A student is hoping to recharter the Tri Kappa Gamma womens’ social club.
Lauren Payne, sophomore graphic design major from Lubbock, said she is interested in rechartering Tri Kappa Gamma because of what they stood for.
“They were really involved in service when they were a club here,” said Payne.”The ‘Tri’ in Tri Kappa Gamma symbolized friendship, service and dedication and ‘Kappa Gamma’ meant ‘knowing God.’ So, I thought that was a really good basis and I really liked what they stood for.”
Payne said she also sees a need for another women’s social club due to the large number of pledges this year.
“I feel like there is just a need on campus. I just think there should be another club that could be peoples’ first choice,” said Payne.
Payne meets every week with Mark Jackson, associate director of student organizations and programs, and has talked to Tom Craig about rechartering Tri Kappa Gamma.
“She approached me probably two weeks ago, just stating interest in possibly re-chartering a club,” Jackson said. “I told her that because of the amount of freshman girls that we seem to be getting year after year, and with almost 100 more girls registered to pledge this year than last year, I do think at some point, even though that may not mean this year, we do need to look at that maybe being a possibility.”
Jackson said a definite decision has not yet been made.
Payne has met with alumni who have been helpful in getting her acquainted with the club and its traditions. Lauren also met with Lisa Herndon, the 1989 graduate who originally chartered Tri Kappa Gamma in 1986.
“She was really excited and told me, ‘I’m going to get you tons of alumni support,’ and she actually put us in contact with two other people that work at ACU. We are having meetings with them to see if they would be willing to sponsor us,” said Payne.
Tri Kappa Gamma alumni will have a homecoming breakfast this year at McKay’s Bakery, as they have for the past several years. Heather Turner, a Tri Kappa Gamma alum, is putting together the homecoming breakfast this year, as she has in the past.
Tri Kappa Gamma became unchartered because they didn’t maintain enough funds to remain a social club on campus. Payne is receiving a lot of support from not only the alumni, but also from the students.
“Everyone I have talked to have said that they want to do this, 100 percent,” said Payne.
Payne has been in contact with 25 other students through a Facebook page who are also interested in Tri Kappa Gamma.
However, certain steps need to be taken before Tri Kappa Gamma can become a social club on campus. It must first become a student organization, have at least 10 people interested in the social club and have at least one on-campus advisor.
“We want sustainability within social clubs and we don’t want to see social clubs come onto campus for a short amount of time and then not be here,” said Jackson. “We want them to be here for the long haul.”
In the next couple of weeks, Mark Jackson and Tom Craig will collaborate with the existing social clubs on campus, along with the clubs’ sponsors, to discuss the possibility of Tri Kappa Gamma becoming another social club on campus. Payne hopes to have an interest meeting in mid-October for Tri Kappa Gamma and become a student organization by December.
“I’m not overwhelmed. It’s just a lot of mystery of, ‘will this go forward?’ But I have been praying a lot about it and I think it will. I just think we have too much interest and too much alumni support for it not to go forward.”
Payne said she has already set goals for herself and for the vision of Tri Kappa Gamma.
“My first goal is to concentrate on being sisters in Christ before sisters in club, concentrate to be a club of service because Kappas were built on the tradition of service, and be a thriving club with a diverse group of women who reflect God’s love by encouraging and uplifting each other,” Payne said.
