*Note: The original version of this story stated Ko Jo Kai was established in 1913, but it has since been edited to the correct year of 1919.
Construction on the new Kojie Park is nearing completion as the Women of Ko Jo Kai plans a park dedication on Homecoming weekend.
The park cost around $600,000. The idea first emerged after Homecoming 2022, when the GATA fountain was completed, said Erin Wessel, a Ko Jo Kai alumna. Wessel is one of the four members of the committee in charge of the park’s construction. It was primarily funded by alumnae who hope to increase the sorority’s involvement on campus.
“We were so thankful to previous classes that [built] the original Kojie Park,” Wessel said. “But we knew that to increase our presence on campus and to give back to previous classes and future generations of Kojies that we also wanted to increase our footprint on campus.”
On the Saturday of Homecoming weekend, the club plans to host a dedication and breakfast at the park, which will feature alumnae speakers.
The new park contains a variety of references to club history and traditions, including the number 13, pledge pins, squirrel statues and an engraving of the club’s motto, “Encouraging higher aims among girls through the binding ties of friendship and love.”
Ko Jo Kai was established in 1919 and currently has a park outside Moody Colliseum. The park had a large engraved crest in the middle, which has already been removed to be put in the new park.
Once the park is built, it will serve as a meeting location for the club and will play a significant role in new member orientation, said Makeda Marquardt, Ko Jo Kai president.
“I’m really excited to figure out how we’re going to take all of our traditions and start them at the park,” said Marquardt, senior accounting major from Abilene. “I think for campus, too, it’s just going to be another place where you can sit outside and you can hang out with friends.”
