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Epsilon Nu

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|Image= [[File:EpsilonNu_House.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1973|10|13}}
|College= [httphttps://www.vanderbilt.edu/ Vanderbilt University]
|Location= Nashville, TN
|Homepage= [httphttps://chaptersvanderbilt.kappakappagammakappa.org/epsilonnu/ Epsilon Nu Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Nu Media related to Epsilon Nu Chapter]}}
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'''Vanderbilt University established 1873 in Nashville, Tennessee'''
As a chapter, we strive to be continually involved in the Vanderbilt community and continue our great fundraising events for our philanthropies. Our annual event, Kappa Kappa Gala, raised a significant amount of money for Reading is Fundamental and TAP. Academically we received one of the highest house GPAs in Panhellenic.
Our chapter is very involved in the campus community, and many of our members hold leadership positions in other organizations. The overall nature of Epsilon NU Nu is energetic and involved. Each member is committed to Kappa, but also is excited to share their other passions with their sisters.
Along with Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, our chapter raises money and volunteers at The After School Program or TAP. TAP is a tutoring program for students in the local Nashville area. Vanderbilt students meet with these Nashville students a couple times a week to help them with their school work and encourage their academic curiosity.
We believe in the power of education and understand the importance of child literacy. Many students in the Nashville area struggle to receive good education, so we want to give back to the community that has given so much to us.  
 
==Highlights of 2019==
 
In 2019, Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Epsilon Nu chapter at Vanderbilt University grew as both a sisterhood and a liaison to the Vanderbilt and Nashville greater community. Our annual philanthropy event, Kappa Kappa Gala raised $6000, the most money in our chapter’s history, for Reading is Fundamental, our national philanthropy, and TAP, our local philanthropy. Our sisters donated books and money as well as our time through the community. Three days a week, sisters spent time tutoring and mentoring children in public schools in Nashville. Our Kappa Kookout in the spring raised over $4000 for our philanthropies. This January, the Epsilon Nu chapter welcomed 39 new members to our chapter. We could not have gotten this amazing new member class without the hard work of recruitment chair Dana Rowe. To celebrate our incredible new pledge class, our Bid Day theme was Kappa Wonderland. We had so much fun on Bid Day celebrating and dancing with our new member class! Our hardworking and intelligent sisters had one of the highest average GPAs in the Vanderbilt Panhellenic community. We are so proud of our sisterhood, involvements, and academics and strive to continue our legacy as a chapter.
 
==Highlights of 2020:==
 
Our chapter was given the House Board award and we were noted as honorable mention for the Academic Excellence award. We had one member receive the Epsilon Nu merit-based scholarship this year. We also conducted a virtual initiation during the Spring 2020 semester as one of the first chapters in Kappa to ever do so. We were unable to have in-person chapters, but our house has been opened for people to hang out in small, socially-distanced groups upon request.
 
[[File:Epsilon Nu Badge Presentation Ceremony.png|thumb|Epsilon Nu Badge Presentation Ceremony]]
 
'''Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'''
 
The chapter created a list of action items moving forward with recruitment this year to ensure we are more inclusive and open to as many new ideas as possible. These action items ranged from financial inclusivity, diversity and inclusion measures, as well as many other items to move our chapter toward a more socially inclusive environment. We added an official DEI officer and posted awareness of our actions and steps moving forward through social media campaigns.
 
'''Philanthropy:'''
 
​Epsilon Nu supports Book’em, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, as well as The After School Program. ​Our chapter has supported these three organizations for several years now. The After School Program and Book’em encourage children in the Nashville area to independently read and work hard in school. Our chapter is highly encouraging of raising the literacy rates in Nashville Metro areas, and we work with these two organizations to do exactly that. Also, we support the KKG Foundation to support our sisters in times of need.
 
'''Sesquicentennial Celebration'''
 
Our chapter celebrated Kappa’s 150th anniversary at Trish Smith’s house. Since the pandemic put a damper on things, many people were unable to attend, but the women who did went through a safe, socially-distanced badge presentation ceremony (also held at Trish’s house) and celebrated the anniversary through tradition and ritual with members old and new.
 
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==Highlights of 2021:==
 
2021 has been a truly transformative year for the Epsilon Nu chapter. As a result of the Abolish Greek Life movement on campus, our chapter lost many of our crucial members. However, rising to the occasion, Interim-President Maddie Souza and President Alexa Mora, with the help of their Chapter Council, took on many responsibilities to ensure the future of KKG at Vanderbilt. Without them or the dedicated members of the Nashville Alumnae Association, we could not have accomplished all that we did in 2021 or the years to follow.
 
[[File:EN 2021 1.jpg|thumb|Epsilon Nu 2021]]
 
'''Philanthropy:'''
 
In support of the Fraternity's new mental health initiative, we developed a new philanthropic partnership this year. We decided to work with Ac3ve Minds at Vanderbilt, our local chapter of the nationwide organization that seeks to decrease stigma and raise awareness surrounding mental health on college campuses. To accumulate support for Active Minds, we hosted our annual Kappa Gala. Gathering members of the Vanderbilt community, sisters performed three different choreographed dances, shared presentations from Ac3ve Minds, and also hosted a guest performer from Belmont! Thanks to all of those who donated, we were able to raise $3,000 dollars for Active Minds.
 
'''Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'''
 
After installing an official DEI officer in 2020, we pushed our initiatives to become a more inclusive and diverse chapter even further in 2021. We added a DEI committee where both active and new members worked with our officer to develop individualized DEI immersion projects. We also engaged in introductory IGNITE VU diversity training and attended immersive speaker events. In fact, during one chapter meeting we were lucky to host Princeton History Professor Kevin Kruse for a Civil Rights History Discussion and Q&A over Zoom.
 
[[File:EN 2022 2.jpg|thumb|Epsilon Nu Valentine's Day 2021]]
 
'''Operating in a Pandemic'''
 
During a year that brought unprecedented challenges, we navigated a recruitment process entirely online, but were able to welcome an amazing class of new women and establish strong sisterhood. However, we also found ways to connect in person while maintaining safe distance. On Valentine's Day, the Nashville Alumnae Association dropped off goody bags filled with owl cookies and candy for all of the new members, welcoming them to Kappa and had treats for the active members too! When regulations changed in the fall, we held a Professional Development Day where members could take headshots and sit in on a LinkedIn workshop. With the lifting of social distancing we were also able to attend football games, welcome 4 new members through an in-person COB recruitment process, and hold our annual fall formal: Kappa Glow!
 
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'''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!