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Chi
,→Highlights of the 1960s
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 2015, Chi had the highest GPA on campus, and they won the university’s Chapter of Excellence Award again. They were awarded the Academic Excellence Award at the 2014 Kappa Convention and all around Greatest Chapter Award at the 2013 Province Meeting.
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. More house renovations were completed in 2011.
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==