FALL 2019 VOLUME 47 | ISSUE 1
Letter from the Executive Director Dear Sisters and Friends of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Moments matter. We all have moments in our lives when something extraordinary (or sometimes even ordinary) happens that leaves an impact on our lives. It’s funny that there are moments in which we may remember vividly that served to change the direction of our lives but others who were a part of that moment may not have any memory of it. It’s not that they don’t care but moments mark us differently. I was reminded of this recently when a former member of the IFC Executive Board I advise at MIT reached out to me to thank me. He had run for IFC President after having served as Treasurer the prior year and had lost. I recall being disappointed in his loss as I believed he would have made a wonderful President. I also recall talking to him about it afterwards though I don’t really remember exactly what I said to him. Time passed, I didn’t see him much anymore as he was no longer on Exec. As such, his email to me recently was a surprise. The reason for reaching was that he wanted to share with me that the words I said to him and my belief in him as a leader lead him to run for another leadership position in a different student group. This time he had won and was now the head of a major student organization. He felt that through my encouragement, he had gained the confidence to run. He didn’t think he would have run otherwise. It struck me then that this small moment I shared with this student that I didn’t remember as well, stuck with him and changed him in a positive way. In that same vein, what my student may not have realized is that in him reaching out to thank me for something he felt I had done for him has now impacted me. That moment has reminded me that every day there is an opportunity that I may impact someone’s life and vice versa in both big and small ways. It’s these moments that connect directly back to a pillar of our Sorority and that is Kindness. When we show kindness to each other, to others in our community and to ourselves we create and are a part of moments that lead to positive impact. It’s through generous acts of kindness both large and small that promotes the spirit of our sisterhood and perpetuates our values. As I said, moments matter and I encourage you all to be part of creating positive moments in others’ lives. In Kappa,
Liz Jason Executive Director Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority
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Table of Contents
Pg. 07 Philanthropy Update
Pg. 11  Chapter Reports
Letter from the Executive Director....... 1 Letter from the President.......................... 3 Managing Stress............................................. 4 Ways to Support a Sister in Crisis........ 5
KappaCon 2020
April 3rd-5th, 2020 Red Lion Hotel Cromwell 100 Berlin Road, Cromwell, CT
Why I Volunteer............................................ 6 Philanthropy Update.................................... 7 The State of Abortion in the US........8-9 SLR Recap...................................................... 10 Chapter Reports......................................11-23 Alumnae Association..................................24
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Spring Board
May 29th-31st, 2020 Jackson, NH
Summer Leadership Retreat TBD Stay tuned for more details!
Letter from the President Dear Sisters of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Over the last few years I have tasked you with finding your why. As much as I love this concept, I have been struck by a different topic this year, that I think is just as important. Be Kind. We hear it everywhere we go. With the popularity of the book Wonder, and the same with the movie, this has been a common thread. I am often struck by the idea that being kind to one another is only one section of being kind. To me, being kind, signifies so much more. We all know about being kind to the other person. I often think of the quote “Think of the other Fellow”, but what about being kind to ourselves? How can we be kind to those around us, if we can’t be kind to ourselves? When you make a mistake, learn from it. When you are struggling, continue to work through it and move through it. Be kind with your words to one another but most importantly to yourself. Life is about learning and growing. Expect delays, play by your own rules when aloud and enjoy the ride. We only get one life to live and we should cherish each moment. Sometimes your hardest critic is yourself.
In Kappa,
Andrea McKevitt National President Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority
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/Editor: Christina Rose Webmaster: Brittany Baldwin Social Media: Lindsey Morrissey Amanda Roberge Liz Jason Amanda Cronin Robyn Sarette Jennifer Jackson 03
Managing Stress
by Courtney Stevens, Associate Boa
A little stress can be a good thing but too much stress can be harmful to both your body and mind. When you find yourself becomin back and pause to relax. Everyone relieves stress in different ways. Here are some of the ways that members of the Board like to d
y t stressed, m “When I ge ke my g to do is ta favorite thin ending ng walk. Sp dog for a lo lps me e usually he time outsid g my d and seein clear my min ays n around alw little baby ru ay.” ress melt aw makes my st Stevens —Courtney
“When I fee l myself sta rting to tense up I ta ke a few min utes for myself a nd meditate w ith help from th e Insight Tim er app. I pop in my earbuds and listen to a fr ee self-guid ed meditation. It really help s me turn myself around.” —Robyn Sa rette:
“I’ve recently take n up running which I find very stress relieving, I also us e a mediation ap p called Relax Melodies, and of course I’ll enjoy so me chocolate!” —Amanda Rober ge
I take “When I feel overwhelmed, that sic mu a deep breath and find the a speaks to me or I play Loc Pug video on YouTube.” —Andrea McKevitt
“When I get stress ed, I like to do some self-care re gimens such as taking a bubble ba th and putting a face mask on.” —Amanda Cronin :
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to Law e and going m ti ll fu g in A “Work ressed out that I get st a n e time means e has b aking which up stress b appier m makes e h g in th o N . e curs are w that I can sh rt e ss e d e tl cute lit workers. If bers, and co family mem , I watch a do the trick ’t sn e o d t a th gie video odboy” dog o G in ck e “H pe for is is the reci th il fa t u o h Wit Hoga —Victoria
it’s phys ng, I love running for both “As tough as it is to get goi alway it can help clear my head. I health aspect as well as how how slow I am!” better after a run, no matter —Kazia Bennett:
“When I take a bad call (as a 9-1-1 operator), I tend to take a deep brea th and try to remember that I did eve rything in my power to help them, it is prob ably worst day of their life and I am the one that picked up the phone to help them . I usually will get up and pace around dispatch or find something crunchy to snack on or talk it out with my coworker. If that doesn't work, after work I will go home and relax on my couch watching TV.” —Lacy Cyr
“When I get too It keeps my m
Whether you are stres overwhelmed, it is okay feel inclined to put others ourselves first. In the word oxygen mask before assis don’t take care of yourself
oard
ng too stressed, it is important to remember that it is okay to take a step de-stress!
ull w School F taken A LOT. I’ve da blessing an ga than makin ds, n ie with my fr son a for some re those BUNCH of book. os on Face g.” r de-stressin
“The two things I enjoy doing the most when I am stressed out is either working out or reading.” —Liz Jason
by Robyn Sarette, Associate Board Chances are you will find yourself at some point in life faced with a sister who needs support. According to a recent Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors survey, we know that anxiety is a top presenting concern among college students at 41.5%, followed by depression at 36.4%, and finally relationship/ domestic problems at 35.8%. Here are basic supportive messages you can say to a loved one or friend facing a crisis.
I believe in you.
an
sical ys feel
Ways to Support a Sister in Crisis
What happened is not your fault. “When I get stre ssed, I like to ta ke a moment, write down the things th at are overwhelming me and figure ou t what I have control ov er and what I do n’ t, then I plan a way wor k everything ou t!” —Meredith O’D onnell
stressed out, I go on my phone and play lots of Candy Crush. mind active and distracts me from what’s stressing me out. It sounds silly but it really decompress es me.” —Jennifer Jackson:
ssed because of work, school, or are just generally feeling to press pause and practice self-care. Although many of us s’ needs before our own, we must remember to take care of ds of flight attendants everywhere, “You must put on your own sting others”. Taking care of yourself is most important, if you f first how can you truly help others to the best of your ability?
I’m always here if you need to talk. Thank you for sharing with me. What can I do for you? I’m sorry this happened to you. Remember to… Practice clear communication Use active listening techniques such as reflecting feelings and summarizing thoughts to help them feel validated. Use an empathetic non-judgmental tone. Don’t debate whether their feelings are right or wrong. Reach out for help: If you feel that you are not able to de-escalate the person in crisis without additional support, call someone. 911 – life threatening emergency National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 800-273-8255 National Domestic Violence Hotline – 800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline – 800-656-4673
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by Holly Garcia, Member-At-Large | Kappa Chi, Fall 2009 Growing up I always wanted to be the real-life Elle Woods. I’m currently in my second year of law school and this has been my fifth year serving on the national board. I knew going into college I wanted to join a sorority, I just didn’t know which one. What lead me to Kappa was the focus on philanthropy. I’ve been competing in scholarship-based pageants since I was 5 years old and the emphasis on philanthropy is what keeps me involved. As an active, I wore multiple hats. I was Sergeant-AtArms, IGC Representative, Fundraising Chair, Assistant Affiliate Educator and Co-Affiliate Educator for the spring semester of my senior year. I also managed to volunteer over 75 hours each semester. I work full-time during the day as an Attendance Officer for Everett Public Schools and I’m a full-time student at night. I spend all of my free time volunteering for my community. I've been known to run from event to event, and more times than not I'm volunteering for one cause in the morning and another at night. I've participated as a volunteer for numerous causes including the
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Salvation Army, Belle of the Ball, Special Olympics, Children's Miracle Network and The Jimmy Fund. I'm also an active volunteer for the Everett Grace Food Pantry. I’m the President of the Board of Directors for the Everett Citizens Foundation, a Junior Girl Scout Troop Leader, a Faith Formation Leader, and I coach Varsity Hockey Cheerleading. My personal pageant platform is overcoming addiction and I actively advocate to stop the stigma surrounding addiction. This past year I volunteered over 600 hours to my community including my participation as a volunteer for the AFSP Out of the Darkness walk to promote our national philanthropy. My advice to everyone is to find a cause that you are passionate about and reach out to become a volunteer. I’ve found every service project on my own and each organization was thrilled to have the extra help. Giving back to those less fortunate is eye opening and is something that everyone should experience in order to put life back into perspective. So get out there and serve! Your work will truly make a difference.
Philanthropy Update: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Philanthropy is the cornerstone of our organization. For the last year we have been working alongside the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We have partnered with the AFSP three out of the last four years. With the Convention 2019 vote, we have committed to working with them until Convention 2022. This will total 5 years of dedicated work to help an organization that does so much for individuals around us. Our hope is to continue to foster a philanthropy partnership, as we build a deeper relationship between local AFSP chapters and our chapters. Each year that we have worked with the AFSP, we have continued to surpass our previous years donations. In 2017, we donated $15,313, and then $19,150 in 2019, bringing our total for the two years to $34,463. Our goal is to reach $60,000 in donations as a three year cumulative total. In order to reach this goal as an organization, we need to raise $25,000 this year. We hope that you can help us reach this goal. The money that we have raised so far has gone to provide suicide prevention training to over 2000 individuals last year free of charge, many of whom were students and teachers. The funds that we donated have also gone to help individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide, assist those who may be struggling, and to teach individuals how to recognize warning signs and implement intervention methods. As Co-Philanthropy Chair, I am incredibly proud of the impact we have had on our National Philanthropy and our community. So far this year, we have already raised over $3,000 towards our National Philanthropy, $2000 of that coming from our Pie-A-Board Member fundraiser at summer leadership retreat; who would have thought that taking a pie in the face could raise that much money? I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish this year working together as a team. —Amanda Roberge
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The State of Abortion in th by Emma Wenig, Associate Board
Reproductive Rights have been a hot-button issue for as long as most Americans can remember. It has been almost 50 years since the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade affirmed that access to a safe and legal abortion is a constitutional right, but the national conversation has continued to persist despite this outcome. Pro-Choice citizens defend the decision made in Roe v. Wade, stating that women should have the right to make decisions about what happens with their own body. Pro-Life citizens do not agree with the Supreme Court’s decision and either want abortion access to be restricted, or to be removed completely. There are a myriad of reasons as to why either side believes in their particular stance, but one thing that can be agreed upon by all is this issue really fires people up. More fuel was added to this fire earlier this year, when a handful of states enacted new laws that could affect the future of the nation. In May of 2019, both chambers of the Alabama state government passed a bill that established a near-total ban on abortion. The Human Life Protection Act allows for nearly no provisions, with even cases of rape, incest, or ectopic pregnancies being seen as invalid reasons to seek an abortion. The only provisions the bill allows are if the mother’s life is at risk, or if the fetus would not survive. The punishment for performing an abortion in violation of this act is unprecedentedly harsh—ten to ninety nine years in prison, with the crime being treated as a Class A Felony. An attempted abortion is punishable as well—one to ten years in prison as a Class C Felony. This is on top of the mandates that already existed within the state. All women seeking an abortion are state-mandated to receive counseling, followed by a 48 hour waiting period before the procedure can be provided. Patients must undergo an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion. Abortions after 22 weeks are not allowed in the state unless the patient is in immediate danger, and minors must have parental consent. Alabama has only three abortion clinics in the state’s 52,419 square miles. The controversial bill quickly became national news, with both supporters and opposers voicing their opinions on the legislation. Just weeks after Alabama’s bill, Louisiana instituted a “heartbeat law” that would prevent anyone from seeking an abortion after the fetus’ heartbeat can be detected (generally around six weeks). Every woman would have to receive an
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ultrasound before undergoing any treatment and similar to Alabama’s law, the only exception to this law is if the child had a condition that would prevent from surviving after birth. Rape, incest and ectopic pregnancies are not exceptions. Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia signed similar bills around the same time. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed lawsuits against these states, declaring these laws to be unconstitutional. Many are seeing this as an opportunity to bring these cases to the Supreme Court and revisit the decision made with Roe v. Wade. Regardless of whether this happens or not, these state’s laws will have a very real effect of their citizens in the coming years. There are many factors that could lead to a woman considering an abortion. It could be health-related, money-related, relationship-related, or it could be absolutely-none- of-your-business-related. Terminating a pregnancy is a highly stigmatized and difficult decision to make, and is not made any easier by the financial and logistical barriers imposed by pro-life politicians. Despite Roe v. Wade, almost all 50 states have some sort of restriction on abortion. The procedure has to happen before a certain week within the pregnancy; you have to sit through a mandated counseling session on fetal pain, inaccurate links to breast cancer and/or future fertility issues you may or may not have because of the abortion. Then there could be a waiting period between counseling and the procedure, some up to 48 hours. Many states have instituted regulations on where abortions can take place, which at face-level seems ordinary, but the more you look at the regulations it becomes apparent that they are more about control than safety. For example, dictating the size of the room the procedure can take place in, the size of the corridors in the clinic, and/or the distance away from the nearest hospital. Under these strict standards, along with the general stigma surrounding abortion, clinics struggle to keep their doors open. Some states only have a handful of abortion clinics to serve the entire population. Six states only have one clinic (Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia). Some pro-life organizations dedicate their time to standing outside these clinics to try to talk patients out of entering, holding large signs with graphic and purposefully provocative (and commonly untruthful) images to deter peo-
he United States ple from going through with the procedure. Abortion may be legal in the United States, but the obstacles women have to face in order to receive one are grim in many parts of the country. The Human Life Protection Act will go into effect in November of 2019, six months after the bill was signed. The good news in all of this lies with the Americans fighting to protect the reproductive rights of women. On October 1st, Judge Steve Jones of the U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction, which will block Georgia’s heartbeat law from taking effect while its legality is argued in court. Mississippi’s law faced a similar fate back in May, when Judge Carlton Reeves of the U.S. District Court also placed a preliminary injunction on their heartbeat law that was to take effect in July of 2019. Organizations like Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are fighting passionately to defend and educate people on reproductive rights, and laws similar to these have been struck down as unconstitutional in previous years. Additionally, thousands of people have made their voices heard in defense of reproductive rights through public rallies and social media campaigns such as #stoptheban. Abortions will happen regardless of whether they’re legal or not. But taking away the legality will drastically affect the health and safety of millions of women. This can feel out of your control, but there are things you can do. First, educate yourself on federal and state laws regarding abortion. The Guttmacher Institute is a fantastic resource for statistics and comprehensive articles on reproductive health. You can volunteer your time escorting people in and out of your local clinic, helping to shield from any potential harassers and provide comfort in such a stressful moment. You can also donate your money to a national or local organization dedicated to protecting women’s rights. These last few months have been tense, but the fight to protect the reproductive rights of women is far from over.
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Summer Leadership Retreat 2019 Recap by Amanda Roberge, Co-Executive Director Summer Leadership Retreat has always been my favorite meeting; as a board member it allows me to be able to spend time getting to know our chapter leaders on a more individual basis. This year SLR has held at the beautiful campus of Southern New Hampshire University, home to Kappa Chi Chapter. We started off Saturday morning in small groups participating in team building games led by board members. The goal of the team building activities was to help emphasize the importance of working together and communicating how it relates back to leading at the chapter level. After groups were able to complete the activity we added a twist to make the games harder—for example, no talking. Next, we reviewed the Chapter Operations Guide to make sure that they were up to-date, had a delicious lunch, and dove into the business meeting. During the business meeting, we read a letter from our representative Shamera Simpson, from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In the letter, she highlighted that our donation at Convention has provided education to over 2,000 individuals and has provided resources to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. We also passed out goodie bags of promotional items available to you to help raise awareness and funds for the AFSP. She also challenged us to keep making a difference in our communities and to keep striving to do more. After our business meeting, we began the presentations. This year we chose to extend the opportunity to one of the undergraduate women in attendance, to lead a presentation on recruitment to her peers. One thing that I loved about all the presentations were the Kahoot games at the end and watching how competitive everyone was in order to win some Kappa swag! During the philanthropy presentation we discussed the importance of individuals and chapters submitting their philanthropies
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hours so we can have an accurate depiction of what our sisterhood accomplishes during the school year. We also discussed working towards a record setting donation for our organization and raising $26,000 this year for our National Philanthropy, the AFSP. We finished up Saturday with our Pie-A-Board Member Fundraiser, in which we raised $2,000, putting us well on our way to our $26,000 goal. In the weeks leading up to SLR we collected donations and tallied the votes for which 3 board members people wanted to see get pied by our membership. Alex, Andrea, and myself were the 3 lucky winners. We also surprised those in attendance by announcing Liz would be pied too, but only if the group could come up with $100. I have never seen $100 materialize so fast in my life! I personally can’t wait to make this fundraiser bigger and better next year! We wrapped up Sunday with discussing Risk Management as a group and the stories we have seen in the news about other Greek organizations and the challenges that we encounter because of those stories. Afterwards we split into groups based on our positions, to discuss the challenges that we face in our positions and how to tackle them. All in all it was a wonderful weekend of sister bonding, learning from each other, and becoming better leaders that, as always, went by way too fast!
Chapter Reports Fall 2019
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Kappa Chi Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire Our fall semester is already off to an amazing start for the sisters of Kappa Chi! This year we chose Nascar for our recruitment theme and it could not be more fitting—we have started our engines and taken off with recruitment. Our goal for the Fall ‘19 recruitment season was to make it our best one yet! We are taking in 15 amazing and bright affiliates and are so excited to watch them blossom into sisters. We hosted numerous events so far this semester as well as a fundraiser! Our favorite events include Pie A Chi, Pizza and Paint and Sister Speed Dating. Overall, this semester is already a success! Philanthropy is something each and every sister holds as one of our top priorities. We have spent time volunteering with the food pantry ,Give a Little, Feed a Lot, and SNHU Buddies. Any chance to volunteer is a chance that we will take! Some sisters will even be attending the Greek Alternative Break this October in Connecticut!
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Our fundraising chair has also been hard at work this semester. We are currently doing a Yankee Candle fundraiser and we just had Pie A Chi. Pie A Chi was a huge success with almost every sister being pied in the face! We are very excited to continue these fundraising efforts as the school year continues on. We started the school year with Welcome Back Donuts in order to start off on the best foot! Many students of Southern New Hampshire University stopped by and we discussed our organization as well as some of the hardships of coming back to school. Although the semester was off to a speedy start the sisters of Kappa Chi are eager for Convention in the next semester. We are all looking forward to reuniting as well as finishing off this semester strong. With a strong focus on philanthropy and academics, we know this year is going to be great! May the Spirit Never Die! In Kappa, The Sisters of Kappa Chi
Kappa Iota University of Southern Maine, Portland/Gorham, Maine Kappa Iota has been through a lot of changes since last year. We had two lovely ladies graduate in the spring and we started this fall with seven strong women. This fall we welcomed with open arms a sister from another chapter, Faith Mishkin from Kappa Rho, who affiliated in Fall 2014! We were able to bring in two outstanding and strong Kappa women in the spring semester, and Kappa Iota extended its tree by three this fall by handing out three bids and starting the affiliate education process with some amazing girls who are so excited to be a part of Kappa. Kappa Iota has volunteered at the Greater Portland Out of the Darkness AFSP Walk and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. We also have plans to attend the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, in honor of our late sisters Karin, Stephanie, and Sue. Other chapter volunteer events that are in the works include creating
alphabet flashcards with Love Letters for Literacy and participating in a “Saturday in the Park” event, where we will hand out bottled water and snacks to those in need. Individual sisters have been working hard to complete their required 25 hours, participating in activities like advocacy around the foster care system and substance use, ASL interpreting, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Collectively, we have already completed almost 200 hours of volunteer service at about halfway through the fall semester. We are so excited about our future philanthropies, fundraisers and sister bonding as the school year continues! May the Spirit Never Die! In Kappa, Kappa Iota
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Kappa Omicron Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, Massachusetts Kappa Omicron has had a good year in all aspects supporting our chapter and the sorority. We have so much coming up going into 2020! Throughout the year, Kappa Omicron has focused on supporting the community. North Adams is a small part of Massachusetts but is still as important as other larger cities. Kappa Omicron has volunteered for different events such as Girls of the Berkshires, teaching girls about how powerful they are and self-confidence, and the Friendship Center Food Pantry, bagging different types of groceries and pet food for families of North Adams. At the beginning of the semester, a couple of sisters spent the day helping freshman move into their dorms before school started. Our favorite thing to do is hold sister bonding events. Whether its movie night, bowling, or even a quick trip
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out for lunch we are always finding ways to spend time together and get closer to each other. Later in the year, we plan to keep up the bonding events and possibly do road trips or out-of-state trips. Kappa Omicron has put the FUN in fundraisers. We have done fundraisers based on the season such as shamrock milkshakes for St. Patrick’s Day, cookies/cookie dough during the winter and plan to do more throughout the year. Our Kappa Pizza Bagels are always a hit! We look forward to bringing in more sisters, holding more sister-bonding events and raising philanthropy awareness and cool fundraisers. May the Spirit Never Die! In Kappa, Kappa Omicron
Kappa Lambda Husson University, Bangor, Maine Our Sisters came back to campus this year more excited than ever to get back into the swing of things. This summer had our sisters busy with work and personal endeavors but we all still made time to meet up with each other. We had sisters meeting up for concerts and to enjoy the great outdoors of Maine. Some of our sisters went to Summer Leadership Retreat and came back gear to share their wonderful experiences. This school year we’ve decided to have our focus be on sister bonding and getting closer to each other. As most of our sisters are entering the more challenging parts of their academic journey, there's a need for selfcare, sister bonding, and stress relieving activities. Our sisters recently took a trip to Canada where they bonded over the Quebec culture, sightseeing, and shopping. We also had fun bonding with some of our alumnae and showing our Husson Eagle pride during Homecoming weekend. We have also made strides towards raising money for
the national philanthropy by selling Scentsy on campus and to our friends and families. We have great hopes for this year and cannot wait for what the rest of the year has in store for us. May The Spirit Never Die! Kappa Lambda
Kappa Rho University of Maine at Fort Kent, Fort Kent, Maine So far this semester, Kappa Rho has participated in a couple of philanthropy events—Fresh Check Day and a recovery event. Fresh Check Day is an event that we have on campus here at UMFK that focuses on student's mental health. The recovery event was where individuals that have struggled with addiction spoke about their stories. We recently held a bonfire that was open to the entire student body and it helped us our name out there campus. We also invited our brothers to come out to the bonfire which was a lot of fun! We have quite a few events planned for the rest of the semester and can not wait to get them started! This semester we have four active sisters and we are in the process of bringing in three new ones! We are excited to get to know these three girls more and more over the next couple of weeks!
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Kappa Sigma Plymouth State University, Plymouth, New Hampshire Happy Fall from the sisters of Kappa Sigma! We hope everyone’s school year is off to a great start. Kappa Sigma Chapter is off to a busy start this school year! Over the summer, sisters volunteered at NASCAR for chapter fundraising and five of our sisters attended Summer Leadership Retreat at SNHU. Once we arrived back to Plymouth, some sisters moved into our new affinity housing where we have four apartments of Kappa sisters. Some sisters then volunteered to move freshmen in to school and volunteered at Gather Fest to pick apples with Sigma Alumni and help end hunger. In September, Kappa Sigma partnered with the volleyball team at PSU and volunteered to raise money for pediatric cancer. In October, we are holding a bake sale with the brothers of Kappa Delta Phi to raise money for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Kappa Sigma was also so fortunate to receive a donation from the Kappa Sigma Alumnae Association from funds raised from our 50th celebration last spring. At PSU, there is a new Inter-Greek Council. Kappa
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Sigma is proud to have one of our E-board members serve on the council. We also celebrated our first ‘Meet the Greeks’ event at PSU with all the other Greek organizations on campus where students came to meet the members of Greek organizations. Kappa Sigma extended five bids that were all accepted in the end of September, and we are so excited to welcome new sisters! Later this month, all thirty sisters will be going to the Polar Caves in Rumney, NH to spend a day together for sisterhood bonding. With such a busy semester, we have not forgotten how important it is to spend time with each other. Needless to say, it has been an exciting few months for Kappa Sigma. We are all so happy to be welcoming new sisters and see what the rest of the school year holds for us! May the Spirit Never Die. In Kappa, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Upsilon University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Last spring, we welcomed 9 new sisters to our chapter! They are already contributing so much to our chapter through bringing new ideas and opinions, to holding various positions within the chapter already. We are all very proud and excited to see them grow as sisters in the future semesters! Currently, we have had a very successful semester with 8 new affiliates from our baseball themed rush! They have all been bonding together and with their big sisters. We had many alumnae come to our pinning ceremony which was very exciting. Everyone was very happy about the large turnout because it gave us a chance to catch up while welcoming the affiliate class on their journey to becoming sisters. We have also been working very hard on philanthropies this semester! Our philanthropy chair, Mikaela Murphy, has been working very hard and setting up many different volunteer opportunities. It allows us to give back to the community, as well as work towards our national philanthropy, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We have participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's, Fresh Check Day which is a mental health centered event on our campus, and the Out of Darkness
walk. We also have many more planned for the rest of the fall semester, including St. Jude Up Till Dawn, Uncork the cure, Step Out walk for Diabetes, and many more. Along with volunteering our time, our fundraising chair, Erin Young, has been working with Mikaela in order to raise money for AFSP! We have already done a fundraiser with our local Chipotle and we have more planned that include Krispy Kreme and Yankee Candle. Over the next few months we look forward to teaching our new affiliate class why this sorority is so special and becoming closer with them all. The whole chapter is very excited to share the Kappa spirit with them and help them to become the best sisters possible! May the Spirit Never Die, The Sisters of Kappa Upsilon
Kappa Alpha Alpha University of Maine at Orono, Orono, Maine Kappa Alpha Alpha has been having a fun and successful semester thus far! We participated in the sisterhood round of Panhellenic's formal recruitment, with the help of the sister's from the Kappa Iota chapter! From there we then did our informal recruitment and gave out two bids this semester! We had a fun bid day where we went apple picking! Some of our sisters also volunteered in the Out of Darkness walk in Bangor. We can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us. May the Spirit Never Die!
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Kappa Alpha Gamma State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York Kappa Alpha Gamma chapter has had a great start to the fall semester! We are excited to see what this school year has in store for our chapter. We had a great rush season with lots of fun activities to fit our tropical theme. We hosted an evening of outdoor lawn games, a tie dye event, craft night, and trivia night. We are extremely proud to have the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as our new local philanthropy in support of our Vice President Nicole who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She is making a strong recovery and we are looking forward to hosting our first fundraising event selling LLS bracelets and t-shirts to raise money and spread awareness for a cause that means so much to our sisters. We have also been working hard to promote the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, especially during the month of September, Suicide Prevention Month. Some of our sisters participated in the annual Out of Darkness Walk to promote AFSP. Alongside raffles and Facebook fundraisers, we hosted a successful BINGO board fundraiser on our Instagram stories bringing us to over $1,300 raised for AFSP so far!
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We have had two fun sisterhood events so far this semester! Our first was an uplifting arts and crafts night where each sister was given a construction paper flower with another sister’s name in it. The sister then filled in all the flower petals with things they love about their fellow sister. Our second sisterhood was a trip to a pottery painting studio where we each picked and painted our favorite pieces of pottery. It was an enjoyable and relaxing night. We are looking forward to a Halloween themed sisterhood within the next month! We have a few sisters who will be graduating and student teaching after this semester, Morgan Glielmi, Jillian Cascio, and Jillian Spanier. We will miss them dearly and wish them well, and we are confident they will be visiting all the time. We hope everyone has an amazing fall semester full of sisterly love and memories. We are looking forward to a successful year! In Kappa, Kappa Alpha Gamma
Kappa Alpha Iota Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania During this first month back at school, the sisters of Kappa Alpha Iota have been hard at work with recruitment. We kicked off the first few weeks meeting new friendly faces during fun events like a paint night, decorating cookies, and building dream catchers. We just recently had Bid Day, where we finally welcomed four lovely ladies that we are immensely proud to call our new affiliates! With the excitement of recruitment aside, we have so many goals for this semester. We look forward to growing closer as a sisterhood and understanding what it truly means to be a Kappa. Building stronger bonds, lifting each other up, and continually learning how to be the best sisters we can be, are just a few of this semester’s core goals. Our sisterhood chair, as well as our philanthropy chair, have so many exciting events planned for us! Food night fundraisers are popular among organizations here at
Shippensburg University. We have had the pleasure of supporting multiple organizations in our Greek family with these fundraisers and plan to hold a few food nights of our own here soon. Our sisterhood chair has a ton of exciting activities planned for us too. Last week, a bunch of the sisters got together for a game of messy twister and coming up soon we get to have a little photo shoot around campus to show off our awesome sisters! In about a week, we look forward to taking a trip out to our local pumpkin patch! Sisterhood, philanthropy, and focusing on perfecting the education process for our fantastic new affiliates is where our hearts lay this semester. Here’s to hoping we all have a great one! May the Spirit Never Die! With love, Kappa Alpha Iota
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Kappa Alpha Nu University at Albany, Albany, New York The sisters of Kappa Alpha Nu have been working very hard this semester in being involved on the University at Albany campus and in raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We volunteered at and attended the Out of the Darkness Walk for AFSP in Saratoga Springs, New York where our sisters assisted with parking and walking to help make the walk successful. We also created a whole week on campus devoted to raising money for AFSP and raising awareness for suicide prevention. This included fundraising online, bake sales, and a program informing those on campus about suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Kappa Alpha Nu ended their “Kappa Week” with a very successful fundraising event called Kappa Karaoke. This fundraising event included donations from local businesses and restaurants in which we sold raffle tickets as well as participating in singing our favorite songs with all the proceeds made going towards AFSP. We are striving to end the negative stigma associated with mental illness, offer support to those who have lost loved ones to suicide, and to start the conversation on our campus about what us, as students at UAlbany and sisters of Kappa Delta Phi NAS, can do to promote suicide prevention and mental health awareness. We are also hosting a program with our Sexual Advocacy Center on campus to create awareness about sexual violence and protection on a college campus. This semester, we have strengthened our ties with our alumnae by encouraging them to become more involved. Our alumnae have been very helpful and excited to help us in any way that they are able to including attending many of our events that we have hosted and will continue to host this semester in support of our chapter. Our goal for this semester is to increase our presence on the UAlbany campus in an effort to raise awareness for suicide prevention, mental health and sexual violence protection.
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Kappa Alpha Xi Utica College, Utica, New York The sisters of Kappa Alpha Xi Chapter have been off to a steady start to the fall semester since receiving our charter in the spring! With our founding class now all alumnae status, it is incredible looking back to see how far we have come. We have been strengthening our bonds as sisters, continuing our hard work with philanthropy and fundraising, and connecting with other organizations on campus. During this fall semester, we have 18 active sisters and 2 new affiliates consisting of our “Zeta” class. We are very eager to watch these two exceptional women grow into the sisterhood and grow within themselves. We are excited to see how Kappa will expand and strengthen in the upcoming future as we share our passion for this organization with others. In regards to fundraising and philanthropy, Kappa Alpha Xi was been involved in various events to help raise funds and awareness for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We participated in the Out of Darkness Walk along with some other Greek organizations to raise awareness for this important cause. Also, we partnered with Active Minds to host a Suicide Prevention Walk which was a great success and started a conversation
about mental health on our campus! In addition to these events we have held multiple tabling events, ribbon sales, and bake sales to help with the efforts for the AFSP. We have plans to continue our annual fundraisers such as the Pizza Taste Off and the Mystery Prize board in the coming year. The sisters of Kappa Alpha Xi have been participating in other events on campus such as the Unity Walk which is a celebration of diversity and inclusion throughout campus. We also teamed up with other Greek organizations to volunteer for a Thea Bowman House event. Kids came to campus and we played games and colored with them. We had such a great time! We look forward to the rest of the semester, including strengthening bonds with current sisters and the new sisters we welcome. We are excited to carry out our plans for philanthropy and fundraising and continuing to connect with the college campus and the community around us. We wish all the best to the other chapters and colonies, and May the Spirit Never Die! In Kappa, The Sisters of Kappa Alpha Xi Chapter
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Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, New York Congratulations to Kappa Alpha Xi on chartering and to the newest colony Kappa Alpha Pi! Our colony would not be here without Kappa Alpha Xi’s amazing love and support throughout our journey. The Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony has changed a lot since our first convention last spring. Over the summer our President, Treasure and Affiliate Educator attended the colonies' first-ever Summer Leadership Retreat. It was a pleasure to learn much more about other chapters, the way they run things, and gain some valuable advice. This semester began our recruitment process with our schools National Panhellenic Council along with nearly doubling in size and taking in an affiliate class of 12 wonderful girls. We started fundraising early this fall and have already raised $600 while continuing to raise more money each day. The sisters and affiliates also participated in an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Walk taking one step at a time to bring more awareness to this great cause. At this moment we are in the process of planning a walk to spread awareness
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for Stomach Cancer that will take place throughout the SUNY Oswego campus. The Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony is striving each day, not for perfection, but progress! Every day we are reminded how an organization can change someone's life and we are truly grateful. Our goals for the future are to maintain our openness, spread recognition for our national and local philanthropies, and hopefully charter!
Introducing... Kappa Alpha Pi Colony Union College, Schenectady, New York It is with great pride that I introduce you to the newest colony of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority. On October 13th, 2019, eighteen passionate women founded the Kappa Alpha Pi Colony at Union College in Schenectady, NY. I am truly inspired by their commitment to our ideals of goodness, caring, sensitivity, love and devotion. The women are already hard at work planning philanthropy and fundraising projects. They are currently volunteering with Homeward Bound Dog Rescue of NY, assisting the rescue in finding shelter dogs loving homes. Additionally, they have planned a fundraising event where students can buy a ticket to participate in night of health and wellness activities, including yoga and a trail mix bar. In their free time, the colony enjoys making dinner together and having study nights. I am very thankful to have participated in this expansion and feel overjoyed to welcome these spectacular women into our sisterhood. Welcome home crows! May The Spirit Never Die. —Caitlin Daley, Associate Board
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Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. Alumnae Association Dear Sisters of KDPNAS, Inc. On a spring morning in 1965, I awakened suddenly with no idea what was happening. My heart was pounding. I heard my mother’s voice coming from the living room. She was talking in a loud, agitated and angry voice. Clad in baby doll pajamas and bare feet, I slipped out of bed and crept to the door. My mother was the only person in the room. She didn’t look at me. She didn’t respond when I called out to her. Something was terribly wrong, and I needed to find my father. I ran outside and frantically searched the horizon for a sign. Off in the distance, I could see a tractor making its way through what we called the fifty-acre field. I grabbed my bike and headed down the field road that ran past our small house. I had to make my way through the bumps and ruts of three or more miles. It took forever. I was out of breath and crying when I reached him. I told my father what I had found. He immediately raised the harrow and made the tractor go as fast as it could. I walked my bike a good deal of the way home. My mother was admitted to the local hospital and days later to the state’s psychiatric hospital. Months passed and turned into years. We would make the 327-mile round trip about once a month, but because we were children, we were not allowed to see her. We sat in the car looking out of the windows at the large stone building with a tower. It looked like a castle, but I knew deep down inside that it wasn’t. When I was asked me to write an article for the Kappa Quill on mental health and wellness, I wasn’t sure I could or should, but I am not nine years old anymore. I am nearly sixty-four and I am trusting that each of you will keep my secret and not judge. Medicine, science and the understanding of mental health and wellness has made remarkable strides in the fifty-four years that have passed. Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama championed a campaign with the American Psychological Association to encourage anyone troubled with mental health issues to seek professional help. That campaign has gained great
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momentum. The initiative actively supports treatment “and seeks to end the stigma associated with mental health issues.” In an article titled, "5 Warning Signs of Mental Health Risk" by Ronald E. Riggio Ph. D., people are urged to look for the leading signs that an individual may need help: 1. A change in personality. If someone is acting like a very different person, or not acting or feeling like themselves, this is a warning sign. 2. Uncharacteristic anxiety, anger or moodiness. Severe changes in emotions are cause for alarm, especially if they are persistent. 3. Social withdrawal and isolation. If an individual is “closing off” socially, canceling social engagements, or spending too much time alone, this is a serious warning sign of emotional or mental health issues. 4. Lack of self-care or risky behaviors. Persons with mental health issues often lose concern over their own health and well-being, engaging in risky behaviors like (excessive) drinking and drug use. In addition, a lack of hygiene, or lack of concern with appearance may be indicative of a mental health issue. 5. A sense of hopelessness or feeling overwhelmed. Mental health difficulties often cause people to give up—to feel like life is just too hard or that they will never feel “normal” again. It is not up to us to diagnose mental health issues, but it behooves us as daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, co-workers, bosses, etc. to be open to listening to our own feelings and emotions as well as those of others. Be aware. Educate yourselves. Be present for others. As for the rest of my story, I’ll just say that it was a very long journey. My childhood ended and I became a surrogate to my siblings. Growing up was challenging, but it (the illness) contributed to shaping me. I hope that I am a better person for the experience. In Kappa, Susan Dyer Taylor, Executive Director Emeritus President, KDPNAS Alumnae Association, Inc., 1992 Kappa Mu, Spring 1975
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Show off your Kappa Pride Contact Merchandise Chair at merchandise@kappadeltaphinas.org