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Chapter Reports
Chapter Reports Spring 2021
Kappa Lambda
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Husson University, Bangor, Maine
At Husson, our sisters have been hard at work on recruitment over the winter break and during the beginning of this semester. We are every excited to have a good group of girls who are interested in attending our Rush events. We have been doing other virtual events to help with recruitment including a game night, yoga night, and movie night. The chapter is very excited to use out newly constructed new member education plan that we developed last summer. We have also been focusing on increasing our visibility on campus and posting more on our Instagram page.
We have really enjoyed planning and participating in sister socials to further strengthen our bonds. Our first social event was also a philanthropy event to make dog toys out of old t-shirts for our local humane society. This event was a big success! We look forward to planning more philanthropy events for this semester. Our philanthropy chairs have a philanthropy plan to have themed months for causes our sisters plan about. We will plan one or two events based on these themes on top of raising money for our national philanthropy. To raise money for the national philanthropy we recently had a virtual Valentine's Day raffle to raffle off a Dunkin' Donuts gift card.
Our sisters are very excited for a virtual convention. We are working on ways to bond during the time of convention to celebrate a special 50th year celebration.
A Message from your Chapter Consultant
This was my first year on the board, as well as being a chapter consultant. I've learned so much from working with Kappa Lambda. The girls are all kind, responsible, and driven. Kappa Lambda has also been striving to achieve more sister bonding during the pandemic, and coming up with great ways to stay connected with the sisters virtually. —Haley Sullivan Kappa Lambda's love of the sorority is inspiring, I have watch them make incredible strides in personal growth over the last year but the one thing that never wavers is their love of Kappa. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from them this year. —Amanda Roberge
Kappa Iota
University of Southern Maine, Portland/Gorham, Maine
I hope you are all well and remaining healthy during this trying time. Kappa Iota is always keeping you in our thoughts! Last semester was challenging all-around, but we are holding on to each other and our sanity. With only two sisters on campus and everyone else at home, meetings and the new member education completely online, it looked very different than other semesters, but we were able to get two new dedicated ladies to join our chapter and we are so grateful for the two of them. All of the active sisters last semester completed at least ten hours of community service each which we are incredibly proud of especially given the difficult time we are all living in. Kappa Iota chapter is a chapter of strong, dedicated Kappa women. Although they are on the small side they do not let that stop them, they keep up with our larger chapters in terms of fundraising, philanthropy, and certainly in passion! This group of women can do anything that they put their minds to! —Courtney Stevens
The beginning of this semester is going quite well. There are currently no sisters on campus with all ten active sisters off-campus. Rushes start in early February with the education process following shortly after. We are excited to grow our chapter with more motivated and dedicated women into our Kappa family! #300 Carly Poulton is the current AE with #307 Amy Davis as her AAE. With everything online again, recruitment is going to be another challenge, but we haven’t let that get in our way in the past and we are not planning on it now.
Kappa Sigma
With the COVID-19 Pandemic in full swing, the Kappa sisters have not ceased with their efforts to uphold their sisterhood. Within the first few weeks of the Spring 2021 semester, we have adapted a new member education program, including Zoom rushes for the recruitment process. The sisters are continuing to use all their resources needed in order to take in a new class. It is easy to want to lose hope, and for morale to be low. To combat this, each sister is getting sponsored by the Alumnae in an attempt to keep their spirits up. The sisters have loved receiving care packages from their sponsors, including new letters and college necessities. In return, the Alumnae should be expecting thank you cards from all the sisters soon.
On behalf of the Kappa Sigma chapter, I would like to wish all other chapters and alumni to stay happy, healthy, and hopeful. We are all going to get through this together. May the spirit never die!
Kappa Sigma has been home to hundreds of women for more than 50 years and will be home for hundreds more women to come. These women are smart, understanding, and hardworking. I have so much respect for them and love watching them thrive. I am so proud of all of all them; individually for their everyday hurdles and as a group for their adaptability. —Robyn Sarette
Kappa Omicron
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, Massachusetts
Kappa Omicron has been working hard this semester to create a stronger bond with each other. We have done a few sister bonding events, virtual philanthropies, and we are gaining four new sisters. I have worked with this chapter now for two years, and I am constantly proud of what this group of girls can do. Throughout their setbacks, they come together as a unit to push through these hard times and continue to thrive. This chapter through it all knows that sisterhood is what keeps us going, and have developed ways to keep their bonds strong. I love being their Chapter Consultant, and cannot wait to continue working on making them the best they can be. —Marysa Mitrano
This semester, Kappa Omicron did a Galantines day where we each got a Valentine’s Day gift and wrote little notes for each other. Each sister got an iced coffee, scrunchie, and $5 Starbucks gift card. This was very successful, and we are planning on doing something similar for St. Patrick’s Day. Another sister bonding we did was a paint night. This is a common sister bonding event for Kappa Omicron, and we have fun each and every time.
We are beginning to work with the Berkshire Humane Society to obtain volunteer hours. Depending what we sign up for, we could be working with dogs, cats, small animals/reptiles, or as a receptionist. We are very excited to start volunteering here together as it is both a philanthropy and sister bonding. Kappa Omicron has also continued volunteering on 7cups and 100,000 folds.
Our chapter is delighted to be welcoming four new sisters as well as our new addition to our chapter, Zoila, who transferred from Kappa Sigma and joined Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. in 2015. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together this semester and are excited for the future.
KappaUpsilon
University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts
Last Fall we welcomed 10 new sisters into the Kappa Upsilon Chapter! Thanks to our amazing Affiliate Educator Courtney Mayer and Assistant Affiliated Educator Anne Carroll, we carried out a completely virtual affiliation process. All their hard work and planning over the summer paid off because the virtual process ran with no trouble. The newest class has already stepped up with many of them taking on vacant positions within the chapter. We are all very proud and excited to see them excel within the chapter.
As for philanthropic events, UMass Lowell had our annual St. Jude Up ‘Til Dawn event on December 5th and raised $43,810 overall for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital! Our philanthropy chair, Alyssa Heath, also planned many virtual events for us to attend such as St. Jude virtual Card Making, Virtual AFSP Out of the Darkness walks, Virtual National Diabetes Day fundraisers, and No More Cancer rallies to fund raise for Up ‘Til Dawn. She has been hard at work creating more events for us to attend virtually at this time when we cannot be in person to volunteer.
We are currently fundraising for a local non-profit called Merrimack Valley Black and Brown Voices. We decided for Black History Month to fund raise for this organization because they are a community based organization dedicated to providing support for local Black and Brown businesses and families in need as well as planning social and cultural events for people in the Merrimack Valley to attend. Currently we have raised around $500 for MVBB Voices!
As a chapter we decided not to hold an affiliation process this semester in order to work on our sisterhood and to improve our virtual communication with each other which we struggled with last semester. Our Vice President, Erin Young, has been holding virtual workshops every week that focus on different topics such as active communication, how to improve listening skills, and improving trust within the organization as a whole. So far these workshops have been very successful and have helped us reduce miscommunication and have improved our attendance and participation at events. Overall, the chapter is excited to have a productive semester of working on our sisterhood and philanthropic involvement without pushing ourselves to hold an affiliation process.
Kappa Upsilon has done as amazing job this year! They have taken on a new fall class, put forth new initiatives, all while transitioning to a fully remote learning environment. It definitely is not easy, but these girls have certainly made the most of it and kept their heads held high. These girls are amazing representations of kindness, perseverance, and inclusivity. Here's to many more years to come and another year down! Special shout-out to all of the seniors this year, you guys are truly remarkable and good luck in the real world!! —Chrissy Ryan Kappa Upsilon chapter is incredibly hard working chapter and the pride they take in their philanthropy and service work for their community is second to none. I am glad I have gotten the opportunity to get know and work with the women of Kappa Upsilon chapter. —Amanda Roberge
Kappa Chi
Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire
In the 2020-2021 school year, all of Kappa Chi’s events were remote. In the fall we recruited and had an affiliate class of eleven new amazing girls. All these girls displayed our values of kindness, devotion, and pride. We held virtual recruitment events like sister speed dating, getting to know Kappa Chi, and trivia night co-sponsored with the Phi Deltas and Theta Phi Alpha. We had two fundraisers—"popcornopolis" where anyone could buy from delicious assortments of popcorns, and a catalog fundraiser which was full of holiday goodies and candies.
In the spring semester we decided to focus more on bonding and held by weekly bonding events which varied from self-care to watching videos of cute animals. So far, we have had one fundraiser called the "Bakeless Bake Sale" where people could donate money instead of buying the actual baked goods. All proceeds went towards the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Since being remote, it is more difficult to complete philanthropy so we cut back from ten hours to two hours until we return to campus. For philanthropy opportunities we have made cards for veterans and St. Jude’s Hospital. In the fall we also participated in the virtual Jimmy Fund Walk where our sisters could walk anywhere in their neighborhood, community or local track to help raise money for Dana Farber Cancer Institute research.
After being their Chapter Consultant for a year, I can tell this chapter has true potential within it. These girls all have natural leadership abilities, and have a drive to excel. Even throughout the pandemic these girls were able to problem solve, and focus on what the chapter needs more than what is "right". I am so proud to be their Chapter Consultant, and I am excited to continue working with them on how to help build upon what is already there. —Marysa Mitrano
Kappa Alpha Gamma
State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York
Kappa Alpha Gamma has had a wonderful start to the Spring 2021 semester! To kick off the semester, we had several virtual recruitment events surrounding our theme of "Empowered Women Empower Women." Some of the events include Workout like Rosie the Riveter, Dress to Impress, Empowered Women trivia night, and more! Each event was centered around empowered women from the past and present. Recruitment was a very exciting time and we are thrilled to continue learning more about our new affiliates!
Last semester we gained five incredible sisters! While it was our first semester fully virtual, the transition went very smoothly and we were still able to build a strong connection with the affiliates. This semester, we are continuing to utilize virtual platforms for New Member Education and are eager to keep growing our chapter!
Although we are currently operating fully virtually, we have had some fantastic sisterhood events this semester. Our amazing Sisterhood Chair organized a meditation/relaxation event, a BuzzFeed quiz event, and a throwback TV show night! Along with sisterhood events, we have had numerous culture nights put on by our Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chairs. These events highKappa Alpha Gamma continues to work towards inclusion on their campus. This year they have worked hard to bring awareness to their campus about the Black-owned businesses in their area. They have been a voice on campus during
Black History Month and Women's History month. They have been working incredibly hard to have a virtual presence and are doing very well during the time. —Andrea McKevitt
light topics related to diversity that are prominent each month. This is a great way for all sisters to stay aware of all types of world issues. As far as philanthropy goes, we are excited to be raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as our National Philanthropy and the Scleroderma Foundation as our new Local Philanthropy. We have put on events for both philanthropies, including a Valentine’s Day raffle, a sweatshirt sale, online fundraisers, and have more plans for philanthropy opportunities in the New Paltz area!
Kappa Alpha Gamma is thrilled to be celebrating our 25th Anniversary this spring! We have been working with our Alumnae Association to plan a safe and exciting celebration for this anniversary, and can’t wait to connect with more of our alum through this!
We have five sisters graduating this semester—Megan Sylvester, Rachel Hermance, Anastasiya Sotova, Grace Bolin, and Barbara Baker-Peña. We are very grateful for each of them and will miss them all dearly, but we are so excited to see the bright futures they all have ahead!
Kappa Alpha Iota
The start of the spring semester for the Kappa Alpha Iota chapter has not been without its difficulties, but the sisters continue to face these challenges with grace and resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many restrictions, but the chapter has been successful in navigating these and coming up with safe alternatives to how our normal activities would be conducted. We continue to build bonds between sisters even though we are separated through these hard times.
Spring recruitment this semester was also not without its challenges, as it was held 100% online. It was difficult to navigate this new format, but we were still able to hold a positive and successful recruitment. Our theme was “Getting Kozy with the Kappas” and we have welcomed five new affiliates to our chapter: Emily, Alyssa, Jules, Lindsey, and Megan. Considering recruitment was held completely online, this is a fairly good turnout, and we are so excited to get to know these amazing girls and eventually welcome them as new sisters to our chapter!
As a chapter, we continue to find ways to support our philanthropies and stay active in our community. We have been actively holding fundraisers for AFSP, such as opening a Bonfire store with merchandise such as sweatshirts, t-shirts, masks, coffee mugs, and more. We also have an upcoming succulent sale to raise money for AFSP. Last semester we held a t-shirt sale for ADA, which raised $245. Sisters both on and off campus also participate in weekly COVID testing in order to comply with university policies and to help keep the community safe. Although day to day life is looking increasingly different than we are used to, sisters continue to support each other and the community in hopes of a return to normalcy sooner rather than later. We look forward to what we can accomplish as a chapter in the months to come.
Kappa Alpha Iota chapter has been a pleasure to work with. They are a group that has handled the challenges that the pandemic has presented them with grace and ease. They have adapted to this new virtual world and have done a fabulous job of marketing themselves on Instagram. I always love seeing all of the new and exciting ideas that these ladies bring to the table! —Courtney Stevens
Kappa Alpha Nu
University at Albany, Albany, New York
The sisters of Kappa Alpha Nu chapter have been focusing this past semester on tradition and grounding us in what it means to be a sister of Kappa Delta Phi. We kicked off spring semester with our annual Kappa week centering around the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. Overall, we raised $300 through our social media bingo boards as well as a Superbowl Fundraiser and held two programs surrounding mental health. The first program was on Healthy Relationships and Self Love fitting with Valentine’s Day in which we partnered with the Advocacy Center at our university to co-host the program. Even though it was our very first program of the semester, we had a great turnout. Our other program was our annual AFSP trivia night to discuss resources available in the community and on campus as well as facts and myths surrounding suicide and mental health. That week we also donated decorated cards and canvases to Albany Medical Hospital to relieve some of the stress patients might be experiencing while in a hospital. The sisters of Kappa Alpha Nu have been staying busy during the pandemic!
The chapter was able to participate in virtual recruitment in the fall, and welcomed six new sisters.
Despite moving from in person courses to remote learning in the middle of the fall semester, the sisters have still been able to participate in sister bonding events and philanthropy. The sisters are excited to give out bids for the spring semester and to continue working with the
AFSP. Keep up the good work ladies! —Alex Nestro
Kappa Alpha Xi
Utica College, Utica, New York
Kappa Alpha Xi has had a great school year so far! Last fall semester, we hosted a virtual 5k run/walk. Participants were able to sign up online and complete the 5k at a location and time of their choice! The 5k was held on November 3rd, and the sisters had so much fun! With this event. Kappa Alpha Xi raised over $450 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Along with this, the sisters participated in the annual Out of Darkness walk in Herkimer, New York, where we walked over four miles. The sisters participated in our campus’s Unity Walk as well!
We have also have had fun collaborating with other organizations on campus to run and participate in events. We worked with our campus’s Active Minds organization to co-host a suicide awareness walk. We also promoted Greek unity by working with other Greek organizations via our Inter-Greek Council’s adopt-a-classroom event. With this event, we held a candy guessing game and raised money for underfunded school districts to buy winter apparel for students. We loved working with these organizations and their events on campus! This spring, Kappa Alpha Xi had a very successful recruitment that was held completely virtually. We also participated in sending St. Jude’s Valentine’s Day cards, where we were able to send virtual Valentine’s Day cards to children who are patients at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This was a very fulfilling experience for the sisters. We are also currently planning our big philanthropy event of the spring semester, our annual Mystery Prize Board, where participants choose a number and receive a prize that corresponds with that number.
Through virtual meetings and events, we have done our best to stay connected in this virtual time. We have held virtual bonding events and had virtual themed meetings. We are looking forward to the rest of the spring semester and the bonds that we will strengthen within our current sisters and create with new sisters. We are so excited for our future and to see where we go from here.
See you all (virtually) at convention! May the spirit never die!
Kappa Alpha Xi is a force to be reckoned with on campus. Not only have they been having a great year with their recruitment turn out, they have had the chance to do COB and have a great turn out. They have been working incredibly hard on campus and they are a very kind and intelligent group of women. —Andrea McKevitt
Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter
State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, New York
Growth has been the motto of the Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter this academic year as we continue to surprise ourselves with how far we have come in such a short amount of time. As we entered our second year established on the SUNY Oswego Campus, we set goals for the semesters ahead and continued to reach them quickly as time went on.
Thanks to our elected sisters in the fundraising and philanthropy positions we were able to raise $1200 for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in just one semester, as well as over $400 in local fundraising efforts. This is a huge accomplishment as we are on track to break our philanthropy donation record this year and have already surpassed our local fundraising efforts of last semester.
As our year continues to be regulated by COVID-19 restrictions we have had to be very creative and persevere to continue to cultivate our bonds of sisterhood in a completely virtual format. Our amazing New Member Educator has worked tirelessly to design a virtual education program that allows our new class to feel just as loved as we did upon joining the Kappa family. As our biggest new member class yet approaches the start of their education process, we here at the Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter are so excited to be able to grow our sisterhood. In part, it is bittersweet while we also say a loving goodbye to most of our founding members as they leave their legacy in the hands of the wonderful classes that came after them. Our current e-board is an amazing mix of sisters from all eligible classes and we can’t wait to continue this trend with our Deltas, seeing the amazing skill sets all of our current and new sisters have to offer.
Overall, we are hopeful and excited for the many amazing things we can accomplish this semester and look forward to when we can finally be back with our sisters in person.
Kappa Alpha Omicron has been working very closely with this school this year to determine the needs of their organization.
They have been incredibly flexible with their plans and are always willing to work towards the betterment of the organizations on their campus. —Andrea McKevitt
Kappa Alpha Pi Emerging Chapter
Union College, Schenectady, New York
Hello from Union! We started off the year taking in our largest class to date, effectively doubling our numbers with our Fall 2020 class. Our girls have been absolute academic beasts this year, even through a global pandemic. Many of our members are pursuing their academic interests outside of Union through internships. Additionally, some of our ladies are currently working on various research projects and we even had one of our newest members, Maryam Ramjohn (Fall Class of 2020) present her project this past term. Our women have also been active leaders on campus. Bethany Costello (Spring Class of 2020) was awarded Union’s Green Fee, a grant given to a student or group of students each year to make the campus more sustainable.
As a chapter, we have done our best to navigate this pandemic together by not only supporting and encouraging each other, but also by finding ways to get together (socially distanced of course). In the fall, a group of our ladies visited an apple orchard and in the winter our ladies participated in Union’s Random Act of Kindness Week by giving out hot chocolate to the campus community.
Finally, we have taken the initiative to be more conscious of the ongoing racial tensions that we as a nation face. Many of our women have stepped out of their comfort zones to have difficult conversations about race, privilege, and diversity. This winter our Diversity Chair, Brianna Turner-Douglas, mediated a discussion about diversity and inclusion issues that our own sisters face in Kappa Alpha Pi’s first installment of the "Get to Know a Sister" program. Many sisters have also participated in events sponsored by Union’s Office of Intercultural Affairs. It has been an honor serving as our newest emerging chapter's consultant since they established in 2019, and each and every day they continue to amaze me. They are strong apart and even stronger together, and excel in academics, community and championing for the betterment of tomorrow, and I couldn't be more proud that they are a part of this organization. —Christina Rose
