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→Highlights of 2016
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We chose to support this organization because our chapter enjoys working hands on with the children in our area, and we know our service and donations are impacting them directly. We prefer actual interaction, rather than simply handing a check. It is very rewarding to see how our philanthropy affects these children for the better.
==Highlights of 2016==
Over the past year, the members of Epsilon Pi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma have created many amazing memories that have enriched their college experience. Our chapter started the year off strong by holding elections in January after our lovely winter break which was quite a bit longer this year then in years past. As usual our sisters chose extraordinary women to help lead the chapter as Chapter Council. Shortly after, our education chair held the first education program of the year. The education program was all about proper etiquette, as a chapter we all ate California Pizza Kitchen and watched the presentation that our education chairman gave on good vs poor etiquette.
On February 25th our chapter got together to do what we do best, eat. We had an amazing sister hood that was at the Kickn Crab, we all bonded over a very messy meal and made lasting memories with our sisters. A few days after our sister hood our chapter got together yet again for our Semi-Formal. Our spectacular semi formal was located at a beautiful club in Long Beach. We all got dressed up in our best cocktail attire and every Kappa and their dates looked fantastic. Kappa’s all danced the night away and took many lavish photos. At the venue itself there was a professional photographer who helped to capture every moment of the stupendous night. This extraordinary night with sisters and their dates couldn’t have gone better.
Reading Is Key, our winter philanthropy, quickly approached after. Our theme this year was a day at the zoo. We decorated Madison Elementary’s cafeteria accordingly with zebra and cheetah print decorations, face painting station, and a reading station. Sisters enjoyed painting the children’s face whether it was a simple design, or creative zoo animals. The book we chose to read was Animal Strike at the Zoo, and each kid received one of their very own to take home. This was very exciting for them since most of these kids are from under privileged households and the books we give them are usually the first books they own. We also donated many books to their library in hopes of exposing them to learn about how important and fun reading can be. Our day was filled with reading, crafting, and delicious snacks, and Kappa’s had such a fun time interacting with these wonderful kids.
At the beginning of the month of March our philanthropy chair planned an amazing event with Madison Square elementary school in honor of Dr. Seuss day. All of our sisters went to the school dressed in their best Dr. Seuss attire, and read to the children. This was such an amazing experience for us to see the joy on the children’s faces as we read the silliest of Dr. Seuss books to them. Later on in the month of March the newest member class Beta Delta got together for a new member retreat. The retreat was held on our campus at the student recreational centers excursion course. The new members all had a wonderful experience as they tried to climb up rock walls, ropes and ladders. The new member retreat was such a great bonding experience for Beta Delta.
To start off the month of April we welcomed all of our lovely parents to our Annual Parents Day at Indian Hills Country Club. This was a fantastic day that allowed us to share why Kappa Kappa Gamma means so much to each of us with the parents . Awards were given out to Kappa’s for their academic excellence and for their spirit and dedication to the Epsilon Pi Chapter. Parents and Kappa’s all sat and ate a wonderful brunch and learned all about the amazing things that we have accomplished throughout the year. Later into the month of April our philanthropy chair organized one of our three main philanthropic events Words With Friends. It was a night to remember as we watched many of the students form the Greek community participate in our speed read and games. The entry fee to the event was a children’s books and all of the books raised where donated to the children of Madison elementary school.
Also in the month of April Epsilon Pi participated in the fraternity, Delta Tau Delta’s annual philanthropic pageant, which raises money for The City of Hope through donations and fundraisers. Each sorority on campus was to choose one participant to represent their chapter and compete in the event. Our chapter couldn’t think of a more perfect candidate other than our sister Sarah Lopinski. Sarah put together many fundraisers for the event including Kappa Kappucino, where sisters helped sell baked goods on campus, and Kappa Karaoke, where sisters and friends got together and sang their hearts out. Our sisters had such a fun time supporting her and watching all of her outstanding performances.
To start off the month of May we had our annual philanthropy Day in the Life, where we bus over 6th graders from Madison Elementary to UCR. We get the opportunity to show these young children what its like to not only be a college student but what its like to be a Kappa. We give all the students a tour of our beautiful campus and teach them different UCR cheers. After the tours are over, we all eat lunch together on the grass by our famous bell tower and play fun games with the children. By the end of the day all the children are telling us how they are so excited to go to college, this is such an amazing feeling knowing that you have done a part in getting one more child excited to shoot for a higher education.
After patiently waiting all year for one of Epsilon Pi's favorite events the time had finally come for our annual Formal. This years formal was held at a beautiful country club located in Costa Mesa. This night was one to remember with lots of beautiful pictures, and delicious food Before heading into summer we had one last sisterhood in which we spent the night in a mansion in Corona. We all began by taking cute photos with the many kappa props that we had brought on the outside of the mansion by the beautiful pool. Later on that night we got together and watched a scary movie in the home theatre that the house had. We all snuggled up in beds together hoping that we could sleep after watching such a scary movie. This sisterhood was such a great experience since Epsilon Pi does not have a sorority house we all got to experience for once what it would be like to be living together.
One of our last events before summer vacation was an event UCR holds every year, Pillars Week. Pillars week is a whole week dedicated to different traits necessary for a successful organization. All greek organizations were placed in teams that competed in competitions focused on a different trait each day starting with leadership, friendship, service, and scholarship. This whole week is dedicated to uniting the community of greeks at our school.
During the months of summer some of the us got together to film for our recruitment video. We filmed in multiple locations in riverside including one of our sisters beautiful homes. After a fun filled exciting summer all of our sister where excited to be reunited once again for recruitment. On the first weekend of October 2,, our chapter was able to socialize with girls and make them fall in love with everything that we as Kappa’s do. We showed them the meaning of Kappa, our values, and our philanthropy that we hold so dear to us. Our dedication and hard work paid off and we received an amazing new pledge class of well-rounded and kindhearted girls. Sunday night we held our Bid Day, we welcomed all of our new members with life guard themed apparel, and had an assortment of Mexican food for dinner. After a fun week of room decorating, clues, and anxiousness, we ended October with our Big Little Reveal. Little’s found the matching pair of sock behind a sheet and when the sheet dropped their Big’s were revealed. Big’s and little’s embraced in hugs and even tears of excitement and joy. That same night, new members were ushered to their new member sleep over where they bonded over games, learned about our founders, and laughed over stories.
The start of November consisted of the event our wonderful Marshal hosted, a sisterhood night were we all skated around the roller rink together in our matching inspo week shirts. The most important event of the year was the initiation of our new members of the Beta Epsilon class. It was a beautiful ceremony welcoming our deserving members into Kappa Kappa Gamma. They discovered the true meaning of all our beliefs and values and finally understood what makes Kappa so strong. To finish of the year we had on of our most fun events Kappa Date Party. We received matching shirts that were designed by one of our own sisters and headed to Boomers Amusement Park in Irvine. We spent the night riding bumper cars, go karts, climbing rock walls, playing laser tag, and miniature golf. Overall it has been a successful year for the Epsilon Pi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
The most recent change on campus this year is most definitely the amount of students that now attend the University of California Riverside. For the first time in history Riverside received more than 50,000 student applications for admission. With that many more incoming students of course there where quite a few more women who signed up for recruitment this year as well. With so many more women interested in the recruitment process, each year our chapter seems to grow immensely with a many more new members. We are always ecstatic to welcome new members into our chapter and we have been handling the size increase quit well.
Epsilon Pi traditionally raises money for our adopted local underprivileged elementary school, Madison Elementary. Throughout the year we hold three philanthropic events for them, Reading is Key, Words With Friends, and A Day in the Life.
Epsilon Pi choses to support this organization because it gives us the opportunity to work hands on with the youth in our area. It is amazing to see our service and donations impact the the lives of the future of our community. Epsilon Pi prefers the face to face interaction that we get from our events such as Day in The Life and Reading is Key, rather then simply just raising money and handing in a check. It is so rewarding to see how our philanthropy affects these young students for the better.
Epsilon Pi typically meets once a week for chapter meeting in a larger classroom or lecture hall on campus.
==Highlights of 2020s:==