Kappa Quill Fall 2020

Kappa Quill

FALL 2020 VOLUME 49 ISSUE 1

You Are Invited to the Kappa Delta Phi NAS

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ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION at KappaCon21

Alumnae Sisters— Sisters —WE NEED YOUR HELP! Chapter Alumnae Associations, Founding Chapter Class Members, and all other interested alumnae!

The National Board is putting together a special anniversary edition of the Kappa Quill for Spring 2021 and we need your help!

Please submit your memories, photos and stories to editor@kappadeltaphinas.org or reach out for more information.

Letter from the Executive Director Dear Sisters and Friends of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. Personally, this year feels more like something out of one of the science fiction novels I read than it does real life. The year 2020 has seen thousands of people lose their lives from the pandemic, millions more sickened by it, thousands who have lost their jobs or been otherwise financially impacted, the impact of climate change which has caused an alarming numbers of wildfires and named ocean storms, racism running rampant while thousands of others protest nationwide the unjust social and political systems that still exist, and facts being regarded as little more than opinion or worse of outright lies if they do not support the current agenda. With so much uncertainty and negativity currently flooding our social media and news cycles, most of us are facing more stress than we have ever faced. If you are anything like me, you may have even had times during this year where you have stopped and wondered if goodness and kindness still even exist anymore; there have been a few times where I seriously doubted it. Kindness is one of the pillars that our organization prides itself on. It’s the pillar we should be devoting ourselves daily to try to uphold. Kindness has become even more important in this time of uncertainty and negativity that we are in, as it can make a difference even if you don’t see it. This is not only kindness to each other and our communities, but to ourselves as well.

So what does it actually mean to show kindness to someone? Well, kindness is a behavior that someone exhibits through an act of generosity, consideration or concern for someone else with no expectation of a returned

favor, reward or praise for the act. Living in the pressure cooker of 2020, it can certainly feel like kindness is in short supply, overshadowed by a culture that values individual freedoms over the greater good, that value material goods and money over the value of human life, believing conspiracy theories over science, and by letting basic human rights become politicized. Many of us are living under the fear and stress of having our lives turned upside down, classes moved remote, major life milestones postponed or canceled, isolated from loved ones, losing our jobs or having to risk our health and safety working through the pandemic. Knowing that we are all going through a lot right now, showing our sisters and loved ones a little kindness could go a long way to improving their day or even their week—whether it's being an ear to listen to them, dropping them off a socially distant coffee or sending them a message letting them know you are thinking of them.

Kindness in our communities is also important and can have a ripple effect. The simple gesture of paying for someone’s coffee behind you in the drive thru can last hours after you leave. The one time it happened to me, I was not having a good day. It was the start of the pandemic. I had a busy day at work and nothing was going right. When I pulled up to pay for my coffee and the barista told me the car in front of me paid for my order, I started to cry and gave my credit card to him so he could run it for the car behind me, the barista said this was the best day he had ever worked because of

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Table of Contents

Pg. 08 Kappa Stands For Kindness

Pg. 15  Chapter Reports

Letter from the Executive Director....... 1 Letter from the President.......................... 4 SLR Recap........................................................ 5 Digamma Committee Update.................... 5 Philanthropy Update.................................... 6 Philanthropy in a Pandemic..................6-7 Diversity and Equity Training.................. 7 Kappa Stands For Kindness................. 8-13 Fraternity Update.........................................14

November 7th, 2020 | Virtual

Board of Representatives Meeting November 8th, 2020 | Virtual

AFA

December 8-10th, 2020 | Virtual

NGLA

Chapter Reports.....................................15-27

February 25-28th, 2021 | Virtual Look out for an application soon!

Alumnae Spotlight.................................28-29

KappaCon 2020

Alumnae Association........................... 30-31 Cooking with Jeanette............................... 31

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Fall Board Meeting

April 9-11th, 2021 | Location TBD based on CDC guidelines & hotel policy

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 all the kindness. I don’t know when it started or how long it lasted. I know my day was made, the barista had a good day and hopefully it improved the day of the car behind me. Other acts of kindness that you can perform in your community could be leaving a larger than normal tip on your takeout order or when you go out to eat, holding the door open for others, offering genuine compliments, giving up your seat on the bus, or checking in on your neighbors are great ways to show kindness in your community.

Even though it is great to show kindness to our loved ones and out in the community, this can be a challenge if your batteries are drained. It’s important to show yourself kindness now more so than ever before.

Sometimes you might hear self-kindness as "self care," but know matter what you call it, take care of yourself.

One of the most important pieces of advice that I have received from my best friend during this time when I found my motivation was lacking was, “Give yourself grace, you are living through a friggin' pandemic.” It’s important to remember that it is okay if you do not check everything off your to-do list or if your motivation isn't there. We are living through unprecedented times and it’s okay to put yourself first. On days where I find myself more anxious than normal, I like to work out and get my juices flowing, or use my meditation app to help myself relax. And on days I find myself lacking motivation, I try to remember it’s okay to ignore my to-do list and lose hours to playing Animal Crossing or reading a book. Showing yourself kindness can come in many different forms but the most important part is to ditch the negative talk and not to beat yourself up when things don’t go according to plan.

If we can learn anything from the challenges 2020 has presented, it is the importance and power of kindness in our lives. Be kind to your loved ones. Be kind to your communities. And most importantly, be kind to yourself.

We are living through things we never imagined that we would be; it’s okay if you need focus on you—just don’t beat yourself up for it.

In Kappa,

Amanda Roberge Executive Director

Mission Statement The purpose of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. shall be to promote academic achievement, to encourage community involvement through philanthropy, and to cultivate the everlasting bonds of sisterhood.

We shall fortify the values of leadership, generosity, charity, and integrity within our sisters through guidance at both the chapter and national level.

National Founders Pat Ouellette Angie Parker Kathy Luciano Dee Tzovarras Tricia Crosby Laurie Beckwith Joanne Lobozzo Becky Ritter Joyce Welch Renie Mountain Bridgett Burtchell Bonnie Griener

Nancee Brearly Debbie Therriauly Barbie Richard Eileen Coombs Karen Kulikowski Kathi Gleason Jan Spaulding Sharon Soles Sue Caron Leslie Vartabedian Mimi McBride

Media & Materials Committee Designer: Christina Rose Editor: Amanda Cronin Webmaster: Brittany Baldwin Social Media: Robyn Sarette Committee Members: Amanda Roberge Emma Wenig Kimberleigh Rambol 03

Letter from the President Hello Sisters,

home due to not being emotionally avalible. I am happy I have made the first step-—recognizing the problem. Now, I have made it a goal of mine to truly turn off at the end of the day and focus on my relationships with family and friends.

Again, it’s easier said than done, but I know making small adjustments will vastly improve a few aspects of my life, including my mental health. My hope is that sharing this story with you will help you make small improvements in your life to support your mental health.

Welcome back! I hope you and your families are staying safe and well.

Being “back” is certainly not normal by any means, but I do hope you are uncovering the positives as you work through these unprecedented times. I know that this is easier said than done.

The coronavirus has impacted almost every aspect of our lives—work, home, and Kappa. It’s tough to feel that human connection when we aren’t physically together. This can certainly impact everyone in some shape or form. Knowing this, we all need to remember to exercise kindness—kindness to not only one another and your community, but also to yourself.

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share feelings of another. Sometimes, being empathetic can be seen as a weakness. However, I see it as a sign of strength. Emotional intelligence is needed in today’s world to be successful. Putting yourself in people’s shoes allows you to put things in perspective and make better decisions. As leaders in your communities and in Kappa, I challenge you to exercise empathy in the day-to-day.

Stand up for what you believe in. Work with the organizations that align to your passions and positively impact your community. Support one another. If you see someone falling to the wayside or just not being themselves, reach out and check in. By doing something so simple, you can positively affect someone’s day, or even their life. We can spread more kindness when we are aware of other’s feelings, emotions, and actions.

Self-care and supporting your mental health has become increasingly important in today’s age. I want to remind you that it’s okay to take a step back and to focus on yourself.

The pandemic has affected everyone’s mental health in some shape or form. For me, my ‘new normal’ means that my work for HP Inc. and Kappa are all done at my home office. Because these worlds are now blended, it's challenging for me to remove myself from work after hours.

I feel like I’m always “on” and there’s no disconnect. I’ve only realized recently that this has affected my life at

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I have also noticed that there tends to be a negative stigma when it comes to mental health such as stress, anxiety and other mental health conditions. Many people are afraid to tell people that they are struggling and need help. It’s okay to not be okay. There have been so many changes in our lives, and we all are finding our own ways to cope and move forward. I hope that you find comfort and support within your Kappa family and are looking forward to the National Board providing more avenues of support for your mental health as we progress into the new year.

We have all joined Kappa to perpetuate a common goal.

We are all in this together. We can be resilient by staying positive, collaborating as a team to create better outcomes, adapting when things aren’t working, and supporting one another when times get tough. Remember, there’s a vast network that you can leverage; the National Board, the National Alumnae Association, the alumnae groups/community, the fraternity and your fellow chapters. I’m proud to see the creative approaches our chapters have made to recruit more passionate members and foster the bonds of sisterhood. Let’s continue to learn from one another and support one another. Let’s continue to be kind. I am very excited to evolve as an organization and to see what our chapters can accomplish next!

In Kappa,

Amanda Cronin National President

Summer Leadership Retreat 2020 Recap

by Courtney Stevens, Member-At-Large

2020 has been the year of overcoming obstacles that we could never have imagined. For the sorority that meant having to transition our highly anticipated Summer Leadership Retreat to an online format to protect the safety of our members.

This decision was not an easy one for us to make.

We look forward to meeting with our undergraduate members face-to-face and getting to learn about the women who are leading the chapters of our organization each year. This year, we put safety first and opted for an online meeting. Although it wasn’t the same as being able to meet in person, seeing the smiling faces of the many strong leaders of Kappa made it a truly worthwhile experience.

Summer Leadership Retreat began with our business

meeting where we approved a budget for the new fiscal year, presented Gifts of Love (which typically happens at Convention), and discussed how our chapters were adapting to the “new normal” on their campuses (or for most, on their laptops). After the business meeting concluded we took a break for lunch, then reviewed a Risk Management presentation with our Executive Director, Amanda Roberge. Next, we encountered our first major hiccup of the day when the breakout rooms failed to launch, but we adapted and everyone was able to attend the session about our national philanthropy, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention!

Although it wasn’t at all what we envisioned, we appreciate the time we got to spend virtually with our chapter leaders who were able to attend and we are counting down the days until we can meet in person again!

Attention Alumnae:

Digamma Committee Update The Digamma committee is hard at work this year bringing new ideas to the sorority. We are currently working on finding a database to house our alumnae contact information and continuing to keep alumnae information up to date. One of our main goals is to create a newsletter for alumnae to let them know about fundraising initiatives, accomplishments throughout the year, and more.

We would also love to work on networking events throughout the year for actives and alumnae to connect.

If you are an alumnae and would like to make sure we have your most updated contact information, please fill out the form on our website at https://www.kappadeltaphinas.org/update-contact-information.

—Brittany Baldwin, Digamma Committee Chair

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Philanthropy Update: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Philanthropy has certainly had to adapt given the unique circumstances brought about by the current pandemic.

Despite new obstacles, our chapters, colonies, National Board, and alumnae have still committed to serving our communities and perpetuating kindness.

The National Board hosted a 50/50 raffle during suicide prevention month and raised over $522 for the Amerian Foudation for Suicide Prevention! The following month, Kappa Iota did a blitz fundraiser and raised $350 in just two short days.

Kappa Alpha Omicron colony has taken part in a mental health training, and Kappa Sigma has navigated COVIDfriendly volunteering by bringing their actives and alumnae together for a food pantry event. Kappa Alpha Xi was one of our chapters that was able to participate in an in-person AFSP Out of the Darkness event this year, and they are leading the way with the most amount of service hours! Kappa Alpha Iota distributed COVID support shirts on campus, and Kappa Upsilon was involved in a variety of events to support one of their local philanthropies, St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Kappa Chi followed suit and supported another philanthropy dear to them—the Jimmy Fund, as well as doing mental health support activities on their campus in the spirit of the AFSP mission. Kappa Omicron has been involved in a range of activities, from participating in a peer support crisis text line to making masks to joining the efforts of Habitat for Humanity. Kappa Alpha Gamma has been supporting their local church, food bank, and school’s career center. Kappa Lambda has been supporting reproductive freedom and furthering voter involvement during this election season.

These are just a few of the ways our sisters have been involved over the semester! Keep up the great work!

—Lauren Porter, Philanthropy Chair

Philanthropy in a Pandemic: 5 V Before COVID-19, our philanthropy experiences likely included things like sorting donations at a food bank, handing out meals at a soup kitchen, reading with children at a local school, cleaning out cages at an animal shelter, staffing the front desk at a museum, or assisting with events on campus. Now, things likely look very different. Events are nearly non-existent. Campuses are quieter than ever. Agencies have reduced or eliminated volunteer capacity. Annual fundraising events are virtual. Favorite volunteer activities may feel like a thing of the past.

Despite the challenges of living in a pandemic, there are still many ways to live out our value of kindness and continue volunteering for the betterment of our communities. While some

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in-person options are still available, many of you may want or need to move towards remote options. If you are looking for virtual volunteer opportunities, check out these five options: • Crisis Text Line: Do you have a passion for mental health and making a difference in crisis situations? Commit to four hours per week of helping individuals who text in to the crisis text line. All you need is two references, a reliable computer and internet, and a desire to help others and apply the skills you learn in their free 30-hour training. Visit https://www.crisistextline.org/ • Smithsonian Digital Volunteers: Take on important assignments to expand access to the Smithsonian's collections

Diversity and Equity Training: An Overview in the Importance of Educating Ourselves Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority held a diversity training for the active membership and it was truly an amazing experience. Shantelle Castle, who is a sister from Kappa Upsilon Chapter, gave us an educational presentation on many different areas of racial inequality and how we, as a sorority, can strive for equity in our chapters. She presented activities and visuals to help us understand privilege we may not have recognized, the difference between equality and equity, and how to appreciate our diversity. Everyone was able to leave the session knowing different ways we can be better sisters and citizens. She emphasized not only the importance of becoming an ally but also the importance in listening to the experience of people of color. Overall, I was happy to experience this and hope in the future we can continue to expand on this training to dive deeper into ways we can become greater allies for POC. One of the presentations was recorded and is available on Greek Track for all active sisters. Some of the resources provided to us by Shantelle are ways that we can continue to strengthen our education in creating equity in ourselves and communities.

• Get involved in organizations such as the Innocence Project, Campaign Zero, Black Lives Matter, Black Vision Collective, and support business from POC. • Know the legislation in your state, and advocate for bills and budgets that benefit POC. • Watch informational shows and movies such as 13th, When They See Us, 12 Years a Slave, Becoming, and many more.

—Marysa Mitrano, Secretary

Virtual Volunteer Opportunities through research tasks, transcription, identification, and writing. Some opportunities require special knowledge or skill and some are open to all. Visit https://www.si.edu/volunteer/ DigitalVolunteers • Amnesty International Decoders: Join AI’s Decoders program and help advance human rights globally. Volunteers assist researchers in sifting through databases of messages, images, documents, and other pertinent information. Visit https:// decoders.amnesty.org/ • United Nations Virtual Volunteers: Team up with others from across the globe to work on tasks to promote peace.

There are over 50 open opportunities right now! Visit https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en • Reclaim Our Vote: Help reduce voter suppression by mailing out postcards to voters in the most disenfranchised areas.

Supplies will be mailed to you ahead of time. Visit https:// actionnetwork.org/forms/reclaim-our-vote-signup Maybe none of these are the right fit, or you want to explore additional options? VolunteerMatch.org, DoSomething.org, and CatchaFire.org all have virtual volunteer opportunity databases!

—Lauren Porter, Philanthropy Chair

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KAPPA stands for

Through the Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority Instagram page @kdp_nas, we asked our membership about their recent experiences with kindness. The two questions presented were "How have you shown kindness during the pandemic?" and "How has someone shown you kindness during the pandemic?"

The answers are in green and pink, respectively. Thank you to those who participated.

By being patient and understanding with others

nated blood

Amy, Kappa Iota

-Tessa, Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony

my r o f g n i p p o h s y r ce ily m a f d e s i m o r p m e-co

Someone paid for my coffee -Amy, Kappa Iota

i -Katie, Kappa Ch

A man bought my nch because I was an essential worker -Tessa, Kappa Alpha Omicro n Colony

ckages a p e r a c g n i d n e By s Chi -Mariah, Kappa

By buying

me masks

-Katie, Kap pa Chi

I've been giving people small compliments when they least expect it -Ashley, Kappa Alpha Xi

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Ditching Fast Fashion as a

Written by Emma Wenig | Edited by Kate Montelione-Cortaz

What is Fast Fashion?

We all want to look good, and keeping up with the latest fashions is easier than ever these days. Trends created by high fashion designers can appear in mass market stores in a matter of weeks, more quickly and cost effectively than ever before. Being able to pick up a cheap dress for the next formal event is great, and is easy on the wallet when you have a full social calendar, but is someone else paying for it down the line? Is the pressure to keep up with production and reduce costs affecting our planet, and even ourselves, in a big way?

Why Should We Care?

Fast Fashion is an enormous industry that uses an enormous amount of resources. The fashion industry accounts for 10% of carbon emissions and 20% of wastewater in the world1. Farmers living in parts of China joke about being able to tell what color will be ‘in’ next season by looking at the shade of their rivers2. 70 million barrels of oil are used to create synthetic fibers like polyester, the most common fiber in our clothing3.

While often cheaper initially, the cons of fast fashion add up after you’ve put your clothes in your closet. Washing your clothes naturally agitates the fibers, causing them to shed.

Synthetic fibers shed microfibers into our waterways, adding to plastic pollution. It takes hundreds of years for these fibers to decompose4. Because of this, our fashion habit accounts for anywhere from 20 to 35% of all microplastics in the ocean as of 20205.

The human rights issues within the fashion industry are equally appalling. Garment industry workers endure unsafe labor practices, sexual harassment, and grueling hours with harsh chemicals and dyes. In 2013, a garment warehouse in Dharka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing over 1,134 people. The building had three floors more than what was allowed on the permit, and was assembled using substandard construction materials. The demand for fast fashion has enabled the industry to cut corners and endanger people’s lives in order to make a few more dollars6.

Workers risk their well-being to make our clothes and are not compensated fairly for it. 93% of brands surveyed by Fashion Checker were found to not be paying their garment workers a living wage7.

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They are often paid just the country’s minimum wage, which can be as low as $0.19 an hour in places like Bangladesh.

This means that not only are these workers subjected to dangerous conditions on a daily basis, they’re doing it to produce clothing that they themselves would never be able to afford.

Is all of this environmental damage and human rights violations worth it? Well seeing as Americans threw away 11.15 million tons of textiles in 2017, it seems it's not. This is up from 1.7 million tons in 1960. Fast fashion garments, which we wear less than 5 times and keep for only 35 days, produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item per year compared to garments worn 50 times and kept for a full year8. The popularity of fast fashion has led us to consume clothing as if it's disposable. And why shouldn't we treat it this way? Some of these clothing items literally fall apart at the seams after a few washes. This planned obsolescence encourages us to buy more, buy often, and buy cheap, continuously feeding into this broken system.

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What Can We Do?

Mending can to merely co mending or you have a s tional dyeing a statement

So fast fashion sucks, but how can you break the cycle? Completely removing fast fashion from one’s life takes dedication and a lot of discipline (and often a lot of money), and is honestly not accessible for many. Take a deep breath, and we’ll break it down into easier-to-manage facets. Let’s look at things you can do in terms of the “Three R’s”; Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

You can also quilts are an love but don turned into w can be turne that seem be rags for your

REDUCING YOUR WARDROBE: Reducing is the most essential part of ditching fast fashion, as the industry is reliant on us buying as often as possible. In 2014, people purchased 60% more garments than they did in 20009. Fast fashion encourages us to create elaborate wardrobes full of trendy statement pieces that the majority of people don't end up wearing more than once or twice.

Whittling your closet down to pieces you love can be a project, but it's worth it. You don’t have to worry about if anything fits or if it's out of style, and you don’t forget about items hidden in the back of your closet. It can honestly be an act of self-care to reduce your closet to pieces you know you love and will feel happy wearing. This isn’t to say you can never buy anything trendy or fun again, but buying items with the intention that they will last at least a year in your closet significantly reduces your carbon footprint.

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According to ThredUp, 70% of shoppers reported buying

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an Act of Kindness

zzo, Associate Board Members

with the intention of only wearing it once. This e up to 208 million pounds of waste10. For special usual culprit of one-time outfits, rental services like nway are a good alternative to buying something ee, you can rent a dress or even accessories for a hen return them to the company. They even take cleaning!

REPURPOSING, AND MENDING: How many you thrown away or donated an item because it imperfection? Losing a button, a rip in a shirt, a ain, a broken zipper—these are all common reas of Americans ditch their clothes. When making ive more sustainably, one may want to learn how thes. The internet is full of tutorials that can help lem you might encounter.

n be a creative effort as well. If you don’t want onceal a rip, you can use techniques like visible cute patches to make a new piece you love. If stubborn stain that can’t be covered by conveng methods, you could try tie-dyeing. It can create piece, and a new favorite in your wardrobe.

o repurpose your clothing for other uses. T-shirt ever-popular option for those college shirts you n’t see yourself wearing again. Flannels can be washable makeup removers. Broken umbrellas ed into reusable shopping bags. Even clothes eyond repair can have use as reusable cleaning r home.

NG AND BUYING SECONDHAND: Recycling e most focused on of the “Three R’s”, and while it portant aspect, it should be regarded as the last nd to over-rely on recycling instead of focusing g and reusing. Many items, especially when it xtiles, are not recycled in the way we think. Ache Council for Textile Recycling, 45% of unsold ipped overseas to other counties for sale. These n wind up in places like Africa, which provide a native but disrupt local economies in the prowinds up being turned into rags for industrial 0% is recycled into fiber used for purposes like ulation. 5% still winds up in landfills12. Donating ften done with the best of intentions, but the there are more clothes in the world than there n need of them.

said, donating and thrifting clothing does make a

serious impact within the fashion industry. The easiest way an individual can circumvent the fast fashion industry is to buy second hand. Thrift shops, vintage stores, even hand-me-downs and swapping with your friends are good alternatives to fast fashion.

It's also often cheaper than buying new, and a fantastic way to find unique pieces. In more recent years, the online secondhand market has exploded. Sites like Poshmark, Depop, Etsy and ThredUp present an easily accessible alternative to online shopping.

I bought som e se sheets off th cond hand Star Wars be e internet an d d into a dress!

It gave the sh turned them ee ts a and gave me a very unique second life outfit!

Kindness is Radical No one is perfect, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to shop ethically. It can feel like there’s a problem with every company you come across, whether it be environmental issues, human rights thrift store I found this jacket at the issues, or anything in between. We can only do nted cacti on the pai had e eon Som $2. for r it with one of so much as individuals, as fast fashion compaback, but I painted ove o pieces. ass Pic e orit my fav nies are largely responsible for their own ethics.

It may feel overwhelming when looking at the big picture, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our part to show kindness to the world we live in. Do what you can, start small, and incorporate these ideas into your life slowly. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainablefashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate 2 https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2017/04/149486/ethicalsustainable-fashion 3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/12/03/ making-climate-change-fashionable-the-garment-industrytakes-on-global-warming/#4c40c81179e4 4 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/12/03/ making-climate-change-fashionable-the-garment-industryAn entirely th takes-on-global-warming/#4c40c81179e4 shoes! The co rifted outfit, even the at is a $365 5 J. Crew coat https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/thethat I found for $1 state-of-fashion-2020-navigating-uncertainty what you'll fin 0! You never know d when thrifti 6 ng. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/19/ranaplaza-bangladesh-one-year-on 7 https://fashionchecker.org/ 8 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/12/03/ making-climate-change-fashionable-the-garmentindustry-takes-on-global-warming/#4c40c81179e4 9 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/ sustainability/our-insights/style-thats-sustainable-a-newfast-fashion-formula 10 https://www.thredup.com/resale/#eco-impact 11 http://www.theperspective.se/the-journey-of-ourdonated-clothes/ 12 ere cardigan for https://earth911.com/living-well-being/style/recycledI bought a white cashm d with moth fille and d clothing-fabrics/ $6. It was staine give it some new holes and I wanted to th holes closed, life. So I darned the mo 11 I used a tie dye ins sta the er and to cov out e cam It . ing dye method called ice ected! even cooler than I exp 1

Giving Back

by Holly Garcia, Member-At_Large Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and caring. Now more than ever, it is important to always be kind. Since March 14th, I have volunteered close to 250 hours with various food pantries, school services and elderly centers. I have spent every single day giving back to my community helping children, adults and elderly.

This pandemic is not discriminating. Even though those over the age of 65 years-old are more at risk for catching COVID-19, children, teens and adults are all faced with some type of hardship during these times whether it is actually getting sick, being laid off from work or struggling to provide essential items to their families. While schools are either completely virtual or following a hybrid model, parents are struggling to provide breakfast and lunch to their children who normally would receive both meals during school hours.

Food insecurity is not something new, it’s just having an impact on many more families now.

I’ve been a volunteer for the Everett Grace Food Pantry for the past three years. When I first started, we’d supply groceries once a month to about 60 familes. As the years have gone by,

the amount of people waiting in that line has grown. However, over the past several months, it’s something like we’ve never seen before. Pantry day is held once a week instead of once a month. On an average weekend, we’ll have over two hundred people waiting in that line. Sometimes, there are even people that I know personally waiting in that line.

We don’t know someone’s struggle, and we are in no place to judge anyone. Get out and volunteer in your community.

We can all use a little help sometimes and it is important to help those around us through acts of kindness.

COVID-19 Safe Bonding Activities

by Kimberleigh Rambol, Associate Board Member Virtual Game Night: Most game apps have the option to play live with others as well as their are online versions of most traditional board and card games!

Get a group call together and log on to play!

Coffee Date: Grab your favorite coffee and set up a zoom call to talk and laugh over everyone’s own coffee choice.

Movie Night: Set up a zoom and share your screen with your

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sisters. You can all watch a movie together in the comfort of your own homes.

Park Picnic: If sisters are in the same area, pick a park and pack a lunch and a blanket.

You can spread out to keep the distance but still enjoy some quality time together.

Sister Hike: Get a group together and find the local trails. There are trails for all levels.

Crafting for a Cause

by Robyn Sarette, Vice President of Administration For me, the pandemic first seemed like nothing to worry about, just a blip on the news, it was far away, until it wasn’t. It very quickly swept me out of my office cubicle, to my dining room table, and riddled my brain and body with anxiety. In the mid-afternoon we were told to take our desktop computers and monitors and go home for a couple of weeks. Stay home and hunker down. That was almost eight months ago. I was hearing daily from friends and family members that they were being laid off or that they were struggling with helping their children with online learning and working full time. I was grateful that I didn’t have to struggle with working from home, but I wanted to help. I just didn’t know how.

My first step was to make a donation to a local food bank but a regular donation wasn’t going to be sustainable.

I started seeing a lot of Facebook posts from local hospitals and doctor’s offices that there wasn’t enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to go around.

Regularly, disposable things like gloves and masks are changed between each patient in these facilities. With the influx of patients and the entire world looking for these resources, there wasn’t enough and nurses and doctors were having to wash and reuse their PPE that was designed to be disposable.

The posts I saw online were asking for homemade cloth masks so that they could be worn over the medical workers' PPE. Now these homemade masks do not work in the same sense as PPE does, but they help. Shortly after I saw these posts, the CDC announced that they recommended everyone wear a mask whenever physical distancing couldn’t happen. It was clear to me that there was a need for homemade

masks and this could very well be the thing I could do to help.

I’m pretty crafty so I knew mask making was something I could figure out.

The videos on YouTube made it look easy enough, right? My stepmother is an avid sewer and she collects and restores antique sewing machines so I knew where to go to get my project started. She set me up with a 1930’s Baldwin sewing machine in the most beautiful teal color and a quick lesson on how to thread it. I ordered some fabric and elastic online and got to it.

I figured out pretty quickly that these masks were easy to make. Once all the fabric was cut, it was taking me about fifteen minutes to make one mask.

Not bad! My plan was to make about 100 and call it a day. I reached out to coworkers, family, and friends to see if anyone needed a mask and the response I got was a tad overwhelming.

It was clear that the need in my community was more than I expected. The first 125 I made went to my family and

friends and I didn’t want to stop. The next 100 I donated to a hospital. Then I found a group of mask makers in my area that took requests from grocery stores, restaurants, medical offices, summer camps, senior centers who would make masks and provide them to anyone who needed them. The requests kept coming and coming so I kept sewing and sewing.

More than the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from doing something for your community, I found that making masks was therapeutic. When I was first sent home from work, it felt like I was just sitting around helpless while the world was suffering. Using my privilege to help people felt like I had a purpose.

The therapy that came from sitting behind my machine gave me more than I could have ever thought. Now that masks are easy to find in all shapes and sizes, I feel like I can take a break after making and donating my 1,000th mask (which was appropriately Disney fabric).

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Letter from Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity Statement from the Chairman of the Board: On behalf of the Brothers of Kappa Delta Phi, myself Jason Pettine, and Executive Director James Tormey, I want to thank the sisters for this opportunity to speak to you. We would like to welcome you to the 2020-2021 year and offer our best wishes during what has become a particularly challenging time.

Some background on myself first. I am a brother from Alpha Chapter at Bridgewater State University (then Bridgewater State College), who joined the organization in the Spring of 2004. I have been a member of the Board of Directors, or Volunteer staff since 2009, serving these past two years as the Chairman of the Board. In my day job, I am a Client Support Supervisor for a company called Meditech, which is an EHR software vendor. I am passionate about this Fraternity and have endeavored for some time to work toward bringing the organization into a new age—bringing us out of, as I often called it, an operational mode, and into a sustainable, scalable model built for the future. This means looking at everything we do, in every way, and constantly looking at ways to innovate. This is a slow and grueling process, particularly with an all-volunteer staff, and change is incredibly difficult. But I feel strongly we’re on the right path. A large part of that confidence is due to my faith in our new Executive Director, James Tormey. His vision for where he sees our chapters growing to, and his dedication to helping them get there, is unquestionable. I will let him speak for himself in that regard, so the remainder of this address I leave to him.

Jason Pettine Chairman of the Board, Kappa Delta Phi Fraternity

Statement from the Executive Director: My name is James Tormey, and since June I have been serving as the Executive Director of Kappa Delta Phi. I joined the Fraternity in 1998 as a member of Alpha Chapter at Bridgewater State University and served as a member of our Board of Directors between 2009 and 2017 before rejoining the board in March of 2020.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to watch both of our organizations as they have grown and changed. The

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one constant we have always shared is a commitment to our members and to ensuring their well-being. This is especially important in these trying times as our activities have been forced to shift remotely, denying the direct in-person connections we have all come to depend upon. I have had countless conversations with chapter leaders amongst the Fraternity as they have worked to adjust to this “new normal” in which they cannot spend time together while ensuring the safety of their members.

Considering this, it is inherently important that we focus on maintaining the relationships between our members. Taking a few moments to reach out and check in on one another, to make even a quick connection is becoming more and more important to ensure that the bonds between us remain strong. The simple act of inquiring as to how someone’s classes are going or asking how they are holding up day-today has become a necessity rather than a nicety. These small acts of kindness are how we will get through this together.

As always, we seek to identify and recruit the highest quality candidates, both at campuses with an active chapter and at those without. In these uncertain times it is particularly important that we extend the hand of Brotherhood and provide the important connections that remote learning has limited. I ask that you consider helping us get in contact with the men you believe would make the best additions to the Greek Community, either at your school or otherwise. You can scan the QR code or simply visit https:\\kappadeltaphi. org\recommend_3 and fill out the form to let us know who we should get in contact with about becoming a member of Kappa Delta Phi. I know that I can speak for the Brothers in wishing you all a successful and healthful year. I look forward to the opportunity to engage with your leadership over the coming years and hope that we can find mutually beneficial ways to support one another as we seek to offer our members a value-added college experience.

MTSND, James Tormey Executive Director, Kappa Delta Phi Fraternity

Chapter Reports Fall 2020

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Kappa Chi Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire Our Virtual Fall Semester is fully underway for the sisters of Kappa Chi. This semester we chose “Honey, I’m Home” as our recruitment theme! We were all so excited about this recruitment season and ready to take on the virtual world! We are very proud of how well our bee-themed recruitment events went virtually this year!

We are happily taking in 11 amazing affiliates and are so thrilled to bring them into our sisterhood. For big/ little reveal, we made TikToks for each new member to show them each of their bigs, and made Zoom breakout rooms to spend some time together with our family trees! We are very eager to see where else our virtual semester will continue to take us!

We have been very active on social media showing how all of our sisters are living in this new time! We have made many posts showing our support for AFSP, Mental Health Awareness, and self-care. As a chapter, we understand how stressful this time can be and take pride in our support for mental health. We created a TikTok, Twitter, and VSCO accounts to add to our social media platform. We are constantly trying to keep up with the trends and stay active on social media as we can’t see each other or our new members in person.

Philanthropy is something each and every sister holds close to our hearts. In this virtual world, we have found many new ways to achieve service and philanthropy.

During one of our recruitment events “Crafting for a Cause with Chi,” we spent time making thank you cards for the amazing health care workers at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire! As a chapter, we also participated in a virtual fundraiser and walk for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund! All funds get sent directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Together on our chapter page we raised $1,720! We also had seven sisters and one alumna make their own page for donations which together raised $1,600!

Our fundraisers for the semester are just kicking off!

This month we just started a Christmas fundraiser for AFSP! This is an online catalog for family and friends to buy gifts, gift wrap, and fun holiday items! We are sharing our links on Facebook, Instagram, and texting

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it to friends and family. We are very hopeful to go back to school in the spring.

The sisters of Kappa Chi are very eager for an in-person Convention! We are all looking forward to reuniting as well as finishing off this semester strong. With a strong focus on philanthropy, sister bonds, and academics.

We are very thankful to all be happy and healthy at home, but are very much looking forward to being back together on campus!

May the Spirit Never Die! In Kappa, The Sisters of Kappa Chi

Kappa Iota University of Southern Maine, Portland/Gorham, Maine Hello! I hope you are all well and remaining healthy during this trying time. Kappa Iota is always keeping you in our thoughts! It was certainly upsetting not getting to see all of you at Convention in the spring, but we are excited and optimistic about this year being different!

Last semester was most certainly a trying one seeing that we, like many, if not all, of you had to go home midway through the semester. We were able to complete the new sister’s Affiliate Education program before we headed home and from there had regular meetings together. The new sisters are Katherine #305, Sariah #306, Amy #307, and Ceri #308! Many of the new sisters took positions within the sorority for the fall and we are all very excited to see what the rest of this semester holds for us!

The beginning of this semester is going quite well There are only two sisters living on campus with eight off campus. With the Affiliate Education program beginning in October and three affiliates within, we are all very excited about this! #300 Carly Poulton will be taking on two littles and #302 Anna Dunbar will be taking on one. All of the sisters are incredibly excited and #298 Lily Leblond has an incredible program set up that we are all looking forward to! This couldn’t have been possible without AAE #303 Amina Irish’s help in organizing incredible rushes and all of the active sisters kept inviting friends and recruiting.

May the Spirit Never Die. In Kappa, Kappa Iota

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Kappa Lambda Husson University, Bangor, Maine At Husson, our girls have been hard at work to help each other through our new challenges in light of the pandemic.

We have all returned to campus and have been taking classes in person while following the school campus guidelines. It has made our chapter functions and activities a little different but we are just happy to be together again.

We have had a lot of focus on our Affiliate Education program and recruitment as we have had to change a lot of our plans to accommodate our school policies.

We have been working on revamping our social media pages as well as learning new ways to accommodate virtual activities.

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With the pandemic, a lot of our normal volunteer experiences in the community have been limited so we have been further looking out for new ways to volunteer in our community as well as raise funds for the national philanthropy.

Our chapter meetings have been through the Zoom platform but we have created safe in person sister bonding activities such as picking our own apples at a local apple orchard.

Although we are persevering through a lot of changes we are very optimistic about this semester.

May The Spirit Never Die, Kappa Lambda

Kappa Omicron Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, Massachusetts We hope everyone is doing well during this pandemic.

Kappa Omicron has been increasing our volunteer hours as well as raising money with different fundraisers during this tough time.

Since Covid started, we have taken the opportunity to raise our volunteer hours! During the summer, we have been doing a virtual help-line called 7cups along with other virtual volunteering. We plan to continue this throughout the semester to obtain volunteer hours in a safe way. We are sad that we do not get to go to our annual breast cancer awareness walk but we plan to do it virtually if the organization decides to do so.

During the summer, we worked with Yankee Candle to do a fundraiser. We are proud to say we raised around $300 and will work with them again in the near future for the holidays! For Halloween, we are planning on making boo bags which will be filled with candy and other treats. This is also a great sister bonding opportunity where we can go shopping for materials as well as make the bags together.

We are so excited to bring in new sisters this semester and continue with our virtual volunteering and fundraisers. Although different, this semester will go great and we will all get to know each other better!

In Kappa, Kappa Omicron

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Kappa Sigma Plymouth State University, Plymouth, New Hampshire Our fall 2020 semester has been a bit of a crazy one so far. There have been challenges with COVID-19 that has changed our path. But as sisters, we are conjuring up all our grit and gratitude to continue to have a successful year, despite uncertain times.

The sisters have gotten together over Zoom and inperson (under proper safety guidelines) to continue to stay engaged in each other and our philanthropy.

Recently, we did our annual apple picking for Gather Fest with our Alumnae and Kappa brothers.

We are also continuing to do sister dates for those who want to participate. We have been attending our weekly meetings via Zoom, but as of recently, we have started to do bi-weekly meetings in-person if we can,

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with a Zoom option as well.

We are all making our best attempts to stay healthy and happy. Our school has us getting tested weekly, so we constantly know whether we’re in good health. Some of our sisters are attending school via Zoom from home, while the majority of our active are back on campus.

Luckily our sisters have been fortunate enough to keep growing and cherishing the bonds that we have with one another, and while this year may look different at least we have each other at the end of the day.

May the Spirit Never Die! In Kappa, Kappa Sigma

Kappa Upsilon University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Last Spring our chapter decided, due to Covid-19, to not continue with our affiliation process and instead defer all of our previous affiliates to our Fall 2020 process.

With the challenging times we’re in we thought it best to wait and craft a virtual process over the summer time and be prepared in the Fall for a new class.

for Suicide Prevention. We also have many other events coming up such as the Chris Sullivan 5k virtual walk for a UML Greek life alumni who passed away, and St Jude Up Till Dawn. Alyssa and our fundraising chair Erin Young have also been working very hard in order to virtually raise money for ASFP through social media.

Our whole chapter has worked very hard on creating this new virtual recruitment and affiliation process. We are excited to announce that all our hard work over the summer has paid off and we have 12 affiliates in our Fall 2020 class! Our recruitment chair, Isabella Murphy, did a wonderful job of creating virtual events such as trivia night, St. Jude card making, speed dating, and paint night.

We completed interviews on September 17th and 20th and gave out bids via FaceTime on the 24th. Many of the rushes complimented us on how well executed all the virtual events were and how Isabella always kept them informed. So even though we were not able to be in person our chapter and especially our recruitment chair put in a lot of effort in order to make this virtual rush a success!

We are currently a week into our affiliation process and just had big little reveal over zoom. Our Affiliate Educator Courtney Mayer and Assistant Affiliate Educator Anne Carroll did a very good job at transitioning the ceremony to an online format. We also had a very big alumnae turnout since some people that usually are unable to come due to travel reasons were able to attend over zoom this year. Everyone was very excited to welcome the new affiliates into their respective family lines.

As for our philanthropic involvement, our philanthropy chair Alyssa Heath has been working on finding virtual events that our chapter can participate in. Over the summer we did a virtual walk for American Foundation

Overall, us as a chapter are transitioning very well to the online format and have been keeping up very good communication through these uncertain times.

We are all looking forward to being able to be back in person and can’t wait until all of our sisters are able to be together in person again!

May the Spirit Never Die, The Sisters of Kappa Upsilon

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Kappa Alpha Gamma State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York Kappa Alpha Gamma has had a fantastic beginning of the Fall semester! This semester, we have hosted many fun and exciting jungle-themed recruitment events. Some of these events included Zen at the Zoo (yoga), Creatures and Characters, Kappa Tales, a Virtual potluck, Kahoot with Kappa, and more! We were very pleased with the turnout of our virtual recruitment and can’t wait to get to know our new affiliates!

Last semester we gained 12 beautiful new sisters. They are already helping and contributing to our chapter so positively, despite having the semester cut short in the spring due to COVID-19. Since the Spring 2020 semester was cut short on campus, Kappa Alpha Gamma has taken advantage of using our virtual platform. We have had multiple online fundraisers, such as a fill my board for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAACP, and more. We have also coordinated with our Alumnae Association for a Zoom event to help prevent voter suppression and help others register to vote.

So far this semester, we have had two fun sisterhood

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events! We have all gone on Zoom and played different online games, such as Psych and Photo Roulette. This was a great way for all of us to stay in touch with one another while still respecting safety regulations.

Although COVID-19 has impacted how we approach sisterhoods, we have had one sisterhood outside on a large field with all of us at least six feet apart from one another. This allowed us to see each other in person, while still maintaining a safe and healthy distance and following the rules and regulations.

We have two sisters who will be graduating and student teaching after this semester, Grace Bolin and Tina Swagert. We will miss both of them greatly, but are hopeful we will be able to see them soon after and know that they will be successful in their future endeavors!

We are very excited to see what the rest of the semester has in store for our chapter!

In Kappa, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Kappa Alpha Iota Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania This semester the Kappa Alpha Iota chapter is working through the difficulties of trying to continue to run the chapter with the restrictions and difficulties brought upon

by Covid-19 pandemic. We are still having sisterhoods, but we are holding them over Zoom. We believe that even if we are separated from our sisters, we can still spend quality time together.

This semester we are going forward with recruitment.

Last semester we gained nine wonderful sisters—Bri, Savannah, Ally, Abbey, Livv, Emma, Navannah, Whitney, and Alex. Our theme was “Let the Adventure Begin with Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority.” We received five new affiliates during our fall recruitment, Makena, Grace, Alexis, Kaitlin, and Nicole. It was a very good turn out considering the conditions and we cannot wait to welcome them with open arms as new sisters.

We are still finding ways to be active members in our

community. Before the semester even began, we sold T-shirts over social media to help fund and promote Covid-19 research. In our efforts, we raised $518. We recently had sisters and affiliates volunteer at a drivein concert in the next city over. We also joined forces with the Kappa Delta Phi Alpha Iota chapter to sell philanthropy shirts to raise money for Homes for our Troops and AFSP. We are incredibly grateful that we are at a university that is still on campus and is doing everything in their power to keep us here. They have implemented many new procedures, including free testing for symptomatic and asymptomatic persons, mandatory masks on campus, and temperature checks on campus. We cannot wait for a hint of normality to return to campus, but we are handling this transition amazingly as a chapter.

In Kappa, Kappa Alpha Iota

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Kappa Alpha Nu University at Albany, Albany, New York The sisters of Kappa Alpha Nu have been expressing our devotion to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention as well as to recognize and unite our members, past and new, for their outstanding excellence. We have fundraised over $1200 so far for the fall semester through bingo boards and selling AFSP bracelets to sport our philanthropy. During our annual Kappa Week, we held three programs centering on positive thinking techniques, how COVID-19 has drastically affected mental health and resources offered safely, and a trivia night on facts on healthy responses to mental illness.

We are also focusing on how to combat mental illness before it worsens or even occurs. For example, we scheduled a program on National Depression Screening Day to advocate for our campus to implement and encourage all of their students, staff, and faculty to get screened for their mental health. Additionally, we have partnered with our campus’s Advocacy Center Ambassador Program to cohost a program focused on consent to curb sexual violence as many victims often face mental illness afterwards.

Moreover, we are co-hosting a program with them to honor Daisy Coleman, a sexual assault survivor and advocate who just recently took her life as nationally we are impacted by this.

Kappa Alpha Nu has also focused on how to encourage our alumnae and current members to bond remotely and to support all of the accomplishments we achieve. We are currently creating an alumnae accreditation which will broadcast our Alumni’s of Distinction at the end of each semester that have demonstrated their commitment even after they graduate. Moreover, we are creating

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a Kappa Alpha NUsletter that will highlight our current members' achievements that demonstrate our values of leadership, generosity, charity, and integrity. Both the alumni accreditation and member newsletter are to recognize our sisters as well as provide an incentive for our sisters to keep achieving and innovating. Our goal for this semester is to hold one another accountable for creating a systematic improvement in our commitment to our philanthropy and overall our community.

May the spirit never die, Kappa Alpha Nu

Kappa Alpha Xi Utica College, Utica, New York Kappa Alpha Xi has had an interesting year. Over the last year we were able to hold our annual prize board event, where we asked local businesses to donate any items of their choice and we raffled off the prizes! We raised over $400 for AFSP from our Prize Board event.

Due to COVID-19 sadly we aren’t able to do our annual Pizza Taste Off event, but instead we have come up with the idea of hosting a virtual run/walk. The first of the participants were able to win a prize bag when they signed up and were also able to donate any amount that they choose too. The walk took place on October 3rd, and the sisters were so excited to take part. This event was a lot of fun to host as well and we loved being able to involve the community in our fundraising.

organizations on campus and helped put together a suicide walk. That weekend the sisters also participated in a virtual out of darkness walk and walked four miles! With Utica College’s Inter-Greek Council, we put on a candy guessing game, and raised money for the underfunded school districts in the area to provide winter wear for the students.

We have also participated in leaderships trainings offered by the college. We have collaborated with other

In Kappa, The Sisters of Kappa Alpha Xi Chapter

Besides all the trainings and fundraising that we have put on and attended, we have also tried hard to stay connected in these almost fully virtual moments of our lives. We have done the best to bond in our virtual meetings and have even had some themed zoom hangouts!

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Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, New York The Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony at SUNY Oswego has grown leaps and bounds over the last year! This spring was bittersweet, as we said goodbye to three amazing seniors as they graduated, and welcomed five new sisters into our colony. Our Affiliate Educator did a wonderful job of welcoming our Gamma class, despite challenges brought on by our school closing just a few weeks into the program.

During our time at home we were able to stay productive, and our philanthropy chair organized fundraisers for Campaign Zero and the Lebanon Red Cross. Since the Fall semester began, we have fundraised for Johns Hopkins Medical Clinic by selling face masks. We have also been actively working to raise money for AFSP, currently by selling goodie bags so kindly given to us by a representative from

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the organization. After raising over $2000 for AFSP last year, we are eager to see if we can raise even more than that in the months to come!

Something that has become important to us is finding new ways to stay in touch and support each other.

Through Zoom meetings, texting buddies, and COVID-19 friendly gift exchanges, we have worked really hard to ensure our sisterhood remains strong and we can continue to bond in a time when normal bonding is not possible. In the future, with the two year anniversary of our colonization fast approaching this November, we hope to be able to maintain the strong bond we have worked so hard to build.

Our love for Kappa grows stronger every day, and we are so thankful to be on this amazing journey!

Kappa Alpha Pi Colony Union College, Schenectady, New York The Kappa Alpha Pi Colony is excited to announce that we welcomed our Alpha Class through virtual recruitment in the Spring. We held some fun recruitment events, such as ice cream and ice breakers, trivia night and sister speed dating; we added three new sisters to our sisterhood of eighteen. This was a small but important addition to our sorority and actually worked well in the online format because the new members were more easily able to meet all of the current sisters.

featured an Instagram series on mental health during National Suicide Prevention Week, and also held an online fundraiser for AFSP. Additionally, we participated in a national viewing of Love, Mom and Dad for National Hazing Prevention Week.

More recently, we held fall recruitment and are thrilled to share that thirteen women accepted their bids, doubling the size of our sisterhood, and have begun their Affiliate Education.

Currently, we are in the process of planning some community service projects, such as writing letters to deployed soldiers through Soldier’s Angels, helping with Reclaim the Vote by posting on Instagram and sending emails, as well as possibly some in person volunteering at our local humane society. We are also thinking of holding a virtual walk, virtual talent show, or restaurant fundraiser to raise money for Kappa’s philanthropy.

Apart from welcoming our new sisters, our colony has tried to stay active despite the current situation. In the spring, we had a virtual game night with a fraternity on Union’s campus, Kappa Alpha. So far this term, we have

Overall, our colony is making the best of the current situation and we are extremely excited to be welcoming our new sisters, but we are also looking forward to when we can all gather together in person!

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Alumnae Spotlight Samantha Perri

Kappa Alpha Gamma Chapter, Spring 2009

I first discovered Kappa when I was a freshman in the fall of 2008. I knew I had an interest in joining a sorority but was nervous about putting myself out there. One of the sisters handed me a flyer at a club event, and after my first general interest meeting I knew I found my people.

Since I wasn’t able to affiliate as a first semester freshman, the girls stayed in touch with me and I pledged with the Upsilon class of the Kappa Alpha Gamma chapter in spring 2009.

I love being Kappa, and my time as an active gave me so many great memories. Some of my favorite being alumnae weekends, when I got to know more of my sisters Which is probably why one of my favorite positions that I ever held was alumnae secretary, where I got to email my sisters every week with updates and news. I always loved getting to know my older sisters and learning more about our similarities that bonded us.

The only thing I enjoyed more than the large events were the small ones. One of my best memories from being active happened the month after I crossed, on my birthday. My big, Jen, and other sisters showed up to my dorm room with a cookie cake and cards. This small act of kindness meant a lot to me, just knowing that they took the time out of their day to celebrate me. These small acts of kindness between me and my sisters are what has helped keep our bonds throughout the past 12 years. My little, Brie, loves telling the story about when she was affiliating and was texting me that she couldn’t wait to finish her library hours so she could go eat. Maybe 15 minutes later I showed up at the library with a PB&J sandwich, some fruit snacks, and water for her. Again, a small act of kindness that has become a favorite memory for someone.

This past summer, I decided to start up an alumnae association for my chapter, Kappa Alpha Gamma. One of my hopes for it is to help bring back those small acts of kindness, which sometimes fall to the wayside when we

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are separated by distance and busy lives. Some things I suggested at our first few meetings is sending out birthday cards to our members, and to have a newsletter where we celebrate the successes of our sisters. What bonds us together should be more than our letters and colors, and the time we spend together at alumnae weekends. It should also be supporting each other through new jobs, educations, milestones and new adventures like a move to a new city or home. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I had sisters reach out to me that I hadn’t seen in ages. And it made me feel so supported.

I want to help bring that support to all my Kappa sisters.

And that is my hope for our new alumnae association.

I always loved participating in philanthropic events. When I was young it was through Girl Scouts, but in college I did it through Kappa. It’s easy for philanthropy to fall to the side when we get caught up in our busy lives, but I’ve noticed that when my sisters are given the option to participate in events, a lot of them do. Earlier this summer

we helped reach out to voters that are more likely to be victims of voter suppression, by hand-writing about 700 postcards while video chatting with one another. We also participated in a social media campaign on World Suicide Prevention Day, in support of the national philanthropy.

And as I write this, we have a virtual yoga event planned for October as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Philanthropy is a way that we can be kind to people beyond our own communities and our own personal bubbles. And I think that is why my sisters and I love participating in them so much. There is a reason our

national philanthropy award is called the Kindness Award.

Being Kappa has helped shape me in so many ways, and has given me friends for life. It has helped me become a better person by getting me to participate in the world and communities around me. I know that it will forever be a part of my life, and for that I’m so grateful for it. It’s beyond just the parties and college, it’s a support system that will always be there for you, for the big and small events.

MTSND, Samantha Perri

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Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. Alumnae Association Dear Sisters of KDPNAS, Inc. I am thankful for this opportunity to reach out to you through the Kappa Quill and to share some thoughts and insights about our ideals and how we continue to affect change and leave our mark on the world around us.

Let us talk about kindness.

Kindness is one of our three guiding principals and has been since the founding of the national sorority. Nearly all the world’s religions and philosophies speak to the need for us to be kind as an individual and as a member of our global society, but do we really know what kindness is?

Karyn Hall, Ph. D. is the author of Pieces of Kindness and in a verified article titled, "The Importance of Kindness (Psychology Today)" shares this: “Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care are words that are associated with kindness. Being kind often requires courage and strength. Kindness is an interpersonal skill.”

Our very existence is heavily dependent on kindness. According to the article even Darwin argued that “sympathy and caring for others is instinctual.” Hall further asserts that “science has shown that devoting resources to others, rather than having more and more for yourself, brings about lasting well-being. Kindness has been found by researchers to be the most important predictor of satisfaction and stability in a marriage.” I would argue that our ability to be kind is the root of who we are as individuals.

Life is not always kind and each of us knows individuals whose lives have not known much, if any, kindness. History is filled with examples of man’s inhumanity to man.

To counter that, history also reminds and encourages us to be mindful…that we need to be kind. Search for opportunities. Expect nothing as repayment. Some of my personal reminders are these: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

—1 Corinthians 13:4-5

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Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. —2 Peter 1:5-8 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such things there is no law. —Galatians 5:22-23 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

—Matthew 7:12 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

—Deuteronomy 24:19 We need not know or be in a relationship with an individual or a group of people to practice kindness. We do not have to be of the same political party, religion, ideology, gender, race, et al to practice kindness. Ours should not be the deciding factor in who is worthy of kindness. Hall shares that “there are different ways to practice kindness.

One way to be kind is to open your eyes and to be active when you see people in need. Do you notice when people could use a helping hand? A sense of community is created when people are kind to those who need help.” I venture to say that we all need help. “Opening your eyes means noticing when others are suffering. A kind word, a smile, opening a door, or helping carry a heavy load can all be acts of kindness.” And helping an elderly (or needy) neighbor with yardwork or food, sharing resources, refusing to gossip (good one), donating extra clothing, furniture, utensils, sharing our physical and financial resources, and our time are all examples of reaching out in the name of kindness.

I encourage each undergraduate and alumnae sister to look for ways to demonstrate kindness. You will not have

to look far. Our world is rife with need and opportunities to demonstrate kindness and love for those who share this walk called life. But please remember to be kind to yourself, too. We are part of a beautiful, but imperfect, fabric. Though being imperfect we are given countless opportunities to demonstrate infinite kindness, devotion, and pride.

$25.00 per year or you many want to consider becoming a lifetime member. We hope you will join us in reaching out to women experiencing homelessness through our efforts to support Florence House and especially through our own Calling All Angels Fund that helps Kappa Sisters and Brothers in times of need.

The KDPNAS Alumnae Association is looking forward to working together with as many of our sister chapters as is possible. If you are a recent graduate or have left school, please consider joining the Alumnae Association.

Please contact Maryanne Burt Gibson, Larissa Ryerson, Wanda Goodwin, Bess Gove or me for more information. Annual dues have remained very affordable at just

Until we meet again, stay safe, stay healthy, be active, be mindful, and be kind. May the Spirit Never Die. In the love and spirit of Kappa, Susan Dyer Taylor (KM ’75), President KDPNAS Alumnae Association, Inc. PO Box 7083, Scarborough, Maine 04070 staylor2@maine.rr.com | 207-838-7801

Cooking with Jeanette One of our favorite recipes comes from my husband Paul’s side of the family. His grandfather was an Italian born in Paris, who often visited his relatives in Italy, as well as those in the United States. Consequently, he was fluent in three languages. He started a cement business in Rhode Island and sponsored a number of his relatives and friends from Italy. They helped him with his business. On several Sundays throughout the year, he would invite them to dinner. An antipasto was always served. Because they were his family and friends, the antipasto consisted of the best of hams, sausages, cheeses, and olives. This was just a part of an eight course meal. It symbolized his respect and love for the attendees. His “kindness” was also displayed on the job. This resulted in decades of loyalty.

Paul and I continued the antipasto tradition with our family and friends. It should be noted that the names of the meats and ingredients are as varied as the different families. I am very please to be able to share our version with my Kappa Sisters. I hope you enjoy.

Italian Antipasto • ¼ lb. of Soppressata (larger grind dry • 1 head each of green and red lettuce sausage with whole • ½ lb. of Prosciutto (Italian dry cured ham), peppercorns) or Salami, sliced thin sliced thin • ¼ lb. of Prosciuttini (oven-roasted ham, • ¼ lb. Pepperoni, sliced thin coated with cracked black pepper), sliced thin • ½ lb. sharp Provolone • ¼ lb. of Capicola (smoked pork neck & shoul- • 2 small jars of marinated artichokes der that is dry cured in its casing), sliced thin • 15.5 oz. marinated mushrooms

• 7.5 oz. of oiledcured olives or 1 6 oz. can of pitted black olives

Arrange bed of lettuce on a large tray. Take each piece of the sliced meats and wrap them around two fingers and place on tray. Spread the olives, mushrooms, and artichokes on top of the rolled meats. Break the cheese into chunks and spread on top of the antipasto. Serve with your favorite Italian dressing or Extra Virgin Olive Oil and vinegar.

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