2,350
edits
Changes
→Highlights of 2021
|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'''
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==
This calendar year was a great year for the Epsilon Sigma chapter as we focused on improving our ritual and continuing to focus on our strong sense of sisterhood and community. We have sisters involved in many philanthropies, such as volunteering at the hospital, tutoring at the local jail, and coaching young children'''Philanthropy:'''s sports teams. Our sisters are also very involved at UVA, winning the Batten Chili Cookout, participating in Alternative Spring Breaks, and serving as tour guides on the UVA grounds. As we look to the future, we are still focusing on our Capital Campaign, aiming to continue raising funds for a new house.
Our school is becoming increasingly diverse, and as a result, our chapter has decided to implement a Diversity Chair. This chair'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.
==Highlights of 2019==
UVA has remained the same throughout the past year. Our chapter is in a period of change because our house is about to be renovated. During this period, our third year girls will be living at a different location on Madison Rd. instead of Rugby Rd. The girls of Epsilon Sigma are very optimistic about this change because they are so excited about the new house.
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.