Epsilon Kappa
| Epsilon Kappa | |
|---|---|
| EK | |
 | |
| Founded | February 18, 1967 |
| College | University of South Carolina |
| Location | Columbia, SC |
| Homepage | Epsilon Kappa Homepage |
| Media related to Epsilon Kappa Chapter | |
University of South Carolina established in 1801, Columbia, South Carolina
Founded February 18, 1967
2,211 initiates (as of June 2016)
Charter Members:
Gloria Jean Allen, Mary Dolores Armstrong, Joy Alyce Cook, Betty Love Emmons, Marsha Gittinger, Deborah Ann Gough, Nancy Jane Groover, Jean Martha Huston, Marilyn Claudette Keen, Rebecca Suzanne Strange, Candice Jordan Walker, Julia Katherine Wilshin
Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae:
Fraternity Officers: Anna Fowlkes, Chapter Consultant 1983-1984; Jamie Gardner, Headquarters Intern, 2013
Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:
Additional Outstanding Epsilon Kappa Alumnae:
Contents
The Early Years
From September 17, 1962, when an alumnae club was chartered in Columbia, there had been the hope that an active chapter of Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma would be installed at the University of South Carolina. The Kappas felt that South Carolina had been neglected by the Fraternity as far as colonizing chapters was concerned. However, this neglect was understood when only 120 Kappa alumnae living in South Carolina were listed in the first galley sheets send by Headquarters in 1962.
The University of South Carolina is a large university located in the heart of the city. Real estate in this area was quite high. Since a sorority house would have to be close to the university for the girls’ safety, it was the consensus of opinion that perhaps the university would make the next girls’ dormitory a Panhellenic dormitory.
In the spring of 1966, an evaluating team was sent by Kappa to the university, by invitation, to examine the possibilities of colonizing. The team was favorably impressed, and a “red carpet welcome” was extended by the university, culminating in a luncheon by Panhellenic with the dean of women as hostess. An invitation was extended to Kappa Kappa Gamma to become the eight national sorority on campus, the first since the early forties to establish a chapter on campus. Preceding was Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Pi Beta Phi. An inspection committee arrived shortly thereafter. Upon recommendation of this committee, a vote was taken by the Council and Associate Council, and was approved.
Frances Fatout Alexander, DePauw, Fraternity President at that time, lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, not far away. Mary Turner Witney, Cincinnati, lived in Beaufort, South Carolina. Jean Hess Wells, Georgia, and Dorothy McCampbell Nowell, Georgia, lived in Georgia. The last two were with the chapter during the first rush in September, 1966, as was Marsha Lynn Love, Florida State, slated to be the graduate counselor for the new Chapter. Some of the actives from Delta Upsilon, University of Georgia, came over for two weekends to put on skits and rushing parties, and later for initiation in February, 1967. They demonstrated Kappa loyalty to the fullest. Some actives from Epsilon Epsilon, Emory University, came, too.
It was agreed to enter recruitment in the fall, and the university provided a chapter room in the Wade Hampton Dormitory. On September 29, 1966, twelve girls accepted bids. Four more were added in informal rush. The twelve who made their grades became charter members of Epsilon Kappa and the four who did not make their grades became charter pledges. On February 17, 1967 the colony became the Epsilon Kappa Chapter at the University of South Carolina; Kappa's ninety-third Chapter and the first Kappa Chapter in the state.
First on the initiates' agenda was the Fireside Service at the Baptist Student Center, complete with members of sister Chapter, Georgia. This was followed by a social hour in the flower-filled Kappa room. Many Kappa songs, combined with shining faces and expectant smiles, produced a truly unforgettable evening. Twelve happy members received their new badges and long awaited charter in the Saturday afternoon ceremony. Immediately after installation, Epsilon Kappa Chapter adjourned to the Kappa room for the ceremony conducted by former Fraternity President Whitney to pledge five women to the newly installed Chapter. The gala banquet was held at Columbia's Palmetto Club and presided over by toastmistress and Central South Carolina Alumnae Association president, Barbara Grimsley Burns, UCLA. Various gifts to the Chapter were presented during the evening, including the awarding of three special keys. In addition, flowers, telegrams, and letters from Kappas coast to coast gave South Carolina's Kappa Chapter a warm welcome.
Highlights of the 1970s:
Due to the smallness of the chapter at the time, an active often had to hold two offices or chairmanships. Epsilon Kappa received an award at the Centennial Convention for scholarship improvement among smaller chapters and in 1973 had two members of Phi Beta Kappa.
Members of Epsilon Kappa earned honors in university scholastic organizations such as nursing, music, education, and the freshman honorary. The Chapter won in intramural swimming, two girls were voted sweethearts, and one Kappa was named the Sorority Woman of the Year.
Epsilon Kappa Chapter, along with the Columbia Alumnae Club, hosted the 1973 Mu Province meeting.
Most of 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 2011 - 2019
Highlights of 2011
In the spring of 2011 the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had its largest spring pledge class with eight new members. After a great recruitment in the fall of 2011 the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma gained 98 new members.Our annual fall philanthropy event, Kappa Kickoff, was a successful flag football tournament, with participation from other Greek organizations and University sports teams.
Chapter: The Epsilon Kappa chapter has grown drastically in the past year. We nearly doubled in size after our spring and fall recruitment, growing from 159 members to 262.
Highlights of 2012
Scholarship:
- Kappa Kappa Gamma logged the most hours in the Library out of the entire greek community last year. -Our chatper improved our GPA both semesters, ranking us 5th in the entire greek community.
Philanhropic Involvement: -This fall we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on November 18th. This event raised money for a scholarship fund that we call the Hill Family Fund, started by our chapter, for the children of one of our former chefs who tragically passed away along with his wife in a car accident. The event itself raised over $2,500.
-We had 2 members on the Panhellenic Circle of Sisterhood Committee and as a chapter raised around $300 for that effort. -We had 16 girls participate in Dance Marathon, an organization that supports Children's Miracale Network Hospitals and our team raised over $6,500 -Through a combination of t-shirt sales, percent nights and other various philanthropic efforts we raised over $3,000 and divided it between the Hill family fund and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. -We made weekly trips to read to children at local elementary and middle schools. As well as held a book drive to donate hundreds of books to local schools through RIF. -We hosted the CEO of RIF for an informational session which was such a treat!
Leadership:'
-Riley Shipman and Jamie Gardner attended SLDC (Student Leadership and Diversity Conference on Feburary 4th) as well as SEPC (South Eastern Panhellenic Conference March 29-April 1st) representing both Kappa and USC’s Sorority Council. -Members of the 2012 Chapter Council also attended Kappa Kappa Gamma Annual Convention June 20-24th in Jacksonville, Florida. -On September 13-16th 2012, collegiate Rachel Haselden and alumni Myra Morton attended Kappa’s annual Leadership conference in Columbus, Ohio.
Goals: -The three main goals from 2012 of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma were as follows: to be more involved in the Greek community at the University of South Carolina, to improve academically, and to be more active in our national philanthropy Read is Fundamental (RIF). The chapter accomplished these goals ten-fold and will continue to do so in the future. Two main examples of our increased involvement in the Greek community are the fact that we had to representatives of Kappa Kappa Gamma on Sorority Council as well as our sisterhood event with Alpha Kappa Alpha and Phi Mu in September 2012. In this sisterhood event, Alpha Kappa Alpha was able to educate the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Phi Mu about Incorporated Sororities and their sorority’s history as well. It was a lot of fun and cultivated many diverse friendships.
The second goal of academic improvement was carried out through increased study hours and availability of educational tools, such as sister tutors. We also increased the amount of academic incentives that we gave out, for example, gift cards and gift baskets. Using these tools, we were able to increase our average GPA to 3.43 and are continuing to improve that with our New Member class having a GPA average 3.45. The third goal of becoming more involved with Kappa Kappa Gamma’s national foundation was carried out through many different ways. We began a program in which a group of about 10 sisters went to BC Grammar School (a RIF certified school) in Columbia, and read with children in the school library for a few hours on Friday afternoons. We also had to honor of having Reading is Fundamental’s CEO, Carol Hampton Rasco, speak to our chapter this fall. She not only spoke with us about the RIF organization and how we could become more involved but also about being a woman in leadership. Our sisters benefited immensely from this experience. All in all, the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma set high goals for itself and delivered in reaching each one. We are excited to continue to work on these goals that we have set and set new ones for the future of our chapter.
Programs:
-We invited all alumni to attend a mock-recruitment showcase round before the rounds started on August 4, 2012 at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. They got to see what we were presenting during recruitment for the upcoming year, and then stay for sweet tea and desserts.
-Our parents event this year was the Parents’ Cocktail, held September 26th, 2012 at our house in the Greek Village. We hold this event every year to allow parents to meet other sisters and also enjoy a social gathering. The night included food, presentations from our exec board, house tours and a silent auction to raise money for our philanthropy.
During the fall, We hosted a Yoghut Percent night with Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. to raise money for Sorority Council’s Philanthropy, Circle of Sisterhood.
Last spring, We hosted a Sister Sorority of the Month Event with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Phi Mu on October 13, 2012. We did a bonding evening at the KKG house where we learned about one another’s sororities and histories. Had dinner and dessert and then gave speeches to one another about what makes us who we are.
Last Spring, our chapter sent 5 of our largest committees to attend a drunk driving seminar at the Delta Zeta House. Not only did this give our members a real perspective on Drunk Driving and how it affects family members, but it also provided us a chance to support another organization’s educational efforts.
Awards: -Our chapter was awarded with Most Improved GPA at our General Convention (national conference) in June 2010. We were also awarded and award for Gracious Living, Academic Most Improved, Opal Humphrey Membership Award, and the Felice Wood Pralle House Board Relations Award at our National Convention on October 20, 2012. -Received the Silver Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Received the Academic Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Received the Chapter Involvement Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Recived the Challenge The Process Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Highlights of 2013
Scholarship: Kappa Kappa Gamma logged the most hours in the Library for 2013. Our chapter has continued to improve our GPA both semesters, however, the rank is not known yet.
Philanthropic Involvement: This Fall, we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on October 13, 2013. This event raised money for a scholarship fund that we call The Hill Family Fund, started by our chapter, for the children of one of our former chefs who tragically passed away along with his wife in a car accident. The event itself raised over $7,000.
We had 25 girls participate in Dance Marathon, an organization that supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. We also had 5 girls on moral, a selected group of people who help organize and run the event. Our team raised over $4,500.
We made weekly trips to read to the children at local elementary and middle schools. Participated in Reading Rocks a book drive event and celebration of reading at local elementary school. Through a combination of t-shirt sales, percent nights and other various philanthropic efforts we raised over $3,000 and divided it between the Hill family fund and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
Leadership: - We sent new member, Taylor Kessock, to 2014 SLDC. -2 women of Epsilon Kappa were selected to be resident mentors on campus -5 new members selected to participate in Greek Emergaing Leaders Program -Riley Shipman and Jamie Gardner attended SLDC (Student Leadership and Diversity Conference on Feburary 4th) as well as SEPC (South Eastern Panhellenic Conference March 29-April 1st) representing both Kappa and USC’s Sorority Council. Lindsay Webb will be attending SEPC this year. Both Riley and Jamie are going to be Leadership consoltents next year.
Goals: The three main goals from 2013 of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma were as follows: to be more involved in the Greek community at the University of South Carolina, to improve academically, and to be more active in our national philanthropy Read is Fundamental (RIF). The chapter accomplished these goals ten-fold and will continue to do so in the future.
Two main examples of our increased involvement in the Greek community are the fact that we had sisters on Sorority Council, Greek Conduct and Programming board, as well as Greek ambassadors and Pi Chi’s. We also held an informational sisterhood event with Sororos of Delta Sigma Theta which gave them a chance to present about NPHC & their national organization. It was an very interactive event and I think our girls learned a TON and had fun doing it. The second goal of academic improvement was carried out through increased study hours and availability of educational tools, such as sister tutors.
We also increased the amount of academic incentives that we gave out, for example, gift cards and gift baskets. The third goal of becoming more involved with Kappa Kappa Gamma’s national foundation was carried out through many different ways. We continued our program in which a group of about 10 sisters at a time went to BC Grammar School (a RIF certified school) in Columbia, and read with children in the school library for a few hours on Friday afternoons. We continued to participate in the back to school parade and collected books to donate with local elementary and middle schools. Our sisters benefited immensely from both experiences. All in all, the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma set high goals for itself and delivered in reaching each one. We are excited to continue to work on these goals that we have set and set new ones for the future of our chapter.
Programs: Members from the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in an event called Make Moves for Martha benefit concert- an event that raised awareness and support of a young lady who was tragically paralyzed while she was in downtown Columbia.
We invited all alumni to attend a mock-recruitment showcase round before the rounds started on August 4, 2012 at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. They got to see what we were presenting during recruitment for the upcoming year, and then stay for sweet tea and desserts. Our parents event this year was the Parents’ Cocktail, held September 26th, 2012 at our house in the historic Seibels House and a bruch on Sunday for the parents and family at our house in greek village. We hold this event every year to allow parents to meet other sisters and also enjoy a social gathering. The night included food, presentations from our exec board, house tours and a tshirt sale to raise money for our philanthropy.
We hosted a Sister Sorority of the Month Event with Delta Zeta Feb 20th . We did a bonding evening at the KKG house where we learned about one another’s sororities and histories. There was dinner and dessert and then gave speeches to one another about what makes us who we are.
Sisterhood Events March 20th 2013 – Tye Dye Sisterhood Event – 90% attendance August 25th 2013 – Bid Day event at the Riverbanks Zoo, 100% attendance October 30th – Pumpkin Painting Sisterhood event – 90% attendance October 13th 2013– Founders Day Celebration – 90% attendance
Awards: -Received the Silver Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Received the Academic Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Received the Chapter Involvement Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Received the Challenge The Process Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life -Received the Outstanding Academic Excellence Award at Mu Province Spring 2013 -Received the Most improved Advisor Relations Award at Mu Province Spring 2013
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter. After gaining 110+ girls, our chapter meetings had to be held in the Nursing Building Auditorium to fit such a high capacity. USC is set to have Pi beta Phi on campus in the fall
Highlights of 2014
Scholarship:
-Our chapter has continued to improve our GPA both semesters. Our chapter was ranked tenth out of all of the University of South Carolina’s sororities and fraternities for the spring of 2014 and ninth in the fall of 2014 in regards to GPA.
-Our chapter fostered academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Exam Breakers during exam week, Sweet Tea with KKG, Kappa Kappaccino, and study hours.
Awards:
-Received the Silver Excellence Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for both spring and fall 2014
-Honorable mention in Recruitment and Public Relations from the Kappa Kappa Gamma National Convention in June of 2014
-Voted “Best Sorority” of the University of South Carolina for Best of Carolina 2014
Leadership:
- National Conference in Houston, TX June 25-29th, 2014: Officers attended: President, Public Relations Chairman, Event Chairman, Marshal, Treasurer
- Leadership Academy September 11th-14th, 2014 attended by Taylor Kessock
-South Eastern Panhellenic Conference (SEPC) March 28-30th, 2014 attended by Lindsay Webb
- Student Leadership and Diversity Conference (SLDC) February 1st, 2014 attended by Taylor Kessock
Traditions:
-A sister presents Lady Minerva at each chapter meeting. One sister writes a letter in a journal to a sister who inspires her and then reads her letter aloud to the whole chapter. The sister who is written about writes about another sister and reads her note aloud at the next chapter and so on and so forth.
Programs:
-We hosted a Sister Sorority of the Month Event with Delta Zeta on Feb 20, 2014. We had an ice cream social at the Delta Zeta house where we learned about one another’s sororities and histories.
-Alumni Babysitting event planned by Amy Stonecipher.
-We placed 3rd at Greek Week in April 2014.
-Our parent’s event this year was the Parent’s Cocktail, held September 26, 2014 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The night included food, dancing, and a silent auction. The auction raised $3,000 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
-Our chapter placed second overall in USC’s Homecoming Competition by participating in events throughout Homecoming week with our Homecoming partners, Lambda Chi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma.
-Reinstallation of a Founder’s Day activity: we held a banquet at the Kappa house on October 19, 2014.
-Sisterhood Events
March 19th, 2014 – HiWire
September 30th, 2014 - Pinterest Party
October 2nd, 2014 - Cycling Class
November 18th and 20th, 2014 – UnWine
-Spring 2014 New Member Weekly Events:
• New Member Meetings are held every Sunday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House)
• Meet with the different officers and discuss how their positions work and what you can learn from them in relation to Kappa
• Chapter Meetings are held every Monday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House)
• Study Hours- 2/week (Library Logs in T-Coop and Kappa House)
-Fall 2014 New Member Weekly Events:
• New Member Meetings are held every Sunday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House).
• Meet with the different officers and discuss how their positions work and what you can learn from them in relation to Kappa
• Chapter Meetings are held EVERY Monday at 8pm in the Chapter Room (Kappa House)
• Study Hours- 2/week (Library Logs in T-Coop and Kappa House)
-One Time New Member Events:
• New Member Retreat- October 4, 2014
• Learn about yourselves and the other members of your pledge class. Discuss and build upon what you and your pledge class want to contribute to the chapter as a whole. Sisterhood bonding and individual growth. The retreat involved low ropes courses which helped the new members learn to work together.
• Big/Little Reveal- April 3 (spring) and October 9 (fall)
• Initiation (OVERNIGHT)- April 4-5 (spring) and October 17-18 (fall)
-Functions:
• Spring: Mixer with Beta Theta Pi (Winter Olympics Themed), Kappa Kappa Gatsby, Sapphire Ball, Spring Luau/Senior Band
• Fall: Woodstock Function, Backwoods, Semiformal
Philanthropic Involvement:
-Members of our chapter participated in the University of South Carolina's Dance Marathon on March 1, 2014. Our team's fundraising contributed to Dance Marathon's total of $318,469 raised for Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital.
-Our chapter's Relay for Life team raised over $8,000. Relay for Life took place on April 4, 2014.
-Some of our sisters participated in Light the Night, a walk benefitting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, on October 30, 2014. Our team raised $4,405.
-This fall we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on November 7th, 2014. When advertising for this event we went to each campus organization that may be interested and gave our flyers & sign up sheets. We told them about the tournament and what the money would benefit. This event, in the past, gave money to a scholarship fund that we called the Hill Family Fund started by our chapter for the children of one of our former chefs who tragically passed away along with his wife in a car accident. Every year that we have held Kappa Kickoff we have invited the Hill family to come spend time with their Kappa family and to give the organizations involved a chance to meet the family that they are providing an education for. Through the support that the Hill family has received from Kappa Kickoff, they are now in a stable financial position. Because of this, we decided to use Kappa Kickoff to help another family in need. This year’s Kickoff benefited the family of Amy Hampton Knight Caldwell. Amy was a very active member of the Epsilon Kappa chapter, and she went on to become a Leadership Consultant after she graduated. Unfortunately, Amy was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and tragically passed away. Her death left her husband and two boys with expensive medical bills. We decided to donate the funds from Kappa Kickoff 2014 to help the family cover Amy’s medical bills. We raised over $3,500.
-We made weekly trips to read to the children at local elementary and middle schools. Participated in Reading Rocks a book drive event and celebration of reading at local elementary school.
-Through a combination of percent nights and other various philanthropic efforts we raised over $5,000 and divided it between RIF and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
Goals:
The three main goals from 2014 of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma were as follows: make the chapter feel more involved in activities and reward those who participate, come closer to ritual, and improve attendance at events. During recruitment we took over an hour to work through different sections of chapter life and take suggestions from people on philanthropy events, socials etc. This lead to the alumni babysitting event Amy Stonecipher planned, as well as the ticket system Katie O’Donovan, our VP of Organization invented. In order to come closer to ritual, Maggie Reade announced Kappa facts at every chapter meeting, and asked a question to get people involved in fun aspects of our ritual. A reward was given at the end of the semester for those who answered the question. We restructured ritual reviews so that there was a reflection question on what Kappa means to you. There was reinstallation of doing a founder's day activity; this year we held a banquet for our Founder’s Day. To improve attendance and efficiency of taking attendance, we adopted a ticket system, EventBrite makes taking attendance extremely easy. We restructured bylaws so that attendance at chapter is more mandatory and worth our members’ time. Before members were allowed two unexcused absences per semester and could send in excuses to the Recording Secretary if they had a reason for missing. Now, all members have three absences per semester, excused or unexcused.
With our newly renovated house, we were able to begin having chapter and all other meetings at our house. Our chapter welcomed our largest pledge class yet with 131 new members. Pi Beta Phi colonized in the Fall of 2014, becoming the twelfth Panhellenic sorority at the University of South Carolina. Members of our chapter supported them through social media and by wearing Pi Beta Phi buttons on our backpacks.
Our chapter holds chapter meetings in our house. Our chapter has its own house in the Greek Village. The land the house is on is owned by the University of South Carolina but each house in the Greek Village is privately owned and operated by an Alumni House Corporation. 20 sisters live in our house along with our house mom. Our chapter has only owned this one house throughout its history.
Highlights of 2015
Scholarship:
- Our chapter was ranked fourteenth out of all of the University of South Carolina’s sororities and fraternities for the spring of 2015.
-Our chapter fostered academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Kappa Kappaccino, Sweet Tea with KKG , Study Groups for New Members, Trivia, Yoga to foster healthy minds and bodies, and study hours.
-Our Vice President of Academic Excellence utilized an app called MyGreekStudy to keep track of study hours instead of the old fashioned paper logging system previously used.
Awards:
-Received the Silver Excellence Award, Greek Unity Award, and Philanthropy Award from The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for spring 2015.
-Voted “Best Sorority” of the University of South Carolina for Best of Carolina 2015 for the third year in a row.
Leadership:
- Leadership Academy attended by Lindsay Bratun.
-Southeastern Pan-Hellenic Conference (SEPC) March 26-28, 2015 attended by Alex Hiser.
Traditions:
-A sister presents Lady Minerva at each chapter meeting. One sister writes a letter in a journal to a sister who inspires her and then reads her letter aloud to the whole chapter. The sister who is written about writes about another sister and reads her note aloud at the next chapter and so on and so forth.
-PR Star of the Month: every chapter meeting, a different sister with exceptional social media is given this title.
-Supportive Sister: every chapter meeting, a different sister who has been recommended for this award is named the Supportive Sister of the week, meaning she has gone above and beyond to help her sisters.
-Pan-Hell Princess award is given at chapter to the most widely involved sister of the week.
-Little sisters paint wooden keys for Big Appreciation Day (December 2, 2015).
Programs:
-Chapter Meetings are held every Monday at 8pm in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House.
-Our parent’s event this year was the Parent’s Cocktail, which was held September 25, 2015. The event took place at the Hampton Preston Mansion; the night was filled with dancing, desserts, and most importantly, time spent with sisters and their families.
-Epsilon Kappa Founders Day Celebration: Cookies and cake were served with a yummy dinner. Sisters wore their letters to classes to celebrate our 48th Founders Day!
-Founders Day Celebration: The Education Chairman presented the Voyage of Discovery PowerPoint and the Ritual Chairman performed ritual at the Kappa house on October 14, 2015. Also as part of our Heritage Workshop, our chapter watched the Founders Day 2015 video. There was a Founder’s Day cake served at dinner the night before.
-Our Sisterhood Chairman planned many fun events, such as Hot Yoga, for our sisters!
-Senior Sisterhood Events
Photo Shoot Bowling Hiking Senior Tea Manicures and Pedicures Exercise Class Pot Luck Dinner
-Senior Programming Events
Finance Presentation Self Defense Cooking Class
-Senior Gifts
Spring: Shutterfly Scrap Book Fall: Coordinates (of the Kappa House) Cuff Bracelets
-Fall 2015 New Member Weekly Events:
New Member Meetings are held every Sunday in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House.
Meet with the different officers and discuss how their positions work and what you can learn from them in relation to Kappa
Learn about our sisterhood and what it means to be a Kappa
-One Time New Member Events:
• Big/Little Reveal- October 13
• Initiation (Overnight)
o Spring (took place at Furman): February 27-28
o Fall: I-Week leading up to Initiation Sleepover and Initiation on October 16-17 followed by Initiation Brunch
-Functions:
• Spring:
o 1/22 Paint Party with Phi Sigma Kappa
o 2/21 Mardi Gras Function
o 4/11 Sapphire Ball/Formal: Kappa Kasino Royale
o 4/27 Kappas of the Caribbean (seniors recognized)
• Fall:
o 9/10 Fall Band
o 10/30 Backwoods
o 11/13 Semi Formal
Special Events
-Participated in Greek Week with our partners: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Iota Alpha, and Phi Sigma Kappa
Philanthropic Involvement:
-Donated to Lambda Chi Food Drive in February
-3/16-3/20 Participated in TKE Week (Benefitting St. Jude’s)
-3/16-3/20 Participated in Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Week (Benefiting Prevent Child Abuse America)
-3/20 Successful percent night at Jason’s Deli
-3/21 Members of our chapter participated in the University of South Carolina's Dance Marathon; our chapter’s team raised $8,622 that was contributed to University of South Carolina Dance Marathon's total of $501,528 raised for Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. For 2016’s Dance Marathon, Our chapter posted a tweet that for each time retweeted, we would donate $0.20 to Dance Marathon. The tweet raised $133.60 for 2016’s Dance Marathon.
-3/22-3/26 Participated in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days (Benefiting Huntsman Cancer Foundation)
-Our chapter created a team for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Campus Walk and our team raised $2,338 for the foundation.
-4/4-4/17 April Book Drive for Midlands Reading Consortium program. Our chapter held a Greek-wide book drive in the spring, during which we collected over 250 books to be distributed to underprivileged children in local schools.
-4/14 Percent night at Salsarita’s
-4/15 Members of our chapter participated in Walk a Mile in Their Shoes.
-April Candy Grams for Reading is Fundamental.
-4/17 Our chapter's Relay for Life team raised $4,091. The money we raised was donated to The American Cancer Society.
-10/29 Our chapter created a team for Light the Night, a walk benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our team raised over $4,700 and was the third top fundraising team of the Columbia walk. Our sister Allegra Marino was one of the Top Fundraising Club Members, raising over $2,000.
-10/20 and 10/27 Brookland-Cayce (BC) Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting
-10/27 Percent Night at PDQ
-10/29 Trick or Treat with the Greeks
-11/3 BC Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting
-This fall we held Kappa Kickoff, a flag football tournament open to all campus organizations, on November 7, 2015. This year we decided that the money raised through Kappa Kickoff would be donated to our new chapter philanthropy, the SEGA Girls School. Our chapter had t-shirts and buttons made to promote the event. Aspyre, an apartment complex in the Columbia area, had a table and handed out drinks. Cromers, a local gourmet shop, sponsored our event as well. PDQ donated to our event as well and provided the lunches served to our sisters. The Philanthropy Committee set up a corn hole set that people could play for one ticket which cost one dollar. There were also various raffles for prizes such as a free spray tan, restaurant and grocery store gift cards, and a spa gift card. Each entry into the raffle cost $1. The weather was a little dicey, but our sisters and the Kappa Kickoff teams had a wonderful time together raising money for the SEGA Girls School.
-11/9 Harvest for Hope Food Bank (40 sisters)
-11/10 BC Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting
-11/10-11/13 Percent Days at Glowout Salon
-11/16 BC Grammar Fitness Night
-11/17 BC Grammar Parenting Session Babysitting
-11/16-11/20 Pencils and Compliments on Greene Street
-12/2 Percent Night at Southern Squeezed
-We made weekly trips to read to the children at local elementary and middle schools.
Goals:
Three of the goals that Epsilon Kappa worked to achieve this year were: try to take all of our sisters’ ideas into account, promote more of Kappa’s ideals during recruitment, and to remind ourselves of our values and why we were founded throughout the year. Our social chairman often created chapter surveys to decide function themes and Chapter Council created a survey at the end of the spring semester to hear the chapter’s concerns. Also, sisters received support when they came forth with ideas, and concerns of members were taken seriously and addressed. Lastly, our chapter had a successful values-based recruitment. Kappa Leadership Consultant, Whitney, and a representative from Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters, Marty, assisted us through the recruitment process, guiding us by Kappa’s values. We began recruitment by discussing what values matter most to us. As a result, we now have 113 wonderful new sisters. We reminded ourselves of our ideals by trying to uphold them throughout the year. Many sisters partook or started movements or events that have positively impacted our chapter and the University of South Carolina campus. Dropping out of the Homecoming competition was another way that our chapter stayed true to our values. Our words and actions inspired each other to be sisterly and represent Kappa to the best of our ability.
Our chapter welcomed a pledge class of 113 new members into our sisterhood this year. A Kappa sister transferred to South Carolina from Georgia Southern and was accepted into our chapter. It was very special since we already shared a bond of sisterhood with her! The state of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina, and our chapter faced hardship when Hurricane Joaquin ultimately caused catastrophic flooding, especially in Columbia and Charleston. Our sisters came together to collect various necessities, including clothing, food, and toiletries, for the victims of the flood. Many sisters volunteered their time and effort, aiding the recovery efforts of the city.
Our chapter dropped out of the University of South Carolina’s Homecoming Week competition due to how the Homecoming Commission handled events throughout the week. We strongly believe in the four pillars that guide our Greek Community: leadership, scholarship, friendship, and service. In dedication to those pillars and standing in solidarity with everyone that is included in the Greek Community, NPC and NPHC organizations alike, we believed it was the best plan of action to withdraw from Homecoming and act out our vision for a community based on mutual understanding and support to all.
Also, our House Director and Chapter Council worked together to introduce the film, The Hunting Ground to our chapter as well as other chapters in the Greek Community. Counselors and other qualified personnel spoke to us about sexual assault, how to prevent it, and the actions to take if assaulted. They were available to speak to any members of our chapter after the showing. Our chapter signed an It’s On Us banner with the pledge painted on it as a sign of our dedication to end sexual assault.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? SEGA Girls School, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Reading is Fundamental
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
Our chapter chooses to support Reading is Fundamental (RIF) because it is Kappa Kappa Gamma’s partner. RIF is wonderful because it gives underprivileged children the gift of reading and it unites all Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters together. The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation is also important to our chapter since one never knows when she will be in need of her sisters’ help. We are all sisters and supporting each other during difficult times is important to us. Our chapter voted on a new chapter philanthropy this year that we plan to continue to support. The result of the vote was the SEGA Girls School, a residential secondary school for bright motivated Tanzanian girls who otherwise are unable to attend school due to extreme poverty. We felt that the SEGA Girls School ties into RIF since The SEGA Girls School values the education of disadvantaged youth like RIF does. Also, The SEGA Girls School is an organization that our fundraising could really make a difference for.
Highlights of 2016
Scholarship
Our chapter's average GPA of 3.51 was ranked 5th out of the 12 Panhellenic sororities at the end of the spring semester. We focused on academic growth through Geek of the Week, 4.0 gifts, Kappa Kappaccino, Sweet Tea with KKG, study groups for the new members, and chapter-wide study hours. For Kappa Kappaccino and Sweet Tea with KKG, members were encouraged to invite a professor to the house for refreshments in order to encourage socialization outside of the classroom. We had the goal to earn 1870 study hours on the app called MyGreekStudy during Academic Excellence Month (February), and we rented out a study room in Thomas Cooper Library on Sunday nights.
Awards
Voted Best Sorority on Campus by the Columbia community for the fourth year in a row!
Awarded for our Achievement in Involvement and Achievement in Scholarship by USC's Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Recruitment Award Winner, Honorable Mention for Standards Award, and for the Sally Moore Nitschke Lifelong Education Award at Convention.
Richland One School District recognized us for Continuous Involvement with Reading Rocks.
Literacy Leaders Award from USC College of Library and Information Sciences.
Our sister Megan O'Brien was given the Courage Award for It's On Us from Joe Biden.
Leadership
Leadership Academy attended by Grace Chadwick.
Southeastern Panhellenic Conference (SEPC) attended by Libby Allen.
Lindsay Webb appointed to be a Leadership Consultant.
71st Biennial Kappa Kappa Gamma Convention attended by Emily Fuldner, Libby Allen, Taylor Kane, and Lindsay Bratun.
Traditions
At each chapter, the Lady Minerva stands up and reads aloud a meaningful letter that she wrote for a sister that is important to her. The sister who is written about becomes the new Lady Minerva and takes possession of the journal in which all the letters are written. She will write her own letter to a different sister and present her it at the following chapter. Geek of the Week acknowledges a sister for her academic achievement. She is awarded a Starbucks giftcard at chapter for her achievement. Pan-Hell Princess was started back up in March. This award is given at chapter to acknowledge a sister that has participated in various Panhellenic events. Senior spotlight highlights a senior's academic achievement and favorite Kappa memory on the chapter's Instagram page. Jars for sister shout-outs and prayer requests are located in the Chapter room. Sister shout-outs are read aloud at chapter. Cards are sent to families in regard to prayer requests. Risk Minute was started back up during the spring to encourage safety precautions. Our chapter President sends out a newsletter to everyone after chapter with weekly news.
Programs
Chapter meetings held every Monday night at 8 pm in the Chapter Room of the Kappa House. Parents' cocktail was held at 701 Whaley on September 16, 2016. Sisters and their family members enjoyed yummy desserts, a live band, a photobooth, and other fun activities. Epsilon Kappa Founders Day Celebration: Cake and candy were served with dinner. Sisters wore their stitched letters to class to celebrate our 49th Founders Day! Our Education Chairman planned a separate celebration that got cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew; however, our chapter celebrated Founders Day at our Initiation Brunch. Our sisterhood committee worked together to plan exciting sisterhood events throughout the year. Our sisters participated in yoga, Barre3, pilates, kickboxing, self defense, movie nights, a day trip to Charleston, pottery, iceskating, and many other fun activities together. Our Chaplain holds weekly Bible study sessions in the yellow room of the Kappa house on Wednesday nights at 8 pm.
Senior Sisterhood events include: Senior Tea; Mad Platter; Photoshoot; Yoga
Senior Programming events include: Senior Superlatives; Senior Wills; attending the Initiation sleepover to bond with New Members
Senior gifts include: bracelets with the coordinates of the Kappa House
Fall 2016 New Member Weekly Events
-New Member information meetings held every Sunday night in the chapter room of the
Kappa house. New Members learned the history of Kappa Kappa Gamma and what it
means to be a women in Kappa. New Members also learned about our own chapter
through presentations made by various sisters with Chapter Council positions.
-One Time New Member Events: Sisterhood potluck event; Big/Little Reveal;
-Initiation (Oct 22, 2016, following I-Week, Fireside, and the Initiation sleepover); the Initiation
Brunch was held the day after Initiation with all of our sisters and several
alumnae; New Member Retreat (overnight trip held on November 5, 2016 - New Members
spent the night in cabins which allowed them to further bond with the sisters in their NM class).
Kappa Trainer Events
-2/7/16 on Social Media
-4/10/16 on Bystander Accountability
-11/7/16 Alcohol Training
Functions and Special Events
-Spring: Mixer with Lambda Chi Alpha #throwbackthursday; Every Day's a Holiday Function; Red Carpet Formal at Williams-Brice Stadium -Fall: Sweet Home Carolina; Backwoods; Semi Formal
-3/21-24/16: Participated in Greek Week; a week long event to unite the USC Greek community. This year the overall theme was Disney. Our chapter was teamed with Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Phi Beta Sigma, and our specific theme was Snow White. Events from this week included: A blood drive, Night at Strom, a cultural food fest, and Greek Sing.
-10/31/16 - 11/4/16: Homecoming Week, partners with the Club Hockey team; first time in history that a sorority was not paired with a fraternity. Overall we came in 4th place and got 2nd in the float building contest!
Philanthropy
Our chapter chose to support the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental because these are Kappa's two national philanthropies. We love being able to help our own sisters that are in need through the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Giving back to them is so special especially when they have given so much to this organization. In addition, we choose to support Reading is Fundamental (RIF) because it is so important that all children are given the resources necessary to learn how to read. We love how we can see the impact of our philanthropy throughout our own community's primary schools. We get to travel to different schools throughout South Carolina through Cocky's Reading Express and deliever books to children in need. Seeing our direct impact to a cause that is so important makes our philanthropy so special. At the beginning of this year, we were also supporting the SEGA Girls School which is located in Tanzania; however, our chapter voted to currently stop our support to this organization. Although it is for a good cause, our chapter has decided that we want to get more involved with local organizations so that we can make more of a direct impact. As of now, we have not added a new chapter philanthropy; however, this is something we look forward to doing in the near future.
Our chapter held a Lip Sync Battle as our main Philanthropy event in the spring. Various teams signed up to perform in front of a large audience in the Russell House Ballroom. Our Philanthropy Committee paired with Carolina Productions in order to successfully pull off this new event. As a result, this event encouraged all students at the University of South Carolina to participate instead of just the Greek Community. Members in our chapter participated by being team captains for the participating teams and selling tickets at the door of the event. This event was very fun for everyone involved and our chapter was able to raise a total of $2,001.85 for Reading is Fundamental. Other involvement included: Cupcake Sendout during finals, raised $384 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation; Successful Village Idiot percent night; Many of our members participated in the University of South Carolina's Dance Marathon all-nighter event. In order to participate in the event, you were required to raise $119; however, many chose to raise much more than this minimum. Our chapter's team was able to raise a record amount of $15,337 towards the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; Our chapter also made a team that raised a total of $1,970.30 for the all-nighter Relay for Life event which directly benefitted the American Cancer Society. Our team wore the color Amber to specifically represent appendix cancer; Various sisters participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk to directly benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Participated in the local event "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes" to benefit Sexual Trauma Services in the Midlands; Participated in Sigma Chi's Derby Day events to benefit the Children Network of Miracle Hospitals; Various sisters attended Alpha Gamma Delta and Alpha Eplison Pi's event "Poker and Pearls" to benefit the American Diabetes Association; Sisters participated in Kappa Delta's Shamrock Week events to benefit Confiedence Coalition; A team of sisters participated in Chi Omega's "War of the Wings" to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation; Supported USC's Panhellenic philanthropy during Circle of Sisterhood Week; Our chapter participated in the RIF event "Reading Rocks" to benefit schools in Richland County School District One. We went to the Sanders Middle School Campus to give away free books and assist with various games and fun activities; Participated in Lambda Chi Alpha's Watermelon smash event to benefit their philanthropy; Participated in Theta Chi's Hope for Hoag event; Sisters participated in Phi Mu's Bonnamu event benefitting the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; Successful Five Below percent days; Participated in Alpha Chi Omega's Paint War benefitting Domestic Violence Awareness; Various sisters raised $5,321 for the event "Light the Night" to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Successful percent night at Entourage; A team participated in Chi Omega's Cookoff event to benefit Make a Wish; Donated to Pike's Powderpuff football event to benefit their philanthropy; Our chapter's main philanthropy event in the fall was our annual Kappa Kickoff. Various teams signed up to participate in our flag football tournament. We included fun activities such as face painting, balloon darts, cornhole, etc. In total, we were able to raise $1,406 towards Reading is Fundamental. The T-shirts for this event added $434 in proceeds; Donated $3,690 of extra money in our Fall budget to Dance Marathon. With this donation our chapter will get our logo advertised at the event.
Goals
During 2016, our chapter had two main goals. Our first goal was to improve involvement throughout our entire chapter. Since our chapter is so large, it can often be difficult for everyone to feel as if their individual voice is being heard. This year, we aimed to keep everyone involved by using the entire chapter's opinion on big ideas and decisions. In addition, we decided to make certain positions such as our t-shirt, banner, and intramural sports chairs semester-long terms. As a result, more of our sisters were able to hold these leadership positions since they were changed more frequently. In addition, more of our Chapter Council positions such as Treasurer, Membership, and New Member offered assistant positions to sisters in our chapter. Girls that were chosen as assistants got to work on big assignments more closely with girls on Chapter Council. Our other main goal for this year was to improve our overall philanthropic involvement. At the beginning of the year, we were benefitting our two national philanthropies plus the SEGA girls school. In the spring, our chapter voted to discontinue our involvement with the SEGA girls school so that we could focus our attention more to our main two philanthropies and possibly a more local philanthropy in the near future. Although we have not yet decided on a new philanthropy for our chapter, we were able to get more involved with the local Reading Rocks events. In addition, we added a successful philanthropy event in the spring which we plan to make an annual event for our chapter. Our sisters worked together to make these decisions that would be in the best interest of our chapter as a whole.
This August we had a very successful recruitment and welcomed 114 new members into the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In addition, we welcomed two temporary exchange students into our sisterhood; one from California State Northridge and another from the University of Kentucky. Both of these girls were welcomed into our sisterhood this August, and they are planning to stay for one semester before returning to their original schools.
This fall, our campus welcomed Alpha Xi Delta into our Greek community. The University of South Carolina now offers thirteen different Panhellenic sororities to its students. During the beginning of October, our campus experienced the consequences of yet another natural disaster. Hurricane Matthew closed campus for three entire days at the beginning of October. Thankfully, the city of Columbia was not directly affected by the storm; however, Charleston and other coastal areas in South Carolina were impacted by devastating flooding. Once again our campus was able to assist our neighboring communities that were directly affected by this hurricane.
This fall, our Sorority Council took the initiative to enact a Greek-wide plan that ensures safer Greek events. Under this new plan, events must be approved by the University of South Carolina's Fraternity and Sorority Life a few weeks prior to the actual event. Events are only approved if they follow strict guidelines in order to ensure the safety of its participants. Each week, a list of the approved events are sent out to the members in Greek organizations, discouraging the attendance of events that do not follow the University's regulations.
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!
