374
edits
Changes
→Highlights of 2013
As a chapter, Eta Alpha feels its members are genuine, enjoyable, welcoming, and supportive. Our chapter is extremely diverse in our academic and personal interests, extracurricular activities, and backgrounds. We feel our chapter is strengthened by this diversity and the phrase "individually unique, together complete" fitting.
==Highlights of 2014==
For Eta Alpha Chapter, 2014 was a year full of sisterhood and campus involvement boasting 101 members. In March 36 new sisters were initiated, including four Kappa legacies, two in-house, as well as four Chinese international students. Eta Alpha’s proudest accomplishment from 2014 was the Honorable Mention for Ritual by Kappa Kappa Gamma National Headquarters at Convention in June. With the combination of our two philanthropy events we raised $1,938 for Reading is Fundamental. Kappa Kickball was held in April and featured a competition between sorority and fraternity teams kicking for the win. Our notorious Kappa Cook Off held in October is a faculty judged event where fraternities grill their best burger and sororities bake their favorite dessert for the Greek and the non-Greek community alike. It is always a success day out on the field with live a cappella performances and raffles.
Branching into Kappa’s involvement in the local Greenville school system during recruitment about 250 children’s books were signed with encouraging and heartfelt messages to be given to the kids at our new elementary school. In the fall, Kappa was reached out to by the community of Duncan Chapel Elementary, asking for volunteers in the need-based after school program. Twice a week sisters spend an hour tutoring students and giving service to the community. In the beginning of December, Eta Alpha felt the need of those without proper clothes for the winter months and put on the Kappa Klothing Drive for several days collecting winter items from Furman students, faculty and staff. The need was met with enormous gratitude as the chapter collected ten large boxes of clothes for the local homeless shelter, Miracle Hill.
In September, Eta Alpha proudly participated in Haze Free KKG by making a banner in the dining hall and hash-tagging our personal beliefs as to why we do not haze our new and current members.
At Furman Kappa’s have a large presence within the PanHellenic Greek community. Boasting five Pi Chis during recruitment and three members on the council. In the fall Eta Alpha participated in informal PanHellenic recruitment events were we shared meet-and-greets with Chi Omega and Alpha Delta Pi and well as the colonization staff of Zeta Tau Alpha. In March Kappa won War of the Roses held by Pi Kappa Phi benefiting Push America. Our chapter was represented with six runners in Kappa Delta’s Shamrock & Roll in November. During Derby Days put on by Sigma Chi in April Eta Alpha came in second place. There was also Kappa representation at Delta Delta Delta’s D-Hop event in September and Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash Week in October. At one of Furman’s most attended Greek events, Stroll, hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha in March one of two Kappa teams came in third in the all sorority and fraternity choreographed dance off. During Greeks for Greenville in March, involving not only the Furman Greek community but that of Clemson and other local Greek organizations, Eta Alpha participated at Alexander Elementary in great numbers. There was much to do such as cleaning up the property, planting trees, pulling weeds from the playground, building path ways and painting a map of the USA on the basketball court as well as chalking fun designs for the children.
Outside of Greek Life Kappa’s are very involved in their own personal pursuits within the Furman community. The Furman University Equestrian Team proudly represents eight Kappa sisters, making up 2/3rds of the team. The Furman Belles, an all women’s a cappella group, is headed by a sister along with two other members. This year’s theater performance in November, The Drowsy Chaperone, was directed by a sister and included three others on the cast. The intramural Kappa basketball team continued to kick butt in 2014 with many wins. Kappa was proud to send a sister on the Furman Cycling team to the Collegiate Cycle Cross Championships where the Furman team placed fourth overall. For Halloween the Athletics Department hosted Fan Jam for children who cannot trick or treat in their neighborhoods, Kappa showed their support by dressing in costume and holding a game for kids to play and get candy.
Parent’s weekend in September was a fun filled event where Kappa hosted their very own catered tailgate. We got to enjoy family, sisters, and good food under our brand new KKG tent and music on the new speakers. Everyone was throwing what they know and taking pictures with our letters.
Homecoming was a blast at the end of October where our football team played Sanford. Kappa Kappa Gamma was paired with Kappa Alpha Order for the Greek Week competitions preceding the weekend. Our theme was “Pirates of the Caribbean” there were skits and chalking and pomping galore. Our float was skillfully constructed by the KA brothers to be the black pearl and was pomped to perfection. The evenings consisted of corn hole and music with cupcakes and hot chocolate provided by the Resident Life Council. In the end our combined efforts won the best tee-shirt competition, first in spirit and third overall. Of course it was lovely seeing our Kappa Alum and newly graduated sisters again.
Furman University gives their students’ opportunities to travel the world and explore beyond the campus gates. Eta Alpha members are unique girls and take great advantage of the wonderful experiences. In November four sisters traveled up to Charlotte North Carolina to participate in the Color Run. Even though it was freezing cold and snow covered the ground our girls pulled through and ran the race with full hearts. Later in that month two sisters made the trip to Orlando Florida to attend a Peer Health Educator Assembly and on their return gave presentations to students in the Health Science Department. During the spring and fall semester the chapter had some sisters in our minds and hearts as they attended school abroad and traveled. We had 9 sisters abroad in Edinburgh, China, Spain, the British Isles, France and Italy.
Eta Alpha achieved an increase in GPA by .042 points this year, however, we were put on academic probation by headquarters. Our outstanding Academic Excellence chair and committee have been working very diligently to come up with innovative ideas to encourage and help members with their workloads and studying ideas. They have individualized meetings with members to understand their situations and hold two Kappa study halls a week where all members are encouraged to study with sisters. There is also a competition between classes to hold the highest GPA with a reward for all class members, won by the seniors this year. The chair has also just put into place “geek of the week” where whoever gets the most pictures taken of them studying wins a prize.
A visit from our LC Caroline Washnock in September and Kappa Trainer Audrey McCall in November gave us great ideas and motivation for the next semester and for our chapter in the future. They encouraged and supported our weaknesses in the chapter’s involvement and being held accountable as sisters, as well as being more of a presence on campus. They also highlighted our chapter’s strengths and brought to light how close our bonds in the sisterhood are. They noticed what an aspiring group of young talented women we are, clearly noticing how Kappa values are represented within the chapter.