By Rosalyn Aquila
Last Monday, Dec. 10, Greek Council approved the sorority Kappa Sigma Alpha in an 8-3 vote, with one group abstaining.
After Greek Council rejected their proposal on Monday, Dec. 3, the 16 members of Kappa Sigma Alpha met throughout last week to revise the petition, according to co-founders Karina Cruz 15 and Adriana Olivares 15. We knew right away when they first said no to us that we werent just going to give up, Olivares said.
The Greek Councils principal reason for rejecting the original proposal was the sororitys apparent lack of a concrete identity. I think at first people thought they didnt have enough about what they wanted their identity to be, Greek Council President Andrew Tint 13 said. People felt they needed to be a little more prepared.
Cruz and Olivares said their first proposal had more to do with the groups theoretical vision. We didnt come in with, This is our symbol, and this is our mission statement because we thought [Greek Council needed] to get a feel for us first, Cruz said.
After the initial rejection, however, they realized they needed to better organize their proposal in order to win Council approval. Pretty much every day since [the initial rejection], we talked about what we should put in our new proposal, and we figured out the basic Greek symbol, Greek colors, philanthropy [and] mission statement, Olivares said.
Additionally, members met with Director of Student Activities & Greek Life Christina Mastrangelo, Tint and members of other sororities for guidance. I really appreciated their advice, Olivares said. I think we got a lot done because of [the rejection], and we did it together as a group, which I really like.
Cruz is hopeful new members will shape the groups identity and mission, which currently states, We value the voice of every Kappa on all matters, seeking to actively include all members, old and new, in the further development of this institution. Because sisterhood is important to us, it is vital that we regard one another as part of a cohesive support network.
In the new petition, the sorority outlined their mission statement, membership standards, core values, philanthropy, Greek animal, colors, symbol, gem and general plans for the spring semester. They came back with a lot more understanding of who they wanted to be and what they wanted their organization to be, Tint said. It was much more successful.
The sisters of Kappa Sigma Alpha define themselves as a collection of unique women interested in creating sisterly bonds that will nurture our social, intellectual, spiritual and moral development. Members must be involved in at least one other Kenyon organization and should be open-minded, according to the mission statement. Likewise, philanthropy will be a major component of the sororitys activities, and the group already has plans to work with the elderly community in Knox County.
We realize every sorority has similar goals in that they want to establish sisterhood and be a support network, Cruz said. Again, theyre all very into loyalty and philanthropy, community service, all of these things. Thats a commonality with all of the sororities. But a lot of what makes each sorority different is the girls within them. The fact that we dont have the same people in the same group, the dynamic will be very different. Only time will tell what that will look like.
Besides a shared interest in sisterhood, Olivares said she wanted to start the sorority to offer Kenyon women another option on campus. There are a lot more fraternities at this school than there are sororities, and there are more women at Kenyon, she said. I thought it just made sense to have another option for the Kenyon women here.
For Cruz, the wide alumni networks sororities offer members are also appealing. The current members we have are very ambitious women, she said. They want to have alumni networking opportunities. I think thats one of the best things Greek life gets to offer.
Although the sorority has a long-term goal of becoming nationally affiliated, its priority at the moment is establishing itself on campus, according to Cruz. Everybody here is a Kenyon student and everybody came to Kenyon because they believe in the ideals of Kenyon, she said. How do you use Greek life to enhance your experience? Its not taking away from the Kenyon experience, but trying to figure out how to mold it to the Kenyon ideals.
Henri Gendreau contributed reporting.
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