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Reading is Fundamental is our national philanthropy and one that the Gamma Phi chapter holds dear. We are fortunate to attend such an outstanding university and wish to promote the love for learning and reading by hosting book drives and raising money for RIF. The Akola Project was started by a Gamma Phi alum and seeks to promote female empowerment and business leadership in impoverished countries such as Uganda through its jewelry business. We believe in our alums and providing a helping hand to women who seek to empower their communities in places that usually do not value women or see them as world changers. The Wesley-Rankin after school program aligns with our mission of spreading the love for reading and learning is working to make a impact on the youth of south Dallas. We have loved the kids we mentor, tutor, and love on their and hope to continue our partnership going forward.
==Highlights of 2016==
2016 was a year of tremendous growth for the Gamma Phi Chapter at SMU. This year, our chapter saw incredible academic performance improvement, outstanding community service involvement, a successful recruitment, and new social activities. In Spring 2016, our chapter GPA rose above the All-Sorority Average and we ranked fourth out of eight Panhellenic chapters on campus. Outside of academics, we completed over 950 hours and raised money for our philanthropies, the Akola Project and Reading is Fundamental. In addition to serving our philanthropies we also participated in numerous fundraising events on campus. Kappas participated in SMU’s annual Relay for Life which took place on April 8th as well as participating in Dance Marathon which is a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals that SMU had the pleasure of hosting for the first time. In February, March, and August, we enjoyed week-long visits from two leadership consultants where we evaluated the strengths of our chapter as well as areas for improvement. In the spring, we gained 55 new members who were offically initiated on April 16, 2016. A few days later on April 18th we had another successful Monmouth formal with Pi Beta Phi and enjoyed the traditional formal that is a rich part of our history. This fall, we had many new and exciting changes and activities at the Gamma Phi Chapter. We continued our tradition last year of having “Brunch with the Boys” where one Friday we invited fraternity members to have brunch with us at the house. We also participated in the Homecoming festivities including building a Nevada-themed float and supported our wonderful homecoming candidate, Anna Hugg. On November 7th the chapter celebrated our Founders Day where we had a history presentation while enjoying themed treats. Chapter Council was invited to celebrate the 146th Founders Day with the Kappa Dallas Alumnae Association at the Dallas Country Club. We were honored to be included in the celebration again and to witness Kappas getting their 50 and 65 year badges. This fall semester we also had two successful panhellenic events. The first was a Yogurt & Yoga event which we hosted at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house and invited the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega. The other panhellenic event was an Ice Cream Social with the sisters of Delta Gamma. We also spent time with the sisters of Kappa Alpha Theta when we had our annual Kite & Key formal on November 12th. Two days later on November 14th we had our first ever Fall Fest with the men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon which raised money for The Akola Project. The gathering included fall-themed games and treats such as corn hole and apple cider. On November 20th, we had our second annual Holiday Bazaar to raise money for Reading is Fundamental which was a huge success. The Akola Project, the non-profit philanthropy that our chapter always supports, was also in attendance at the bazaar and sold a great amount of jewelry to help raise additional funds for their cause. We are incredibly proud of the progress and achievements our chapter has had this year and look forward to an outstanding 2017.
This year, Southern Methodist University Panhellenic had the most number of girls ever sign up for recruitment with numbers topping 617 girls. This allowed the Gamma Phi chapter to welcome a more new members to our 2016 pledge class than usual. The Gamma Phi chapter continues to strive for excellence and improvement creating a sense of drive and determination throughout our chapter and in our community. We are proud of the events we hosted and participated in on campus with other sororities and look forward to continuing these strong relationships in the future. Our chapter's outlook on the 2017 Gamma Phi year is positive and ambitious as we continue our tradition of excellence in leadership, campus involvement, academics, and sisterhood.
We traditionally raise money for Reading is Fundamental and our local chapter philanthropy, the Akola Project. In addition, our chapter participated in fundraising events for numerous other oganizations such as Relay for Life and Dance Marathon.
Reading is Fundamental is our national philanthropy and one that the Gamma Phi chapter holds dear. We are fortunate to attend such an outstanding university and wish to promote the love for learning and reading by hosting book drives and raising money for RIF. The Akola Project was started by a Gamma Phi alum and seeks to promote female empowerment and business leadership in impoverished countries such as Uganda through its jewelry business. We believe in our alums and providing a helping hand to women who seek to empower their communities in places that usually do not value women or see them as world changers.
We hold chapter meetings in our chapter house on the North edge of Southern Methodist University campus. Our house was recently redecorated and remains under the ownership of our chapter.
