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Upsilon

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Highlights of 2020
|Image= [[File:Upsilon.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1882|04|18}}
|College= [httphttps://www.northwestern.edu/ Northwestern University]
|Location= Evanston, IL
|Homepage= [httphttps://wwwnorthwestern.northwesternkappa.edu/gogreek/community/chaptersorg/kkg.html Upsilon Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Upsilon Media related to Upsilon Chapter]
}}
'''3,202 303 initiates (as of June 20152018)'''
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Reading is Fundamental is the Fraternity’s official beneficiary, and we all greatly appreciate the importance of literacy and furthering education in our community. The Evanston “Y” has provided an excellent venue for our continued support of literacy and working with children in our community.
==Highlights of 2020s2016==
This past year was a great year for Upsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Northwestern. Our year was filled with scholarship, sisterhood, charity, and more. We sent three of our members to Convention in San Diego this summer, which was great and allowed them to bring their new information to the chapter. We also started out our year with a newly renovated home, which made living in the house even more enjoyable for everyone. We used the new living room to host movie nights or to bring together the chapter to watch the election or political debates.
 
We also had many sisterhood events such as Kappa Thanksgiving or when we went pumpkin picking. These were great opportunities for our chapter to bond and make everlasting memories. This year Upsilon also made a lot of internal changes and made progress in pushing our chapter in the right direction. We updated our risk policies and created a Change Management Team . In terms of philanthropy, we hosted many events and raised a lot of money through events such as our Spelling Bee and reading events. Not many noticable changes have occurred on the Northwestern campus, however, in terms of the nature of our chapter, Upsilon has made a lot of internal changes and has made a lot of progess in order to make our chapter a better, more sustainable, and value-based chapter. We have implemented a Change Management Team, updated our risk management policies, and more.
Besides supporting our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental, we also support Northwestern's Dance Marathon. Each year Dance Marathon chooses a new charity to support and the whole school raises money in individual teams. Kappa Kappa Gamma teams up with a fraternity each year to raise money for the cause. This year, Dance Marathon will be supporting Gigi's Playhouse, which is a nonprofit that provides support and programming to individuals with Down Syndrome. Through multiple fundraising efforts, Upsilon Chapter will raise money to support Gigi's playhouse, as well as dance for 30 hours in Dance Marathon. Each year we support and raise money for Dance Marathon because we believe it is an important part of being an active member of the Northwestern community as well as supporting local causes. As students at Northwestern, we want to give back in any way we can, and supporting Dance Marathon allows us to help charities that are close the campus, whether that be in Evanston or Chicago.
 
We hold informal chapter meetings in our living room. We are fortunate enough to have a beautiful home where many of the women in our chapter can live. In this house, we have a beautiful and newly renovated living room where we can host informal chapter, and we host formal chapter in the lower level of the home.
 
 
==Highlights of 2017==
 
2017 was a transformative year for Upsilon. From January to today, the chapter held a number of events and achieved many milestones. The winter quarter period, from January to March, began with a succcesful recruitment. Upsilon welcomed a pledge class of 36 new women. In between Big/Little week, Rock 'n Bowl and other activities, the quarter was also dedicated to transitioning the new chapter council. Our Marshal organized a phenomenal Initiation in the presence of alumnae and advisers. One of our favorite events was "Galentine's Tea" to celebrate each other and the annual favorite philanthropy event, Kappasta, was also organized to raise money for Dance Marathon. After a refreshing spring break, the chapter came back in the spring to wrap things up and prepare for summer. A few of our sisters represented Upsilon at the Leadership Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. While there, they met with our advisers and We held our spring formal at Zed451 with a fun twist: superlatives. Sisters voted on who best fit categories such as "Kappa Kat Lady," "Kween of the Kitchen,"Kappa Kardashian," "#1 Kappal," "Kappa Kouple," "Kappa Tough Kookie," "Kappa Kackle," "Kappa Kouch Potato," and others. Winners were given sashes during the formal. As the academic year wrapped up, NPC recognized the chapter for excellence in Congruencce and Accountability and Kappa HQ changed our status from Warning of Probation to Focus Letter. We accomplished many things from January to June and we left Evanston happy with the progress and focused on keeping up the work.. When we came back in September, the chapter council decided to focus on wellness. Upsilon organized a body image workshop with author and professor Dr. Renee Engeln about her book, Beauty Sick, that discusses the problematic cultural discussion of women's bodies. Upsilon and NPC partnered for the event and made it a campus-wide event, in which there were copies of the Engeln book raffled to audience members. Upsilon continued to have wellness conversations throughout the quarter. Fall quarter was also dedicated to recruitment preparation, and several workshops were held for the chapter to begin getting ready for recruitment in January. Women also volunteered at the YMCA to read to kids. Lastly, Upsilon held its fall formal at Key Club in downtown Chicago in late November. The theme was "Sapphire Ball" with women wearing blue dresses and the famed campus photographer, Justin Barbin, taking photos of the event. The House Committee also planned a staff appreciation event by making a poster with all chapter members writing their appreciation for Leo, Aida and Ms. Murray. Lastly, the quarter wrapped up with a visit from ABC News' 20/20 show crew to film the house for a special about Upsilon Kappa, Meghan Markle. Meghan will marry Prince Harry of Great Britain in May 2018 and will become a Duchess.
 
==HIghlights of 2018==
 
2018 was a great year for Kappa Kappa Gamma. We began this school year welcoming new house mom, Lynn. She has been a great addition to our chapter! Our officers continued working hard to facilitate a healthy environment in the sorority and worked to formulate a new chapter council structure. We are excited to see this play out next year. This calendar year the chapter raised money for Northwestern Dance Marathon at our annual Kappasta event. It was a great way for the new pledge class to bond with each other and older members. The chapter is now looking forward to next years Dance Marathon where we will be supporting Chicago Public Schools and the Evanston Community Foundation. Each year we support and raise money for Dance Marathon. Dance marathon is an important part of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Northwestern community because we feel it is important to support local causes and support each other at the same time. As students at Northwestern, we want to give back in any way we can, and supporting Dance Marathon allows us to help charities that are close the campus, whether that be in Evanston or Chicago.In the fall the chapter supported Reading is Fundamental by sponsoring a profit share at Blaze Pizza where part of the profits from each pizza sold were donated to RIF. It was such a fun time and a great way to raise money and awareness for RIF. The chapter also took trips to local elderly homes and read to the residents there to further help the Evanston community. The chapter holds their meetings on campus in the sorority house. Due to an influx of violence on campus, there have been increased secruity measures around the sorority quad and the chapter has responded by walking in groups at night and being aware of our surroundings. All sororities came together to implement group walking and safety measures. The chapter was very happy for our alumnae Meghan Markle on her marriage to Prince Harry. We are very fortunate as the house board has recently provided our kitchen with new appliances for the members to use. We now have access to a toaster oven as well as a panini maker, allowing the members more freedom in the kitchen.
 
==Highlights of 2019==
 
2019 was a great year for Upsilon! The winter quarter period, from January to March, began with our formal recruitment. Upsilon was honored to receive a pledge class of 25 new members. From Big/Little week to Rock 'n Bowl, our new members began to feel right at home on 1871 Orrington Avenue. Four of our chapter members additionally visited Dallas, Texas for Kappa Leadership Conference, where they learned the importance of leading by example. Thanks to our VP Member Development, we participated in a fabulous education programming about eating disorders. Our annual philanthropy event, Kappasta, was an extreme success, organized to raise money for Dance Marathon. Upsilon and Pi Kappa Alpha raised over $2500 for Communities in Schools of Chicago! Alongside Kappasta, Upsilon engaged in a Soul Cycle fundraiser for NUDM as well. To end out our winter quarter, the Kappa NUDM team raised $71,000, placing second in the large team category for best performing fundraising teams! After our spring break, the chapter came back in to wrap things up and prepare for summer. During our spring quarter, we engaged in many programmings, on topics such as sexual assault and bystander intervention. We additionally met with our district specialists and advisers to develop an Action Plan in lieu of the probation we were placed on in March. Our Philanthropy chair additionally planned an impressive event at our local philanthropy, Cornerstone Community Outreach Center, reading with underprivileged Evanston youth. To end April, we engaged in a homemade fondue sisterhood event in the Kappa Kitchen! May was filled with Kappa fun - including a great formal at Trophy Room as well as a laser tag sisterhood event! When we returned in September, we picked up right where we left off, progressing through the Action Plan and making strides towards becoming the best possible version of Upsilon. We were lucky enough to be visited by the 150 Year Sisterhood Van, where we learned a bit about the past 150 years of Kappa history as they made their way across the country from Monmouth to Convention! Additionally, our Risk Manager presented an incredible hazing prevention workshop in preparation for new members this winter. In November, we hosted an impressive philanthropy event, our first ever Family Weekend Brunch & Silent Auction to support our local philanthropy, Cornerstone Community Outreach and our national philanthropy Reading is Fundamental in the Kappa house. Finally, we closed off November with a fabulous Sapphire Ball formal at Clutch Bar in Chicago as well as a cookie decorating sisterhood event before reading and finals weeks. We can’t wait to see what is in store for Upsilon near year, and how great of a chapter we can continue to aspire to be! "
 
Northwestern has become a politically correct and inclusive campus. Northwestern has begun creating gender neutral bathrooms throughout campus buildings as well as engaging in discussions pertaining to how journalists should report on traumatic situations, as per the Daily Northwestern's coverage of the protest surrounding Jeff Sessions' speech on campus. Additionally, Northwestern celebrated its 150th anniversary of admitting women into its student body this past year, which was an incredible feat for the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma to celebrate. Northwestern is also experiencing a decline in terms of Greek life - less women are choosing to undergo recruitment overall, which results in smaller pledge classes for all chapters. This makes ensuring that Kappa's brand is a positive and welcoming one overall all the more important for Upsilon in order to ensure its success for many years to come.
 
We support Cornerstone Community Outreach. It is a local homeless shelter in Evanston. The women of Upsilon are lucky enough to have a home on 1871 Orrington Avenue and we want to enable other Evanston residents to have somewhere they can call home like we call the Kappa house.
 
We welcomed the Minnie Stewart 150 Year Sisterhood Van as it stopped on our campus! We also bought a banner to hang on the porch of our house to celebrate."
 
==Highlights of 2020==
 
2020 was a difficult year for everyone as we balanced living in a new normal during a global pandemic. Upsilon chapter had a successful winter formal recruitment where we were pleased to welcome and initiate 25 new members. We had a welcoming Big/Little week, followed by Inspiration Week, and a costume-themed formal in March. We had Northwestern Dance Marathon scheduled for the first weekend of March however, Northwestern University cancelled NUDM due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country. As the pandemic worsened, Northwestern University mandated virtual or socially distanced final exams for Winter Quarter. Many students went home before finals week, including several of Upsilon’s members. Spring Quarter at Northwestern was completely virtual, so chapter operations for Upsilon were held virtually. In the spring, we held sisterhood events over Zoom and sent out weekly newsletters, where our members bonded while being all over the world. Our Upsilon members overseas were in different time zones so we structured our virtual meetings at different times. Additionally, we realized the inaccessibility of Zoom meetings for our members who may not have access to internet or Zoom-compatible devices which led us to make all chapter events optional for attendance. We were also saddened by the retirement of our House Director, Lynn, but were happy to welcome our new House Director, Annie. In October, we celebrated Kappa’s Founders Day and the 150th year anniversary over Zoom. Additionally, thanks to our VP Membership Education, Lindsay Tanney, we held a weekly speakers series, where we invited speakers from several different social justice organizations to come teach our members ways we can incorporate inclusivity in our daily lives.
 
Our new virtual world did not stop Upsilon from continuing our philanthropic efforts. Not only were we virtual during a global pandemic, but we witnessed the violent and unjustifiable murder of George Floyd, which forced the media to bring the issues of racial injustices to the forefront. Upsilon chapter held a virtual fundraiser, using Bingo cards, to raise money for the Chicago Community Bail Fund. We chose this organization because it advocates for low-income communities who cannot afford bail. Our members participated in protests for Black Lives Matter all over the world and continued to stand against injustice. The Upsilon chapter released a public statement condemning anti-Blackness and social injustices, as well as signing several petitions urging Northwestern University to prioritize the needs of Black and Indigenous students. Being in quarantine allowed our members to truly reflect ways which they uphold white supremacist structures and think of ways to combat exclusivity. Along with the Black Lives Matter movement, we experienced a rise in the Abolish Greek Life movement, a movement on campuses across the country trying to disband Greek institutions. The Abolish Greek Life movement reached Northwestern’s campus where some Interfraternity and Panhellenic chapters disbanded. Our Upsilon chapter experienced a large wave of resignations from members because of the societal pressure placed upon members by the movement. Additionally, the financial burden of membership dues on top of financial insecurity caused by the pandemic and a high volume of unemployment led several members to resign.
 
The Abolish Greek Life at NU rose to prominence in July and led the Upsilon chapter to have several virtual meetings to discuss our chapter’s role in maintaining exclusive membership. We met with Kappa Headquarters, the Northwestern Panhellenic community, and internally with alumnae and current members to discuss and hear the different views represented in our chapter. We found that our chapter perpetuated harm in the past and currently, especially towards marginalized communities on campus. Ultimately, the Upsilon chapter decided to draft a letter to Headquarters requesting the surrender of our charter at Northwestern. This letter was signed by ¾ of active Upsilon members and was sent to the Advisory Board for their consideration.
 
==Highlights of 2021==
 
The Advisory Board denied the request to surrender the chapter, and all the chapter members that signed the letter were automatically dismissed. After this, there were only two members of the chapter left, Skylar Waldron and Tanitoluwa "Tani" Adedibu.
 
In January, students were finally allowed back on campus, and therefore allowed back in the house. With our new house director, Annie, welcoming us into the house, it made the cold season much warmer. In the Winter and Spring Quarters, four people lived in the house: the remaining two active members, and two members that took early-alumnae status. PHA cancelled primary recruitment this year because of Covid-19, but allowed chapters to recruit informally, via continuous open bidding, in the Spring Quarter.
Skylar Waldron became the President of Upsilon and led the way to reviving the chapter. In May, Skylar held informal recruitment virtually, over Zoom, with the help of Bailee Myers, Mary Belvin, Emma Caroline Belvin, and the Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. By May 16, 2021, Skylar and Tani recruited and formally pledged seven new members: Yiting "Selina" Liu, Adelaide Ray Young, Hope Jin, Abigail "Abby" Toltus, Amanda "Mandy" Zobel, Savannah Graziano, and Emma Burnham. We held our New Member Retreat at The Pot Shop in Evanston, IL, where we sculpted clay turtles; because of Covid-19, everyone was social distancing and wearing masks, in addition to most attendees being vaccinated. These seven new members were initiated into the chapter on Sunday, June 6, 2021, in a virtual ceremony that combined the three different parts of initiation into one. Since Covid-19 was still prominent, Northwestern University would not allow us to hold in-person meetings or rituals, so everything from the formal pledging, to new member education, to ritual review was held over Zoom.
These nine new members form what is, essentially, a second charter of Upsilon. Since Upsilon is now starting from scratch again, we look to our original charter members, Katharine Lucinda Sharp, Anna M. Boyle, Grace Little, Minnie Louise Scott, and Lucy Katharine Wood, for inspiration.
 
This fall, Upsilon is again participating in informal recruitment, this time in-person, and virtually for people who might be more comfortable this way. The chapter held three events, "Scoops with the Sisters," "Mask Decorating with KKG," and "Koffee with Kappas" in September. Throughout October, our chapter participated in informal recruitment through individual meetings with interested potential new members, organized by our Vice President of Membership, Amanda "Mandy" Zobel. As of now, the chapter has one new member, Rose Akcan, who was formally pledged on October 14th, 2021, and will be initiated on November 21st, 2021.
 
In early October, there were situations that occurred at Fraternity houses on campus. In light of this, the chapter decided to put out a statement through our Instagram page (kkgnorthwestern) stating that we stand with, support, and believe survivors. This was spearheaded and mostly written by our Vice President of Member Development, Savannah Graziano. Savannah has also started a Kappa Book Klub, with more details to come.
 
We are attempting to continue classic Kappa traditions like Big/Little. We have partnered with Eta Lambda, Kappa's Chapter at Loyola University-Chicago, for Big/Little, so that each member can have their own big sister. Since our campuses are so close together, a few members of Eta Lambda have volunteered to be big sisters and mentors to members of Upsilon chapter. We are looking forward to what comes from our partnership.
 
Since all members of the chapter are now vaccinated against Covid-19 and are regularly tested, the chapter is able to hold events, such as chapter, ritual, and new member education, in-person. We also have a new Chapter Adviser, Ingrid Heider, who has helped us greatly.