Kappa Delta - University of Texas

Dagger Diges FALL 2019 • KAPPA DELTA SORORITY • SIGMA EPSILON CHAPTER • UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS L ast month I had the opportunity to participate in what has become an annual tradition at Sigma Epsilon Chapter on Bid Day. Alumnae from Austin and all over Texas gathered across the street from the ΚΔ house at 2315 Nueces to watch as our collegians welcomed their newest members (aka PC19) to the Kappa Delta house. With the music blasting, our collegians cheered and sang, screamed and hugged, and of course took lots of selfies as their newest sisters came running around the corner at 24th and Nueces. It was such a fun sight to see! We got to share in their excitement and joy and were reminded of the fun and sisterhood of our collegiate days. As alumnae, we know that Bid Day is just the beginning of their Kappa Delta journey. Their four years at UT will be enriched by their membership in ΚΔ. This new member class will soon be living in the house, leading the chapter and then, in the blink of an eye, they'll be graduating and moving on to life as alumnae. My hope is that every member will stay connected to their ΚΔ sisters and to Kappa Delta. One way to do that is to stay connected to our house. The ΚΔ house is the place where memories are being made every day and it is the place that we can all visit to relive our college days. It belongs to all of us and we need to ensure we have the best possible home for our chapter at UT. Luxury Student Housing the New Norm Over the past decade, West Campus has transformed from a quiet, sleepy neighborhood to an increasingly urban area. Inner West Campus is governed by the University Neighborhood Overlay zoning ordinance, which encourages high-density developments. Several luxury student housing projects have come online in recent years. These new buildings are a far cry from the accommodations many of us experienced when we were students at UT. They offer amenities such as cybercafes, gyms, conference rooms, coffee bars, game rooms, and rooftop decks and pools. Property values are skyrocketing, providing some possible opportunities for us but also some challenges. The bar has been raised all around us and we must make plans to meet that bar as well as the expectations of today's collegians. Planning for the Future Our house isn't the oldest sorority house at UT, but it is aging. Built in 1960, it needs constant attention to keep it functioning for the chapter. We are continually making repairs and updates to the house, the furniture, and the mechanical systems. Our house is one of the smaller houses at UT, so accommodating the current chapter size of about 275 members is a logistical challenge to say the least. We have work to do to remain competitive with the other sororities. Several other groups have added onto their houses over the last decade and several are in the planning and development Changes Abound in West Campus Kappa Delta Plans for the Future I t all began (again) at Kappa Delta National Convention in 1977. As was tradition, individual plaques designating all current and former ΚΔ chapters were placed on the wall around the room. Alberta Scott '27 found the plaque for her long-closed chapter at the University of Texas and vowed that day "to get my chapter back!" Texans for Kappa Delta, an organization formed by ΚΔ sisters from chapters all over the country now living in Texas, heard Alberta's declaration, and the work to bring Kappa Delta back to UT started. This spirited, determined, and tenacious group of Texas women overcame many obstacles to make good on this promise to their sister. In 1980, the Sigma Epsilon Chapter was once again colonized at the University of Texas with 142 bids extended to a brand-new group of Texas women! Martha Nell Coffman Grimes, Lamar University '60, was one of those dedicated Texans for Kappa Delta and worked joyfully and tirelessly to colonize the Sigma Epsilon Chapter. Martha loved her Kappa Delta sisters and served in many ways, including as a national officer. Sadly, we lost our dear sister last fall. Martha will long be remembered as a treasure in Kappa Delta. Her devotion to our sisterhood never faltered and she loved and supported Sigma Epsilon fiercely. Martha attended most every Sigma Epsilon Bid Day celebration, beginning with the colonization of the chapter in 1980, and attended her last one in the fall of 2018. Details for a memorial honoring Martha's contributions to the Sigma Epsilon Chapter will be available soon. MARTHA GRIMES, KAPPA DELTA TREASURE! Martha Nell Coffman Grimes, Lamar University '60, third from right, with fellow KΔ alumnae on Sigma Epsilon Bid Day in 2018. Alumnae attend 2019 Bid Day. (Continued on page 3)

• Cover