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|Image= [[File:Beta_Tau.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1883|10|19}}
|College= [httphttps://www.syr.edu/ Syracuse University]
|Location= Syracuse, NY
|Homepage= [httphttps://wwwsyr.kkgsyracusekappa.comorg/page-0#!__page-0 Beta Tau Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Beta_Tau Media related to Beta Tau]
}}
'''2,786 972 initiates (as of June 20152018''')
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'''Charter members:'''
Ella S. Blakeslee, Harriett Amelia Blakeslee, Carrie Rouse Fisher, Ellen A. Ford, Ida E. Goldman, Ruth E. Guibault, Ida M. Steingrebe.
'''Some of Beta Tau’s Outstanding Alumnae:'''
'''Fraternity Council Members:'''
Anne Harter, Director of Philanthropies 1964-1966, Centennial Chairman 1968-1972 ; Dorothy Obrecht (Keller), Field Secretary 1948-1950; Samantha Britney, Traveling Consultant 1993-1994; Barbara Adams Goettelman, Fraternity Vice President 2022-
'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
Barbara Adams Goettelman
Julia (Judy) Morton Cole, 1966, Fabric and fashion designer
Maxine Baker Davidson, 1998, singer, former president/CEO of Ogden Telephone Co., philanthropist
Robin Burns, 1992, Cosmetics CEO for Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Victoria Secret Beauty; Pauline Knipp Hill, 1962
lives.
[[User:History|History]] ([[User talk:History|talk]])==Highlights of 2017== For 134 years, the women of the Beta Tau Chapter have proven to be d riven, electrifying, headstrong young women ready to take on any challenge or overcome any obstacle. Our active members at 743 Comstock Ave have reinforced Kappa’s legacy of being motivated, sophisticated women who come together to create a dynamic that can’t be seen anywhere else on the Syracuse University Campus. Beta Tau is home to women not only across the country, but the world. As a chapter we have grown to have strong Panhellenic relations, ritual appreciation, and an unbreakable sisterhood. Here at Beta Tau, we are everything from athletes to beauty queens, future politicians to fashion bloggers, and world travelers to artists. With different interests, talents and aspirations, no two members are alike, but share an unconditional love for Beta Tau and Kappa Kappa Gamma. All are welcome and encouraged to enjoy the beauty and history of the house, kept warm and stocked with love. With the help of our house mom, Sue Weber, we have grown as a chapter, by opening our doors to new members, our hearts with each other, and our arms to the campus community for “What is precious is permanent and what is permanent is Kappa.” The ladies of Beta Tau started off the 2017 academic year by making a splash with our annual Kappa Kar Wash!With it being our first major philanthropy event of the year, the chapter was eager to make it the best yet.Breaking Beta Tau records, the chapter successfully raised over $1,400 for Reading is Fundamental. From cars,to Oishi Sushi Vans, and even dogs, our sisters worked until the very last minute raising more money than wehave ever seen raised at Beta Tau. A bake sale also occurred simultaneously, icing on the cake and more doughfor the cause! Additionally, the sisters took advantage of this philanthropic opportunity in light of their sisterswho have been personally affected by the category five hurricane that hit Puerto Rico, causing the island to losecomplete electrical power. Beta Tau set up a table where donations could be collected and sent directly to theUnited for Puerto Rico fund. President Danielle Runfola and Philanthropy Chairman Gabriela Penzetta workedincredibly hard to ensure the success of the event! Over the past years, Beta Tau has been striving for higher participation in other Greek houses’ philanthropies.The chapter was happy to achieve that goal and they were satisfied to say that they are a leading chapter incontributing to other houses! The participation has been a breeze as the sisters have been eager to participate,contribute, and get involved. Beta Tau was so excited to bring back our traditional philanthropy Kappa Kappachino! The sisterspushed through finals week and sold coffee in two different on campus buildings. Peet’s coffeedonated all of their coffee for free so Beta Tau was able to profit for the Kappa Foundation. SisterAlanna Masciarelli on the public relations committee, created a shirt similar to a logo that were allfamiliar with, Friends! The sisters also sold some yummy snack and cookies on the side to help thecampus wake up and energize for their finals! The sisters are so proud of their philanthropy chairman,Gabriela Penzetta, for bringing this wonderful and successful event back to our chapter! The chapter islooking forward to Kappa Kickball in the spring time! The sisters of Beta Tau, with the help of their wonderful house mom Sue Weber, had a successfulannual parents weekend! The sisters had an opportunity to meet sister’s families, show their familiesaround campus, give a tour of our beautiful chapter house, and enjoy some of Chef Patty’s brunch food,their favorite! It was really refreshing for the sisters to be visited by their loved ones as a source ofmotivation prior to midterm exams! Kappa Kareer Day was a huge success! Beta Tau Alumni Nicole Imbogno (MC ’05) and Vice Presidentof Academic Excellence Krysta Gnidziejko started with a panel from four members where they talkedabout their experiences through internships. The sisters were asked questions that allowed them tothink back and deeply about how they made their connections. Following, Beta Tau’s Public RelationsChairman, Taylore Ratsep, took LinkedIn headshots for the sisters! Nicole presented to the chapterthat she will be hosting “Office Hours” once a month for chapter members to work on careerdevelopment. Following the workshop, the sisters celebrated and enjoyed food at the chapter house! Spring 2017 Recruitment brought 68 enthusiastic new sisters home to 743 Comstock! Preparation forformal recruitment began immediately upon re-arrival to SU in the fall, and it’s safe to say everysecond of practice paid off. Not only did we come out on top as far as our new members, but countlessrecruitment practices and ritual reviews brought our house closer than previous years. Embracingtradition and working together to ensure success during recruitment was a success in itself! With over1,500 girls registered for formal Spring recruitment, Beta Tau was a bit nervous for the size of theparties and length of the days, but the sisters were able to sift out the best of the best. Go Greek, KappaKandyland, house tours, and preference rounds were all executed flawlessly and displayed the sisterslove and compassion for Beta Tau. As we are now around the corner from recruitment 2018, Beta Tauis looking forward to ensuring safety for its members on Bid Day and executing a new theme for theirphilanthropy round, Alice in Wonderland! The sisters aim to keep their values strong throughout thisupcoming recruitment season! “One of my biggest goals as president is to make my sorority house ADA approved.” Danielle Runfola,President. Beta Tau has recognized the fact that you have to have the ability to walk to go throughrecruitment at Syracuse University. In order for a potential new member to enter our chapter housethat is unable to walk, they would have to be carried up the stairs which is no way to welcome apotential new member to any chapter! Beta Tau is delighted to have started a fund for housingrenovations this past year. Although this is going to be an ongoing project for Beta Tau, as it is notcheap, they are looking forward to these changes and hope to encourage students with and withoutdisabilities to explore Greek Life, apply for 2018 Spring Recruitment, and welcome all to our beautifulhome! ==Highlights of 2018== Over the past year, Beta Tau has strived to become more active in our community and takea stand on events that are impacting our world. In the Spring, senior Zoë Swainsonorganized to have our chapter take part in the White Ribbon Campaign Walk for the VeraHouse, which is a domestic and sexual violence service agency providing shelter, advocacy,and counseling services in the Syracuse Community. This fall, many members participatedin OTTOThon with the help of Katie Bisbee, who was on the executive board. At this event,members were able to dance for 12 hours and raise money for Update Golisano Children’sHospital. In addition, three of our members, Kenza Bouanane, Dani Vasquez, andMackenzie O’Dell, who volunteer at the RISE Center, which is a nonprofit that helps refugeeand immigrant families in Syracuse, introduced the organization to our chapter, and manyof our women have gotten involved in the past few months. This holiday season, Beta Tauparticipated in a Salvation Army Present Drive, and collected 70 toys and $500 worth ofpots, pans, and other kitchen supplies for those in need. Beta Tau has also strengthened ritual appreciation and has continued to emphasize theimportance of sisterhood events. On Founder’s Day, the whole chapter came together andcelebrated with an archive presentation put on by our Marshal, Kayla Mattocks. Kayla alsoorganized a few ritual review sessions in order to make sure everyone knew the words toeach song, which was a fun gathering. Our sisterhood chair, Kenza Bouanane, has organizeda few sisterhood events throughout this year to strengthen our friendship and participatein fun activities together, including apple picking and workout classes. Our VP of AcademicExcellence organized Kappa Kareer Day in the fall, where we learned helpful tips on how toland our dream internships, and heard from a panel of seniors about their previousinternship experiences. ==Highlights of 2020s2019== In 2019 many events happened within our chapter. We gave awards for those with the highest GPA within our sorority as well as holding a dinner for those who achieved a high GPA. Our house board additionally gave awards to women who lived within the sorority in addition to women who made a big difference within our house. Our chapter goals of 2019 included having a smooth recruitment process that went exceptionally well. We had a fantastic recruitment process that led to a wonderful pledging and initiation period of our new members. This year in December the chapter faced a challenge through the "Not again SU" movement that effected many women in the chapter. The way in which this was addressed was through a chapter meeting in which the fundamental issues were discussed, additionally in this meeting we emphasized that Kappa Kappa Gamma was a safe space for all the women in our sorority. This movement was meant to shine a light on the mistreatment of people of color on the Syracuse Campus. This prompted our chapter to host many diversity workshops. In addition to creating a new position for our chapter Diversity Chair. In September 2019 we had our senior surveys handed out on the first so that their experience could be recorded, and information could be given to the chapter about our seniors. On the fourth of September we had a PC19 and seniors fireside and dinner to continue emphasizing the importance of sisterhood and community. We also had a senior programming night in September in addition to EME training. Furthermore, we had our scholarship dinner where those with a high GPA in our sorority were awarded. Additionally, we had Kappa Kar wash our philanthropy in which we raised money for Reading is Fundemental. In October 2019 we had another EME training in addition to the celebration of Founders Day on the 13th. The Chapter celebrated funders day 2019 in a unique way. Our chapter Marshal at the time Kayla, hosted the ritual for the day. Which was followed by a brunch where speeches about kappa and out founders were given and alumni from the past years came to visit and participate. Furthermore, our chapter archives were placed around our chapter room and library so that women could reflect on the years before and speak to each other about how things have evolved and changed through the years. On the Saturday following Founders Day we had Kappa Parents weekend in which we showed off our amazing chapter and house to the parents visiting. In October we also had PC18 dinner in which they could all strengthen their bonds as new members of our sorority. To celebrate Halloween at the chapter house, the entire sorority was invited to pumpkin carve at the chapter and celebrate Halloween with their sisters. In November 2019 we had informal chapter elections in addition to an all house recruitment practice. Through this month we begun to get prepared for recruitment and prepare PC18 to be on the other side of recruitment. On the 12th we had EXPO at Goldstein Auditorium which involved many women from our sorority going to represent our house to potential members. In November we additionally had an all house Thanksgiving dinner which was a wonderful way to all come together before leaving for our Thanksgiving break. In December 2019 the house hosted an In-House Christmas Dinner and Cheerful Cherub event which excited all the members and reinforced the bonds of our sisterhood. During this month we also prepared for recruitment and participated in many philanthropies. We also participated in many philanthropic events in this calendar year that helped raise thousands of dollars for philanthropies other than our own.We continually choose Reading is Fundamental due to the importance of education in our community and communities around the world. As a chapter we recognize that knowledge is power and in order to create a more connected world we need to come together and educate one another. Furthermore, we believe in this organization because it provides so much to communities that are not as fortunate as our own. We believe that through our philanthropies we are able to make a difference in the lives of so many and create a lasting impact. ==Highlights of 2020:== [[File:Beta Tau Chapter 2020 v2.jpg|thumb|Fraternity Council member and Beta Tau, Syracuse, alumna Leah DeCesare talks to Beta Tau chapter for a Sesquicentennial celebration in October 2020.]] This year things changed significantly due to COVID. In the beginning of the year in January things were normal. Recruitment went very well and the year was looking good. As the year went on and we all had to go home many things had to shift in order to minimize the risk of exposure. One of the events we were meant to facilitate was the inspiration period which happens prior to initiation. To adhere to COVID guidelines, the chapter Marshal created a way in which to foster a friendship with the new members and help them remember their experience pledging and feel closer to the house. We created an entire week where we all wore the same colors and were encouraged to face time one another. Furthermore we also had green paper appreciation through google slides, where every girl wrote about when they felt they started to understand each other better.
The chapter supports Reading is fundamental because we believe that everyone should have the opportunity for education and that through our efforts we can increase literacy in our communities.
To celebrate our graduating class of 2021, we held a bagel brunch for the seniors on the lawn of the chapter house, recognized members for their high achievements and strong involvement in the house through awards, and provided space outside of the chapter house for seniors to pass down Kappa merchandise and goodies to their closest friends in the younger classes.
When returning to campus in late August 2021, restrictions and guidelines had been mostly lifted, allowing our members to finally get together in person and enter the chapter house. In September 2021 we were all learning to adjust to the “new normal” on our campus. We held in-person chapter for the first time in over one year and opened our chapter house to all active members to be able to visit.
The following weekend we held our annual philanthropy, Kappa Kar Wash, to raise money for the JED Foundation and the National Eating Disorders Association, two of our new philanthropic partners, as well as the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation Scholarship Fund.
Later in the month we held the Courage to Commit workshop for our chapter over Zoom, which was focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We received programming focused on recognizing privilege through small and large group discussions both with and without our facilitator to understand how to make our chapter a more inclusive place.
We also began all house recruitment practice and mock recruitment practices with other Panhellenic chapters, which has been a wonderful way to bring our house together and get excited for Spring recruitment. Many of our members have attended various workshops through the Panhellenic Council, focusing on topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, Title IX matters, and more. On November 15th we participated in the EXPO, in which women from each Panhellenic sorority gathered to represent their respective chapters and provide information to potential new members. Our members have participated in various philanthropic events across campus, benefitting a variety of organizations and raising thousands of dollars. Moving into the final month of the calendar year, we hope to hold more events for chapter members to celebrate the year we’ve had and bring sisters together prior to leaving campus for a month for winter break. It is a priority for this year and moving forward that all sisters feel safe and welcome within our chapter and fostering an accountable space.
The Beta Tau chapter supported Kappa’s new philanthropy through our annual philanthropy event, the Kappa Kar Wash. We held this event on Sunday, October 10th, in which we raised money for the six mental health organizations and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation by washing cars in the parking lot of our chapter house. It is a wonderful event in which all members of our house arrive in specially designed t-shirts and participate in various roles throughout the day, all with the hope of being able to support mental health and the KKG Foundation. Prior to the change of national philanthropy affiliation, we held an event to benefit Reading is Fundamental, the previous national philanthropy partner of Kappa Kappa Gamma. It was called Kappa x SigEp Dodgeball, as we hosted a dodgeball tournament with Sigma Phi Epsilon where teams of students in the Greek community would buy in to enter a team in the tournament, with proceeds benefitting RIF and Second Harvest Food Bank.
As of now, we have two Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chairs assigned to promote DEI as well as educate the house. For example, our DEI Co-Chairs plan events, workshops, and presentations done by professional organizations (some through Syracuse University, some not) to engage the house on the topic of DEI, point out the issues we face, and work to become more accepting with the way we speak and our overall actions. This semester, we had a presentation on what acceptable and unacceptable Halloween costumes are, we had two different speakers come to speak to the house and had various individual members attending other DEI workshops. All received spectacular feedback and is something we will continue to do more of. Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Panhellenic Council offer several scholarships to support those with greater financial need so our house is not limited to only those who can comfortably afford the dues.
When a DEI incident occurs involving someone in the house, the correct action is taken up with standards and further progressed if needed. Moving forward, our chapter plans to promote additional resources outside our DEI-------------------------------Note Chairs such as Antiracismdaily.com, Racialeuqitytools.com, and our University/FSL/Multicultural office. We also plan to Chapter Registrar:Please refer expand our social media to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes follow more accounts surrounding social justice, post in celebration of more holidays, and promote DEI events and back issues of ''The Keymembers'personal experiences if they feel comfortable. More surveys determining members' comfortability in the house will be conducted anonymously and made public to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlightshouse so everyone can see the results and better understand where our community is at. If your chapter archives are not completeWe recognize the importance of diversity, please research your university libraryequity, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapterinclusion. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board membersWe take all action needed to make our house acceptable, accountable, local Alumnae Association membersand aware, or your Province Director but we also recognize there is a lot more needed to be done to not only educate our house but be an inspiration to the rest of Chapters for assistanceGreek life.