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Title:
The LowDown, June 2020
Description:
This newsletter provides brief updates on Sigma Kappa events and and activities, including national philanthropy.
Date/Date Range:
06/00/2020
People Mentioned/Pictured:
Adams, Ann O'Connell O'Connell
Foster, Grace Ruth
Chapter:
Alpha
Theta
University:
Colby College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The LowDown, June 2020
What will Sigma Kappa look like this fall?
OCTOBER 2021
VIEW IN BROWSER
(Mary)
The LowDown
a Sigma Kappa quarterly newsletter
[FROM THE ARCHIVES]
"We tread our paths so easily, Now worn quite smooth by other feet, We scarce will deign to look
upon The rougher paths, which may ours meet. So we forget that our smooth way Was once as
rough and hard as these; That many traveled painfully, That we might travel on in lease."
- Grace Foster, Alpha, Colby College
From the Autumn 1921 Sigma Kappa Triangle, celebrating 50 years of women's admission to Colby
College
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY,
HEADLINES
INCLUSION AND ACCESS
Harvard Drops Social
Group Sanctions
Over the past several months, it has become clear that we
Following Supreme
need to do more to assure our Sisters of Color and other
Court Sex
underrepresented women feel welcomed, included and
Discrimination
empowered in our organization. While words matter, our
Decision
actions will matter more. To demonstrate this commitment
to action, national council, the Foundation board of trustees,
What College Will
Look Like This Fall
the National Housing Corporation board of directors and the
staff of all three entities have been working collaboratively
Three Considerations
to develop immediate next steps on how all three entity
for Addressing Racism
boards and staffs will continue to make diversity, equity,
in the Panhellenic
inclusion and access (DEIA) a priority throughout the
Community
organization. Learn more about these next steps here.
Digital Recruitment:
The Sigma Kappa Foundation is commissioning a workgroup
"What if Recruitment
to look at the mission-based ways it can use its resources in
is Cancelled?"
the area of diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA).
The group will identify barriers that exist for our members
Education Department
and potential members from underrepresented groups,
Releases Final Title IX
solutions to help eliminate those barriers, opportunities to
Regulations
strengthen our commitment to DEIA, and other ways in
Spring 2020 Sigma
which the Sigma Kappa Foundation can provide resources to
Kappa
support our sisters in these areas. This 10-
Triangle: Sisters
person workgroup will be comprised of alumnae and
Stepping Up
collegians representing diverse backgrounds with staff
support.
How you can help:
BOOK CLUB
READS
Sigma Kappa is forming a DEIA committee and is
looking for alumnae and collegiate Women of Color,
July: "Such a Fun
LGBTQIA+ Women and Women with Disabilities to be
Age" by Kiley Reid
part of this committee. Apply using this form by July
6.
Interested in applying for the Sigma Kappa Foundation
Book Club
DEIA workgroup? Apply using this form by July 6.
Have ideas or suggestions on how DEIA impacts
Travel Club
housing? Email Casey Keller, NHC executive director, to
share your ideas.
Cooking Club
Interested in serving on a Sigma Kappa creative
team? Creative team members work with the
programming team to provide programming solutions
STAY
to meet the development needs of the organization,
CONNECTED
including those related to DEIA. If interested, please
contact Christian Gamm, national vice president for
programming.
A NEW WAY OF MEETING
THE
LOWDOWN
PODCAST
Although we were unable to meet in person this year, the
Sigma Kappa sisterhood still came together virtually to
Authentic Self-
conduct the business of the national organization and
Confidence with
celebrate our members and chapters. Some highlights:
Leadership
Development
Sigma Kappa's first-ever virtual business meeting was
Consultant Erin
held on Saturday, June 20, on Zoom and Facebook
Fischer
Live, during which our national council was elected
and new National President Ann O'Connell Adams,
Using Body Language
Theta, shared plans for the future.
to Increase Our
Colby Award winners were announced on social media
Confidence with Body
on June 23. Learn more about them on the Notable
Language Expert Lisa
Sigma Kappas page, and join us on July 9 at 8 p.m.
Mitchell
ET on Facebook Live for a panel discussion with all
Authenticity and the
three of our Colby Award winners.
Art of Unmasking with
Educational sessions will be released starting in late
HR Professional
July and will continue through the month of
Shana Ross
August. Click here to find out more about these
upcoming educational offerings.
THE CHANGING FACE OF RECRUITMENT
Recruitment will look very different for our chapters this
fall! Our collegiate chapters will face challenges as they
adopt new membership recruitment methods. To reduce
large events, ensure proper social distancing, and prioritize
the safety of members and potential new members (PNMs),
many universities will be having primary recruitment events
virtually. For some campuses, this will be one round, and for
others, it will be the entire recruitment process.
It is more important than ever before for our chapters to
make their digital presence known on social media platforms
like Instagram and YouTube. This is where PNMs will be
doing their research to learn more before virtually "meeting"
our sisters this fall.
SUPPORTING OUR CHAPTERS THIS FALL
As much as we hoped our collegiate chapters could go back
to normal this fall term, the reality is that most of them will
be impacted in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff
and volunteers are monitoring updates from universities and
adopting best practices by state and CDC recommendations.
We are still waiting for 33 campuses to make decisions for
the fall, but we do know that 79 of our chapters will return
to modified in-person instruction, 12 chapters will
experience a virtual/in-person hybrid model, and six
chapters will go to full online instruction. This means that
the member experience will have to change and evolve to
support our chapters. The collegiate management team is
working quickly with all staff and volunteer teams to provide
multiple options for our collegians in order for them to still
get a meaningful Sigma Kappa experience. Those
recommendations are will be delivered throughout July.
HARVARD DROPS SINGLE-SEX ORGANIZATION
SANCTIONS
Dani Weatherford, CEO of the National Panhellenic
Conference, and Judson Horras, CEO of the North American
Interfraternity Conference, released the following joint
statement on Harvard's decision to drop its sanctions policy:
While we believe the discriminatory nature of Harvard's
policy was apparent long ago, we are nonetheless gratified
to see that Harvard will no longer seek to enforce such an
unlawful policy.
Our focus has always been on the freedom of association
rights of students and on the particularly acute harm that
this policy has done to women's-only organizations on
Harvard's campus. Today's announcement from the
university is nothing short of an admission that their policy
was misguided and openly discriminatory based on sex. This
should serve as a lesson to Harvard and other universities-
students are free to associate with other students without
regard to their gender, and targeting single-sex student
organizations is illegal and wrong.
While we are pleased that this policy will no longer hang
over Harvard students, we are also painfully aware that its
effects will linger-particularly for women's-only
organizations that were decimated by this policy.
MAKE A DOVE CONNECTION
The Dove Connection is Sigma Kappa's newest way to
strengthen our bonds of sisterhood. This virtual pen pal
program connects sisters across the globe. Text, email,
video or write letters/cards to sisters you never know what
can come from a new connection! Learn more and sign up
here.
HELP PLAN OUR SESQUICENTENNIAL (150th)
CELEBRATION
Sigma Kappa's 150th anniversary is fast approaching. We
are creating a task force to begin work this summer on
creating our celebration plan. We are looking for big
dreamers and creative thinkers who will help create a
celebration experience that touches every member, not just
those who attend convention or a Founders' Day
celebration. If you are interested in serving on this task
force, please indicate your interest by submitting
this application. Applications are due July 30.
[FAST FACTS]
HEY NOW, YOU'RE
NATIONAL COUNCIL
SIGMA KAPPA
AN ALL STAR!
RECOMMENDATIONS NOW
FOUNDATION
Have you or a Sigma
OPEN
TRUSTEE
Kappa you know
Every member of Sigma
NOMINATIONS
accomplished something
Kappa is welcome
Sigma Kappa Foundation
big or small, personal or
to recommend deserving
trustee nominations and
professional? We want
sisters for national council.
applications will be
to hear about it! Share
Learn more about the process
open Nov. 1-Dec. 1.
with us here!
and qualifications
Watch the website and
here. Recommendations close
social media for a link.
Nov. 1.
YOU SPOKE, WE LISTENED
The LowDown was created in response to what our members have said they wanted to
hear from us. Like it? Love it? Have ideas? Email our director of publications.
SIGMA
KAPPA
Live with Heart
2021 SIGMA KAPPA SORORITY 695 PRO-MED LANE, SUITE 300, CARMEL, IN 46032-5323
Visit Sigma Kappa I 317-872-3275
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The LowDown, June 2020
This newsletter provides brief updates on Sigma Kappa events and and activities, including national philanthropy.
Details
This newsletter provides brief updates on Sigma Kappa events and and activities, including national philanthropy.