Epsilon Omega
| Epsilon Omega | |
|---|---|
| EΩ | |
 | |
| Founded | March 10, 1979 |
| College | Dickinson College |
| Location | Carlisle, PA |
| Homepage | Epsilon Omega Homepage |
| Media related to Epsilon Omega Chapter | |
Dickinson College established in 1783, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Epsilon Omega founded March 10, 1979 - 33 charter members
1,211 initiates (as of June 2018)
Charter Members: Catherine Andriadis, Susan Bacon, Nancy Bauer, Joan Brandonburg, Elise Dagostino, Susan Dague, Shelly Dalrynmple, Cheryl Daugherty, Karen Ford, Lynne Forrey, Janice Friedman, Angela Gelason, Katherine Grant, Elizabeth Gray, Lynette Hewitt, Kathleen Kipp, Darcie Lolo, Sandra Lopatofsky, Ruthann Mamrak, Laura Marshall, Julie McMullen, Susan Miller, Mary Beth Monahan, Wendy Paxton, Kathleen Poole, Yvonne Schirm, Susan Shane, Joan Sommers, Elizabeth Spizzirro, Constance Tambakis, Cynthia Waldron, Donna Weir, Alison Whitmer
Some Outstanding Epsilon Omega Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)
Fraternity Council Members
Wendy Paxton (Alfano), Field Secretary 1981-1982; Susan Berg (Abbott), Graduate Counselor, 1983-1984
Fraternity Loyalty Award
Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients
Contents
Colonization (From The Key, Fall 1978)
As alive and contemporary as today’s student, Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania is equally endowed with history and proud tradition. The heritage and traditions of Kappa Kappa Gamma blended well with the background of Dickinson as the Fraternity established Epsilon Omega Colony during the first week of October 1979.
Three years before America declared her independence from England, a grammar school was opened on land given by the Proprietors of Pennsylvania. By 1873, under the direction of Benjamin Rush, its founder, Dickinson College was chartered by the Pennsylvania legislature. Named in honor of John Dickinson, “penman of the revolution” and then governor of the commonwealth, the college has grown from a land purchase costing all of $151.00 to a campus of 117 acres and valued at over $25,000,000. The physical heart of the campus is “Old West,” a national historic landmark designed by Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the capitol in Washington, D.C. At present, part of the campus is a 65-acre recreational area and the college also manages a 3,300-acre wildlife sanctuary and research station.
In 1884, women students were admitted to Dickinson, despite opposition from faculty and students, and only three years later the Pennsylvania Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed. In addition to a number of honorary fraternities, there are now ten national men’s fraternities on campus and about half of the 800 male students are members. Kappa joins Pi Beta Phi as the only other national sorority on campus, but there are two local groups and about 35 per cent of the approximately 800 women students belong to the three current groups. The men live in college-owned fraternity dormitories, and the women rent apartment meeting rooms.
Kappa’s colonization team was headed by Gay Chuba Berry, Penn State, Director of Alumnae; assisted by an adviser to the Delta Phi chapter at Bucknell, the Province Director of Chapters, a field secretary, and a graduate counselor assigned to the new colony. Members of Delta Phi—Bucknell and Delta Alpha—Penn State assisted with rush functions.
Located in an historic area and surrounded by rolling farm lands, Dickinson is only 20 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital, 30 miles from Gettysburg National Military Park, and 30 miles from Hershey, “Chocolate Town, U.S.A.” The grave of Molly Pitcher, heroine of the revolution, is in Carlisle, and the area claims several lovely parks with scenic views, swimming and fishing, not to mention numerous limestone caves for those who enjoy spelunking.
Life at Dickinson centers on a traditional liberal arts education that is continually sharpened and focused by innovation. On the lighter side, the mermaid atop the ivy-covered walls of Old West presents a challenge to the men. Each fall a male student climbs up and removes the mermaid. Each spring members of the women’s honorary are responsible for putting the weather vane back in place. Tradition takes many forms!
In a more academic vein, the current catalogue presents the philosophy of the college: “Liberal knowledge, learning for its own sake and learning for the cultural enrichment it provides, is the oldest and most fundamental aim of Dickinson education.” A statement from the 1960s encourages Dickinsonians to see their world as one in which they are able, “by virtue of the power gained through knowledge, to influence both their environment and the course of history,’ and thereby to use their power in the service of the human community.”
The ideals of Dickinson College—learning, liberty and virtue, and those of Kappa Kappa Gamma should provide an ideal background for the growth of Epsilon Omega Chapter. Welcome! FLASH! On October 5th, 33 upper-class women were pledged.
Installation (From The Key)
Despite a cool, drizzly day, the atmosphere was warm and spirits high as Epsilon Omega Chapter was installed at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. on March 9 and 10, 1979. A symbol of the enthusiasm and pride of the 33 charter members was the banner hung high on the wall of the Holland Union Dining Room. Months of pledge study and a recent rush period were not enough to weaken the strength or spirit of the girls who stayed up most of Thursday night to create a poster telling the rest of the campus how they felt about becoming Kappa’s 103rd active chapter: “Sisters you are, sisters we’ll be. Congratulations, Kappa Kappa Gamma; we’ve only just begun.” Registration in the Mary Dickinson Room on Friday afternoon gave visitors a chance to meet Kappa local and national officers and enjoy refreshments prepared by the Harrisburg Alumnae Club.
Though only 45 in paid membership, these women are delighted to have a chapter nearby and have worked hard to help the colony and make the installation a memorable occasion. Registration and hospitality were headed by a former Beta Province meeting treasurer from 1973, the year Harrisburg was hostess. Handling the checkbook and financial arrangements was a local alumna. A cheery fire in the lovely home of a Penn State alumna was a welcome setting for Fireside Service. The quiet ritual was soon replaced by a happy din as initiates and visitors became acquainted and enjoyed a reception co-hosted by local alumnae.
Carlisle is an attractive town with a rather old-fashioned square at its hub. On one corner of the square is St. John Episcopal Church, site of the initiation. Two Kappas drove from Headquarters in our blue and blue van and performed their customary magic act of setting the scene and arranging the equipment for what proved to be a beautiful initiation ceremony.
Installing officers Jean Hess Wells, Georgia, Fraternity President, and Gay Chuba Barry, Penn State, Director of Alumnae, were assisted by the installation chairman, Beta Province Director of Chapters, Field Secretary, Alumnae Editor of The Key, and the graduate counselor for Epsilon Omega. It was a proud chapter president who received the charter on behalf of the chapter. The new initiates barely had time to change clothes before the formal pledging of 29 terrific freshmen women. The chapter president had excellent practice for her presidency when, as membership chairman, she led the colony through a series of parties based on Kappa facts, making Christmas ornaments which were later given to a nursing home, a “Roaring Twenties” party, a country theme that included Kappa Pickers, a nightclub theme entitled “Kappakabana” and finally, “Cinderella” for preference party. Although they say that they surprised themselves and others with their enormous success in rush, it seems likely that they had not yet realized the power-potential of Kappa when 33 super colonizers set out to strengthen their group. The dedication with which these girls do everything was evident in the polished was they conducted the pledge ceremony.
Again, there was barely time to catch their breath when everyone congregated in Drayer Lounge for the campus reception. An alumna from Carnegie Mellon was chairman of this event which saw a room crowded with well-wishers. Panhellenic members, parents, faculty and friends joined in welcoming Kappa Kappa Gamma to the Dickinson campus. It was here that the chapter outdid itself by distributing copies of their first newsletter—a beautiful 13-page issue complete with photos and excellent articles on their activities thus far.
In whatever spare moments could be found during the day, visitors dropped in to see the Kappa apartment, just a few blocks from campus and right off the square. Empty and cold when rented last fall, it now shows signs of loving care and looks like home. Under the supervision of two alumnae, including a decorator from the Philadelphia area, the apartment is bright, cheerful and comfortable. Gifts from alumnae included a kitchen shower, and several pieces of furniture from the recently-closed Beta Alpha Chapter at the University of Pennsylvania were welcome additions. Still riding high on a bubble of excitement, Kappas picked up their long skirts and stepped over puddles to return to campus for the Installation Banquet. A lovely setting and delicious dinner were around by the banquet chairman. The installation chairman provided a warm welcome as toastmistress. A special greeting and toast to the new chapter was given by the president of Delta Phi Chapter, Bucknell, and a gracious response came from the Epsilon Omega president.
Greetings were sent by individuals and groups throughout the province and nation and Gay Barry read many of them to the 200 guests. The Associate Dean of Students and member of Delta Delta Delta welcomed Kappa on behalf of the college. Everyone who was even remotely involved with the colonization and installation knew how helpful she had been and how her personal assistance had helped to smooth the way for us.
Highlights of the 1980s
Epsilon Omega grew as a chapter throughout the 1980s and was successful in recruitment as evident by the 35 new members who joined the chapter in 1987. The chapter continued to strengthen its commitment to membership development and sisterhood. Epsilon Omega celebrated the accomplishments of the chapter women by holding a scholarship banquet and the chapter was recognized for their scholastic achievement and high G.P.A. The Kappas were among the leaders of Dickinson’s campus and participated in a variety of activities, including campus clubs and sports teams. The chapter also exuded Panhellenic spirit by having two events with other Dickinson sororities: Monmouth Duo with Pi Beta Phi and Kite and Key with Kappa Alpha Theta.
Philanthropy:
The Dickinson women were also committed to Kappa’s tradition of philanthropy and embarked on a series of fundraisers, including an All-Greek Car Wash, Sham-o-grams, and an Easter Egg Hunt. The chapter also supported Paraguay Orphans during this period. Convention Awards:
Highlights of the 1990s
The 1990s brought new challenges for Epsilon Omega chapter. In 1990, Dickinson College revised its policies on Recruitment and the sororities transitioned to a fall Recruitment for upper-class women. Although the chapter had to make adjustments, they did so quickly and continued to recruit between 25-30 members each year. The Kappas remained devoted to sisterhood activities and development and continued old traditions such as hosting the scholarship banquet while holding new events like an Initiation banquet. Epsilon Omega also reached out to alumnae members through alumnae receptions held during Homecoming weekend.
The chapter continued to forge strong relationship with the Dickinson College community. A Faculty Tea was held every year to better acquaint the faculty with the Kappa women and the Fraternity’s goals. The chapter was also recognized for having the highest G.P.A. on campus.
Housing:
In 1991, Epsilon Omega took a bold step and applied for on-campus housing. The request was approved and the chapter received on-campus housing, making Kappa the first sorority at Dickinson to do so. In order to celebrate this milestone, and to make the new house more like a home, the chapter women held a decorating day at the house. In 1995, the chapter, still living in the house on College Street, diligently worked on raising money for new furniture.
Philanthropy:
Philanthropy remained one of Epsilon Omega’s priorities throughout the decade. Fundraisers included a pole sitting event for cystic fibrosis and a plant sale for Safe Harbor, an organization that assists the homeless. The Kappas with with Phi Psi to host the Rock-a-thon, which raised funds for a scholarship to help a high school senior from Carlisle go to college. The chapter also sponsored a child in India through the United Christian’s Fund, chaperoned a youth dance at a local church, and sent letters to soldiers in Saudi Arabia. In 1998, the chapter and other Greek-letter organizations were involved with the March for Gay Rights and Respect, which was held in response to anti-gay letters on Dickinson’s campus. Convention Awards:
Highlights of 2000-2010
As the twenty-first century dawned, Epsilon Omega remained devoted to membership development and the recognition of personal and chapter achievement. New programs such as “Smart Cookies” and the “Word of the Week” were implemented to encourage Academic Excellence within the chapter. Epsilon Omega still remembered to have fun and held a Kappa Krush party and fall and spring formals each year. The active members also continued to reach out with alumnae members through the annual alumnae brunch. The chapter also retained its relationship with the Dickinson College faculty through hosting the Faculty Tea.
In 2007, Dickinson College’s Panhellenic Association completely reorganized itself and added Recruitment events in the spring to get Potential New Members excited for the recruitment process in the fall in addition to hosting multiple recruitment workshops with the campus sororities. As a result, Dickinson had the most successful sorority Recruitment in college history, and Kappa welcomed a large class of New Members.
Housing:
The chapter still retains a house where 17 of the second-year members live.
Philanthropy:
Epsilon Omega remained involved in various philanthropies. The chapter hosted philanthropy activities such as a Lip Sync Contest benefiting Reading Is Fundamental, Kappa Kisses for a local domestic violence shelter, and flag football for research on the Marfan Syndrome. The chapter women also honored the memory of Kappa sisters by organizing Rock 'N Bowl, which raised money for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation in memory of a sister at Virginia Tech, and Run for Steph, held in honor of a sister killed in a car accident after graduation. Epsilon Omega participated in other campus-wide philanthropies such as Up Till Dawn which raised more than $40,000 dollars for Saint Jude’s Hospital.
Convention Award:
Highlights of 2011-2019
Highlights of 2011
In 2011, Epsilon Omega focused on working with other organizations on campus to improve life at Dickinson College and Greek Life. The chapter collaborated with Dickinson students, especially Greek women, to strengthen campus policy on sexual assault. The chapter participated in a forum about Greek Life for the entire campus which permitted the women to weigh in on the benefits of membership in a Greek-letter organization.
Philanthropy:
Epsilon Omega continued to host many of its annual philanthropic events, including Run For Steph and Lip Sync for Literacy. The chapter participated in a variety of activities sponsored by other Greek-letter organizations, including the Nu Factor, which was organized by Delta Nu and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The chapter also sent volunteers weekly to help out at a local soup kitchen and elementary school. Convention Awards:
Highlights of 2012
The past chapter year was a big year of change for the Epsilon Omega chapter. We started the year with a new Chapter Council and our first big philanthropy event was Kappa Kisses for Valentine's Day. Kappa Kisses is our annual event where we create Valentine's Day goodie bags to be sold and put in students' mailboxes. The proceeds raised from our efforts go towards Domestic Violence Services.
Our chapter participated in the college wide Relay for Life and raised money as a team for the American Cancer Society. At the end of the semester we helped fraternity Kappa Sigma with their annual Parkinson's Walk, working with them to raise money, sell t-shirts, and promote the event. In addition to all of these special events, girls volunteered weekly at a local soup kitchen as well as participated in the Homework Club at local elementary schools, LaTorte Elementary and in Grandview Park, an area where there are many underprivileged families who we help mentor, tutor, and just hang out with students after school.
The new academic year began with a wonderful and successful recruitment that gave a new member class of thirty-two new Kappas! Shortly after recruitment, the Northeast experienced Hurricane Sandy which devastated areas across the east coast including several of our own members' homes. In late October we organized bake sale efforts to raise money toward Hurricane Sandy Relief and successfully donated the proceeds to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Next we hosted our annual Lipsync for Literacy event, teaming up with fraternity Kappa Sigma to raise money in support of Reading is Fundamental, an organization that seeks to promote reading and literacy in American youth. We continued our participation this fall with the food banks and soup kitchens of Carlisle as well as our involvement with the elementary schools and homework clubs. We ended the semester with a lovely and heartwarming holiday sisterhood event where we celebrated the holidays as well as wrapped donated books we received that were distributed to Project Share of Carlisle, an organization supporting underprivileged and homeless families.
Highlights of 2013
Epsilon Omega Chapter found in 2013 one of our happiest and most successful years both philanthropically and personally for our sisters. In January we elected new Chapter Council. This CC was comprised of new and veteran members who created an atmosphere of well-rounded ideas and opinions for the New Year. This group of girls was especially motivated to help Epsilon Omega work towards the goals and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the national as well as local level. We started the calendar year off with one of our two major philanthropy events, Kappa Kisses. Kappa Kisses is an annual event in which we sell homemade Valentine greeting cards with heresy kisses attached to them. All the proceeds go to Domestic Violence Center. For 2013 we ended up donating around $650!
During the winter months we also held several sisterhood dinners. These dinners always proved to be a great time and never ceased to bring all the girls closer and closer together. Our hard-working Event Committee also organized a beautiful dinner with some of the sister’s favorite Professors and Dickinson Administrators. The room was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious and there was a slide show projecting photos that had been taken throughout the year. We ended the academic year with a senior send-off dinner to say goodbye to the senior class and have one final sisterhood event before we all went our separate ways for summer vacation. All the senior parents sent in baby pictures and the littles of the senior girls each stood up and recited a funny anecdote about her big. It was a great way to say goodbye to a very memorable group of girls.
Before we knew it we were back at Dickinson and ready to start a new school year! Recruitment began in late August and all went smoothly. Carly ’15 part of the new member class of 2012 said of her first recruitment, “It brought all the classes closer together which made the whole recruitment process very special”. The New Member class has twenty-six great girls who were all so excited to receive bids from Kappa! Our New Member Education Program was completely re-vamped thanks to our wonderful New Member Educator who worked tirelessly on it making sure it was perfect and succinct. Before initiation current members got a refresher course on ritual and they all said it was beneficial and made the girls feel more connected to Kappa and its rich history. The calendar year concluded with the Kappa sponsored Lip-Sync. We had a great-turn out and all the proceeds went to “Reading is Fundamental”.
Our chapter has made great strides this year as individuals, as a group and as a sisterhood. We have faced challenges with maturity and tackled them head-on thanks to exceptional leadership. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals.
We faced some difficulties at the end of the year as a chapter but have laid out our goals and plan of action for the upcoming year that we are confident we can accomplish. We plan on making the next chapter year even busier than the last, filling our time with even more philanthropy events, a monthly sisterhood bonding event, and more to propel our chapter to even greater heights!
With the new year came new changes for the chapter on campus and the college's perspective on Greek Life. While the college created some new challenges governing our role as a Greek organization on campus, it has motivated us to demonstrate even more our role as a group of women supporting women on our campus and all that Kappas contribute to the Dickinon community.
Our members are involved in many different areas at Dickinson, whether it be captain of the nationally recognized Mock Trial team, distinguished varsity athletes, Dean's List honor students, and more, the Kappas of Dickinson never cease to impress and truly represent Kappa in every sense of the word.
We have outlined plans to become an even closer group of women who support each other every step of the way, regardless of the challenges created by the school. Our plans include strengthening our Chapter Council and making this the brain power and center of our chapter, utilizing each member to their fullest potential and working together to create a great year ahead. Our community service efforts are going to be even stronger and we are already adding multiple events to our schedule, as well as mandatory hours for each member to have completed by the end of the semester. In addition, in order to improve our image on campus we are coordinating with our new faculty adviser who will come and sit in on meetings, have dinner with the chapter once a month, and we hope will give us a new perspective looking in on our chapter. This also includes our greater involvement with the Women's Center on campus as we hope to show both the school and other students that Kappas truly are women in support of other women and the positive effect and role models Kappas can be for women. We look forward to continuing our traditions through the spring and into the fall as well as becoming even better Kappas each and every day.
Highlights of 2014
Epsilon Omega Chapter found 2014 to be one of our most successful years, both philanthropically and personally for our sisters. In January we elected new Chapter Council. This CC was comprised of new and veteran members who created an atmosphere of well-rounded ideas and opinions for the New Year. This group of girls was especially motivated to help Epsilon Omega work towards the goals and ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the national as well as local level. We started the calendar year off with one of our two major philanthropy events, Kappa Kisses. Kappa Kisses is an annual event in which we sell homemade Valentine greeting cards with heresy kisses attached to them. The kisses and cards are assembled at a sisterhood event and the cards are made during a rush event. All the proceeds go to Domestic Violence Center. For 2014 we ended up donating around $750, over $100 more than last year!
During the fall and winter months we also held several sisterhood events. These events ranged from supporting our varsity athletes at field hockey and soccer games, to helping plan and run in our annual 5k, Run For Steph. These events always proved to be a great time and never ceased to bring all the girls closer and closer together. Our hard-working Event Committee also organized a beautiful dinner with some of the sister’s favorite Professors and Dickinson Administrators. The room was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious and there was a slide show projecting photos that had been taken throughout the year. We ended the academic year with a senior send-off brunch to say goodbye to the senior class and have one final sisterhood event before we all went our separate ways for summer vacation. All the senior parents sent in baby pictures and the littles of the senior girls each stood up and recited a funny anecdote about her big. It was a great way to say goodbye to a very memorable group of girls.
Before we knew it we were back at Dickinson and ready to start a new school year! Recruitment began in late August and all went smoothly. Isabel ’17 part of the new member class of 2014 said of her first experience with rush, “It brought all the classes closer together which made the whole recruitment process very special”. The New Member class has thirty-three great girls who were all so excited to receive bids from Kappa! Our New Member Education Program was completely re-vamped thanks to our wonderful New Member Educator who worked tirelessly on it making sure it was perfect and succinct. Before initiation current members got a refresher course on ritual and they all said it was beneficial and made the girls feel more connected to Kappa and its rich history. The calendar year concluded with the Kappa sponsored Lip-Sync. We had a great-turn out and all the proceeds went to “Reading is Fundamental”.
Our chapter has made great strides this year as individuals, as a group and as a sisterhood. We have faced challenges with maturity and tackled them head-on thanks to exceptional leadership. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals.
There have been no significant changes on campus. The overall nature of our chapter is very positive and optimistic. We plan on have just as a successful 2014 as we did a 2013. Our chapter is excited to continue on this progressive path in the year to come.
Highlights of 2015
Epsilon Omega Chapter started off 2015 with a bang when we welcomed 26 new Kappas into our fraternity. This is the first time the school has done recruitment in the spring of students’ first year at Dickinson, and it was a great success! We also gave out COB bids to two very special and deserving girls.
We started the year with philanthropy in mind when we held our annual Kappa Kisses fundraiser. We made Valentine’s Day cards, attached chocolate kisses to them, and students were able to send notes to friends. We raised $740 for the Domestic Violence Services in the area. Our Kappas also assisted in serving a Pancake Breakfast for the local Children’s Center. It was extremely rewarding and we have continued our relationship with the coordinator there. We also sent Kappas to the Winter Carnival at North Dickinson Elementary School. The volunteers ran games, sold refreshments, and overall had an amazing, energetic afternoon!
Other highlights of the spring semester include the college’s Relay for Life. Many of our sisters have witnessed the horrifying effects of cancer, so we all walked that night in letters to support them and everyone else who has battled cancer. We ended the year with the Senior Brunch. This was an incredibly sentimental morning, as we wish our seniors could stay with us, but it was great to have one last sisterhood event with them.
We began the new academic year volunteering for the annual 5K, Run for Steph. This is an event on campus that is very close to our hearts and helps to bring us closer together. We hosted Lip Sync in October. There was an impressive turnout—we raised around $3,725 as well as collected many books. The money and books were donated to our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. Our sisters continue to volunteer for Homework Club, which is an after school program at two local elementary schools. This is an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience for them, and many girls continue their volunteer work there all throughout their time at Dickinson. Our chapter attended a gender based violence prevention workshop with Kelly Wilt, the Violence Prevention Coordinator at Dickinson. It was an engaging and eye opening presentation. We can’t wait to work with Kelly again!
The Epsilon Omega chapter named Lauren Gessner ’16 as the recipient for the Kauffman Key. She was voted by her sisters as demonstrating a true and joyful love of learning, of friends, and of Kappa that serves as an inspiration and model to all chapter members. We also started polished sister awards this semester. Sisters can nominate other Kappas who have been working hard and have been in good spirits, as well as have been put together. The “polished sisters” receive a bottle of Essie nail polish as a prize. This has been a fun way to recognize those who have represented Kappa well.
This calendar year, our chapter has faced a few challenges but has worked tirelessly to overcome them and improve. In response to our focus letter, we implemented Round Robins for the Chapter Council. In response to our chapter’s mediocre GPA, Kate Eby ’18, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, has initiated changes within the chapter to encourage our sisters to improve their academics. We are implementing a period of concern for 2016, sisters with ‘U’s on their roll call grades are required to meet with the VPAE and President, etc. While our LC was here, she listed officer training and leadership as one of Epsilon Omega’s weaknesses. To fix this, all members of Chapter Council updated their leadership binders and included extra tips for the next girl to hold the position. We also are bringing in a leadership trainer and having a leadership workshop when we get back to school in January 2016. A challenge we foresee in 2016 is a large group of girls going through recruitment. To be proactive with this issue, it is now mandatory for all seniors to attend every night of recruitment. We are bursting with excitement to meet our next class of Kappas and see what 2016 has in store for us!
Our campus has continued to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Greek life on campus. We have worked with the other Greek organizations on campus to support each other and the college, showing all that Kappa and Greek life in general add to campus life. The Blue Ribbon Project was started to evaluate Greek life from a third party perspective. This is a great way for us to voice our opinions of Greek life. In order to unify the sororities on campus with administration and faculty, we held a Teacher Appreciation night. We are motivated to continue working with the college to improve the impression of Greek life on campus! The nature of the Epsilon Omega chapter in general is one of extreme pride, sisterhood, and optimism. We are looking forward to continuing to make a difference on campus and in the community. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals!
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
We support our national philanthropies, Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Organization. We also support the Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland County and Perry County.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
Our chapter has a devotion to literacy and education. We also love children and try to involve them in our philanthropy efforts whenever we can!
Highlights OF 2016
Epsilon Omega Chapter started off Fall 2015 as we welcomed 36 new Kappas into our fraternity. This was the second time we ever had Spring recruitment in the Spring instead of the fall and we were so excited about having such a large class!
We started the year with philanthropy in mind when we held our annual Kappa Kisses fundraiser. We made Valentine’s Day cards, attached chocolate kisses to them, and students were able to send notes to friends. We raised a lot money for Domestic Violence Services in the area. Our Kappas also assisted in serving a Pancake Breakfast for the local Children’s Center. It was extremely rewarding and we have continued our relationship with the coordinator there. We also sent Kappas to the Winter Carnival at North Dickinson Elementary School. The volunteers ran games, sold refreshments, and overall had an amazing, energetic afternoon! Other highlights of the spring semester include the college’s Relay for Life. Many of our sisters have witnessed the horrifying effects of cancer, so we all walked that night in letters to support them and everyone else who has battled cancer.
We began the new academic year volunteering for the annual 5K, Run for Steph. This is an event on campus that is very close to our hearts and helps to bring us closer together. We hosted Lip Sync in October. We raised over 3000 dollars and the money and books were donated to our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. Our sisters continue to volunteer for Homework Club, which is an after school program at two local elementary schools. This is an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience for them, and many girls continue their volunteer work there all throughout their time at Dickinson. We also did an event this fall we called Kappacinos. We sat outside on our academic quad and handed out free coffee to all the faculty and staff that walked by. We had a sign out explaining our philanthropy and asked for donations if anyone felt generous and wanted to donate. Overall, it was very fun and a great success.
We continued polished sister awards this semester. Sisters can nominate other Kappas who have been working hard and have been in good spirits, as well as have been put together. The “polished sisters” receive a bottle of Essie nail polish as a prize. This has been a fun way to recognize those who have represented Kappa well. We also have “Standards Standouts” that the standards committee nominates to reward in front of the chapter. This could be anyone who has been an exemplary student, and an exemplary Kappa. They get a little goodie bag with all fun Kappa gifts. We also have “Officer of the Month.” This is something similar where we acknowledge a girl on our chapter council who is doing her job successfully. It is nice to be recognized in your chapter and feel rewarded for the job you are doing.
This calendar year, our chapter has faced a few challenges but has worked tirelessly to overcome them and improve. In response to our focus letter, we have continued to implement Round Robins for the Chapter Council. In response to our chapter’s mediocre GPA, Maddie Vance ’19, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, has initiated changes within the chapter to encourage our sisters to improve their academics. We are implementing a period of concern for 2016, sisters with ‘U’s on their roll call grades are required to meet with the VPAE and President, etc. She also has started a “smartie panties” reward system where members nominate other sisters for their good grades. Maddie picks a few girls to recognize throughout our chapter and gives them little rewards for their hard work. We just recently had a Kappa trainer come in and work with our leaving and coming in chapter council. It was a very productive and meaningful way for our chapter’s leaders to come together and work with each other to figure out how to better our sorority as a whole for next semester. We spoke about ways to positively run recruitment and ensure we give bids to the best possible group of girls next semester.
Our campus has continued to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Greek life on campus. We have worked with the other Greek organizations on campus to support each other and the college, showing all that Kappa and Greek life in general add to campus life. The Blue Ribbon Project was started to evaluate Greek life from a third party perspective. This is a great way for us to voice our opinions of Greek life. In order to unify the sororities on campus with administration and faculty, we held a Teacher Appreciation night. We are motivated to continue working with the college to improve the impression of Greek life on campus! The nature of the Epsilon Omega chapter in general is one of extreme pride, sisterhood, and optimism. We are looking forward to continuing to make a difference on campus and in the community. All the members of Epsilon Omega know that we are an organization that is only as strong as our weakest link. Everyday we strive to be the best fraternity of women as possible and will continue to work together in order to achieve all of our goals!
We have a new President as of this past fall so it has been our chapter and all of Panhel's goal to make a good impression and have him support Greek life. It is very important to us to ensure that our administration sees all the good we do for our school as a whole. Since Dickinson College is relatively small, we have a smaller chapter in size comparison to many other chapters nationwide. This allows us to be not only know every individial member's name, but also formulate relationships with our sisters beyond our weekly chapter meetings. We all see eachother every day, multiple times a day, on campus and because of this, our chapter is a strong cohesive unit.
Chapter Philanthropy
We support our national philanthropies, Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Organization. We also support the Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland County and Perry County. Our chapter has a devotion to literacy and education. We also love children and try to involve them in our philanthropy efforts whenever we can.
Kappa continues to have a house where 17 members live. However due to the large size of our chapter we meet in a large classroom in one of our academic buildings known as "Denny."
Highlights of 2017
Epsilon Omega Chapter had a great start to 2017! We welcomed 29 new Kappas into our fraternity in Februrary. Although we were sad to see one of our new members transfer to North Eastern at the end of the semester, the rest of the new recruietment class has been an amazing addition to our chapter.
We started the year with philanthropy in mind when we held our annual Kappa Kisses fundraiser. We made Valentine’s Day cards, attached chocolate kisses to them, and students were able to send notes to friends. We raised a lot money for Domestic Violence Services in the area.
Our Kappas also assisted in serving a Pancake Breakfast for the local Children’s Center. It was extremely rewarding and we have continued our relationship with the coordinator there. We also sent Kappas to the Winter Carnival at North Dickinson Elementary School. The volunteers ran games, sold refreshments, and overall had an amazing, energetic afternoon! Other highlights of the spring semester include the college’s Relay for Life. Many of our sisters have witnessed the horrifying effects of cancer, so we all walked that night in letters to support them and everyone else who has battled cancer. We also participated in Run for Hope, an annual 5K event run through Dickinson College in support of Cumberland Country YWCA for Domestic Violence Prevention.
We began the new academic year volunteering for the annual 5K, Run for Steph. This is an event on campus that is very close to our hearts and helps to bring us closer together because it is in memory of a Kappa alumi. We hosted Lip Sync in October. We raised over 4000 dollars and the money and books were donated to our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental. Our sisters continue to volunteer for Homework Club, which is an after school program at two local elementary schools. This is an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience for them, and many girls continue their volunteer work there all throughout their time at Dickinson. We also did an event this fall we called Kappacinos. We sat outside on our academic quad and handed out free coffee to all the students, faculty, and staff that walked by. We had a sign out explaining our philanthropy and asked for donations if anyone felt generous and wanted to donate. Overall, it was very fun and a great success. We began a new award called "Supportive Sister" where the sister who is found to support the chapter the most in the month prior is given a bag of goodies and wears a very large decorated bra gifted from her sisters. This has been a fun way to recognize those who have represented Kappa well. We also have “Standards Standouts” that the standards committee nominates to reward in front of the chapter. This could be anyone who has been an exemplary student, and an exemplary Kappa. They get a little goodie bag with all fun Kappa gifts. We also have “Officer of the Month.” This is something similar where we acknowledge a girl on our chapter council who is doing her job successfully. It is nice to be recognized in your chapter and feel rewarded for the job you are doing.
A new addition to boosting moral and participation on campus is the positive point system we created. Through three separate teams; the key, the owl, and the fleur de leis, girls were given points for attending events on campus. The team with the most amount of points recieves a prize at the end of the semester.
This calendar year, our chapter has worked very hard as a community. In response to our focus letter, we have continued to implement Round Robins for the Chapter Council. In response to continuing to boost our chapter's GPA, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, has continued to encourage our sisters to improve and focus on their academics. We have continued to utilize "smartie panties" as an incentive to work hard and produce good grades that can be shared with your sisters. We have also worked on bettering the chapters understanding of the standards process through severeal different presentations in chapter. In addition, we have continued to recognize the instiutions and Kappa's hazing policies and traditions to ensure a positive experience for everyone in the organiztaion. Lastly, we have addressed chapter functioning such as increasing transperency and emphasizing the importance of wearing your letters 24/7. In result of our hard works, we have officially been removed from our focus letter. In order to maintain constant communication with our advisors and headquarters we will continue to utilize Round Robbins.
We just recently had a Kappa trainer come in and work with our leaving and coming in chapter council. It was a very productive and meaningful way for our chapter’s leaders to come together and work with each other to figure out how to better our sorority as a whole for next semester. We spoke about ways to positively run recruitment and ensure we give bids to the best possible group of girls next semester. In addition to the leadership transitioning we have decided to go paperless and transferred our binders into Google Docs. Each position has their own gmail with the information needed to function in their role on chapter council.
Highlights of 2020s:
(Information from the chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)
Housing:
Philanthropy:
Convention Awards:
Note to Chapter Registrar: Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.
Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!