KDS Philanthropy Announcement!

More recent Philanthropy Chairs have noticed that while our sisters are passionate about supporting research for breast cancer, they do not feel strongly about standing behind the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. This foundation has strayed from it's original mission by becoming entangled with political controversy. Also, the general public has voiced concerns in how Susan G. Komen distributes and makes the most of their funds. Because of these concerns, and because the sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma have always valued change and standing up for what they believe in, we have decide to name our main philanthropy the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. 

We know that in the past both sisters, dear friends, and family of the house have been affected by breast cancer. Because of this and the strong commitment to supporting this particular branch of research, we wanted to continue our efforts in supporting breast cancer research. After thorough examination of other organizations that hold breast cancer research to the highest standard, the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer fit all of our criteria as our new philanthropy. The foundation both encompasses the passion and drive to support breast cancer research while also encouraging small organizations, such as ourselves, to make the most out of every event. The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer focuses on the individuals impacted by breast cancer and pays close attention to incorporating everyone's experiences in raising funds and awarness. The foundation encourages each group who fundraises to celebrate their story of why they are donating. We are excited to fundraise for a cause that has always been close to our hearts with a new foundation which simultaneously supports our mission. As an organization based in the values of faith in friendship, concern for human dignity, and respect for the individual; we believe that the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer also encompasses these ideals.

We hope you are as excited as we are to continue our journey of supporting breast cancer research through the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to our current philanthropy chair or president. 

Keckeley Habel, Philanthropy Chair- klhabe13@stlawu.edu

Paige Friedlander, President- pefrie12@stlawu.edu 

in love and friendship,

The sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma 

 

 

A Tribute to the Class of 2015

Congratulations to the Kappa Delta Sigma sisters from the class of 2015!

It's been an amazing, yet nostalgic last week at St. Lawrence University for the seniors of Kappa Delta Sigma - I'm not sure that the reality of graduation day really hit us until we were living it.

Senior week was good to us over here at 53 Park Street, as we galavanted from event to event, painted signs for the Hoot Owl, and spent every waking minute with one another. St. Lawrence sure does know how to send off the graduates with a bang!

We'd like to send out an enormous thank you to our families who have helped shape us into the young women that we are today, but also to St. Lawrence University, who blessed us with bountiful knowledge and friendships. In addition, I'd like to personally express what a pleasure it has been to update our fellow sisters, friends, and families as Public Relations Chair this semester - Liz Miller '18 will be taking on the role!

In love and friendship,

Bailey Phelps '15

House Tours

The sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma excitedly welcomed freshmen and sophomore women to visit us at 53 Park this afternoon! We happily chit-chatted over snacks and teacups, but made sure we had plenty of time for house tours! Were you unable to make it over? Don't worry! Check out our virtual tour:

ilaf

A Favorite Mystery

One of the favorite pastimes of the current sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma is posting up on the porch swing for some fresh air, great conversation, and an amazing view. It was our general assumption that our beloved porch swing was enjoyed even in 1969, but it was brought to our attention that this KDS staple was not always there.

So, here's where you all come in: we are looking for any and all information on the porch swing! 

If anyone has any recollection of when the porch swing was put in, or how it came to be, we would love to hear it! Also, please feel free to share any favorite porch swing memories. 

ilaf

Alumnae Help us Kick It!

Hey everyone!

We had a very eventful and exciting weekend here at 53 Park St! On Friday we welcomed several amazing alumnae back home, and even took advantage of a drag show sponsored by SaGA (Sexuality and Gender Activists)!

Saturday included our biannual tea party, and sisters current and past enjoyed great conversation and exchanging of stories. As usual, things got a little crazy, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Kick for Jadian was this Sunday, and the ladies of Kappa Delta Sigma set up table for face-painting galore! There was a great turnout for the event, and it was so rewarding to see so many smiles!

Overall, it was a very successful weekend - we can't wait to see everyone again! A giant thank you to our awesome Alumnae Chair, Kalin Long, for all of your hard work!

ilaf

"There is a Lifelong Connection For Sure"

It is common for Kappa Delta Sigma alumnae to stay in contact with the current sisters of the house. They'll drop in to share job opportunities, give fundraising assistance, house upkeep, or even just to say hello or check out the place. This week we received a very special surprise from one of our founding sisters, Lynda Croker Moran '69. She shared with us this photo, which we have now combined with their original composite photographs, of a reunion between five of the founding members in November of 2014. The sisters met up in Savannah, Georgia, and in doing so proved that being a sister of Kappa Delta Sigma is a "lifelong connection."

L to R: Stephanie Gay Brown, Winnie Madden Hayden, Joy Bachman Mance, Lynda Croker Moran, Alison Altman

If it weren't for the courage, love, and determination of these sisters (as well as the rest of our founding sisters), we wouldn't be the organization we are so proud of today. Thank you for everything, and for laying the groundwork for all of your sisters that came after you.

We encourage our alumnae to send in photos, stories, updates, or anything that seems relevant to our Public Relations Chair, Bailey Phelps, at bephel11@stlawu.edu!

ilaf

Strawberries, Smiles, & Philanthropy

Hey everyone!

It's been a busy week here at 53 Park St! On Saturday, the sisters made our way over to the Canton Pavilion for Peter Rabbit in the Park, where we are lucky enough to engage with local community! We joined the rest of the St. Lawrence Greek community in setting up a table, where we painted faces and added a little (removable) color to hair! Peter Rabbit in the Park is always a special event, because we get to share all of our smiles with the Canton community!

Sister Julie Rogers '17 painting faces at Peter Rabbit in the Park!

Sunday morning was our annual Strawberry Breakfast! Not only did we look pretty good in semi formal and pin, but we also enjoyed a fabulous breakfast complete with chocolate-covered strawberries! After 1,000 smiles and even more laughs, we all departed to enjoy our day. A huge thank you to our Strawberry girls for your hard word in bringing it all together!

Our Strawberry Breakfast ladies making some yummy treats!
L to R: Kelsey Smith '15, Keegan Bowman '17, Nikki Jewett '16,
MacKenzie Ottati '17, Kalin Long '16, Jordan Ahrens '16 

In other news, tonight Kappa Delta Sigma was honored by winning two Greek awards. With 2,769.75 hours of philanthropy this year, we were honored with the Greek Week Community Service Award: Hours of Chapter Participation! Additionally, we won the Sorority Cup Scholarship Award!

I hope that everyone is having a great week, and that you're all getting excited for Alumnae Weekend! Here's the schedule:

ilaf

Doing It For Her

Happy Wednesday, KDS!

Saturday, February 28th marked St. Lawrence University's St. Baldrick's Foundation event, Clips for Cancer! For those of you who may not know, Clips for Cancer is an event where individuals may choose to sport a bald head in support for childhood cancer research! The event was held in the Winston Room, and the sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma were proud to show our support while members of our community decided to take on the hairless challenge. We even did our part in raising money by selling Cindy's Cake Shop cupcakes!

As you may have seen on our Facebook page, childhood cancer research is something near and dear to KDS's heart. Sister Morgan O'Hare '16 was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma at age 3, resulting in the loss of her left eye. Don't worry, that hasn't stopped her from raising awareness for other who are in need! At the Clips for Cancer event Morgan was able to share a little inspiration in her speech, saying "that despite all of the success and achievement we make and strive for, we won't be truly happy and fulfilled - it is when we give and show love to others that we will feel truly happy and fulfilled." She hopes that when her life is over to be measured by the happiness and fulfillment that she felt, and by the number of people that she was able to help. 

Kappa Delta Sigma is proud to call Morgan our sister, and we're each inspired by her dedication daily. Many of us have already donated to her cause - you can, every bit counts! If you're not able to make a donation, share her page with others and help raise awareness! Here's the link: Click here!

In addition to attending the event, the sisters of KDS surprised Morgan by wearing shirts made especially in support of her and her dedication to childhood cancer research. It's safe to say that she was surprised and overwhelmed with emotion.

ilaf

Founder's Day

Happy Founder's Day, Kappa Delta Sigma!

On February 22, 1969, Kappa Delta Sigma was founded at St. Lawrence University after breaking away from national Kappa Delta, who would not allow a bid to be extended to a minority woman. Since then, the ladies of 53 Park St. have worked to uphold the values which we were built upon. 

An excerpt from St. Lawrence University by David Hornung.

Founder's Day is not only a day to reflect on the strength and dedication of our founders, but also to enjoy our own time as members of KDS, our achievements, and the friendships we've made. We've all been busy working on our Founder's Day gifts over the last few weeks, and today was the big reveal! 

We spent our afternoon chit-chatting in the living room, telling stories, and reflecting on what it means to be a KDS woman. Everyone did such a great job creating momentous keepsakes, and had an even better time looking through the archives!

Our amazing alumnae even shared some of their Founder's Day memories via Instagram!

Here's to many more!

ilaf

Renovations, Renovations, Renovations

While some of you have been able to stop by periodically and see the house, we know that a lot of you haven't had the ability to visit us at 53 Park St! While you've been busy doing awesome things in the real world, there's been a lot going on at KDS too - we've had a lot of work done in the passed three years as far as renovations go, and we just can't help but show them off!

Remember Grand Central, the triple on the second floor? Well, it's now called Grand Central Single!

The room was reduced in order to get our second floor bathrooms up to date! Speaking of which, the second floor bathroom is no longer lacking. We now have two showers, two toilets, and a full counter!

A few things have been renovated on the third floor too! Remember Third Floor Triple? Well now it's called The Den! It's been reduced to a double, and the door is now located inside the closet!

The room was reduced to, again, accommodate for the bathroom renovation - and let me tell you, we love it.

We also have new window hangings on all of the first floor windows, and on the second floor street-side window! Here's a picture of them in all of their glory in the Front Date Room!

Finally, with a fresh new look on the inside comes a fresh new look on the outside too! Our paint is no longer peeling, and we have some shiny new letters to top everything off!

Thank you so much to all of our amazing alumnae who helped us pull all of these renovations off! Words can simply not describe our gratitude, and be assured that every single update has been greatly appreciated.

Comment below, and tell us what else you'd like to see!

ilaf

Alumni Weekend Update

Hello, sisters and houseboys!

The dates for this semester's alumni weekend have been released! We all hope to see you April 10th-12th at 53 Park St! Stay tuned for more information regarding the schedule from Kalin Long '16, our awesome Alumni Chair.

ilaf

Bid Day

Happy Bid Day, ΚΔΣ! 

Many of you may know that we filled our house during Fall rush, which means that we were unable to take any new girls this semester. While we are bummed that there will be no new ΚΔΣ babies, we're immensely proud that we were the only house on campus to reach cap! 

While the other houses are busy celebrating their new members, the sisters of ΚΔΣ celebrated a little differently... We celebrated nearly 46 years of excellence.

The morning festivities began with a sister scavenger hunt! The thundering of our racing footsteps could be heard throughout the house as sisters took photos of important aspects of being a KDSer (teacups, the shield, singing the songs, etc.). We then took the time to recognize each other, for the best qualities of an individual are too often overlooked. Not only was it therapeutic to think about the positives for awhile, each sister left with compliments to keep the good vibes going! After flipping through old photographs (wow, there's some great ones), we finished up with a few neat crafts! 

A huge shoutout to the masterminds, sisters Emma Fleming '16 and Paige Friedlander '16 for all of your hard work creating a Bid Day worth remembering! 

ilaf 

Taking A Stand

Sister Hannah Searle '15 has spent every spare moment of her senior year creating a safe and secure environment at St. Lawrence University. She stoked the fire to end sexual assault and domestic violence by bringing the No More campaign to campus. Following her lead, the sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma proudly took a stand by participating in the movement, attending Take Back The Night and other "Purple Week" activities, and helping her to spread the importance of this movement.

Hey, even the houseboys participated!

After accomplishing the feat of bringing the No More campaign to campus, Hannah founded the Speak Out Movement with Dylan Arpey '17, brother of Beta Theta Pi. When asked about her stance on the Speak Out Movement, Hannah says, "as a survivor myself I want to be able to empower both men and women to never feel silenced by another person. Society makes the victim to blame when, in reality, the survivor was never asking for it." These campaigns are going  further than 23 Romoda Dr, making their way into the Canton community. If you're interested, check out Hannah's article on North Country Public Radio here. 

"Together as a community we can come together and realize that we are not alone.  You have the right to your own body, no one can take that from you." - Hannah Searle

Just today, sister Annie Dietderich '16 had an entry published on St. Lawrence University blog titled, "Inspired By Survivors," where she shares about her experience as a member of the Advocates. KDS encourages you all to read the blog entry, and to join the movement. We could not be more proud of our sisters who are taking a stand for what they believe in, and for making this campus and country a safer place.

ilaf

"Let Freedom Sing"

On Monday, January 19th, St. Lawrence University hosted a "Let Freedom Sing" service to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. President Fox's remarks were joined by the voices of the University's many choral and a cappella groups: the Community Gospel Choir, Laurentian Singers, Singing Saints, Singing Sinners, and The UpBeats. Many Kappa Delta Sigma sisters proudly attended and participated in the service through these musical groups alongside the Canton community.

A huge shoutout to sisters Barbara Burgmeier '15 and Claire Silberg '15, members of the Community Gospel Choir, sister Katie Bronchetti '16 of the Singing Sinners, and sisters Kim Pollock '15 and Lexi Williams '15, members of The UpBeats, for an amazing and inspiring performance. We're proud that the sisters of Kappa Delta Sigma still proudly recognize and stand up for the rights of others, as our founders did before us.

Thanks, Sister Jenny Kelley '15, for the great video of The UpBeats!

ilaf

Instagram Photo Challenges

Hello, sisters!

We have now begun holding photo challenges on our Instagram account. Winning photos will be showcased right here on the blog! Are you interested in participating? It's easy!

1) Follow @kdsigmaslu on Instagram (find the link on the bottom right section of this page or here)
2) Upload the photo of your choice
3) Include your name, graduation year, and the corresponding "hashtag"

We hope to see lots of you participating, and can't wait to see what photos come up!

ilaf