Epsilon Epsilon
| Epsilon Epsilon | |
|---|---|
| EE | |
 | |
| Founded | May 9, 1959 |
| College | Emory University |
| Location | Atlanta, GA |
| Homepage | Epsilon Epsilon Homepage |
| Media related to Epsilon Epsilon Chapter | |
Emory University established in 1836
Epsilon Epsilon founded in 1959
2,009 initiates (as of June 2015)
Some of Epsilon Epsilon’s Outstanding 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:
Sarah Skinner, Traveling Consultant 1992-1993; Angie McNeight, Leadership Consultant 2008-2009
Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:
Dr. Laurie Lee Humphries, 1986, Psychiatrist, eating disorders specialist; Dr. Lucy Davidson, 1988, Epidemiologist for Center for Disease Control;
Additional Outstanding Epsilon Epsilon Alumnae:
Carolyn Christian (Bottoms, Graduate Counselor 1962-1963; Jane Morrow (Knowles), Graduate Counselor 1968-1969; Nell Simpson, Graduate Counselor 1970-1972; Christine Nelson, Chapter Consultant 1989-1990; Allison Kowalski (David), Chapter Consultant 1996-1997; Elise Hammonds (Blalock), Chapter Consultant 2005-2006;
Contents
The Early Years
The formation of a Kappa chapter at Emory University was long a hope of many Georgia alumnae. Led by Jean Hess Wells, Georgia, the feasibility of a chapter at this Atlanta institution was investigated even before Emory allowed social clubs.
Organization was permitted in 1954. Two Kappas from Gamma Pi Chapter in Alabama, Agelyn Sanders (Chandler) and Mary Constance Schmid (Cobb) transferred to Emory and formed the Fleur-de-lis Club. Fifteen girls were pledged in 1955, which was the reason for rejoicing among local Kappas who had sponsored the club from the beginning. It was easy to see that Kappa was a focal point for the club, since the badge was a golden fleur-de-lis and the pledge pin was an owl. The pledge book was the Kappa pledge book with the cover removed! The board of trustees of the university voted permanent charters to the social clubs in 1957 and gave permission for the clubs to petition membership in national sororities in 1958. Fleur-de-lis became Epsilon Epsilon May 9, 1959. Epsilon Epsilon, Emory, took second place for euphony only to Gamma Gamma of Walla Walla). All past members of Fleur-de-lis were extended the privilege of initiation, and it was a grand occasion when 43 new Kappas received their keys at the ceremony in the Biltmore Hotel.\
The new sororities met in an old home called Panhellenic House. Each group had a closet for possessions. Chapter meetings were held in the Alumnae Memorial Building; and rush parties, in the Church School Building. Later, Panhellenic House was moved to the old home of the president, which is the present site of the new law building.
The history of the chapter is closely tied with the desire for a permanent home. The university finally decided on lodges and the ground was broken on the site of the original Panhellenic House in January, 1972. The lodges were ready for occupancy by April, 1973. They were dedicated on December 7, 1973. The lovely three floor townhouse was a dream come true.
During the years of growth at Emory, the Kappa actives had reached in all directions to become involved in campus life. Extra-curricular activities such as Panhellenic, student and dormitory governments, choral and dramatic productions, team sports and Greek functions found Kappas taking part. Epsilon Epsilon was also a leader academically. The chapter was honored at the 1975 Convention with the scholarship award for small campuses. The chapter average was 3.4. Each year this chapter’s members were honored with scholarships, fellowships, and graduate appointments. Many traveled abroad for study. There are doctors, lawyers, accountants, and “chiefs” among Epsilon Epsilon alumnae.
The chapter enjoyed a number of public service projects. The one closest to the girl’s hearts was their involvement with a 15 year old Thai girl. Krishna Puntachek, who had been their adopted orphan since 1969. Each year, money was sent for her education and welfare.
Cohesion is often a problem with a chapter without a house and an even greater problem at a university which makes great academic demands, as does Emory. To circumvent this, the girls went on retreats or “house parties” as they are known at Emory. They traveled to various parts of the state to plan rush parties or just relax and become closer to one another. The tradition has continued even now in their lodge. Epsilon Epsilon has grown in strength and size since its founding days to become a leader on the Emory campus.
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:
Sororities on campus finally received spaces to call their own when the university provided lodges for Greek women. In 1975, the lodges were still new and our chapter was finding new ways to utilize all the new space that they no longer had to share. The archives and ritual items were finally able to be stored in one safe place creating a better organized system and making Kappa more efficient in planning its rituals and traditions. A large window looking into the lodge was decorated with paintings for each major event, displaying colorful artistic talent but also advertising fun activities that Kappas were planning.
With sororities at Emory having been established for approximately 20 years by this time, Epsilon Epsilon showed many signs of security as an organization. More sisterhood events were made possible with the creation of sorority lodges on campus that were built in 1975, helping to create stronger bonds between sisters. A recurring event during this time was an outdoor pool party off-campus to cool off and celebrate the warm Georgia weather. Campus trends during this decade were fairly typical of many similar colleges and universities.
Looking at chapter scrapbooks from this era, fifties-themed mixers and social functions were a popular trend at Epsilon Epsilon. Formal written invitations were popular to and from other Greek chapters on campus inviting them to participate in social functions and campus-wide events. Also, there were innumerable newspaper articles from The Emory Wheel featuring Kappas winning awards and serving the community as leaders. It is clear that Kappas were regarded with respect.
Greek life generally on Emory's campus was facing slight decline in Recruitment numbers during this decade. Women especially were trying to prove themselves to be serious students on equal playing fields with the men in more than just numbers but in academic abilities as well. To combat this misconception among some students, those in Epsilon Epsilon continued to make themselves known on campus as community leaders and participators. Maintaining the best grades in the Greek community, holding leadership positions in countless activities, and always planning classy affairs helped to convey the seriousness and maturity of these young women.
In 1979, Robert and George Woodruff donated $105 million to Emory, the largest single gift ever to an educational institution. This meant big structural changes for the campus. Large-scale construction was scheduled and ground was broken quickly. With this large influx of money to the university, all students and Emory organizations benefited in at least one way. They were quickly able to enjoy the new and improved amenities, meeting places, and national prestige that came with the gift. The advancements that were made possible by this gift quickly launched Emory as a more national university and a top collegiate competitor against other prestigious schools in the nation. By creating and improving facilities in virtually every academic area, it greatly helped to establish Emory as the prestigious research institution. Kappas here, along with many other students on campus, immediately took advantage of these new opportunities to establish themselves as intelligent and forward-thinking women.
Highlights of the 1980s:
Another milestone for the campus came in the following year. In 1980, the number of women enrolled in Emory College equalled the number of men for the first time. With more women enrolling in the college, the number of female participants in student groups, including sororities, greatly increased over this time period. Sororities, like Kappa, were great places for smart young women to congregate on campus and align themselves with likeminded individuals for support. Sororities had been nationally less valued in previous decades, as women struggled nationwide for more respect and greater equality with men. Epsilon Epsilon worked tirelessly to improve their image on campus as a mature, professional, and worthwhile organization and asset to campus.
From 1985-1995 Epsilon Epsilon seemed to thrive at Emory. Greek Life, especially sororities, seemed to take off on campus. The scrapbooks consisted of many pictures from all kinds of events--from themed mixers with fraternities, philanthropic fundraisers, crush parties in Lullwater, and volunteering at Atlanta Arts Festival, Kappa's were involved on campus and within the realm of Emory Greek Life. The sisterhood seemed strong as ever during this decade. The pledge class size was not very big, so I got the impression that everyone was very close. There were summer lake house parties and semi-formal/formal black tie events where everyone looked genuinely happy and glad to be spending time together.
Throughout these years, Emory was focusing on expanding and becoming a full-functioning, well-recognized university. In 1985, the Howard R. Dobb's University Center (also known as the DUC) was built, and this provided a central hub on campus. The administration was very optimistic about Emory's growth and created a set of quantified goals that were going to be met by the year 2000. Some of these included tripling the gift support, doubling the federal research money, increasing the graduate programs, medical school and law school to top ten, and increasing the number of PhD’s awarded every year. Many of these goals were met well before the year 2000, and major growth was seen in the realm of medicine, research and public health. Emory opened its Rollin's School of Public Health (1991), performed the first heart transplant at Emory Transplant Center (1985), and surpassed the $100 million dollar federal funding for research milestone (1993). Emory also expanded in other ways, by building the Michael C. Carlos Hall Museum of Art (1985) and starting its Varsity Basketball program (1986).
Kappa's were taking full advantage of these benefits by pursuing more scientific-related fields of study and they enjoyed the prosperity by experiencing better faculty and a more cohesive campus environment.
Highlights of 1990s:
(Information from chapter history reports, 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:
Highlights of 2000-2010:
(Information from chapter history reports, 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.)
Epsilon Epsilon greeted 2004 with 55 amazing new women in the freshman class. Recruitment was a very exciting and successful time. A new philanthropy theme, Princess for a Day, was used for the second round and proved to be a big hit. The new new member program was such a great success instilling a firm knowledge of what Kappa is truly about, while incorporating the new member class into the rest of the chapter very smoothly. This new understanding opened a new love of Kappa that could only blossom from there. The energy of the new member class combined with the experience of the upper-class sisters to really jump-start Recruitment 2005.
The chapter finished spring semester ranked fifth on the row, with a grade point average of 3.458. The education and catalog committees worked together to bring in alumnae who spoke about their current lives and how Kappa affected them so that it still holds a place in their hearts.
The Founders Day 2004 Celebration was held in Winship Ballroom, where chapter history, sisterhood and alumnae relations were strengthened while enjoying food, a slide show, and a Kappa poem. Multiple alumnae received landmark pins, and one whom attended joyfully reflected on her experience, touching all who heard her story. As a Chapter the members were challenged to reach new depths in our friendships and strengthen the bonds of our sisterhood. This was very successful and even evolved into the formation of some new traditions like the spring Potluck Picnic in Lullwater Park.
Emory University is a very academically challenging university. It strives to give all is students a diverse education and requires everyone to expand their horizons through many of the liberal arts classes required, and strengthen their analytical skills with some intense but rewarding science classes. Emory strives to produce successful leaders in almost every career field. Seeking a diverse student body of motivated and exceptional men and women, its reputation is as respected as many Ivy League schools.
Epsilon Epsilon started 2005 by pledging 52 wonderful new members, the largest pledge class on the row. Philanthropy night focused on the national Reading is Fundamental theme, where the women made bookmarks shaped as magic wands. Skit night was a compilation of songs and dances to popular Madonna and Britney Spears songs, which both the sisters and potential new members enjoyed. Overall, recruitment 2005 was a huge success. The chapter welcomed the new members with a new member retreat, which gave them the opportunity to cement their bonds of sisterhood before the Fireside sleepover and Initiation.
At spring formal, the chapter presented the seniors with the senior scrapbook, organized for the first time by the Catalog Committee. Each senior had a page from a fellow senior, a page from her little, and her own page that she made for the whole chapter.
In the spring members celebrated Mother Daughter weekend, and in the fall celebrated Father Daughter weekend. The chapter had two other very exciting events in the fall of 2005. The first was Founders Day which was held at the Kappa lodge. The current sisters and alumnae joined together to watch a slideshow, enjoy food and conversation, and celebrate when several alumnae received pins recognizing their years of Kappa membership. The other successful event was a sisterhood retreat. The Kappa sisters got together on a Friday night for pizza and rollerskating. Epsilon Epsilon was delighted to finish with the highest average G.P.A. of all the sororities at Emory. Each semester and even during the summer, several Kappas had the opportunity to study abroad together. This was a incredible experience that they were able to share with the entire chapter upon their return.
In many ways, the Epsilon Epsilon chapter at Emory University reflects the diversity of the student body. Sisters come from many different ethnic background orginating from throughout the country and different parts of the world. The chapter is full of capable and captivating young women who are involved in everything around campus. Epsilon Epsilon is one of the few sororities known for welcoming and respecting every Potential New Member who walks through its door, while getting to know the real person without prejudice or reservation. The chapter is respected and sometimes even envied for upholding a consistently exceptional reputation academically, morally, and socially. In this positive environment the women have created an atmosphere of unbreakable friendships and sisterhood. Each year the chapter gets stronger with the addition of each new member class.
In January 2006, the chapter pledged 37 new members, a decrease from the previous year because a new sorority had been added to the campus Greek community. After the new members joined, the total number of members was 121. Kappa moved into a brand new house that was part of Emory's sorority row and completed in August of 2006.
The chapter won the following Greek Awards this year: Dean's Cup, which is the highest Greek honor at Emory; Highest G.P.A. on the row with a whopping 3.5; Oustanding Philanthropy Project with our second annual Greekstock event, as well as Oustanding New Member Program and Oustanding Scholarship Program. Kappa Nicole Vasilaros, president of the Intersorority Council, won Sorority Woman of the Year at the Greek Awards, and sophomore Nicole Josko won the Greek All-Star Award. The chapter survey showed strengths in many areas including social functions and sisterhood. Kappa was champions of Emory's Greek Week, in which the sororities compete against each other and so do the fraternities. Most importantly, Epsilon Epsilon was the recipient of the Most Outstanding Chapter award at the 2006 Kappa Kappa Gamma Convention!
The women had to say goodbye to Elizabeth Bailey who would no longer be the Mu province director of chapters. She was elected Regional Director of Chapters for Region 2 at the Convention in June.
During 2007, the Epsilon Epsilon chapter continued to work hard and strived for excellence in all activities. Recruitment started off the year in January and the chapter welcomed 39 wonderful new members. The pledge class of 2007 was initiated in early March, the first initiation ceremony held in the new house. Leadership Consultant Libby Weith visited the chapter in February, and after her visit the chapter received a special letter from Fraternity President Denise Rugani.
After Libby's trip to Atlanta, she accompanied the chapter President Angie McNeight and Vice President of Standards Courtney Wiener to the Epsilon Phi chapter at the University of Florida in Gainesville for the Mu Province Meeting. There, Epsilon Epsilon was honored with five awards, including the Dottie Harvey Award for High Chapter Standards.
In the spring the chapter held a Mother/Daughter Weekend in March, the "Sapphire Ball" in April and a multitude of social events including the very first My Tie Date Party. At the end of the spring semester the chapter was honored at Emory's Greek Life Awards for Outstanding Alumnae Relations, Outstanding Campus Involvement, Outstanding Risk Management Project, Outstanding New Member Program, Outstanding Promotion of Sorority Spirit and the prestigious Dean’s Cup for Fraternal Excellence. This was the third year in a row that Epsilon Epsilon won the Dean's Cup.
In the fall, the chapter worked with Emory's Alpha Tao Omega fraternity for the first annual "Grill Out" to raise more than $1,200 for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. The chapter also won Best Float in Emory's Homecoming parade, and enjoyed a fun-filled semi-formal at The View in midtown. On October 14, the women celebrated Kappa Kappa Gamma's 137th anniversary with a beautiful Founders Day celebration. Five Kappa alumnae living in the Atlanta area received their 50-year pins. Atlanta alumnae also participated in an Alumnae Networking Night where the sisters received tips about how to spice up their resumes and interviews. The chapter was also named highest G.P.A. on the row during the spring 2007 term with a cumulative GPA of 3.615. While there was no way to encompass everything that the chapter accomplished, it was clear from this brief summary that Epsilon Epsilon had a successful, fun and eventful year!
Emory was ranked the 17th best college in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The campus is located only 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta and has nine academic divisions. The school was founded in 1836 and its 12,000 students were led by President James W. Wagner. Each year, approximately 400 freshmen girls go through formal sorority Recruitment in January.
Among the challenges that the chapter faced this year was one of the biggest was revamping the major philanthropy project. The Grill Out took the place of the chapter’s traditional karaoke contest, and it was by working through a committee that consisted of both members of Kappa and ATO the chapters were able to create a new philanthropy event.
Another challenge for Epsilon Epsilon included how to improve chapter attendance at various events. The members worked to address this by creating a new kore star board in which the kores received stars if all of their members attended a sisterhood event, philanthropy project, sports game or work party at the house. This encouraged both sisterhood and attendance. All in all, Chapter Council and the chapter worked to increase communication and worked together to improve things that had been done in the past.
This year began with Recruitment and the chapter welcomed 39 wonderful new members. The pledge class of 2008 was initiated in early March. Leadership Consultant Kelly Kohler visited in April and met with Chapter Council officers, the Advisory Board, and the Chapter Council Advisor. She also came to a Chapter Council meeting and went over the strengths and weaknesses of the chapter and held a presentation for all members at chapter. Kelly was also able to attend Emory Greek Awards.
In the spring, the chapter had a Mother/Daughter weekend in March, the "Sapphire Ball" in April at the Academy of Medicine, and various social events including a date party at an Atlanta Braves game, a My Tie date party, a country club crush party, and a "rep your state" mixer.
At the end of the spring semester, the chapter was honored at Emory's Greek Life Awards for Outstanding Risk management, Outstanding Chapter Advisor for Allison Barclay, and Outstanding Alumnae Relations. In June, several Epsilon Epsilon members attended the Kappa Convention held in Phoenix, Arizona. There, Epsilon Epsilon was honored with three awards including Ritual, Honorable Mention for Academic Excellence, and Honorable Mention in Chapter Management (120 or more).
In the fall, the chapter worked with Emory's Alpha Tao Omega fraternity for the second annual Grill Out to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. The chapter won third place on the row in Emory's Homecoming parade and were recognized with a $200 prize. The women enjoyed a fun semi-formal at The Defoor Centre on November 1st. On October 18, we celebrated Kappa Kappa Gamma's 138th anniversary with a lovely Founders day celebration. The chapter honored eleven Kappa alumnae living in the Atlanta area, and seven of these alumnae received their 50-yearpins.
Denise Rugani, the Fraternity president, and Elizabeth Bailey, Director of Membership, joined us for a special brunch planned by Chapter Council and held at the Epsilon Epsilon house before the event. Atlanta alumnae also participated in an Alumnae Networking Night where sisters received resume and interview tips and mingled with alumnae with various professional backgrounds. The chapter was named highest G.P.A. on the row during the spring 2008 term with a cumulative GPA of 3.64 and again in the fall 2008 term with a cumulative GPA of 3.63. The Epsilon Epsilon Chapter had a year full of accomplishments, fun, and success!
Among the challenges that the chapter encountered this year, was preventing overscheduling. One way the chapter worked to address this was by creating and freezing calendars in advance and carefully spacing mandatory and elective events. The chapter also kept a continually updated calendar in the email system for the whole chapter to access and plan accordingly.
Another challenge the chapter faced was increasing attendance at philanthropy events. In order to increase participation, members expanded on the idea from last year of having pledge class star boards in which the member receives a star if they attend a philanthropy project. The goal of the star boards is that each member receive four stars by the end of the semester signifying that she has participated in a sisterhood event, philanthropy project, academic event, and helped at a work party at the house. The star boards helped to build sisterhood and attendance. The chapter worked to improve philanthropy participation by offering a wide variety of projects and encouraging members to get involved in a cause they were passionate about. As a whole, the chapter and Chapter Council worked to build on the improvements of the past and to improve communication and participation.
Epsilon Epsilon celebrated its 50th Anniversary on May 8th, 2009. The celebration was held in conjunction with the Founders Day ceremonies in October. Fraternity President, Denise Rugani was in attendance.
Epsilon Epsilon also volunteered in various positions during the Mu Province Meeting. Sisters helped out in so many aspects, from giving directions at the airport to dry cleaning robes. Once again, the chapter received the highest G.P.A. among Greek organizations on campus. At Greek Awards, the chapter came away with the award for the Best ISC Representative.
Emory is undergoing construction all over campus. The University is continuing in its efforts to become more sustainable and make the campus ‘green.’ The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life made some leadership changes, but the transitions went incredibly smooth for the chapter.
This chapter had some slips in morale during the calendar year after losing some great seniors and having some poorly attended social functions. Members made up for this by planning some fantastic sisterhood functions and pairing them with PR to show our Kappa spirit to the entire University. The chapter held a Halloween party at the lodge and carved pumpkins for every fraternity and sorority on the row and also held cooking classes in the lodge kitchen, just to name a few of its successful activities.
In the year 2010, Epsilon Epsilon achieved a variety of milestones while having a ton of fun along the way. As always, individual members are an impressive group of women. Kappas were elected Panhellenic officers, student government officers, club leaders, varsity athletes, and members of multiple honor societies. Emory Kappas continued these achievements within the chapter. At Emory's Greek Awards in April the chapter won several of these awards, including Outstanding Campus Involvement and Oustanding Alumni Relations.
Other milestones were achieved at the Fraternity’s 2010 Convention. The chapter earned Honorable Mentions for its New Member Program, Academic Excellence, and Advisory Board. The Most Outstanding Chapter Heritage Award was won by the chapter. Epsilon Epsilon was recognized during Greek awards in the spring for having the highest average G.P.A. among all the sororities at Emory.
The year started with a successful Recruitment in January when the chapter pledged more than 30 amazing new pledges. After initiation, the annual Mother-Daughter Weekend took place in late March. Several pledge class events, including meals at restaurants in Atlanta, a yoga class, and school tours were planned to give the sisters and their mothers an opportunity to mingle and learn more about Kappa.
A few sisterhood events, including two cooking lessons from the sisters (featuring New Orleans and French cusine), a laser tag sisterhood retreat, and pumpkin carving for other Greek organizations on the row helped solidify relationships among the chapter members. Other than fun social events, formals, and sisterhood retreats, the chapter made sure to log plenty of academic programming to provide advice to the women in the chapter and to give useful information and resources. There were two series of study hours per semester, a majors mixer when older pledge classes gave academic support and advice to younger pledge classes, and a career night where organized advice on job/grad school interviews, networking, and post-graduation plans. With such a diverse chapter, a variety of information and advice was provided for many different kinds of situations.
October was a busy month for Epsilon Epsilon. It started with a new, re-vamped version of the annual philanthropy event with Alpha Tau Omega, Chill and Grill. It raised an unprecedented amount of money for the respective charities, Reading is Fundamental and the Boys and Girls Club, by executing a three-day, highly publicized raffle in addition to taking donations for grilled foods. A few weeks later, Kappa won 2nd place in the 2010 Emory Homecoming Parade Float Contest with a creative Coca-Cola themed float.
October came to a close with a great 51st Founders Day celebration where former Fraternity president Denise Rugani returned for a visit and to help us celebrate. With the calendar year rapidly coming to a close, Kappas danced the night away at a classy semi-formal at an impressive venue in the city in November. The short time left at Emory in December was filled with more study hours and group snack sessions in the library to prepare for finals with sisters. The women were so excited to see what was in store for the upcoming year and the newest pledge class it would bring!
Emory University continued to be a rapidly changing campus. Construction to build bigger and better buildings took place throughout the campus at any given time to accommodate the growing needs of the student body which is generally passionate, intelligent, and driven, just like the women in the chapter. The university does a great job accommodating student needs and concerns. More events, particularly lecture series and philanthropy events took place. The Dalai Lama, to name one, made his second lecture series in October 2010, raising Emory's visibility and national prominence. Relay for Life, Dance Marathon, and countless other philanthropy events continued to grow in size and awareness which required year-round planning and a larger staff of students to run them.
Epsilon Epsilon continued to be widely recognized on the Emory campus for its excellence in academics, service, and perhaps most of all, leadership and involvement. Sisters were found participating in almost every aspect of campus: Tour Guides, honor societies members, Relay for Life, varsity and club sports, Resident Advisors and Sophomore Advisors, Orientation Leaders, Inter-Sorority Council members, the Mortar Board, Emory Read, Hillel, Emory Dance Company, Mock Trial, literary magazine writers and editors, and countless others. Kappa letters were seen all over campus. The sisters were very proud to wear their letters. "Hollylujah It's Wednesday" events invited sisters to wear their letters and meet during a few hour span at lunchtime at one of the dining locations on campus to eat and spend time together. It was a great way to catch up with sisters during the week outside of chapter and also great public relations for the chapter on campus.
Highlights of 2011-2019:
Highlights of 2011
The year 2011 was an exciting and eventful for the Epsilon Epsilon. The chapter successfully initiated more than 30 new members and continued to have a strong presence on campus. Sisters were part of ISC (Inner Sorority Council), student government, varsity and club athletic programs, religious organizations, and multiple honor societies. Emory Kappa's got together on a weekly basis, Gossip Girl watching parties, Wednesday Letter Lunches outside the cafeteria, and chapter all helped to build sisterhood bonding.
The chapter also had bigger events, like Mother Daughter weekend every March. In October, the women ventured to Six Flags as a chapter to enjoy the theme park together. Philanthropy had always been an important part of the chapter, and 2011 was no different. From volunteering for the Charles Harris 10K run or cooking dinners at the Hope Lodge the women found ways to give back to the Atlanta Community. The chapter also presented a Chill and Grill week-long fundraiser with ATO during lunches and dinners in the middle of campus that culminated in a huge raffle with some really great prizes, like free bagels for a year.
Socially, Epsilon Epsilon stayed strong with approximately two social events a month, from the Glow Kappa neon-themed date party in Bulkhead to a blind-date setup date party called My Tie; the women liked to have fun and danced the night away with their sisters. The chapter took second place in Emory's homecoming parade with great planning and artistic design by the Public Relations chairman. This homecoming was extra special because one of the Kappa alumnae, who had a daughter who was an active member in the chapter, returned with her friends to celebrate. It was nice to show her mother around the lodges and hear stories about how Epsilon Epsilon has grown and changed throughout the years.
The 52nd Founders Day consisted of an intimate ceremony and gathering in the lodge. It was great to meet alumnae and hear their Kappa memories. Finally, the chapter did very well in Emory's Greek Awards; winning Most Outstanding President, Outstanding Scholarship, Excellent Standard and Judicial Procedures, and took second place for Dean's Cup. At Mu Province Meeting, Epsilon Epsilon received the Outstanding Scholarship Award, as the chapter continued to maintain a high G.P.A. and continue to be very academically oriented.
The chapter has grown immensely during the past year. Chapter council collaborated well and was able to agree on many topics that might have caused problems in the past. The women made a conscious effort to make sure that all chapter members knew they had a voice in what was going on and encouraged non-CC members to join in the weekly meetings. Epsilon Epsilon continues to be such a diverse group of women and the fact that many are involved in other Emory clubs and organizations only adds to Kappa. Members are part of Resident life, Emory Dance Company, Hillel, Mock Trial, The Emory Wheel, Peer Advisors, Orientation Leaders, Pre-Med and Pre-Business clubs, and many more. There was diversity but there was also a common bond between all of the members that brought everyone together as a chapter and to appreciate the different interests in ways that were beneficial to the chapter community and the Emory/Atlanta community as well.
Highlights of 2012
This year was exciting and eventful for the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We initiated 40 new members and continue to have a strong presence on campus, in the classroom, and in the greater Atlanta community. Our sisters are part of Intersorority Council, Student Government, Varsity and Club athletics, religious organizations, and various honor societies. They hold positions in the Office of Admissions, the Study Abroad Office, and other places that allow them to give back to the Emory community. Emory Kappa's get together frequently, showing off their KKG pride by eating together at "letter lunches" on Wednesdays and assembling on Tuesday nights for chapter. They also enjoy larger events such as a trip to Sky Zone trampoline park on Bid Day, Mother-Daughter weekend in March, formal at the Biltmore in April, and visiting Midevil Times in November. All of these events included good food, good company, and plenty of time for celebrating our sisterhood.
Philanthropy has always been an important part of our chapter and this year was no exception. Sisters volunteered for the Charles Harris 10K run, a local run that raises money for Leukemia research, while other sisters contributed by participated in the run itself. We have continued to stay active with our local philanthropy, The Hope Lodge, a temporary housing center provided by the American Cancer Society for patients receiving treatment far from home. Sisters cooked dinners at The Hope Lodge and played games with the residents on Thursday evenings. We also co-sponsored the annual Chill 'n Grill fundraiser in October with Alpha Tau Omega, which raises money for Reading is Fundamental and The Boys and Girls Club, which is ATO's philanthropy.
Epsilon Epsilon had an impressive showing at Emory's Greek Awards winning Greek Woman of the Year, Adviser of the Year, Most Outstanding Philanthropy, Most Outstanding Campus Involvement, Most Outstanding Scholarship Program. Most impressively, Kappa took home the Dean's Cup for Excellence. At Convention in July, Epsilon Epsilon was represented by our President and VP of Recruitment, who brought home the Sally More Nitschke Lifelong Education Award.
Founder's Day was special this year, as we had the honor of welcoming KKG National's Vice President Elizabeth Bailey and 28 other alumnae to a very nice ceremony planned by our VP of Education. All attendees enjoyed the celebration, which included words from Elizabeth Baily, Epsilon Epsilon's President, and the co-presidents of the Atlanta Alumnae Association.
2012 was an exciting year for the broader world, but was certainly not without its challenges. Internationally, we enjoyed the Summer Olympic Games hosted by London in July. In October, "superstorm" Sandy ravaged the Northeast, causing thousands of dollars in damage and leaving many without electricity for days, or worse, destroying their homes. All told, the storm took close to 200 lives. In November, President Barack Obama was re-elected, defeating GOP candidate Mitt Romney. On December 14, 20 children and 6 adults were killed in a tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary sending the nation into a long period of mourning. December 22nd came and went, despite prediction by the Mayas that the world would end December 21, 2012.
Emory University is going through an expansion phase as it redesigns the freshman quad, leading to lots of construction around campus. Most notably, however, was the announcement that the University would be closing its programs in Educational Studies, Visual Arts and Journalism that had the student body up in arms. The University seeks to enhance its curriculum and resources in research and the sciences. Kappa at Emory continues to grow in a variety of ways. Sisters are involved in all areas of campus life, are well-liked by peers and well-respected by professors. Things continue to look promising for more development of Epsilon Epsilon as we begin Spring 2013 Recruitment.
Highlights of 2013
This year was exciting and eventful for the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We initiated 58 new members, a jump from 40 from the previous year, and continue to have a strong presence on campus, in the classroom, and in the greater Atlanta community. Our sisters are part of Intersorority Council, Student Government, Varsity and Club athletics, religious organizations, and various honor societies. They hold positions in the Office of Admissions, the Study Abroad Office, and other places that allow them to give back to the Emory community. Emory Kappa's get together frequently, showing off their KKG pride by eating together at "letter lunches" on Wednesdays and assembling on Tuesday nights for chapter. They also enjoy larger events such as a trip to Sips n Strokes painting class on Bid Day, Mother-Daughter weekend in March, formal at the Omni in April, Father-Daughter weekend in the fall, and visiting Six Flags in November. All of these events included good food, good company, and plenty of time for celebrating our sisterhood.
Philanthropy has always been an important part of our chapter and this year was no exception. Sisters volunteered for the Charles Harris 10K run, a local run that raises money for Leukemia research, while other sisters contributed by participated in the run itself. We have continued to stay active with our local philanthropy, The Hope Lodge, a temporary housing center provided by the American Cancer Society for patients receiving treatment far from home. Sisters cooked dinners at The Hope Lodge and played games with the residents on Thursday evenings. We also co-sponsored the annual Chill 'n Grill fundraiser in October with Alpha Tau Omega, which raises money for Reading is Fundamental and The Boys and Girls Club, which is ATO's philanthropy.
Epsilon Epsilon had an impressive showing at Emory's Greek Awards winning Greek Woman of the Year, Advisor of the Year, Most Outstanding Philanthropy, Most Outstanding Campus Involvement, Most Outstanding Scholarship Program. Most impressively, Kappa took home the Dean's Cup for Excellence for the second year in a row.
Founder's Day was special this year, as we had the honor of welcoming KKG National's Vice President Elizabeth Bailey and 28 other alumnae to a very nice ceremony planned by our VP of Education. All attendees enjoyed the celebration, which included words from Elizabeth Baily, Epsilon Epsilon's President, and the co-presidents of the Atlanta Alumnae Association.
2013 was an exciting year for the broader world, but was certainly not without its challenges. 2013 was a year that mended stock markets in the US, but also brought upon a typhoon that killed thousands of people, a bombing at the Boston marathon, and a huge controversy about the NSA brought on by Edward Snowden. 2013 also saw the shutdown of the American Government for 16 days, as well as huge ruling for gay-rights activists when the Supreme Court struck down DOMA in June, 2013.
Emory University is going through an expansion phase as it redesigns the freshman quad, leading to lots of construction around campus. Most notably, however, was the announcement that the University would be closing its programs in Educational Studies, Visual Arts and Journalism that had the student body up in arms. The University seeks to enhance its curriculum and resources in research and the sciences. Kappa at Emory continues to grow in a variety of ways. Sisters are involved in all areas of campus life, are well-liked by peers and well-respected by professors. Things continue to look promising for more development of Epsilon Epsilon as we begin Spring 2014 Recruitment.
Highlights of 2014
2014 was another banner year for the Epsilon Epsilon chapter. We started off the year with another excellent recruitment with the initiation of 56 new sisters. Kappa continued our history of involvement in the Emory community. Our sisters participate in Student Government Association, Student Programing Council, and Emory Panhellenic Council, to name a few. With the growing size of our chapter, our VPS had to get creative with planning sisterhood events to accommodate our large chapter. One of our sisterhood events included renting out nearly an entire bowling alley for an 80s themed bowling and karaoke night. We came together as a chapter to win Emory's Greek Week competition through participating in a number of events including volunteering around Atlanta, showing off our smarts at trivia night, and playing powderpuff football.
EE was recognized by Nationals when we were awarded the National Academic Excellence Award. Spring of 2014 our chapter had the highest GPA of all the sororities at Emory. At Emory's own Greek Awards, we won the Dean's Cup for the third year in a row. Our President from 2013, Taylor Kennedy, had the distinct honor of accepting the Chapter President of the Year award for her excellent leadership in 2013. Our chapter also received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Standards.
We celebrated Founders Day with a lovely event where current members mingled with Kappa alumni. Certain Kappas received pins for being a part of Kappa for 25, 50, and even 60 years. Some of the pin recipients and other Kappa alumni shared stories from their time as active Kappas and how being a member of our fine organization continued to shape and improve their lives.
This year we also continued to support our local philanthropy, the American Cancer Society Winn Dixie Hope lodge. Sisters volunteer once a month to cook a meal for the residents and then stay to dine and socialize with them. We also raised $775 for the Hope Lodge through a new philanthropy called Kappa Kappa Game-On which was a tug of war tournament. We hope to make this tournament an annual spring philanthropy event. In addition to our local philanthropy, we raised nearly $700 for PAWS, a local animal shelter, and $900 for RIF. Our sisters also engaged in their own charitable works by donating clothes to a local Atlanta shelter, participating in a number of charity runs, and volunteering around Atlanta through Volunteer Emory.
2014 was also a year that allowed our sister to engage in the many social and political issues occurring in the United States and abroad. Some of our sisters worked on political campaigns in Georgia's Gubernatorial and Congressional elections, including helping students register to vote and even driving them to polls on election day. During the social unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, some of our members participated in a student-organized campus "Die-in" and engaged in meaningful discussion about this and other social issues facing our generation. The increased tensions between Israel and Palestine this past fall was a divisive topic amongst Emory students and our even our own sisters who organized and attended events concerning the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Even thought our large chapter did not always have the same opinions concerning these events, we were still able to participate in important intellectual conversations within our chapter and the greater Emory community.
2014 shaped up to be a historically good and bad year at the same time. On the bright side, the US had its highest job growth rate since 1999, many states increased their minimum wages, and numerous states struck down their bans on gay marriage. Unfortunately 2014 was also the year when Ebola decimated West Africa, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, and Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. While we do not doubt that 2015 will bring just and many triumphs and trials as this past year, we are confident that our chapter full of engaged, socially conscious, and diverse sisters will face them all with the strength and grace indicative of a Kappa.
Emory began 2014 frozen during a two week snow event that was christened "Snowpocalypse." EE's members enjoyed their snow days sledding, sipping hot cocoa, and binge-watching Netflix with their sisters. In Fall of 2014, Emory completed Raoul Hall which helped house the nearly 1400 new students that make up the Class of 2018. Emory, in coordination with the neighboring Centers for Disease Control, also had the distinct honor of caring for and ultimately curing four healthcare workers who contracted Ebola while caring for the sick at home and abroad.
Our ever-expanding chapter continues to be a positive force within the Emory community. Our sisters are involved in all facets of campus life including serving as Resident Advisors in freshmen dorms, heading programs for Volunteer Emory, and tutoring through Emory's EPASS system.
In 2013 we began holding our chapter meetings in an university owned auditorium located on campus. Our chapter of nearly 150 girls simply could not fit in our old chapter room which is located on the bottom floor of our lodge.
The Sorority Village, where our chapter lodge currently resides, was built in 2006 to provide greek housing for members of our campus's seven sororities. Pre-2006, four officers lived in small apartments located near the Emory University Hospital. These apartments were torn down to make way for a new hospital wing. Those former apartments and our current lodge is owned by the University and is classified as "University Housing." Emory's sorority housing system is different from most other schools because each sorority does not get their own individual house. All of the sororities live in lodges located in the Sorority Village on our Greek Row. These lodges are connected town houses and can house up to 24 sisters.
Highlights of 2015
2015 has been a very busy, yet very successful year for the Epsilon Epsilon chapter. In January, we participated in Emory University’s formal recruitment process and welcomed 56 new members into our sisterhood. After the appropriate new member period, the women were formally welcomed into the chapter in April.
This year, Epsilon Epsilon hosted multiple philanthropic fundraisers. In February, we hosted Kappa Kisses, which was a week-long sale and delivery of roses and Hershey’s kisses, which benefitted the Kappa Foundation. We also hosted Kappa Kappa Game-On, which was a field day sports tournament that raised money towards hosting GIRLS Academy. For our final spring event, we donated over 400 articles of clothing to a local women’s shelter. In the fall, Epsilon Epsilon hosted our annual grilling-out event, Chill ‘N’ Grill, with two campus fraternities. The money we raised went towards Reading is Fundamental. Lastly, Epsilon Epsilon hosted a book drive in November and donated the books to a local school.
In 2015, Epsilon Epsilon continued to excel academically. We maintained a chapter-average GPA of 3.549. Epsilon Epsilon also continued our tradition of hosting a Mother-Daughter weekend during our spring semester, and a Father-Daughter weekend in the fall, which are organized by our PR Chair. Both of these events are kicked off with a welcome reception on Friday evening, then group activities during the day on Saturday, and a send-off brunch on Sunday. In addition, we continued our weekly tradition of letter-lunch Wednesdays, where sisters are encouraged to wear their letters and gather for a fun mid-week lunch on campus. One of our chapter goals for the year was to increase sisterhood opportunities, and I think our VP of Standards did a great job of tackling this job. Some of the larger sisterhood events of the year include: decade-themed bowling, laser tag on Emory’s quad, and ice-skating.
Our social-formal chair did a wonderful job planning two outstanding formal events. One in the spring, and another in the fall.
Another chapter goal for the year was to increase overall participation in chapter-wide events. We started to meet this goal by first changing the day of chapter meetings from Tuesday to Sunday, which greatly improved attendance. As a whole, we saw better attendance in many different aspects of involvement.
In Spring of 2016, Emory University will welcome Pi Beta Phi as a new colonizing chapter, which should help make the pledge classes smaller in the future. We hope that smaller pledge classes will foster unity and cohesiveness among the members. As a whole, the Epsilon Epsilon chapter is very driven in all aspects of our academic pursuits. We strive to maintain the highest standards for academics, as is demonstrated by our consistently high GPA average. Our members are also involved in many campus organizations. We have Varsity and club athletes, student government leaders, and Emory Scholars. Epsilon Epsilon is also proud to have members that are involved in Feminists in Action, Sexual Assault Peer Advocates, and Volunteer Emory. Overall, we strive to maintain a strong, positive presence on our campus. While our sisters come from diverse backgrounds, they all represent the strong values of Kappa Kappa Gamma, which really helps unify our chapter.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
Our chapter has historically supported the Hope Lodge, which is operated by the American Cancer Society. The Hope Lodge provides free housing for patients receiving cancer treatment and their caregivers. We often cook meals for the residents of the Hope Lodge as part of our local outreach. We also took on the task of supporting GIRLS Academy this year.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
Our chapter chose to support this organization because we felt that the values of this organization aligned closely with those of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We also recognized the need the Hope Lodge had in terms of volunteerism and fundraising, and felt that we could truly make a positive impact in the organization.
Highlights of the 2020s:
(Information from chapter history reports, 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!
