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|Image= [[File:Epsilon_Sigma.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1976|10|23}}
|College= [httphttps://www.virginia.edu/ University of Virginia]
|Location= Charlottesville, VA
|Homepage= [httphttps://wwwvirginia.virginiakappa.eduorg/fsl/isc/kappakappagamma.html Epsilon Sigma Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Sigma Media related to Epsilon Sigma Chapter]}}
'''University of Virginia, founded in 1825 in Charlottesville, Virginia'''
'''1,473 528 initiates (as of June 2012018)'''
The Epsilon Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had an incredible year in 2017. It started with an excellent rush, where we welcomed an entire new pledge class of great women to our chapter. The first week, in an effort to integrate the new class with existing members, each class hosted a night of bonding. The second years took them bowling, the third years did pizza and movie night, and the forth years hosted a potluck. All three nights went wonderfully, and they were followed with more weeks of fun bonding activities and dinners.
In April we had our initiation, and it was a great success; not only serving as a really special experience for the new girls, but as great momentum for the chapter as we continued to work to get off probation. Run by our incredibly capable marshal Amanda Payne, we ran our first fully accurate Initiation in many years. By this, I mean the LC who came to join us during the week leading up to Initiation worked with Amanda and the chapter to understand the songs, rituals, and physical process of the Initiation, which our chapter had struggled with in past years. We are hoping to continue this progress with the next Marshal. Amanda also integrated new traditions, such as having the new members write themselves a letter after Fireside, to be kept in a time capsule until they are seniors, when they will then be returned to them. She also added a Kappa quiz for the new members, which they had to take before Fireside. It covered the basic facts about Kappa, our traditions, symbols, and history. Overall, Epsilon Sigma is moving towards becoming a stronger chapter and understanding ritual as being more than just words in a book.
Our academic focuses have also been tested this year. While we dropped in the school rankings, it was only due a tiny shift in our GPA. In an effort to combat this drop, we started a whole slue of programs to increase academic performance. We started the ‘A Jar,’ in which people can write their names and the good grades the got that week and be entered into a draw for a gift card. We also host weekly study nights at the house, complete with study snacks to help fuel our academic efforts.
We hosted two Fraternity visitors this past year, Jan Larson (EME Trainer) and Maddy Poletis (LC). Audrey Jackson, VPO, worked closely with Chapter Council and the VPO Committee to make their stays with us as comfortable as possible. Committees and Committee Nights were improved with the use of "GroupMe" communication and the delegation of various jobs within committees to give leadership roles to chapter members. Audrey also created a Food Committee to improve house meals and a T-Shirt committee to design our shirts. Committees still have problems, however, such as lack of participation among some members and the disproportionate sizes of committees. We are actively working to solve this problem, and have some potential ideas to resolve the issue such as combining the smaller committees and placing more active members in often-used committees (such as philanthropy and marshal). A couple smaller achievements include officer binders and anonymous surveys. Audrey created Chapter Council officer binders with their respective leadership guides, so officers can archive important documents and incoming officers can refer to them for help. And created a monthly anonymous survey for chapter members to anonymously submit their comments/questions/concerns. This is a great way for members to speak their minds and is very helpful for Chapter Council.All of these efforts culminated in May. After overseeing the Chapter Strategic Plan and Strategic Goals to ensure that the Chapter Council was tackling the problems addressed in our Chapter Survey and in our probation letter, Lynn Kelly, our leader and president, informed us that our Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters removed our chapter from a letter of probation. They recognized our improved communication, financial organization and priority to decrease risky behavior. As a result, we have been able to begin a Capital Campaign for chapter house renovations. As a chapter we were overjoyed, to know that all our hard work had paid off, and that we were fully embodying what it means to be great members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. [[File:Epsilon Sigma Chapter Room.pdf|thumb|The Epsilon Sigma chapter room.]]
This moment, however, was bitter sweet, as shortly after we had to say goodbye to our incredible fourth year class. We did so, however, with a bang. Sophia Gribaldi arranged a dinner for the graduating girls, and facilitated a presentation with baby pictures and letters from their parents. In addition, all the littles of the graduating girls read blurbs about them at their final chapter.
Reading is Fundamental is Kappa’s national philanthropy, so they were an obvious choice when it came to deciding where to send money we had raised. Many members spend time in local schools, helping teachers and tutoring students. Unfortunately, Charlottesville is an area that has a few schools that are incredible underfunded. Being a source of help for them, and being a resource they can lean back on has really meant a lot to our chapter. The power of education cannot be understated, and this is a big way we can contribute to that mission and cause. Additionally, the Rose McGill aid helps so many people, and we knew that whatever funds we could allocate that way would go to great use.
==Highlights of 2020s:2018== [[File:Hanging out at Epsilon Sigma.jpeg|thumb|Hanging out at Epsilon Sigma.]]
Our school is becoming increasingly diverse, and as a result, our chapter has decided to implement a Diversity Chair. This chair'''Philanthropy:'''s job is to promote diversity and inclusion in the chapter, as well as keep the chapter updated on different events around campus.
We support Reading is Fundamental. We are passionate about ensuring that young children have the resources available to learn how to read. Giving children ready access to books is essential to their growth and development, and also necessary to inspire a love of learning.
Twelve Kappa members received a 4.0 GPA. One member presented her independent research on skeletal patterning and morphogenesis at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Society for Developmental Biology Conference. Many members studied at the London School of Economics in the summer. Three members went to the Kappa Leadership Convention. A Kappa sister helped the UVA Club Field Hockey team win the National Championship. Two members became spin instructors, and a few others ran a marathon.
Philanthropy: Reading is Fundamental
As fortunate students, our chapter feels that we should give books back to the community because they are tools that allowed us to get to where we are at the University of Virginia. Our book drive and fundraisers "Breakfast for Books" and "Kappasta" are events that we are allowed to host because of our upbringing centered on education. We are so lucky to be learning at UVA and hope that our contributions to RIF can aid the larger effort to promote education among underprivileged children.'''
Kappa members volunteered for organizations such as Pancakes for Parkinsons, the BIG Event at UVA, Greens to Grounds,Alternative SpringBreak at UVA, worked at a local church soup kitchen, and gave TED talks this year.
Founders Day: On November 20 for Founders Day, our chapter invited past and present sisters to the Kappa House at UVA for brunch. In the middle of the brunch, we invited everyone upstairs where we held a short ceremony. The celebration lasted around three hours.
Sesquicentennial Celebration: We plan to conduct a similar ceremony to Founders Day, where we host local alumnae for a brunch to celebrate the anniversary.
==Highlights of 2020==
58 Kappa girls received a 4.0 this semester, and we ranked second out of 15 sororities in GPA. One member became an app launch coordinator for Flaire, another ran a half marathon, and another received the Quentin Alcorn memorial merit scholarship. Kappa members volunteered for organizations such as Pancakes for Parkinson's, the BIG Event at UVA, Greens to Grounds, Alternative Spring Break at UVA, worked at a local church soup kitchen, and gave TED talks this year. Our chapter was affected by COVID-19 in many ways, but most notably we had to conduct a virtual initiation for our members who could not attend initiation, and for our new COBs this fall. New members also did not get to have a "Big Sis" week with their big sisters in the spring which includes socializing and getting to know older members. Finally, we plan to hold our winter recruitment online. Our chapters also in a period of change because our house is being completely renovated. Our third-year girls have been living at a different location on Madison Rd instead of Rugby Rd.
''Philanthropy:' Our chapter supports Reading is Fundamental. As fortunate students , our chapter feels that we should give books back to the community because they are tools that allowed us to get to where we are at the University of Virginia. Our book drive and fundraisers "Breakfast for Books" and "Kappasta" are events that we are allowed to host be because of our upbringing centered on education. We are so lucky to be learning at UVA and hope that our contributions to RIF can aid the larger effort to promote education among underprivileged children.
"Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" - We added a DEI officer last year. This year, she created an antiracism website resource for sisters and a statement in the wake of George Floyd's death. She has also been working to make recruitment more fair and has collaborated with the broader ISC community at UVA. Finally, one of her most recent pursuits has been creating a financial aid package for prospective members so they do not have to refrain from joining Kappa for financial reasons.
"Sesquicentennial Celebration" - We held a virtual ceremony.
==Highlights of 2021==
Our chapter held all of our events virtually due to COVID-19. Chapter meetings, recruitment, and Initiation were all held over zoom. Bid day was in person with small groups and masks.