Earlier last week I had the opportunity to speak to two members from the Kappa Delta Sorority, Megan Williams and Katee Culbertson, about International Women’s Friendship Month. It is a month-long event that celebrates the female friends in one’s life—the women who are there to listen, encourage, and console us when we need them most. They could be our sisters, mothers, neighbors, or college roommates. Not only is this month a celebration of those women who empower us, but it also promotes confidence in young girls.
Started by Kappa Delta in 1999, National Women’s Friendship Day was a day on which friendship was celebrated. The idea later expanded to encompass the whole month of September. The women of Kappa Delta at WSU run several campaigns to promote this, one of them being Go Confidently. Go Confidently focuses on empowering women to be confident in their own skin. All too often women today are criticized for not looking a certain way. However, Kappa Delta bucks this trend by making every girl feel beautiful, regardless of what the media says.
“I can be the weirdest version of myself and be accepted," recalls Megan Williams when asked about how she feels about the event.
If you noticed the baby-blue balloons earlier last week while walking to your classes, they are part of the You Make Me Smile campaign. This is run through the Confidence Coalition, a big partner of Kappa Delta. Members of the house wrote words of encouragement on these balloons and set them up all around campus. Balloons would say things such as “You can do it," “You are beautiful,” and “I support you." This campaign really emphasizes this idea of friendship while simultaneously spreading a positive vibe throughout campus. Just a small act of kindness makes the biggest difference in someone’s day. This week is really about promoting the things you don’t typically hear.
Rarely do you ever hear about the acts of kindness fraternities and sororities contribute to their community as well as the positive impact that their work has. It is not often you see major news outlets praising the work of Greek life. However, it’s exciting when you hear the good that Greeks do and all the creative ways they do it. Kappa Delta really models what it means to be positive, uplifting, and encouraging for women of all ages and backgrounds. Look out for them around campus as they continue to spread love, joy, and positive motivation to the women of Washington State University.
