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Highlights of 2020
|Image= [[File:Chi.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1880|04|21}}
|College= [httphttps://www1.umn.edu/twincities/index.html University of Minnesota]
|Location= Minneapolis, MN
|Homepage= [httphttps://chaptersumn.kappakappagammakappa.org/chi/ Chi Website]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Chi Media related to Chi Chapter]
}}
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'''2,708 734 initiates (as of June 20172018)'''
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It may well be that Chi's existence is more viable today than ever before. It provides a commonality of spirit, a sisterhood, in which each member is able to preserve her individuality while seeking an identity among the multitude.
 
==Highlights from the 1980s==
 
Chi celebrated their centennial in 1980. During the 1980s, Chi pledge classes ranged from about 19 new members to a high of 27 new members in 1987. Chi was usually one of only 5 sororities to reach quota. There were many girls who resigned each year, however. 1987 was also a year of chapter house renovations.
 
Chi was involved in many philanthropic activities during the 1980s, including Toast to the Twin Cities to benefit The Children’s Museum, Kappa Krush to benefit Students Against Drunk Drivers, Halloween parties with Pi Phis to benefit the Children’s Heart Hospital, and Campus Carnival benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as well as The Children’s Home Society for abused and underprivileged children. They also held activities to benefit Blaisdale YMCA. Chi has always had a strong philanthropic focus.
 
These weren’t totally easy years for Chi, though. 1980 - 1984 was a period of concern for scholarship, so improvement in this area was desired. GPAs were low, and Chi was placed on a Warning of Probation and eventually on Probation, and an overall improvement program was established. Chi became a Kappa Model Program, and they worked hard to improve their scholarship. Also the Greek system was not in favor with the university officials. All houses received a warning letter regarding scholarship, alcohol awareness, and finances. “Minnesota Greeks realize it is time to pull the entire Greek system together as a whole to become as positive as we have the potential to be.” Chi's efforts were rewarded in 1988 with a Removal of Probation.
 
==Highlights from the 1990s==
 
New Member classes continued to be between 19 and 23 each year, and in 1990 the chapter adopted the goal of “Improve membership though respect”. They had the 3rd lowest membership totals on campus in 1993, and Lara Meinheit was brought in as a Chapter Consultant. In the mid-90s, Chi struggled with spirit and morale, but in 1997 kudos were given to a wonderful PDC, Trish Pollak. Chapter Council positions of Public Relations and Alumnae Relations were added in 1998 - 99. Chi hosted Epsilon Province Meeting in spring 1999, but the end of the 90s was a time where chapter participation was low.
 
Philanthropy continued to be strong at Chi. They raised funds for Special Olympics, the Rose McGill Fund, Juvenile Diabetes, and underprivileged children and the homeless. They ran clothing drives for the needy, helped raise funds for Children’s Hospital, The Leukemia Society of America, and Camp Heartland for children born with AIDS, as well as participated in the March of Dimes Walk.
 
Focus on scholarship was rewarded when Chi won the the Greatest Scholastic Improvement Award at the 1994 Kappa Convention and the Best Scholarship Award from the University of Minnesota. The chapter members were very involved in other campus activities, and Chi always provided great social events. 1996 brought a campus effort to increase respect for the Greek system, and 1997 was a year of lots of chapter house upgrades, including new roofs, new plumbing, paint, etc. Chi also began Monmouth Duo events with the Pi Phis. Better relations with the university prompted the President of the University of Minnesota to say that the Greek System is an important and vital part of the University of Minnesota.
 
==Highlights of the 2000s==
 
Chi’s membership in the 2000s grew steadily, ranging from a very small new member class of 10 women in 2004 to a class of 56 new members in 2015! Even with the low new member numbers in 2004, Kappa was the largest sorority on campus with 79 total members for the first time since 1981! They hosted fall and spring recruitment until their numbers were up, and by 2010, they had over 100 members.
 
Philanthropic efforts included the KKG Foundation, Kappa Car Wash for RIF, Walk for Diabetes, Relay for Life, Light the Night Walk for Leukemia, food drives, blood drives (including 15 Chi Kappas donating blood for victims of the 9/11 tragedy), Cinderella Dress Project, Children’s Hospital, Marcy Open Homes School After School Project, and the Kappa Classic Golf Tournament as well as Breakfast at Kappa to fund the Girls Academy Pilot Program. Chi has been running a very successful Girls Academy since 2015.
 
Chi has received many awards and distinctions in the 2000s. At the 2004 Kappa Convention, Chi received awards for Finance, Panhellenic involvement, and Recruitment. In 2005 the University of Minnesota awarded them the New Member Program Award, and Chi received the Greatest Chapter Improvement and Standards awards at Kappa Province Meeting. University awards for Chapter of Excellence, Outstanding Academic Program, and Outstanding New Member Development were awarded to Chi in 2010.
 
In 2005 - 06, Chi helped to establish the new Eta Iota Kappa chapter at Creighton University. In addition to all of their philanthropic activities, Chi began to organize many more social and sisterhood events. Each year lots of Chi Kappas were chosen to be fraternity sweethearts. In anticipation of their 2010 100th anniversary of the chapter house, a Parents’ Association was founded. This helped to bring lots of chapter house improvements to Chi, including painting, new draperies, other window coverings, and bedspreads. Air conditioning was installed, gardens were landscaped, and a new website was created.
 
Campus trends included a greater awareness of sexual assaults on campus and efforts to prevent them and a new light rail system that was expanded in Minneapolis and St. Paul to help to connect the 3 separate campuses more safely.
==Highlights of 2011==
'''Campus:''' Over the past fall of 2011 Washington avenue has been under construction. They are renovating the streets and putting in a new light rail, that will connect to the existing light rail system and improve transportation on campus. There also has been a lot of other renovations to various buildings on campus.
'''Chapter:''' Over the past year our house has been renovated by an HGTV designer, the main living room, chapter room and kitchen has been renovated. Also our chapter has revised the standing rules and bylaws within each chapter council position and overall chapter council. III. Chapter Challenges: (Describe them and how the chapter met and overcame them.) One of the major challenges of our chapter is maintaining a high enough GPA to compete with the other sororities on campus. But this has become an issue that our chapter has taken very seriously. In order to strive for a high GPA and overall positive academic reputation our chapter has required study tables, and a log book to record and keep track of the hours that each member of the chapter has spent studying.
Recently there have been a lot of changes on our campus physically. The university is constantly looking for ways to improve the school and one way they are choosing to do so is building a few new things around campus. Currently they are working on building a light rail system through campus for fast and convenient transportation along with installing designated bike lanes on busy streets. In addition the new Rec center and Northrup Auditorium undergoing reconstruction and will be done in fall 2013. Finally, our campus is installing a number of new apartment buildings and even a new dorm for student housing on 17th Avenue. This new dorm will be filled for the most part with Greek students.
 
==Highlights of 2013==
During the fall of 2013, Chi Chapter brought Something of Value to the University of Minnesota for the very first time. Something of Value is a national program that encourages discussion of high-risk behavior that Greek communities partake in. The day included a mock trial, discussion of our values, and an opportunity to create an action plan in order to decrease and eliminate high-risk behavior. Chi Chapter invited two members from each pledge class to participate in this event. It was very influential for our chapter as well as the other sororities that participated. Also, Chi Chapter participated in a weekend-retreat for Girls Academy, having the opportunity to attend Northeast Middle school and empower young women. Overall, it was a very influential and impactful year for Chi Chapter. We feel as though we grew strong bonds within our chapter and with other Greek communities through our active participation in philanthropies.
 
We received the all around Greatest Chapter Award at the 2013 Province Meeting.
The University of Minnesota is constantly evolving. Currently, the University is building a light rail that runs through the campus that will connect downtown Minneapolis to downtown St Paul. The light rail has been under construction for four years and will be running in the fall of 2014; which is a very exciting event for all the students and faculty at the University of Minnesota. Also, the University of Minnesota has recently updated Northrop Memorial Auditorium. Northrop Memorial Auditorium is an enduring symbol of the University and the focal point of the Twin Cities campus. It has been under construction since 2011 and opening April 2014.
This year we have had a couple exciting changes to our campus. The light rail that runs from St. Paul to Minneapolis that they have been working on for a few years is finally up and running. This new an improved light rail doubles the size and scope of the old light rail. This new form of transportation runs through the center of our campus right down Washington Avenue. This gives students another way to get to and from West Bank, East Bank, and St. Paul, and makes our campus connectors (our university's transportation system) occasionally less crowded, especially during the cold winters. This new light rail also gives students easier access to the Twin Cities. We are now able to easily find our way to Mall of America, The Capitol, and everything further and in between. Another addition to our campus this year was having the Vikings play at TCF stadium. This caused major traffic and swarms of people in parking lots cheering and playing music relatively early on Sunday mornings. However, it also brought excitement to campus. It was fun to walk outside our dorms, apartments, and houses to hear the roaring of the crowd and the loud horn. It was weird to think while watching it on TV that the game was happening not even a mile away from you. Although you wanted to avoid being on the roads when the game started and ended, and music was playing outside your dorm on the one day you got to sleep in, hosting the Vikings was a pleasure and a exciting addition to campus.
 
Our chapter is filled with girls of diverse personalities who are friends with all different type of students on campus. Our chapter exhibits many different arrangements of hobbies, passions, and ideas which forms strong relationships between our girls and makes getting together a fun and exciting experience every time.
We hold our chapter meetings in our chapter owned facility. Our chapter owns two houses that give members the opportunity to live together. The first house is what we call the main house. This is where Monday night dinners are held, it is where the kitchen is, and where our chapter meetings are held. The main house is mainly where freshmen and sophomores live, but also occasionally juniors. The second house is what we call the annex. Opposed to the main house which fits 21 members, there are 19 girls who live in the annex. The annex is mostly filled with juniors and occasionally seniors. Both of our houses are owned by our chapter.
We were awarded the Academic Excellence Award at the 2014 Kappa Convention.
==Highlights of 2015==
Chi Kappa Kappa Gamma has had an exciting year full a new events and challenges. This year Chi chapter was awarded the Chapter Excellence award. We were also very happy to come in with the 3rd highest grade point average out of all the houses here at the University of Minnesota. Our grade point average requirement is a 2.7, and our current grade point average is 3.43. In 2015, Chi had the highest GPA on campus, and we won the university’s Chapter of Excellence Award again. Also, Panhellenic elections were recently held and two members of Kappa Kappa Gamma were voted on to the PanHellenic Executive Council taking the positions of President and Vice President of Recruitment.
Another event that we are very proud of is our recruitment process. This year, the University of Minnesota had the largest number of girls go through recruitment since Greek life began at the University. We, along with other chapters, received our largest pledge classes with 56 girls, and initiated 54 girls. We were also very proud of our recruitment process considering we had 100% retention rate after open house. This year, our recruitment chair started the position of new member recruitment assistant, which has never been done on campus. Our assistant worked along side our recruitment chair to help with any problems, learn the ropes of the process and be the liaison between the members going through recruitment process for the first time, and our recruitment chair.
Our chapter can be described as a diverse group of girls who have different personalities and interests, yet form one cohesive group that makes for a funny, caring, intelligent, goal-driven, friendly and diligent chapter. The differences between every individual are what make our chapter unique yet exciting.
 
 
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
Locally, we have done book drives for Marcy Open Homes School and for a semester girls would visit this school during an after school program and hang out with the kids, play games and do crafts. We also used a large amount of the money we raised to help us put on the weekend for Girls Academy.
 
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
Marcy open homes is a school very close to our campus, therefore the Chapter feels as though it is our responsibility to help this school reach it’s full potential. We hope to be able to supply this school with the tools and supplies they need to give these kids the education that they deserve.
==Highlights of 2016==
2016 was a year full of growth and prosperity for Kappa Kappa Gamma's Chi Chapter located here at the University of Minnesota. We have more than 150 members and can house 40 Kappas each year between the main chapter house and the annex next door. The women of Chi Chapter were rewarded for their dedication to their academics, leadership and philanthropy. Academically, Chi Chapter excelled by being recognized as the number one GPA out of the fourteen PanHellenic chapters on campus. Not only was that an amazing accomplishment in itself but Chi Chapter was able to achieve and maintain such a status for the second semester in a row with a GPA chapter average of 3.43.
Our Chapter has also been able to extend its success in the PanHellenic community by maintaining a presence on the executive board. This past November, the PanHellenic community elected two members of Kappa Kappa Gamma onto the University of Minnesota's PanHellenic Executive Council - taking the positions of Vice President of Public Relations and Vice President of Recruitment. Chi Chapter is composed of individuals who strive to better themselves and those around them which has allowed our Chapter to achieve all that we have. The individuals of Chi Chapter have built up such a chapter by being dedicated to their studies, developing their leadership qualities, giving back to the community and recruiting individuals who show promise in such areas. By living and practicing by such standards and rules expected from being a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma we were very fortunate to receive Honorable Mention for Recruitment, Public Relations, Finance, Gracious Living, House Board and Academic Excellence at the 2016 Chapter Convention. In addition our Chapter also achieved Adelphe Society Status for our cumulative donations being over $10,000.
Another change that is coming up is that the Super Bowl will be held at US Bank Stadium this year. This is an exciting time for both UMN students as well as the state of Minnesota. This provides many opportunities for the Greek community to contribute and promote itself to a greater community. Our chapter continues to partner with the Chanhassen Feed My Starving Children location. We have volunteered at this local Feed My Starving Children for a very long time. We also recently have paired with Arc’s Valley Village, as well as the Twin Cities Marathon. We have continued to work with such an organization due to the local and global impact. Locals come together in order to better the lives thousands of miles away. The latter two organizations allow Chi chapter to better the community that is immediately around us, as well as have a global impact. Our chapter strives to push our members to make an impact on all scales and these specific philanthropies allows us to do so. Our chapter continues to meet on Monday nights in the main house living room. Although our chapter is continuing to grow we have been able to keep up such a tradition.
 
==Highlights of 2018==
 
2018 was a year of academic and philanthropic success for Chi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Through new and exciting opportunities for growth and academic achievement, Chi chapter was awarded the seventh highest GPA out of the 15 sororities on campus. In addition to this accomplishment, 30 members met our GPA goal of 3.3, achieving a chapter-wide GPA of 3.4. Also, 57 members made the dean’s list, and 11 earned a 4.0. These numbers are extremely high and reflect significantly on the amount of effort that all members put forth through their academics. Chi chapter is full of women who exceed expectations when it comes to both academics and philanthropic participation.
 
Our President, Vice President Standards and our Panhellenic Delegate attended Kappa Kappa Gamma convention in Denver, CO this summer. Chi chapter won countless honorable mentions at the convention, but we were also awarded the highest honor a Kappa chapter can be awarded - Most Outstanding Chapter. Our chapter was awarded this high honor for many reasons, but most notably we have an incredible sisterhood at Chi Chapter. The women of this chapter are above all supportive of one another, and this really came to light when we had an LC visit in the spring of 2018. She reported back to headquarters that our ritual, philanthropy, and sisterhood were all stellar and that she was pleasantly surprised with the wonderful women that she encountered at Chi.
 
Chi chapter took on a new outlook on philanthropy this past year. There were many opportunities for girls to contribute their time and effort to enrich the community around them. In the spring, Chi chapter held multiple philanthropies, such as Kappa Karnations and Breakfast at Kappa. These were both very successful events and raised money for GIRLS Academy and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. In the fall, we piloted a new philanthropy called Kappa Karnival. Through donations and the attendance fee, around $3,000 was raised for GIRLS Academy, and Reading is Fundamental. This means our chapter raised around $7,200 in total for all of 2018. There were also multiple opportunities outside of our chapter to volunteer that were new this year.
 
Here at the University of Minnesota, recruitment has gained a substantial amount of interest over the years, this year there were 803 women enrolled in formal recruitment. As a chapter, Chi revamped their philanthropy round, even more, to properly showcase how important these philanthropies are to all of us. Through these modifications, this chapter gained 42 amazing new members who were initiated on the 3rd of November. The entire chapter is so proud of all of these women for perfectly embodying what a Kappa Kappa Gamma should be.
 
In the overall Panhellenic Community, Chi chapter has also taken an active role in order to make additions that positively benefit all sororities. The newly installed Vice President Finance on the Panhellenic Council is one of our very own sophomore members. Overall, Chi chapter has greatly exceeded expectations this year and looks forward to all of the new improvements and achievements to come.
 
==Highlights of 2019==
 
A recent change on our campus is that the Panhellenic Council has worked with MSA and general U of M administration to improve student safety, especially for women, on campus. This includes extending the hours for the UMN Shuttle service called Gopher Chauffeur in order to give students the option for a free and safe ride home. There has been a greater improvement to make this better over the past year. As well as working with Gopher Women's sports to show our support for other women's organizations on campus.
 
Our chapter continues to partner with the Chanhassen and Eagan Feed My Starving Children locations. We have volunteered at this local Feed My Starving Children for a very long time. We also recently have paired with Arc’s Valley Village, as well as the Twin Cities Marathon. This past year we also have really focused on restructuring our local philanthropy, Girls Academy. Girls Academy is a philanthropy we have every year at Northeast Middle School in Minneapolis. We work with young women to promote positive body images and supporting other women. This past year we have restructured this philanthropy to include three smaller events throughout the semester, rather than just one larger event. This has allowed more women in our chapter to get more involved with Girls Academy and develop more meaningful and lasting relationships throughout the semester. We chose Girls Academy because we have been doing it since 2012 and have developed a relationship with the school that we go to. We support Reading Is Fundamental because it is Kappa Kappa Gamma's National Philanthropy and we believe in the power of literacy. We have continued to work with such an organization due to the local and global impact. Locals come together in order to better the lives thousands of miles away. The latter two organizations allow Chi chapter to better the community that is immediately around us, as well as have a global impact. We chose Girls Academy as our chapter’s local philanthropy because of the strong impact that we can have on our community. Being located in a metropolitan area, we wanted to make an impact on an underserved school in a way that would be meaningful to the women in our chapter and the girls at Northeast Middle School. Our Chapter strives to push our members to make an impact on all scales, and these specific philanthropies allows us to do so.
 
Our chapter continues to meet on Monday nights in the main house living room. Although our chapter is continuing to grow, we have been able to keep up such a tradition."
 
This year on campus the University of Minnesota experienced many changes and fun events. A new President was installed on the University of Minnesota Campus, Joan Gabel. We are so excited for her to lead the University as she supports Greek Letter Organizations and is currently working to push for more accessible mental health resources on campus. In addition, Greek Letter Organizations continue to be involved in Machy Days in the Spring and Homecoming Week in the fall. This year the University of Minnesota football team had a 9-0 record all season until they played the University of Iowa on November 16th. The team ended the season with a record of 10-2 wins to losses. It was a great year to be a gopher in 2019. The overall nature of our chapter is very positive. We strive to be leaders academically and promote the empowerment of women's organizations on campus. We had the Minnie Stewart Van come this year and set up the interactive history exhibit which was really interesting.
 
We celebrated Founders Day by having breakfast at the Kappa House and there was a powerpoint and video about Kappa History that was played. We also played a trivia game about the Kappa Founders.
 
==Highlights of 2020==
"Chapter Summary
The year of 2020 was marked by great change. This spring Chi welcomed 6 additional members to the freshman pledge class. Shortly before their initiation, the University of Minnesota implemented safety protocols due to COVID-19. In addition to all classes switching to an online format, Chi did their part to slow down the spread by carrying out all activities virtually. Typically during the morning after initiation members of Kappa families get together for brunch and littles receive a basket of gifts from their big. Although initiation was virtual in the spring, members of the chapter did a drive by for each girl to celebrate their initiation and safely deliver their baskets. // To stay connected a weekly newsletter was sent out that included suggestions for books, podcasts, movies, and recipes to try during quarantine. In the spring and fall, members participated in various sisterhood events over zoom such as workout classes with current and alumnae Kappas and educational programming. Fall Recruitment was done virtually this year and we were able to welcome 37 new members! Chi was able to host some sisterhoods in person, such as a socially distanced bonfire. // Despite the switch to virtual learning, members were still very successful academically. The chapter’s average GPA was 3.73 and ranked the third highest GPA out of the 14 sororities on campus. 80 members made the Dean’s List with 29 members earning a 4.0. In the fall, Chi was able to host socially-distanced study nights by reserving a large lecture hall through the university. "
 
Chi continues to support two main philanthropies: Reading is Fundamental and Girls Academy. Every Spring Chi holds Breakfast at Kappa to fundraise for Reading is Fundamental. This spring this event was scheduled before COVID-19 had reached Minnesota and there were very few cases across the country so it was still held in person. In the fall, Chi opted for a virtual fundraiser to support Girls Academy by having members complete a 5k on their own. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Chi was able to raise sufficient funds for both of our philanthropies.
 
Outside of our formal philanthropies, members of Chi engaged in volunteering within our community. In addition to volunteering events at Feed My Starving Children and other local organizations, members supported our community this summer during widespread unrest in the Twin Cities due to racial injustice. Individuals participated in protests and fundraising efforts and took this time to both raise awareness and educate themselves. Members of Chapter Council also took this time to examine the ways in which change needed to occur within the organization. Leaders responsible for public relations worked on ensuring our presence online encouraged diversity while remaining genuine. Additional educational programming focused on intersectionality was added within various departments. Before recruitment all members participated in a training on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which focused on values-based recruitment, a history of racial exclusion within recruitment as well as ongoing microaggressions. This was done in tandem with an implicit bias training. Later on in the year all members attended a presentation by one of the cofounders of the Mapping Prejudice Project. Members learned about the history and lasting impacts of redlining in the Twin Cities and how those impacts can be seen within Greek life and the university community at large. The Panhellenic Council also hosted various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming events that members from all pledge classes participated in. PHC has implemented a lot of welcome change this year, in part led by the president of PHC who is a member of our chapter! This past year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts within Chi were led by the Vice President of Internal Affairs. Our chapter has added a director position for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which will be within the Department of Member Development.
 
Chi celebrated Kappa’s sesquicentennial throughout the year. Each day during our Spring Inspiration Period was dedicated to a specific Kappa value. Members received an email explaining the Kappa value of the day and also nominated members they believed to embody this specific value. Members were also educated on our founders and other notable alumnae. Cleora Wheeler continues to be a chapter favorite. During our Fall Inspiration Period we were able to continue one of Chi’s long standing traditions where bigs and littles paint their blocks. On Founders Day, members were able to watch the ceremony done by President Gail Owen. Members also shared fun facts specific to Chi and pictures from the archives. // The year of 2020 presented many challenges but members were able to overcome these with creativity and compassion. Members learned a lot about one another and have left the year with a deeper understanding of what unites us as Kappa women.
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==Highlights of 2021==
 
Although the COVID-19 pandemic carried into the 2021 calendar year, Chi’s chapter council was extraordinarily resilient and eager to make Kappa as exciting as possible this calendar year. With almost a full year of our sisterhood being held completely virtual within our individual homes, the chapter council was able to remain headstrong in making our sisterhood stronger than before. Virtual workout classes, a Kappa Kahoot night, and a Galantines charcuterie competition were great events that kickstarted the spring semester and connected members with one another. History nuggets were shared monthly at virtual meetings to keep members familiar with Kappa’s history and values. This spring, Chi welcomed nine new members to the Freshman pledge class. Initiation was held virtually, but with restrictions loosened by the time of Initiation, Chi could continue Initiation traditions safely. Bigs gave their Littles gift baskets and went out to brunch while following local COVID- 19 guidelines.
Even though the University of Minnesota continued e-learning throughout the spring semester, academic excellence was still essential to Chi. KKGenius and a self-care challenge during finals week were held virtually to ensure that members continue to succeed academically through personal growth and motivation. By encouraging one another and sharing academic achievements virtually, Chi had 65 members make the Dean's list, and 25 had a 4.0 GPA. These members were later celebrated in the fall with a Dean's List Dinner.
Fall recruitment was held through a hybrid method as the first two rounds were conducted via Zoom and the last two were in-person at the house. With this, Chi was able to prepare for recruitment in person. During K-Week, VP Membership and our President worked incredibly hard to incorporate fun activities and daily dress-up themes to get members excited about an in-person semester. Due to low local positivity rates, Chi had an in-person bid day with a KappaWorld theme in relation to Travis Scott’s Astroworld album. We welcomed 31 new members who were later initiated in person this past October. By having an in-person Initiation and Inspiration Period, members could fully understand the ritual and meaning behind what being a Kappa truly is.
 
Excelling academically was an important reminder for our members as we shifted back to an in-person semester. Our Academic Excellence Director shared a presentation at our first Monday Night Meeting. She shared effective study skills, methods to maintain a healthy balance with school and social life, favorite campus study spots, study playlists, and many more ways to ensure academic success. Monthly study nights were held socially distanced at large lecture halls to provide a quiet study space for members.
Founder’s Day was celebrated at our house, and Chi invited alumni to our Tea Party-themed celebration. Members were voted for by the whole chapter in displaying Kappa values. This was a great way to show appreciation to our Founders and current members who embody what it means to be a Kappa.
 
Chi Chapter's local philanthropy organization that we support is Girls Academy. This spring, we were able to conduct a Kappa Kandygrams fundraiser. Members encouraged everyone in Greek life to buy a candy bar for $1 which included a personalized note to someone in another sorority or fraternity. Members safely dropped off the notes and candy at each house with receiving members around Valentine's Day. Chi typically partnered with St. Anthony's Middle School and held various events with middle schoolers throughout the year. As Covid was still of concern, St. Anthony's was no longer willing to have in-person or virtual events. As a result, our Girls Academy Director was able to plan an in-person event with the Boys and Girls Club this November. This seminar included an ice breaker game called Common Thread. Groups were instructed to write out things they had in common on a poster board and then present them to the big group. After discussing their commonalities, small group discussions were led by Kappas about womanhood along with highs and lows. Although the event was not with St. Anthony's, this shows how empowered our members are to help teenagers instill confidence throughout this period of their life. By encouraging middle schoolers to believe in themselves, members can see their work in action through this relationship development and trust.
 
2021 was an exciting year for Chi in supporting Kappa’s philanthropy. In the spring, Chi held our first annual Kappa Klassic golf tournament. This was held at Theodore Wirth Golf Course to fundraise for Reading is Fundamental. Around 120 golfers participated in the event, and low Covid rates allowed this to be held in-person and socially distanced. Through the collection of raffle baskets, a silent auction, ticket sales and selling customized Kappa golf merchandise, Chi raised $8,693. Additionally, this fall, Chi planned and executed another first annual event of Sapphire Ball. With the national philanthropy shifting to supporting mental health awareness, Chi raised money for an organization of our choosing-Mental Health America. This event was held at the Graduate Hotel in Minneapolis, and Kappas were dressed in dark and light blue elegant dresses. Guests bought tickets for $50 that included dinner and the ability to bid on the silent auction and purchase raffle tickets. We had a couple of members share personal stories on how these efforts toward mental health advocation sincerely mean so much to them. Everyone is fighting their own battle, and Chi was honored to raise money and awareness for such a relatable cause. Like Kappa Klassic, a silent auction and raffle baskets were organized through donation collection to support Mental Health America further. Additionally, there was a balloon pop fundraiser where attendees could purchase a balloon for $10. Inside each balloon was a number corresponding to an envelope with either a gift card or a note thanking them for their donation. At the end of the presentation, those with a balloon were instructed to pop it simultaneously. Guests were then able to redeem their envelopes. After weeks of endless preparation, Sapphire Ball was incredibly successful and a total of $15,451.19. Our external department and our members are very eager to continue planning our annual philanthropy events for 2022.
 
The addition of a DEI officer allowed for a continuous conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion globally and within our own chapter. Our officer shared a DEI moment of the week every Monday night that touched on positive changes or movements happening worldwide to make a change. This spring, our DEI director planned a movie night where members could come to the house and pick up a care package that included a face mask, popcorn, and a candy bar of each member’s choosing. Members were then instructed to watch a movie independently or with their Kappa roommates from a provided list. After watching, members wrote a reflection about the chosen film by sharing what they learned and how they will apply these lessons to their own life. The members who participated were then entered into a gift card raffle. Additionally, our officer provided various book and podcast suggestions throughout the year to help educate the chapter on an array of issues our world is facing today. Educational workshops were conducted, and members were invited to virtual workshops about the power of pronouns, social identities, and the circle of influence. She continuously reminded members of the chapter that there was free access to counseling services as our national philanthropy changed and other resources members could utilize. This past October and November, our officer also collected shoe donations at the Kappa house. These shoes were later donated to local families within the Minneapolis area. It was important for Chi to continue this awareness through social media with all of this being said. Our Public Relations Director did a phenomenal job advocating for change and raising awareness on societal progress, or lack thereof, and diversity. These genuine efforts allowed Chi to stay educated and compassionate throughout the year.
 
As previously mentioned, this past year posed significant challenges to our chapter council as we worked proactively to make Kappa “normal” within the “new normal.” During the spring semester, various chapter council members helped plan a scavenger hunt for the freshman pledge class. This involved making Tiktoks, MS seminars, ritual stations and taking pictures at some of the most popular spots around campus. This was a great way for the freshman pledge class to bond, safely and with masks, after an entirely virtual fall semester. This fall, Chi was able to hold our New Member Retreat for our 2021 freshman pledge class. This was a special weekend up north camping and bonding with the freshman PC and our President, New Member Director, VP Membership, and VP Member Development. In terms of sisterhoods, local covid levels allowed us to have private shopping events with Aerie and Aritzia at the Mall of America, as well as attending a socially distanced Minnesota Twins baseball game.
 
This fall, the University of Minnesota held in-person classes, and we were able to have in- person Monday Night Meetings and sisterhoods once again. In September, we had a Painting in the Park event where members could tap into their craftiness by painting canvases and making friendship bracelets. In October, Chi had a sisterhood event at Pine Tree Apple Orchard where members did a corn maze and could buy apples, apple cider, and freshly baked pastries. During November, Chi attended a Gopher hockey game, an exciting way to kick off hockey season. Upcoming in December, Chi is having a White Elephant Holiday sisterhood that will include a gift exchange, hot chocolate, cookies, and an opportunity to make holiday cards to be delivered to patients at Children’s Minnesota Hospital.
 
Unfortunately, Chi could not hold a date party or formal this past spring, but our Events Director could safely plan and coordinate sisterhood events such as Top Golf and a Ben & Jerry’s food truck. This event was used to help promote Kappa Klassic on social media that was happening later that semester. Fortunately, Chi was able to have a date party this October with a country theme. We are excited to have our formal at the beginning of December since it has been almost two years since our last formal. After the whirlwind of 2020, we are all incredibly proud of the ’21 chapter council for reigniting the sisterhood after nearly a full year apart.
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