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→Highlights of the 2021
How did your chapter celebrate Kappa's 150th anniversary? Share what you have done this
year. This year for our 150th Anniversary, our chapter had a fancy dinner to celebrate. This steak dinner is a tradition to Gamma Pi that our kitchen is always so excited to do for us, but they especially were this year, since it was our 150th. We also had a history review at chapter to remind our members of our founding the day before Founders Day.
==Highlights of 2021==
Throughout the past year, the Gamma Pi chapter, as well as all chapters across the nation, still faced challenges and changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that our chapter handled the new challenges in the best possible way and I am so proud of everything that this chapter has accomplished over the past year. We also switched House Moms at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. We welcomed Suzanne Lucas in August and she has added a new spark to the chapter.
Scholarships:
We got to host the annual Virginia Gray and Becca Scholarship Fundraiser again this year, after not being able to do so in 2020. This scholarship raises funds for two members of our chapter to receive scholarships to pay for their member dues. Grace Sutherlin, our Director of Philanthropy, raised money for Reading is Fundamental and Mental Health Awareness, as well as the Virginia Gray and Becca Scholarship. We were so happy to hold this fundraiser again this year, and we hope to be able to continue this tradition in the coming years. In addition, we were so proud of all of the members who received scholarships from the University as well as other organizations.
Traditions:
This year, we got to get back to our some of our usual traditions, with a few limitations. We held the annual end of recruitment workshop waterslide and snow cone party. This allows everyone to celebrate the hard work that was put in during workshop and go into recruitment week with a strong sisterhood and positive attitude. Everyone looks forward to it and the payoff really shows during recruitment week. We also held the Virginia Gray and Becca Cookout this year, after not being able to hold it last year. It is an annual event dedicated to the memory of two former Gamma Pi chapter members, who unexpectedly passed away in a car accident a few years ago. The money raised in their honor is donated to a scholarship fund for two active member’s dues. Those who purchase a wristband can come into the Kappa house on a specific game day (usually Homecoming) and enjoy a barbeque lunch. We also got to have the annual Founders Day dinner, that all of the members look forward to attending. The kitchen staff pulls out all the stops for the special day. Girls line up all around the house to eat and celebrate with each other, and it was so nice to see everyone eating and enjoying themselves in person again. Much like the Founders Day Dinner, the Thanksgiving dinner the week before Thanksgiving is a wonderful time at the house, with everyone enjoying great food and looking forward to seeing their families for the holidays. It was so nice to get back to some traditions this year, but there were still a lot of events that we were unable to hold this year.
Special Events:
The pandemic stopped us from hosting many of our usual events last spring and one event that was not held this year was the Krispy Kreme Run. This philanthropy event benefits our local philanthropy, Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Alabama. It is usually held on Saturday mornings and always has a big turnout of Kappas. Whitney Jamison, our chapter advisor, is very involved with BBBS, and was very sad that it could not be held last year. In lieu of this event, she still held a fundraiser for BBBS in order to raise money for this special organization. In the fall, we were able to hold a new fundraiser for the new Fraternity philanthropy. We held “Biscuits at Bryant Denny” in order to raise money for the Jed Foundation. The Jed Foundation is a non-profit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the United States. They partner with colleges in order to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. Biscuits for Bryant Denny was held on a Saturday morning before our last home game, and people could come by the front of the Kappa house in order to purchase a biscuit in support of the foundation. It was so fun to get involved with the people in the community, as well as the fans who had traveled to Tuscaloosa to see the game.
Philanthropic Involvement:
In the spring, we were very limited with what we could do with the philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. With the majority of children that we work with doing school at home, we could not visit the local elementary schools and read to the children. These Reading is Key events were so fun and taking a semester off was incredibly hard for our members, who love to be involved in the community. The children love when we get to visit, but we knew that it was better for everyone to stay home and stay safe. Over the summer, the Fraternity philanthropy changed to mental health awareness, so we unfortunately do not hold reading is key events anymore. We were going through a transition at the beginning of the year, but we got to hold a new fundraiser for the new philanthropy in October. As stated before, we held Biscuits at Bryant Denny in order to raise money for the new Kappa philanthropy. Our members are very passionate about a strong sisterhood and positive environment inside of Kappa, so this new philanthropy was welcomed with open arms. The members loved passing out biscuits before the home game and knowing what the cause was that we were supporting, made it so much more special. During the spring, we were not able to hold a lot of Percentage Days, but in the fall, we got to hold a few percentage days in order to support the new philanthropy.
Chapter Goals:
Operating a chapter amidst a pandemic was hard for chapters across the nation, and our chapter goal was chapter involvement. We continued to hold chapter zoom meetings and operate virtually for a little, which allowed everyone to stay involved and keep Kappa in their hearts during tough times. The pandemic was hard for all, but we strived to keep the sisterhood as normal as possible.
Chapter Philanthropy
What local organization does the chapter support and why? Click or tap here to enter text.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Alabama
The chapter supports this philanthropy in order to impact the children in the Tuscaloosa community. Not only do we financially support this organization, but we usually get to give back by giving our time and reading to the children. Our members are matched with a “little” and we usually get to spend time with the children and help them reach their full potential. This organization allows us to impact our community in multiple ways, which is very important to our members. Also, we get to make lifelong differences in the children’s lives, as well as them impacting ours. The relationships formed through this philanthropy are priceless, and we are extremely lucky to be able to hopefully get back to being in the schools again with the children soon.
How did the chapter support Kappa’s philanthropy?
With the changes made to the Fraternity philanthropy over the summer, we were excited to think of new ways for our members to get involved philanthropically. The main event we held in order to support Kappa’s philanthropy was Biscuits at Bryant Denny that raised money for the Jed Foundation. This Foundation focuses on mental health, which is a subject that is very important during the current pandemic. We were able to raise money while also spending time with our members and the members of the Tuscaloosa community. With the purchase of a biscuit, one would make a small donation to a very important cause.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
How did your chapter include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in your programming this year? (e.g., adding a DEI officer, philanthropy events, social media awareness campaign, chapter training, etc.).
Last year, we welcomed a new DEI officer to our executive board, Molly DiMarino. Our Director of DEI did a wonderful job educating our members on the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Many of our members became DEI certified through the SGA at UA, and this allowed students to participate in open table talks, literature, and forums with people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The efforts behind this program were to create a more inclusive campus and our members were thrilled to get involved. This year our president made it a requirement for anyone running for our executive board to be DEI certified. This program has been so rewarding for our members and has created an inclusive environment for everyone in Kappa.
Operating in a Pandemic
How did your chapter operations change due to COVID-19 (e.g., how did it affect recruitment, initiation, etc. Were events/activities held virtually?). Share what you have done this year.
Operating in a Pandemic changed the “norm” of Kappa and it especially changed the Kappa House. We were unable to hold many events that were traditions for the chapter, but the safety of our members was and still is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Limiting dining space and encouraging taking meals home to enjoy was challenging, but it was important to keep everyone safe and healthy. The virtual chapter meetings kept everyone involved and up to date, but we were all very excited to be back together this year and are still experiencing some limitations. Operating in a pandemic has made everyone more thankful to call Kappa home and to have a place to escape the difficulties that come with these troubled times. We worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe and healthy, including our staff. We even had some sisterhood events over zoom in order to keep everyone involved and in high spirits. We hope to soon go back to completely normal operations, but the safety of our members will always come first.