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We had the Minnie Stewart Van virtually present their van and tell us about the founding Kappa chapter. We also held a virtual celebration on Zoom the week after Founders Day.
==Highlights of 2021==
This Spring we held a Valentine’s Day Party with Best Buddies, weekly Zoom dinners where members were able to catch up on zoom, a Virtual Neighborhood Barre Class, Dance Moms Empowerment Talk with Christi Lukasiak and a Main Event Sisterhood Event. In the fall we were able to start back up Lady Minerva where every week at Chapter Meetings, a member would read a letter to another member who has made an impact on their college life in Kappa. As we gradually go back to a somewhat “normal” life, we have all been able to get closer to each other and experience what it is like to be a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma to the fullest.
'''Philanthropy'''
We were able to assist our local philanthropy “Thrive”, with things such as volunteering weekly. Thrive is a nonprofit after school program where kids in lower income areas come and do their school work. Not only are they helped with school work but they are also introduced to other fun activities that are school related and some that have to do with the Christian faith. We believe that this organization helps highlight our values in the Knoxville community, as these kids do not have many opportunities for help at home so at Thrive they are helped with homework and some kids have learned to read because of Thrive. This spring we held a drive-by philanthropy event called “Get Wa-Full with Kappa”, people were able to buy tickets and purchase a waffle from “Never Full Waffles” and pick it up at the Kappa house. This was a great way for us to still support our philanthropies while abiding by COVID-19 protocols. In the fall we were able to have an in-person philanthropy event called “Kappa Karnival” where different fraternities and sororities teamed up to compete in different carnival games, we also sold tickets to people in the Knoxville community to come participate. As a chapter we were also able to participate in different chapter philanthropy events, such as Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash and Lambda Chi’s Watermelon Bust. This year with the change to Kappa’s national philanthropy of Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy, our chapter voted to support Active Minds, a nonprofit in the United States working to end the silence and change the culture around mental health by mobilizing the next generation.
'''Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'''
The previous year we added a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chair to our Associates Council to ensure that we were implementing DEI initiatives within all chapter decisions. In the fall, we added a requirement for all of our members to participate in at least two different DEI events per semester. As a chapter, we felt that this new requirement was a necessary step toward actively creating a more inclusive environment. Through educational programming and diversity training, we strive to keep our members informed about current events, as well as spark positive personal growth Our DEI chair also kept the conversation going with having a “trailblazer of the week” where she highlighted different people in history who have made a positive impact in the conversation of diversity. In the spring semester our members were required to attend a DEI Training Program held over zoom which was a great conversation starter in the chapter. In the spring, some of our members also volunteered for the MLK Service event. During Black History Month, our Public Relations chair highlighted trailblazing Black women that have left their mark on history, and posted different educational resources where people can learn more about Black History Month.
'''Operating During a Pandemic'''
This Spring we held all of our weekly chapter meetings on zoom to adhere by the COVID-19 Protocols. By doing this we were still able to see each other but in a safe manner. We also were able to still hold a philanthropy event which was a drive-by to keep people outside of the Kappa house. Thankfully this Fall we were able to have in-person weekly Chapter meetings. These had to be held on campus to ensure all of our members could fit. This was a breath of fresh air for our members as we were finally able to see each other again. Recruitment was also held in person while wearing masks and we successfully recruited a new pledge class of 113 new members. Initiation in the fall was also able to be held in person while wearing masks but we limited the number of people who attended to only our new members and the girls who were taking littles in the new pledge class. As a Chapter, we are so thankful to be able to semi go back to normal, but also keeping in mind the Pandemic is still on going.
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