Delta Xi

 

Delta Xi
ΔΞ
Founded	February 17, 1944 (1944-02-17)
College	Carnegie Mellon University
Location	Pittsburgh, PA
Homepage	Delta Xi Homepage
Media related to Delta Xi Chapter

Carnegie Mellon University established in 1900, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university began as the Carnegie Technical Schools, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1900. Chapter founded February 17th, 1944 1,326 initiates (as of June 2018) Charter members: Janet Adele Armstrong, Phillis Gean Baber, Elizabeth Anne Beall, Ruth Essie Beall, Mary Jane Dickson, Mary Jane Forman, Lois Frishkorn, Dorothy Hortense Greiner, Thalia JEan Harmany, Helen Elisabeth Harrison, Dorothy Patricia Houlihan, Helen Louise Johnston, Catherine Ring Kinley, Helen Jean Macdonald, Billie Wallace McIlrath, Helen Wright Robinson, Ann McDonald Rodgers, Virginia Ann Sheppard, Dorothy Lucille Stauff, Marie Gloria Sunseri, Mary Kathryn Truxell, Mary Patricia Weakland, Dorothy Louise Willison, Marjorie Gretta Woodburn.

Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)

Fraternity Council Officers:

Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:

Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:

Marty Lewis Cornelius, 1952, Artist and scene/costume designer Aleta Cornelius Malm Eastman, 1952, Award-winning artist, painter and art teacher Mary Shaw Marohnic (Horn), 1958, Artist/illustrator; art instructor Barbara Hall Feldon, 1970, TV and film actress and fashion model, most famous for her role as Agent 99 in the TV series Get Smart

Additional Outstanding Delta Xi Alumnae: Mary Lou Maurhoff (Stewart), Graduate Counselor, 1954-1955; Lori Jurgovsky (Johnston), Chapter Consultant, 1995-1996;

The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)

Andrew Carnegie, in an agreement with the city of Pittsburgh, founded Carnegie Technical Schools in 1904 on the edge of a large city park. In 1912, renamed Carnegie Institute of Technology, it included the College of Engineering and Science, the College of Fine Arts, and Margaret Morrison Carnegie College. This was “Tech” when Kappa Phi Delta, the oldest sorority in the women’s college of Margaret Morrison Carnegie, petitioned Kappa.

At this local’s founding in 1929 there was an agreement not to petition a national fraternity for ten years. At the time of the petition, Beta Pi, a sorority in the Fine Arts College, elected to join with Kappa Phi Delta, and together they became Delta Xi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. It was agreed that women from engineering and science were to be included in membership selection although not many were available.

Installation

The installation February, 1944, coincided with the 25th anniversary of Gamma Epsilon, University of Pittsburgh. Initiation was held February 18 at the Carnegie Student Union and all but one of the Fraternity officers was present as 24 charter members and 11 pledges joined to form Delta Xi Chapter. Gamma Epsilon actives and nearby alumnae and representatives of many other chapters heightened the new group’s awareness of becoming part of an international fraternity.

Early Meetings and Housing

The active chapter, with scholastic interests varying from secretarial, home economics, and social studies to science, art, music, and architecture, met for its first formal meeting, called in order by first chapter president Helen Robinson Rhodes on February 20, 1944. The place of meeting was the so-called activities room of the Carnegie Student Union, an old mansion with large rooms and spacious closets, which was to be the center of Kappa activities until the new student union “Skibo” was built in 1960. Skibo’s closets were smaller and the storing of archives and supplies became a real problem. The meeting rooms were rather like classrooms and lacked privacy.

During the early years, most Delta Xi members commuted, but after 1948 when a large apartment building was remodeled for women students there were many more residents and many Kappas became roommates or floormates. Group spirit was strong and accomplishments many during the 1950s and early 1960s.

In early spring of 1965 Delta Xi drafted an appeal, through Panhellenic, to be presented to the incoming Carnegie Tech president, that each sorority be given a floor assignment in Morewood Gardens, the women’s dorm. Permission was granted and in the summer of 1965 advisers and others interested alumnae and actives furnished the lounge area of 3D Morewood. It was a great feeling to know where to find a Kappa. Now the chapter could plan initiations and other activities more easily . . . Delta Xi had a home.

The 1960s—a Decade of Change

Unfortunately as the 1960s continued the interest in sorority life and traditional values held appeal for fewer women students and Delta Xi suffered as did the other national Panhellenic groups. In spite of the long-awaited “place of our own” which should have bound the chapter together, unity and cohesiveness were lacking, and after a period of disorganization a graduate counselor was assigned. Rush and other areas improved, but only temporarily.

Council issued a Warning of Probation, followed by Probation, then a probation extension. A whole college generation of Delta Xis lived with the feeling of failure in living up to Fraternity obligations.

With all the other unrest in the world and increased pressures for academic achievement there seemed just not enough benefit from fraternity membership for women on the Carnegie campus.

Another graduate counselor was sent to try to restore order from chaos. Scholarship improved, organization improved, rush was still poor. A small chapter, however, when forced to question itself, can sometimes appreciate fundamentals more than one at its height.

Fortunately for Delta Xi the pledge class of 1969–70, although limited in numbers, was strong in appreciation of friendship, scholarship, and Kappa ideals. This group reasoned successfully with Council members that if the Fraternity itself had grown from a membership of six, a small chapter need not be considered irresponsible. Some reorganization of priorities was undertaken to accommodate the chapter’s size and the Delta Xis relaxed at last in the knowledge that their dedication was as sincere as that of any other chapter.

While Delta Xi was organizing, so was the Carnegie campus. In 1967 this private college was merged with Mellon Institute, a nearby private research facility. The result was Carnegie-Mellon University and, as such, the administration sought to widen the scope of academic disciplines offered. Margaret Morrison Carnegie College first became coeducational, and then was phased out entirely to be replaced by the College of Humanities and Social Studies. The character of student applications changed, too, and now many chapter members are enrolled in the College of Engineering and Science. The Margaret Morrison Carnegie College home economics members with their cooking and sewing abilities are missed, but the engineers are great at booth design and construction for Spring Carnival!

Traditions

Spring Carnival is an event of long tradition at Carnegie Mellon. The greatest impetus comes from the Greek organizations on campus and for one weekend, the student body plays hard to balance the hard work of the academic year. Greek Sing is another exciting event on the calendar, and Homecoming in the fall allows the chapter to roll out the welcome mat for returning alumnae. At other times during the year Delta Xi displays community awareness and concern by collecting for UNICEF at Halloween and by entertaining underprivileged children at Christmas.

A consideration of Delta Xi’s first 30 years reveals a stable organization, with its original spirit not overpowered by crises and change. Ideals of friendship, loyalty, and excellence appealed to the Kappa Phi Deltas and Beta Pis who petitioned Kappa in the early 1940s. Now, as each pledge class comes along it is evident that the Fraternity holds appeal, even though academic orientation and social orders have been transformed.

---

The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually Contact the Fraternity History Chairman with questions.

---

Highlights of the 1970s

Delta Xi also won Greek Sing in 1974

In 1975, the Delta Xi sisters won Greek Sing with the help of Phi Kappa Theta. In 1978, Kappa received an Appreciation Award from the March of Dimes for their efforts. The years of 1975 to 1985 was a huge time of growth for Carnegie Mellon University. The academic fields of software engineering and robotics expanded greatly and CMU made strides towards becoming one of the greatest technologically advanced schools. Our chapter flourished throughout these years and recruited many wonderful women.

During the 1978-1979 School Year, the Delta Xi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma moved from their residence in Morewood to a real home in the new Greek Quad. This was a big deal for the sisters. Many were sad to leave Morewood 3D, Kappa's first home, but at the same time, many were excited to have a real house. Having this home helped the sisters to grow closer and everyone made the best of this challenge.

Throughout these years the Greek System at Carngie Mellon was growing rapidly. This resulted in the university building an assortment of houses that would be considered Greek housing. This was very exciting for all students involved in greek life and our chapter responded by moving into one of these houses. The university itself was growing a lot as well. The president of the school at the time, Richard M. Cyert, made many changes in academics and administration that helped make CMU what it is today. He created the Andrew Network and also strategized on how to push Carnegie Mellon forward technology wise.

1975-1976: First Place in Greek Sing with the brothers of Phi Kappa Theta, First Place in Womens Overall Intramurals1976-1977: Second Place in Greek Sing, Second Place in the Booth Competition for Spring Carnival, First Place in Intramural Softball and Volleyball1977-1978: First Place in Greek Sing with the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega, Second Place in Booth Overall1978-1979: First Place in Booth, First Place in the Float Competition with the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega, First Place in Greek Sing with the brothers of Beta Theta Pi, First Place in Intramural Football and Basketball, Appreciation Award from the march of Dimes 1979-1980.

Highlights of the 1980s

The sisters of Delta Xi were involved in many activates both in and out of the chapter. From 1980-1984, KKG enjoyed events such as Crush Party, Panhellenic events, and sister bonding. The sisters were also involved with intramural sports and the team was known as the KKG Krusaders. The sisters worked on campuswide projects such as booth and had Big Little Sister week, in which new members were welcomed into the Delta Xi chapter. Delta Xi sisters were recognized in “The Key”. During these years, the sisters of the Detla Xi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma worked together to create an effective chapter.

A challenge that the Delta Xi chapter faced was lack of communication. Chapter Council called this goal “Improve Communications through Committee Utilization” and used programs such as the Big-Little Sister Program and the Active Pledge Program to carry out this goal. Another challenge was the deactivation of members. After the threat of deactivation of several sisters, Delta Xi worked to enforce the “Behind Closed Doors” policy to isolate incidents and alleviate the stress placed on the sisters.

This time was an exciting one for Kappas. Plans for alternative housing for the five Panhellenic sororities were proposed and built. During the years of 1983-1984, the Delta Xi chapter celebrated her 40th year as a chapter. This event was celebrated with a visit from the Fraternity President herself. As the Delta Xi chapter grew, changes were made to the internal structure of the Kappa community. More sisters were choosing to study engineering. This movement was supported by as sister becoming the president of the Society of Women Engineers.

In 1980, the sisters received the Beta Province Award for most improved scholarship. Delta Xi continued its academic achievements when it earned the highest QPA of all the sororities for the second consecutive year in 1982. Kappas were always successful in campus competitions such as intramurals, Greek Sing and Booth.

Second Place in Greek Sing with the brothers of Beta Theta Pi, Second Place in Booth Sororities

• 1980-1981: First Place in Greek Sing with the brothers of Phi Kappa Theta, First Place in Booth, First Place in Intramural Football and Softball, Highest QPA for Sororities, Beta Province Award for Most Improved Scholarship, Linda Kralosky was elected President and Janet Szwarc was elected Treasurer of the Society of Women Engineers, Cathy Glenn won the Carrier Corporation Award at the SWE Banquet
• 1981-1982: Highest QPA for Sororities, First Place in Intramural Football, Third Place in Greek Sing, Third in Booth among Greeks
• 1982-1983: Sue Ann Illig won the Scholarship Award and the Chapter Finance Award in the 54th Biennial Kappa Convention
• 1983-1984: Award for Overall Improvement, Third Place in Greek Sing, First Place in Booth for Sororities, Third Place in Booth overall
• 1984-1985:Honor Societies: Holle Humphries, Elizabeth Williams, M. Clair Blatt, Johanna Conte, Ingrid Goedicke, Lynetta Kopta, Cindy Baker, Heidi Riedl, Amy Pierce, Deborah Kaltwasser, Georgine Bogovich, Sue Ann Illig, Colleen Kennedy, Laurie Worthington, Joyce Teolis, Joan Lommel

Highlights of the 1990s

The Delta Xi’s worked hard to get their name out campus and received the 1997 Golden Key for outstanding achievement. A popular philanthropy that started in 1997 was the Kappa Kappa Gong Show to benefit Children’s Cancer Foundation.

Overall greek enrollment was down in the mid-nineties with a Panhellenic ceiling of just 45 members in the early nineties. One year after a large senior class had graduated, Kappa's numbers were significantly lower than the other houses entering fall rush that year. As a way to look larger on campus than they really were, sisters wore letter shirts every single day around campus so that it looked like there were Kappas everywhere you went. To keep from wearing the same shirts all the time, sisters washed the shirts every night at the house and traded shirts in order to extend their wardrobes. The trick worked, as Kappa's pledge class that fall was one of its largest. In the late nineties Kappa grew in size and so did the rest of the Panhellenic sororities and the chapter was 47 members by the end of the decade.

The late nineties also brought changes in terms to familiar sorority events. In 1997 Big and Little sisters became key sisters, and families became Kores, and Pledges became New Members. In 1998 Rush became Formal Membership Recruitment (and Informal Membership Recruitment) Panhellenic-wide.

Booth Highlights

• 1996 booth was "Sharp Shooters"
• 1997 Carnival theme was Television, and the booth was "Dinosaurs" (referencing the TV show that ran 1991-1994)
• 1998 booth was "Peter Pan". The booth won second place
• 1999 Carnival Theme was "Children's Literature" booth was "Paddington Station"
• 2000 booth was Mayan Ruins ("Kappanitza") and the booth won second place

Greek Sing Highlights

• 1996 Kappa won first place in Greek Sing with PhiKap performing Pippen
• 1997 Kappa partnered with SigEp, a new colony at the time, to perform La Cage aux Folles
• 1998 Kappa partnered with Tri-Delt and performed Chorus Line
• 1999 Kappa performed alone to a Madonna Anthology
• 2000 Kappa performed with Delta Upsilon in Boogie Nights Musical

Highlights of 2000-2010

Classes were canceled on September 11, 2001, the day of the tragic terrorist attack on the United States and an outdoor candlelit vigil was held that night. This event was attended by hundreds of people, including a lot of sisters. The next day a gathering was held in the University Center to give faculty, staff and students the opportunity to discuss issues and share feelings. A blood drive was held and so many people responded that people had to be turned away at the door. A number of sisters participated in the drive by acting as volunteers or donating blood. The university's annual United Way Campaign started "The September 11th Fund" to provide members of the university community with an opportunity to contribute to disaster relief efforts. Our chapter started a canned foods and old clothes drive at the house as part of its effort to contribute to disaster relief.

The 2004 calendar year proved to be busy but fulfilling. The highlight of the spring semester was our school's annual Greek Sing competition. In collaboration with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity we put on and energetic rendition of the Broadway production "Newsies" and had the audience on its feet. Over two months of hard work was rewarded when we won first place for the second year in a row. The spring semester was also marked by our school's Spring carnival and our creative and vibrantly colored booth modeled on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" earned us the Chairman's Choice Award.

That same 2004 Spring Carnival we made history by becoming the first all-women's organization to participate in the annual Buggy competition, a pushcar competition.We spent months improving an old buggy we purchased from an organization that had been participating in this event for a number of years. We did remarkably well for our first year and received the Buggy Chairman's Choice Award in recognition of our achievement.

The sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the Delta Xi Chapter was in March of Spring 2004 and to mark this momentous occasion we held an anniversary banquet at a hotel in downtown Pittsburgh and a number of alumni attended.

Among the chapter’s philanthropic events for the semester was a day we spent at an old people's home which proved to be a very rewarding experience. The beginning of the fall semester was as usual marked by formal membership recruitment, a very busy and hectic time for all. Our hard work paid off and recruitment proved to be very successful. The members welcomed twenty-five new sisters into our chapter.

Soon after we started fund raising for our major philanthropy, Quarter Mile of Quarters in collaboration with the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. We raised in excess of $5,000 for the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh. We also participated in a non- Greek philanthropy, Dance Marathon, and as part of the team that raised the most money for the second year in a row, many of our sisters stayed up all night. We also held our annual holiday dinner to which we invited underprivileged children and gave them the Christmas present they had dreamed of but never thought they would actually possess. Despite the fact that we participated in so many activities we upheld our high standards of academic excellence achieving a chapter QPA of more than 3.4 in both the spring and the fall. Our achievements as a chapter were recognized by the university and we were named the Outstanding Sorority for the year 2004.

In 2004, Carnegie Mellon University has a student body that consists of more than 8,000 graduate and undergraduate students. The university prides itself on its diversity reflected in the fact that 20% of the student body consists of international students. The university consists of seven schools and colleges - for engineering, science,business,fine arts,computer science,humanities and social sciences and public policy and management. Though the Greek population is under 15% of the student body, it is very active both on campus and in the community. The Greek population consists of 13 national fraternities, 4 national sororities and one private sorority.

The chapter has 63 members and it prides itself on being one of the most well regarded organizations on campus, and it strives to uphold this reputation. The members make a concerted effort to participate in philanthropies and other events of all the other Greek organizations as well as in non Greek events. Outside of their involvement in Kappa, the sisters are highly involved in many aspects of campus life. There are a number of varsity athletes, sexual assault advisers, resident advisers, orientation counselors and teaching assistants and as well as members of varied organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers, Alpha Phi Omega (community service) and Order of Omega (academic excellence).

There are sisters holding prominent positions on the Student Senate. The chapter members recognize the importance of scholarship and pride themselves on the fact that our chapter QPA is well above the campus all-women's average as well as the all-sorority average. For spring 2004, our chapter QPA was 3.44 and for fall 2004 its was 3.43.

In the fall, ten our sisters attained 4.0 QPAs. The members are aware of the fact that the faculty play a prominent role in helping us maintain our high academic standards and we recognize a different member of the faculty each week by naming a "Professor of the Week". The chapter hosts a professor tea and professors are invited to the house to provide an opportunity for interaction between the sisters and faculty on a more casual basis than would be possible in the classroom. We have a number of events to provide sisters an opportunity to get together for both work and relaxation. These include study hours, movie nights, sleepovers and unity dinners.

In 2004, the chapter continued two of its old goals - to have a chapter QPA of 3.35 and have an attendance of at least 80% at all mandatory events. We were successful in attaining our desired QPA. The chapter QPA for spring 2004 was 3.44 and that for the fall was 3.43. We tried to facilitate the attainment of this goal by holding weekly study hours, recognizing sisters who excelled in academics and encouraging attendance at classes by passing around a "no skippy" jar. We were also fairly successful in achieving our second goal and attendance at most mandatory events was over 80%. We tried to encourage attendance by rewarding those with perfect attendance at our meetings.

We also introduced two new goals. The first of these was to improve alumnae relations. In order to do this we created a new position, the alumnae chairman, who is in charge of keeping alumnae up-to-date of the activities of our chapter. The second goal was to have a sisterhood sleepover once a semester to promote unity. We held a sleepover in the fall after FMR which was primarily aimed at making our new members feel integrated into the chapter. This event was very well attended.

The Delta Xi chapter has had a very memorable year. During the spring of 2007, Kappa Kappa Gamma participated in Carnegie Mellon's carnival tradition by building booth. The carnival theme was "Small Things Made Big" and KKG created a gumball machine booth. The booth was very successful and allowed the Pittsburgh community to play the games inside and participate in the fun. KKG also participated in Greek Sing. This past year, KKG paired up with AEPi and performed "Guys and Dolls". The girls had so much fun and had the chance to interact with new people. Sapphire Ball was held in May and was an excellent way to end the school year. In the fall of 2007, Mystery Date Dinner was held at Wyndham Hotel. For a philanthropy event, KKG paired up with Kappa Alpha Theta for a Kite and Key Dodgeball event to raise money for the Strong Women Strong Girls foundation. In addition, an Alumnae Reception was held. Fifty-year Kappas were presented with gifts and it was a very touching experience.

The Delta Xi chapter also did something new this past calendar year. A family reception was held and parents of the sisters were invited to the house to learn a bit more about Kappa and meet the girls that are in the same sorority as their daughter. Fall formal recruitment was particularly important for the chapter this year because about half the house graduated in the spring. Thirty seniors left and the house numbers seemed small. The membership chairman at the time did a really great job motivating the sisters and stressing the importance of FMR for the future of our house. As a result, 19 new members joined and they were all very eager to take part in Kappa activities.

The Carnegie Mellon University campus is very diverse and most of the students at the school are very involved on campus in academics as well as extracurricular activities. The school has an overall focused attitude and it is very evident that the students are driven and set goals. Kappa Kappa Gamma has grown in several ways in 2007. Thirty seniors graduated so the number of girls in the house was cut in half. FMR was particularly important for the chapter in the fall and it was extremely successful. A great new group of girls that exemplify KKG joined and have been very active in all the activities.

There were challenges with academics and accountability this past calendar year. For academics, the chapter's overall grade point average was dropping. In order to help the situation, the VPAE initiated several activities such as a scholarship garden, enforced study hours at the house, fixed up the scholarship closet, and tried to boost the overall morale in the house. As for accountability, standards tried a few different methods to make sure that sisters attend mandatory events and stressed the importance of dedication.

In the spring semester of 2008, the Chapter Council attended the LEAD workshop at the University of Pittsburgh KKG house. They had the opportunity to meet Kappas from many other schools in the area and participate in leadership development activities. The Crush Party was held at Union Grill this year and Standards Retreat was held at the Schenley Park Ice Skating Rink. Greek Sing was a success this year. The sisters paired up with SAE and put together a show titled "Armagannie". The show was very funny and received compliments as well as a standing ovation from the audience. The chapter participated in many aspects of Carnival in the spring. The overall theme of Carnival was "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" and KKG decided to build a booth based on a Wizard of Oz theme. The sisters were extremely proud of the booth built in the spring because it was the first two story booth we had built in quite some time. It was named "Kappa's not in Kansas Anymore" and took visitors through a journey from Munchkin Land all the way to Emerald City. During Carnival, a very successful alumni reception was also held at the house. Sapphire Ball was held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel the weekend after Carnival. Fall 2008 also was packed with so many activities. Kappa participated in AEPi's WingAThon and won a Wii as well as some games to go along with it. FMR allowed the house to gain 21 additional members. The Standards Retreat was held at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Mystery Date was held at Mitchell's.

Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of the five Panhellenic Organizations one of eight total sororities sponsored by the University. Though Greek life at Carnegie Mellon University accounts for less than 20% of the student body, Greeks are quite active in all aspects of campus life. The Student Life Office sponsors many leadership development activities for the Greek community in addition to the numerous activities available for all students. The Greek Life Advisory Committee and "Healthy Greeks" encourage those parts of the Greek community to lead healthy lifestyles.

The sisters of the Delta Xi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma are leaders in many facets of the Carnegie Mellon community, and the chapter maintains a positive reputation on campus. Not only do our sisters participate in Greek events to support other fraternities and sororities philanthropic charities, but other campus-wide organizations as well. Delta Xi sisters are recognized around campus as varsity athletes, intramural athletes, sexual assault advisers, Resident Assistants, Orientation Counselors, and many other leadership positions.

Some of the chapter challenges include attendance at both in-house and out-of-house activities. This includes sisters not attending meetings, out-of-house activities, and various other Greek events. This challenge is still being dealt with in the spring 2009 semester, but stricter policies on attendance were enforced. Another challenge that we had last year was maintaining a high, stable average GPA. Because of study hours that were held at the house and various other academic activities, our sisters were able to achieve a high GPA for the fall 2008 semester. Another challenge that our chapter had last year was participation (within and outside of our house) and overall success of philanthropic events. Through more in-house spirit and better advertisement of our events, we were able to get more of a turn-out by the end of the year. For the spring 2009 semester the Delta Xi chapter was busy with booth and Greek Sing. Teaming up with Phi Kappa Theta, the Delta Xi chapter placed second in Carnegie Mellon's 2008 Greek Sing competition. Performing "West Side Story" the sisters had a great time while also raising money for charity.

Highlights of 2009

Carnegie Mellon's annual Spring Carnival theme for this year was "Epic Adventures". Kappa Kappa Gamma built a two story booth entitled "James and the KKGiant Peach" placing first in our division. We held our annual Sapphire Ball at the Concordia, and early in the semester held Crush Party at Union Grill. For the fall 2009 semester the Delta Xi chapter completed an FMR retreat and FMR where we gained a pledge class of 32 enthusiastic sisters. Following FMR our standards committee conducted a standards retreat, which included fun role plays and a series of relay events.

Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of the five Panhellenic Organizations sponsored by Carnegie Mellon and one of eight total sororities sponsored by the University. Though Greek life at Carnegie Mellon University accounts for less than 20% of the student body, Greeks are quite active in all aspects of campus life. The Student Life Office sponsors many leadership development activities for the Greek community in addition to the numerous activities available for all students. The Greek Life Advisory Committee and "Healthy Greeks" encourage those parts of the Greek community to lead healthy lifestyles. Events such as Greek Week promote these efforts, as well as Panhellenic spirit.

The sisters of the Delta Xi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma are leaders in many facets of the Carnegie Mellon community, and the chapter maintains a positive reputation on campus. We strive to live up to our motto of Tradition of Leadership. Not only do our sisters participate in Greek events to support other fraternities' and sororities' philanthropic charities, but other campus-wide organizations as well. Delta Xi sisters are recognized around campus as varsity athletes, intramural athletes, sexual assault advisers, Resident Assistants, Orientation Counselors, and many other leadership positions. Additionally, we are a diverse chapter not only ethnically and racially, but also in thought, background, and talents.

Chapter challenges in 2009 included attendance, maintaining our bonds of sisterhood under a two events per week policy, and dealing with our sanctions. Attendance continues to be a problem from the previous year. We continue to try to combat this challenge, by holding each other accountable and maintaining a strict attendance policy. Throughout the Fall Semester of 2009 the Delta Xi chapter faced a number of challenges centered around the sanctions placed on our chapter. The biggest impact felt by Delta Xi because of these sanction has to do with our sisterly bonding. As sisters we had to focus on things such as risk management and leadership skills, and bonding was pushed aside. However, towards the end of the Fall Semester, the election of a new Chapter Council has helped to move our chapter beyond these sanctions. Our focus for the next semester is to build our bonds of sisterhood, while maintaining Kappa Kappa Gamma standard of two events per week.

Housing: In 2009, Delta Xi moved into their current house on the Greek House. With double the girls living in the house, the Kappas became more prevalent on campus and the size of the Greek Community began growing exponentially.

Highlights of 2010

In the spring semester of 2010, the Standards retreat was held at a bowling alley. For Greek Sing the sisters paired up with Sig Ep and performed “Fame”. The sisters had a great time learning the dance and embodying the 80’s vibe. The chapter had a successful Carnival. The overall theme of Carnival was “History with a Twist” and the KKG’s built a themed booth of “Kappa Kappa Glacier: If the Ice Age Never Ended”. The sisters were awarded second place for the Sororities Division. KKG hosted lecturer Rick Barnes who gave a presentation entitled “Drink Think: A Personal Approach to Alcohol”. Delta Xi Formal, Sapphire Ball, was held at The Renaissance Hotel.

Fall 2010 was also a successful semester for KKG. FMR gained 26 new members for the house. The 130th Founder’s Day was celebrated at the house with parents, alumni, and sisters. Mystery Date was held at Alto Lounge. Standards Retreat was held at the house and the sisters painted pottery. The Delta Xi’s hosted a lecture, “Something of Value” for the Panhellenic Sororities. Sisters competed in Greek Week by participating in lighthearted competitions against other sororities. The sisters cooked crepes during Kappa Kappa Gamma to raise money for Reading is Fundamental.

Kappa Kappa Gamma is one of the five Panhellenic Organizations. KKG is also one of eight total sororities sponsored by the University. The sorority community amounts to 15% of the student body, while Greek Life as a whole amounts to less than 20%. Greeks are very active on the Carnegie Mellon campus including raising a record of over $38,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The Greek Life organization makes suggestions to the Greek organizations to create a better and more effective community.

The sisters of the Delta Xi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma are leaders around the Carnegie Mellon campus. The sisters work to maintain a positive reputation on campus by being involved in Greek events and other Student Life organizations. The sisters of Delta Xi are known on campus as Resident Assistants, Orientation Counselors, athletes and members of clubs. Kappa has become involved in campus wide events such as Relay for Life, 1000 + (a campus wide community service event), and attend lectures hosted by other Greek organizations.

Some of the chapter challenges included being placed on probation, maintaining a GPA consistent with Kappa Kappa Gamma standards, and a philanthropy event each semester. The sisters viewed being placed on probation as a challenge to create a better chapter. The sisters have been fulfilling the probation requirements through such things as holding informative meetings, increasing volunteer hours, and creating stricter housing rules. Another challenge was maintaining a high average GPA. The sisters worked to improve their GPA through showing special attention to girls who were having trouble in school, providing academic resources providing incentives to do well in school. The sisters set goals at the beginning of the semester and worked hard throughout the semester to achieve these goals. They were supported by the efforts from the academic committee and were provided with the resources they needed to succeed. Philanthropy has been a struggle for the Delta Xi’s as well. Because of scheduling conflicts and changing circumstances, creating a consistent and successful philanthropy event has been difficult to achieve. The sisters are working to focus on philanthropy by brainstorming new ideas and working closely with the Philanthropy chair to do so.

2011

The Delta Xi chapter had a very eventful year in 2011. In the spring we performed "The Wedding Singer" with the brothers of Delta Tau Delta for Carnegie Mellon's annual Greek Sing competition. We won second place and had a wonderful time. For CMU's Spring Carnival our chapter built a booth called Kappa Kosmic Galaxy, as the carnival's theme was "When I Was Your Age…". As for philanthropy we hosted Pasta Pasta Sauca in the spring and in the fall many of us attended a variety of philanthropic activities, including Greek Service Day. Each sister completed at least ten hours of service.

Carnegie Mellon welcomed a freshman class of about 1,600 students and many girls in the freshman class decided to go through FMR. CMU is growing as a school and has one of the best academic programs in the nation. As a University they value interdisciplinary studies in the arts, humanities, sciences, and engineering. We are becoming more well known and respected as a university. This fall Bill Dietrich donated a large sum of money to CMU. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences was renamed the Mariana Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences after Bill's mother. This was a very exciting time for the entire student body along with all employees, faculty, and alumni. As for the panhellenic community, there are four other sororities on campus: Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Delta Delta, and Alpha Chi Omega.

During IMR in the Spring the chapter recruited and initiated four girls. It had a very successful fall recruitment with a pledge class of 34 girls. Our newest pledge class includes freshman, sophomore, and junior sisters. We have a great group of girls and we have done a fantastic job of growing close and meaningful relationships.

In 2011 the chapter struggled with risk management skills so it went through a lot of programming and education about risk and Kappa in general. The sisters' understanding of the New Member Program and its Risk Management Policies have greatly improved. Areas in which the chapter could improve were philanthropy and alumna involvement. The members have many new ideas for philanthropy in 2012 and hope to succeed in all that we do.

2012

The Delta Xi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had a very eventful year. In the spring we performed "The Wizard of Oz" with Sigma Alpha Epsilon for Carnegie Mellon University's annual Greek Sing competition. We had a wonderful time bonding with our sisters. For CMU's Spring Carnival , our chapter built a booth called It's A Small World based on the "As Seen on TV" theme for Carnival and was given the Chairman's Choice Award for it! As for philanthropy, we hosted Pasta Pasta Sauca in the Spring. In the fall we hosted Twister with a Twist. Many of us also participated in other philanthropic events including Greek Service Day, Relay for Life, and CMU PennPIRG for the election. Each sister completed at least five hours of service.

Campus: Carnegie Mellon welcomed a freshman class of about 1,500 students, with an all time high of 45% girls. Many of these girls decided to go through FMR. With the addition of Alpha Phi to CMU, more girls are joining greek life. About 23% of CMU students participate in Greek Life. Our school and academic programs are constantly growing and improving. We are gaining more respect and renown as one of best schools in the country. CMU has been invovled with many exciting projects, such as a new energy instute. It has been a very exciting time for students, faculty, and alumni.

Chapter: During FMR in the fall, our chapter had a wonderful new pledge class of 26 girls. Our newest pledge class includes freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. In addition, we initiated three Continuous Open Biding girls. Our chapter has excelled in intergrating New Members, being involved on campus and within the chapter, and strengthing our sisterhood. We hope to improve our understanding of Ritual, Chapter History, and Kappa Ideals. In addition, we hope to improve even more our sisterhood bonding and philanthropy events. We have many new ideas about improving all areas of our chapter and I hope we will continue to succeed in the new year.

2014

Greek Sing - "American Idiot" (2014). 1st Place for Philanthropy (raised over $13,000)and 2nd place for Doubles Category

Booth - "Wreck it Ralph" - 2nd place for Sororities

Recruitment Award (Delta Xi Chapter) for Kappa Convention 2014 - August 2014 (Sent Ciara (President), Hannah (Panhellenic Delegate), Chris (Chapter Advisor))

Got Fall Pledge Class of 2014 (25 New Sisters)

KKG Delta Xi is working hard and keeping up with academics. Because Carnegie Mellon University is a stressful university, Delta Xi has implemented study hours as well as stress-free activities for the sisters to participate in. The university has not implemented many new changes to campus. There are plans for a new gym and biomedical engineering building.

The chapter has a university owned house. We hold chapter meetings in our chapter room within the house. We can have 29 sisters live within the house. We rent the house from the University because the house is University owned. We used to rent a floor at a local University owned dorm in the early 2000s.

Highlights of 2015

This year the Delta Xi chapter has continued to grow both in numbers and involvement. We currently have 82 members with the initiation of the wonderful spring 2015 and fall 2015 new member classes. In the spring, our chapter held Crush Party, participated in Sigma Chi Derby Days, and held Sapphire Ball. We participated in Greek Sing with Phi Delta Theta for a performance of the Lion King, and the proceeds went to Our Clubhouse. Other philanthropy events we held were Date Auction and Pasta Pasta Sauca. Also in the spring we participated in Booth where we built a Storybook booth with a giant tree climbing through the middle, which was quite the feat.

During the summer several of us lived in the house and had fun going to sports games and bonding in the wonderful weather.

In the fall, we started the semester off with a standards retreat, Kamp Kappa, at Camp Guyasuta. We used this time to reflect and bond as a sisterhood. The following week was formal recruitment during which we gained 18 wonderful new members. These new members show a commitment to the chapter as they already hold several leadership positions and have become quite close through forming friendships and participating in Carnegie Mellon traditions such as painting the fence with the message “Drop it to the Fleur.”

In the fall we held Mystery Date at Bangkok Balcony and had tons of fun eating dinner and dancing with our mystery dates. The fall’s philanthropy efforts included participating in CMU’s 1000 plus volunteer day together, filling meal bags for Stop Hunger Now, and our Hugging is Fundamental event where we take our giant bear, Alberto, to the center of campus to give hugs in exchange for donations to Reading is Fundamental. To conclude 2015, we held a chapter-wide holiday dinner to cap off a fabulous year! Overall 2015 has been an amazing year for Delta Xi.

Greek Life is growing at Carnegie Mellon as many students are seeking a balance to their rigorous academic lives. Our chapter’s members are heavily involved on campus in over one hundred different activities from dancer’s symposium to robotics research to division three athletics. Our chapter is a diverse group of passionate women seeking degrees in every college Carnegie Mellon has to offer.

Our chapter holds meetings in our chapter room which is located in our house on campus, rented from the university. Our chapter’s housing is located in our house in the Greek Quad on Carnegie Mellon’s campus. The house is rented from the university and can house 30 Kappa sisters.

Highlights of 2016

In the spring of 2016, the chapter focused on growing sisterhood by participating and competing in PanHellenic events. This year we partnered with Delta Tau Delta and performed Beauty and the Beast for Greek Sing. The Pasta, Pasta, Sauca event was held to raise money for the Greek Sing philanthropy, Our Clubhouse, a non-profit organization that provides free support to those touched by cancer in western Pennsylvania.  We also won first place in Booth with our two-story Mario Kart design. Kappa had two formal events in the spring. We had our crush party at the Shady Grove Restaurant and our annual Sapphire Ball was held at the Pittsburgh Aquarium. We were the first Greek organization to have an event at the aquarium in a long time, and we impressed the workers with our class and sophistication. We ended the spring semester by winning the most improved academic excellence and best academic initiative at the CMU Greek Awards. In the summer, some members remained in the house in order to take classes, do research, do internships, or get a summer job. The Kappas staying in the house over the summer went to sports games and concerts together. We also redecorated the chapter house living room to promote community, sisterhood, and academic excellence for the coming semester.

In the fall, we started off with a successful formal recruitment, gaining 20 more awesome members and reaching total. The new members attempted to paint the fence in the rain. Though painting the fence was unsuccessful due to the rain it became an inside joke and brought the new members together. We had a semiformal Mystery Date event at Dave & Buster’s to promote sisterhood and help integrate the new members into the chapter.

We also focused on philanthropy this semester. We were able to purchase over 400 books for RIF through bake sale events and the Kappa Kappa Grill ‘Em Grilled Cheese Sale. Some of our contributions for RIF also came from winning a prize in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days. Kappa won 1st Place Overall and the Philanthropy Award. We also had the highest participation of any Greek organization at CMU in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Donut Dash for ALS. Two of our sisters, Sarah Deluty and Linda Chen, attended the Kappa Convention together thanks to the House Board. They shared what they learned to promote sisterhood in this semester and the coming year.

Highlights of 2017

Throughout 2017, the Delta Xi chapter has continued to grow and flourish in its sisterhood. This spring, the chapter participated in the annual Greek Sing competition and won first place for its performance of Moana with our partners Sigma Phi Epsilon. The chapter also held Sapphire Ball and multiple philanthropy events. The chapter participated in CMU’s annual Booth Build competition and won first prize for our seventy’s-themed booth, “That 70’s Booth.”

During the summertime, multiple sisters lived in the house in order to have a home while they took classes, participated in research, internships, or other summer employment positions.

In the fall, the chapter started the year with a very successful formal recruitment that gave us 25 lovely new members who are already showing commitment and dedication to the chapter as they take up various leadership positions. Many sisters participated in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Donut Dash for ALS, and Kappa Kappa Gamma had the highest participation of any Greek organization. The chapter also hosted a very successful Kappa Carnival to raise money for Reading is Fundamental that involved a dozen on-campus organizations and had a great turn out from the CMU community.

The chapter had a successful Crush Party at Steel Cactus early in the semester to promote sisterhood between the new members and the sisters. After learning that our partner for Greek Sing of 2018 was Phi Delta Theta, the sisters of Delta Xi started hosting some bonding events to get to know the brothers better. We also hosted a Kappa Kappa Grill’Em Grilled Cheese Sale with the help of Phi Delt brothers to deliver $400 worth of grilled cheese. All the proceeds from the event went to Camp Kesem.

Delta Xi continues to meet in our Chapter House which is owned by the university. Currently, around thirty active sisters live in the house.

Booths

2019: The Lion King (2nd place)
2018: Alice in Wonderland (1st place)
2017: That 70's Booth (1st place)
2016: Mario Party (1st place)
2015: MagiKK Γree House (2nd place and Chairman's Choice)
2014: Wreck It Ralph (2nd place) First sorority to program a game
2013: Snow White and the Seven Giants (3rd place)
2012: It’s a Small World
2011: Kappa Kosmic Galaxy
2010: Kappa Kappa Glacier (2nd place)
2009: James and the Giant Peach (1st place)
2008: Wizard of Oz/Kappas in Kansas— first two story booth
2007: Gum Ball Machine
2006: Kappa Art Nouveau
2005: Kappa Klaw
2004: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (chairman’s choice)
2003: Fantasia
2002: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
2001: Kappa’s Antopia, Life’s a Picnic
2000: Mayan Ruins/Kappanitza (2nd Place)
1999: Paddington Station
1998: Peter Pan (second place)
1997: Dinosaurs
1996: Sharp Shooters
1995:
1994:
1993: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
1992:
1991:
1990:
1989: Barrel of Monkeys?
1988:
1987:
1986:
1985: Konestoga Kappa (Wild Wild West) 1984: first place booth
1983:
1982: third place
1981: first place
1980: FAO Schwartz
1979:
1978: King Tut’s Tomb
1972: Geodesic Dome

Greek Sing Shows

2017: Moana (1st place)
2016: Beauty and the Beast
2015: The Lion King
2014: American Idiot
2013: Legally Blonde
2012: Wizard of Oz
2011: The Wedding Singer
2010: Fame
2009: West Side Story
2008: 2007: 2006:

---

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!