Love and guidance by many caring Kappas allowed Epsilon Pi chapter to enjoy a great beginning. The culmination of this love and concern was exemplified in the beautiful Installation held the first weekend in February 1976 when 13 new members of Epsilon Pi Colony were initiated as charter members of Epsilon Pi Chapter at the University of California at Riverside.

Installing officer Marian Schroeder Graham, Beta Phi—Montana, Fraternity President, was assisted by many others including Phyllis Brinton Pryor, Beta Mu—Colorado, National Panhellenic Conference Delegate and colonizing officer; Patti Ball Hillyard, Delta Chi—San Jose State, installation chairman and President of the Riverside Alumnae Club; Lyn Conway Madding, Delta Gamma—Michigan State, Kappa Province Director of Alumnae; Kay Reid Tennison, Epsilon Delta—Arizona State, Kappa Province Director of Chapters; and Janeen Gould, Beta Beta Deuteron—St. Lawrence, Epsilon Pi Graduate Counselor. Also, several advisers and Graduate Counselors to California chapters and alumnae from all over southern California gathered to participate in and to honor the Installation of Kappa’s 95th chapter.

The setting for the ceremonies was the chapter house of Epsilon Pi’s sister chapter, Delta Tau—Southern California. It was agreed by all and well stated by Phyllis Pryor that “no more perfect arrangements could have been made for an unhoused chapter to be assimilated into a totally Kappa setting where a true feeling of belonging could be imparted. The cooperation and hospitality of those members of Delta Tau who made this possible will be long remembered as a very vital aspect of the happy Initiation of Epsilon Pi.” She also noted that “the beautiful, warm, very adequate facilities of the Delta Tau house accommodated the influx of extra people and activities gracefully and with no evidence of inconvenience or interruption.”

Fern Crane, Delta Tau Housemother; Katie Finnegan, Delta Tau President; Kris Kline, chapter coordinator, and chapter members were thanked for their superb planning and for making the guests and participants feel welcomed and prepared.

It was here that the scene for the entire weekend, including a lovely Friday night Fireside Service and dinner. Delta Tau members added to the beauty by sharing some of their traditional pre-initiation thoughts and songs.

Many gifts to the new chapter were recognized at the luncheon banquet, which was held at the University Hilton Hotel following Saturday’s Installation. Two special gifts were award badges for outstanding new members, one given to the new member class president, Debbie Dietrich, and one to Robin Rose, Recruitment Chairman, for scholarship.

Greetings to the new chapter increased even more when more than 150 guests came in heavy rain to a reception Sunday afternoon in Riverside at the home of a recent Delta Tau active. UC Riverside administrators and Panhellenic representatives and members of other Greek-letter groups on campus along with friends and family members of the new chapter members honored Epsilon Pi with their attendance.

Prior to Installation, the Epsilon Pi new members were busy with campus activities including selling cotton candy during Homecoming, a pizza party with alumnae, a new member retreat and joining the other fraternities and sororities in the Greek cheering section for football games and for Christmas caroling before the winter break. Epsilon Pi members also created a wooden plaque with pictures of the charter members, and they worked together on a hooked rug with an owl design for Delta Tau Chapter. The previous information was excerpted from (unknown source-most likely The Key.)

The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at [email protected] with questions.

From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:

The chapter’s first formal, called “Sea and Sky”, was held in a multipurpose room in one of the apartment complexes near campus since the budget for the event was only $75; $25 was spent on decorations and $50 was spent on a band. One sister, who was dating a Sigma Alpha Epsilon from UCLA, had him fix up some of the Kappas with blind dates with his brothers. Charter President Kim Braun Padulo recalled the surprised reaction of the boys when they entered the room as it was not the kind of reception they were used to.

Epsilon Pi faced its challenges head on and ultimately succeeded. In the fall of 1976, they welcomed a second pledge class that nearly doubled the size of the chapter. Following soon after, in spring quarter the women had to write their chapter Bylaws. After getting the foundations of the chapter set, the women focused on their sisterhood. To improve this Epsilon Pi chapter participated in a potluck with the Northern Orange County Alumnae Association. The theme was to bring with you your favorite Kappa memory to share. After doing so, the women realized that while they were close, a house would bring them much closer to each other. They hoped that one day they would reach this goal for Epsilon Pi to have a chapter house.

October of 1977, thirteen more lovely ladies were pledged after an informal Yell-in, and on Inspiration week, in October 24-29; the women were initiated. With rush again in the spring the chapter was able to grow from 13 actives to 30 by 1978.

1979 was kicked off with Formal Fall Rush. The first night the girls attended open house and had sandwiches while getting to know each other. The second night was theme night, in which the chapter put on their annual performance of “Kapparet”. On the second to last night the chapter had project night in which the women used felt letters and animals to spell their names, these where then to be used for philanthropy. The final night, was preference night. Here the women all dressed up formally, and had dessert together while sharing stories in a circle. Epsilon Pi once again initiated more women, making the chapter grow a little bigger every year. With the goal to become one of the largest chapters, Epsilon Pi continued learning ways of improving and growing closer in sisterhood. To do so, their goal was set to focus on social graciousness, organization, and sisterhood (SOS). Memorable events from the 70s include hanging out at the pool at Bannockburn, yearly pledge class songs, and exchanges with other groups on campus.

From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:

Small "get to know each other" parties were held at the Bannockburn pool, so that all the women could get to know each other better and create stronger sisterhoods. They also held exchanges. Epsilon Pi had an annual "walkout" in which the pledges would plan to "kidnap" actives and have them do funny antics like sing Kappa songs and Kappa Dances at different stops on campus like the library, residence halls, and classrooms. Every stop would earn them a clue that would lead them to the location that the pledges had chosen to host them for dinner. They experienced the debut of MTV and this spurred lip-synching contests in the dorms, which were a blast!

After just a few years of being established Epsilon Pi was honored to participate in founding of new chapters of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of California, Irvine and University of California, San Diego.

Philanthropy:

Epsilon Pi held many different Philanthropy events such as making rabbit-like Easter baskets to give to the Sunshine School in Riverside, dressing up around Halloween in costumes and visiting the Riverside Community Hospital patients with candy. One popular tradition was a "Grandparent Adoption" from convalescent homes where the chapter women would visit their adoptee twice a month and bring them carnations and homemade spice ropes.

From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:

In the early 1990’s, the chapter was focused on scholarship, improving rush, and philanthropy. The chapter tied for the 2nd highest GPA on campus in 1991 and placed 35 members on the Dean’s List. And in 1993-94, the chapter received the Dean’s Scholarship Trophy for the highest percentage of members on the Dean’s List. The chapter maintained a high level of academic excellence throughout the decade, due in part to weekly mandatory study hours for actives and pledges.

To prepare for rush, the chapter started early the prior school year with a 10 day work week. Rush quota gradually decreased on the UCR campus in the early 90’s. Quota was 32 in 1991, 24 in 1993, to 16 in 1994, and 13 in 1995. However, quota was back up in the 20’s by 2000. These smaller pledge classes, however, allowed the chapter to be fully involve the new members in all aspects of chapter life.

Early in the decade, the chapter accepted the Challenge to Excellence issued to all chapters by the Fraternity. Work on the Challenge to Excellence continued during the rest of the 1990’s. It strengthened the chapter and brought the members closer together.

In 1991, nine of the 13 founders of Epsilon Pi were present for the Founders Day brunch. In 1995, the chapter celebrated Kappa Kappa Gamma’s 125th birthday with Zeta Eta at UC Irvine. On the social front, the chapter continued with its annual Sea and Sky formal, Monmouth Duo with Pi Beta Phil, and Kappa Krush dances. Epsilon Pi also participated in many sporting competitions on campus, such as the annual inter-sorority volleyball tournament, Sports week, the Greek Games and the annual Run to the C. The chapter also hosted a Parent’s Day each year.

The chapter focus shifted to sisterhood, public relations and participation in the mid-1990’s. Housing:

In 1991 the chapter lounge was redecorated. The last update was 16 years prior! Also in this year, the university offered sororities a hall in one of the dorms to have as their own. The chapter felt this would be a good way to improve chapter bonds, and would show the university that they were serious about having a house in the future.

Philanthropy:

Epsilon Pi won the Philanthropy Award at the 1991 Kappa Province Meeting. The chapter participated in the Cystic Fibrosis Walkathon and helped clean up downtown Riverside. They also continued their tradition of visiting the Sunshine House and their association with the Riverside section of the California School of Deaf. In the mid-1990’s, Epsilon Pi began a new philanthropy called Night Run.

Chapter Convention Awards:

1992 Efficiency Honorable Mention 1994 Standards Honorable Mention 1994 Scholarship Honorable Mention 1996 Scholarship Award Honorable Mention

From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:

The chapter actively participated in campus events such as BEAR Facts Orientation, Block Party, Homecoming and Spring Splash as well as Panhellenic sponsored events such as Sports Week, Greek Unity Week with Greek Pyramid, and Presents. Founders Day was often celebrated with Zeta Eta, UC Irvine and the Orange County Alumnae Association. A yearly Scholarship Dinner was held to honor the sisters with the highest GPA, most improved GPA, and all sisters with a 4.0 in a quarter. Yearly chapter events included a fall Date Party, a winter Scholarship Banquet, and a Parent’s Day in the spring.

Housing:

Epsilon Pi was the first Greek organization to be invited to participate in UCR’s Greek Housing Pilot Program. The chapter was able to rent five units in an apartment complex near campus and 10 members lived there during the 2009-2010 school year. However, due to a lack of contracts and security, the program was discontinued.

Philanthropy:

Members of Epsilon Pi volunteered yearly for a local breast cancer fundraiser put on by the Inland Agency, called “Shop to Stop Breast Cancer.” Each year, chapter members volunteered to read to students at Madison Elementary School on Dr. Suess day. In Spring 2009, the members of Epsilon Pi hosted sixth grade students for “A Day In The Life” at UCR. The Kappas gave them tours of the campus and the sixth graders got to meet the Men’s Basketball Team and the UCR Cheerleaders and Dance Team. The finale of the day was lunch on the commons lawn where the sixth graders read their favorite books to the Kappas.

Chapter Convention Awards:

2008 Rose McGill Award

2011 was a busy and great year for Epsilon Pi Chapter. Winter quarter started out with the nomination process, leading to the election of a strong, new Chapter Council. That quarter we participated in two philanthropic events at Madison Elementary School, Where the Wild Things Read and Dr. Seuss Day. Both events involved reading to the students and encouraging literacy. Greek Unity Week also took place during the winter. Our members were paired with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha to compete in various activities throughout the week meant to strengthen Greek unity on campus. As our winter quarter event, the chapter had a “Finally Famous” themed semi-formal, in which couples dressed as famous couples throughout history.

The chapter also enjoyed a scholarship dinner at Ciao Bella restaurant and a go-cart racing sisterhood event held at K1 Speedway. For the spring quarter, Epsilon Pi Chapter continued its emphasis on philanthropy. We volunteered at the Inland Agency’s Shop to Stop Breast Cancer event. Also, our sister Brittany Altamirano competed in and won the 2011 Delta Queen Pageant hosted by the men of Delta Tau Delta, raising around $7000 for City of Hope cancer research. During this quarter, the campus’ Fraternity and Sorority Involvement Center hosted a Pillar’s Reception where Epsilon Pi was proud to receive the Friendship Pillar Award. The Chapter hosted Parent’s Day at the Benedict Castle and a formal at the Pomona Valley Mining Co.

Another major accomplishment for the chapter during spring was our Sports Week participation. Members assembled teams for volleyball and football, and did excellent in both sports, taking home the overall win for Sports Week. In April, a few members of our chapter went to Kappa Province in Tucson, AZ, where we were awarded the Rose McGill Magazine Award. As fall quarter began, the members of Epsilon Pi were eager for recruitment, to gain more assets to our chapter. After going through formal recruitment, the chapter welcomed 31 New Members on Bid Day. The New Members were taken to a taco dinner afterwards to celebrate and get to know the chapter. This year, the chapter invited local alumnae and the women of the Zeta Eta Chapter at UC Irvine to our Founder’s Day brunch at the Riverside Art Museum. Many of our members also participated in the Pink on Parade breast cancer walk, as well as the 5K run held by the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Our chapter enjoyed a movie night sisterhood as we went to go see the film 50/50, as well as a Thanksgiving potluck themed meeting to end the quarter.

Campus: This year, the Panhellenic Board on campus tried to really encourage unity among the Greek community, but the panhellenic organizations in particular. Kappa encouraged this as well, as we participated in Panhellenic’s Cookies and Crafts event. All 6 of the panhellenic organizations came together to get to know each other better, as well as learn more about one another’s philanthropies. We also participated in the kickball tournament thrown by the women of Gamma Phi Beta, to further demonstrate our support of panhellenic. The campus hosted many annual events like Spring Splash, Bear Facts Orientation, and Block Party, all of which Epsilon Pi participated in.

Chapter: If one word were chosen to describe the overall nature of our chapter in 2011 it would be growth. We suffered some minor setbacks, but with positive mindsets and a strong chapter council, we pushed through and began making necessary changes for our chapter to head in the right direction. Epsilon Pi has taken pride in both its diversity and large chapter size and has used both of those factors to strengthen the chapter as a whole.

One main challenge for the chapter was attendance. With such a large chapter size, we expected high numbers of attendance, but were not seeing that. Chapter Council began a point system for attendance. A minimum requirement of points was made necessary for fun/positive things later on, such as getting a little sister in the fall. In addition, our VP Standards took attendance into account as she looked over members who needed standards appointments. She stressed the importance of going to mandatory events in these meetings and the consequences of not doing so. The attendance problem was not completely erased, but the chapter hopes to see improvements, continuously reminding members of the attendance policy in our chapter’s bylaws and standing rules.

Each year Epsilon Pi chapter continues to reach and exceed previous years' achievements. 2011 was an amazing and notable year for Epsilon Pi chapter. In January, we began with inspiration week filled with a variety of big and little and sisterhood bonding events. Soon after, the Alpha Omega pledge class was initiated. It was a beautiful and special ceremony that we were able to share with the newest members of our wonderful chapter. The following week we had an amazing Semi Formal which was hosted at the Caspian in Irvine, where we enjoyed an Arabian night filled with kabobs and belly dancers. Soon after we had elections and welcomed the newly elected chapter council. During that time period we were graced with the Leadership Officer and received an abundance of tips and advice on how to make our chapter even stronger than what it was then.

Following elections and the LC visit, we had Greek Unity week on campus which brings the Greek and cultural sorority and fraternities together. This year we were paired with the men of Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. During this week we are separated into teams and participate in a variety of team and at the end of the week perform a team dance that is appreciated by the whole Greek community.

As we continued into winter quarter we held two amazing philanthropies at Madison Elementary School; Kappa Kamp and Dr. Seuss Day. Both event encouraged the students to read and enjoy books. We also had a delicious scholarship dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory where we acknowledged our hard working sisters that make the Dean's List, have the most study hours, and the highest overall GPA.

Towards the end of winter quarter we held our Leadership Day, which aimed at better training our newly elected chapter council to ensure that they would be confident in achieving everything their position asked them to, as well as doing their little perfectly.

In the spring quarter, our sisterhood took a great start with having a fun and exciting event at Dave and Buster. This quarter we also supported the men of Delta Tau Delta's annual Delta Queen Pageant. Our sister, Lauren Montes, won the Delta Queen Pageant raising $6,000 for the City of Hope cancer research. We continued to support our chapter and partook in the annual Sports Week, where each sorority competes against each other in track and field, volleyball, and football.

Our sisters did an amazing job playing and dedicating their time to practices. This quarter we also had our annual formal, "A Night In Spain", which was held at the Green River Gold Club in Corona. It was an amazing event where we danced the night away and appreciated the seniors, as it was their last formal with the chapter. As the quarter continued, we hosted "A Day In The Life" where we hosted students from Madison Elementary School and showed them the campus. We introduced them to the soccer team and cheer leaders and gave them a tour of the campus. We wanted to encourage the sixth graders to continue on to college to get a higher education and to show them that anyone can achieve that with hard work and dedication. We ended this quarter with a fun filled water themed sisterhood at our president, Brittany Altamirano's house. There was a water maze, water guns, and of course water balloons. The sisterhood definitely helped relieve some stress that we had pertaining to the upcoming finals. Later that weekend we also had our annual Parent's Day at the Canyon Crest Country Club, where we had a nice lunch with all our sisters and their parents. We also appreciated our sisters who stood out exceptionally in being a good sister and kappa and sisters that stood our academically as well.

After returning from summer vacation, Epsilon Pi was eager for recruitment and to gain new assets to our ever growing sisterhood. Following formal recruitment we were more than happy to welcome the 30 Beta Alpha new member class. After bid day on campus we took them to one of our sister's house to have dinner and meet the chapter; there were also an abundance of ice breaking games. This year, the Orange County Alumni Association hosted Founder's Day at the Tustin Senior Center. After thoroughly educating the Beta Alpha new member class with Kappa history and creating a new love for Kappa we had Inspiration Week and Initiation. It was again a beautiful ceremony where each sister was able to appreciate and remember why we joined one of the strongest sisterhoods. We concluded this quarter with our Kappa Thanksgiving, which brought our chapter together once again.

This year, the Panhellenic Board on campus was continuing to encourage unity among the Greek community. The board hosted many events where each sorority could come and support panhellenic. Such events were "blankets for babies", "cookies and crafts", and staff appreciation. Kappa supports the board and tries to get more involved by participating. Kappa also participates in Block Party, Spring Spash, and Bear Facts orientation.

Epsilon Pi had a truly remarkable year in 2013 with all that we accomplished and participated in. As our winter quarter began, we had the opportunity to help recruit members for the new chapter that was established at Chapman University with our sisters from USC. The recruitment was so successful that we had the amazing honor to be apart of their initiation ceremony and be their big sis chapter. Towards the end of the quarter we were partnered up with the men of Phi Gamma Delta and the women of Omega Zeta Chi to participate in a week of Greek Unity. The main event was a dance competition in which we were elated and humbled to have won first place.

As the quarter continued we participated in our annual philanthropy of “Reading is Key” in which we traveled to Madison Elementary school and spent the day reading and doing crafts with the children. We also had a delicious Scholarship dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory in which we gave awards to the sisters who had accomplishments such as the most study hours, highest GPA, and being on the dean’s list. The last major event of winter quarter was our semi-formal in which we went to a lovely Italian restaurant and had a great time dancing the night away with our sisters and dates.

Spring quarter began with 6 sisters attending Kappa Province. In addition to learning valuable skills and information for our chapter, Epsilon Pi was honored to have received 2 awards: the New Member Program Award and the Norma Dow Patton Gracious Living Award. Soon after, we had a visit from the LC, which gave the new officers a chance to get ideas and information about her new positions in personal meetings that were set-up. We also had our formal at a beautiful venue at the Glen Ivy Spa and golf course in which we had a great night taking pictures in a photo booth, eating delicious food, and giving out senior recognition awards.

This quarter was also very philanthropic. Not only did we host our annual “Day in the Life” event for Madison elementary school children to come and see what it is like to be a college student, but we also partnered up with the women of Pi Beta Phi to create our very own join philanthropy on campus called “Words with Friends”. It was a spelling bee and speed read event in which all the organizations could compete with each other and donate either money or books to our philanthropy. This quarter, as well as supporting many other philanthropies throughout the year, we also supported the men of Delta Tau Delta's annual Delta Queen Pageant. Our sister, Hailey Grisel, received second place and remarkably raised $6,000 for the City of Hope cancer research.

We continued to support our chapter and partook in the annual Sports Week, where each sorority competes against each other in track and field, volleyball, and football. Our sisters did an amazing job playing and dedicating their time to practices because we ended up winning the entire event. Later that month we had parent’s day which was so special in being able to show our families a little bit of what Kappa is like. We were able to honor the sisters who truly embody what Kappa is and also got to see what our chapter used to be like through the heritage display.

There is also an annual awards ceremony for the Greek community on our campus in which we were honored to have received the University of California, Riverside Marguleas Sororotiy/Fraternity Service Award in recognition of our leadership and philanthropic efforts in our community. To finish off the quarter and the academic year we had a sisterhood in which we were able to go go kart racing. We had such a fun time competing with each other for the fastest time and just be able to spend time bonding together. Fall quarter was a very hectic quarter for Epsilon Pi. We had another LC visit during recruitment which helped us make sure we were going about things as best as we could. Although we did not expect for the large increase in the size of our new pledge class, we were so grateful to welcome 45 new amazing women into our organization. Soon after, we celebrated founder’s day with our lovely Chapman sisters which was special because we got to see them experience it for the very first time as a chapter. It was so touching to see alumni from decades ago being recognized and pinned and being able to do our ritual together.

Our chapter also hosted an amazing event called “Finding Kind” in which we had the screening of the documentary to fight against female teen bulling. We then all took individual pledges to better ourselves and the way that we treat others. We were so pleased to see how many women from different organizations on campus came to support this cause. Towards the end of the quarter, we had a super hero themed date party in which we got to go to Sky Town and jump around and play various games involving foam pits and trampolines. Inspiration week and Initiation of our new Beta Beta pledge class was a very special week for all of us. We were so happy to officially welcome them into our chapter and share our ritual with them during such a beautiful and special ceremony. We also had fun during that week roller-skating and playing laser tag together during our big/little night. To finish off the quarter, we had a sisterhood the week before finals at the movie theater in which we were able to take a couple hours away from studying to relax and laugh with our sisters while watching Grown Ups 2. It had been events like this that keep us close and strong as a chapter.

This past year brought changes that mainly affected our recruitment. Since our school decided to admit more students, there were more women that went through recruitment that the sororities were not prepared for. Although we thought it would be overwhelming and near impossible to have such a large pledge class, we pulled through together and were blessed to have received 45 new members instead of our anticipated 30.

This past year has been one of glee, many accomplishments, and ongoing improvement for Epsilon Pi Chapter. We commenced the year after a refreshing winter break with the privilege of participating in a leadership conference, Lead Today. Lead Today took place on January 22 on our campus with our entire chapter and alumnae. Coordinators were trained to help us grow and prosper as a chapter with novel leadership skills and progression in areas needing improvement. We participated in various hands on activities, games and discussions concerning the vitality of management, organization, and the overall aspect of a chapter working and developing in unison. Epsilon Pi Chapter was so thankful and gained an immense appreciation and understanding for leadership and how to use it, not only in Kappa, but in our everyday lives. This conference could not have come at a better time, due to the fact that elections were right around the corner.

Our Kappa sisters did a wonderful job selecting our new Chapter Council and we knew Epsilon Pi Chapter was in good hands. Shortly after, we had our annual scholarship dinner to honor all of our hard working members who did exceptional in their academics. This year, we dressed in key attire and ventured out to The Old Spaghetti Factory located in Downtown Riverside. We loaded up on carbs and applauded our accomplished sisters when they received awards for most study hours, improved G.P.A., highest G.P.A., and many more. This night allowed our sisters to feel honored and made others strive to improve.

After a few weeks of being back in school, it was time for Semi-Formal. Semi was held at Aroma Grill in Upland, CA. We all got dolled up in cute cocktail dresses and invited dates to escort us. Kappas danced the night away on the dance floor, took a plethora of photos in the photo booth and in front of the backdrop with a professional photographer, and ate a delicious variety of food. To end the month of February, our sisters headed to K1 Speed Zone for a fun packed sisterhood. Our sisters headed to the race tracks and raced in full geared helmets and mask and hopped in go-carts for some competitive fun.

A few weeks later, we had our first social of the quarter with the men of Phi Kappa Psi. Together, we had so much fun playing laser tag dressed up as Disney characters. Originally, we were supposed to go roller blading, however, the outdoor rink got rained out. Yet, Kappas always know how to make the best of things and we ended the night having a jovial time. To end our quarter, Epsilon Pi Chapter hosted our Reading is Key Philanthropy at our adopted school, Madison Elementary. This year's theme was "Under the Sea" and the book we gave every student who attended was "The Magic School Bus Live on the Ocean Floor". We loved seeing the students' faces light up as they read to us, crafted with us, and enjoyed some delicious snacks. The whole cafeteria was neatly decorated with fish, kelp, and other underwater creatures to create a fun, aquatic atmosphere. We donated books to their library and hoped to encourage them and show them how important, and intriguing, reading can be. This experience was so rewarding due to the fact that many of these students are from underprivileged households and the books we give them are usually their first books.

At the start of Spring Quarter, we attended an annual philanthropy conducted by the fraternity Delta Tau Delta. They hosted a pageant that every sorority participated in by nominating one representative to compete in the event. This event raised money for The City of Hope through fundraisers and donations. This year, we selected Justine Sterling, who perfectly embodies Kappa as a whole. Justine worked extremely hard raising funds via bake sales on campus (Kappa Kappacino), and Karaoke singing night (Kappa Karaoke), as well as various dining and recreational events. Justine rasied over $4,000 for The City of Hope and took home the crown as Miss Delta Queen 2014. Her hard work and dedication paid off making all of us proud. Not to mention, we loved watching her in the pageant, especially her talent portion of rapping. In the month of April, we hosted our joint philanthropy event, Words With Friends, with the ladies of Pi Beta Phi. Since we both share a philanthropy centered on literacy, our competitions were focused on spelling and reading. We had representatives from each sorority and fraternity competing in speed reads and spelling bees while their organizations cheered them on from the stands. For this event, admission was bringing in a new book that we could donate or a fee of $5. In the end, we raised over $2,000 and over a hundred books. We donated the books we received and part of the proceeds to Madison Elementary and the rest of the proceeds to RIF.

Every year, UCR hosts a sports week where each sorority comes up with teams to play dodge ball, volleyball, and football with different fraternities coaching and arranging practices. This whole week is filled with friendly competition and unity between our sorority and the whole Greek community. This year, we worked hard at many practices and came up in second place. Who knew we were so athletic? After sports week, we decided to have a social with the men of Phi Gamma Delta, who were our coaches for sports week. Bowling for strikes and spares was the event of the night while dressed in our Hawaiian skirts, shirts, and leis.

Another event UCR hosts every year is Pillars Week. Pillars Week is a whole week dedicated to different traits necessary for a successful organization. All Greek organizations were placed in teams that competed in competitions focused on a different trait each day starting with leadership, friendship, service, and scholarship. This whole week is dedicated to uniting the community of Greeks at our school. With Epsilon Pi Chapter being so dedicated to these traits and Greek unity, we worked so hard and ended up placing first along with our team.

During this same week we had one of our favorite philanthropies, A Day In The Life. For this event, we bring sixth grade students from Madison Elementary to UCR to visit, take a tour, have lunch, and play fun activities with us all in the hopes of inspiring these students to go to college and strive for higher education. This year we divided into different tour guiding groups and played interactive games such as red rover. It was a perfect day to have the students on campus because they were all able to see a busy campus full of students due to the fact that it was Pillars Week. These students had such a great time that even some boys flashed the Kappa sign in pictures as the proclaimed "I can't wait to go here!"

With school coming to an end in a few months, it was the perfect time for our Beta Beta New Member retreat. Our New Member chair planned a daring evening of rock climbing at a local rock climbing gym, Hangar 18. Girls harnessed in and chalked their hands as they used their upper body strength and raced to the top of the rock walls. It was a perfect night for Beta Beta to be reconnected and have a little fun work out. For one of the last meetings of the year, our whole chapter went to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor to feast on all different flavors of ice cream, while discussing business, of course. This event is one of our most delicious sisterhood events since we get to eat all the ice cream we want, be sung to by Farrell's employees, and get to be with our sisters.

For the last event of the year, Epsilon Pi Chapter boarded buses with our dates for a special night at Green Rivers Country Club. This year's Formal was eventful and filled with memories. Girls piled into the photo booth to take adorable pictures while some danced the night away and others ate their gourmet meal. During the celebrations, seniors were recognized, given crowns, and watched a video slide show of pictures that brought back many memories and even happy tears to many eyes. Formal was the perfect way to end the 2013-2014 school year.

Although college may have been over for some, many girls who had just decided to come to UCR were making their way on campus for summer orientation in the months of July and August. During every orientation, Epsilon Pi Chapter hosted a table where we answered questions about our organizations, sorority life, UCR and college in general. We hoped to get incoming freshmen and transfer students excited for college and hopefully interested in becoming a Kappa. Not only that, but almost as a summer reunion, all of our girls got together to film our, almost famous, recruitment video. We went to the beach, our campus, and the park to film a short video embodying Kappa and our strong sisterhood. It turned out to be a hit on our campus and with other chapters from other campuses as well.

After a nice, long break of heading to the beach, relaxing, and a lot of studying abroad, Kappa sisters united for a week of practices for upcoming recruitment. Our sisters sang their hearts out and danced their best as we learned songs and polished ourselves so we could be the best Kappas we could be for recruitment. During the week our bonds of sisterhood grew exponentially stronger and our love for Kappa radiated in preparation of finding our newest members. On the weekend of October 3, we spent 3 days socializing and spreading our love and excitement to every potential new member who entered our room. We fell in love with so many girls and worked so hard that this turned out to be one of our most successful recruitments ever, bringing in our biggest New Member class of 53 girls.

The Monday following recruitment, Bid Day, we welcomed all of our bright and spectacular New Members with "Key to Paradise" tank tops and a BBQ fit for beach queens. Our chapter transitioned so quickly to this shocking number of new ladies, and chapter council immediately understood that with a larger chapter, we would all have to grow together, and that is exactly what we did. New Members went to meetings every week to get acquainted with Kappa policies and jumped right into Kappa activities with our first sisterhood of the 2014-2015 school year. Our VPS planned a morning yoga session in a peaceful park for all of our members. It was relaxing and just what everyone needed as a de-stressor. Our New Members were also able to attend our Date Party at a roller skating rink sponsored by the Anaheim Ducks hockey team. Every member received a glitter Kappa snap back and Beyonce themed tank tops, while their dates received a Jay-Z themed crew neck. Everyone was so exited for their new Kappa clothes. Soon after, our New Members received their Big Sisters in such a cute and creative reveal. New Members were given a key to a specific car in the school's parking lot and had to find the right car to which the key belonged. Inside the car trunk, driver seat, or back seat was their Big. The excitement of the whole chapter was present as girls embraced in hugs and even tears of excitement and joy. That same night, New Members were ushered to their New Member sleepover where they bonded over games, learned about our Founders, and laughed over stories.

A couple weeks later, Bigs drove their Littles to our fall social with the men of Sigma Psi Epsilon. Since it was the Halloween season, girls paired up with a Sig-Ep and carved pumpkins. This was one of our most attended and loved socials. As initiation approached, our Marshal hosted Big and Little Night at a local ice skating rink. Bigs and Littles dressed in matching outfits and skated together, fell together, and drew closer as sisters. Our last and most important event of the year was the initiation of our New Members of the Beta Gamma class. It was a beautiful ceremony welcoming our deserving members into Kappa Kappa Gamma. They discovered the true meaning of all our beliefs and values and finally understood what makes Kappa so strong. It was the perfect way to end such a successful year for Epsilon Pi Chapter.

One of the biggest changes to our campus occurred just this Fall quarter. In the past year, recruitment has grown as more and more girls become interested in sorority life at UCR. One of the biggest changes to our chapter was the welcoming of the biggest new member class we have ever welcomed. Our chapter almost doubled, but our chapter handled the change smoothly without a falter.

Also due to the immense interest in panhellenic, the whole panhellenic community got together to listen to presentations from three possible new sororities hoping to colonize on the UCR campus. In the end, our chapter was more than happy to hear about a new sorority expanding our panhellenic community. Epsilon Pi Chapter is so strong in our bonds of sisterhood that we are more than willing to help the new chapter get accommodated to UCR.

Chapter meetings are held in various on campus lecture halls and classrooms. This makes it easier for members to go to meeting since most new members live on campus and other members live near by. Our chapter does not have a house and has not had a house in the past. We have a storage unit near campus where we keep and organize our supplies. For living situations, some girls live on campus, but most members rent houses where some members live together and sometimes end up living with other panhellenic women. Our living situations are perfect for building sisterhood and provide various places for members to hangout, study, and host various gatherings.

This past year, Epsilon Pi has had many defining moments that continue to shape each of our member’s college experiences. After coming back from a very well deserved winter break surrounded by family and sisters, we began a new quarter in January and quickly put our heads back in to the game, starting with elections. As always, our sisters made excellent decisions when selecting our new Chapter Council that consist of strong, efficient, Kappa leaders.

Shortly after, our Event Chair planned our first social of the quarter at a nearby community park with one of the IFC fraternities on campus. Our members and the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta decked out in white apparel in preparation for a fun night filled with glow in the dark paint and athletic activities. We separated into teams and Kappas proudly showed off their flag football skills, all while glowing in the dark.

Towards the end of the month Beta Gamma, our newest pledge class, attended a retreat. This retreat took place at our newly remodeled recreation center on campus. There was a rock climbing wall and a ropes course. They participated in activities that all revolved around teamwork and some critical thinking. During one of the activities, sisters had to figure out a way to get a rope to the other side without moving by working together. They were also blindfolded and were instructed to give clues to one another in order to find certain objects. They participated in multiple obstacle courses and activities that strengthened the Beta Gamma pledge class. Overall, Beta Gamma had the opportunity to bond with their pledge class sisters and learn how to help each other out by using teamwork. This was an excellent way to prove that any challenge can be overcome with sisters by our sides.

There was no better way to begin the month of February than by having our annual scholarship dinner. Our Vice President of Academic Excellence worked very hard in order to recognize and honor our smart, studious sisters and give them the credit they deserve. We all met at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown Riverside in our sharpest key attire. We were excited and anxious to eat delicious Italian food and hear all about our sister’s amazing accomplishments. Some of the awards included most study hours, highest GPA, most improved GPA, and many more. This was a proud night for many, as well as an encouraging one for other girls who decided they want to work even harder than usual and strive to be the best Kappas they can be. This night was filled with positive and uplifting words that reminded and encouraged all Kappas to make academics a priority.

A few weeks later, it was time for our Semi-Formal. Our spectacular Semi was located in Redlands, at the Fox Event Center. We got ready in our best cocktail dresses and every Kappa looked extraordinary. As we arrived, the words “Kappa Kappa Gamma” beautifully lit up on the outside billboard of the venue. We ate a delicious dinner of various foods and danced the night away on a beautifully set dance floor that was beneath sparkly chandeliers. If sisters weren’t dancing, many of them were also taking a galore of pictures to capture all of the fun and lavish moments. A professional photographer was also available at our photo booth, which was set up using a bohemian backdrop that was of course, dark and light blue. This magical and fun night with our sisters and dates couldn’t have been better.

Reading Is Key, our winter philanthropy, quickly approached after. Our theme this year was a circus theme. All of our sisters received a red shirt with an owl in the middle portrayed as a ringmaster and circus animals surrounding it. We decorated Madison Elementary’s cafeteria accordingly with circus posters, popcorn machines, and face painting. Sisters enjoyed painting everyone’s face whether it was a simple design, or creative circus animals. The book we chose to read was Clifford Goes to the Circus, and each kid received one of their very own to take home. This was very exciting for them since most of these kids are from under privileged households and the books we give them are usually the first books they own. We also donated many books to their library in hopes of exposing them to learn about how important and fun reading can be. This philanthropic event was also extra special because our leadership consultant from the previous year joined to help and support us. Our day was filled with reading, crafting, and delicious snacks, and Kappa’s had such a fun time interacting with these wonderful kids.

To end the month, we had a very eventful sisterhood. Kappas loaded their cars with tents, blankets, jackets and firewood, and were off to camp overnight at Lake Perris. We began by forming groups to build the tents. Building them was no easy task, and just when we thought it couldn’t get any harder, rain started to pour on us. We laughed off our struggles, and tried to finish up quickly. Although the rain was on and off throughout the night, Kappas always know how to have a good time, and our camping experience was nothing but fun and adventure. We walked to the beautiful lake that was surrounded by mountains, ate pizza, sat by the campfire, and ate an abundant amount of smores. Connecting with nature with our sisters by our side was truly a memorable day, and Kappa camping was a success despite some obstacles.

Our Spring Quarter began by participating in the fraternity Delta Tau Delta’s annual philanthropic pageant, which raises money for The City of Hope through donations and fundraisers. Each sorority on campus was to choose one participant to represent their chapter and compete in the event. Our chapter couldn’t think of a more perfect candidate other than our sister Krystal Neag. A few of the many fundraisers Krystal put together were Kappa Kappucino, where sisters helped sell baked goods on campus, Kappa Karaoke, where tickets were sold to sing one’s heart out, and a fundraiser at Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, where people were able to satisfy their sweet tooth. Our sisters had such a fun time supporting her and watching all of her outstanding performances, including a dance that was based on different decades. Krystal won Highest Fundraiser, and raised one-third of the total of the money, which was very impressive.

During the month of April we also held our joint philanthropic event, Words With Friends, with the ladies of Pi Beta Phi. Both of our philanthropies revolve around literacy, so this competitive event is focused on spelling and reading. We had representatives from each sorority and fraternity competing in speed-reads and spelling bees while their organizations cheered them on from the stands. For this event, admission was bringing in a new book that we could donate or a fee of $5. In the end, we raised over $1,250 and five hundred books. We donated the books we received and part of the proceeds to Madison Elementary and the rest of the proceeds to RIF.

The month of May was full of many events and festivities, starting with Parents Day. Sisters and parents gathered at the Indian Hills Golf Club to proudly demonstrate what our organization is all about. We ate a delicious brunch together, sang to them, and had tables displaying our history, crafts, and awards. It was a great time, and every parent fell even more in love with Kappa Kappa Gamma. To deal with the hot Riverside weather, our sisters collaborated with the brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi a couple weeks later and had a fun day at the park with water balloons and ice cream. Water splashing on us and the cold taste of ice cream in our mouths was a perfect way to combat the heat.

Our last, and a top favorite, philanthropy of the 2015-year was Day in the Life. We bring sixth graders from Madison Elementary to UCR to visit, take a tour, have lunch, and play fun activities with us all in the hopes of inspiring these students to go to college and strive for a higher education. Sisters are divided into different touring groups in order to get to know the kids personally and be able to be more hands on and interactive. We teach them spirit chants and walk around the busy hallways of campus so they can experience for themselves what its like to be a college student. This philanthropy is so rewarding because every student anticipates going to college, UCR in specific, at the end of the day. They also fall in love with our amazing organization and want to be future Kappas, even the boys.

Before heading into summer, we had one last sisterhood at the drive-in. Sisters dressed up in their best 50’s themed clothes while watching movies in their cars and eating yummy snacks. The group of girls with the best outfits received a gift certificate to make a sweatshirt with our letters imprinted, which was a big plus. After anxiously waiting for our Formal throughout the year, Kappas got dolled up and boarded buses to the Reef Restaurant in Long Beach to have a spectacular night with their dates. The venue was right on the bay, which was perfect for capturing memorable pictures. We ate a delicious gourmet meal, and danced the night away in front of the gorgeous waterfront view. During the celebrations, seniors were recognized, given crowns, and watched a video slide show of pictures that brought back many memories and even happy tears to many eyes.

One of our last events before summer vacation was an event UCR holds every year, Pillars Week. Pillars week is a whole week dedicated to different traits necessary for a successful organization. All greek organizations were placed in teams that competed in competitions focused on a different trait each day starting with leadership, friendship, service, and scholarship. This whole week is dedicated to uniting the community of greeks at our school. With Epilson Pi Chapter being so dedicated to these traits and greek unity, we worked hard and won awards including Chapter of the Year, Highest GPA, and Best Collaborative Program. Everyone was so Kappa proud and this was an excellent way to end the school year.

Although it was summer for some, Kappas were still working hard on campus partaking in every freshman orientation in order to get incoming freshmen and transfer students excited for college and hopefully interested in becoming a Kappa. Epsilon Pi Chapter hosted a table where we answered questions about our organizations, sorority life, UCR and college in general. During the summer, we also reunited to film our recruitment video. Some of the places we went to included the beach, an amusement park, and one of our sister's beautiful home. Our amazing video embodied Kappa and our strong sisterhood very accurately.

Although our fun-filled, adventurous summer was coming to an end, Kappa’s were excited to go back to school for recruitment. On the weekend of October 2nd, our chapter was able to socialize with girls and make them fall in love with everything that we do. We showed them the meaning of Kappa, our values, and our philanthropy that we hold so dear to us. Our dedication and hard work paid off and we received an amazing new pledge class of well-rounded and kindhearted girls. The Monday following recruitment, Bid Day, we welcomed all of our bright and spectacular new members with baseball themed apparel, and had hot dogs and burgers for dinner. It was definitely one of the best ball games for our Kappa sisters. After a week of clues, room decorating, and anxiousness, we ended October with our Big Little Reveal. Littles unwrapped their Bigs and embraced in hugs and even tears of excitement and joy. That same night, new members were ushered to their new member sleep over where they bonded over games, learned about our founders, and laughed over stories.

The start of November consisted of asking dates to our Kappa Date Party. We received matching carnival crewnecks, and headed to Scandia Amusement Park. We spent the night playing mini-golf, riding rollercoasters, driving bumper cars, and eating delicious fair food. Quickly after, initiation week approached. Our Marshal hosted a Big and Little night at a local ice-skating rink. Bigs and Littles dressed in matching outfits and skated together, fell together, and drew closer as big and little. Our last and most important event of the year was the initiation of our new members of the Beta Delta class. It was a beautiful ceremony welcoming our deserving members into Kappa Kappa Gamma. They discovered the true meaning of all our beliefs and values and finally understood what makes Kappa so strong. It was the perfect way to end such a successful year for Epsilon Pi Chapter.

One of our most recent changes on campus is the addition of a new sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. This was very exciting for Epsilon Pi, and an excellent opportunity to help colonize and make new friends. There are now seven panhellenic sororities at UCR, and there has been an overall increase in interest in the Greek community. With so many more girls interested in the recruiting process, each year our chapter seems to grow immensely with a great amount of new members. Our chapter has handled the increase well, and has accommodated accordingly. We are always happy and ecstatic to welcome new chapters, and new girls.

Chapter Philanthropy: What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? The organization Epsilon Pi traditionally raises money for is Madison Elementary, our adopted underprivileged elementary school in our area. We put three events for them throughout the year, Reading is Key, Words With Friends, and A Day in the Life.

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support? We chose to support this organization because our chapter enjoys working hands on with the children in our area, and we know our service and donations are impacting them directly. We prefer actual interaction, rather than simply handing a check. It is very rewarding to see how our philanthropy affects these children for the better.

Over the past year, the members of Epsilon Pi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma have created many amazing memories that have enriched their college experience. Our chapter started the year off strong by holding elections in January after our lovely winter break which was quite a bit longer this year then in years past. As usual our sisters chose extraordinary women to help lead the chapter as Chapter Council. Shortly after, our education chair held the first education program of the year. The education program was all about proper etiquette, as a chapter we all ate California Pizza Kitchen and watched the presentation that our education chairman gave on good vs poor etiquette.

On February 25th our chapter got together to do what we do best, eat. We had an amazing sister hood that was at the Kickn Crab, we all bonded over a very messy meal and made lasting memories with our sisters. A few days after our sister hood our chapter got together yet again for our Semi-Formal. Our spectacular semi formal was located at a beautiful club in Long Beach. We all got dressed up in our best cocktail attire and every Kappa and their dates looked fantastic. Kappa’s all danced the night away and took many lavish photos. At the venue itself there was a professional photographer who helped to capture every moment of the stupendous night. This extraordinary night with sisters and their dates couldn’t have gone better.

Reading Is Key, our winter philanthropy, quickly approached after. Our theme this year was a day at the zoo. We decorated Madison Elementary’s cafeteria accordingly with zebra and cheetah print decorations, face painting station, and a reading station. Sisters enjoyed painting the children’s face whether it was a simple design, or creative zoo animals. The book we chose to read was Animal Strike at the Zoo, and each kid received one of their very own to take home. This was very exciting for them since most of these kids are from under privileged households and the books we give them are usually the first books they own. We also donated many books to their library in hopes of exposing them to learn about how important and fun reading can be. Our day was filled with reading, crafting, and delicious snacks, and Kappa’s had such a fun time interacting with these wonderful kids.

At the beginning of the month of March our philanthropy chair planned an amazing event with Madison Square elementary school in honor of Dr. Seuss day. All of our sisters went to the school dressed in their best Dr. Seuss attire, and read to the children. This was such an amazing experience for us to see the joy on the children’s faces as we read the silliest of Dr. Seuss books to them. Later on in the month of March the newest member class Beta Delta got together for a new member retreat. The retreat was held on our campus at the student recreational centers excursion course. The new members all had a wonderful experience as they tried to climb up rock walls, ropes and ladders. The new member retreat was such a great bonding experience for Beta Delta.

To start off the month of April we welcomed all of our lovely parents to our Annual Parents Day at Indian Hills Country Club. This was a fantastic day that allowed us to share why Kappa Kappa Gamma means so much to each of us with the parents . Awards were given out to Kappa’s for their academic excellence and for their spirit and dedication to the Epsilon Pi Chapter. Parents and Kappa’s all sat and ate a wonderful brunch and learned all about the amazing things that we have accomplished throughout the year. Later into the month of April our philanthropy chair organized one of our three main philanthropic events Words With Friends. It was a night to remember as we watched many of the students form the Greek community participate in our speed read and games. The entry fee to the event was a children’s books and all of the books raised where donated to the children of Madison elementary school.

Also in the month of April Epsilon Pi participated in the fraternity, Delta Tau Delta’s annual philanthropic pageant, which raises money for The City of Hope through donations and fundraisers. Each sorority on campus was to choose one participant to represent their chapter and compete in the event. Our chapter couldn’t think of a more perfect candidate other than our sister Sarah Lopinski. Sarah put together many fundraisers for the event including Kappa Kappucino, where sisters helped sell baked goods on campus, and Kappa Karaoke, where sisters and friends got together and sang their hearts out. Our sisters had such a fun time supporting her and watching all of her outstanding performances.

To start off the month of May we had our annual philanthropy Day in the Life, where we bus over 6th graders from Madison Elementary to UCR. We get the opportunity to show these young children what its like to not only be a college student but what its like to be a Kappa. We give all the students a tour of our beautiful campus and teach them different UCR cheers. After the tours are over, we all eat lunch together on the grass by our famous bell tower and play fun games with the children. By the end of the day all the children are telling us how they are so excited to go to college, this is such an amazing feeling knowing that you have done a part in getting one more child excited to shoot for a higher education.

After patiently waiting all year for one of Epsilon Pi's favorite events the time had finally come for our annual Formal. This years formal was held at a beautiful country club located in Costa Mesa. This night was one to remember with lots of beautiful pictures, and delicious food Before heading into summer we had one last sisterhood in which we spent the night in a mansion in Corona. We all began by taking cute photos with the many kappa props that we had brought on the outside of the mansion by the beautiful pool. Later on that night we got together and watched a scary movie in the home theatre that the house had. We all snuggled up in beds together hoping that we could sleep after watching such a scary movie. This sisterhood was such a great experience since Epsilon Pi does not have a sorority house we all got to experience for once what it would be like to be living together.

One of our last events before summer vacation was an event UCR holds every year, Pillars Week. Pillars week is a whole week dedicated to different traits necessary for a successful organization. All greek organizations were placed in teams that competed in competitions focused on a different trait each day starting with leadership, friendship, service, and scholarship. This whole week is dedicated to uniting the community of greeks at our school.

During the months of summer some of the us got together to film for our recruitment video. We filmed in multiple locations in riverside including one of our sisters beautiful homes. After a fun filled exciting summer all of our sister where excited to be reunited once again for recruitment. On the first weekend of October 2,, our chapter was able to socialize with girls and make them fall in love with everything that we as Kappa’s do. We showed them the meaning of Kappa, our values, and our philanthropy that we hold so dear to us. Our dedication and hard work paid off and we received an amazing new pledge class of well-rounded and kindhearted girls. Sunday night we held our Bid Day, we welcomed all of our new members with life guard themed apparel, and had an assortment of Mexican food for dinner. After a fun week of room decorating, clues, and anxiousness, we ended October with our Big Little Reveal. Little’s found the matching pair of sock behind a sheet and when the sheet dropped their Big’s were revealed. Big’s and little’s embraced in hugs and even tears of excitement and joy. That same night, new members were ushered to their new member sleep over where they bonded over games, learned about our founders, and laughed over stories.

The start of November consisted of the event our wonderful Marshal hosted, a sisterhood night were we all skated around the roller rink together in our matching inspo week shirts. The most important event of the year was the initiation of our new members of the Beta Epsilon class. It was a beautiful ceremony welcoming our deserving members into Kappa Kappa Gamma. They discovered the true meaning of all our beliefs and values and finally understood what makes Kappa so strong. To finish of the year we had on of our most fun events Kappa Date Party. We received matching shirts that were designed by one of our own sisters and headed to Boomers Amusement Park in Irvine. We spent the night riding bumper cars, go karts, climbing rock walls, playing laser tag, and miniature golf. Overall it has been a successful year for the Epsilon Pi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The most recent change on campus this year is most definitely the amount of students that now attend the University of California Riverside. For the first time in history Riverside received more than 50,000 student applications for admission. With that many more incoming students of course there where quite a few more women who signed up for recruitment this year as well. With so many more women interested in the recruitment process, each year our chapter seems to grow immensely with a many more new members. We are always ecstatic to welcome new members into our chapter and we have been handling the size increase quit well.

Epsilon Pi traditionally raises money for our adopted local underprivileged elementary school, Madison Elementary. Throughout the year we hold three philanthropic events for them, Reading is Key, Words With Friends, and A Day in the Life.

Epsilon Pi choses to support this organization because it gives us the opportunity to work hands on with the youth in our area. It is amazing to see our service and donations impact the the lives of the future of our community. Epsilon Pi prefers the face to face interaction that we get from our events such as Day in The Life and Reading is Key, rather then simply just raising money and handing in a check. It is so rewarding to see how our philanthropy affects these young students for the better.

Epsilon Pi typically meets once a week for chapter meeting in a larger classroom or lecture hall on campus.

In 2017 Epsilon Pi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma achieved many things and participated in many philanthropic and social events within our greek community and the real community surrounding Riverside. At our Pillars Award ceremony, hosted by Panhellenic, we were rewarded with the award of Best Chapter Management honoring our Chapter Councils hard work in managing our chapters affairs. Starting slow in January with fewer events following our winter break, we kicked the year off with the Scholarship Dinner which was held on January 26th. Our Scholarship Dinner was put on by our Vice President of Academic Excellence with the help of her committee. It was held at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown Riverside. Every girl was provided with dinner along with our advisors and various alumnae who attended. Throughout the night the Vice President of Academic Excellence gave out awards based on members' various academic achievements the previous year. This event celebrated members who may have had great academic improvements ad promoted the importance of academic achievement in our chapter.

In the following month Epsilon Pi was a bit more busy. The first event in February was a sisterhood event which was put on by our Vice President Standards. This sisterhood was held at Build-a-Bear where members each made two bears. One for the member to take home and one to donate to Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. This sisterhood was a good way for members to get together and bond as well as do something good for the community. The following weekend on February a team of Kappa sisters participated in Gamma Phi Beta’s annual Moonball which is a volleyball tournament that helps raise money for Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropy. Not only did members play in the tournament, they also came out to support and cheer on their sisters who played in the tournament. February 10th is when Epsilon Pi held their annual winter philanthropic event, Reading is Key. During this event the chapter went to a local elementary school, Madison Elementary, and decorated their multipurpose room up to the theme which was carnival. First grade classes got to come to the MPR throughout the day and the chapter facilitated many activities for the kids to do. These activities were things such as face painting, coloring, and the final station being chapter members reading a book to the children. At the end of the day each child got to go home with a book of their own. Also, the chapter donated books to the school as well. The final event Epsilon Pi held in the month of February was a sisterhood with Gamma Phi Beta. The chapters came together and decorated cookies for Valentines Day. The chapters also did Ice Breaker games and just bonded. Lastly, in the month of February chapter elections were held. The new chapter council was elected and joint Chapter Council Meeting was held the last week of February.

March of 2017 kicked off strong with a sisterhood held with the girls of Delta Gamma. Our chapters got together and tie dyed shirts together and hung out at a local park. This sisterhood allowed our chapter to bond with a Panhellenic sister which we don’t often get to do much with strengthening our Panhellenic bonds. On March 3rd a group of Epsilon Pi members volunteered for Read Across America at a local elementary school. They got to spend the day reading and promoting literacy to the children in our surrounding community. Later that evening on March 3rd, we held our Semi Formal put on by our Event Chairman along with the help of her committee. It was held at a local country club and many Alumni joined and it was a successful event barring a few mishaps along the way. Following Semi Formal Leadership day was held for the new and old Chapter Council members on March 5th. Leadership day was planned by our Vice President of Organization in order to allow the time for old Chapter Council members to teach new Chapter Council members what their new job entailed and all the responsibilities their new job required. At the event all the advisors for the various Chapter Council positions were there and also met with their new officer. Also the new Chapter Council got to discuss goals that they wanted to achieve in their time in office and all the things they wanted to improve within the chapter. Many things were discussed that day and the new Chapter Council got a great start and great motivation from each other and the advisors to start their position strong and make some good changes within the chapter. The following meeting the new Chapter Council members were installed into their positions.

Throughout the next couple of weeks Epsilon Pi was involved in a philanthropy called Miss Minerva held by a fraternity on our campus, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. This was a pageant type fundraiser that helped raise thousands of dollars for their philanthropy with the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Kappa helped in this by having one girl volunteer to represent our chapter and do various fundraisers throughout the weeks leading up to the competition. Epsilon Pi also participated in a similar philanthropy held by another fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, titled Delta Queen this philanthropy helped raise money for the City of Hope Cancer Research Foundation. Both the representatives for both events held many small events to raise money for each chapter’s philanthropies. These events varied from holding fundraises at local restaurants to coming up with small clever fundraisers to do on campus at letters. One example of a small fundraiser held by our Delta Queen was titled Kolor a Kappa where people paid money to throw paint at members of our chapter. Although it doesn’t sound very eventful it was a vey successful event help on our campus. Epsilon Pi itself helped raise a large amount of money that we donated to each chapter’s philanthropies. These events also strengthened our ties within our Panhellenic community because every chapter had a representative and all the chapters competed against each other hopes to win the pageant.

April was a rather slow month compared to March aside from the various activities going on with both Miss Minerva and Delta Queen. April 22nd Epsilon Pi held a social event with fellow Fraternity on campus, Delta Chi. Members of both organizations got together on Earth day and volunteered at our campus garden the R’garden. Members planted plants and tended to the garden at our school. The following week Epsilon Pi had a visit from a Leadership Consultant. She stayed with our Vice President of Organization. While she was here she attended our chapter council meeting and visited with each member of Chapter Council to see how they were adapting to their new position. The Leadership Consultant was very helpful to our chapter giving the Chapter Council guidance onto how to deal with the problems in our chapter. On April 25th Epsilon Pi held another sisterhood event which was a kickboxing class held at the local UFC gym. The members of Epsilon Pi all joined together sweated and laughed while working out all together. On April 29th Epsilon Pi was involved in Alpha Chi Omega's annual philanthropy the Carnation Carnival. Epsilon Pi held a both making Kappachinos and a both doing a coin toss at the event. Sisters volunteered to work both booths throughout the day. The following day Epsilon Pi participated in Delta Gamma’s annual philanthropy titled Anchor Splash. A group of girls got together to compete in various competitions throughout the day. Epsilon Pi winning one of the events which was synchronized swimming. All in all the busy weekend was a success for Epsilon Pi.

May 2017 was a very busy month for Epsilon Pi starting off with Salads with Seniors an event for the seniors and alumnae to get together and to have a lunch starting the seniors' transition from active member to an alumnae. On May 5th Epsilon Pi participated in a powderpuff football tournament held by Fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. A group of sisters got together and formed a team competing against other chapters in a football tournament. On May 11th Epsilon Pi’s annual Sapphire Ball was held at a local venue in Downtown Riverside. This event was thrown by our Event Chairman throughout the night seniors got recognized and celebrated as this is their last formal Kappa event of college. On May 17th Epsilon Pi held another philanthropic event called Day in the Life. At this event Epsilon Pi bused over 6th grade students from Madison Elementary, the same elementary school that was collaborated with for Reading is Key, and did many activities with them. The 6th graders were given a tour of our campus and done various smaller activities with. This philanthropy is very near and dear to our hearts because it allows us to promote higher education to kids who may have no knowledge of what college is like or why it is important.

Parents' Day was held on May 21st at Indian Hills Golf Club. Thrown by the Public Relation Chairman, Parents' Day was a brunch for both members of Epsilon Pi and their parents. During the brunch, awards were given out to outstanding members of our chapter. Also, during the brunch presentations were given to the parents from various Chapter Council members, such as registrar and education chairman, about the history of Kappa Kappa Gamma as a whole and Epsilon Pi Chapter itself. Overall Parents Day was successful in showing the parents why Kappa Kappa Gamma is such an important organization and what it does for their daughters. The week of May 22nd was Pillars week where our whole Greek community comes together to do various activities throughout the wee, some competitive activities and others to raise money. At the end of this week a banquet is held to give out awards to chapters for various achievements throughout the year. Epsilon Pi was awarded with Best Chapter Management celebrating our Chapter Council's recent achievements. On May 24th the Education Chairmen held a final sisterhood for the seniors. This sisterhood was held at a local trampoline park, Skyline, where the seniors were allowed to jump and hang out with each other one last time all together. The sisterhood retreat was held on May 27th and 28th at a house in Corona. Sisters got together and had a giant sleepover at a house. During this sleepover sisters bonded doing various ice breaker activities and watching movies and such. It was very successful in the bonding of our chapter.

The next week starting May 30th through to the beginning of June was sports week for our Greek community. Epsilon Pi participated in many of the sports such as football, soccer, and volleyball it was very successful having teams in every event throughout the week. June 3rd was another philanthropy that Epsilon Pi held in order to raise money to donate to Reading is Fundamental. This philanthropy was a Kappa Karwash. Sisters got together at a local burger joint and washed cars in order to raise money for Kappa’s national philanthropy. The next few weeks of June events died down because it was the end of the quarter and finals were nearing but our Vice President of Academic Excellence did hold a Kappa Study Party on June 11th for all our members. She rented out a study room at one of our campus libraries and held a study party for all our members. At the study party she provided many things for our sisters such as scantrons, blue books, and pencils sisters might need for their finals.

During the moths of July and August sisters were home for the summer, yet the recruitment chair along with the help of her committee started to prepare for recruitment. In September the week before school started recruitment workshops were held September 21st through the 26th. At these workshops sisters learned songs and practiced all the things that needed to be perfected before formal recruitment. Formal recruitment was held October 5th through the 8th. Bid day was then held on October 8th at a fellow sister's house welcoming home our new pledge class Beta Zeta. That following Monday, October 9th, the new pledge class was formally pinned and their new member education began. October 14th our Founders Day brunch was held at Canyon Crest Country Club. It was a brunch held by our Education Chairman in which celebrated our Founders Day. It was a very successful first event with our new pledge class setting the tone for them for the rest of the year. In the following weeks new members got to meet with the sapphires weekly leading up to big and little week which occurred the week of October 23rd. That Friday, October 27th, big and little reveal was facilitated by our New Member Chairman on campus.

Following reveal the new members were driven to an active's house where they had their first sleepover as a pledge class. They bonded with the New Member Chairman and with each other throughout the night. Sunday October 29th was Epsilon Pi’s October Sisterhood which was held at The Pumpkin Factory, a local pumpkin patch. Sisters got to bond with their new littles and with the new pledge class. The Week of October 29th through November 3rd Epsilon Pi was visited by another Leadership Consultant who checked up with Chapter Council’s progress that they have made this year. The Leadership Consultant also was able to come to chapter meeting to meet with new members and give a presentation to the whole chapter on the importance of attendance. The Leadership Consultant visit was successful in that she was able to help out chapter council with any guidance they needed leading their way into initiated the new pledge class.

On November 4th Epsilon Pi participated in a philanthropy held by fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. This philanthropy was a soccer tournament for the various sororities to compete against each other and raise money Epsilon Pi had two teams competing in the event and took both second and first place in the tournament. On November 10th Epsilon Pi competed in another sports related philanthropic event held by Phi Kappa Sigma. This event was titled The Phi Kap Olympics in which teams competed in various activities and games. Epsilon Pi also took first in this philanthropic event as well. Inspiration Week started on November 13th, this being the period before initiation where girls sit back and think about Kappa and the true meaning and values that Kappa instills in each of its members. Throughout that week our Philanthropy chair held Epsilon Pi’s first philanthropy event for the school year being a Kappa Canned food drive. Epsilon Pi collected cans and donations from various greek organizations on our campus with an incentive that the organization that donates the most cans will get a $100 check written out to their philanthropy. This however was a bigger success than our philanthropy chair had expected with around two thousand of cans donated and around $350 raised. On Thursday November 16th Epsilon Pi held their Big and Little Night put on by our Marshall. Big and Little Night was held at a local ice rink, IceTown, where sisters skated and bonded with their family lines. November 17th Fireside was held for the new members followed by initiation the next morning. On November 27th chapter elections will be held for the new Chapter Council. On November 30th Epsilon Pi held their Date Party at a minor league basketball game. On December 3rd Epsilon Pi’s Vice President of Academic Excellence planned a Kappa Study Party so sisters can get together and study before finals in our on campus library. On December 6th the Education Chairman held a senior sisterhood where the seniors meet at a sisters house and decorated ornaments and cookies to celebrate the holidays. Through all these success for Epsilon Pi Chapter throughout 2017 the chapter’s morale has gained strength. All in all 2017 was a good year for Epsilon Pi.

Over the year, the Epsilon Pi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has participated in many events on the UC Riverside campus, and has been tremendously rewarded for its involvement and service in the community. We started off the year in January when we welcomed and transitioned the new leaders of the chapter during leadership day. This was a special time because the new officers were transitioning into their new positions and learned from the old officers everything their position entails.

In February, the new chapter council was excited to start working on Parent’s Day which is a day where all the girls bring their parents together to show them what Kappa is all about. Our Parent’s Day was February 24, celebrated with brunch and set up by the Public Relations Chairman. Throughout the day, we awarded advisors and members for their dedication to the chapter, and had presentations about our chapter history. There were tables setup that displayed old archives like old composites, and scrapbooks for the parents to see. It was a great time for the members and their families to come together to take pictures, and learn Kappa’s history. We also had our sisterhood in February, where all the girls dressed in cute pajamas and went to the movie theatre where they had a viewing of Pitch Perfect. Many sisters came in matching pajamas, especially bigs and littles. The chapter even had a contest for the cutest pajamas, and the winner got a prize. Our biggest event in February would have to be Reading is Key, our philanthropy that is put together entirely by the Philanthropy Chairman. We went to a local elementary school, where we held many activities such as face painting and crafts for the kids to do. The theme for the day was “Under the Sea”, with many decorations and books set up for the day. The whole chapter came throughout the day and managed the different stations for the children to go through. Our goal was to show the kids how much fun reading and learning can be, so we had many books for them to see and an individual copy for them to take home. The kids were very excited and we even had a few sisters get on stage and do a reading of the books to the children.

In March, we started the month with composites. All the girls met in the Highlander Union Building and got their portraits taken, which was set up by the chapter’s Registrar. We ended the month with our semi-formal, set up by our Event Chair, where the whole chapter comes together for food and music. Our semi-formal was March 3rd in Downtown Riverside, where we celebrated a lovely evening with appetizers, a photobooth, and dancing.

April was a very busy month with many fundraisers and awards. We kicked it off with winning Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash, where the members in the chapters won a dance and swimming competition. Our team came together and held many practices in order to make sure their routine was perfect. Not only did we participate in Anchor Splash, but we also were involved with the blood drive, and held a yogurtland fundraiser for our philanthropy. Mid April, we held our scholarship dinner at Cheesecake Factory where the chapter was awarded with their academic achievements. Throughout the night, there were a lot of awards to give considering the drastic rise in our chapter’s GPA. This was put together by our VP Academic Excellence and there were different awards such as ‘Highest GPA’ or ‘Most Improved GPA’. It was a great way to celebrate the academic achievements of the chapter and recognize all the hard work we put into for school. We ended the successful month off with our participation in Powderpuff which is a greek soccer tournament held by Phi Kappa Psi.

Prior to the Pillar’s Awards, we have Pillar’s week, which is a week of competitions that organizations do on campus as teams. We were the red team, and our panhellenic chair along with our chapter council made sure we participated in all the tasks they gave us. The Chapter Council and the President put in countless hours filling in the forms and requirements for Pillars week. The award accounted for many things such as how involved the chapter is on campus, how much attendance does the chapter have at other organizations and philanthropy, and how well our academics and community service is. All the hard work paid off when our chapter won “Chapter of The Year” and the “Service Award”. It was a very exciting night that made the chapter very proud of its accomplishments.

In May, we got to celebrate our achievements at our Formal, which is a night of celebration for the seniors. The chapter came together for food and dancing all put together by our Event Chair, where we handed out awards to all of the seniors for the end of the school year was approaching fast for them. We also kicked back and had our sisterhood, a kappa luau. Our VP Standards put together the luau where we hung out by the pool, got snacks, had cute hawaiian decorations and took pictures. It was a great way for our sisters to bond under the sun. We ended May with our second biggest philanthropy, A Day in the Life, which is also entirely put together by the philanthropy Chair. We had local middle schoolers come to UC Riverside, where we took the kids on tours, played fun games with them, and answered all their questions about college life. First we welcomed the kids to the campus, and played games with them to get know their names and interests. We then started by taking them on tours, based on their different teams, and ended the day with snacks and refreshments for the kids. The chapter showed them how great school and education can be, and hoped to inspire them to pursue a higher education.

As June started, the school year was coming to an end and many sisters went home for summer vacation. While some sisters were doing internships, or going on cool vacations, the girls that stayed in town started working on recruitment. The membership chairman along with her committee spent many days tabling meeting the new students of UC Riverside, and answering all their questions about our chapter. Before the start of school, the chapter came together for recruitment workshops where we all learned songs and recruitment etiquette. It was five days of practice that really brought the chapter together in time for welcoming the potential new members into recruitment. When school finally started again, it was time for Formal recruitment which was all managed by the Membership Chairman. The chapter was so excited to welcome home the class of Beta Eta at our olympic themed bid day put together by our New Member Chairman. Following Bid Day, the new members got a weekly sapphire that guided them throughout their first few weeks in the chapter. One important event in October was our Founder’s Day, put together by the Education Chairman. On October 10, the chapter came together at the Canyon Crest Country Club, where we celebrate with brunch and presentations of the founding of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We remember the six founders and the symbols that make Kappa so special to all of us.

The new members finally got to find out who their bigs were during big and little reveal. During that week, bigs decorated their little’s rooms and gave them secret hints as to who they were. The bigs decorated cute boxes and popped out of them to surprise their littles, and the boxes had cute themes to them. In the month of November, the chapter had big and little night, which was put together by the Marshall and was held at a roller skating rink. Bigs and littles spent the night roller skating around and taking cute pictures in their matching outfits. We ended the month off with our participation in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s soccer tournament to raise awareness for cancer. We had our strongest soccer players compete against other sororities and we were able to win first place. It was a great way for the chapter to come together, and for the Greek community as well to raise awareness for the cause. In the last meeting, November 26, elections were held for the new chapter council, and the chapter spends one last meeting together before the year ends.

Ultimately, it has been a very successful year for Epsilon Pi. Not only did we win many awards, but we were very involved with other philanthropies and fundraisers. Our philanthropies main goal is to encourage kids to learn, read, and pursue a higher education. We do that by emphasizing the importance of reading and going to college, for these kids to understand that education is very important.

We initiated our class Beta Mu in January. We had an amazing semi during Winter quarter planned by our event chair Jane. Our team won the soccer portion during greek games in the Spring. Our sister Bernadette won new member of the year at our FSIC Pillar awards in May. We closed out the school year and danced the night away at Formal during Spring quarter. After Summer we spent the week together preparing for out first in person recruitment since our senior class joined in 2019. Recruitment was led by our amazing Membership chair Bernadette. Now we are lucky to welcome our new class Beta Nu. Our New member chair Elena planned a beautiful Camp Kappa Bid day. We ate tacos and snow cones and popcorn til we were stuffed. We were able to have a beautiful pinning ceremony the next day to truly welcome in our new members. Our education chair, Mimi, brought us all together with a beautiful ceremony for founders day.

We selected Active Minds and held a flag football tournament called Kappa Kickoff. We had an amazing turn out of fraternities, sororities and clubs on campus. We were able to raise almost $4,000 that we donated back to Active Minds and Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. What kind of service activities did you do for any local organizations? This year we teamed up with Be the Match to help a sister in need. We worked with Madison elementary to gift them mental health care packages. They are a local elementary school that we used to work with for Reading is Key, we wanted to keep the relationship with them through the new philanthropy change. Gifting the packages allowed us to bring some awareness to mental health at a young age for these kids.

We celebrated Founders day on October 16th at a local country club. We read the Founders day message for the whole chapter as well as a few alum and advisors. We also did the founders day ceremony where we had 6 seniors read as our six founders of Kappa Kappa Gamma. It was a very lovely day to enjoy brunch and be surrounded by sisters. 

We have implemented Kappa Culture into our meetings where girls are given the opportunity to present on their culture to educate other chapter members as well as be seen for their own culture. They are invited to bring clothing, food, or share pictures and memories with the chapter. Our PR chair has a spreadsheet to keep track of who is posted on our instagram to ensure equity. She also does a great job of posting for different national days such as indigenous peoples day.

I asked a few sisters for their specific experiences at different events this year! Anjali was lucky enough to attend Convention in Palm Springs. She said “it was such an enlightening experience that allowed me to see just how impactful Kappa can be for women through their lifetime. It strengthened my connection to Kappa and helped me realize just how significant this organization is in my life.