Tri-Cities TN AC Newsletter - Kappa Delta

J U N E 2 0 1 3
the
TriCities Alumnae Newsletter
Volume 2. Issue 7
It’s Summertime and
Time for Convention!
What’s in this issue
Summertime and
Convention 1
Page
Alumnae
Chapter Updates
2
Gamma Delta
Purse Drive 3
This year marks the 60 th biennial convention of Kappa Delta Sorority
in Boston, Massachusetts, June 27-July 1 st at the Boston Sheraton
Hotel. The chosen theme is “field of dreams,” where women from
across the nation – both alumnae and undergraduates alike - will
reconnect, gain new ideas, and be reminded of what a membership in
Kappa Delta is truly about. Several Gamma Delta alumnae will be
in attendance at this year’s convention along with nearly the entire
Gamma Delta undergraduate Chapter Council. Most chapters only
send a few representatives, so we are proud to be so well represented!
Keep these women in your thoughts and prayers as they travel!
Save the Date!
Recruitment Practice
with Alumnae
August 10th at 1:00 PM
Act as a “potential new
member” as the women practice
their conversation skills!
ETSU Homecoming!
November 1 st -3 rd
Come to Johnson City and catch
up with old friends while enjoying
several scheduled activities! See
the article on page 4.
Welcome New
Alumnae 3
ETSU
Homecoming 4
2013
Alumna
Spotlight: Kayla 5-6
Griffith
Spotting
Alumnae 7
Connect with a
Senior 8
Letter from
Gamma Delta
President
Assist Gamma
Delta! 9-10
Announcements
8
11

THE LOREM IPSUMS
A note from Chelsea Phillips
TriCities Alumnae Chapter President
SPRING 2016
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer thus far! First of all, I would like to
welcome all of the new Gamma Delta alumnae to alumnae life. I enjoyed
getting to spend time with you at our alumnae event last month at the LV
Nail Bar, and I look forward to working with you ladies in the alumnae
chapter! Be on the lookout for details about our TCAC cookout in August!
I would like to thank everyone who helped support Gamma Delta's 13th
Annual Shamrock Golf Tournament. They were able to surpass their
fundraising goal of $22,000 and donated over $24,000 to Prevent Child
Abuse America and Children's Advocacy Center of Washington
County!! This is a great accomplishment, and if you get a chance,
congratulate Gamma Delta on a job well done!
Do you know an outstanding young woman that you would like to
recommend for membership in Kappa Delta Sorority Do you know a
Kappa Delta Legacy If so, you can fill out an introduction or
recommendation form for her! You can submit an online form or download
a hard copy at www.kappadelta.org/recommendationforms.
As always, if anyone would like to become more involved in the alumnae chapter or if you have any
questions, ideas, or comments, feel free to email me at phillipsc@goldmail.etsu.edu!
In Love and AOT,
Chelsea
Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter
Summer 2013 Membership Drive
Show your support for the Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter by becoming a
dues paying member! Annual dues are $30 and can be paid by either
mailing a check made out to the "Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter" to 1185
West Mountain View Rd. #3217, Johnson City, TN 37604 or using
PayPal (email address phillipsc@goldmail.etsu.edu). This money covers
dues to National Kappa Delta, provides food and drinks at some of our
social gatherings, and provides support for undergraduate events (i.e.
recruitment). You can email or mail an updated
membership form to the above address (the form is found
online on the "Kappa Delta Alum - ETSU" Facebook
group). The alumnae chapter year runs from April 1,
2013 to March 31, 2014. Thank you for supporting the
Tri-Cities Kappa Delta Alumnae Chapter! We look
forward getting to know you!
2

THE LOREM IPSUMS
Clean out your
closet and
donate your
purses!
SPRING 2016
Do you have a closet full of old or gently used purses that
you just need to get rid of Would you like to boost a
woman’s confidence too If so, we have the perfect
opportunity for you! This fall, Gamma Delta is hosting a
handbag/purse donation drive for the Confidence
Coalition movement. The collected handbags will be donated to a local women's shelter in Johnson
City. The handbag drive helps promote confidence and raises self esteem in women, especially those
who’ve found themselves in trying or difficult situations. We all know how fabulous we feel with a
new handbag! Give that gift to someone else. Several years ago, National Kappa Delta joined forces
with the Confidence Coalition to empower women and girls. Support Gamma Delta and help make a
difference. Confidence Coalition: Go Confidently Handbag Collection.
The Handbag Drive will be held September 18-20 th . The chapter will be collecting handbags in the
Culp Atrium from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM each day! Please feel free to drop off any gently used
handbags of all shapes and sizes during this time to
the Kappa Delta suite in Lucille Clement during the
week of September 16-20 th , or to a current
undergraduate during the collection time frame! If
you do not know a current undergraduate, but would
still like to donate, contact current VP-Public
Relations, Emily Lawson
(lawsone@goldmail.etsu.edu), to set up a meeting
time or shipping information. Thank you for all you
do!
http://www.confidencecoalition.org/factsontheconfidencecoalition
Welcome to our newest Gamma Delta alumnae!
3

THE LOREM IPSUMS
SPRING 2016
ETSU Homecoming 2013
By: Tory Street, Gamma Delta CAB Co-Chairman
In 2011, the ETSU Greek Advisor and several ETSU Greek Alumnae put together an All-Greek Reunion
in conjunction with ETSU’s Homecoming committee that was not only for the past members of current
chapters on campus, but was also open to all alumni from organizations that had been on ETSU’s
campus. The event was such a hit that they have decided to bring it back this year as an annual event for
Homecoming since we will now have football (YAY!). I am on the planning committee for this event
representing Kappa Delta! The All-Greek Reunion is not only a great opportunity for you to reconnect
with your sisters, but it's also a wonderful networking opportunity. For those of you with children in
high school, it's also an Open House weekend at ETSU, so you can even bring the kids along for a
campus visit! The 2013 All-Greek Reunion will be November 1 st -3 rd . There will be an event on that
Friday that will allow distinguished alumnae/alumni to interact/speak/mentor current undergraduates.
If you have any nominations for KD alumnae that you think would be great for this event, please email
their name, contact information, and a short bio to vancev@etsu.edu (i.e. a speaker from 2011 was a
Sigma Kappa alumna over all of Marketing for Lowe's). The registration fee for the entire weekend is
only $25 if you sign up BEFORE October 4 th , which includes the social event and food! This event was
so much fun in 2011 and, based on the plans thus far, it will be even better this year!
Tentative Schedule: 2013 All-Greek Reunion, Friday Nov. 1- 3 rd
Friday, November 1:
2:00-4:00 PM- “Meet and Greet” networking event with distinguished alumnae/alumni
7:30- 11:30 PM- All Greek Social (including dinner, dancing, and cash bars)
Saturday, November 2:
This day is still in the works, but events will include: Athletic Events, Tailgating, Sorority Suites
Open House, NPHC Step Show and Competition, and more to come! We will also be having a
Gamma Delta specific event on this evening.
There are currently rooms at the Carnegie Hotel available for $92 per night (Under ETSU-All Greek
Reunion), however I don't think there are too many left! Rooms are also available at the Double Tree
and Holiday Inn. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at vancev@etsu.edu!
4

THE LOREM IPSUMS
Alumna Spotlight:
Kayla Griffith, MD
SPRING 2016
Everyone has a story….
My story begins in a rural area of Middle Tennessee known as
McMinnville…and if you’re a local, you can actually slur it together fast
enough to make it one syllable. It’s the place where everyone knows your
name. My entire extended family lived within the boundaries of the same
county. My first pet was a cow that I lovingly named “Moo-Moo” at the
age of 2. My first vehicle was a John Deere with a faded and tattered seat by
the age of 10. My first loves were the rolling waters of the Caney Fork River
and the tranquil rapids of Fall Creek Falls. Like strawberry wine…no wait,
that was a different song... But I won’t lie…I had a pretty sweet life.
My parents had higher hopes than farm life for me, however, and
always nurtured my dreams and fueled my independence. So at the ripe age
of 17, I said farewell to my precious family and sweet Moo-Moo and
saddled my horse to start a new chapter. No one from my county high
school had attended East Tennessee State University in over 10 years, so
with the thrill of a new adventure and a heart for the great outdoors, I
bypassed every other university scholarship in the state and landed in
Johnson City, Tennessee…where I knew a whopping total of zero people.
Turns out this was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
The University Honors Scholars program required freshmen to live
in Lucille Clement dorm, where I quickly met what would soon become some of my best friends…and pledge
sisters. I initially had no intentions of participating in Recruitment (seriously, I had seen the Lifetime movies…), but
after some urging from my new friends, I caved. Growing up on a farm with a family of mostly older male cousins
and an older brother, the idea of having about 50 new “sisters” seemed quite foreign and somewhat creepy to me. I
was “that girl” stepping into my first day of
Recruitment…as “the Disbeliever”. By the end of the
first day, I found myself excited to return. By the end of
Philanthropy night, I was astonished at the smile in my
heart from being surrounded by a band of
compassionate women having fun with helping the
greater good. By the end of skit night, I was suddenly
re-organizing my closet for the green and white items
while singing “R-U-S-H-K-D!” By the end of Preference
on Saturday, I was in crocodile tears and picking out a
white dress. And on Bid Day, I came home to Kappa
Delta!
A whirl of memories later… I graduated from
East Tennessee State University in May 2004 with the
Gamma Delta Pledge Class of 2000, and in reflecting
over the past 13 years, I cannot honestly choose the
page of that chapter with my favorite memory. As I sit
here thumbing through old college photos and watching
“The Sweetest Thing” with a glass of red wine
(unfortunately, I couldn’t find a box of Boone’s Farm
for nostalgia purposes), I am overwhelmed with the
5

Alumna THE LOREM Spotlight: IPSUMS Kayla Griffith, Continued…
SPRING 2016
smile on my face. Formals. Informals. Theme Parties.
Really bad costumes. Golf Tournaments. Birthdays.
Movie nights. Poor Richard’s. Sophisticated Otter.
Cahootenany’s. Homecoming competitions (and
battles!). Derby Days. Pike’s Peak. Affair of the
Heart. Snake Days. Spring breaks. Sprite bombs.
Pageants. Basketball games. Football games (yes, we
had football at ETSU in my day…). Initiations.
Recruitments. Sweethearts. Sunday meetings. Candle
Passes. Girl Scouts. Holiday parties. Our first
Gamma Delta MERIT CHAPTER award!! I was an
exceptionally proud chapter president of some of the
most amazing and strong women I had ever known.
Seriously, I’m still smiling…
Sometimes, that life seems so far away… I
have since obtained my medical degree from James H. Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU and proceeded to
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for my surgery residency. In
July 2012, I began my newest chapter in our great Nation’s Capitol. On a stroke of sheer luck and with some help
from the Big Guy above, I was invited to join the National Institutes of Health for a two-year fellowship with the
Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute, where I basically get paid to do two really amazing things: 1)
perform cancer surgery, and 2) perform cancer treatment research. In all honesty, I have one of the coolest jobs in
the world: I am privileged to work with incredible human beings who are courageously fighting the battle of their
lives…for their lives…cancer. I find myself in awe daily. I find myself endlessly stepping down from my role as
teacher and physician to become a student to these magnificent torchbearers who have lessons of struggle and
triumph that I cannot explain nor imagine. I am humbled.
Everyone has a story…and a story is only as good as the characters who ink their imprints on the soft,
weathered pages. I recall stepping out of our candlelit circle at the end of my Senior year at ETSU and thinking,
“those were probably the best times of my life.” I was wrong. As great as most of my memories are from my
college years in Kappa Delta, some of my most cherished moments have been in the friendships that have endured
beyond those lettered shirts and navy and gold walls. The dinners. The birthdays. The trips. The reunions. The
weddings. The babies. And sometimes, even the unfathomable loss. These, I hold dear. These are the foundry of
the chapters I continue to write….
To the beautiful and strong ladies of Kappa Delta Sorority, a thousand thanks will not suffice.
To the incredible characters who continue to lend the
ink to my story, my cup runneth over.
Love and AOT,
Kayla Griffith
6

THE LOREM IPSUMS
Spotting Alumnae
Where have our alumnae been lately…
SPRING 2016
Sisters gathered to celebrate
Meredith’s graduation!
Sisters gathered to celebrate Meredith
Maddox’s graduation from ETSU at
a family party in Kingsport, TN.
Alumnae attend Gamma Delta’s
Spring House Party!
Sisters Chelsea Phillips, Tory Street, and Mandi
Collier travelled to Mountain City, TN, to assist the
local chapter in preparation for recruitment.
Sister McKayla Johnson represented
ETSU on Capitol Hill!
Sister McKayla Johnson travelled to
Nashville, TN, to represent ETSU’s Quillen
College of Medicine on Capitol Hill with a
few of her classmates.
Sisters Hannah DeArmond, Meredith
Parker, and Jaymie Holbert in NYC!
These sisters caught up in NYC for a quick
summer get-away and enjoyed one
another’s company.
7

THE LOREM Connect IPSUMS with a Gamma Delta Senior: Kallam SPRING McKay 2016
Kallam McKay is a current Gamma Delta senior and plans to
graduate from ETSU in May 2014 with a degree in Mass Communications.
She hopes to pursue book publishing in New York City. McKay joined
Kappa Delta as a freshman. She says, “I came to college not knowing much
about Greek Life. I thought it would be fun and my mother encouraged me
to go through, so I signed up.” When asked what Kappa Delta has given her
in retrospect, McKay states, “I am a completely different person today than I
was when I decided to join a sorority. I think most people expect to come
out of their sorority experience with the best friends they’ve ever made, and
that’s exactly what I’ll be leaving ETSU with, but also so much more. What
I have gained from Kappa Delta that I didn’t expect to receive is a career
path. In May, I will graduate with a degree in mass communications
emphasizing in public relations and that is all thanks a very special sister in
Kappa Delta. This sorority exposed me to a possible career path, gave me
the connections and experience I needed to stand out among the crowd, and
most importantly the confidence to follow my dreams. Without Kappa Delta
I would have never learned the skills I needed to go out and conquer anything this world sets before me.”
McKay looks back on the challenges she’s experienced over the past three years and reflects on how her
sisters stood by her side. Once she becomes an alumna of Gamma Delta, she knows she will continue her life as an
active alumnae chapter member. She says, “I know graduation will not be the end of my KD experience, but only
the beginning of another journey. All that I’ve learned from my sisters and our ritual is so completely ingrained into
the person I am today I cannot imagine myself without them. Wherever the future takes me, I will carry these
women with me in my heart.” We congratulate her on arriving at her senior year and look forward to all that she
will accomplish! Connect with Kallam through email at kallammckay@gmail.com.
“Connect with a Gamma Delta Senior” is a piece featured in each newsletter to spotlight a graduating senior from
the collegiate chapter throughout the year. Use this as an opportunity to note women entering your professional
field or moving to your city. Their contact information will be provided and they each would love your mentorship.
Feel free to contact them through whichever avenue they provide!
A Note from Gamma Delta President
Challye Hays
Hello beautiful alumnae!
I hope your summer is off to a great start! As some of you may know, Kappa Delta's
convention begins on June 27. Currently we have 9 of our girls attending. This is an
exciting time to see all of our sisters from around the nation while also seeing our
national council at work. For many of our girls, this is their first time even flying. We
are beyond excited! Be on the lookout in later newsletters for ideas we picked up there.
We have decided to update our suite on the sorority hall. Alumna and CAB member,
Katie Rainero, has taken the lead on this project. We look forward to having a time for
you to tour it this fall! Her ideas are going to transform the room! Thank you all so
much for everything you do for our chapter. We are truly blessed to have so many
alumnae that love and support us in our endeavors year after year. Gamma Delta looks
forward to seeing some of you during recruitment time and again at the fall homecoming events!
Love in AOT,
Challye Hays, Gamma Delta Chapter President
(865) 384-0349, HAYSCM@goldmail.etsu.edu
8

Join Gamma Delta for Fall Bid Day!
Assist Michelle Kelly, VP-New Member Education
THE LOREM IPSUMS
SPRING 2016
Vice President of New Member Education, Michelle Kelly, has identified a few areas where she could use
alumnae support for Bid Day. Although the majority of the planning is taken care of, she requested
assistance gathering a few food items for the big day in September! If you can bring any of the following
items to her, please email her at kellyml@goldmail.etsu.edu.
2 Liters (10)
Water (2 Cases)
Solo Cups (100)
Paper Plates (100)
Utensils (100)
Napkins (100)
Chips (6 Bags)
Cupcakes (40)
9

THE LOREM IPSUMS
Hello alumnae,
Fall Recruitment is Right Around the Corner…
Find ways to get involved!
By: Alexandra Simpson, VP-Membership
SPRING 2016
I am Alexandra Simpson, Gamma Delta’s VP-Membership! Fall House Party is August 9 th -
11 th , and there are several opportunities for you to get involved in a variety of ways to help
Gamma Delta continue recruiting the best women out there – from bringing food, making
monetary donations, volunteering to act as a “potential new member” during our mock
recruitment nights, helping to decorate, and more!
The first opportunity is during Fall House Party on Saturday, August 10 th from 1:00-3:00 PM
in Mountain City, TN. I would like as many alumnae as possible to serve/act as potential new
members during a round of mock recruitment for our women. Although we have been practicing
our conversation skills extensively, the process is much more realistic when these girls are
actually meeting new people for the first time – just like during recruitment! Please let me know if
you plan to attend so I can keep a running total of how many women we can expect that
afternoon. We’d love to have you, even if you can only stay for a short time. Another chance to
serve in this way will be on an evening during the week before recruitment in the D.P. Culp
Center. More details to come on that date in the next newsletter!
The second opportunity is to assist in decorating the week leading up to recruitment- August
27 th -September 3 rd . You may remember what the D.P. Culp Center looks like on the inside,
meaning that we have to transform these rooms into something beautiful! If this is something
that appeals to you or if you have an aesthetic eye, please send me an email and I can get exact
dates and details to you for “setting-up times” as it gets closer. We’ll be able to work with your
schedule! My email is simpsonak@goldmail.etsu.edu.
To give you an idea of our vision for each night, I’ve tried to paint a picture of what you may
see. On philanthropy night, we are having navy tablecloths and green "Greek key" runners with
another (smaller) burlap runner on top of the Greek key. Sitting on the runners will be a clear
glass bowl filled with sand and green and white hydrangeas! We have four white chiavari chairs
sitting at each table. The walls are going to be covered in white curtains and at the front of the
room there will be a decorated sign that spells out “confidence.” The girls will be wearing a white
Kappa Delta button-up shirt, high-waisted trouser jeans, and brown wedges.
On theme night, the white chiavari chairs will be in rows with one aisle down the middle. The
chairs will have a sparkly red bow tied on them to match "Dorothy's" shoes since we are
continuing to use the Wizard of Oz skit from the past few years. There is a yellow brick road going
down the aisle with a beautiful mural of Emerald City in the front of the room. The walls will still
be covered with white curtains. The girls will be wearing black dresses with red pumps.
On preference night, the tables will be covered with white tablecloths, a beige-shimmer table
runner, and sitting on the runner will be a silver cup with real white roses (big thank you to Katie
Rainero) and the chairs will have a shimmering white bow on the back. At the front of the room,
there will be a semi circle of chairs and real white roses in trumpet vases on each side of the
TV. Behind the sheer white curtain at the front, there will be a sign behind the curtain that spells
out “Kappa Delta” with an accent light, so PNM’s will take notice. The girls will be wearing green
dresses with nude pumps.
Thank you all so much for your support! I appreciate it so much! We would love to have your
assistance however you can provide it.
Love in AOT, Alexandra Simpson (simpsonak@goldmail.etsu.edu)
10

Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter Newsletter
The Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter offers its Congratulations!
TriCities Alumnae Chapter Congratulates…
Tara Adams Comerford on her marriage
to Brett Comerford on July 9, 2011.
Anna Stringer Williams on
her marriage to Chris Williams
Andrea on Aug. Mosley 6, 2011. on the birth of
her little legacy, Addison.
Blair
VandeVuurst
White on her
marriage to
Chris White.
Abby Henley on her engagement
to Tyler Vencill.
Page 4
Erin Hess Doran on the birth
of Connor Michael on Aug.
12, 2011.
Jessi
O’Lear
Webb on
her
marriage
to Jake
Webb.
Beth
Beason
Crotty on
her
marriage to
Ryan
Jessica Crotty. Longmire Phillips on the birth
of Maggie Kate, on Aug. 23, 2011.
Laura Helton on the birth of her
little legacy, Norie Rose.
Allison Bowman Gast on
the birth of Kynlee Marie
on Manning Aug. 5, 2011.
Milton
Borden
on her
marriage
to John
Borden.
Courtney Wells Combs
on the birth of Caroline
on July 30, 2011.
Got Questions
We’‛ve Got Your Answers!
McKayla Johnson
McKayla Johnson
Public Relations
Public Relations
Zmbj6@goldmail.etsu.edu
zmbj6@goldmail.etsu.edu
Brittany Chelsea Burke Phillips
Alumnae
Alumnae
Chapter
Chapter
President
President
brittany.burke@nuclearassociates.com
phillipsc@goldmail.etsu.edu
The Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter was first formed in
March 1965. In 2008, we made a move to reorganize
the association, and we’ve worked since then to make it
successful.
The Tri-Cities Alumnae Chapter was first formed in March
of 1965. In 2008, we made a move to reorganize the association,
and we’ve worked since then to make it successful.
Over the past couple of months we have kicked it into high
gear to get information out in hopes of expanding our numbers!
It is finally summertime! In this issue, you will see some
exciting opportunities coming up this fall, both with the
alumnae chapter and with the undergraduates.
September is a great month to get involved with the local
Gamma Delta Chapter since it’s the month of recruitment
and new member education! Take the time to review the
newsletter and to give back as an alumna.
Anytime you have a story, accomplishment, upcoming
event, or an announcement you’d like to share, email the
Public Relations Representative, McKayla Johnson, at
zmbj6@goldmail.etsu.edu.
Anytime you have a story, accomplishment, upcoming
event, or an announcement you’d like to share, email the
Public Relations Representative, McKayla Johnson, at
zmbj6@goldmail.etsu.edu.
Don’t forget that pictures are worth a thousand words!
Please submit photos of you and sisters to be included in
the Angelos and this newsletter as often as you’d like.
Don’t forget that pictures are worth a thousand words!
Please submit photos of you and sisters to be included in the
Angelos and this newsletter as often as you’d like.
Encourage your alumna friends to join our email roster
to receive this newsletter. Put them in contact with me
and I’ll get them in on the action! Thanks for your
support!
Encourage your alumna friends to join our email roster to
receive this newsletter. Put them in contact with me, and
I’ll get them in on the action! Thanks for your support!
AOT - McKayla