Fal 2014 Newsletter
Kappa Upsilon | The College of New Jersey Fall 2014 Newsletter What’s Inside Ultraviolet Week | Homecoming | National Convention | Founders’ Day
A Note from the VPAR Hello everyone!
Take a Look Into Our Chapter
I hope that this newsletter finds you all doing well! This will be my last newsletter as my term as Vice President of Alumnae Relations draws to a close. I would like to thank all of the collegiate and alumnae sisters who have worked with me in the past year and attended the events that I have planned. It is bittersweet that this year is ending, but I know that Morgan Gibbons, Kappa Upsilon’s VPAR-elect, will do an amazing job with both collegiate and alumnae chapters in the upcoming year! In this newsletter, you’ll find a recap of all of our fun events from this past fall semester, including our Mommy Daughter Day, Homecoming Spirit Week and Founders’ Day — marking the 140th anniversary of Sigma Kappa Sorority. You’ll also be able to read about our chapter’s philanthropic endeavors, including this year’s Ultraviolet Week and our Driving Out Alzheimer’s Car Show! There is also a recap of National Convention 2014, which took place over the summer. LISK, Jessa Gianotti Vice President of Alumnae Relations
2015 Executive Council: President: Emma Brooke Executive Vice President: Taylor Timpson VP of Programming: Emily Brown VP of New Member Education: Dana Dench VP of Membership: Jennifer D’Elia VP of Alumnae Relations: Morgan Gibbons VP of Scholarship: Faith Hrdy VP of Philanthropic Services: Courtney Kalafsky VP of Finance: Angela Kapsaskis VP of Communications: Kendall McCarthy Panhellenic Delegate: Dana Disarno
Ultraviolet Week and Car Show On Monday, September 9th through Friday, September 12th, our sisters hosted and participated in Ultraviolet week. Planned by VPPS Leah Hopkins, with help from her UV Week chair Taylor Timpson, Ultraviolet week was created to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease through various events and activities. The week consisted of tabling in the Student Center to raise awareness and sell items such as sunglasses and ribbons, a speaker from the Alzheimer’s association to educate TCNJ Greek life on the disease, a restaurant fundraiser to raise money for the Sigma Kappa Foundation, and a Memory Game Show. Ultraviolet Week led up to the chapter’s largest philanthropic event of the semester, the third annual Driving Out Alzheimer’s Car Show. Also planned by Leah Hopkins and Taylor Timpson, the Driving out Alzheimer’s Car Show took place on Sunday, September 14th. Leading up to the start of the semester, the sisters of Sigma Kappa visited car shows all over the state of New Jersey and distributed flyers for the event. There were 30 cars at the event that day, along with TCNJ clubs and organizations that contributed to the event by tabling or providing games. Besides enjoying the cars, spectators were able to enjoy a speech from a representative of the Alzheimer’s association, Walt Ludeke, a basket raffle, and food trucks to please their appetites. Students, staff, members from the surrounding communities and owners of the cars could all be seen enjoying the beautiful day. Through both Ultraviolet week and the Driving Out Alzheimer’s Car Show, the Kappa Upsilon chapter was able to donate $3,872 to the Alzheimer’s Association to assist in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
Homecoming 2014 champions
This year, Sigma Kappa paired up with Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Lambda Beta to win TCNJ’s 2014 Homecoming Spirit Week. The week consisted of an overall theme of HBO shows, and in which our team followed the theme from the show The Pacific. Throughout the week there was a variety of events, such as field games and stage tournaments. Our troop of competitors came first in both lip sync and dance, and our Homecoming banner also took first place. On Saturday, October 25th, the day of the Homecoming Football Game, right before the winning team was announced, Sigma Kappa’s president, Courtney McGovern, was crowned Homecoming Queen! To top of the start to an amazing day, Sigma Kappa, AEPi and SLB then rushed the field to hear that our team had won Homecoming Spirit Week for the second year in a row!
National Convention 2014
This past summer, President Courtney McGovern and Executive Vice President Su Fen Lubitz traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to represent Kappa Upsilon at Sigma Kappa’s National Convention. Throughout the convention, Courtney and Su Fen, along with several advisors, attended various workshops concentrated on different subjects such as bystander behavior and the Sigma Kappa image. They attended dinners with keynote speakers such as Miss America herself, Nina Davuluri (Alpha Mu), and Carolyn Caudell Tieger (Epsilon Epsilon). Tieger has challenged Sigma Kappa to raise $500,000 by the 2016 Convention because she will match every penny of it. Tieger kick-started Sigma Kappa’s largest commitment ever to raise $1 million for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Women’s Research Initiative. Courtney and Su Fen enjoyed the opportunity to meet other Sigma Kappas from across the country. They compared their chapters and took notes on any ideas other sisters had to offer to help Kappa Upsilon. They attended formal business meetings where changes in the bylaws were discussed and voted on as well. Convention culminated with the Awards Banquet where the Standards of Excellence results were announced, as well as countless other awards. Kappa Upsilon received Three Stars in Standards of Excellence, which is the highest number a chapter can receive, and we are very excited to announce that our chapter received the Founders’ Award for being the collegiate chapter of the year!
Mommy Daughter Day This year’s Mommy Daughter Day activities included a picnic and apple picking at Terhune Orchards in October. The sisters of Kappa Upsilon and their lovely mothers met at Rosedale Park for some afternoon snacks, including apple cider donuts and cookies, while enjoying the beautiful weather! After, they continued their day by going to pick some yummy apples! Everyone and their mothers had a wonderful time!
Celebrating 140 years of sisterhood On November 8th, the Kappa Upsilon and Zeta Phi chapters came together to celebrate Sigma Kappa’s 140th Founder’s Day with a brunch at The College of New Jersey. Both chapters had the opportunity to present their achievements as Sigma Kappa chapters of New Jersey and mingle with both current members and alumnae from Rutgers University, TCNJ, and members of the Delaware Valley and New York City alumnae chapters. The afternoon also included a lovely, heartfelt ceremony that allowed all of our members to reflect on the struggles faced, as well as the outstanding characteristics of our five founders that contributed to the creation of Sigma Kappa. Every day, but especially on Founders’ Day, we remember what makes our sisterhood so strong and united, and that is something truly special. We are very excited to celebrate many more Founders’ Days to come, as well as our upcoming Kappa Upsilon Colony Day to recognize our chapter’s founding in April.
A Note from the VPAR Hello everyone!
Take a Look Into Our Chapter
I hope that this newsletter finds you all doing well! This will be my last newsletter as my term as Vice President of Alumnae Relations draws to a close. I would like to thank all of the collegiate and alumnae sisters who have worked with me in the past year and attended the events that I have planned. It is bittersweet that this year is ending, but I know that Morgan Gibbons, Kappa Upsilon’s VPAR-elect, will do an amazing job with both collegiate and alumnae chapters in the upcoming year! In this newsletter, you’ll find a recap of all of our fun events from this past fall semester, including our Mommy Daughter Day, Homecoming Spirit Week and Founders’ Day — marking the 140th anniversary of Sigma Kappa Sorority. You’ll also be able to read about our chapter’s philanthropic endeavors, including this year’s Ultraviolet Week and our Driving Out Alzheimer’s Car Show! There is also a recap of National Convention 2014, which took place over the summer. LISK, Jessa Gianotti Vice President of Alumnae Relations
2015 Executive Council: President: Emma Brooke Executive Vice President: Taylor Timpson VP of Programming: Emily Brown VP of New Member Education: Dana Dench VP of Membership: Jennifer D’Elia VP of Alumnae Relations: Morgan Gibbons VP of Scholarship: Faith Hrdy VP of Philanthropic Services: Courtney Kalafsky VP of Finance: Angela Kapsaskis VP of Communications: Kendall McCarthy Panhellenic Delegate: Dana Disarno
Ultraviolet Week and Car Show On Monday, September 9th through Friday, September 12th, our sisters hosted and participated in Ultraviolet week. Planned by VPPS Leah Hopkins, with help from her UV Week chair Taylor Timpson, Ultraviolet week was created to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease through various events and activities. The week consisted of tabling in the Student Center to raise awareness and sell items such as sunglasses and ribbons, a speaker from the Alzheimer’s association to educate TCNJ Greek life on the disease, a restaurant fundraiser to raise money for the Sigma Kappa Foundation, and a Memory Game Show. Ultraviolet Week led up to the chapter’s largest philanthropic event of the semester, the third annual Driving Out Alzheimer’s Car Show. Also planned by Leah Hopkins and Taylor Timpson, the Driving out Alzheimer’s Car Show took place on Sunday, September 14th. Leading up to the start of the semester, the sisters of Sigma Kappa visited car shows all over the state of New Jersey and distributed flyers for the event. There were 30 cars at the event that day, along with TCNJ clubs and organizations that contributed to the event by tabling or providing games. Besides enjoying the cars, spectators were able to enjoy a speech from a representative of the Alzheimer’s association, Walt Ludeke, a basket raffle, and food trucks to please their appetites. Students, staff, members from the surrounding communities and owners of the cars could all be seen enjoying the beautiful day. Through both Ultraviolet week and the Driving Out Alzheimer’s Car Show, the Kappa Upsilon chapter was able to donate $3,872 to the Alzheimer’s Association to assist in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
Homecoming 2014 champions
This year, Sigma Kappa paired up with Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Lambda Beta to win TCNJ’s 2014 Homecoming Spirit Week. The week consisted of an overall theme of HBO shows, and in which our team followed the theme from the show The Pacific. Throughout the week there was a variety of events, such as field games and stage tournaments. Our troop of competitors came first in both lip sync and dance, and our Homecoming banner also took first place. On Saturday, October 25th, the day of the Homecoming Football Game, right before the winning team was announced, Sigma Kappa’s president, Courtney McGovern, was crowned Homecoming Queen! To top of the start to an amazing day, Sigma Kappa, AEPi and SLB then rushed the field to hear that our team had won Homecoming Spirit Week for the second year in a row!
National Convention 2014
This past summer, President Courtney McGovern and Executive Vice President Su Fen Lubitz traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to represent Kappa Upsilon at Sigma Kappa’s National Convention. Throughout the convention, Courtney and Su Fen, along with several advisors, attended various workshops concentrated on different subjects such as bystander behavior and the Sigma Kappa image. They attended dinners with keynote speakers such as Miss America herself, Nina Davuluri (Alpha Mu), and Carolyn Caudell Tieger (Epsilon Epsilon). Tieger has challenged Sigma Kappa to raise $500,000 by the 2016 Convention because she will match every penny of it. Tieger kick-started Sigma Kappa’s largest commitment ever to raise $1 million for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Women’s Research Initiative. Courtney and Su Fen enjoyed the opportunity to meet other Sigma Kappas from across the country. They compared their chapters and took notes on any ideas other sisters had to offer to help Kappa Upsilon. They attended formal business meetings where changes in the bylaws were discussed and voted on as well. Convention culminated with the Awards Banquet where the Standards of Excellence results were announced, as well as countless other awards. Kappa Upsilon received Three Stars in Standards of Excellence, which is the highest number a chapter can receive, and we are very excited to announce that our chapter received the Founders’ Award for being the collegiate chapter of the year!
Mommy Daughter Day This year’s Mommy Daughter Day activities included a picnic and apple picking at Terhune Orchards in October. The sisters of Kappa Upsilon and their lovely mothers met at Rosedale Park for some afternoon snacks, including apple cider donuts and cookies, while enjoying the beautiful weather! After, they continued their day by going to pick some yummy apples! Everyone and their mothers had a wonderful time!
Celebrating 140 years of sisterhood On November 8th, the Kappa Upsilon and Zeta Phi chapters came together to celebrate Sigma Kappa’s 140th Founder’s Day with a brunch at The College of New Jersey. Both chapters had the opportunity to present their achievements as Sigma Kappa chapters of New Jersey and mingle with both current members and alumnae from Rutgers University, TCNJ, and members of the Delaware Valley and New York City alumnae chapters. The afternoon also included a lovely, heartfelt ceremony that allowed all of our members to reflect on the struggles faced, as well as the outstanding characteristics of our five founders that contributed to the creation of Sigma Kappa. Every day, but especially on Founders’ Day, we remember what makes our sisterhood so strong and united, and that is something truly special. We are very excited to celebrate many more Founders’ Days to come, as well as our upcoming Kappa Upsilon Colony Day to recognize our chapter’s founding in April.
