| Zeta Psi | |
|---|---|
| ZΨ | |
 | |
| Founded | December 4, 1993 |
| College | Wake Forest University |
| Location | Winston Salem, NC |
| Homepage | Zeta Psi Homepage |
| Media related to Zeta Psi Chapter | |
Wake Forest University, established 1834
Zeta Psi founded December 4, 1993
1,272 initiates (as of June 2018)
Some of Zeta Psi’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
Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients
Fraternity Loyalty Award
Contents
Early Years - Founding:
Located on 320 wooded acres in Winston-Salem, N.C., Wake Forest is a private, liberal arts university with an enrollment of approximately 5,600 in 1993 and more than 150 years of academic integrity and spiritual heritage. Proud of its Baptist beginnings, the university is sensitive to the personal development of all students of all beliefs. Responsive to the needs of its students, the university's admissions policy is "need blind." Students are admitted based on their ability, and financial aid is awarded to commensurate with each student's need.
Promoting excellence both in the classroom and in the sports arena, Wake Forest is continually placed among the top ranked universities in the country. Strong academic programs and superior graduate departments attract students from all over the world. The university’s curriculum emphasizes literature, the arts, the natural sciences and mathematics, history, religion, philosophy, the social sciences, physical education, foreign language, and health and sports science.
The S.O.P.H. Society was established on October 10, 1956. S.O.P.H society was founded by five undergraduate women. The University did not officially recognize it until 1964. In 1993, the organization sought national affiliation to enhance the character of the society and ensure a successful future. The group ideals include honor, loyalty, and integrity and it has a heritage spanning exactly 37 years of scholarship, fellowship and philanthropic services. The society's colors were light blue and white.
Wake Forest University became the home of the Zeta Psi chapter when 77 charter members and five alumna members of the S.O.P.H. society chose international affiliation and pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma on October 11, 1993. Actives from the University of Richmond and the University of North Carolina joined area alumnae in welcoming the members of this new colony. Installation of the Fraternity's 123rd active chapter was held December 4th. The chapter joined Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi and Chi Omega chapters on the campus.
Highlights of the 1990s:
In 1995, Zeta Psi was second on campus in overall scholarship. Zeta Psi’s formal, Out of the Blue, was held at Tanglewood Park. The first annual Kappa Kaddies golf tournament was held which raised over $2300 for Wake Forest’s main philanthropy, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund. Zeta Psi looked to improve scholarship by recognizing special accomplishments each week at chapter meetings. The chapter goal of 1995 was philanthropy.
Zeta Psi’s formal, Out of the Blue, was held at a local arts center. The second annual Kappa Kaddies golf tournament raised $5000 for Wake Forest’s main philanthropy, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund. Zeta Psi was recognized by the University for raising the most money of any Greek organization. The chapter goal of 1996 was sisterhood. Zeta Psi participated in many activities to promote sisterhood such as: bowling, roller-skating, rock climbing, ice skating, and playing pool.
After initiation, there was a banquet held on the Magnolia Patio for the sisters. During rush, there was an event at Discovery Zone. A banquet to honor seniors was held where breakfast was served and the sisters were given a chance to offer a parting statement to the sisterhood. Cookouts were held on the patio and gatherings were held in the Reynolda Gardens on sunny days. Zeta Psi had eight members of student government, one member of the University Orchestra, four presidential scholars, four members of the Harbinger Corps, and two members of the Old Gold and Black.
Zeta Psi ranked third overall academically among Greek women’s groups on campus in 1997. Zeta Psi’s formal, Out of the Blue, was held at the Twin City Club in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. Zeta Psi held its semi-formal, Rose and Candle at the Millennium Center. Other social events included a Mystery Date. The third annual Kappa Kaddies golf tournament raised over $5000 for Wake Forest’s main philanthropy, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund. Once again, Zeta Psi was recognized by the University for raising the most money of any Greek organization. Zeta Psi was the Derby Days champion.
Ritual was the chapter goal for 1997. Zeta Psi attempted to underscore its connection with every other Kappa chapter in the United States. Zeta Psi’s Marshall held various workshops throughout the year focusing on ritual, its meaning and history. Zeta Psi sisters participated in games and reenactments. Zeta Psi had one Greek Women’s Scholar, five hospital volunteers, two members of the pre-med honor society, and two members of the Judicial Board.
Zeta Psi’s cumulative GPA in 1998 was 3.285. Kappa Kaddies golf tournament raised over $5000 for Wake Forest’s main philanthropy, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund. Once again, Zeta Psi was recognized by the University for raising the most money of any Greek organization. Social event included: Out of the Blue (formal), Rose and Candle (semi-formal), Monmouth Duo party, co-sponsored with Pi Beta Phi who were also founded at Monmouth, and a Mystery Day. Zeta Psi was a runner-up in the Derby Days competition. Ritual was the chapter goal. Zeta Psi had 114 members on the Dean’s List, one member of the varsity cross country/track team, a member of the National Pistol Shooting Team, four Peer Health Educators, and one Resident Adviser.
In 1999, Zeta Psi won most improved in scholarship standings among all Greek women’s groups. Kappa Kaddies golf tournament raised nearly $4000 for Wake Forest’s main philanthropy, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund. Zeta Psi were Derby Days champions. Social events included formal, Out of the Blue and semi-formal, Rose and Candle, Monmouth Duo Party, a Halloween Party with Kappa Sigma fraternity, and a crush party.
Sisterhood was the chapter goal. Zeta Psi planned an abundance of special activities to promote spirit and sisterhood including bowling, dinner after chapter, and lounge get-togethers. There was a banquet on the Magnolia Patio after initiation and a senior banquet. Each class plans one sisterhood event throughout the year. Zeta Psi had one member of the Honor and Ethics Counsel, four members of the Golden Key National Honors Society, seven members of club sports, seven members of the Volunteer Service corps, two members of the dance team, and four members of student government.
Philanthropy:
1995: Adopt-a-Highway, Kappa Kaddies, joint school supply drive “Students Helping Students” with Alpha Kappa Alpha; 1996: Adopt-a-Highway, Kappa Kaddies, Easter egg hunt with children from the local community, Project Pumpkin booth; 1997: Kappa Kaddies, Easter egg hunt with children from the local community, Project Pumpkin booth; 1998: Kappa Kaddies, Easter egg hunt with children from the local community, Project Pumpkin, “Adopt a Grandparent” at the Brookridge Retirement Home; 1999: Kappa Kaddies, adopt a grandmother, Breast Cancer Awareness Fashion Show, Project Pumpkin; Events:Mai Tai Mystery Date and Rose and Candle Semi-Formal
Highlights of 2000-2010:
In 2000, Zeta Psis participated in a variety of events sponsored by Wake Forest and the surrounding community. These events included a traditional Chinese New Year celebration which consisted of performances, games, and food and traditional Moravian festivities at Old Salem, the Moravian founding community of the present day city of Winston-Salem.
September 11, 2001
Members of Zeta Psi participated in a campus-wide memorial service held in honor of the victims of September 11th. Wake Forest Volunteer Service Corps, in conjunction with the Student Government, immediately launched a university relief effort which included a Red Cross-sponsored blood drive and campus-wide fundraising. A Zeta Psi was chairwoman of the Volunteer Service Corps at the time and played a large role in the fundraising effort which raised more than $10,000.
During the spring 2004 semester, Zeta Psi earned the top GPA for all sororities on Wake’s campus with an average of a 3.347 GPA among its members. Zeta Psi placed second for the amount of money raised during Hit the Bricks, the all-Greek Brian Piccolo fundraiser in the fall of 2004. Zeta Psi has also began a new philanthropy event, Planting for Piccolo, to support the Brian Piccolo cancer fund at Wake Forest University. Along with Sigma Pi fraternity, Zeta Psi sold and planted tulip bulbs as a living memorial to Brian Piccolo. Zeta Psi plans on continuing to work with Sigma Pi in the preservation of this garden. In community service, one of Zeta Psi’s members began a tutoring project with one of the local low-income elementary schools which has now expanded into a steady effort among many of Zeta Psi’s members. Lastly, Zeta Psi’s former Chapter Council adviser was named Outstanding Adviser and a senior Zeta Psi was named Greek Woman of the Year by Wake’s Panhellenic Council.
Zeta Psi chapter has 184 active members. As of January 10, 2005, Zeta Psi added its newest pledge class of 47 girls. Zeta Psi members come from all different parts of the country and participate in a variety of activities including varsity sports, tutoring, volunteering, and academic research.
This year Zeta Psi's philanthropy committee instituted a new fundraiser for RIF during the fall of 2005. Zeta Psi partnered with the Princeton Review to offer a Practice MCAT and LSAT, and all of the money collected went straight to RIF. As a chapter, Zeta Psi participated in the "Hit the Bricks" activity in the fall to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. Zeta Psi was able to compete well and donate a significant amount of money to this cause which is so dear to the hearts of all at Wake Forest. Finally, in the spring of 2005, Zeta Psi worked at Diggs Elementary School in their after school program as tutors.
The chapter began the process of evaluating that experience and implementing more volunteer activities in the community as a group, while also recognizing individual Kappas who serve this community so well. Additionally, serving Wake Forest Greek life, member and former Zeta Psi Panhellenic chairman is currently President of the Panhellenic Council for the university. Lastly, this past year Zeta Psi increased bus attendance to Zeta Psi social events from 84% in February 2005 to 97% in November 2005.
Zeta Psi had a very successful and meaningful year in 2006. Zeta Psi was honored with the Academic Excellence Award at the 2006 Convention during the summer and additionally was recognized with four honorable mention awards.
On Wake’s campus, Zeta Psi was very active in philanthropic events including “Hit the Bricks” to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, and DESK to decorate and donate school desks to children in need. In addition to participating in these campus wide events, Zeta Psi showed great initiative and desire to help the community by organizing an Easter egg hunt for children of the Wake Forest faculty.
As a chapter, Zeta Psi also took part in a school supply drive and sent a great deal of essential items to the classroom of a Zeta Psi alumna who is currently working for Teach for America in Philadelphia. Additionally, a junior Zeta Psi brought the national organization "Queen for a Day" to the chapter and organized a special day for young girls in the cancer ward of the local children's hospital. A Senior Zeta Psi was honored with a Panhellenic Leadership Award, and another Senior Zeta Psi organized the first annual "Wake N'Shake" dance marathon which raised a great deal of money for the Brian Piccolo Research Fund. Zeta Psi is extremely proud of her for her involvement in this event and the chapter showed its support by dancing in the marathon in high numbers. Finally, Zeta Psi’s Kappa intramural soccer team was crowned champions of this past season.
It was a productive and meaningful 2007 year for the chapter as our members participated in a wide variety of activities both on and off campus. Zeta Psi’s President was honored by receiving the esteemed Greek woman of the year award for 2007. Several members of our chapter completed service projects outside the country to help those less fortunate. A Senior and a Junior Zeta Psi traveled to India this winter to aid many impoverished communities, while another senior and junior pair traveled to Russia this past summer to teach at an orphanage in need.
On campus, a senior Zeta Psi brought the organization "Queen for a Day" to the chapter where she and many of the members treated the little girls in the cancer ward of the local children's hospital to a day fit for a princess. Zeta Psi also participated in other philanthropic events such as "Hit the Bricks" to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, and DESK, a program which decorates desks and donates school supplies for children in need. Recent Zeta Psi graduate contributed to the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund by starting the first ever dance marathon at Wake Forest called "Wake and Shake" a few years ago. Many other members of the chapter participated in planning and running this event in support of their sister as well as cancer research.
As a chapter, Zeta Psi also put on the annual Kappa Easter egg hunt for the children of the Wake Forest faculty and staff. Aside from Zeta Psi’s philanthropy, the chapter is also proud to have members involved in athletics and the arts like a senior who is member of the Wake Forest women's soccer team and another senior who participates in Wake's all female a capella group, the Demon Divas. Zeta Psi was very proud of its members and their accomplishments in 2007 and plans to carry on this success in 2008.
Zeta Psi chapter consisted of 161 total active members and will soon welcome 37 more this February. Zeta Psi’s members are well rounded individuals who come from all different areas of the country. Members of Zeta Psi are involved in campus and community activities such as varsity sports, clubs, student government, volunteering, and the arts.
In 2008 the members participated in a wide variety of activities both on and off campus. Three Zeta Psi members represented the chapter at the Kappa Convention in Arizona, while a sophomore Zeta Psi went to the Kappa Leadership Academy. Several members of Zeta Psi completed service projects outside the country to help those less fortunate. One Zeta Psi traveled to Belize this winter to aid many impoverished communities, while two juniors went to Brazil on a service trip to build a school for local children.
On campus, a senior Zeta Psi continued the tradition of "Queen for a Day" with the chapter, where she and many of our other members treated the little girls in the cancer ward of the local children's hospital to a day fit for a princess. Zeta Psi also participated in other philanthropic events such as "Hit the Bricks" to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, and DESK, a program which decorates desks and donates school supplies for children in need. A recent Zeta Psi graduate contributed to the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund by starting the first ever dance marathon at Wake Forest called "Wake and Shake" a few years ago.
Kappa members continued to have a strong representation last spring with planning and running the event in support of Jillian as well as cancer research. As a chapter, Zeta Psi also put on the annual Kappa Easter egg hunt for the children of the Wake Forest faculty and staff. Aside from philanthropy, Zeta Psi was also proud to have members involved in athletics and the arts like the junior Zeta Psi who was the captain of the varsity women's golf team and the sophomore Zeta Psi who was a member of Wake Forest's dance team. Zeta Psi was very proud of its members and their accomplishments in 2008 and plans to carry on this success in 2009.
2009 was a very productive and successful year for the chapter as the members participated in a wide variety of activities both on and off campus. A sophomore attended the Kappa Leadership Academy this fall.
The Philanthropy chair successfully added a new philanthropic event to the Zeta Psi chapter; "Kappa Kisses" an on campus valentine fundraiser for RIF. Also "Kappa Kaddies," the annual golf fundraiser, was a great success. Parents and Zeta Psi members enjoyed a round of golf at the local Tanglewood course. On campus, a senior Zeta Psi continued the tradition of "Queen for a Day" with the chapter, where she and many of the other members treated little girls in the cancer ward of the local children's hospital to a day fit for a princess. Zeta Psi chapter also participated in other philanthropic events such as "Hit the Bricks" to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, and DESK, a program which decorates and donates school supplies for children in need.
In addition to philanthropy, Zeta Psi was also proud to have members involved in athletics and arts like the senior Zeta Psi who is the captain of the varsity golf team and the junior who is member of the Wake Forest cheerleading squad and the senior Zeta Psi who is a member of the Wake Forest dance team. Zeta Psi had two members with a 4.0 GPA and had a chapter GPA at or above the all-sorority average. Zeta Psi was very proud of its members and their accomplishments in 2009 and plans to carry on this success in 2010.
In 2010, the members participated in a wide variety of activities on and off campus. The Chapter received the Gold Standards of Excellence Award from Wake and the President received Senior of the Year. A sophomore attended the Leadership Academy and another sophomore Zeta Psi represented Zeta Psi at Convention in Arizona.
Last year Zeta Psi was involved in many philanthropic events. In February, Zeta Psi had the annul Kappa Kisses philanthropy event where it sold candy grams and the proceeds went to Reading is Fundamental. Many of the girls in the chapter participated in Wake N' Shake, 12 hour dance marathon and three girls from the chapter were on the entertainment committee. Finally, in the spring Zeta Psi organized its annual Easter Egg Hunt for faculty children.
This fall Zeta Psi had the first Kappa Takes the Kourt philanthropy event where all of the proceeds went to Susan G. Komen. Zeta Psi also had girls participate in the Delta Zeta Dodgeball event and Lambda Chi Watermelon Bash. Zeta Psi also had several girls involved in the Breast Cancer Fashion Show run by Panhellenic. Zeta Psi were very proud to come in second place out of all Greek organizations in “Hit the Bricks,” a campus wide event raising money for Brian Piccolo. Zeta Psi also has members involved in athletics and the arts like a sophomore Zeta Psi who is a member of Wake Forest's cheerleading squad, a junior who is on the track and field team and two juniors who are very involved in studio art. Zeta Psi is very proud of the members and their accomplishments in 2010 and plans to carry on this success in 2011.
Archives:
The archives consist of various scrapbooks and memorabilia from years past. A few years ago, we began compiling a book of "People Pages," in which each member creates a page about herself. These pages include pictures, favorite Kappa memories, and meaningful quotes. The pages have been put into a notebook for the members, especially the new members, to browse. Pages of girls who have graduated are kept in the book, and it is also updated every year with pages from the new girls. This is something we thought would be a great way to preserve the chapter's history and memories of the outstanding women.
Chapter Convention Awards:
At the KKG Biennial Convention (2004), Zeta Psi received Honorable Mention for its Outstanding Treasury work.
Highlights of 2011-2019
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
Highlights of 2011
2011 was a productive and meaningful year for our chapter as our members participated in a wide variety of activities on and off campus. Junior Desiree Sanchis attended the Leadership Academy and sophomore Anna Willaford represented Zeta Psi at Convention. Last year we were involved in many philanthropy events.
In February we held our annual Kappa Kisses philanthropy event where we sold candy grams and the proceeds went to Reading is Fundamental. Many of the girls in our chpater participated in Wake N' Shake, a 12 hour dance marathon and three girls from our chapter were on the entertainment committee. Katie Blackburn, a senior Kappa, is the head of the D.E.S.K. event on campus, and Katie Van Dorsten is in her event committee. Junior Mary Grace Thomas is co-head of Student Union Springfest week that takes place here at Wake Forest. Finally, in the Spring we organized an Easter Egg Hunt for faculty children, an event that we do every year.
This fall we had our second Kappa Takes the Kourt philanthropy event where all of our proceeds went to Susan G. Komen. We also had girls participate in the Delta Zeta Dodgeball event and Lambda Chi Watermelon Bash. We also had several girls involved in the Breast Cancer Fashion Show, run by the Panhellenic committee. We were very proud to come in second place out of all greek organizations in Hit the Bricks, a campus wide event raising money for Brian Piccolo. We also have members involved in athletics and the arts. Sophomore Bailey Jennings cheers on the Wake Forest cheerleading squad and senior Michelle Lange is on the track and field team. Cori Ward and Chrissie Morrison are very involved in the arts on campus. Zeta Psi is very proud of our members and their accomplishment sin 2011 and plan to carry on this success in 2012.
Campus: Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is a private, liberal arts university, with about 4,500 undergraduate students and about 2,000 graduate students. Wake Forest is currently building a new Business school.
Chapter: The Zeta Psi chpater consists of 117 total active members and will soon welcome 43 more this February. Our members are well rounded individuals who come from all different areas of the country. We are proud to say the majority of our members are involved in campus and community activities, such as varisity sports, clubs, student government, volunteering, and the arts.
One of our biggest challenges as a chapter is ritual. This year to improve our initiation, we practice songs at the end of each chapter. We also struggle with maintaining the Panhellenic gpa average. While our gpa is not low in comparison to other chapters, our gpa is one of the lowest on campus. In order to fix this, we recognize everyone who gets an A during chapter, and at the end of the week, their names get pulled from a hat for a prize. Also, we had study breaks planned during exam week, where the girls could meet in the lounge and eat snacks. Finally, a challenge we have face was improving our overall presence on campus and being more involved in other organization's events.
Highlights of 2012
2012 was a productive and successful year for our chapter as our members participated in a wide variety of activities on and off campus. We are proud to announce that our chapter received the Academic Achievement Award at the Mi Province meeting this year. This past year we were involved in many philanthropy events.
In February, we held our annual Kappa Kisses philanthropy event where we sold candy grams and the proceeds went to Reading is Fundamental. The entire freshman class and a large majority of the upperclassman participated in Wake N' Shake, a 12 hour dance marathon supporting the Brian Piccolo Cancer fund, and Senior Elizabeth Ruane was on the executive committee. While we focus a great deal of our philanthropy on our own events and charities, we also strive to help our fellow sororities on campus.
We had a few members of our chapter hold a bake sale to help raise money for the Phi-Mu chapter at Wake Forest, who recently lost their charter. We also participated in the Delta Zeta Turtle Tug event and the Chi Omega Blood Drive. We also had several girls involved in the Breast Cancer Fashion Show run by Panehellenic where our Social Chair Lauren Hogan is XXX. We also have members involved in athletics and arts such as freshman Kasey Gardiner who is a member of the Wake Forest tennis team and sophomore Katie Green who is a member of the acappella group Demon Divas. As 2012 has progressed, we have enjoyed watching our seniors lead the sorority to success both on and off campus. Zeta Psi is very proud of our members and their accomplishments in 2012 and plan to carry on this success in 2013.
Highlights of 2013
2013 was very eventful and productive for the Zeta Psi Chapter. Our chapter participated in a variety of philanthropic events on Wake Forest’s campus. All of our freshman and a majority of our upperclassmen attend Wake ‘n Shake, a 12-hour dance marathon which raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. Our former president, McKenna Begin, was a co-chair for D.E.S.K. which is an event that provides desks to children from lower class households. Our chapter had two teams which made desks for students and Zeta Psi also made up a majority of the executive committee. Other campus philanthropy events we participated in were Project Pumpkin, Hit the Bricks, and the Breast Cancer Fashion show. Members of Zeta Psi also took part in a variety of other sorority and fraternity philanthropies.
Our chapter’s philanthropy events were also very successful. In February, we had our annual Kappa Kisses event which raises money for Reading is Fundamental. In April, we had our golf tournament, Kappa Kaddies, which raises money for Brenner Children’s Hospital. We raised over $5000. In October, we had Kappa takes the Kourt and raised over $300 to donate to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fund. All of these events were a lot of fun and we hope to improve them for the next year.
One of our goals from the previous year was to improve our level of academic achievement. I am confident to say that we did and are ranked higher than the campus sorority average. We also one an academic achievement award at the Nu Province Meeting. Our Vice-President of Academics implemented new ideas to encourage girls academically and we are still continuing to use these.
Overall, 2013 was very successful and enjoyable for our sorority chapter. We are continuing to promote academics, extra-curricular events, and campus philanthropy.
In 2013, the panhellenic community unfortunately lost a chapter, Phi Mu, but Kappa Alpha Theta also established a new charter in February. Zeta Psi has done its best to welcome Kappa Alpha Theta while also supporting Phi Mu through their difficult time. These events have helped bring Zeta Psi closer together because it has reminded us how strong sisterhood is and how much we all support each other.
Highlights of 2014
Zeta Psi Chapter had another exciting and productive year in 2014. Our chapter organized and participated in a variety of philanthropic events within the Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem community. The year began with one of Wake Forest’s favorite philanthropy events—Wake ’n Shake—a 12-hour dance marathon that raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. All of the new members along with many of the upperclassmen represented our chapter and attended the event. Two of our members even helped organize and facilitate. In addition to Wake ’n Shake, our members actively participated in many other philanthropy events. Our chapter had designated teams for Hit the Bricks, Project Pumpkin and D.E.S.K. Each of these annual events are very special to us because they raise awareness for good causes close to our hearts. We also had members organize and participate in the Breast Cancer Fashion show, which is a school wide event that takes months of planning. Members also frequently supported and attended a variety of other sorority and fraternity philanthropy events.
Further, Zeta Psi’s philanthropy events were especially successful this year. Beginning in February, we had
our annual Kappa Kisses event, which raised money for Reading is Fundamental. In April, we had our
annual golf tournament called Kappa Kaddies. This event raises money for our local philanthropy,
Brenner Children’s Hospital. The Hospital was very gracious for our donation of $7000. In October, we
hosted a brand new philanthropy event, Kappa Karaoke. The event was hosted at an on campus
restaurant and was a hit amongst the student body. This event raised money specifically for the Kappa
Kappa Gamma Fund. All of these events went over smoothly and we hope to improve and make an even
bigger impact in 2015.
Our goals for 2014 were to have better and more effective communication between Chapter Council officers, Chapter Council and the rest of the chapter, our chapter and the school Panel and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters. Next, we wanted to improve our understanding of the significance of ritual and our membership in an international organization. Lastly, we wanted to improve Chapter Council’s effectiveness by knowing when and who to ask for help. All of these goals helped drive new developments that strengthened our chapter. We also learned how important it was to remember and practice our valued traditions.
All in all, 2014 was a great year for our sorority chapter. As a chapter, we made a valuable impact on campus as well as in the community and continued to promote academics and extra-curricular activities. We also put an emphasis on communication, strengthening Chapter Council and tradition. We hope 2015 will be another successful year for Zeta Psi!
In 2014, our school completed a number of new additions and renovations. The university built a new business school, new parking, a new dining hall and two new dormitories. To our pleasant surprise, our chapter was able to get a new lounge space and reserved rooms for our members to live in the new dorm. These spaces are very useful and give members a convenient place to meet, host meetings or study. These new implementations have made our sisterhood even stronger and have given our member’s opportunities to live with and be close to other members in the chapter.
We hold weekly chapter meetings on campus in an auditorium that Wake Forest University lets us use for free. Our chapter does not have a house off campus. However, chapter members are able to live together in a designated area of a dorm on campus during their Sophomore year. If there are openings, other grades can choose to live there as well. In addition, our chapter has its own lounge on campus where we host Chapter Council meetings and other members can hang out or study when not in use. This lounge is located right next to our chapter’s designated dorm rooms on campus, which makes it very convenient to use.
Highlights of 2015
Zeta Psi Chapter had one the most productive years in 2015 filled with positive changes and several internal accomplishments. The chapter was very active in setting and achieving goals as well as making a positive impact within the Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem community.
Our Chapter had several goals for 2015, which Chapter Council determined at the beginning of the year and consistently worked on and revisited. First, we wanted to ease the transition for Chapter Council Officers by providing a detailed binder about each position and hosting an extensive leadership day to kick off the new year. We also sought to continue this onto next year by continuously detailing possible challenges and situations for future officers and making note of who to ask for help. Next, we sought to improve our understanding and appreciation of ritual and tradition. We learned it is extremely important to practice our valued traditions. Lastly, we focused on academics and improving the chapter’s overall GPA. Some ways we did this was by rewarding exceptional grades, helping those who were struggling and scheduling study rooms throughout the school year. Overall, we continuously assessed our roles and the chapter’s participation to ensure we were staying on track and improving wherever we could. All of these goals helped drive new developments that strengthened the Zeta Psi Chapter and Chapter Council.
Philanthropy has always been very important to the members of the Zeta Psi Chapter and this year, members were particularly passionate and engaged. Members participated and organized a number of events within the greater community and also played a pivotal role in making our chapter’s events a success. Some of Wake Forest’s favorite philanthropy events include, Wake n’ Shake, a 12 hour “danceathon” that raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Foundation, as well as Hit the Bricks, Project Pumpkin, Breast Cancer Fashion Show and D.E.S.K. Zeta Psi members have leadership roles to organize and facilitate each of these beloved school events. They are very important to the Wake Forest community and are very special to our chapter’s members.
In addition, Zeta Psi’s philanthropy events were especially successful this year. In February, we had our annual Kappa Kisses event in which the Wake Forest community can send Valentines to other students. This event raised around $640 for the KKG Foundation. Our chapter next hosted our annual golf tournament, Kappa Kaddies, in April at a local golf course. This event always generates excitement amongst friends and family. Unfortunately, due to detrimental weather conditions, the participation was less than expected, but we were still able to raise $9572 for our local organization, Brenner Children’s Hospital. The hospital was very gracious for our donation and we hope to be even more successful next year. In October, we brought back a popular tennis philanthropy event, Kappa Takes the Kourt. This event raised around $500 for Reading is Fundamental. Each of these events have been staples of the chapter for years. Members love to help out with them and the greater Wake Forest community always looks forward to participating.
Overall, this was a great year for the chapter. Our chapter made a valuable impact on campus as well as in the community. We continued to promote academics and participation in extra-curricular activities. We also put an emphasis on strengthening our Chapter Council’s effectiveness through communication and organization. We hope 2016 will be another successful year for Zeta Psi!
The Wake Forest University campus has undergone a number of changes over the last year. The campus is building a new athletic center, new dorms and a new Health and Exercise Science building. These new additions give our members more opportunities and resources to take advantage of. The Zeta Psi chapter is very active on campus. Chapter members are involved in many extra curricular activities, clubs and are all different majors.
The Zeta Psi Chapter raises money for Brenner’s Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Brenner’s Children’s hospital is an adolescent medicine clinic located at North Carolina Baptist Hospital. It was the first full-service children’s hospital in North Carolina and still one of the only of its kind. The Zeta Psi Chapter is passionate about supporting the hospital in their commitment to saving children’s lives and dedication to providing the best approaches to healing. This is a cause the chapter feels close to and is passionate about helping through our philanthropic events.
Highlights 2016
NOTE: The time period covered with this report is January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Summary:
Over the past year our chapter has made some remarkable improvements. Our chapter raised its cumulative average GPA, making us the fifth highest of all sororities on campus. In addition to our academic achievements, Zeta Psi chapter was also able to raise almost 15 thousand dollars for our three philanthropies: Brenner’s Children’s Hospital, The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and Reading is fundamental. Chapter Council has done an overwhelming job with transitions, implementing new systems of communication so that we may be more organized in coming years. This year our chapter was also put on a focus letter, which motivated us to set goals for the following year. These goals were to change chapter leadership and be better examples for each other, while protecting the name of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Despite these setbacks, Zeta Psi received three awards from Panhellenic this year. First, Ashton Caudle, a senior member, was awarded with Greek Woman of the Year, while Alexandra Miller, a sophomore member, won Most Outstanding New Member. As a whole, the chapter also won an award for Leadership.
Campus Changes: Over the past year, the Wake Forest Campus has undergone many changes. A new dorm has been constructed on campus, Maya Angelou Hall, and will house juniors returning from their semesters abroad. In addition to the new dormitory, WFU has constructed a field house for the football team, a new practice field, and they continue to develop the new fitness center. In addition to these updates, the Law School also underwent construction and updates and now houses the Health and Exercise Science department.
Chapter Meetings and Housing: Each Monday evening at 7:30, our Zeta Psi holds chapter meetings in Pugh Auditorium, a room in the Benson Center owned by the University. The Benson Center is home to the food court, administration offices, the bank, the movie theater and the on-campus restaurant, Shorty’s.
Historically, there has always been a space for sophomore members to get the chance to live together. Currently, our members occupy suites in the Dogwood dorm on South Campus, which is University owned. Depending on the year, about 40 members are given the opportunity to live in the Greek block, and members are chosen randomly.
This is the fourth year that Kappa has been based in the Dogwood Dorm, with our lounge located in the back side of the building. Previously, Zeta Psi was located in Martin Residence Hall, which is currently occupied by another sorority. In May, our lounge was given a redesign by a member of our chapter, who worked along with the House Board Treasurer in order to make some updates. The lounge is now used constantly as a meeting space, as well as a fun place to go with friends.
Woman Behind the Badge: As we look ahead to the Fraternity’s Sesquicentennial celebration in 2020, please tell us the story of any historical badge being worn by a member of your chapter. Such a badge might be worn by your chapter’s president, another officer or a member who is recognized for her high scholarship. We are compiling information about the fantastic women who have brought us to this point in our history, the Women Behind the Badge. Do any of your chapter officers wear historical badges? Yes 0 No If yes, please attach a photo of the front and the back of the badge to this report. What is inscribed on the back of the badge?
Highlights of 2017
2017 was a year of tremendous growth and productivity for the Zeta Psi chapter at Wake Forest University. Zeta Psi’s dedicated Chapter Council provided strong leadership and support for members as it took great strides to improve the chapter.
Zeta Psi was very successful in its various philanthropy efforts throughout the spring and fall semesters. In April, we hosted our annual Kappa Kaddies golf tournament and were able to raise $6,536 for Brenners Children’s Hospital in Winston Salem. In the spring we also raised $400 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through our yearly Kappa Kisses philanthropy event. Following the devastating aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma in the fall, Zeta Psi’s philanthropy chairman organized a fundraiser to support victims of the hurricanes, which raised over $300. In October, the chapter also hosted its first annual Kappa Kickball event to raise $520 for RIF. We are looking forward to continuing to grow this event in the coming years. In addition, the chapter also donated a number of books to local elementary schools on behalf of RIF.
Our chapter also made a huge impact on Wake Forest’s Panhellenic community this year. Zeta Psi had members holding the majority of positions on the Panhellenic Executive Board, with one member serving as Vice President of Finance, one serving as Vice President of Civic Engagement, and one serving as Assistant Vice President of Membership. One of Panhellenic’s largest philanthropy events, the annual Breast Cancer Fashion Show, was co-chaired by two Kappas, in addition to having 4 Kappa committee heads and 18 Kappa volunteers on various event committees. In total, the event raised $4,100 for Susan G. Komen, nearly $1,000 more than previous years. We are looking forward to holding the majority of Panhellenic positions again in 2018, with 3 Kappas having been elected to the incoming Executive Board.
This year our education chair introduced new education programming and a number of exciting events, all of which were well received by members of the chapter. Zeta Psi significantly increased Senior Programming efforts by adding events for seniors such as a pizza making workshop at Mission Pizza, and a dinner at local favorite Village Juice, where seniors heard from the owner on her experience as a female entrepreneur. The event chairman also organized a senior gift, which included a cookbook with recipes from every senior’s mother. These new programs showed a major improvement in keeping seniors involved in and passionate about Kappa throughout the course of their last year at Wake. Zeta Psi also hosted its first joint Founder’s Day celebration with the local Alumni Association to celebrate Kappa’s history in October.
Zeta Psi has spent the last year significantly improving its social media efforts through the work of the Public Relations Chairman and her committee. We now have a strongly established presence on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, and VSCO, and continue to increase the amount of content posted on each page. We have significantly increased our number of followers on all of the aforementioned platforms. In addition, our website has been continuously upgraded throughout the year.
Other positive changes for our chapter included updating our Bylaws and Standing Rules to create a better attendance policy for the chapter. In addition, our New Member Chairman hosted the chapter’s first annual new member retreat with food and games to act as an icebreaker for new members. Our Marshal has worked hard to reach our chapter’s strategic goal of improving Zeta Psi’s knowledge of ritual by increasing the number of ritual reviews for the entire chapter, and the most recent member class in particular. She has also worked with the University to find a larger location on campus for our February initiation in order to make initiation run more smoothly. Our Reference and Membership Chairmen have also worked with the chapter to prepare for recruitment in the spring by implementing a number of recruitment workshops in the fall semester.
Our chapter meets each Monday at 7:30 PM in Pugh Auditorium, located in Benson University Center. Chapter Council meets each Sunday at 4 PM in the chapter lounge, located in Dogwood Residence Hall. Sophomore members are able to live in designated Kappa suites in Dogwood above the chapter lounge. Our chapter is enjoying our recently renovated lounge, which is a convenient meeting place for members and fun environment to relax with friends or to study with other members of the fraternity.
In conclusion, Zeta Psi is proud of the improvements our chapter has made this year. We are looking forward to continuing this progress in 2018.
Highlights of 2018
2018 was a great year for the Zeta Psi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Wake Forest University. Not only were we able to grow as a chapter, we also made impacts on Panhellenic at Wake Forest overall. Throughout the year we set a lot of goals, and with hard work we were able to achieve many of them. We had two very productive LC visits this year with Emily Quirk. We learned a lot about how to maintain our good standing with nationals and become a more cohesive Chapter Council. After meeting with each member of chapter council during each visit and various members, she helped us set goals to continue growing as a chapter.
The beginning of 2018 was an exciting time for Zeta Psi as we gained 57 unique, passionate, bright, and kind new members, bringing our chapter total to 151 girls. Because we reached quota, we were not able to hold fall recruitment. We look forward to recruitment in 2019, which will be January 9th to January 13th.
Zeta Psi’s education chair worked hard to put on impactful events for the chapter. Some of these events included a gender-based violence workshop hosted by two safe house directors, a guest lecture by Veronica Butler who spoke about becoming an alumnae, and a talk by local Village Juice owners who spoke about healthy eating happens and cost efficient ways to live a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, seniors were able to attend a fun painting event. The seniors also received a senior cookbook for graduation, which is a new Zeta Psi tradition. The cookbook includes all of the seniors’ favorite recipes and serves as a meaningful memory post graduation. Our Vice President of Standards also hosted a pre-exam movie day at the local theater to help members destress before finals.
Additionally, our members have shown great academic improvement. This year we moved up from ranked fifth out of eight for GPA among all sororities to number two. We are so excited about this progress and know our members worked really hard to achieve this. Additionally, our Vice President of Academic Excellence has started incorporating more career planning programming such as Career Trek announcements and helping to connect younger members with OPCD resources. Moving forward, we hope to continue incorporating more events like these because members have found them very informative and maintaining our GPA.
2018 was also a great year for Zeta Psi in terms of our philanthropy. Even though our Kappa Kaddies event had to be cancelled due to weather, we still raised $7500 for Brenners Children’s Hospital in Winston Salem. Additionally, we raised $800 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through our yearly Kappa Kisses philanthropy event and collected hundreds of books for local elementary schools for Reading is Fundamental. Our members were involved in a wide variety of other campus philanthropic events too, including, Wake n’ Shake, DESK, Breast Cancer Fashion Show, Hydrating Humanitate, Hit the Bricks, and Project Pumpkin to name just a few.
Zeta Psi also hosted various fun date function events. The standards committee created documents for Kappa Krew and overall date function expectations that helped the events run smoothly. We are also excited because we have been approved to redo our Kappa lounge in Dogwood Residence Hall, so our house chair has been working on that. Public Relations has been working on maintaining our various social media platforms and has also been sending out chapter newsletters.
In terms of Zeta Psi’s role on campus, we had several members serve on Panhellenic. Alexandra Miller was the Panhellenic VP of Membership, Catherine Seher was the Panhellenic VP of Civic Engagement, and Remi Bohbot served as the Panhellenic VP of Community Development. We were so excited to have so many girls involved, and are proud that Mara Boston will serve as the Panhellenic VP of Operations next year! Our members were very active around campus in many other ways as well.
We were extremely impressed with how smoothly chapter council transitions went last year, and we hope that this year the transitions will go just as well. The previous chapter council worked really hard to create guides for new chapter council members to help guide them through their positions. This year we have been updating the documents with everything we think could help future council members. Transitions are especially important this year, as Corresponding Secretary and Registrar will no longer be their own positions.
This has been a really great year for Zeta Psi, and we are really proud of all of our accomplishments. We look forward to maintaining our good standing with nationals and continuing to grow as a chapter in coming years.
Highlights of 2020s:
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
Housing: There has been no recent changes on campus in the previous year. Something very special about the chapter's overall nature would be the supportive aspect each girl feels when coming into the sorority. This is through many big/little events, senior sophomore dinner, and each member excited to meet with one another.
The year started out with recruitment. 54 new members joined Kappa Kappa Gamma, Zeta Psi. The whole chapter enjoyed pizza and went to a local roller skating rink to celebrate the new members. The next 3 weeks each sophomore was paired with different freshman key sisters and then paired with their bigs and then went to dinner with their family afterward. The following weekend was initiation where 54 members were initiated into Kappa Kappa Gamma with inspiration weekend. Alumni parents and siblings came to initiation their family members into Kappa and it was a wonderful event. Inspiration weekend included ice cream and batchelor in chapter, cupcakes from their big, a letter welcoming them into Kappa and what exciting things to come and finally room trash where they are given their gifts and their rooms decorated in all Kappa things.
Spring 2019 year had 12 Kappas who finished the semester with 4.0 GPAs, and our overall GPA was a 3.539 with an overall GPA of 3.528.
Founders Day: The chapter celebrated FD in chapter. There was cookie cake for the chapter provided by the marshal and each member did a fun quiz to find out which founding member they were. We did the Founders Day ritual for the chapter and celebrated the founding of this amazing sorority.
Sesquicentennial Celebration: To begin celebrating Kappa's 150th anniversary, we had 4 big cookie cakes for Founders Day and mentioning it to the chapter of the exciting news. Fun ritual "nuggets" about the founding of each ritual were read to learn about the past 150 years.
Philanthropy:The chapter philanthropy supports Brenner Children's Hospital. We wanted to give to children in a hospital that is close enough that we can see the differences that our money makes. We have reached $50,000 in donations to the Brenner Children's Hospital. "Kappa Kisses" was our first event of the year where Wake Forest students gave money to the chapter to wrap candies for other students. This was a week long event and the chapter raised $1,026 for the KKG Foundation and RIF. "Kappa Kaddies" was an additional philanthropy where each member's family would come into town for the weekend to play 18 hole captain's choice round of golf. This event raised 14,706 dollars for Brenner Children's Hospital.
The chapter also participated in Derby Days hosted by Sigma Chi which raised 1,948 dollars for Brunner Children's Hospital. The school had a 12 hour dance marathon in which we raised 20,758.10 dollars for Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. We participated in many philanthropic events around campus such as "Hit the Bricks" to help the Brian Piccolo Foundation raising 1,044 dollars, and "Project Pumpkin" where local elementary kids come to celebrate Halloween. The chapter had its annual "Kappa Kickball"l for Wake Forest students and we raised 360 dollars for RIF. A challenge in the past was the chapter participating in philanthropy events but our philanthropy chairman has exceeded the past and has had amazing participation raising a total of $39,842.10 for various philanthropies.
=Highlights of 2020=
While this semester may look different from others, our efforts to keep Kappa Kappa Gamma a healthy and responsible organization has not stopped our chapter from being a place of sisterhood and community involvement! We held a socially-distanced sisterhood philanthropy event in mid-October with both Wake Forest University and North Carolina COVID-19 rules. We also plan to hold distanced sisterhood events, such as small outdoor gatherings amongst our sisters, so that we can continue to get to know each other during this time. We look forward to continuing to make the Zeta Psi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma a place of leadership, philanthropy, and sisterhood, while continuing our efforts to remain safe, healthy, and happy.
Zeta Psi chapter supports Reading is Fundamental, Brenner Children's Hospital, and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Although last semester was cut short, we were able to raise over $1,000 for Reading is Fundamental and Brenner Children's Hospital through our annual event Kappa Kisses. At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the Zeta Psi chapter banded together to serve the Winston-Salem community from afar by raising over $2,000 for the Second Harvest Food bank of Northwest North Carolina. Despite the uncertain nature of our fall semester, Kappa Kappa Gamma is as committed as ever to our philanthropic duties. We hosted a Socially Distanced Sisterhood Brunch at a local favorite, Village Juice Co., And a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Kappa Kappa Gamma foundation. Later in the month, KKG hosted a Virtual 5K, "Kappa Kicks" to raise money for Reading is Fundamental and Brenner Children's Hospital. Although these are challenging times, I am so proud to see our members coming together to help others.
=Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion= The Diversity & Inclusion committee of Zeta Psi was founded to increase the chapter's overall knowledge of and sensitivity to issues surrounding our differences and how they shape our individual experiences. As college-educated women, we must examine our privilege on an institutional, organizational. and individual level so as to better understand how to include and appreciate each member's diverse background. Founded this academic year, the committee aims to guide members through the education and acknowledgement of historic and systemic racism within the Greek-life system and to examine our current positions within this history. We will encourage members to reflect upon their own intersectional identities to recognize how we may use our privilege to better our society. The goal of this committee is to encourage education and to promote the pursuit of justice and equity within the chapter and within the broader context of our society. Along with the Diversity and Inclusion workshop facilitated by our National Chapter, we will continuously reinforce the importance of our conversations surrounding these themes through more workshops and presentations during chapter. The implementation and continuation of this committee within Zeta Psi chapter reveals our desire to establish and uphold the highest standards of social inclusion regarding all aspects of our unique identities. We commit ourselves to providing a safe space for all members to feel as though they can express themselves fully and unapologetically without facing indifference, discrimination, or intolerance.
=Sesquicentennial Celebration= During two of our virtual chapter meetings, chapter council shared the news of the 150th Founders Day celebration. We encouraged members to the virtual founders day celebration and listen to the Founders Day message. In addition, since we are not able to gather in person, I sent members of Zeta Psi organization the materials for award recognitions so members could individually celebrate safely. Finally, we worked together as a chapter council to encourage members to reflect on Kappa Kappa Gamma's values and principles on Founders Day.
=Highlights of 2021=