| Epsilon Delta | |
|---|---|
| EΔ | |
 | |
| Founded | April 24, 1959 |
| College | Arizona State University |
| Location | Tempe, AZ |
| Homepage | Epsilon Delta Homepage |
| Media related to Epsilon Delta Chapter | |
Arizona State University, established in 1885 in Tempe, Arizona
Epsilon Delta founded April 24, 1959
2,118 initiates (as of June 2016).
Charter Members: Sharron Lynn Arnoldy, Laura-Donna Ashley, Sandra Lee Baker, Miriam Virginia Barton, Betsey Jane Beaugureau, Alice Catherine Bedford, Cornelia Lavinia Buck, Patricia Leona Caldwell, Roxanne Chamberlain, Nancy Lee Cooper, Linda Lou DeWitt, Lynda Sue Diedrich, Christiana Margaret Georgas, Karen Kay Greene, Ann Hoyer, Paula Diane Lux, Lynneah Maloy, Mari Lynne McAndrew, Jacquelynn Lucille O'Hern, Doris Ann Parisek, Karen Pender, Judith Ann Peterson, Janet Gwynne Phillips, Diane Mary Read, Patricia Ann Tamblyn, Jenta Lynn Taylor, Barbara Jean Tucker, Patricia Gail West.
Some of Epsilon Delta’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)
Fraternity Council Members
Katherine Goodyear (Grismore), Field Secretary 1982-1984; Carolyn Bliss, Leadership Consultant 2010-2011
Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:
Denise Dreiseszun Resnik, 2008, Co-founded Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center
Additional Outstanding Epsilon Delta Alumnae
Martha Helm (Pendleton), Graduate Counselor 1974-1976; Katherine Goodyear (Grismore), Graduate Counselor 1981-1983
Contents
The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)
On April 24, 1959 Epsilon Delta Chapter at Arizona State University became the first Kappa chapter to be installed at a Province Convention.
The story of the chapter really began 12-years earlier when Cleo Hedde Woodall, Cummard (Barlow), Hillsdale, a former member of the Arizona State faculty was asked by the university administration to present the possibility of colonization to Kappa Kappa Gamma. Marjorie Miller Hoar, Arizona, Province Director of Chapters, reported findings to the Province Convention, and in 1948 the application was presented to the Extension Committee.
The committee decided not to colonize at that time but to place Arizona State on the approved list and bring it before the next biennial convention.
The campus was closed to further colonization in 1949 and was not reopened until 1956 when Mrs. Cummard had a request from Dean Catherine Nichols asking Kappa to reconsider. The Scottsdale alumnae voted unanimously in favor of the move, and later the Phoenix alumnae gave approval.
At the 42nd Biennial Convention in 1958, it was unanimously voted to colonize at Arizona State. Alphonsine Clapp Howard, Nebraska, was appointed local colonization chairman. There were months of preparation. Members of the Arizona Chapter came by bus for the last two parties and February 15, 1959, 29 girls received pledge pins.
Epsilon Delta received its charter at the Fraternity Province Meeting in Tucson. Formal installation and initiation of 28 pledges took place in the Mountain View Presbyterian Church. The chapter's first full year began with 21 members living together on the third floor of C Wing, Palo Verde Hall. The chapter furnished and maintained a kitchen, chapter room, and pledge room, and the university furnished the bedrooms. Here fraternity life developed, and scholarship took precedence over all.
Mrs. Cummard presented a diamond key for the member receiving the highest grades, and Lillian Waterman Mieg, Indiana, gave a "flat" key award to be worn by the member showing the greatest scholarship improvement.
Two other awards have became very important to the members. A worthy undergraduate who needed financial aid was given an outright grant from the Louise Diercks Memorial Fund, named to honor an outstanding young Kappa who died in her senior year. In 1964 the active chapter presented a plaque to Alphonsine Howard in appreciation for all she had done for the chapter. Each year since then, the Howard Award has been given to the alumna the chapter feels has been most helpful.
To the girls of Arizona State, Mrs. Howard was a living legend. In addition to her part in colonization, she served on the advisory board of the chapter and as president of the house board; was adviser representative to Convention in 1960; was alumna house representative, 1960-70; Kappa Province Director of Alumnae, 1972-75; and State Reference Chairman, 1959-75. The Fraternity’s Alphonsine Clapp Howard Association Membership Reference Award is presented at the Biennial Convention. An antique silver tray was presented to the Fraternity to represent this award.
In 1965 the chapter won the Arizona State College Bowl championship, and received the Gleim-Stokes Award at Province Convention. Between 1964 and 1966 the chapter was represented in every honorary and auxiliary; had girls on the cheerleading and pom-pom squads; captured more than 10 queen and sweetheart crowns; and members were presidents of Mortar Board, Panhellenic, and Associated Women Students; as well as being chosen Arizona Maid of Cotton and Miss Wool of Arizona.
Actives assisted two alumnae associations with annual fashion shows, and each year they donate time, services, and money to a philanthropic project.
The chapter received the Mu Advisory Board Award at the 1970 Centennial Convention. At the final banquet, the Convention closed with the singing of the "Centennial Prayer," with lyrics and music written by Cheryl Edel (Stewart), then an Epsilon Delta pledge. The song was a real contribution to Kappa's 100th birthday by an 11-year-old-chapter.
Centennial Prayer
"I pray for the light and dark blue And I pray for the golden key And I pray that my path may be brightened With Fleur-de-lis. And if my prayer could be answered I would always be A Kappa Kappa Gamma through eternity A Kappa Kappa Gamma through eternity."
The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.
Highlights of the 1980s:
In 1984 Epsilon Delta was ranked #1 for GPA among the sororities. The chapter participated in many campus-wide events celebrating ASU's 100th. The chapter goal in 1985 was to perfect the flow of information within the chapter. An emphasis was also placed on ritual, and efforts were made to increase member awareness about the foundation of Kappa's history.
In Spring of 1985 there were 115 members in the chapter. The members participated in successful events including Greek Week, intramurals, theme parties, Watermelon Bust, Sigma Nu relays, Sigma Chi Derby Days, Pledge Presents, Kappa/Pi Phi Monmouth Duo, active/alumnae events, and Parents Weekend. The Kappas placed fourth in Greek Sing with a team of Sigma Nu, Beta Theta Pi, and Lambda Chi Alpha. Kappas ended the Greek Week by winning the first prize participation award. The chapter also encouraged member involvement in other campus organizations and activities including honorary groups, sports, and student government. Many members received scholarship and honor awards.
Rush and pledgeship were also big events, and included activities such as walk-out and the Mom-Dot program. Rush welcomed 50 new girls who joined only six holdovers.
Kappas ranked fourth on ASU's campus in scholarship, and their pledges ranked second. Tutoring and study tables continued to be offered to the actives throughout the semester.
In 1986, a Fraternity membership adviser Joyce Carlson visited the chapter during rush week. The opening day theme was "Kappas on the Koast," skit day was a slumber party theme, activities day was a football theme, and preference night’s theme was blue and blue.
The chapter hosted a new event in the spring. A "Scholarship Cozy" was hosted so that older members could assist and advise younger members as they completed their course pre-registration forms. It was a great success.
Epsilon Delta had some royalty in their midst in 1987. Cheryl Sokolosky was voted Miss Phoenix Rising, Karrin Kunasek was on ASU's Homecoming Court, and Angela Herbert was a Fiesta Bowl Princess.
The Chapter Goal in 1988 was "To uphold and improve the standards of Kappa Kappa Gamma in the areas of finance, personal conduct, and scholarship." The pledge class goal was "Through loyalty, trust and responsibility we shall strive for pledge class unity."
Traveling Consultant Martha Timmons, Colorado, visited the chapter in 1988. At the time, there were twelve sororities on the campus of Arizona State University, and Epsilon Delta had a pledge class of 46.
In 1988 new programs began to increase morale, unity, and individual responsibility within the chapter. Chapter meetings ended with "Keynotes" - inspirational notes written by members to their roommates, other friends, or the whole house. Also added was "Officer of the Week," "Committee Member of the Week," and "Adviser of the Month." The chapter also began a sharing program with other Kappa chapters through communications with the Province Director of Chapters. Also in 1988, the tradition of Kite-and-Key began. This was an informal, themed event co-hosted with the Kappa Alpha Thetas.
In 1989, the Epsilon Delta pledge class was composed of strong 42 young women. Epsilon Delta celebrated the "retirement" of alumna Patty Nye who served as Chapter Council Adviser for 10 years.
Housing:
A highlight at Epsilon Delta was the redecoration of the chapter room in 1985. New wallpaper was added to brighten it up.
In 1987 the couches were reupholstered, carpet replaced, and walls painted. The House Board also purchased a computer for the chapter.
In 1989, the House Board cleaned and organized the storage closet. This allowed the officers to have a safe orderly place to keep their items. Redecoration of the pledge room took place with new carpet and a new pull-out couch.
Philanthropy:
Philanthropy activities included an aerobirun, canned food drive, all-Greek football tournament, city-wide rubber duck water race, and a volleyball tournament. Charities that were supported by members and the Epsilon Delta chapter included Southwest Human Development, United Way, YMCA, community hospitals, Valley Big Brothers, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Rose McGill Fund.
Province Awards: In the early 80s at Province Meeting, Epsilon Delta was awarded the Philanthropy Cup Award and the Award of Excellence. At the 1985 Province Meeting Epsilon Delta received the Non-Housed Efficiency Award
Highlights of the 1990s
The chapter was a strong sorority on the campus of in the 1990s. Members were involved in many campus organizations, and they continued to participate in campus-wide activities including student foundation, Panhellenic, homecoming committee, dance line, Fiesta Bowl Court, and Devil Darlings.
A new tradition was announced in the 1990s; an all-house retreat at Friendly Pines Camp in Prescott, Arizona. This was a successful event, and continued to be a highlight among chapter members year-after-year.
The members celebrated Epsilon Delta's 30-year anniversary during Founders Day with alumnae from the greater Phoenix areas.
Chapter challenges included participation in Epsilon Delta activities and scholarship. The chapter formed "social committees" of 13-14 members and a Kappa leader. The leader would communicate regularly with the members of her social committee in order to increase the attendance of members at events.
Scholarship continued to be an important focus for the women of Epsilon Delta. Weekly study tables, scholarship cozies, and recognition at meetings for those whose GPA was 3.0 or higher proved to be good morale boosters. The chapter also continued their tradition of an scholarship awards banquet at the end of each semester.
In 1990's Fall pledge class, there were 31 young women. They participated in activities such as a pool party, study tables, Big Sis/Little Sis Progam, weekly meetings, formals, and exchanges.
In 1995, Epsilon Delta hosted Province Meeting. Founders Day was a special event with pledges, actives and alumnae due to the celebration of Kappa Kappa Gamma's 125th year. Also in 1995, Epsilon Delta ranked 2nd in GPA compared to the other 14 sororities on campus. Five Epsilon Delta members received a 4.0 grade point average.
In 1996 Epsilon Delta participated in Spring Rush events for the first time in a few years and pledged nine new members.
Scholarship continued to be an area of focus, and the chapter was proud to report that nine Epsilon Delta members earned a 4.0 GPA in the Spring, 1997 semester. In the Fall of 1998, eleven members achieved a 4.0. The chapter continued its tradition of study buddies to assist members with improving scholarship efforts each semester.
In 1998 Epsilon Delta received the distinguished ASU Leadership Development Award, an honor of being chosen from 450 organizations on campus.
One challenge faced by Epsilon Delta was the transition into the new member program, a Fraternity change that Kappa Kappa Gamma introduced in 1998. The chapter adjusted fairly quickly to the changes, and continued their success recruiting quality members.
The Fraternity’s Biennial Convention was held in Scottsdale in 1998, and Epsilon Delta members were very involved in planning and hosting the event.
Housing:
The kitchen was remodeled in 1990 which included new wallpaper, floor covering, paint and cabinets. The Board also added an ice machine, and the Parents' Club donated a big screen television for the chapter room.
The House Board redecorated the Chapter Room in 1998. In 1998 campus discussions began with ASU regarding the proposal of moving sorority housing out of Palo Verde Main and into the Sonora Residence Hall. It was agreed that new housing would be built to accommodate all sororities on Apache Trail.
Philanthropy:
Epsilon Delta continued to participate in the all-Greek football tournament to raise money for a variety of charities. They also decorated the floor for trick-or-treating children, went Christmas caroling, played in a volleyball tournament, and participated in a fun run. The annual Greek Sing was also a philanthropic event that raised money for Camp Sunrise, a retreat for kids with cancer.
In 1994, members logged 300 volunteer hours with the Junior Achievement organization. In 1995 the members volunteered more than 300 hours for the Thunderbirds to raise $1,000,000 for local charities. Epsilon Delta was asked to present a workshop about its philanthropy program at the national COOL conference held at ASU (focusing on innovative community service oriented projects). The chapter was also able to raise more than $1,600 for the Rose McGill Fund.
In 1997, the ASU's campus underwent a restructuring of rules and regulations surrounding the philanthropic events of sororities and fraternities. The idea was to explore time management in the chapters for hosting and attending different functions. As a result, Epsilon Delta only hosted the Kappa Kickoff football tournament to benefit Rose McGill Fund. Members did seek off-campus organizations to assist in fundraising and volunteer hours.
Province Awards:
In 1995 the chapter was given the Florence B. McLaughlin award for the chapter which has best contributed to its community through philanthropic projects during the 1993-1995 biennium. They also received the Norma Dow Patton Award for thoughtfulness, courtesy, support, and interaction with alumnae, and the Debbie Wamser Russell Miller Award for the maintenance of our chapter facility and all other aspects of house board programming.
Convention Awards:
In 1998 the chapter received honorable mentions in the areas of Philanthropy and Finance.
Highlights of 2000-2010
The members of Epsilon Delta continued their strong legacy at Arizona State University. In 2004 with a campus of more than 50,000 students and 11 sororities, the Kappas maintained strong bonds among its 113 members. In 2005, the chapter had 115 members.
The chapter continued to strive in the area of scholarship. Challenges they faced included organization, resistance to change among the members, finances, and a weak standards committee. They addressed these issues by establishing due dates for dues, condensing the calendar, offering strong officer training, hosting more sisterhood events, and improving the standards committee and risk management program. Clear standards and ongoing communication between the officers and the members was a focus for the chapter.
Following the tragedy of 9-11, Kappas participated in campus-wide events honoring the slain victims. A candlelight vigil was held and money was raised through a raffle for the Red Cross. Epsilon Delta continued to organize their archives on an annual basis.
In 2006, the Epsilon Delta chapter received Panhellenic’s chapter of the week two times during the year. ASU's campus was now at a record 55,000 students, and Epsilon Delta had 120 members. By 2008 ASU was maintaining four campuses; ASU West, Poly Technic, East Campus, and ASU Main (in Tempe). There were five Greek Councils: Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, and the National Panhellenic Conference.
In 2008 the chapter was preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and it paid special attention to the archives. Many items were shared with the members throughout the year, old minutes were read, famous Kappas were talked about, and Epsilon Delta's history at ASU was shared.
The chapter also refocused organizational efforts by improving parliamentary procedures, utilizing committee structure more efficiently, and implementing a Leadership Academy plan.
In 2009 there were 134 active members, and Epsilon Delta held one of the most successful Recruitment efforts that they have experienced in recent years. Members of Epsilon Delta continued to participate in campus-wide events related to statewide budget cuts (including reform at college campuses), and multicultural awareness.
By 2010 ASU's campus had grown to 65,000 students, and the Greek system added a new sorority; Alpha Gamma Delta. Kappa Delta closed on the campus. Epsilon Delta Kappas were 150 members strong. In 2010 the members hosted their first Mothers Weekend.
Housing:
In 2001 the Kappas, along with all other ASU sororities, moved into new housing on Apache Trail. In 2004 the cluster housing of Adelphi Commons housed 30 Epsilon Delta members. In 2007, the Kappas moved to a different space in Adelphi Commons, and the cluster rooms housed 20 members.
In 2008 the Kappas won "Cleanest Cluster Award" from ASU's housing department. Fraternity houses were being demolished on Greek Row as part of a redevelopment effort at ASU.
Philanthropy:
Members participated in charitable fundraising events such as Derby Days, a car wash for breast cancer awareness, Valentines for the Phoenix Children's Hospital, a golf tournament, and Autism awareness. Epsilon Delta continued to actively participate in Panhellenic and Interfraternity events to raise money for a variety of charities.
In 2005, the chapter completed 575 hours of community service. In 2006, Kappas raised over $7,000 for RIF (Reading is Fundamental).
The members also gathered gifts and money to be shared with a Kappa in need during the holidays. In 2007 Epsilon Delta started a new philanthropy called "Kappa Karnival" which invited underprivileged children to participate in carnival activities for the day.
Convention Awards:
In 2004 Epsilon Delta received the Chapter/Advisory Board relations award (honorable mention). In 2010 Epsilon Delta won the Standards award.
Highlights of 2011-2019
Highlights of 2011
2011 was a very memorable year for Epsilon Delta. Throughout the year we participated in numerous events and philanthropies. In January for our first date party of the year, we went to a Phoenix Suns game. In February, we held our annual semi-formal dance, Kappa Krush.
In March we participated in the Greek olympics at ASU and held our second annual Mother's weekend. In April, we participated in ASU Greek Week and Greek Sing, held our annual philanthropy Kappa Kick-off, and our annual fomal, Sapphire Ball. Greek week was a lot of fun because we got to pair up with Sigma Nu and Delta Tau Delta and compete in various competitions and make up a dance routine to perform at the Greek Sing competition. Kappa Kick-off was very successful, we raised money for RIF and received a lot of book donations.
Saphire Ball was a very neat event this year because our event chairman decided to require formal wear such as long gowns and suits and it was held at a very nice hotel in Phoenix. In September, we had a very successful recruitment, gaining 77 new members. During September we also cleaned up our street that we adopted. In October, we held our annual parent's weekend, our annual philanthropy Kappa Klassic benefiting the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, our annual semi-formal Kappa Presents, Founder's Day brunch and Race for the Cure. We also held two sisterhood events; we went to a haunted house and saw the movie Footloose on Big-Little reveal night. In November, we initiated 64 new members and won the More for Mankind competition put on by Seven jeans. In winning the More for Mankind competition, we were recognized nationally, Seven gave us $2,500 to give to the philanthropy of our choice, and even threw an event for us at their local store in Scottsdale. We ended the year with Holiday dinner party at the Cheesecake factory.
The chapter continued its strong support of sisterhood events, campus-wide events, alumnae events, and parent involvement. Standards and risk management continue to be challenges for the chapter, and the members strive to bond through alcohol-free sisterhood events. Scholarship was improving, and the chapter GPA in 2011 was 3.11. In 2011 the chapter pledged 77 new members.
ASU formed a Greek vision board to focus on the improvement of Greek life in three areas: space and place, self determination, and thriving chapters. It is expected that Sigma Kappa sorority will colonize in 2012.
Campus: Arizona State University is one of the largest universities in the nation. On the Tempe campus where Epsilon Delta is housed, there are 65,000 students. It was announced that Sigma Kappa sorority will begin colonization at Arizona State in the Spring of 2012. ASU implemented a Greek vision board to improve Greek life that focuses on 3 key areas of Greek life; space and place, self-determination, and thriving chapters. Also, the downtown campus (located in Phoenix) at Arizona State is working on a new Greek housing complex called "First 44."
Chapter: As a chapter, Epsilon Delta prides itself on diversity. We are one of the most diverse houses on campus. We currently have 180 active members. In the fall, we gained 77 new members after a very successful recruitment. In November, we initiated 64 new members.
In the fall of 2011, our chapter was put on probation by ASU after one of our socials got out of hand. As of right now in the beginning of the spring 2012 semester, we are still on probation but have had some terms released. As a chapter we stood together during this time and saw it as an opportunity to only improve for the better. We have implemented a new risk management plan to make sure that nothing like this will ever happen again. Also, we have been able to strengthen the bonds of our sisterhood through these times by only being allowed to have sisterhood events , alcohol-free. We were also able to turn our chapter around academically in the fall semester with the implementation of mandatory study hours, allowing us to jump from the below all-sorority average to above the all-sorority average, with a 3.11 GPA as a chapter.
Highlights of 2012
The Epsilon Delta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Arizona State University started off the school year with an incredible recruitment over Labor Day weekend and came out with an amazing pledge class of 2012. We all enjoyed bid day at the Lloyd’s house and shared some of our favorite Kappa traditions with our new members. Our first sisterhood of the year with the new members was a “Kappa Kookie Decorating Day.” We all had the chance to decorate cookies and craft signs for the new members dorm doors with each other. The second sisterhood of the year was a night of broomball. We had pizza and attempted to play the game even though no one really knew what they were doing.
In mid-September it was parents weekend which we enjoyed a tailgate and the ASU v. Utah game with our sisters and parents. That weekend was also our annual golf tournament “Kappa Klassic” where we raised money for The Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC).
In October we had “Kappa Presents” date party where the actives presented the new members to all of our friends and dates. That month we also celebrated Big Little reveal, a new member retreat, and of course Founder’s Day! We had a Founder’s Day brunch with some of the alumni from around the state. October was also the month of Homecoming which we participated in.
The month of November started off with our date party called “Barn Dance” and that weekend we also had a Bar-B-Q with the men of Alpha Sigma Phi. Then we moved into Inspiration Week. We had events planned for our soon to be active members such as: “Epsilon Delta Night,” “Campfire Night,” and “Fireside” which led into initiation. To end the month and the semester we had a holiday themed social with the men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
To begin spring semester we all went to an ASU basketball game as a sisterhood. The following weekend was our All House Spring Retreat up north. In February we had a jungle themed social with the men of Pi Kappa Phi, which was at the Rainforest Café. Valentine’s day Weekend we participated in Panhellenic’s Dance Marathon and also had our date party “Kappa Krush.” Towards the end of the month we were given the opportunity to participate in Mother’s Weekend with our moms.
Our biggest event of spring semester was our philanthropy for Reading is Fundamental that is “Kappa Kickoff,” a football tournament. We raised money for RIF from the teams that participated as well as many books for children and schools in need. To end the semester we were all invited to the date party “Sapphire” to honor our seniors as well as “Senior Will Night” where seniors passed down things to the chapter. During the school year of 2012 and 2013 we also participated in many philanthropies including: Kappa Sigma’s, Sigma Alpha Mu’s, Pi Kappa Phi’s, Lambda Chi Alpha’s, Delta Zeta’s, and Sigma Kappa’s.
Highlights of 2013
2013 was certainly a year to remember for the woman of the Epsilon Delta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Arizona State University. The year started bonding back together after winter break with an all house retreat to Camp Tonozona. In February we had social with the gentleman of Pi Kappa Phi. Our fraternity as a whole participated in Arizona State University’s first ever Dance Marathon. We then had our annual Kappa Krush, valentines day themed date party. Then Kappa held its third annual mothers weekend in March, which included a spa day and brunch! Philanthropically we had our biennial Kappa Kickoff where we raised money for RIF and held a book drive for local schools. Kappa also participated in the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha’s Watermelon Bust philanthropy, which helped the United Food Bank of Mesa Arizona.
Also in the sororities Sigma Kappa and Gamma Phi Beta’s capture the flag philanthropy for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Relay for Life was another Arizona State University event we participated in as a whole chapter, where we had a booth to raise donations. In April we won a free sisterhood from Victory Secret Pink for donating the most articles of clothing. Arizona State University also had its greek week in May where we collected over 2,000 cans for St. Mary’s food bank. The last event of the spring was our annual Sapphire Ball, a formal date party where we showcased seniors and gave our individual chapter awards. Over the summer many members traveled around the world and even visited Fraternity Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio!
Fall came quickly as we prepared for recruitment. The chapter welcomed over 78 new members in the beginning of September! Kappa held our sisterhood for the winning the Pink competition the previous semester, which was filled with food and watching a movie together in our housing lawn. We held our annual parents weekend complete with tickets to a football game at ASU. September concluded with Kappa Klassic, a golf tournament and brunch to help our new local philanthropy, Sounds of Autism. Our first date party of the semester was Kappa Presents, where all new members wore white. We held a founders day brunch with our local Alumni association in October. The new members had a retreat to get to know each other better and learn some of the kappa values. The house participated in three fraternities philanthropy’s in the fall. Phi Gamma Delta’s philanthropy for United Services Organization, Kappa Alpha’s Angles in the Outfield, and Sigma Alpha Mu’s philanthropy for Judy Fund for Alzheimer’s Research.
Kappa hosted a musician for Big and Little reveal. Homecoming week was celebrated with the gentleman of Alpha Sigma Phi. Initiation took place in November where we initiated 73 of our new members! The year ended with a “What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?” social with the men of Alpha Delta Phi. The year was not complete without participation in intramural sports. Kappa played soccer, softball, flag football, and even placed first overall greek team in volleyball over the past year! Challenges our chapter has had include reaching the All Sorority Average for academics and attendance. We are continuing to overcome these struggles with our PDC and incorporated new ideas for increasing both.
The chapter as a whole completed well over 5,600 hours of community service throughout the year! Kappa also holds two members who were elected as Vice President of Member Development and Risk management for Arizona State University’s Panhellenic Council for 2014! Standards won an award from our PDC for best standards minutes. The year ended with a surprise gift for the chapter of sweatshirts with our letters on them! Overall an amazing year for the woman of the Epsilon Delta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Arizona State University.
There are diverse changes to our campus regarding greek life. There are four campuses, an average 3.47 University GPA, over 70,000 students, and over 58 greek letter organizations. Unfortunately the amount of negative media surrounding our school and greek life has increased in the past year. This poor PR has lead to several Fraternities becoming unaffiliated with Arizona State University. Positive changes have happened with Panhellenic adding a new risk management and philanthropy policies. This allows for having a safer environment for our chapter. Through the struggles we have faced with media, academics, and attendance, Epsilon Delta still “prides itself on diversity of our chapter” (1992 registrar). The nature of our chapter is caring, supportive, acceptable to change, and most importantly we know how to have fun with our sisters. This chapter loves spending time together and knows when it is important to reconnect and focus. The end of 2013 the chapter has re-gained our momentum to continue to be the woman that we are; true, beautiful, and good.
Highlights of 2014
2014 was another busy and productive year for the women of the Epsilon Delta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In February, we started off the semester with our annual Valentine’s Day themed date party, Kappa Krush on the 15th. At the end of March, leading into the first week of April, we participated in Arizona State Panhellenic’s Greek Week, and were paired up with the fraternities of Phi Gamma Delta, and Sigma Alpha Mu. Greek Sing had the theme of the Hunger Games, and each team was assigned a District. We were so proud to come in 2nd overall in Greek Week, and to take 3rd place in Greek Sing!
The 26th of April is when Sapphire Ball fell, our classiest event of the year, at which girls can be found wearing both long prom type dresses, as well as short formal dresses as well. On April 27th, our chapter held our yearly tradition of Senior Will Night, where we got together at the restaurant Grimaldi’s, and the Seniors had speeches read by some of their dearest Kappa sisters, and then they “willed” down some of their Kappa items, ranging from tee shirts to painted canvases and letters. The last event of the school year was a sisterhood held at Macayo’s, a Mexican restaurant, where girls were able to come and eat lunch with their sisters, and everyone received a tank top.
School started back in session on August 21st, and August 28th marked the beginning of formal recruitment. After the long weekend of countless hours of recruiting and voting, finally on Tuesday, September 2nd, we had Bid Day, which was America themed. We welcomed 86 New Members into our chapter. After all of the festivities at Old Main, we took our new members to the Chandler Ice Den to enjoy ice-skating and to have a chance to meet more actives, as well as get to know some of their pledge class. On September 19th, we had a social with the gentlemen of Phi Gamma Delta, which was themed “Hall of Fame”.
On the 27th of September, we had our first ever Golden Key Gala, instead of our traditional theme of Kappa Presents, where Actives used to wear black and New Members wore white. In October, our New Members had their retreat the weekend of the 3rd, and then later in the month on the 15th we celebrated Big/Little reveal! The first week in November was I-week, and on November 8th we initiated 77 women into our chapter. The weekend after, on the 15th of November, we had our annual Barn Dance date party, which is Western themed. It was held at the Rockin R Ranch, which looks like an old Western town!
On the 6th of December, right before finals week, we had our final sisterhood event of the calendar year, and went to Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo! Girls were able to walk around and see the decorations, and see the exhibits, and all who attended received a long sleeve shirt. After all of our memorable events, 2014 was definitely an amazing year for the Epsilon Delta chapter at Arizona State University.
As Greek Life has come more under fire in recent years, ASU continues to put in place precautions and rules to try to protect the Panhellenic community from potentially damaging it's reputation. Our chapter is full of a bunch of fun loving girls who are genuine and kind. This year we have been focusing more on building up our sisterhood and the relationships between the women in our chapter.
ASU has Adelphi Commons, which are a bunch of dorm clusters for each sorority on our campus. There is enough room for 30 girls to live in each year. In the past, we were located in a smaller cluster at Adelphi, but have since relocated to the cluster which we have resided in for multiple years now. Chapter meetings are held in a classroom on campus.
Highlights of 2015
2015 was another busy year full of activities for the women of Epsilon Delta. The semester started in January and we were busy planning for our upcoming Continuous Open Bid recruitment. With the hard work and effort of the entire house we extended bids to 10 outstanding women. On February 7th, we held our Mother’s Weekend brunch at Camelback Golf Club. On February 13th, we held our annual Kappa Krush date party at Blur night club in Old Town Scottsdale. That Sunday, we hosted Kappa Kickoff, our philanthropy event that benefits Reading is Fundamental. Kappa Kickoff is a flag football tournament amongst the participating fraternities, but includes other events through out the week such as t-shirt sales and book donations which helped contribute to the overall point count. In the end the gentlemen of Sigma Phi Epsilon won our flag football tournament, but the gentlemen of Delta Tau Delta were named the overall winners of our philanthropy after all points were tallied. Delta Tau Delta was awarded a trophy as the overall winners and Sigma Phi Epsilon was given a plaque naming them the Kappa Kickoff flag football champions. Both items were presented to the chapters as a way to show our gratitude for their outstanding turn out and tremendous support of out philanthropy. Initiation week for our Spring ’15 new member class began with Epsilon Delta Night on March 23rd followed by Campfire on the 25th, Fireside on the 27th, and Initiation on the morning of March 28th, including adding another Kappa legacy to our sisterhood. During the month we were also able to compete in Lambda Chi Alpha’s philanthropy, Watermelon Bust which involves tossing, smashing, and sliding through watermelons to help benefit Feeding America. April meant that it was time for Greek Week, and this year we were paired with the gentlemen of Delta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu. Greek Week was an exciting way to become more involved in the Greek community by participating in events such as window painting, attending the activities throughout the week, and competing in the Infamous Greek Sink show, where we performed our dances and skits that aligned with the Gods and Goddesses theme for the year. As a whole, Greek life raised over $72,000 for Valley of the Sun United Way through the participation in Greek Week. In April we hosted Leadership Consultant Alex Von Springer who offered us great advice to end our school year with. In addition, we participated in Kappa Sigma’s philanthropy to benefit the Special Olympics. We competed in various events such as an egg toss, pyramid building competition, and volleyball tournament to accumulate points. In the end we came out on top and were able to leave victorious as the winners of the Kappa Sigma philanthropy. On April 18th, we held our annual Sapphire Ball Formal and honored our seniors at their final formal as an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. On April 25th our VP of Standards set up a scavenger hunt throughout campus as a final sisterhood for the school year and the winning team was awarded Starbucks gift cards. We ended the semester in May by holding an all house recruitment workshop before everyone went home for the summer where we practiced door songs, prepared strong conversation topics, and answered any questions asked by the chapter.
The beginning of the Fall ’15 semester began with 30 new sisters moving into our sorority housing in Adelphi Commons. Quickly after move in we began work week to ensure that we were recruitment ready! This year, recruitment was split into two weekends due to the increasing number of PNM’s going through recruitment each year. The first round of recruitment was held on August 29th and 30th as we saw half of the PNM’s one day and the other half the other day. The remaining rounds of recruitment were held September 5th-7th. We were honored to host Leadership Consultant Jess Morin from August 29th through September 8th, as she was a crucial part of our recruitment process. Jess was such an asset to us during the highs and lows of recruitment and helped relay messages back and forth to headquarters and ease tension in the house. On September 8th we welcomed 88 wonderful new members into our chapter and held Bid Day at the roof top pool of the Residence Inn on the north side of campus. Bid Day activities included busting a move on the dance floor with the DJ, swimming, and enjoying the Arizona weather with our new sisters. This fall semester we participated in the Greek flag football league and enjoyed cheering our sisters on to victory. We hosted our parents for Family Weekend September 25th-27th and held Kappa Klassic, our annual fall philanthropy that Sunday at Top Golf in Scottsdale. There was a brunch and golf tournament portion of our philanthropy to raise money for our local philanthropies Sounds of Autism and Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. On October 3rd we had our fall formal Golden Key Gala which was accompanied by a sit down dinner this year. Later that month, on the 22nd, we had big/little reveal and all of our Kappa families grew! The first week of November was I-week, and we initiated our Fall ’15 New Member Class on Saturday November 7th. The next week was Homecoming and we were paired with the gentlemen of Delta Chi and Delta Tau Delta. Our members enjoyed participating in the week’s events and took home third place overall! On Friday the 20th, we held our Barn Dance date party at Rawhide. On the 22nd we participated in Sigma Alpha Mu’s Paint Splash philanthropy where are sisters were covered in paint support of Alzheimer’s research while claiming the first place spot. In December we closed out the semester by having a holiday themed social with the gentlemen of Sigma Pi at the Hard Rock Café in Downtown Phoenix! We had quite the busy year in 2015 and are ecstatic to see what 2016 has in store for us.
The Epsilon Delta chapter is an extremely genuine and supportive group of women. Over the past year we have worked to strengthen our bonds within the Kappa ritual as well as with each other to ensure that we are living out Kappa’s ideals daily. Our chapter is striving to become one of the most involved organizations on campus by participating in as many events as we can, including Panhellenic, Greek life, and University events alike. We would like to have a large presence on campus as a group of exceptional individuals.
Our chapter holds our chapter meetings in classrooms on campus that we reserve at the before the start of each semester. We have experimented with different locations on campus to try to find a centrally located classroom so as to accommodate as many girls in the chapter as we can to allow for easy commuting to chapter as it is a crucial part of our sisterhood.
Adelphi Commons is a University dormitory facility that houses all of our Panhellenic Sororities. Each sorority has a “cluster” that is set up similar to a dorm, but is more private to each house. Our cluster houses 30 girls, with most girls living in a double room and sharing a bathroom with the adjacent room. We also have a full kitchen, study room/loft, and a chapter room that is utilized as a living room. We were very excited to have our chapter room redecorated at the end the summer (thanks to our House Board) before the next group of sisters moved in for the 2015-2016 school year. Members that live in Adelphi enjoy House Dinners monthly which provides another way to connect with sisters and build our sisterhood.
Highlights of 2020s:
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
Housing:
Philanthropy:
Chapter Convention Awards:
Note to Chapter Registrar: Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.
Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!