2,350
edits
Changes
→Highlights of 2021
a virtual founders day ceremony.
==Highlights of 2021==
The Eta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma engages in a unique philanthropy at Chapman
University called Fleurish. Fleurish is an event held in the spring and the fall where our
chapter partners with a local organization to raise money and awareness for a specific cause
that we find meaningful to us and our community. In the spring at our Fleurish event, we
partnered with the Orange County Therapeutic Arts center and fundraised over $4,300
through venmo boards and selling art that members of our chapter created. On Friday May 6,
we threw an event on Musco lawn with live musicians and tables with art, fun games such as
cornhole and face painting. Over 500 people from the Chapman community attended the
event and the executive board of the Orange County Therapeutic Arts spoke about their
programs. We choose to support this organization because they provide innovative, artistic,
educational and therapeutic programs that inspire and transform children, at-risk youth, and
their families to fulfill their highest potential. This event was our chapter’s first in-person
events coming out of quarantine, so we wanted to focus on how we could reunite while
recognizing how the arts can help you come out of a crisis with something good that you’ve
created.
Our fleurish event in the fall supported Casa De La Familia (CDLF), whose mission is to provide
victims of trauma in SoCa with support services, counseling, and awareness. We fundraised
for CDLF from October 18th through October 22nd by tabling on campus, selling t-shirts and
stickers, and running a penny wars competition between the Greek chapters on campus. On
Friday, October 22nd we held an event on Musco Lawn with live musicians, and tables to
make self care packages or do a self care activity such as painting vases. The event on musco
lawn had 5 representatives from CDLF who spoke about their organization and we had
around 300 members from the Chapman community attend. We chose this organization
because our chapter felt it was so important to raise awareness for mental health services
and felt empowered by Casa De La Familia’s mission statement to ensure the long lasting
mental health success of individuals of all ages who have experienced trauma. For our
fleurish event in the fall we engaged with the other Greek organizations on our campus and
raised over $6,500.
Our chapter is excited to support Kappa’s national philanthropy, the Kappa Kappa Gamma
Foundation, and the new mental health and well being initiative next semester. During this
past year, we have focused on our chapter’s philanthropy, Fleurish, but have been planning
this semester on how to take action and support these organizations next semester. Our
chapter discussed what organization felt most meaningful to us and we choose to support the
JED foundation who works to promote emotional health and prevent suicide in teens and
young adults. This foundation inspired our chapter and we are excited to raise money and
awareness for them this upcoming year.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Our chapter took several initiatives this year to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion in
all of our programs, events, ideals, and leadership. Our chapter elected our second DEI officer
this year who educated our chapter on important information, conducted workshops focused
on DEI, weekly meetings discussing meaningful topics to our community, and constantly
promoted an inclusive environment within our chapter. She brought to light the celebrations
of heritage month, and each week highlighted positive female role models of different
ethnicities and their accomplishments. Our DEI committee members as well as the DEI Chair
created a weekly DEI newsletter which includes articles written from various members about
anything relevant or they feel passionate about educating the chapter about. With our fall
Fleurish this year we raised awareness and supported CDLF who focuses on the underserved
and underrepresented minority populations, taking care to provide culturally appropriate and
relevant services. Our DEI Chair worked closely with our Membership Chair to lead our
chapter in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our recruitment process and
educated our members on how to be the most inclusive and welcoming to any potential new
member, or anyone we speak to. The implementation of DEI initiatives within our chapter has
led all members of Eta Sigma to become more educated about other cultures, appropriate
language, and inspired the Panhellenic community at Chapman to be more passionate about
diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Eta Sigma chapter is excited to create more DEI initiatives
this upcoming year and continue to lead our chapter with ideals of diversity, equity, and
inclusion.
Operating in a Pandemic
The pandemic this past year affected our chapter’s ability to be in person, but did not stop us
from connecting, recruiting, bonding, and maintaining our sisterhood. During spring 2021, we
held all of our chapter meetings virtually. In addition, recruitment and initiation were held
over Zoom. Even though our recruitment was held virtually, our chapter put in extra efforts to
make it just as exciting and special, and we were still able to welcome home 45 amazing
women who we felt embodied the ideals of kappa and formed great connections during the
recruitment week. Our big-little reveals, as well as initiation, were virtual ceremonies but we
still found ways to make our new members feel celebrated through special letters written
from the bigs, shipping the littles their letters jacket, and some Greek families met up with
masks to celebrate in person. At the end of Spring 2021, our chapter was able to hold our
philanthropy event, Fleurish, in person by following our university’s health and safety
guidelines. At this event, everyone wore masks, socially distanced, and remained outside
throughout the event. This was our chapter’s first event back in person and the excitement of
everyone to be back together radiated. During Fall 2021, our chapter was able to hold our
events in person again with masks and following our university’s COVID regulations.