| Beta Omicron | |
|---|---|
| BO | |
 | |
| Founded | May 11, 1904 |
| College | Tulane University, formerly H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College of Tulane University |
| Location | New Orleans, LA |
| Homepage | Beta Omicron Homepage |
| Media related to Beta Omicron Chapter | |
Tulane University (formerly Newcomb College of Tulane University) established in 1886, New Orleans, Louisiana
Beta Omicron founded May 11, 1904 - 13 charter members
3,048 initiates (as of June 2018)
Charter members:
Hilda Margaretta Blount, Maria Fugenia Breazeale, Hester Isabel Craig, Hazel Ellis, Adele Ford, Florence Ford, Mary Minor, Gertrude Monroe, Katie Adair Monroe, Charlotte Prentiss, Pamela Robertson, Lucile Reynolds Vardell, Phoebe Nixon Williams.
Fraternity Council Members;
Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:
Agnes Guthrie Favrot, 1966, Longtime Chapter Adviser and former Fraternity Rose McGill Fund Chairman
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award recipients:
Elizabeth Aldrich Bridgeman, 1962, Recognized for her work in petroleum technology
Mary Seago Brooke, 1964, Outstanding contributions in social work and mental health
Ginnie Johansen Johnson, 1986, Entrepreneur and Artist
Jane Scott Offut Hodges, 2016, Entreprenuer
Additional Outstanding Beta Omicron Alumnae:
Patricia Land (Stevens), Graduate Counselor 1947-1948
Christi Grizaffi (Swanson), Graduate Counselor 1982-1984
Rene Hedges (Courtney), Chapter Consultant 1984-1986
Gilly Chamberlain (Jaunet), Chapter Consultant 1985-1987
Ellen Maciejewski (Gordon), Chapter Consultant 1995-1997
Kelli Heinz, President Chicago Loop Group Alumnae Association 2011-13, Alumnae Reference Chair 2011-12, Secretary 2012
Contents
The Early Years
The story of how Beta Omicron began has two versions—one in the 1930 History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, and this one, told by charter members (as written in the History of Kappa Kappa Gamma, 1870–1976).
Pi Beta Phi was well established on the Sophie Newcomb campus. At a party in 1902, a Pi Phi’s brother, dressed as a girl, had the audacity to kiss one of the pledges. Her father made her break her pledge, so she gathered some friends together to form a new group. After consultation with prominent New Orleanians, Kappa was petitioned; and the group was turned down. Allegedly, the reason given was that well-bred southern girls did not go to college, but had governesses and tutors in their homes. So back went another petition. This time an officer was sent to look over the group. Sponsors and families did all they could do to entertain and impress, yet the group was rejected again. No one could believe it. This time the reason was that they were too social-minded. Yet they continued to want to be a part of the “best Fraternity.” They tried once more, and this time they were accepted.
On May 11, 1904, 13 young women became charter members of Beta Omicron, with one initiate and one pledge.
At first, the chapter members were mostly New Orleans girls, but as the college grew, more out-of-town girls were pledged. During those early years, the alumnae worked tirelessly One charter member in particular was especially generous, inviting the chapter and rushees for weekends in her Gulf Coast home, supplying much of the wherewithal for chapter room furnishings, taking care of other expenses, and giving of her love and interest. Several charter members continued to take an interest in “their” chapter. It was a treat to have any one of them attend a Kappa function and show the actives what a vital force Kappa was in their lives.
From 1904 through the 1970s, a number of Beta Omicron members appeared in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, in Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board. There have been class and student body presidents and officers, dormitory officers, honor society members, homecoming queens and more. Two seniors received the coveted 1909 prize for most outstanding girl on campus all four years of their college careers, and three were awarded Woodrow Wilson Scholarships. Many members have taken their junior year abroad.
Housing
When the Newcomb campus moved from Washington Avenue in 1918, the Kappas were without a chapter room. Until two rooms were rented above the Newcomb tea room in 1930, the chapter used a garage or a room in a member’s home. In 1945, these rooms were lost, and an attic space above them was rented, only to be condemned by the fire marshal. He agreed to let the space be used if a hole were cut through to the second floor and a ladder was placed through the hole; and, if an alumna, with a flashlight to guide the members to the ladder, would be present at all gatherings. In 1953, a house on Freret Street was acquired with the aid of alumnae and the Fraternity. Newcomb didn’t allow girls to live in a sorority house but the house could be used for meetings and parties.
The chapter had tried to acquire a property at 1033 Audubon Street at the time the Freret Street house was purchased. Later, it became available and was bought. The Fraternity architect and the finance adviser helped make it a perfect lodge, with a house mother’s apartment and two rooms to rent for income. Although the work was not finished in the house, and there were torrential rains and an influenza epidemic when rush started, a quota of 26 was pledged. The chapter still used 1033 Audubon today.
Traditions and Changes
For years, Newcomb had barely tolerated the sorority groups. Beta Omicron often had thought their time was up but somehow the chapter managed to remain, to function and to be of value. Panhellenic seems to change rules yearly, with rush coming at different times. At one time, chapters could bid as many as they pleased. Then the preferential system was installed and a quota was added. With something like 150 recommended girls and a small quota, it often became hard to explain to alumnae that all those recommended could not be bid. House parties to discuss rush plans were held at members’ summer homes and later in hotels. There, recommendations were studied and evaluated, rush skits planned, decorations made and songs practiced.
In 1948, the Mothers Club was formed. Also, a weekly luncheon was inaugurated at the house, at first for Kappas only. Later, friends from other groups were included. Sometimes, as many as 200 young folks would be fed a free meal on Tuesdays.
At one time, in 1951, the Fraternity deemed Beta Omicron so lacking in efficiency and Kappa spirit that, short of probation, a steering committee was made up, with advisers given authority to require action from chapter officers. It was a valuable experience. The Monmouth Duo with longtime rival Pi Beta Phi was held annually. It has been canceled several times to save money for the house fund, and also during wartime.
Margaret Ann Gill, a beloved active, was killed in an automobile accident in 1955. Each year since then the chapter has given a silver tray to the outstanding junior in her memory. The chapter philanthropy varies with the interest of the group: rolling Red Cross bandages, or working at the Fink House for elderly ladies, the Crippled Children’s Hospital, the Kingsley House, and others organizations. An annual Christmas party for underprivileged children is given with one of the men’s fraternities.
The chapter started a cultural program of talks and displays of art at the chapter house in 1965. The whole college is invited. For this program, Beta Omicron received an honorable mention at the following General Convention. Foreign students are entertained every year in an effort to get to know them better and help them feel at home.
At Beta Omicron’s 50th-year celebration in 1954, seven charter members and six of their Kappa daughters were present. A tableau was presented, representing the 13 charter members, with actives dressed in the clothes of 1904. Pictures, torn from old albums and flashed on a screen, were part of the program.
Chapter prized possessions include candlesticks; a punch ladle; a silver bowl in memory of two charter members, Adele Ford and Florence Ford (Weeks); silver candlestick from the Shreveport alumnae in memory of Beta Omicron’s second pledge, Irene Drake; a fleur-de-lis tray, a serving tray, and Mothers Club gifts. The chapter has been given at least five key badges to be worn by special chapter members.
Yet, traditions seemed to be going out of style. Once it was customary at the banquet for all engaged girls to run around the table, and each fiancé had to send a five-pound box of candy to the chapter. That has gone, as has the Fleur-de-Lis Book, always on display and read at banquets, with serious and funny articles written by actives. In 1966, a new tradition was started. A party is given for all actives, engaged, pinned or dropped. (Dropped meant that a girl had been given a pendant of her initials by her boyfriend.)
At the 1966 Convention, Beta Omicron received honorable mention for unhoused chapters, for improvement in efficiency and for gracious living. Beta Omicron has also received honorable mention for scholarship improvement.
Since New Orleans is such a Mardi Gras-conscious city, some mention must be made of Kappa queens and maids of Carnival balls. There had been about 80 Carnival organizations or balls, each having its own queen and maids. The highest honor was the Queen of Carnival, for the Rex Ball. Since 1930, at least seven Beta Omicrons have been so honored.
Alumnae
Active-alumna relationships are excellent. Advisers are interested and are proud of the chapter. In the fall of 1970, the chapter was helped by Patricia Ann Nealon, a Graduate Counselor. In 1971, the chapter decided that it was mature enough to handle house matters without a house mother. Permission was given, and there were no major problems.
One of the outstanding members of Beta Omicron is Agnes Guthrie Favrot, longtime chapter adviser and former Fraternity Rose McGill Fund Chairman. “I do believe,” she says, “I know as much about our chapter, or more, than any other single person. And I am very proud of being a Kappa.” “Aunt Aggie,” with four sons and no daughters, took the chapter into her heart and life. The Kappas, she said, filled a real need, and she does everything she can to make Beta Omicron a happy, successful chapter. Her portrait is one of the chapter’s prized possessions. She received the Loyalty Award in 1966.
At the time of the Fraternity’s Centennial Convention in 1970, when the financial goal for the Centennial scholarships had been nearly reached, it was Agnes Favrot who offered the balance and put the campaign over the top.
Two more outstanding members are Mary Seago Brooke, who received the Achievement Award in 1964 for her contribution in social work, and Elizabeth Aldrich Bridgeman, who received the Achievement Award in 1962 for her work in petroleum technology.
Of course, the turmoil on the campus, the modern day problems and the desire of the girls for more self-expression and freedom have made an impression and changed the chapter character somewhat. Many students began to feel that fraternities had no real place and served no good purpose. Many chose not to join, and a number resigned. But Kappa, with its tradition of promoting character, friendliness and studiousness, is coming through and is being reinstated in the lives of the students.
The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.
Highlights of the 1970s'
“Building bridges” among sisters, greek organizations and the community was an ongoing trend and goal of the Beta Omicron chapter between the years of 1975–79. Social events with other sororities, such as “Chi O Party” and “Monmouth Duo Party” with Pi Beta Phi were successful attempts at closing gaps and unifying the Greek-letter community. The “Grub Party” with Louisiana State University Kappas is a prime example of a bridge built between two chapters. The members of Beta Omicron during this period also kept a close relationship with Kappa alumnae, having red beans and rice dinners and compiling a skit for alumnae on Founders Day.
There were no apparent challenges that the chapter faced during these years, besides the constant reminders of dues payments, “No dues, No formal!,” which seems to be a problem off and on through the years. Recruitment began in the fall semester, which made the search for the right girls much more challenging, since they did not have a whole fall semester to get to know them. However, this forced the chapter to prepare for Recruitment far in advance during the spring semester, starting as early as January. Also, the trend of social events with other Greek chapters and alumnae shows that they were able to reach their goal of “building bridges.”
A few notable sisterhood events during the years 1975–1979, were the Easter Egg Hunt for children at the Catholic Center and Christmas Brunch. The members of Beta Omicron spent these holidays together as sisters. The bond between them was incredibly strong and apparent in the recorded minutes and scrapbooks. They showed enthusiasm during Sigma Chi’s Derby Days competition and joy in their daily Kappa lifestyle. Kappa Kappa Gamma became a home to them, as it has for our chapter today.
Highlights of the 1980s
Highlights (scholarship, honors/awards, special events, philanthropy and service projects, etc.):
Housing:
Philanthropy:
Chapter Convention Awards:
Highlights of the 1990s
Highlights (scholarship, honors/awards, special events, philanthropy and service projects, etc.):
Housing:
Philanthropy:
Chapter Convention Awards:
A New Millennium- Highlights of 2000-2010
The Beta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma would like this year to be remembered as a time when the chapter came together to benefit the community. In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beta Omicron worked on several community house-gutting projects. Also, the chapter came together once again for Kappa Kollection, a designer trunk show where the chapter raised $6,000 in one day for ovarian cancer research.
Tulane University has become a place of unity since Hurricane Katrina. The students and faculty take great pride in knowing that everyone who is here is here despite the negative effects of the hurricane. Also, the culture and history that is the city of New Orleans can be seen in all aspects of the campus like never before. Like Tulane University itself, the Beta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is unified in a way that only comes from experiencing the same hardships. The chapter is full of loyal, intelligent girls who are always willing to help each other and have fun. Along with these similarities, Beta Omicron prides itself on the diverse and unique talents and interests of its members.
Beta Omicron faced numerous challenges resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Building a sense of unity was easy after the storm, but dealing with the loss of members who could not return after the storm was difficult. Continuing with Recruitment after a semester away was also difficult. Not only did the house have one month to accomplish what usually takes an entire semester, but the smaller pool of potential new members made Recruitment intensely competitive. In January 2007, 37 exceptional young women joined the new member class, thanks in part to the hard work of the Membership Chairman and her assistant. Throughout the spring semester, Chapter Council worked to improve the chapter’s overall involvement and attitude.
Fall semester: The chapter teamed up with Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and participated in Greek Week. On October 15, the chapter celebrated Founders Day with some of our oldest alumnae. In November, the chapter rallied behind the Philanthropy Chairman to put on the second Kappa Kollection, an event that raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Of the chapter’s many achievements of 2007, one of the greatest came in the area of scholarship. With the work and encouragement of the chapter Vice President of Academic Excellence, the chapter GPA rose to 3.39, the second-highest sorority GPA on campus.
Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of six NPC-recognized sororities at Tulane. In the 2007–08, nearly all active members were involved in other campus clubs, sports and organizations. As mentioned above, the Fall ’07 chapter GPA rose to 3.39, which was higher than the all-sorority, all-Greek, and all-women’s GPA. Scholarship was also highlighted in April, when five Kappas were inducted into the Order of Omega, and in the fall, when six Kappas were named to the Greek 4.0 Club.
This year the chapter worked diligently to place a continuous emphasis on the importance of scholarship. VP-Academic Excellence and her Scholarship Committee held a study skills workshop for New Members to promote organization and time-management, held weekly study hours for the entire chapter, and encouraged the chapter to provide support for those struggling with stress or anxiety. The positive attitude and ongoing encouragement of the Scholarship Committee is reflected in the chapter’s academic success.
This past year, Beta Omicron has really grown as a chapter, sharing many moments of laughter and getting through tough times together as sisters. On January 25th, 2009, the chapter welcomed a new member class full of enthusiastic, kind and generous women ready to indulge in the tradition and pass on the legacy. Although there were not as many social events spring semester, this was not seen as a damper to our chapter, rather more of an opportunity to grow.
The Kappa house became more of a home than ever, as Thursday lunches on the Kappa porch were bustling with joyful KKGs, the couches packed with girls studying for finals or laughing together while watching ridiculous television shows, and the pantry stocked for snacking any time of the day. Sisterhood events such as ice sundaes and water bottle decorating, Kappa T-shirt tie-dying, competitive laser tagging, and philanthropic pumpkin carvings were great opportunities for strengthening sisterly bonds.
Our sorority joined forces with Kappa Sigma for Greek Week (October 18-24), and although we did not have the greatest turnout, we definitely displayed the most spirit. On November 14, the Kappa house was transformed into a boutique for our fourth- annual Kappa Kollection, bringing in more than $3,000, which was donated to the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit organization established in response to Hurricane Katrina.
In the beginning of 2009, our chapter struggled with several Panhellenic infractions after Bid Day, which caused some hesitation in having as many social functions as usual. However, the new member class was extremely patient as we worked through our challenges as a chapter. The whole experience made the chapter stronger, as we increased communication with the Fraternity and our advisers. Along with working to create a stronger relationship with the Fraternity officers, the chapter struggled to create a positive relationship with Panhellenic and Tulane, in general. The members’ involvement within the sorority and campus improved greatly, as we increased encouragement and incentives. The several sisterhood events greatly improved the unity within our chapter, as well. The chapter continues to emphasize involvement and public relations.
Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of seven NPC-recognized sororities on Tulane’s campus, with the recent addition of Phi Mu. However, our chapter does not go unnoticed, as the majority of our members are actively involved on campus through clubs, sports, or organizations—such as Up ’til Dawn (in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Tulane Emergency Medical Service, Peer Health Advocates, and Green Envy (a cappella group).
The women of Beta Omicron maintain a balanced lifestyle achieving an average GPA of 3.334 for Spring 2009—higher than the all sorority (3.329), all-Greek (3.147), all-women’s (3.115), and all-student (3.050) average at Tulane.
Beta Omicron began 2010 with a strong bond of sisterhood, culminating in a successful spring Recruitment period. We welcomed a new member class of 50 bright, charismatic and involved new members who quickly settled in to life at the Kappa house. The older girls really enjoyed getting to know and bond with the newest pledge class, with sisterhood events such as tie-dying tank-tops, laser tag and a visit to the haunted houses of New Orleans. In addition to these events, a line could be found winding out of the chapter room as girls came in for dinner on Monday nights before Chapter meeting, and lunch on Thursdays. Our social calendar took off at high speed with mixers and a disco-themed date function. Formal was a highlight of the year, downtown in the picturesque French Quarter.
The fall brought more bonding with various mixers, crush parties, the creation of an all-star flag football team and a new garden party with the Kappa alumna of New Orleans. Along with new parties, 1033 Audubon Street also received a new roof, and the chapter room was updated with a new coat of paint and floor. Kappa paired with Alpha Epsilon Pi during Greek Week, and performed a fully choreographed routine for the Greek Sync Competition. Even though we didn’t win, we had a full team of girls, which increased the participation of our chapter and our enthusiasm level for the rest of the semester.
Beta Omicron also raised the participation of the chapter in Philanthropy events to a new level, with the entire chapter participating in Habitat for Humanity, and working shifts at Kappa Kollection, which raised more than $11,000 for the St. Bernard Project. There was also a clothing drive at the same time, which collected clothing for the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children. Even though home is on Audubon St., Beta Omicron participated in Beautify Broadway, helping clean up one of the main streets around Tulane’s campus. A literacy event that the chapter participated in at a local elementary school was named a RIF program of the month.
The majority of the chapter participated in several philanthropies each in the past year, which shows the increased level of involvement of Beta Omicron on campus and in the community. We also did a Halloween philanthropy called Owl-O-Ween with another sorority that shares the Kappa symbol of the owl, Chi Omega. We carved pumpkins and made Halloween cards for St. Anna’s Residence for the elderly. There has never been a better time to be a Kappa at Tulane.
Highlights of 2011-2019
(See Chapter History Report) Highlights (scholarship, honors/awards, special events, philanthropy and service projects, etc.):
Highlights of 2011
Beta Omicron began 2011 with a strong bond of sisterhood, culminating in a successful spring recruitment period. We welcomed a new pledge class of over 50 bright, charismatic and involved new members who quickly settled in to life at the Kappa house. The older girls really enjoyed getting to know and bond with the newest pledge class, with sisterhood events such as tye dying tank tops, laser tag and a visit to the haunted houses of New Orleans.
In addition to these events a line could be found winding out of the chapter room as girls came in for dinner on Monday nights before Chapter meeting, and lunch on Thursdays. Our social calendar took off at high speed with mixers and a disco themed date function. Formal was a highlight of the year, downtown in the picturesque French Quarter. The fall brought more bonding with various mixers, crush parties, the creation of an all star flag football team and a new garden party with the Kappa alumna of New Orleans. Along with new parties, 1033 Audubon St. also received a new roof, and the chapter room was updated with a new coat of paint and floor. Kappa paired with Alpha Epsilon Pi during Greek Week, and performed a fully choreographed routine for the Greek Sync Competition. Even though we didn’t win, we had a full team of girls which increased the participation of our chapter, and our enthusiasm levels for the rest of the semester.
Beta Omicron also raised the participation of the chapter in Philanthropy events to a new level, with the entire chapter participating in Habitat for Humanity, and working shifts at Kappa Kollection, which raised over $11,000 for the St. Bernard Project. There was also a clothing drive at the same time, which collected clothing for the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children, a local women’s center. Even though home is on Audubon St., Beta Omicron participated in Beautify Broadway, helping clean up one of the main streets around Tulane’s campus. A literacy event that the chapter participated in at a local elementary school was named a RIF program of the month. The majority of the chapter participated in over 3 philanthropies each in the past year, which shows the increased level of involvement of Beta Omicron on campus and the area around it. We also did a special Halloween philanthropy called Owl-O-Ween with another sorority that shares the Kappa symbol of the owl, Chi Omega. We carved pumpkins and made Halloween cards for St. Anna’s Residence for the elderly. There has never been a better time to be a Kappa at Tulane.
Campus: Tulane University is private university located in the uptown area of New Orleans, with an undergraduate student population of a little over 6,500. The Panhellenic Council has been growing on campus, with more than 30% of women involved in a Greek organization. This year we were very lucky to have a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma serve on the elected executive board, along with several Kappas serving as recruitment counselors and panhellenic delegates.
Chapter: Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of seven NPC-recognized sororities on Tulane’s campus, with the recent addition of Phi Mu. However, our chapter does not go unnoticed, as the majority of our members are actively involved on campus through clubs, sports, or organizations—such as the entire executive board of Up ‘til Dawn (in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Tulane Emergency Medical Service, Peer Health Advocates, and the Student Conduct Board. The women of Beta Omicron balance all of these activities with academics, achieving an increased average GPA of 3.346 for Spring 2009—the same as the all sorority (3.346), and higher than the all greek (3.286), all women’s (3.278), and all student (3.226) average at Tulane.
One of the largest challenges that faced our chapter this year was at the first event of the semester, where we had a minor infraction involving several active members. However, Beta Omicron reacted quickly by re-evaluating their risk management policies, and having the members that were responsible provide an educational program about alcohol consumption for the chapter at meeting. As a result, we also improved our communications with Nationals, as well as our local advisers. The lack of social events did not dampen spirits though, but helped to enforce the sisterly bond that we all look to in our sorority. Beta Omicron has not had any problems since, which shows that our new risk management policies have been extremely successful.
Highlights of 2012
Although the year got off to a rough start with problems at Bid Day leading to a Council Action, 2012 ended up being a good year for Beta Omicron as a whole, as many problems that had plagued the chapter for a while were brought to light and began to improve with the help of many individuals from the Fraternity.
In late January, the kitchen of the Kappa house received a much needed facelift. In early February, several members signed up to help the community by cleaning up trash in the area during Beautify Broadway. February also included sisterhood and social events, such as the Glow Kappa Party, a New Member retreat at the horse races, and New Member pancake breakfast. Finally, Chapter Council met with several members from the Fraternity to address our Council Action, receive a Focus Letter, and address both our concerns and concerns of the Fraternity regarding the nature of our chapter.
After a safe and fun Mardi Gras, Beta Omicron celebrated International Badge Day on March 5th. Later in March, our New Members were initiated, and Chapter Council began to buckle down on the Focus Letter we received from Nationals. Beta Omicron officers developed a Leadership Action plan to get our chapter back on track. In April, we had a sisterhood events and dinner with Chapter Council advisors. After our President and VPO spent a wonderful week at Convention, we started the Fall semester with a Chapter Council retreat (including our newly appointed Treasurer) in late August.
However, due to Hurricane Isaac, classes at Tulane were cancelled for a week, and the semester got off to a late start. Chapter meetings started with a sisterhood event with frozen yogurt, and Chapter Council got to work on several sisterhood, social, and philanthropy events. September included a sisterhood sleepover for the newest pledge class, a sisterhood picnic, a mixer with SAE, and a Krush party. The chapter also sent a card to Devon Walker, a member of the Tulane football team who was severely injured during a game.
Recruitment meetings began for the sophomore class, and several members of our chapter participated in Pi Beta Phi's philanthropy event, Arrowspike. October began with a lovely visit from our Leadership Consultant, Charlotte Rhodes and a Habitat for Humanity build. On October 8, we hosted a formal Founders Day dinner, and welcomed several important alumni from the New Orleans area, many of whom were members of Beta Omicron. Kappa Trainer Stephanie Johnston visited in late October. On October 26, many members of our chapter volunteered at a Reading is FUNdamental event at a local elementary school. In November, we had several sisterhood and philanthropy events, including Pledge Class dinners, senior events, holiday card pictures, crafting sisterhood events, Red Hot Mama, and our main philanthropy event, Kappa Kollection. Charlotte made another visit in November to help Chapter Council stay on track of leadership action plans. Several recruitment meetings prepared members for upcoming Recruitment, and an Officer Training Workshop prepared Chapter Council Members for the upcoming year. In the first weeks of December, we had a second Officer Training Workshop and final Recruitment meetings before leaving for winter break.
Due to the Council Action, several problems were addressed in the chapter, including member accountability, attendance, financial procedures, and communication issues (both within the chapter and with Nationals). Due to the hard work of Chapter Council members and Nationals representatives, several of these issues are on their way to resolution, although it may take more time than any of us initially realized. One major improvement Beta Omicron has seen is the level of commitment from both members and officers, and the amount of transparency between Chapter Council and members. Executive members realized that the time and effort necessary to maintain a functioning chapter with an edifying atmosphere and a healthy relationship with the school and the Fraternity was much greater than what was the custom. Those who were committed to the success of Beta Omicron increased efforts and addressed problems, while those who were not as willing to make a change were replaced. More communication with members about why we had been put on a Warning of Probation and what issues needed to be addressed allowed members to become more involved and realize their individual responsibility to the chapter and to the fraternity.
Overall, 2012 has seen a positive, though difficult, change in the attitudes of both members and officers. With continued efforts and much welcome help from Nationals, we hope to return Beta Omicron to the standards and expectations of the fraternity.
Highlights of 2013
The spring of 2013 got off to great start with an amazing recruitment. Although there were some problems with Bid Day last year this year Bid Day went off without a hitch. For the first time Bid Day was held of MLK day, which is usually a day of service of Tulane Students. Bid day was held late in the afternoon so all Greek women could still participate in the day of service. Many of our members participated in local service activities throughout the New Orleans community.
All actives were on their best behavior during Bid Day to make sure that the new members felt welcome and comfortable. As we continued to strive to meet the standards and expectations of nationals set out by our focus letter our members took an active role in becoming positive role models for the new members. Before our first social event, Glo Kappa, all members met at the Kappa House to watch a brief presentation on alcohol safety. Due to the super bowl and carnival season coinciding Mardi Gras was early in the semester this year. Mardi Gras is always a great way for the new members to bond with the actives. The New Member Chairs put together an excellent presentation the meeting before Mardi Gras that went over safety and proper behavior.
Before initiation our new member met with the standards committee individually to discuss their progress so far and their future expectations as an initiated member. Inspiration week started on April 1st. We were lucky enough to have our LC Charlotte visit our chapter to make sure initiation went smoothly. Throughout the week new members continued to bond with the active’s through nightly pledge class activities. Our marshal had been holding ritual reviews sessions throughout the semester, which helped the actives be fully prepared for the day of initiation. We were lucky enough to have alumni be a part of our initiation, and we held a brunch at the house after initiation for the entire chapter and the alumni.
The last chapter of the semester was dedicated to the senior class. Our education chair gave each senior a gift and the juniors put together a slide show of pictures in honor of their bigs. Classes resumed in August and the entire chapter was excited to continue improving our standings with nationals. The sophomore class came back to school early to help with Freshmen Move-In. On august 24th Chapter Council had a full day retreat where they discussed ways to improve the chapter as a whole. Throughout the semester the sophomore class met once a moth to prepare for our spring recruitment.
In the month of September we had one senior event at Saint James Cheese Company where the seniors were able to taste all different types of cheeses. Our philanthropy chair held a dress drive for a local women’s shelter, and we had a sisterhood event where we watched a Saints game together with was a lot of fun. On October 7th we held a founders day dinner at the house following formal chapter. We had many local alumni attend, which definitely added to the event. Before Halloween all members attended our annual Reading is Fundamental Fall Festival, which is our chapters philanthropy. On Halloween day we had a sisterhood even where we carved pumpkins. Throughout the fall semester we had both fun and safe social events. This years Red Hot Mamma date party was by far the best event of the year. Our Event Chair was able to get a photo booth with was the highlight of the night.
The month of November was filled with philanthropy events. On the 9th we held our biggest event, Kappa Kollection. We had a lot of new vendors this year, which was exciting, and we were able to raise money for the New Orleans Womens shelter and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. We also participated in a Habitat for Humanity build. After electing a competent nominating committee our chapter was presented with a new slate on November 11th.. Member voted to approve the entire new slate the following week.
After received a new focus letter our Academic Excellence chair began holding weekly study hours to try to improve our chapters GPA. Every week member’s signed up to attend study hours for at least three hours a week. We are trying very hard as a chapter to improve our GPA. During the first week of December our LC Charlotte visited again. She held a few fun and educational events including a Kappa history talk and a review of the bylaws and standing rules. Our outgoing officers held great officer transition meetings for our new chapter council. The newly elected Chapter Council was eager for the spring semester to star so they could continue the great work of our previous officers in continuing to better our chapter as a whole.
In the fall Tulane welcomed a new sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. Our chapter tried very hard to make sure the women of Alpha Delta Pi felt welcome at Tulane. During the workweek of recruitment we held a “mock recruitment” with them so they would feel comfortable speaking to potential new members during formal recruitment. Kappa was the only sorority on campus that did this with Alpha Delta Pi. Being placed on Council Action in the spring of 2012 both chapter council and all of our members have worked to improve the Beta Omicron Chapter in many ways. Chapter Council has introduced many new ideas in order to improve sisterhood, ritual, academic excellence, philanthropy, and over-all chapter dignity and respect. Our monthly sisterhood events, study hours, ritual reviews, and new exciting philanthropy opportunities have not only made us bond as a chapter, but has also allowed us to make strides to become a better chapter. Our members have taken an active role in helping Chapter Council make sure Beta Omicron reaches its full potential. The sophomore, junior and senior classes all understand that we are the role models for the new members. As upperclassmen we have discussed numerous times that we are responsible for setting a good example for them. All older members have taken this responsibility very seriously and are aware that the new members will uphold our chapter ideals if we do as well.
Highlights of 2014
The spring of 2014 got off to great start with an amazing recruitment. Although there were some problems with Bid Day the year before last, this year’s Bid Day went off without a hitch. Bid Day was held of MLK day for the second year in a row, which in the past was usually a day of service of Tulane Students. Bid day was held late in the afternoon so all Greek women could still participate in the day of service. Many of our members participated in local service activities throughout the New Orleans community. All actives were on their best behavior during Bid Day to make sure that the new members felt welcome and comfortable.
As we continued to strive to meet the standards and expectations of nationals set out by our focus letter our members took an active role in becoming positive role models for the new members. Before our first social event, Glo Kappa, all members met at the Kappa House to watch a brief presentation on alcohol safety. Due to the super bowl and carnival season coinciding, Mardi Gras was early in the semester this year. Mardi Gras is always a great way for the new members to bond with the actives. The New Member Chairs put together an excellent presentation the meeting before Mardi Gras that went over safety and proper behavior. As a sisterhood event, all of the families (littles, bigs, grandbigs, great grandbigs) got together to make food for a bake sale. It was a lot of fun and really allowed the girls to bond.
We were lucky enough to have our LC visit our chapter to make sure initiation went smoothly. Throughout inspiration week, new members continued to bond with the actives through nightly pledge class activities. Our marshal had been holding ritual reviews sessions throughout the semester, which helped the actives be fully prepared for the day of initiation. We were fortunate enough to have alumni be a part of our initiation, and we held a brunch at the house after initiation for the entire chapter and the alumni.
The last chapter of the semester was dedicated to the senior class. Our education chair gave each senior a gift and the juniors put together a slide show of pictures in honor of their bigs. Classes resumed in late August and the entire chapter was excited to continue improving our standings with nationals. The sophomore class came back to school early to help with Freshmen Move-In. Throughout the semester the sophomore class met once a moth to prepare for our spring recruitment.
In the month of October we had a senior event at our chapter house where the girls sampled makeup and gave each other makeovers. Our philanthropy chair held a drive for the sexual assault clinic in which the sisters donated clothing, cell phone chargers, and snack foods. We had a joint sisterhood event with Alpha Delta Pi where we all sat down at ate Chik-fil-a and had a lot of fun. On October 7th we held a founders day dinner at the house following formal chapter. Before Halloween members attended our annual Reading is Fundamental Fall Festival, which is our chapter’s philanthropy. The girls dressed up in Halloween costumes and read books to and did crafts with the children. Throughout the fall semester we had both fun and safe social events.
This years Red Hot Mamma date party was by far the best event of the year. Our Event Chair was able to get a photo booth with was the highlight of the night. The month of November was filled with philanthropy events. At the start of the month, we held our biggest event, Kappa Kollection. We had a lot of new vendors this year, which was exciting, and we were able to raise money for the New Orleans Womens shelter and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. We also participated in a Habitat for Humanity build.
After electing a competent nominating committee our chapter was presented with a new slate during mid November. Members voted to approve the entire new slate the following week. After receiving a new focus letter, our Academic Excellence chair began holding weekly study hours to try to improve our chapters GPA. Every week member’s signed up to attend study hours for at least three hours a week. We are trying very hard as a chapter to improve our GPA. During the first week of December our LC visited again. She held a few fun and educational events including a Kappa history talk and a review of the bylaws and standing rules. Our outgoing officers held great officer transition meetings for our new chapter council. The newly elected Chapter Council was eager for the spring semester to star so they could continue the great work of our previous officers in continuing to better our chapter as a whole.
In the fall of 2013, Tulane welcomed a new sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. Our chapter tried very hard to make sure the women of Alpha Delta Pi felt welcome at Tulane and prepared to recruit new members. During the workweek of recruitment we held a “mock recruitment” with them so they would feel comfortable speaking to potential new members during formal recruitment. Kappa was the only sorority on campus that did this with Alpha Delta Pi.
After all of Greek life received a probationary period in the Spring of 2014, both chapter council and all of our members have strived to improve the Beta Omicron Chapter, as well as Greek life at Tulane as a whole, in many ways. Chapter Council has introduced many new ideas in order to improve sisterhood, ritual, academic excellence, philanthropy, and over-all chapter dignity and respect. Our monthly sisterhood events, study hours, ritual reviews, and new exciting philanthropy opportunities have not only made us bond as a chapter, but has also allowed us to make strides to become a better chapter. Our members have taken an active role in helping Chapter Council make sure Beta Omicron reaches its full potential. The sophomore, junior and senior classes all understand that we are the role models for the new members. As upperclassmen we have discussed numerous times that we are responsible for setting a good example for them. All older members have taken this responsibility very seriously and are aware that the new members will uphold our chapter ideals if we do as well.
Highlights of 2015
The spring of 2015 got off to great start with an amazing recruitment. This year’s Bid Day went off without a hitch. Bid Day was held on MLK day for the third year in a row, which in the past was usually a day of service of Tulane Students. Bid day was held late in the afternoon so all Greek women could still participate in the day of service. Many of our members participated in local service activities throughout the New Orleans community. All actives were on their best behavior during Bid Day to make sure that the new members felt welcome and comfortable.
As we continued to strive to meet the standards and expectations of nationals set out by our probation letter, our members took an active role in becoming positive role models for the new members. Before our first social event, Glo Kappa, all members met at the Kappa House to watch a brief presentation on alcohol safety. Due to the super bowl and carnival season coinciding, Mardi Gras was early in the semester this year. Mardi Gras is always a great way for the new members to bond with the actives. The New Member Chairs put together an excellent presentation the meeting before Mardi Gras that went over safety and proper behavior.
As a sisterhood event, all of the families (littles, bigs, grandbigs, great grandbigs) got together to make food for a bake sale. It was a lot of fun and really allowed the girls to bond. Initiation went very smoothly. It was quite the experience to see someone so committed to the chapter for so long. Throughout inspiration week, new members continued to bond with the actives through nightly pledge class activities. Our marshal had been holding ritual reviews sessions throughout the semester, which helped the actives be fully prepared for the day of initiation. We were fortunate enough to have alumni be a part of our initiation, and we held a brunch at the house after initiation for the entire chapter and the alumni. An alumnus even came to renew her pledge!
At the end of March, we held a joint philanthropy event with Pi Phi called the “Red Hot Angel Wing Eating Contest.” It was a hit and members throughout the Greek community came to support us. In April, our LC, PDC, and RDC came to deliver our probation letter. While it definitely came as a shock at first, we have definitely come a long way. The last chapter of the semester was dedicated to the senior class. Our education chair gave each senior a gift and the juniors put together a slide show of pictures in honor of their bigs.
Classes resumed in late August and the entire chapter was excited to continue improving our standings with nationals. The sophomore class came back to school early to help with Freshmen Move-In. Throughout the semester the sophomore class met once a moth to prepare for our spring recruitment. In the month of October we had a senior event at our chapter house where the girls sampled makeup and gave each other makeovers. We had a joint sisterhood event with Alpha Delta Pi where we all sat down at ate Chik-fil-a and had a lot of fun.
On October 7th we held a founders day dinner at the house following formal chapter. Before Halloween members attended our annual Reading is Fundamental Fall Festival, which is our chapter’s philanthropy. The girls dressed up in Halloween costumes and read books to and did crafts with the children. Throughout the fall semester we continually reviewed our probation letter and made sure we were on track. We were learning right from mistakes that had been occurring for years under previous chapter councils. We were on track to approval from Nationals and were practicing extraordinary transparency by CCing our PDC and RDC on anything that we did.
The month of November was filled with philanthropy events. At the start of the month, we held our biggest event, Kappa Kollection. We had a lot of new vendors this year, which was exciting, and we were able to raise money for the New Orleans Womens shelter and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. After electing a competent nominating committee our chapter was presented with a new slate during mid November. Members voted to approve the entire new slate the following week.
Towards the end of November, we held our first social event since the beginning of Spring semester. Although it didn’t go perfectly, our chapter greatly improved and showed their commitment to Kappa in the weeks following up to the next event. Continuing the suggestion of our previous letters from headquarters, our Academic Excellence chair continued to hold weekly study hours to improve our chapters GPA. Every week member’s signed up to attend study hours for at least three hours a week. We are trying very hard as a chapter to improve our GPA.
During December our LC visited again. She met with each chapter council member and chapter council as a whole to make sure we were on track and fix and issues. We also completed a review of the bylaws and standing rules with her. Our outgoing officers held great officer transition meetings for our new chapter council. The newly elected Chapter Council was eager for the spring semester to start so they could continue the great work of our previous officers in continuing to better our chapter as a whole.
Chapter Council has introduced many new ideas in order to improve sisterhood, ritual, academic excellence, philanthropy, and over-all chapter dignity and respect. Our monthly sisterhood events, study hours, ritual reviews, and new exciting philanthropy opportunities have not only made us bond as a chapter, but has also allowed us to make strides to become a better chapter. Our members have taken an active role in helping Chapter Council make sure Beta Omicron reaches its full potential. The sophomore, junior and senior classes all understand that we are the role models for the new members. As upperclassmen we have discussed numerous times that we are responsible for setting a good example for them. All older members have taken this responsibility very seriously and are aware that the new members will uphold our chapter ideals if we do as well.
Highlights of 2016
In January, we started off the year with a great round of recruitment with one of our best slideshows to date that truly showcased how much each member cares about our chapter. On the 18th, we accepted our largest pledge class in years (over 80 girls!) with the theme of United States of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Girls painted their faces and bounced in a bounce house– it was truly a memorable day. That night, the new members rode a bus to a restaurant in downtown New Orleans and sung songs and did ice breakers the whole day.
In February, we held our first philanthropy event with Reading is Fundamental and STAIR. STAIR, or Start the Adventure in reading, is a volunteer based children's literacy organization that provides reading tutors for public school 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students. By teaming up with these organizations, over 60 members gave one-on-one tutoring to students to improve their reading and language skills over the course of 5 different shifts.
On March 4th, we hosted Big Little Reveal in the chapter room. All of the new members were incredibly excited to officially be paired with an old mentor. A couple days later, Mary Pat, a Kappa trainer, visited us. Throughout our years on probation, we have come to realize how much change we enacted and can still enact in our chapter. We decided that we would like to continue to promote sisterhood and philanthropy events over social events and noted just how much that feeling has changed since our pledge class (PC '14) were freshmen. We are incredibly proud of how far we have come these past few years and expect the new Chapter Council to continue our good work (with our help of course).
In April, we held our first annual Kappa Klassic on the 2nd. The Kappa Klassic is a panhellenic philanthropy event in which each sorority makes a team of around 20 girls to participate in a Powderpuff Football competition. It was a huge hit and we are definitely going to make this a regular philanthropy event! Towards the end of April, Riley, our Vice President of Standards chair, hosted a sisterhood workout event. The class was packed and the girls had a blast working out together (and being a little too silly for the instructor).
Over the summer months, many girls held incredible internships throughout the U.S. and abroad too! From interning at a film industry firm in Los Angeles to working in finance in New York, Tulane Kappas were getting unbelievable experience all over.
School started up quickly, and thankfully a little later than normal, on August 29th. At the beginning of September, we had visits from the LCs Meril Weber and Jess Morin. Girls had a great time taking them around Nola to get food. Although we were all initially disappointed when they read our renewed probation terms, we quickly turned that attitude around into driving us to prove to them that we are so much more than what we were 3 years ago, or even 1 year ago. Around this time, the Panhellenic Council also announced that the Greek organizations would be teaming up to raise money to build a school in Africa through the Circle of Sisterhood. Many members throughout the Greek community were excited to start funding the school and hosted a fundraiser at Dat Dog.
In October, we held another sisterhood workout class on the 6th, but this time it was at Cycle Bar. A week later was Founder's Day! To celebrate, we put out some handwritten chapter minutes from the early 1900's as well as some incredible scrapbooks from the 80s and 90s. The members could not get enough of the scrapbooks. We celebrated with adorable alumni and a great cake!
October is breast cancer month and we love to walk to raise money for breast cancer research into treatments and cures. Brittany Gallagher's mother, Shauna, died of breast cancer a few years ago and each year, we walk in the Race for a Cure in honor of her. Towards the end of the month, we held our biggest philanthropy event of the year, Kappa Kollection. Many parents and other family or friends were in town as it was also Homecoming weekend. It was a great weekend and we raised thousands of dollars for RIF.
Towards mid-November, the Panhellenic Council held its first ever Greek Groove– a dance event in which all of the sororities compete (fraternities are going to become involved next year). Our theme was Red Hot and the girls had an absolute blast competing. While we didn't bring home the crown next year, we're all eager to get it next year. The girls ended a long semester with finals and cannot wait to see what next year has in store.
Recently, our campus has placed an initiative to be more accepting and promoting diversity in the Greek community in terms of race, religion, and more. Potential new members have submitted an essay regarding the topic as well as attended multiple speeches about it. It is a great step in the right direction.
In addition to donating to the numerous other Greek organizations' charities, we support STAIR, "Start the Adventure in Reading." I explained STAIR's mission in the second paragraph of the 'Summary' section of this document. Literacy rates in the Greater New Orleans area are staggering with 39% of 16 year olds reading below the 5th grade level, 31% below the 8th grade level, and only 30% at level 3 or higher.
Each holiday season marks the times at which school attendance in New Orleans is at its all time lows. In order to combat this, our association hosts an annual Philanthropy Party, where alumni bring donations of small toys, toiletries, and healthy treats to support SciTech Academy, a nearby school. The gifts encourage students to attend school during the winter months. Each day that a child is in school is crucial to their chances of graduating high school. STAIR helps us organize events that facilitate schools in the area hosting these types of events. The falling children's literacy rates in New Orleans have become an epidemic. By being able to elicit a small amount of change in this is incredibly rewarding.
Highlights of 2017
We started off the year with a great round of recruitment, again recruiting our one of our biggest pledge classes in history! (84 girls total!) Members proudly shared some of their fondest Kappa experiences with the chapter throughout the recruitment process. On the 15th, we celebrated bid day with a camouflage theme. The day was spent enjoying Frenchies Food Truck at the house, taking pictures in the photo booth, and getting to know each other through icebreakers and other games! The next day, all the new members enjoyed a fun day together at Sector 6— a trampoline park in downtown New Orleans.
In February, we hosted our annual philanthropy event, Kappa Klassic, for Reading is Fundamental, our philanthropy partners who work to provide elementary students with the resources they need to learn how to read. Members volunteered to table around campus during the week leading up to the event, spreading the word about our event that took place on the 18th. Member also held team practices to prepare for the event! The Panhellenic philanthropy event attracted several other sororities on campus, composed of teams of around 20 girls to participate in a Powderpuff Football competition. During this month, our chapter was also proud to report that our members had the highest rate of participation in the campus-wide student Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey, which aimed to help the community better understand the incidence of sexual harassment and sexual violence in Tulane's community, totaling in at 100% participation.
Big Little Reveal took place on February 19th. New members were excited to come together in the chapter room to find out whom they would be partnered with to look up to as a mentor in their years to come as a Kappa. Returning members were stoked to reveal to the new members who had been surprising them with gifts and excited to share their wisdom.
In March, members enjoyed different sisterhood events including Painting with a Twist, City Surf workout classes, and Poke Loa lunches at the house. On the 22nd, Not my campus, a student-led movement to end the silence surrounding sexual assault and create a safe environment for all students at Tulane, came to speak to our chapter. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to support the organization.
During the summer, members participate in different service projects and internships throughout the country and abroad! Girls took on tasks from sponsoring Students in Zambia, hiking though Peru, interning in New York City and LA, and working with companies such as Teach for America and Eden House.
Excited to get back into the swing of things as school approached in the fall, members attended Shifting the Paradigm on September 19th, the campus wide sexual prevention program that reviewed the results of the climate survey that took place in February. On the 21st, members enjoyed reuniting after summer break with groovy themed sisterhood event serving snowballs at the house. After the devastation that took place as a result of Hurricane Harvey touching down in Houston, members rallied together to provide relief through GoFundMe and donations.
In October, we continued our tradition of celebrating Founders day with cake and a presentation from our Education Chair that covered the history of our founding! For our 147th anniversary, the Registrar also presented a brief overview on the little known origins of Louisiana Kappa’s unique traditional saying “Red Hot Mama.”
Philanthropy
On the 18th, we paired with another Greek group on campus to raise money for Reading is Fundamental and The Children’s Miracle Network, an organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of as many children as possible during their time spent in the hospital. Our donations were used to support hospitals most in need of assistance. We sold coffee and bagels, raising a total of over $1000 for donations! Members also participated in “Panhellowen,” a Panhellenic trick-or-treating event supporting Star Advocates, whose mission is to build a community free from oppression and sexual trauma. We had a Leadership Consultant, Sydney, visit at the end of the month. Girls enjoyed taking her out to meals and showing her around the city during Halloween!
In November, we hosted our Kappa Collection philanthropy event on the 5th, featuring different clothing stores including Krewe, Lennox and Lane, and Lacey Ryan. Fifteen of the proceeds went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and our philanthropy organization— Reading is Fundamental. We were impressed by the outcome and thrilled by the amount we were able to put toward supporting Reading is Fundamental.
We also participated in Greek Groove on the 9th, a Panhellenic event that raised a total of S24029.12 for girls’ education and a future Circle of Sisterhood trek. Sisters had a blast working together to create a choreographed dance for the event.
In December, chapter members met at the house to take a holiday photo! The chapter was excited, as we felt that we had accomplished our goals to improve our structure and communication as a chapter, which allowed us not only to better support each other but also become more involved on campus and in our community. Members returned home for Holiday break excited about our improvement and ready to continue and expand our recent accomplishment with a new pledge class in the spring.
Highlights of 2018
The previous calendar year has been much fun for the women of Beta Omicron at Tulane University. Bid Day was Candyland themed! We welcomed approximately 90 new members, and started 2018 in a pretty sweet way. We started this calendar year off with many of our members participating in the Women's March that took place in the French Quarter! The ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma also supported Stoneman Douglas High School after the shooting, by hanging a "Douglas Strong" banner from our porch. We had numerous fun mixers and date parties. Some of our best included: Red Hot, Disco Date, and Kappa Krush! There were plenty of fun sisterhood events this year, including snowballs on the porch and attending the Pelican's basketball game as a chapter! Chapters were made fun with cake on Founder's Day, and holidays were made special with cookie decorating at the house! A few of our ladies had great successes for their sporting teams; we have members on the volleyball and rugby teams for the university. This year we had many fun philanthropic events! Beta Omicron switched up our traditional powderpuff football event for a SpikeBall event! This event was called "Spike and Slamma with Kappa Kappa Gamma" and the proceeds went to benefit a local startup called "TopBox Foods". We also teamed up with two other sororites on campus for a jewelry trunk show outside of the Kappa house that split the proceeds, with Kappa's portion going towards RIF. Lastly, we finished up 2018 with our traditional fall philanthropy event, "Kappa Kollection", where local stores set up tables in our chapter room with some merchandise to sell! The event is held on parent's weekend and is a great way for potential new members/parents to be welcomed into the house for a fun event! A portion of all proceeds went toward RIF as well. Beta Omicron also participated in fun campus activities as well. We had a team compete in Greek Groove, a dancing competition, that raises money for Tulane Panhellenic Council's philanthropy, Circle of Sisterhood. One of our very own members got selected to go on a trip to Africa with Circle of Sisterhood in 2019! We finished the semester with study snacks at the house and transformed the chapter room into the perfect place to study with your sisters! The ladies of Beta Omicron
This year, Tulane University took a harder stance against underage drinking and the negative aspects of fraternity/sorority life. Every chapter on campus attended a 2 day leadership program before school started. The program was called IMPACT. At the program, Greeks on campus discussed the nature of our school and some of the issues that present itself with drinking mixed with hard schooling. The attendees agreed on a new rule not allowing freshmen to be at Greek events for the first week of school. Coupled with the new rule, the Beta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma made direct efforts to limit the amount of underage drinking by making stricter rules through risk management. BO also used multiple "education nights" at chapter to advise about drinking, mental health, and sexual assault.
Highlights of 2019
2019 has been an incredible year for Kappa Kappa Gamma, Beta Omicron Chapter at Tulane. Under the leadership of our incredible President Mary Goldberg, traditions became solidified, the chapter became unified, and each challenge was met with maturity and regard for the chapter as a whole. Highlights included Kappa Kappa Girl Boss, which brought a panel of Tulane Kappa women and alumnae back to Tulane to give advice about beginning our careers. Additionally, Kamp Kappa was a fun way the chapter came together and raised money for our chapter philanthropy. VP of Standards Erika Kort also put together a sisterhood event at a roller rink, something the chapter had never done before!
The youngest PC has really come together and made demands on the upperclassman, like more sisterhood events and more ways to get involved. Also, the restructuring of Chapter Council as our District began piloting the new officer structure, was an undertaking that changed the chapter's overall nature. Getting to learn together about what it will look like was a positive process for all members.
Beta Omicron chose to support our Fraternity philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, to help end childhood illiteracy and to be in sync with the rest of Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters across the country.
We celebrated Founders Day this year with Leadership Consultant, Sydney Hawekotte, Nebraska, and had a cake at dinner. We are currently brainstorming ideas to celebrate Kappa's sesquicentennial in 2020!
Highlights of 2020s
2020 has been a trying year for Kappa Kappa Gamma, although the Beta Omicron chapter has met COVID-19 with resilience. While the first two months of the year were filled with the usual in person Initiation, Big/Little reveal, and events such as Glo Kappa and My Tie, students were sent home in mid-March as coronavirus emerged as a national and global crisis. As social distancing and quarantining became the norm, we all missed our sisters dearly and were anxiously waiting to return to campus.
In the fall, thanks to the leadership of President Jaida Maller, Tulane Kappa handled the transition with responsibility and reason. We adapted to social distancing protocols by canceling all social events, moving chapter online, hosting Sisterhood events such as cooking and exercise classes via Zoom, and having ‘to-go’ lunches every Thursday. Thankfully, we were able to fund raise for our philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, with a digital Kappa Kollection this year as well. As our Chapter, our University, and the world as we know it have all changed immensely in the past year, Beta Omicron has prioritized the safety of the New Orleans community and has aimed for its members to be role-models within the Tulane community in regard to wearing masks and social distancing.
Although we dearly miss pre-COVID days, we are thankful we have our sisters to help us through these unprecedented times. We are so excited for the day when things begin to return to normal and we can resume chapter events and be all together in person again!
Highlights of 2021
Spring semester of 2021 was held virtually within our chapter for meetings, recruitment, initiation, and all other special events held. Although it was all new to every chapter member and we missed seeing our sisters in- person, everyone handled it incredibly and Beta Omicron showed resilience. In the 2021 fall semester, we returned to seeing our sisters in person, while wearing a mask and following New Orleans city guidelines, for chapter meetings and events. It was a transition period for our new member class, going from all virtual to back in the house. Melody Li, member class of 2020, was awarded the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation Scholarship for the academic year of 2021-2022.
This year in the fall semester of 2021, Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Omicron partnered with Sigma Alpha Epsilon to support and raise money for the New Orleans organization Son of Saint’s Hurricane Ida relief, following the devastating hurricane that hit our city. This was done through the even Krewe du KKG x SAE, we sold snow cones, grilled hotdogs, and sold raffle tickets that all benefited Son of a Saint. It was attended by those in both our Tulane and New Orleans community, and the found and CEO of Son of a Saint. We raised over $3,300 to support Hurricane Ida relief. In addition to our event, our chapter came together to collect and donate basic goods for those in our New Orleans community who did not have access to them after Hurricane Ida.
How did the chapter support Kappa’s philanthropy? In support of Kappa’s national philanthropy, NAMI, Beta Omicron held an event with Sigma Alpha Epsilon called Kappaccinos and SAEvory Snacks. We sold pastries and coffees on campus and raised almost $2,000. It was held in March of 2021 and it encourages the new member class to be able to get involved and learn more about our national philanthropy and promote mental health. All proceeds went towards NAMI New Orleans chapter.
This year Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Omicron has been very active in upholding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through our chapter’s first DEI officer, Catherine Pappas. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we held a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion seminar for the entire chapter via Zoom on April 5ᵗʰ, 2021, ran by national’s representative Sudie Pennebaker. Beta Omicron has also been active on promoting our values for diversity, equity, and social medias, including Instagram. This past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Omicron ran operations virtually during the spring semester to follow COVID-19 guidelines. Recruitment and initiation were both held virtually on zoom. Member class of 2021 contains 73 new members initiated virtually on March 3ʳᵈ , 2021. We returned to in-person operations at the start of the 2021 fall semester, wearing masks to follow New Orleans guidelines.
