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Our chapter here at Vanderbilt is named Epsilon Nu. It was founded on October 19, 1973 and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority was founded in 1870 at Monmouth College. Initially, the first Epsilon Nu women were part of a local group, the Phileans Society, on Vanderbilt's campus. In 1972, they voted to affiliate with a national organization. They petitioned Kappa Kappa Gamma on July 9th of 1972, and after inspection the invitation was officially accepted. Fifteen charter members were initiated to Epsilon Nu on October 13, 1973, officially beginning the Kappa Kappa Gamma legacy at Vanderbilt University. Kappa's flower is the Iris and its colors are light blue and dark blue. Our philanthropy is Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee and our benefit is Kappa Kappa Gala. Besides being involved in Epsilon Nu's activites and events, our members are also apart of numerous organizations on campus. Some include: Alternative Spring Break, Best Buddies, Club Field Hockey and The Hustler. We also have many varsity athletes from the tennis, lacrosse, and soccer teams! The current number of members in Epsilon Nu is 186, including 137 active members and 49 new members.
==Highlights of 2014==
The past calendar year has proved as both an academic and involved year for the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Vanderbilt University. Of the 126 women that were active members (not on special status or abroad), 86 women achieved the Dean's List. Sisters achieved honors such as the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honors Society, Omicron Delta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Order of Omega Initiate. Beyond that recognition, awards that members received included the Israel Birthright Excel, OH Ingram Engineering Management scholarship, Panhellenic Scholarship Award, Who's Who in Vanderbilt Greek Life, 1st Place in 2014 Tennessee Engineering Conference Student Competition, and Nicols Humanitarian Fund Award.
The 2014 year kicked off with formal recruitment and then welcoming a new pledge class of new members. In the spring, we held our formal date party, while in the fall, we hosted our annual GLOW date party and cohosted Kite & Key with Kappa Alpha Theta. Throughout the year, we work to strengthen our faculty student relationship by continuing to host interactive professor luncheons and dinners. The sorority also held several special events to give back and raise money for our philanthropies: The Sports 4 All Foundation, Reading is Fundamental, and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. The sisters of Kappa held a field day for those with disabilities through The Sports 4 All Foundation. We also participated in the RIF sponsored, Read to Me Week to encourage literacy. Capture the flag at Derby Days gave us a chance to involve ourselves in Sigma Chi's philanthropic effort. In the fall, the sophomore pledge class also performed three dances at their annual Gala to raise money for our charities. At War of the Wings, Kappa again teamed up with the brothers of Sigma Chi and hosted a wing buffet from different restaurants across Nashville.
Over the past year, our chapter has laid out and accomplished several goals. First, we aimed to have our committees meet more frequently than they have in past years, as well as to delegate specific roles within each committee to allow for more members to take on responsibility. We achieved this goal over the course of the year. Another goal was to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our chapter meetings, which we accomplished by using a power point to keep the meetings focused and timely. We also increased the transparency and understanding of the budget using a power point presentation to the chapter. Finally, we focused on improving relations with both the Office of Greek Life and other sororities at Vanderbilt. Points may be awarded to girls for attending events and supporting other outside organizations, as a means to encourage community. We feel that we have accomplished this goal as well through joint programming, though we hope to continue improving it throughout the coming years.
One of the major changes on campus is the stride towards creating Greek life unity as well as better faculty relations, and non-Greek relations. Many officers have attended workshops to develop a more inviting and considerate environment for everybody, including those not involved in Greek life. One recent effort we implemented this year was ensuring MLK day, which falls on bid Monday, was a dry holiday where we involved ourselves with the community. In years past, bid Monday had distracted Greek life from the meaning and importance of this day to the rest of our community. Greeks attended seminars all over campus to learn more about this day and show our respect for everybody around us.
As mentioned before, one of our chapter goals was to improve relations with the Office of Greek Life and other sororities. By attending joint workshops and other sorority events, we can show our support in a fun and involved way. Our Kappa Kappa Gamma, Epsilon Nu chapter has a very strong, unique sisterhood. We are wholeheartedly dedicated to each other and want to spread those bonds. We want to encourage inclusivity, strengthening relations with everybody and not just each other. Through continued involvement, we hope to continue to move in this direction and give a good reflection of Greek life to those involved and not.
Our chapter meets weekly in the living area of the chapter house. Each year 4 sisters among the officers live in the house. It is a great opportunity to get girls more involved with the organization and nurture friendships. These girls live in our University owned house, which has a common area that all sorority members are welcome in at any time of the day. Epsilon Nu did not have a house when it was first colonized and then formally installed in October 1973. At that time, the chapter was given a single room in the basement of Branscomb Quadrangle. The chapter was able to have some fall recruitment there but the freshman recruitment remained in St. Augustine’s Chapel for several years. The chapter’s second home was what is now the Cuninggim Women’s Center on historic West Side Row. We finally were able to build and open our lovely house in 1979.
