a joint beach cleanup with another sorority at UCSB. Then in the fall, our chapter brought together over 30 girls for a beach cleanup in Isla Vista.
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Valentines Day Grams: Our chapter’s annual philanthropy that raises money for the charity Reading is Fundamental. A large number of students purchased our grams and our girls had a great time delivering and selling them!
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Throughout the 2014 year, our chapter was very involved in campus philanthropies such as Relay for Life and Dance Marathon. We are very actively involved in other philanthropies put on by Greek life at UCSB. We had many great sisterhoods with other sororities as well!
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Unfortunately, UCSB experienced a tragedy in May of 2014 where we lost six of our students. Our chapter really came together and supported each other through a time of grief. We attended memorials as well as hosted a dinner at our chapter house. We also received numerous packages and cards from other Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters and alumni, letting us know that they were all thinking of us.
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On a lighter note, our chapter is opening more opportunities for its members to become more involved. We promote and encourage members not in leadership positions to help out and be aware of the upcoming changes that are going to be made in our chapter.
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We hold chapters meetings in the living room at our chapter house. Our members have the opportunity to live together in our chapter house, which holds 41 girls and is filled every year. The house is rented. Our chapter has occupied the same house it’s entire time at UCSB.
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==Highlights of 2015==
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Kappa Dash: Our annual philanthropy. We invite all UCSB Greek life as well as families and other students to participate in a 5k color run around Isla Vista. We raised over $5,500 to donate to the Ovarian Cancer Circle and Susan G. Komen Foundation.
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Academic Standing: Two of our members received Inter-Greek Council academic excellence awards this year and our overall GPA has also improved since we reported last year!
  
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During the month of March, Knox College's National Panhellenic Council (NPC aka Panhell) hosted its first annual Wellness Week, which included participating in a clothing swap with Knox College's other NPC sororities, Delta Delta Delta; Phi Beta Phi; and Alpha Sigma Alpha. Just before spring break, we initiated our 8 NMs, some of whom were elected onto chapter council the following day during elections, proving that our chapter nurtures leaders.
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Kappachino: Every quarter during the week before finals, our chapter provides free coffee and refreshments to students at UCSB. We each spend a few hours a day giving our fellow students a little “pick-me-up” cup of coffee to help them get through finals.  
  
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Our incoming 2014-15 chapter council started spring term off by participating in a weekend filled with bonding and training at the Kappa Kabin. Kappa Kabin is a cabin that adviser, Stephanie Bailey owns in Peoria and lends to our chapter to use for Leadership Day. The first Kappa Kabin was in 2011. That following weekend, we held a continuous open bidding (COB aka informal recruitment) event themed “Spring into Kappa." We welcomed 3 additional sisters to our chapter. Alpha Deuteron Chapter of Monmouth College again invited us to attend their Love & Loyal-Tea event around the beginning of spring term.
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Valentines Day Grams: Our chapter’s annual philanthropy in which we raised over $850 for the charity Reading is Fundamental this year. A large number of students purchased our grams and our girls had a great time delivering and selling them!
  
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At the end of April, Knox College's annual Greek Week was held. The theme this year was “Greek TV". Also at the end of April, Standards surprised the rest of the chapter with a secret sisterhood event at Lake Storey. We grilled hamburgers, played games, and in the lake.
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Volunteer Reading: In addition to donating money to RIF from our Valentine’s Day Grams, our members also go to the local elementary school to read books to the kids. We donate books as well as volunteer in the classroom frequently each year.  
  
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In May, Eta Kappa hosted its annual formal at Cherry Street Bar and Restaurant and its annual Academic Excellence Banquet in the Common Room of Old Main.  
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Campus Involvement: Kappas at UCSB are very involved in many of the other organizations our school has to offer. One of our members holds an off campus senator position and a lot of our girls serve as UCSB tour guides. The women of Epsilon Psi show well-rounded involvement in Greek life and school organizations.  
  
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Towards the end of spring term, we initiated our 3 new members, and said goodbye to 9 strong graduating seniors.
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Campus Changes and Chapter Nature:
  
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Returning to Knox in September, Eta Kappa focused on building sisterhood and friendship. During Homecoming at Knox College in October, we held our annual open house for alumnae to revisit the house and old times. After Homecoming, we hosted a fundraiser, Save-A-Heart (a play on the former, Win-A-Date, Eta Kappa's annual date auction themed fundraiser). Proceeds benefited the American Heart Association. Also during this time, Knox’s National Panhellenic Council hosted its 2nd annual Wellness Week (although technically the week long was held a second time in the year 2014). This time we participated in yoga and indulging on desserts with our NPC sisters. Also in October and also in good ole' Greek spirit, we participated in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days and in a dessert pot-luck with Delta Delta Delta.  The memorable activities of Derby Days included pumpkin carving and a talent show. Proceeds from Derby Days benefited local non profit, Safe Harbor Family Crisis Center.  
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UC Santa Barbara will be opening a brand new library in January 2016 and our members are extremely excited to get to use it! Our house also was just renovated to include a new study room that has become a great place for our members to study any time of the day. Our chapter is focusing on creating more opportunities for our members to hold leadership positions and to get more involved. Epsilon Psi is a great group of genuine, ambitious, and classy women who are contributing to our community in amazing ways every day.
  
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In 2014, Knox College, for the first time in 20 years, opened the doors of Alumni Hall to faculty and staff since its closing. Women's Volleyball, Women's Basketball, and Men's Basketball would similarly bring the experience of a first time in a long time by defeating rival, Monmouth College. Go Prairie Fire!
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Chapter Philanthropy:
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One of our members, Robin Babbini, lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2006. Her mother, Paulinda Babbini started the Ovarian Cancer Circle to educate women about the disease. Our chapter donates to this cause in honor of Robin, and we are very passionate about educating women about this disease to prevent its devastating effects.
  
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FYI: Eta Kappa Chapter hosts chapter meetings in the Kappa House located at 320 West Brooks Street during late afternoons on Sundays. The house is owned by Knox College and does not provide lodging or classroom space. The Kappa House is open daily from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM for the members of Eta Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma to use as a space for doing homework, cooking snacks or meals (baking treats for sisters!), and meetings/events.
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==Highlights of 2016==
  
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In terms of housing the members of Eta Kappa Chapter, members often exercise the option of living together in dormitory spaces across campus and in apartments/houses off campus. These living quarters are in no way affiliated officially to Eta Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
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Kappa Dash: Our annual 5K color run was a huge success this year! We had over 200 participants and raised over $5800 for The Ovarian Cancer Circle and Reading is Fundamental.
  
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==Highlights of 2015==
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Academic Standing: We continue to be above the all-sorority GPA average!
  
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During the year of 2015, Eta Kappa has grown in areas that were once weak and continued a tradition of
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Kappacino: Every quarter during dead week, we get free coffee donated from Starbucks and hand it out to the students on campus!
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leadership. In January, we held formal Panhellenic Recruitment. Thanks to the due diligence of our
 
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Membership Chair and her committee, we met quota and also were given a quota addition. We were
 
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immediately able to hold a COB event in an attempt to reach total. We welcomed 9 new members to Eta
 
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Kappa as our Winter Formal class, the largest new member class we have had in recent history.
 
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During February, Eta Kappa joined Nationals to hold Academic Excellence Month. Different families
 
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competed against each other throughout the month to see which family could accrue the most study hours
 
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in order to win a prize. The competition was fun but it’s rewarding to see the bonds built from studying
 
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together! We also raised funds for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through our annual event, Kappa
 
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Krush, which we table to have students and faculty send cans of Krush Soda to friends during the week
 
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leading up to Valentine’s Day. Our annual Semi-Formal dance was also held in February at Cherry Street
 
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Grill with the theme of “Every Kiss begins with Kappa”, it was a fun and safe event for all the Kappa’s and
 
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their dates.
 
  
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In March, we ended the term in full force with the initiation of our new members, our annual Reading is
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Valentine's Day Grams: This year, we raised $904 from the Valentine's Day grams we sold and donated the money to Reading is Fundamental. These included a flower, personalized note, and a bag of candies!
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Key event at the Discovery Depot, which is hold as a way to support Reading is Fundamental, and elections
 
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for chapter council.
 
  
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Early April was a time for our officer transitions. Our annual event, Kappa Kabin, was held as a way to
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Other RIF Donations: During recruitment this year, we collected over 200 children's books to donate to local elementary schools and decorated several hundred bookmarks for the kids as well!
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unite the new Chapter Council and create goals for the upcoming year. The Chapter Council for 2015-2016
 
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hopes to increase communication and cohesion within the council in order to grow to new heights within
 
−
each position. Following the Earthquake in Nepal, we partnered with the Pi Beta Phi and held a “Pi’s and
 
−
Kappacino” event in order to give funds to the Nepali Earthquake Relief Fund. This event was very close to
 
−
our heart due to the fact the one of our sister’s is from Nepal and there is a very large Nepali population on
 
−
our campus. We were even able to raise $640! Our new philanthropy chair and her committee also created a
 
−
Little Free Library for local children with the idea of “take what you need, leave what you want”.
 
−
Throughout the term, we participated in various events that we have a tradition of being a part of such as
 
−
Greek Week, Alpha Phi Omega’s Walk-a-Thon, and Tri Delta’s Kickball event for St Jude.
 
  
−
We also hosted a Leadership Consultant in the Spring, we were very excited to welcome Whitney back to
+
Campus Involvement: The members of Kappa are not just committed to the chapter, but also to several other clubs and organizations on campus. They are involved in a variety of activities like the on-campus Pre-Law Fraternity, Excursion Club, Campus United, as well as many having jobs and being extremely involved in academics, just to name a few.
−
our chapter!
 
  
−
The school year was finished off with our Formal, which was held at the Burg Bar and Grill and with our
+
Awards: At Convention, we were awarded the Gracious Living Award (Housed Chapter) 2014-2016, and we also received a $250 grant for Outstanding Philanthropic Achievement from UCSB First.  
−
annual Senior Sendoff event. We couldn’t be more proud of the 10 Eta Kappa seniors who graduated in
 
−
June of 2015!
 
  
−
Over the summer, our Public Relations chairman worked tirelessly to update our website and worked with
+
Other News: UCSB's new library was finished this January and has proven to be a great place for the girls to study! The school is also in the process of constructing new off-campus apartments, as well as renovating the off-campus freshman housing. Our own house got brand new floors and paint downstairs, and more renovations are in the works for next summer!
−
our Membership chair to design a great shirt for our Fall Informal Recruitment Bid Day. We also wear these
 
−
shirts to Pumphandle, an event our school holds each year prior to the beginning of classes starting where
 
−
all students, faculty, and staff meet on the lawn to shake hands.
 
  
−
Fall term saw lots of success for Eta Kappa. We held our most successful Fall Informal Recruitment and
+
==Highlights of 2017==
−
welcomed 4 new members to our chapter. Our New Member Chairman held an amazing Bid Night event of
 
−
cookie decorating, games, attending the Volleyball Game on campus where one of the New Members was
 
−
playing, and ending it with a movie night at the house. Our Vice President of Standards and Standards
 
−
Committee organized a special Secret Standards event in lieu of a chapter meeting. This Secret Standards
 
−
event was our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch! We picked out pumpkins, sipped apple cider, enjoyed a
 
−
hayride, and ended the trip riding on their mini cow train- an Eta Kappa favorite.
 
  
−
Our chapter also championed a new major philanthropic event called the Kappa Kolor Run! Our
+
[[File:Epsilon Psi 2017.png|thumb|Epsilon Psi Chapter, 2017]]
−
Philanthropy chairman worked tirelessly to create a fun event that was accessible to our entire campus. We
 
−
were able to raise $470 dollars for OLE Nepal, an organization working to create access to education in
 
−
Nepal following the major earthquake there earlier this year. We were also selected to for the Rose McGill
 
−
Holiday program for the first time! We raised money to buy Christmas gifts for a Kappa in need and
 
−
wrapped the gifts together as our Brunch Buddies event, a new event our chapter implemented this year that
 
−
consists of our members having brunch and performing a philanthropic service.
 
  
−
Some other new additions to our chapter was using GINsystem to log study hours in study spaces
+
One of our members was presented with the UCSB service award from Panhellenic. Another member of our chapter was elected as the UCSB Letters and Science Senator. In addition, our chapter exceeded our goal with recruitment by recruiting our largest pledge class to date, totaling 75 girls. On another note, unfortunately, our chapter lost a recent alumna. Kelly Pesrman was a member of our chapter who graduated from UCSB in June 2017. She passed away a few weeks after graduated. She was loved by all our Kappas. Kelly will be remembered for the light she brought to our chapter and will be missed dearly.
−
throughout campus as well as an attendance competition to encourage members to take active control of
 
−
their membership!
 
  
−
At the end of the term, we were able to initiate 3 of our 4 New Members after a successful Inspiration
+
Our chapter consists of a very diverse group of women who are involved in both Kappa and other areas on campus. Some members are part of the honors program, others have jobs or internships, and some are even involved in other Greek organizations such as pre-law and pre-medical fraternities. We participate in other Greek organizations' philanthropies and maintain strong relationships with each of them.
−
Period. Eta Kappa holds the tradition of having meaningful events during the inspiration period. The
 
−
remaining member was unable to initiate at that time due to the Women’s Soccer team making it to the
 
−
Conference final which occurred during our initiation. We are happy to say, however, that Elmhurst College
 
−
was gracious in hosting our New Member and two of our active sisters and she was initiated!
 
  
−
Knox College was recently able to hire a new Greek Life Advisor, Eleanor Kahn. Eta Kappa was happy to
+
Our chapter raises money for the Ovarian Cancer Circle in addition to Reading is Fundamental. This year we donated 508 books to the local elementary school and 80 books to the Goleta public library. In addition, we raised $3,962 at our annual philanthropy, Kappa Dash. The proceeds were split between RIF and the Ovarian Cancer Circle.
−
welcome her to our campus, she has been very accessible and a great resource for our chapter. Our chapter
 
−
has also been very active within the Greek community. Currently, we are the most represented organization
 
−
in Order of Omega, a National Greek Honor Society in which two of our sisters, seniors Mackenzie
 
−
Anderson and Cassidy Jones, hold the executive positions of President and Secretary, respectively. Eta
 
−
Kappa prides itself on being very well represented on Panhellenic Council as well. Senior Emily Powers is
 
−
the President of Panhellenic Council, a high honor. In the Spring, our chapter received an All Greek Award
 
−
for best Academic Program.
 
  
−
Eta Kappa has held itself to a higher standard than perhaps ever before. As a whole, our chapter has been
+
We support Reading is Fundamental because it is Kappa's national philanthropy and our chapter believes giving children the opportunity to read and promote literacy is extremely important. We also choose to support the Ovarian Cancer Circle because it has a special place in our hearts. One of our members, Robin Babbini, lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2006. Her mother founded the charity so we choose to support her in raising awareness for the devastating disease.
−
refreshed and uplifted this year. It is the opinion of our chapter that officer transitions in April brought new life to our chapter as these officers began to work together in ways that harnessed our potential. Our
 
−
members have been showing willingness to bring Kappa to new heights, as explained through the many new
 
−
endeavors throughout the year. It if for this reason that we feel we have most triumphed in overcoming
 
−
apathy and eagerly embraced new opportunities, which has allowed us to truly live up to Kappa Kappa
 
−
Gamma’s ideals.
 
  
−
As mentioned above, Knox College hired Eleanor Kahn. She serves as Campus Life Staff in many roles, one
+
We hold meetings every Monday at our chapter house and formal meetings in a lecture hall on campus.
−
of which is the Greek Life Advisor, a position that ceased to exist for a year at our school.
 
  
−
Chapter Philanthropy:
+
==Highlights of 2018==
  
−
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
+
One of our members was presented with the Robin Babini Community Service Achievement Award for demonstrating outstanding acts of community service. A few members attended the National Convention in Denver and our chapter recruited a pledge class of 62 girls in September 2018. During recruitment, our chapter worked together to create a natural and enjoyable environment for all. We participated in many philanthropies on campus this year and created a new event for our own philanthropy, Kappa Kapture the Flag. The event was a success and we will continue it in the future. We are also actively spending more time focusing on ritual in order to maintain the traditions of Kappa.
  
−
Traditionally we fund raise for Reading is Fundamental and hold a major RIF event each Winter, which we
+
Our chapter is extremely unified and consists of a diverse group of ladies. Many members have shown interest in leadership positions this year and we are excited to welcome the incoming Chapter Council. Members of our chapter are involved not only in Kappa, but also in other extracurricular activities, like ROTC, professional fraternities, and on-campus clubs. We encourage as much participation as possible at UCSB and support our members in all their endeavors.
−
upheld this year. We also fund raise for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation each Winter with our Kappa
 
−
Krush fundraiser, which is also described above. This Fall we were also chosen to participate in the Rose
 
−
McGill Holiday Program, which we enjoyed so much!
 
  
−
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
+
Our chapter raises money for the Ovarian Cancer Circle in addition to Reading is Fundamental. We also donate books to IV Elementary School. This year Epsilon Psi hosted a new philanthropy called Kappa Kapture the Flag.
  
−
An Eta Kappa tradition is to choose an organization to fundraise for each year that is near and dear to a
+
We support Reading is Fundamental because it is Kappa's national philanthropy and our chapter believes giving children the opportunity to read and promote literacy is extremely important. We also choose to support the Ovarian Cancer Circle because it has a special place in our hearts. One of our members, Robin Babbini, lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2006. Her mother founded the charity so we choose to support her in raising awareness for the devastating disease.
−
sister’s heart. In the past, we’ve supported sisters who suffered from Crohn’s Disease, a sister who has had
 
−
ongoing battles with Heart Disease, an orphanage that a sister worked at personally in Botswana, and more.
 
−
We raised funds for the Nepali Earthquake Relief Fund this year on two separate occasions, due to how
 
−
close the cause was to one of our sisters and the Nepalese community at Knox College. We paired in a new
 
−
event with Pi Beta Phi, Pie’s and Kappacino’s, in the spring. We also created another new major fundraising
 
−
event, the Kappa Kolor Run, as a way to replace an older, outdated event our chapter had held in the past.
 
−
We raised over $1000 in the year 2015 for the Nepali Earthquake Relief Fund and were even able to meet
 
−
the Director of the organization.
 
  
−
==Highlights of 2016==
 
  
 +
==Highlights of 2020==
  
−
For the year 2016, Eta Kappa has evolved and grown, and continued a tradition of leadership. In January, we held formal Panhellenic Recruitment. Thanks to the dedication of our Membership Chair and her committee, we met quota. We were also able to add another new member through COB immediately following bid day. We welcomed 9 new members to Eta Kappa as our Winter Formal class, the same size for a new member class that we had in 2015. During Recruitment, we had our LC Ariel there to help us out. She was very helpful as we worked to make sure all chapter members understood the procedures for voting during Recruitment.
+
This year, we were able to start the calendar year by having informal recruitment. We then had initiation for those girls, and a day later we had our very first Kappa Kabana date party. Not even a week later, we had to go home due to COVID-19. The house closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, and events were continued online. We hosted virtual sisterhoods, including movie and game nights. Our meetings were short clips of our announcements edited together to form a “meeting,” that sisters could watch on their own. Fall 2020,we began to prepare for our virtual recruitment. Our chapter house opened up again, with major health and safety precautions. We had Polish week for recruitment over zoom, and were able to finish recruitment and host virtual Bid day, where we claimed 67 girls as our new sisters. We initiated them a couple of months later, through Zoom, and they got extra gear in their “initiation packages” to make it more special. Along the way, we had virtual sisterhoods and a book drive! ​Reading is Fundamental is Kappa’s national organization. The Ovarian Cancer Circle is close to our chapter because one of our sisters, Robin Babbini, died from Ovarian Cancer when she was a student at UCSB. ​Our chapter has created a Diversity and inclusion chair, and her position has created a committee to help her with all of the duties to help Kappa be a more inclusive space. Our DEI chair created a training for all of the panhellenic that she presented before recruitment, about implicit bias and racism in the Greek community. There was also a Facebook page where she would post infographics, news articles, and other information to help us all be more educated and aware. ​This year, we hosted our own Founders day over zoom where we played games like trivia, and performed the Founders Day ceremony ritual. This was important because the ritual hadn’t been
−
 
+
performed in several years, but it came back for the celebration of Kappa’s 150th anniversary. We were also able to pick up a cupcake from the house. We finished our celebration by tuning into the National sesquicentennial celebration.
−
During February, Eta Kappa joined the fraternity to hold Academic Excellence Month. Every member competed to earn points by sending pictures of themselves studying to their academic liaisons. A lot of members became very involved with it and it was great PR for Kappa on campus. The spirit of competition was fun, but it’s rewarding to see the growth in study habits that our VPAE was able to foster. We also raised funds for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through our annual event, Kappa Krush, where we table to have students and faculty send cans of Krush Soda to friends during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. We raised over $100 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Our annual Semi-Formal dance was also held in February at Iron Spike; it was a fun and safe event for all the Kappa’s and their dates.  
+
[[File:Eppsi.png|thumb|sisters]]
  
−
In March, we ended the term in full force with the initiation of our new members, our annual Reading is Key event at the Galesburg Public Library, which is our way of supporting Reading is Fundamental, and elections for chapter council right before the end of our Winter Term.
 
−
   
 
−
Early April was a time for our officer transitions. Our annual event, Kappa Kabin, was held as a way to unite the new Chapter Council and create goals for the upcoming year. The Chapter Council for 2016-2017 hopes to increase communication and cohesion within the council in order to grow to new heights within each position. Accountability has become a main priority for the Eta Kappa Chapter Council.
 
−
   
 
−
Throughout the term, we participated in various events that we have a tradition of being a part of such as Greek Week, Alpha Phi Omega’s Walk-a-Thon, and Tri Delta’s Kickball event for St Jude's. 
 
−
 
 
−
We also held an informal recruitment event, and we were able to get 4 new members, which brought us to total. We held our initiation at the end of our Spring Term to bring our chapter to 40 members right before our senior class graduated. The school year was finished off with our Formal, which was held at the event hall 156 Main and with our annual Senior Sendoff event.
 
−
 
 
−
Over the summer, our VP Standards represented us at Convention in San Diego, CA. She brought back many ideas that other chapters have used to improve accountability as well as some good ideas for sisterhood events,
 
−
   
 
−
Coming back for the fall, we did not hold an informal recruitment event because we were above total. This was the first time in recent memory that Eta Kappa has been the biggest sorority at Knox. Since we did not have new members, our focus has been on improving chapter support and bonding as a whole group so we can successfully welcome new members in January. Our diversity chairman has put together many events to help us foster a better understanding of each other.
 
−
   
 
−
Our chapter also championed a major philanthropic event for the second time called the Kappa Kolor Run! Our Philanthropy chairman worked tirelessly to create a fun event that was accessible to our entire campus. We were able to raise $430 dollars for the Alzheimer’s Association. We selected this philanthropy because two of our members have a grandmother who is dealing with Alzheimer’s and we always choose a philanthropy that is near and dear to our members. We are there for each other to lift one another up and make the world a better place.
 
−
 
 
−
We wrapped up our fall term with some membership workshops and the selection of day chairs for recruitment so that we can go all out when we return to campus in January for Formal Recruitment.
 
−
 
 
−
Our chapter has also been very active within the Greek community. Currently, we are the most represented organization in Order of Omega, a National Greek Honor Society in which one of our sisters, Allie Whitehill, is the Vice President.. Eta Kappa prides itself on being very well represented on Panhellenic Council as well. Junior Maggie Brick is the Vice President of Panhellenic Council and served as the interim President in the Spring of 2016. Six of our sisters were a part of the Women’s Soccer team that went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. We were all so proud to cheer them all on in their historic run to an undefeated conference season.
 
−
 
 
−
This year, another sorority transitioned to a house this year. Now that Alpha Sigma Alpha has a house, every sorority on campus does. We hope this will help us boost interest in formal recruitment and allow all of the chapters to grow simultaneously. The Greek community has been working hard to come together as a whole and make itself a presence on campus that is seen in a positive light. As a whole, the Greek community has help more philanthropy events than ever before.
 
−
 
 
−
Our chapter has evolved as always, but our focus on academics has been rapidly improving. We had the highest sorority GPA for both Winter and Spring of 2016 and we are very proud of that. The academic excellence committee has been working hard and it has paid off. We have also been working on lifting each other up as women. In a world that sometimes pits women against each other, it is important to us that we as a chapter lift each other up and support one another. Many of our members were deeply saddened by the election results, but it has given us a new drive to stand up for womankind.
 
−
 
 
−
Traditionally we fund raise for Reading is Fundamental and hold a major RIF event each Winter, which we upheld this year. We also fund raise for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation each winter with our Kappa Krush fundraiser, which is also described above. We also support St. Jude’s through Tri Delta kickball tournaments and the DHOP event, as well as Pi Phi’s Literacy Organization through Pie a Pi Phi.
 
  
  
−
==Highlights of 2017==
+
==Highlights of 2021==
  
−
Eta Kappa began the calendar year with Formal Recruitment, where we were happy to receive seven new members as our sisters, one of whom is a Kappa legacy. Our recruitment theme was The Wizard of Oz, which included the tagline “There’s No Place Like Home.” Our Bid Night theme was “Under the Sea,” subtitled “Darling It’s Better Wearing Our Letters.” Big-Little Reveal was done via matching socks between the pairs and was done before formal pledging on January 22nd. Our formal class was initiated on March 4th, with our chapter adviser and three alumnae in attendance. As it happened, initiation was the same day as our chapter’s 10th anniversary. As part of the celebration, Fraternity President Beth Black surprised us with balloons and cake during a visit at chapter on March 5th. Our academic performance winter term was phenomenal. We boasted an average 3.33 GPA among our members, which was 0.1 points above the all-women average and 0.2 points above the all-sorority average. Six of our members had 4.0s. Our winter semi-formal took place at 156 East in Galesburg, Illinois and had a 1920’s Kappa Kappa Gatsby theme. We were also proud to install a member from Alpha chapter into our own chapter during the winter. Spring term was especially busy for Eta Kappa, as we hosted “Wild for Kappa” informal recruitment events to start the term, and we welcomed four new members. Bid Night was “Under the Sea with KKG” and Big-Little Reveal was done by the pairs finding someone with a matching item, such as big holding cookies and their little holding milk, or a lock and key, etc. Formal pledging for the spring new member class took place on April 19th and they were initiated on May 20th. One alumna was in attendance.  As part of our transition into a new Chapter Council, one of our sisters hosted an overnight Kappa Kabin on April 29th to allow the new CC to bond with each other and discuss goals for our chapter and ourselves. Our annual Reading is Key event took place at the Galesburg Public Library on May 20th, where we distributed children’s books to the Galesburg community and hosted craft tables for the kids. Our Academic Excellence banquet took place on May 17th. Professors that had significant positive impact on academics for our members were invited, where we celebrated them as well as the achievements of individuals in our chapter. 2 members were initiated into our campus’ chapter of Order of Omega.  Formal was at the Watson Legacy Center in Galesburg, Illinois  Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to our nine graduating seniors with a Senior Send-Off, which featured letters written for and by seniors, and their graduation stoles were presented to them at this time.
+
One of our members, Jessica Orozco, a 3rd year student, received a scholarship through Kappa.
 +
Our chapter initiated a group of 69 new members on November 13th and 1 was initiated at a
 +
later date. During our recruitment process, which was virtual, our chapter worked together to
 +
create a welcoming and positive environment. We were allowed to have an in-person bid day
 +
this fall which was organized by our new member chair, Avery Thomas. We had Summer Spink,
 +
our DEI chair hold a presentation during recruitment about what our values should be during
 +
the process of rush. Unfortunately because of COVID, we couldn’t hold our annual Kappa
 +
Kapture, the flag philanthropy which is our big fundraiser for the year but instead, our
 +
Philanthropy chair held a mental health awareness week in which our members were
 +
encouraged to partake in random acts of kindness. Also this past spring we held an auction
 +
online with prizes that were donated from various parents, alumni, as well as local businesses to
 +
raise money for Active Minds. Regarding ritual within our chapter, I encouraged girls to come to
 +
multiple ritual reviews held throughout the year.
 +
Chapter Philanthropy
  
−
Fall term has been incredibly busy for many individual members, as Eta Kappa is made up of a large number of fall athletes, who participate in soccer, volleyball, tennis, and cross country at Knox College. We are especially proud of our members on the soccer team, who made it to the NCAA Division III Regionals Tournament for the second year in a row!  We were fortunate enough to invite two new members to our chapter this term through a continuous open bid process, and while they formally pledged on October 8th, they will join our new member class of winter 2018 for initiation due to conflicts between athletic schedules as well as complications planning initiation through another chapter, who was holding their initiation while finals were taking place at Knox. Eta Kappa attended a workshop for sororities hosted by the campus Greek Life adviser and Title IX Coordinator to discuss sexual assault and how we can effectively intervene when we see incidents where someone might be endangered or vulnerable. Two members were initiated into our campus’ chapter of Order of Omega, bringing our total number of Kappas in Order of Omega up to six.  We were proud to host our annual Kappa Kolor Run on October 8th with Alpha chapter, which benefitted the Rose McGill Aid Foundation.  We look forward to what the next year will bring to Eta Kappa and the Fraternity." Reading is Key: a community outreach event that seeks to distribute as many books as possible to children in Galesburg in order promote lifelong learning and literacy in accordance with the goals of Reading is Fundamental. Our philanthropies include, Kappa Kolor Run: an annual 5K in the fall, proceeds of which benefit a particular charity or service each year as decided by the chapter. For example, Kolor Run 2017 benefitted hurricane relief through the Rose McGill Aid Foundation due to the devastation of Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Kolor Run 2016 benefitted the Alzheimer’s Foundation because two sisters had recently lost a family member to Alzheimer’s. Kappa Krush: sales of Orange Krush soda benefit the Rose McGill Aid Foundation annually. Brunch Buddies: recurring event every academic term where chapter members make something to benefit other organizations. Past examples include writing letters to our representatives or crafting cards for veterans. Pis and Kappacinos: a collaborative philanthropy event with the Beta-Delta chapter of Pi Beta Phi. Occurs occasionally when our schedules work together. In the past, this event has benefitted Nepal’s Earthquake Relief because at the time we had a sister that was Nepali. A charity that we benefit for this event is typically chosen with the Pi Phis.
+
As a chapter we locally support the Ovarian Cancer Circle and will usually host events at
 +
restaurants in Isla Vista which will donate 1⁄3 of their proceeds to our chapter for this
 +
organization.
 +
How did the chapter support Kappa’s philanthropy?
 +
We recently as a chapter just voted to support Active Minds which is a non-profit
 +
organization that focuses on the conversation of mental health in young adults through
 +
peer-to-peer dialogue. We raised money in the spring with an online auction to support
 +
mental health organizations. We plan on hosting Kappa Kapture the flag once certain covid
 +
restrictions are lifted and everyone in Greek life can participate.
 +
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  
−
Eta Kappa meets in our non-residential house for chapter at 320 W. Brooks Street, Galesburg, IL 61401. Pictured below is where we hold chapter, though it does double as a living room where members study and socialize.
+
Our DEI chair, Summer Spink, held weekly seminars in spring quarter that focused on different areas
 +
such as the Jewish-American experience, climate change, women in Stem, etc. As a chapter we had
 +
one mandatory seminar to attend but her seminars were always full! This fall, Summer hosted one
 +
large event at a Monday night chapter meeting about cultural appropriation before Halloween to
 +
ensure everyone would have a respectful costume and would better understand how to honor other
 +
cultures. Overall every member was involved in DEI this past year in social media, chapter trainings
 +
and more.
 +
Operating in a Pandemic
 +
Our meetings from January to June were all virtual and now this fall we were able to hold
 +
in-person meetings once again with everyone wearing masks. We would also have an option
 +
for zooming in if a girl was sick and unable to attend meetings. Our COB event in February
 +
was virtual and so was their initiation. This fall our Bid Day was in person but masks were
 +
required in the chapter house and initiation was also in person with masks. I hosted a
 +
combined red-white room ceremony to lessen the contact that everyone would have with
 +
each other which went very well. Overall our chapter handled the transition from in-person
 +
to virtual and back to in-person quite well and we’re all happy to have the opportunity to be
 +
back with each other again.
 +
[[File:Ucsb.jpg|thumb|Sisterhood]]
 +
[[File:Ucsb1.jpg|thumb|Social Distancing]]

Latest revision as of 17:26, 20 December 2021

 

Epsilon Psi
EΨ
EpsilonPsi House1.jpg
FoundedOctober 14, 1978 (1978-10-14) (47 years ago)
CollegeUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
LocationGoleta, CA
HomepageEpsilon Psi Website
Media related to Epsilon Psi Chapter


UC Santa Barbara, established in 1949, Santa Barbara, California


Installed Epsilon Psi on October 14, 1978.

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


1,569 initiates (as of June 2018)


Fraternity Council Members:


Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:


Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:


Notable Honored Epsilon Psi Alumnae:


Early Years[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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









Highlights of the 1980's[edit]

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






Highlights of the 1990's[edit]

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


Highlights of 2007[edit]

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

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

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

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

Highlights of 2008[edit]

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

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

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

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







Highlights of 2010[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Highlights of 2012[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of 2013[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of 2014[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of 2015[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Campus Changes and Chapter Nature:

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

Chapter Philanthropy:

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

Highlights of 2016[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of 2017[edit]

Epsilon Psi Chapter, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of 2018[edit]

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

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

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

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


Highlights of 2020[edit]

This year, we were able to start the calendar year by having informal recruitment. We then had initiation for those girls, and a day later we had our very first Kappa Kabana date party. Not even a week later, we had to go home due to COVID-19. The house closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, and events were continued online. We hosted virtual sisterhoods, including movie and game nights. Our meetings were short clips of our announcements edited together to form a “meeting,” that sisters could watch on their own. Fall 2020,we began to prepare for our virtual recruitment. Our chapter house opened up again, with major health and safety precautions. We had Polish week for recruitment over zoom, and were able to finish recruitment and host virtual Bid day, where we claimed 67 girls as our new sisters. We initiated them a couple of months later, through Zoom, and they got extra gear in their “initiation packages” to make it more special. Along the way, we had virtual sisterhoods and a book drive! ​Reading is Fundamental is Kappa’s national organization. The Ovarian Cancer Circle is close to our chapter because one of our sisters, Robin Babbini, died from Ovarian Cancer when she was a student at UCSB. ​Our chapter has created a Diversity and inclusion chair, and her position has created a committee to help her with all of the duties to help Kappa be a more inclusive space. Our DEI chair created a training for all of the panhellenic that she presented before recruitment, about implicit bias and racism in the Greek community. There was also a Facebook page where she would post infographics, news articles, and other information to help us all be more educated and aware. ​This year, we hosted our own Founders day over zoom where we played games like trivia, and performed the Founders Day ceremony ritual. This was important because the ritual hadn’t been performed in several years, but it came back for the celebration of Kappa’s 150th anniversary. We were also able to pick up a cupcake from the house. We finished our celebration by tuning into the National sesquicentennial celebration.

sisters


Highlights of 2021[edit]

One of our members, Jessica Orozco, a 3rd year student, received a scholarship through Kappa. Our chapter initiated a group of 69 new members on November 13th and 1 was initiated at a later date. During our recruitment process, which was virtual, our chapter worked together to create a welcoming and positive environment. We were allowed to have an in-person bid day this fall which was organized by our new member chair, Avery Thomas. We had Summer Spink, our DEI chair hold a presentation during recruitment about what our values should be during the process of rush. Unfortunately because of COVID, we couldn’t hold our annual Kappa Kapture, the flag philanthropy which is our big fundraiser for the year but instead, our Philanthropy chair held a mental health awareness week in which our members were encouraged to partake in random acts of kindness. Also this past spring we held an auction online with prizes that were donated from various parents, alumni, as well as local businesses to raise money for Active Minds. Regarding ritual within our chapter, I encouraged girls to come to multiple ritual reviews held throughout the year. Chapter Philanthropy

As a chapter we locally support the Ovarian Cancer Circle and will usually host events at restaurants in Isla Vista which will donate 1⁄3 of their proceeds to our chapter for this organization. How did the chapter support Kappa’s philanthropy? We recently as a chapter just voted to support Active Minds which is a non-profit organization that focuses on the conversation of mental health in young adults through peer-to-peer dialogue. We raised money in the spring with an online auction to support mental health organizations. We plan on hosting Kappa Kapture the flag once certain covid restrictions are lifted and everyone in Greek life can participate. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our DEI chair, Summer Spink, held weekly seminars in spring quarter that focused on different areas such as the Jewish-American experience, climate change, women in Stem, etc. As a chapter we had one mandatory seminar to attend but her seminars were always full! This fall, Summer hosted one large event at a Monday night chapter meeting about cultural appropriation before Halloween to ensure everyone would have a respectful costume and would better understand how to honor other cultures. Overall every member was involved in DEI this past year in social media, chapter trainings and more. Operating in a Pandemic Our meetings from January to June were all virtual and now this fall we were able to hold in-person meetings once again with everyone wearing masks. We would also have an option for zooming in if a girl was sick and unable to attend meetings. Our COB event in February was virtual and so was their initiation. This fall our Bid Day was in person but masks were required in the chapter house and initiation was also in person with masks. I hosted a combined red-white room ceremony to lessen the contact that everyone would have with each other which went very well. Overall our chapter handled the transition from in-person to virtual and back to in-person quite well and we’re all happy to have the opportunity to be back with each other again.

Sisterhood
Social Distancing
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