Kappa Phi Gamma

Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc.
ΚΦΓ
Founded University of Texas at Austin, (Austin, Texas)
Type Social and Service Sorority
Scope National
Motto "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." By Pamela Vaull Starr
Colors  Green   Black   White 
Flower Fire and Ice Rose
Jewel Emerald
Mascot Royal Bengal Tiger
Philanthropy Cancer Awareness
Headquarters Austin, Texas, USA
Homepage http://www.kappaphigamma.org/

Kappa Phi Gamma (ΚΦΓ) Sorority, Inc. (also referred to as KPhiG), is a South Asian interest sorority geared towards women of all descents. It was founded on November 8, 1998, by a group of 27 women from a variety of different backgrounds at the University of Texas at Austin, in Austin, Texas.

History

On November 8, 1998, 27 women from a myriad of backgrounds came together to form the first South-Asian interest sorority. Although, South-Asian founded, she has expanded the warmth of her Sisterhood to any and all motivated young women, willing to make a difference at her University and community.

The Founders envisioned a sorority built around 8 principles: Character, Leadership, Scholarship, Sisterhood, Service, Womanhood, Culture, and Self. Realizing the quality of The Sisterhood could never be compromised, the founders’ every endeavor thereafter was directed toward fostering these 8 principles and establishing a solid foundation for the future before embarking on plans for expansion.

The Founders


The infant years of The Sisterhood were dedicated to developing lifelong traditions and rituals, service to the community, writing and ratifying the national constitution, and a commitment to excellence.

The Purpose

We, the sisters of Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc., shall create a sisterhood directed towards the advancement of women. Kappa Phi Gamma aims to instill integrity of character and trust as components of personality. The sorority shall encourage the bonding of women in order to strengthen sisterhood. We shall render service to the community and the university, thus supporting the betterment and unification of society. The sisterhood shall develop leadership skills and high academic standards that follow into the professional world. Kappa Phi Gamma shall promote pride of culture, womanhood, and self.

This purpose is achieved through diverse programs in which each Chapter and Colony is engaged at the local and/or national level.

Today

Each chapter and colony is engaged in programs generally selected in accordance with the following areas: professional development, philanthropic aid, Greek solidarity, education, health, the arts, and cultural awareness.

Such involvement includes but is not limited to the following: Leadership retreats, South Asian Student Alliance, Relay for Life, National Conference, NAPA Conference, chapter/colony and regional formals, Be the Change, and Meet the Greeks. The topics of the workshops and forums that have been led by Kappa Phi Gamma include but are not limited to: leadership skills, finance, cultural awareness, rape culture, women's empowerment, business etiquette, GRE/MCAT/OAT/DAT preparation, resume building/interview preparation, risk management, hazing prevention, stress relief, healthy lifestyles, cancer awareness, social media etiquette, crafts, and self cultivation.

Philanthropy

Kappa Phi Gamma Sororities render service to the community and respective campuses. Since her inception in November 1998, the Sisterhood has participated in a variety of service projects. However, the sisterhood has dedicated itself to its national philanthropy, cancer awareness. The founders discovered, that in one way or another, almost all of them had been affected by cancer. They realized that cancer does not discriminate by race, sex, or class; it can affect anyone. For those reasons, the founders chose to devote our philanthropy for cancer awareness.

Every Spring, Kappa Phi Gamma around the nation plans Cancer Awareness: a Real Effort! (C.A.R.E.) Week. C.A.R.E Week is a week long series of events dedicated to raising funds for a cancer organization and to bring awareness to the community about the truths of cancer. To date, Kappa Phi Gamma has raised over $70,000 and has donated their services to over 40 different charities. C.A.R.E. Week has been recognized by the Asian Cup Award for being the only organization of its kind to commit a week of events towards cancer awareness, while incorporating educational and entertaining activities in order to educate the public about early detection and prevention of cancer.

Events held during C.A.R.E. Week include, but are not limited to: Kick-Off Rally, Candlelight Vigil, cancer workshops/forums, Mr. C.A.R.E. Week Pageant, sports tournaments, bake sales, and movie viewings.

All proceeds raised during C.A.R.E. Week are donated to an array of organizations that are committed to cancer awareness, including, but not limited to, the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation, Bite Me Cancer, the Scott and White Center for Cancer Prevention and Care-Hope Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Scholarship

Pursuing academic excellence is an integral part of Kappa Phi Gamma. To promote the principle of academic scholarship, Kappa Phi Gamma strives to promote and recognize the academic achievement of South Asian women. The Emerald Endowment is an annual scholarship awarded by the sorority to a female student not associated with the sorority who has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.

List of Chapters and Colonies

Chapters:

Founding Chapter[1] - University of Texas at Austin

Beta Chapter - University of Texas at Dallas

Gamma Chapter - Baylor University

Delta Chapter - University of Houston

Zeta Chapter - University of Maryland at College Park

Theta Chapter - Virginia Commonwealth University

Mu Chapter - University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

Omicron Chapter - Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Colonies:

Epsilon Colony - Boston University

Eta Colony - New York, New York

Iota Colony - Temple University

Lambda Colony - George Mason University

Nu Colony - Drexel University

Pi Colony - New York Institute of Technology-Old Westbury

Rho Colony - Rutgers University-Newark

References

  1. ↑ http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/phigamma/KPG_Home/index01.html

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.