Changes
→Highlights of 2014
Chapter meetings are held in various on campus lecture halls and classrooms. This makes it easier for members to go to meeting since most new members live on campus and other members live near by. Our chapter does not have a house and has not had a house in the past. We have a storage unit near campus where we keep and organize our supplies. For living situations, some girls live on campus, but most members rent houses where some members live together and sometimes end up living with other panhellenic women. Our living situations are perfect for building sisterhood and provide various places for members to hangout, study, and host various gatherings.
==Highlights of 2015==
This past year, Epsilon Pi has had many defining moments that continue to shape each of our member’s college experiences. After coming back from a very well deserved winter break surrounded by family and sisters, we began a new quarter in January and quickly put our heads back in to the game, starting with elections. As always, our sisters made excellent decisions when selecting our new Chapter Council that consist of strong, efficient, Kappa leaders.
Shortly after, our Event Chair planned our first social of the quarter at a nearby community park with one of the IFC fraternities on campus. Our members and the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta decked out in white apparel in preparation for a fun night filled with glow in the dark paint and athletic activities. We separated into teams and Kappas proudly showed off their flag football skills, all while glowing in the dark.
Towards the end of the month Beta Gamma, our newest pledge class, attended a retreat. This retreat took place at our newly remodeled recreation center on campus. There was a rock climbing wall and a ropes course. They participated in activities that all revolved around teamwork and some critical thinking. During one of the activities, sisters had to figure out a way to get a rope to the other side without moving by working together. They were also blindfolded and were instructed to give clues to one another in order to find certain objects. They participated in multiple obstacle courses and activities that strengthened the Beta Gamma pledge class. Overall, Beta Gamma had the opportunity to bond with their pledge class sisters and learn how to help each other out by using teamwork. This was an excellent way to prove that any challenge can be overcome with sisters by our sides.
There was no better way to begin the month of February than by having our annual scholarship dinner. Our Vice President of Academic Excellence worked very hard in order to recognize and honor our smart, studious sisters and give them the credit they deserve. We all met at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown Riverside in our sharpest key attire. We were excited and anxious to eat delicious Italian food and hear all about our sister’s amazing accomplishments. Some of the awards included most study hours, highest GPA, most improved GPA, and many more. This was a proud night for many, as well as an encouraging one for other girls who decided they want to work even harder than usual and strive to be the best Kappas they can be. This night was filled with positive and uplifting words that reminded and encouraged all Kappas to make academics a priority.
A few weeks later, it was time for our Semi-Formal. Our spectacular Semi was located in Redlands, at the Fox Event Center. We got ready in our best cocktail dresses and every Kappa looked extraordinary. As we arrived, the words “Kappa Kappa Gamma” beautifully lit up on the outside billboard of the venue. We ate a delicious dinner of various foods and danced the night away on a beautifully set dance floor that was beneath sparkly chandeliers. If sisters weren’t dancing, many of them were also taking a galore of pictures to capture all of the fun and lavish moments. A professional photographer was also available at our photo booth, which was set up using a bohemian backdrop that was of course, dark and light blue. This magical and fun night with our sisters and dates couldn’t have been better.
Reading Is Key, our winter philanthropy, quickly approached after. Our theme this year was a circus theme. All of our sisters received a red shirt with an owl in the middle portrayed as a ringmaster and circus animals surrounding it. We decorated Madison Elementary’s cafeteria accordingly with circus posters, popcorn machines, and face painting. Sisters enjoyed painting everyone’s face whether it was a simple design, or creative circus animals. The book we chose to read was Clifford Goes to the Circus, and each kid received one of their very own to take home. This was very exciting for them since most of these kids are from under privileged households and the books we give them are usually the first books they own. We also donated many books to their library in hopes of exposing them to learn about how important and fun reading can be. This philanthropic event was also extra special because our leadership consultant from the previous year joined to help and support us. Our day was filled with reading, crafting, and delicious snacks, and Kappa’s had such a fun time interacting with these wonderful kids.
To end the month, we had a very eventful sisterhood. Kappas loaded their cars with tents, blankets, jackets and firewood, and were off to camp overnight at Lake Perris. We began by forming groups to build the tents. Building them was no easy task, and just when we thought it couldn’t get any harder, rain started to pour on us. We laughed off our struggles, and tried to finish up quickly. Although the rain was on and off throughout the night, Kappas always know how to have a good time, and our camping experience was nothing but fun and adventure. We walked to the beautiful lake that was surrounded by mountains, ate pizza, sat by the campfire, and ate an abundant amount of smores. Connecting with nature with our sisters by our side was truly a memorable day, and Kappa camping was a success despite some obstacles.
Our Spring Quarter began by participating in the fraternity Delta Tau Delta’s annual philanthropic pageant, which raises money for The City of Hope through donations and fundraisers. Each sorority on campus was to choose one participant to represent their chapter and compete in the event. Our chapter couldn’t think of a more perfect candidate other than our sister Krystal Neag. A few of the many fundraisers Krystal put together were Kappa Kappucino, where sisters helped sell baked goods on campus, Kappa Karaoke, where tickets were sold to sing one’s heart out, and a fundraiser at Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, where people were able to satisfy their sweet tooth. Our sisters had such a fun time supporting her and watching all of her outstanding performances, including a dance that was based on different decades. Krystal won Highest Fundraiser, and raised one-third of the total of the money, which was very impressive.
During the month of April we also held our joint philanthropic event, Words With Friends, with the ladies of Pi Beta Phi. Both of our philanthropies revolve around literacy, so this competitive event is focused on spelling and reading. We had representatives from each sorority and fraternity competing in speed-reads and spelling bees while their organizations cheered them on from the stands. For this event, admission was bringing in a new book that we could donate or a fee of $5. In the end, we raised over $1,250 and five hundred books. We donated the books we received and part of the proceeds to Madison Elementary and the rest of the proceeds to RIF.
The month of May was full of many events and festivities, starting with Parents Day. Sisters and parents gathered at the Indian Hills Golf Club to proudly demonstrate what our organization is all about. We ate a delicious brunch together, sang to them, and had tables displaying our history, crafts, and awards. It was a great time, and every parent fell even more in love with Kappa Kappa Gamma. To deal with the hot Riverside weather, our sisters collaborated with the brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi a couple weeks later and had a fun day at the park with water balloons and ice cream. Water splashing on us and the cold taste of ice cream in our mouths was a perfect way to combat the heat.
Our last, and a top favorite, philanthropy of the 2015-year was Day in the Life. We bring sixth graders from Madison Elementary to UCR to visit, take a tour, have lunch, and play fun activities with us all in the hopes of inspiring these students to go to college and strive for a higher education. Sisters are divided into different touring groups in order to get to know the kids personally and be able to be more hands on and interactive. We teach them spirit chants and walk around the busy hallways of campus so they can experience for themselves what its like to be a college student. This philanthropy is so rewarding because every student anticipates going to college, UCR in specific, at the end of the day. They also fall in love with our amazing organization and want to be future Kappas, even the boys.
Before heading into summer, we had one last sisterhood at the drive-in. Sisters dressed up in their best 50’s themed clothes while watching movies in their cars and eating yummy snacks. The group of girls with the best outfits received a gift certificate to make a sweatshirt with our letters imprinted, which was a big plus. After anxiously waiting for our Formal throughout the year, Kappas got dolled up and boarded buses to the Reef Restaurant in Long Beach to have a spectacular night with their dates. The venue was right on the bay, which was perfect for capturing memorable pictures. We ate a delicious gourmet meal, and danced the night away in front of the gorgeous waterfront view. During the celebrations, seniors were recognized, given crowns, and watched a video slide show of pictures that brought back many memories and even happy tears to many eyes.
One of our last events before summer vacation was an event UCR holds every year, Pillars Week. Pillars week is a whole week dedicated to different traits necessary for a successful organization. All greek organizations were placed in teams that competed in competitions focused on a different trait each day starting with leadership, friendship, service, and scholarship. This whole week is dedicated to uniting the community of greeks at our school. With Epilson Pi Chapter being so dedicated to these traits and greek unity, we worked hard and won awards including Chapter of the Year, Highest GPA, and Best Collaborative Program. Everyone was so Kappa proud and this was an excellent way to end the school year.
Although it was summer for some, Kappas were still working hard on campus partaking in every freshman orientation in order to get incoming freshmen and transfer students excited for college and hopefully interested in becoming a Kappa. Epsilon Pi Chapter hosted a table where we answered questions about our organizations, sorority life, UCR and college in general. During the summer, we also reunited to film our recruitment video. Some of the places we went to included the beach, an amusement park, and one of our sister's beautiful home. Our amazing video embodied Kappa and our strong sisterhood very accurately.
Although our fun-filled, adventurous summer was coming to an end, Kappa’s were excited to go back to school for recruitment. On the weekend of October 2nd, our chapter was able to socialize with girls and make them fall in love with everything that we do. We showed them the meaning of Kappa, our values, and our philanthropy that we hold so dear to us. Our dedication and hard work paid off and we received an amazing new pledge class of well-rounded and kindhearted girls. The Monday following recruitment, Bid Day, we welcomed all of our bright and spectacular new members with baseball themed apparel, and had hot dogs and burgers for dinner. It was definitely one of the best ball games for our Kappa sisters. After a week of clues, room decorating, and anxiousness, we ended October with our Big Little Reveal. Littles unwrapped their Bigs and embraced in hugs and even tears of excitement and joy. That same night, new members were ushered to their new member sleep over where they bonded over games, learned about our founders, and laughed over stories.
The start of November consisted of asking dates to our Kappa Date Party. We received matching carnival crewnecks, and headed to Scandia Amusement Park. We spent the night playing mini-golf, riding rollercoasters, driving bumper cars, and eating delicious fair food. Quickly after, initiation week approached. Our Marshal hosted a Big and Little night at a local ice-skating rink. Bigs and Littles dressed in matching outfits and skated together, fell together, and drew closer as big and little. Our last and most important event of the year was the initiation of our new members of the Beta Delta class. It was a beautiful ceremony welcoming our deserving members into Kappa Kappa Gamma. They discovered the true meaning of all our beliefs and values and finally understood what makes Kappa so strong. It was the perfect way to end such a successful year for Epsilon Pi Chapter.
One of our most recent changes on campus is the addition of a new sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. This was very exciting for Epsilon Pi, and an excellent opportunity to help colonize and make new friends. There are now seven panhellenic sororities at UCR, and there has been an overall increase in interest in the Greek community. With so many more girls interested in the recruiting process, each year our chapter seems to grow immensely with a great amount of new members. Our chapter has handled the increase well, and has accommodated accordingly. We are always happy and ecstatic to welcome new chapters, and new girls.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
The organization Epsilon Pi traditionally raises money for is Madison Elementary, our adopted underprivileged elementary school in our area. We put three events for them throughout the year, Reading is Key, Words With Friends, and A Day in the Life.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We chose to support this organization because our chapter enjoys working hands on with the children in our area, and we know our service and donations are impacting them directly. We prefer actual interaction, rather than simply handing a check. It is very rewarding to see how our philanthropy affects these children for the better.
==Highlights of 2020s:==