Clemson sorority honored at Gamma Sigma Sigma National Convention

Published: August 4, 2011

By Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s Epsilon Beta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority received the Spirit of Gamma Sig Award at the recent Gamma Sigma Sigma National Convention. The chapter was honored for the day of service it held in memory of former member Samantha Rankin who died May 31, 2010.

The chapter organized a community service project in February to honor the memory of Rankin, who was dedicated to helping others and serving her community throughout her career at Clemson. The event involved 100 volunteers participating in 11 different projects, including making blankets for ill and traumatized children for Project Linus and volunteering at local animal shelters and thrift stores. They also created and sold T-shirts to purchase a California Redwood tree, which they planted in Rankin’s memory in the South Carolina Botanical Garden. Finally, as a token of their love and loss, they compiled a scrapbook of the day’s events for Rankin’s family.

The spirit of Gamma Sig Award is given at the Gamma Sigma Sigma National Convention to recognize unique accomplishments of chapters that exemplify the spirit of the organization. Chapters are nominated and selected by the board of directors. The directors voted unanimously for Epsilon Beta to win the final award after they read an email sent by Rankin’s mother that described her receiving a scrapbook commemorating a day of service done in her daughter’s honor.

“As a service organization, we are always doing projects to benefit our community, but rare is the opportunity to see the fruits of our labor. We were honored to do service to celebrate the life of Samantha Rankin, and now the Epsilon Beta chapter of Clemson University is even more proud to say we are nationally recognized for our love for our beloved sister,” said Rachelle Idziak, incoming parliamentarian for Gamma Sigma Sigma.

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