In early November, as a newly slated VP-PR, I thought I had a lot of ideas on how I could shine Kappa Delta’s light on the rest of our campus. After all, we are the sorority filled with confidence and girl power! But as I got acclimated to my new role, I realized confidence can be hard to come by in the midst of the many demands of college. When all you can think about are assignments, papers and exams, it’s easy to doubt yourself and your ability to get through a tough time — especially when you’re away from home.

As a result, our new council set an important goal for this year: ensure our sisters feel at home in Kappa Delta. I have found my home in KD, alongside our 131 members, and I am so excited to welcome more this month. I want to remind them of how much they are capable of and how their sisters are there for them even when the going gets tough. After all, home is where the heart is, and I believe if our sisters feel at home, the more willing they will be to work to make our chapter the best it can be.

Here are some ideas we have introduced to promote sisterhood and a sense of “home”:

• Over winter break, our council sent holiday cards to members’ homes wishing them a relaxing break and expressing how much we were excited to spend another semester with them.
• To break down barriers between new-member classes, we have expanded Emerald Dates to not just potential big-little pairs, but anyone in different classes who wants to get to know a sister better.
• We are incorporating “Random Acts of KinDness” by having table hours at campus hubs to give out coffee and donuts — just to brighten someone’s day!
• We are ramping up sister shout-outs on our social media and highlighting sisters’ accomplishments in chapter by awarding a Leader of the Week and a Sweet Sister of the Week.

I believe communication and respect are at the forefront of any successful leadership team. Each council officer has many ideas about how to improve our chapter, and we value everyone’s input because each of us has unique strengths. By respecting each other’s ideas and working together to make our chapter a home, I am confident we will be a successful team. These ideas are not just rooted in Chapter Excellence goals and trying to increase retention, but also about giving back to the sorority that gave us a home.

By Rachel Henry, VP-PR, Theta Delta-Dayton