4,269
edits
Changes
→2012
A Kappa Trainer facilitated an image-management workshop at a chapter meeting. The annual fall semi-formal, Kappa Krush, was held at a venue called “Bartini” and the theme was “Kappa Kaberet.” A week later many members drove to Anna Leverone’s house for the new member retreat on November 14. On November 18, members gathered on the front porch to listen to the gentlemen of various fraternities serenade the chapter. Kappas also attended a Tacky Christmas Sweater Social with the men of Phi Kappa Alpha at Longworth’s in Mt. Adams.
==Highlights of 2012==
The year for the ladies of the Beta Rho Deuteron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began with the installation of new officers. With the new officers came new ideas for improving the chapter! In the beginning of February we went with our Dads to Stone Lanes Bowling Alley for an afternoon of bonding and getting a couple strikes and spares! In the month of February we also teamed up with Sigma Phi Epsilon to create a team for Cincinnati Dance Marathon, a 24 hour dance philanthropy raising money for Children’s hospital. Though our legs were sore we were honored to have so many of our sisters on CDM’s executive board and morale team. At the end of February we held our annual Sapphire Ball at “The Syndicate” in Newport, Kentucky. The ball was Masquerade themed and after a delicious dinner, we danced the night away with our newly crowned Sapphire Man, David Clark. We were also able to hold our Reading is Key week-long event with the Cincinnati Boys & Girls clubs. We read books, played games, had snacks and laughed with the little kids.
We unfortunately had to end this year with a loss of a sister, friend and inspiration. Not only was she the most positive, free spirited person you would have ever met; she was always there for you to brighten your day. Throughout our lives with Ellen Garner we learned that we have to live life to the fullest, not care about what others think and most importantly to take chances because you never know what great story can come from it. Throughout this time we have learned the true meaning of sisterhood and appreciate this gift that Kappa Kappa Gamma has given us.
==Highlights of 2013==
The year 2013 for the ladies of the Beta Rho Deuteron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began with some hard losses. We returned from Winter Break to some very difficult news – our sister Ellen Garner had been injured in a house fire on New Year's Day and was in the hospital in a medically-induced coma. Despite endless prayers and good thoughts, she left us on January 14, 2013. In the days and weeks following her death, our chapter became stronger than ever. We came together with a true appreciation for each other and it made me even more proud to be a Kappa. Ellen truly was all that was beautiful and good.
As with all hard things, our Beta Rho worked to move forward together and begin the rest of the year, always keeping Ellen in minds and keeping memories of her close. As January progressed, we had the installation of new officers and the turning of a page. With the new officers came new ideas for improving the chapter and ideas to thrive with the semester conversion. Many new challenges were ahead as the chapter council worked to see how to squeeze in the activities which previously filled 5 months during our winter and spring quarters, into the 4 months of our first spring semester. It was a challenge from the start, but Beta Rho had a lot to look forward to for the remainder of the school year. We were also honored to have two Kappas elected into positions on Panhellenic Council-Brittany Besl and Kristy Dardano represented Kappa as VP Recruitment and VP Finance.
In the month of February, Kappas teamed up with Pi Kappa Alpha to create a team for Cincinnati Dance Marathon, a 24 hour dance philanthropy raising money for Children’s hospital. We enjoyed a Valentine’s themed two way with the men of Beta Theta Pi and mixed up our typical dog nights by having a coney sale with men of Sigma Chi. We were honored to have the opportunity to hold our first Girls Academy at Summit View Middle School. We hosted 50 middle school girls for an overnight event with focus on empowering leaders, the importance of respect, and service. The event was a great success and we loved learning from the girls at this school and helping empower them. On March 8 we held our annual Sapphire Ball at “The Syndicate” in Newport, Kentucky. The ball was fully stocked with a candy bar and after a delicious dinner, we danced the night away with our newly crowned Sapphire Man, Rob Rice. The following morning, a few bright eyed members chalked up the energy to participate in UC’s Community Plunge. We spent the morning “Springing our steps” with some of the men of Pi Kappa Phi and worked to clean up an abandoned pathway of steps leading out of downtown Cincinnati.
Kappas returned from spring break and had a parents weekend event to Hockey Game. With springtime came Greek Week, Province Meeting in Columbus, Relay for Life with SAE and a jam-packed Kappa calendar! We were honored and proud to receive Most Improved Chapter, Best New Member Program, and honorable mentions in Sisterhood and Membership at Province Meeting. At this year’s “Greekelodeon” themed Greek Week, the Beta Rho chapter placed 3rd overall, with another 1st place in belly flop, 3rd in Lipsync, and 1st in greek games.
With Greek Week over we focused on Relay for Life teaming up with Sigma Alpha Epsilon to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Relay for Life was a great success as our chapter had the top fundraising with over $15,000 raised! This largely came from the support of member Christa Seta and her family who host a fundraiser in memory of her mom each year who were incredibly generous to donate this money in our name for this cause this year.
As the semester quickly came to an end, we hosted our first Kappa Kornhole event to raise money for Kappa Kidney Kamp. We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of supporting our teams and grilling hot dogs. To end the year, we hosted a memorial for Ellen as found in our ritual book which was presided by a former fraternity president, J.J. Wales. For the first time Kappas packed their bags and ended exams before we even turned the page to May.
We ended our summer days with a Fleur de Lis week that brought us all back together. Our membership chair Katie put together a fabulous week filled with Kappa history lessons, proper recruitment etiquette, and we had fun bonding with our sisters while making our Recruitment video which has become a highlight of recruitment. As school came back into session we enjoyed our first two way of the year with a fun kickball filled field day with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha. Just a few weeks into the semester, Beta Rho chapter participated in Panhellenic Formal recruitment. We were excited to share our sisterhood with so many potential new members as we had another year of record numbers of girls going through recruitment. Even through some nights of pouring down rain, we were able to meet so many amazing women. We ended the two weekend recruitment with a “Kappa Revolution” bid day. Once again through the rain we still managed to have a 70s worthy dance party on the porch, and welcoming our 49 newest members. We also were overjoyed to welcome back our sisters who had disaffiliated to help the new girls find their homes in each sorority chapter.
Our new members joined right in time for Homecoming which UC themed this year “Once upon a Homecoming”! The Beta Rho chapter teamed up with the men of Sigma Chi and our Homecoming chair Elle Murray planned a fun filled week themed nights! We ended the week with our annual Homecoming breakfast, catered by Maggiano’s Italian restaurant. We shared breakfast with alumni, friends and family and watched the Homecoming parade from our front porch during the rain where we saw our float, and our Education chair Sarah Clem and Brittany Besl on the Homecoming court! The Bearcats took home a victory against the U Conn, and Kappa took a victory with Sarah Clem winning Homecoming!
With a win under the Bearcats belt, we celebrated Founder’s Day at the Cincinnati Women’s Club. Several alumni received 65- and 50- year anniversary pins. Nancy Carley province director of alumnae spoke to us and Junior Natalie Papania was awarded the Gloria Gehring award and received the honorary pin.
October brought a busy month for us starting off with UC’s first “reading days.” Our event chairman Courtney Gibbons, planned a fun 2-way with the women of Theta painting pottery. In November, Kappa’s brought back an old tradition for our annual Kappa Krush. Each of our dates were “Krushed” and had to wait until the night of the dance to see who had invited them. We had fun surprising the dates and danced the night away at the chic Venue 222 in Over the Rhine. As the semester came to a close Kappa kept our calendars full. During I-Week we had the joy of sharing our experiences with Ilyana, our leadership consultant. During the week, we had family dinners, got competitive at Laser tag, enjoyed a hot yoga class, and wrapped up the week with fireside and initiation. We were lucky to share our experiences with a few of the women from the Akron chapter as they initiated one of their new members along-side of ours.
After Thanksgiving, we took a little road trip to headquarters where the newest members were able to see even more into our sisterhood and history during a visit to the Kappa museum. We loved learning about the history of Kappa, as well as history of our very own chapter we hadn't previously known at the Heritage Museum. Additionally, Kappa finished the fall semester 3rd overall in the Greek community for chapter GPA and 2nd among other sororities. We are excited to see where 2014 will take us.
This past year has been a year of change around UC. President Santa Ono has spurred on an even greater school spirit that has made every event electric and an exciting time to be students here. This past year, we finished our first year on semesters which required a lot of changes for our calendar and how we make things work. Our chapter has found a way to continue to thrive throughout these changes and continues to grow and stay at the forefront of Greek life on campus.
==Highlights of the 2020s:==
