4,264
edits
Changes
→2012
(From chapter history reports, scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)
==Highlights of 2012==
The Spring 2012 semester started off with officer transitions, and Samantha Gimelli was appointed as the new president of the Gamma Omicron chapter. The newly installed officers worked diligently with one another to ensure that the chapter was operating at it's highest possible potential and efficiency.
The overall nature of the chapter is supportive, honest, loyal, and fun. There are always women around to listen and with suggestions when someone is having a rough day. The women of the chapter support one another, are looking out for each other's best interests, and are loyal. We always have the best time at our social events, philanthropy events, and in everything we do together. The women of the chapter encourage one another to succeed and to reach their fullest potential. Members of the Gamma Omicron chapter are hilarious, interesting, and exquisite women, who appreciate one other and the bond of sisterhood. It's an honor to be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, and an honor to be a part of the Gamma Omicron Chapter.
==Highlights of 2013==
The past 2013 year has been another great year for Gamma Omicron chapter. The Spring semester started out by appointing Ms. Lora Waeckerle as the chapter’s president along with her new officers that would be serving on Chapter Council. The newly transitioned officers took pride in their leadership positions and were very enthusiastic with new ideas they could bring to the chapter.
Along with the gaining new women in leadership roles, the chapter also gained 6 New Members through an informal Spring recruitment. All 6 of these women were initiated after completing their New Member period and learning about the history and values of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. After a diligent and successful work week before the new school year started, the chapter was fully prepared and optimistic for Fall Formal Recruitment. Their optimism prevailed and 36 new members were welcomed into Gamma Omicron chapter with a Vegas themed Bid Day. Feeling very “lucky”, not only to have new women joining the chapter and “lucky to be a KKG”, the women played fun Vegas gambling games, took pictures in the photo booth and hit the wedding chapel in celebration. Of these 36 women, 35 were pledged and officially recognized as New Members. The chapter was very excited as this was the biggest pledge class Gamma Omicron has had in a long time. After completing a well-organized New Member Program put on by the New Member Chairman, Katy Zahorik, and fulfilling the requirements for a New Member, 31 of these women were initiated on November 9, 2013.
Throughout the year our chapter and individuals within the chapter received awards and held positions on Panhellenic council. In April, our Greek community held the Greek Week Awards where chapters were given awards based on results from our annual Greek Week and awards that were voted individually by each chapter. Gamma Omicron as a chapter was awarded the Most Community Service award and the Greek Adviser award. Mary Gokanakonda did the chapter proud and was awarded the New Member of the Year award.
Two of our members served on Panhellenic Council: Lauren Robertson was Panhellenic President and Carolyn Hammersmark served as programming chair. Two of our members also were selected to serve as recruitment leaders for the Fall 2013 Sorority Recruitment. Even though we did not have much representation on the Panhellenic Council, the chapter fulfilled one of our chapter goals of becoming more involved in the Panhellenic community by attending events and philanthropies put on by other chapters and attended Panhellenic meetings weekly. Members of the chapter also attended and represented Gamma Omicron at the Eta Province in Boulder, Colorado where we were awarded Outstanding Communication, Fraternity Education and Ritual, and House Board Excellence and honorable mention for Panhellenic and Campus Involvement.
With Philanthropy being one of our four pillars, Gamma Omicron was very dedicated and successful in fundraising for our philanthropies and Natalie Basolo, our Philanthropy Chairman, was more than prepared to make this happen. In March we hosted our annual Wing Fling fundraiser which raised $1650 to be divided equally between Reading is Fundamental, the Kappa Gamma Foundation and our Relay for Life team. Along with Wing Fling, our philanthropy chairman organized our chapter to participate as a team in the university’s Relay for Life.
The chapter raised $1600 (which included the $550 from Wing Fling) after a long night of walking and fundraising for a great cause.
We were awarded the Highest Fundraising Sorority and Greek Chapter from Relay for Life which was a great achievement for our first year with outstanding participation from the chapter. In the fall, the chapter decided to make a change and move our annual Mr. Wyoming Pageant to the upcoming spring semester and held our first annual Kappa Con Chili fundraiser. At this event we charged a small fee for guests to enjoy all you can eat chili and cornbread. This was an adjustment period for Gamma Omicron but we are excited for the hopeful success this event will hold in the future. The chapter raised a total of $600 again to be divided between Reading is Fundamental, the foundation and Relay for Life. Along with our two main fundraisers, the chapter participated in other philanthropic events on campus and in the community such as Safe Treat on Halloween, serving at the soup kitchen, participating in Campus Clean Up, and many others.
After all of the hard work put into our philanthropies our Event Chairman, Secia Porreco, awarded everyone with fun and exciting events throughout the year. In March, we had our annual Sapphire Ball which was held at the Hilton Garden Inn here in Laramie. Although Wyoming weather isn’t always the warmest, it agreed with us that night as we walked to the Hilton, chanting our Kappa songs and showing our pride with our dates in arm. In April women of the chapter competed in Greek week activities and took 2nd place in the large group talent competition performing an upbeat dance choreographed by our music chair, Savannah Moyte. In all the events the ladies of Gamma Omicron represented Kappa Gamma with great sportsmanship and class.
The major events for the fall came with Homecoming Week where we were paired with the gentlemen of Pi Kappa Alpha. Secia planned a week filled with events to get to know the men and build our pirate ship Homecoming float. Again, the Wyoming weather cooperated with us and we rode and walked in the parade while passing out candy and chanting songs with pride on the ship before the football game. A couple weeks later we had our annual Barn Dance. The girls put on their jeans or dresses and cowboy boots to showcase their inner cowgirl. The event was held at the Hilton and was filled with delicious food, great music to swing dance to and a good time.
As always, our academics are very important to us and always is a main focus. However, this past year it was one of our greater challenges that we had to overcome. With not being ranked as high as we would have liked on our GPA among the other chapters, Gamma Omicron was given an Academic Focus Plan. This plan required every member to complete a mandatory 5 study hours per week with supervision of our Vice President of Academic Excellence, Sami Gimelli, and her committee. Although this plan was a dramatic change for the chapter, the women worked together and motivated one another to improve our academics. The focus plan has helped improve the chapter’s GPA and we are very optimistic about continuing our academic improvement.
The University has made some changes in the past year both administrational and architectural. After his 35 years at the university with eight of those years as the president, Tom Buchanan retired from his office at the end of summer of 2013. The University of Wyoming hired Bob Sternberg to fulfill the position as president in July. However, Sternberg’s office was short-lived, resigning from office in November. Dick McGinity then served as the interim president for the remainder of the year.
The university is also undergoing major construction to different aspects of the campus. There are three major construction projects that impact the student body. They are currently making renovations and additions to the Half Acre Recreational Gym, renovation and expansion to the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts, and currently building a brand new welcome center called the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. Students are eager for the completion of these new additions and renovations. Even though the campus is making many additions, the university lost one of their chartered chapters this past year. Our Monmouth sisters of Pi Beta Phi are no longer a chapter on campus. Although the Greek community was very saddened by this, we are all hoping to increase our membership numbers and hopefully bring their chapter back in the near future.
Our chapter has also had changes to our house management and our physical appearance. Our house board hired a new house director, Ms. Clare Graziano. She has brought great ideas to the house and has been very efficient in her position. She recently discovered there were hard wood floors under the carpet on our staircase and front hall way so they were refurnished and are a great addition to the house. Because we are limited by our budget and lack of membership, there is not enough money to support any other major changes to the house at this time.
The overall nature of Gamma Omicron chapter is growing in more ways than one. Throughout the past year our chapter has grown in numbers, in our bonds of sisterhood, and through our challenges that we have faced as a chapter. Our chapter nature is very positive and we are very supportive of one another in all that we do. The chapter also remains very loyal and honest to one another and to the fraternity.
==Highlights of 2020s:==
