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|Image= [[File:Eta_iota.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|2005|04|02}}
|College= [httphttps://www.creighton.edu/ Creighton University]
|Location= Omaha, NE
|Homepage= [httphttps://chapterscreighton.kappakappagammakappa.org/etaiota/ Eta Iota Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Eta_Iota Media related to Eta Iota Chapter]}}
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'''558 600 initiates (as of June 20162018)'''
==Highlights of 2016==
Eta Iota's events over the past year included a successful Geaux Kappa themed formal recruitment, bid day at Skate City, Kappa Kupcakes, new member retreat, FunPlex sisterhood retreat, Flashback Friday Date Party, Big/Little Week, Spring Banquet at the Joslyn Art museum, COB, an overnight sisterhood retreat, and the Sapphire Ball in the spring.
In the fall we were involved with Kappa Kooldown, Welcome Week Lip Sync, COB, Kappa Klassic, a mini-golf sisterhood outing, Kappa goes Kountry date party, new member retreat, Founders Day, Academic Excellence Banquet, a scavenger hunt sisterhood event, Leadership Day, and a Masquerade Semi-Formal.
A goal of ours over the past year was to increase our Greek spirit by participating in other organization's events. We have made great progress in this area. In addition to our own events, Kappas participated in Dance Marathon, Relay for Life, Greek Week, Greek Unity week, many other Greek events, and held leadership positions on the Panhellenic Council.
Over the last year we were recognized by both Creighton University and Kappa Kappa Gamma for awards celebrating our chapter. We received the risk management award from Creighton and the Standards Award at Kappa Kappa Gamma's 71st Biennial Convention. In addition to being recognized as a chapter, a number of our members were recognized for their individual accomplishments. Over 40 of our members were on the Dean's list and several received competitive academic awards. We also had two members be initiated into Order of Omega this semester,
Last year, Creighton University welcomed its 25th president, Fr. Daniel Hendrickson. Since his inauguration, we have seen several changes associated with this new leadership. One of the President's main initiatives is to increase Creighton's global presence; Eta Iota is well represented in this regard, with several members studying, working, or serving abroad. Creighton University is home to about 4,000 undergraduates and 8,000 students overall. The Greek community is thriving, with 7 sororities and 6 fraternities who support each other very well. Creighton in general has a very close-knit community thanks to our small campus size and focus on a values-based education. Creighton is academically strong and has been ranked #1 in the Midwest for 14 consecutive years.
Each year we raise money for Kappa Kappa Gamma's national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. We also raise money for and volunteer at Conestoga Elementary School in Omaha. We were drawn to Conestoga for a few reasons. The first being it is a Reading is Fundamental school. This is a great way to see how Kappa Kappa Gamma is making a difference in the education of students. The children at Conestoga bring great joy to us! Their enthusiasm to learn is what makes us truly want to volunteer there each week.
Every Wednesday we meet in a classroom of the Haprer Center at Creighton University. This building serves as a welcome center for students, as well as the business school.
[[File:Eta Iota IMG 1067.jpg|thumb|Eta Iota members at chapter meeting]]
[[File:ETa Iotakappa council.jpeg|thumb|Eta Iota Chapter Council 2016]]
==Highlights of 2017==
The Eta Iota Chapter started the year of with a “Sapphire City” themed recruitment. We gladly welcomed 44 new members into our sisterhood. Our Spring philanthropy event, Kappa Kupcakes, was a huge success. We sold 735 cupcakes and raised over $4,000 for our philanthropy. In April, we held our Spring Banquet at the Joselyn Museum and enjoyed celebrating our chapter! We wrapped the year up with a fun formal where our sisters enjoyed taking pictures in the photo booth and dancing all night long! Kappa also got the privilege to have pizza with Father Hendrickson, which was a great opportunity to ask him questions and learn about our growing campus community. Kappa also got to put on a few yoga chapters throughout the Spring- to promote body positivity! To wrap the spring semester up, our chapter won multiple awards at Creighton’s Greek Awards. We were recognized as Membership Development Chapter of the Year, Recruitment Chapter of the Year and Risk Management Chapter of the Year.
Kappa had multiple successes during the Spring Semester, to get the school year started- some of our sisters were a part of Lip Sync which is an event put on by Creighton University every year. Kappa girls this year went full "teen angst" as their theme! We started fall semester off with our annual golf outing, Kappa Klassic. We held this event during parents’ weekend and had a great turnout! The outing included baskets to bid on and an optional brunch beforehand. Overall, it was a huge success, and a great time to spend with our sisters and families. Kappa had the pleasure of welcoming back Katrina Rieff (Eta Iota's 1st President) to speak at our Founders Day event. We also had multiple Cane's fundraisers- which were all very successful! Kappa also held it's annual Kappa Kooldown, where our sisters stand out on the mall and hand out refreshments!
Our chapter is also incorporating more events with other greek organizations. Kappa and Pi Phi held our annual monmouth duo during the fall semseter, where one of our sisters won the competition! Kappa also held a mixxed fit with Tri Delta, which is a fun fitness program that includes boot camp and dancing. We were also fortunate enough to have an overnight sisterhood retreat held outside of Omaha. This was a great opportunity for us to bond together as pledge classes and as chapter. The semester was tied up with a “Kappa Kissmas” themed semi-formal full of holiday cheer!
Recent changes on Creighton's campus include increasing campus security by increasing the hours of the shuttle and jayride. Also by adding security cars south of the interstate- for students who walk underneath the interstate. Kappa has expressed their interest in this issue by talking with Father Hendrickson and Public Safety. Eta Iota even had the privilege of learning some self-defense moves from a Public Safety officer. Another change on Creighton's campus includes the opening of two CHI health facilities, the production of the new dental school and Creighton also received a 10 million dollar donation to increase the College of Arts and Sciences. Kappa has been blessed this year to be a part of a growing community here at Creighton.
Eta Iota supports Conestoga Magnet School, an elementary school minutes from Creighton, and this continues to be our philanthropy. It’s great to see how we have become more involved with the school over the years. From assisting teachers’ in their classrooms or helping out with the school Halloween party we enjoy making a difference in the lives of the students at Conestoga. Kappa also held a fantastic Reading is Key event at Conestoga! We also held multiple Cane's fundraisers to raise money for our sisters in areas affected by the recent hurricanes. Kappa also joined the rest of the Creighton community during Dance Marathon and raised $5, 495 for children! We also had the pleasure of competing for Phi Delt's Miss Athena, which was Ana Balintona this year- who raised $917!
Eta Iota understands the relationships they foster with the students at Conestoga makes a meaningful difference in their lives and in the Omaha community. Conestoga is a Reading is Fundamental school, and our weekly volunteer work demonstrates the importance of reading and the impact it can have on a student’s life. We continue to be drawn to Conestoga because of the meaningful work we have done there and the potential to continue to make a difference.
Eta Iota found out we will be hosting Girls Academy next year and our chapter and the Omaha Alumnae Association is eager to begin preparing for the weekend long event. We understand this is an honor and we cannot wait to inspire girls in Omaha!
[[File:Eta Iota Chapter 2017.png|thumb|Eta Iota chapter members 2017]]
==Highlights of 2018==
The Eta Iota Chapter started the year of with a “Kapturing Kappa" themed recruitment. We gladly welcomed 53 new members into our sisterhood. Our Spring philanthropy event, Kappa Kupcakes, was a huge success. We sold 897 cupcakes and raised $4,485 for RIF. In April, we held our Spring Banquet at the Old Mattress Factory and enjoyed celebrating our chapter! We wrapped the year up with a fun formal where our sisters enjoyed taking pictures and dancing all night long! Kappa also had the pleasure of hosting Girls Academy this year. Our chapter also had a lot of educational chapters inlcuding: Stress Management, Women's Empowerment, Public Safety, and Breast Cancer Awareness. To wrap the spring semester up, our chapter won multiple awards at the Kappa National Convention including Excellence in Recruitment and Risk Management.
Kappa had multiple successes during the Spring Semester, to get the school year started- some of our sisters were a part of Lip Sync, which is an event put on by Creighton University every year. Kappa girls this year were "pitch perfect." We started fall semester off with a new philanthropy event, Breakfast at Kappa. We held this event during parents’ weekend and had a great turnout! Overall, it was a huge success, and a great time to spend with our sisters and families. Breakfast at Kappa was a great success by raising over $5,000 for RIF. Kappa had the pleasure of welcoming Joan Cohen to speak at our Founders Day event. Kappa also held it's annual Kappa Kooldown, where our sisters stand out on the mall and hand out refreshments! Our chapter is also incorporating more events with other greek organizations. Kappa and Pi Phi held our annual Monmouth Duo during the fall semseter. We also came in 2nd at the Dance Marathon that is held by Fraternity and Sorority Life every year. Kappa also held a date party with the theme of "Dynamic Duos." Our sisters had so much fun dancing the night away! We were also fortunate enough to have an overnight sisterhood retreat held in Ashland, NE. This was a great experience for our sisters to get to spend some time together! This was a great opportunity for us to bond together as pledge classes and as chapter. The semester was tied up with a “Snow Ball” themed semi-formal full of fun!
Recent changes on Creighton's campus includes increasing campus security by increasing the hours of the shuttle and jayride. Also by adding security cars south of the interstate- for students who walk underneath the interstate. Another change on Creighton's campus includes the opening of two CHI health facilities, the opening of the new dental school. Creighton is also working on improving the "mall" that students walk up and down for classes. Kappa has been blessed this year to be a part of a growing community here at Creighton.
Conestoga Magnet School, an elementary school minutes from Creighton, continues to be our philanthropy. It’s great to see how we have become more involved with the school of the years. From assisting teachers’ in their classrooms or helping out with the school Halloween party and parade we enjoy making a difference in the lives of the students at Conestoga. Kappa also held a fantastic Reading is Key event at Conestoga! Kappa also had the pleasure this year of recruiting three Creighton basketball players to read to kids at Conestoga during our Reading is Key event. We also held multiple percentage nights at Cane's and Chipotle to raise money for our sisters through the Kappa Foundation. Kappa also joined the rest of the Creighton community during Dance Marathon and raised $83,500 for children!
Eta Iota understands the relationships they foster with the students at Conestoga makes a meaningful difference in their lives and in the Omaha community. Conestoga is a Reading is Fundamental school, and our weekly volunteer work demonstrates the importance of reading and the impact it can have on a student’s life. We continue to be drawn to Conestoga because of the meaningful work we have done there and the potential to continue to make a difference. We also continue to donate to the Kappa Foundation.
Eta Iota also held GIRLS Academy this year and we had so much fun! All members of Eta Iota that were involved with Girls Academy had to complete "Circle of Care" training. In addition we had a speaker come talk to us from Kappa to help us get prepared for Girls Academy. We held Girls Academy through the "Holy Name" school in Omaha. We connected with girls throughout the ages of middle school. The weekend was jam packed with games, leadership talks, and of course-fun! This weekend was impactful for not only the middle school girls that were involved but also the Kappa members that participated. We are so honored to have been able to hold Girls Academy this year.
==Highlights of 2019==
Eta Iota Chapter enjoyed many events and activities in the 2019 school-year. In January, we kicked off our semester with a Glow Kappa and Kate Spade-themed recruitment. On Bid Day, we welcomed 48 new members and bonded at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. The following week, we welcomed 2 additional new members into the Psi Class and enjoyed a mini Bid Day with ice cream Sundays and other treats at Chapter.
We kicked off February with a social event that was out of this world. Our sisters had fun designing costumes for the Kappa Kappa Galactica theme. We wrapped up that same weekend with a sisterhood retreat at which we decorated Valentine’s Day cookies, made skits with an eclectic box of props, and voted on the most creative skit – the winning skit gave us a good laugh over the unreliability of the printers on Creighton’s campus. The following week, we celebrated our third annual Reading is Key event with Conestoga Magnet School, our community partner. On February 13th, our sisters helped students at Conestoga pick out books to take home and read with their families and play some fun literacy games. The same day, our House Advisor left with five of our council officers for the Kappa Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas. There, they exchanged ideas with sisters from other Chapters and learned about effective leadership. The knowledge they gained from this experience helped Eta Iota focus in on our “Why” and all the amazing things that Kappa Kappa Gamma has to offer. We closed out the month of February with a fun New Member retreat, at which the members of Eta Iota’s Psi class bonded and kicked off Big/Little week with letters from Bigs. Big/Little reveal was the following Wednesday and we enjoyed our annual tradition of letting the Littles unwrap their Bigs.
Following Spring Break, we began Inspiration Week and spent time reflecting over Ritual and what Kappa means to us as individuals and as an organization. The week coincided with Creighton University’s Fraternity and Sorority Life Unity Week, giving our members additional time to reflect on Fraternity and Sorority life and supporting our fellow Greek-affiliated organizations. That weekend we initiated all 50 members of the Psi class into our Chapter and celebrated over brunch.
We enjoyed another sisterhood retreat in April at TD Ameritrade. Our members ate Qdoba, played Frisbee, drew chalk art in the parking lot, as of course, took advantage of the photo opportunities in the beautiful weather. After the retreat, many sisters stayed to cheer on the Bluejays at the ensuing baseball game. The following day, our members attended Creighton’s annual Panhellenic Tea, where we recognized senior Courtney Child for her dedication to nursing and to Kappa. At our annual Spring Banquet, we celebrated our seniors who graduated that May and named Peyton Young as New Member of the Year and Allyson Greco as Member of the Year. The following week marked our most successful Kappa Kupcake Spring Philanthropy yet, during which we sold 1,224 cupcakes and raised over $6,000 for Reading is Fundamental. We celebrated our Kupcakes success with Formal, where we danced the night away at a Sapphire Ball.
Our Chapter was honored to be recognized as excelling in our connection with our local alumnae and academic achievement, when we were awarded the Alumni Relations Award and the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award at Creighton’s annual Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards. Emily McKenna was also recognized by the entire Fraternity and Sorority life community for her academic achievements when she received FSL’s Panhellenic Scholarship for Juniors. In May, we said goodbye to our seniors and celebrated their time in our Chapter with Senior Wills, videos put together by senior’s families, and through time spent reminiscing.
We started off the school year strong when several of our members came back early to practice for Creighton’s annual Lip Sync Battle, a tradition designed to introduce incoming freshman to our Fraternity and Sorority community. They danced to a Lady Gaga-themed mashup and definitely stole the show. We again continued our Kappa Kooldown tradition, where we hand out free Pepsi products to any students and faculty on the Mall. This event is a great way for our Chapter to get our name on campus and connect with students from all other organizations.
In September, we had a fun sisterhood retreat at which we matched our sisters to fun facts that we had previously submitted. It was a great way for our members to bond and learn about each other beyond the typical facts usually shared in ice-breaking activities. At our first social event of the semester, we danced the night away at a Kappa Kountry-themed date party.
The following weekend we hosted our second annual Breakfast at Kappa’s Fall Philanthropy event. Last year, this event replaced the Kappa Klassic, but maintained its features of coinciding with Creighton’s Family Weekend, a silent auction, and a yummy brunch. Sisters always enjoy inviting their friends and family members to learn about Kappa and our philanthropies while supporting the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. This year, we included a branch of the fundraising efforts to support Conestoga Magnet School. We raised $7,053.80 for Conestoga and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, marking another successful philanthropy event. The following weekend, some of our members also attended Creighton’s annual Dance Marathon, an event put on by the Fraternity and Sorority Life community on campus that benefits the Omaha Children's Hospital and Medical Center (a Children's Miracle Network Hospital). This event raises awareness and funds to support children with pediatric illness without worry of financial hardship. Our team, led by Kenzie Enmeier, a lead organizer for the whole event, was the top fundraising team for the event.
We kicked off October with social mixer with two other organizations on campus, Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Lambda Beta. We dressed in comfy pajamas, ate pancakes, and danced to some fun line dances. The following day, we celebrated Founders Day. There we enjoyed brunch, looked at scrapbooks dating back to 2014, when Eta Iota was founded, and shed a few tears as Sigma sister, Kimberly Arms Shirk, shared her touching story of how her sisters helped her get through her near-death experience. It was such an honor to hear her present as we were reminded to find the silver lining, lean on our sisters, and make the most of our time as active members. We also had the honor of witnessing the Founders Day Ceremony and celebrating the pinning of 65-year alumnae members. After Fall Break, we celebrated our members’ academic achievements at the Academic Banquet. Individuals were recognized for making the Dean’s List (3.5+ GPA), achieving 4.0 GPAs, and raising their GPAs.
In November, we had our overnight sisterhood retreat at Camp Kitaki in Louisville, NE. We enjoyed taking pictures for Recruitment, playing games, going on one-on-one hikes, scrapbooking, making friendship bracelets, and watching New Moon. We finished the retreat with an Eta Iota favorite, “Touch a sister who,” where members have a chance to show each other the impact each woman has had on her sisters and on the Chapter as a whole.
Soon thereafter, Eta Iota had the amazing opportunity to host the Minnie Stewart Van on November 9th. The van, a traveling museum that is on a year-long road trip to visit every Kappa chapter to celebrate Kappa’s sesquicentennial, set up shop in behind Hixon-Lied Science Building. Members enjoyed watching the Virtual Reality depiction of the events of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s founding, adding to the time capsule, and checking out the fun artifacts. It was such a cool opportunity to see and interact with Kappa’s history and to see how we are a part of it, too. We are all eager to see how Kappa changes in the next 50 years and to see the time capsule opened in 2070!
As the semester came to a close, we welcomed in our new officers, hosted a few more percent nights at various restaurants in Omaha to raise money for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and celebrated our successes this semester at an Owl Be Home for the Holidays-themed Semi-formal. We are eager to finish up finals, have restful Winter Breaks, and arrive back on campus ready to recruit some phenomenal new members in January.
reighton University and our campuses Fraternity and Sorority Life approved the installment of a new fraternity, Delta Chi , on our campus Fall 2019. Delta Chi will begin the founding process and will participate in IFC Recruitment in the Spring of 2020. The campus is eager to see how the addition of this Chapter will influence our community.
The Creighton Climate Movement, an underground organization designed to fight for climate justice and create change on our campus, gained momentum this year as they almost passed a referendum to encourage Creighton University to divest from fossil fuels. over 85% of voters voted to approve the referendum, but administration did not feel that divesting would be in Creighton University's financial interests. Students on campus continue to work to create change.
Eta Iota continues to be known on campus for our diversity and inclusiveness. Our Chapter strives to be a welcoming enviornment where women of all backgrounds can find a home. We are always proud to see how incoming classes lead our Chapter and lead other organizations as well.
Conestoga Magnet School, an elementary school minutes from Creighton, continues to be our Chapter philanthropy. It’s great to see how we have become more involved with the school of the years, as we have more classrooms asking to be involved with our Friday afternoon volunteering program every year. Eta Iota also holds an annual Reading is Key event at Conestoga! We also join the rest of the Creighton community during Dance Marathon and raised money for children facing childhood illnesses. Eta Iota understands the relationships they foster with the students at Conestoga makes a meaningful difference in their lives and in the Omaha community. Conestoga is a Reading is Fundamental school, and our weekly volunteer work demonstrates the importance of reading and the impact it can have on a student’s life. We continue to be drawn to Conestoga because of the meaningful work we have done there and the potential to continue to make a difference. We continue to grow our relationship with all those at Conestoga, including students, teahcers, and administrators and are ever happy to grow our involvement and interaction with Conestoga students.
ta Iota celebrated Founders Day at Champion's Run Golf Course. There, we had brunch, talked to alumnae members, browsed scrapbooks from as early as Eota's Founding in 2014, and witnessed the Founders Day Ceremony. We also had the pleasure of seeing the pinning ceremony of three 65-year members and were reminded that the bonds of Kappa Kappa Gamma spreads far beyond our college years. We also had the special treat of hearing Sigma member, Kimberly Arms Shirk, speak. She shared with us her near-death experience and reminded us to find the silver lining, lean on our sisters, and make the most of our collegiate expereinces.
Sesquicentennial plans: We enjoyed performing the Founders Day Ceremony at Founders Day this year and are eager to do so again next year. Our Chapter also enjoyed hosting the Minnie Stewart Van in Novemeber. We were inspired by the time capsule on board the van and are planning to create one of our own. Incoming Marshal also plans to host a birthday party for Kappa . We are eager to see what the next year will bring for our chapter as we approach Kappa's 150th anniversary.
==Highlights of 2020==
[[File:Eta Iota Chapter Council 19-20.png|thumb|Eta Iota CC 2019-2020]]
This year has been unlike another other for Eta Iota. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed 38 new members after successful recruitment. Our recruitment lasted from January 11th to the 18th. [[File:Class of 2021 eta iota.png|thumb|class of 2021]] We hosted Sarah Stoner, a leadership consultant, during the week of recruitment. She was able to assist the chapter council and the recruitment chair throughout the week. Bid Day was held on January 18th, and the theme was Camp Kappa. We celebrated at the Vintage Ballroom in downtown Omaha, where we can make s'mores, dance the day away, and spend time with our sisters. On January 22nd the new members went through formal pledging. [[File:Eta Iota NMs.png|thumb|NM class]] The program behind happy faces took place on January 25th. And to end the month of January, the chapter had a ritual review before the chapter on January 29th. [[File:Eta Iota Chi class.png|thumb|Chi class]]
In February, our event chairman Colleen Follis hosted a date party on the 21st. The theme for this event was decades. On the 22nd, the new members had their new member retreat. At this event, they received letters from their Bigs. This marked the beginning of Big Little week for Eta Iota. Big Little reveal was on February 26th, and each Kappa family welcomed their newest members! On the 28th, we had our annual "Reading is Key" event at Conestoga Magnet School. At the event, we read to the students and gave them their own book to take home. Then on the 29th, we had a sisterhood retreat inspired by the game family feud. During the retreat, members were able to spend time with their Kappa family and make buttons and spend the day getting to know the new members. Then after midterms, we went on spring break from March 7th- 15th.
The week following spring break for Eta Iota was supposed to be Inspiration week; however, things did not go as planned. Creighton University went to fully online learning for the remainder of the semester. This meant for Eta Iota that we would no longer meet in person for the rest of 2020. However, this did not stop us from holding virtual events. On April 22nd we held a virtual senior night for the class of 2020. We spent the evening listening to the senior's stories and catching up like our fellow kappas. It was a lovely way to bring closure to our graduating seniors in what is now the new normal.
Then on Thursday, May 14th, Eta Iota held its very first virtual initiation. Our Marshal Katie Mumm invited our chapter founder Joanie Cohen to the ceremony to witness this one of a kind event. This was a historic event for our chapter, and we were so thrilled to have this experience. After the ceremony, we had an entire chapter zoom where we had dinner together and welcomed the newly initiated members into our chapter. It was a night with lots of laughs, fun, zoom games, and connecting virtually.
Over the summer, Creighton University announced that they would be returning to in person learning in the fall. [[File:Eta Iota sisters.png|thumb|sisters with masks]] This was fantastic news for our members because we could all be in Omaha together once again. August 17th marked our first day of classes. Creighton University offered a range of courses from asynchronous to synchronous to accommodate the community. Then on August 26th we held our first chapter of the year. Throughout the semester, we held weekly chapter meetings. We had fun breakout activities planned by our vice president of standards and the chapter council at these meetings.
On October 9th our event chairman Colleen Follis hosted a fun virtual semi-formal. The theme was TV Shows and Movies. Sisters came in a range of outfits, including Hallie and Annie, from the Parent Trap to the iconic character of Draco Malfoy, to name a few. Over the semester, we had virtual recruitment practices to go over the new vote rules and figure out how to recruit in an online setting. [[File:ETa Iota fall.png|thumb|fall with masks]]
This year, we are hosting an online Facebook auction in place of Breakfast at Kappa's. The auction took place from October 13th- 17th and was planned by our philanthropy chairman Kayla Schilke. All proceeds from this event will benefit our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, and our local philanthropy, Conestoga Magnet School. For Conestoga, the funds were used to buy books for first and second graders. [[File:Eta iota on campus.png|thumb|on campus - fall]]
[[File:Eta iota on campus2.png|thumb|on campus]] On October 13th, we celebrated our Sesquicentennial. Our education chairman Katie Ramirez put this event on. After the event, we had guest speakers speak on what Kappa means to them. It was a great evening filled with history in connection to celebrate 150 years of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Katie put together a video from the past members who shared some warm regards and uplifting messages. They know that this year is extremely challenging for us as a chapter, just the uncertainty of the global pandemic we're in, which is why they wanted to bring us some joy in video messages. It was a lovely night spent together with sisters and encompassed our sisterhood in a way where we could safely connect. It is an interesting way to celebrate our 150th year; however, we are excited to continue to celebrate Kappa for many years to come.Eta Iota also received two honorable mentions for unhoused chapters for the Gracious Living Award and the Finance Award at the virtual convention this year. [[File:Eta iota with masks.png|thumb|with masks]]
In the following week, chapter council nominations began. Annie Collopy served as the nomination committee chairman. The slate was presented on October 21st. Chapter elections took place on October 28th, and the new officers were installed by our chapter president Madi Corsi on November 4th.The new officers are …Kayla Schilke- President Katie Ramirez - Vice President – Standards Cara Buckley - Vice President – Organization Alex Van Cleave -Vice President – Academic Excellence Jessica Jagelski – Secretary Carly Araje – Treasurer Maddy Hirchert – Marshal Peggy Dunn - Education Chairman Sophie Barnes - Event Chairman Sarah Noone - House Chairman Emily Carlson - Membership Chairman Faith Carlson - New Member Chairman Kenna Frasier - Panhellenic Delegate Cali Rawhouser-Mylet - Philanthropy Chairman Olivia Peters - Public Relations Chairman Kat Willegalle - Risk Management Chairman. To help with the transition process, Eta Iota hosted a virtual leadership consultant Sara Johnston. We loved having Sara, and the chapter council appreciated her help to aid in the transition process. As the year 2020 comes to a close, Eta Iota is preparing for our formal recruitment process, which will begin in early January.
Conestoga Magnet School, an elementary school minutes from Creighton, continues to be our Chapter philanthropy. It's great to see how we have become more involved with the school over the years, as we have more classrooms asking to be involved with our Friday afternoon volunteering program every year. Eta Iota also holds an annual Reading is Key event at Conestoga! We also join the rest of the Creighton community during Dance Marathon and raised money for children facing childhood illnesses. Due to the unforeseeable circumstances in the year 2020, our chapter could not fundraise as much as we previously had done in the past. However, this did not stop our philanthropy chair Kayla Schilke from raising money for our philanthropies. Our Kappa online auction brought in $1,410 and the percent night at Chipotle brought in $364. We were able to raise $1,774 this year! Eta Iota understands the relationships they foster with the students at Conestoga make a meaningful difference in their lives and the Omaha community. Conestoga is a Reading is Fundamental school, and our weekly volunteer work demonstrates the importance of reading and its impact on a student's life. We continue to be drawn to Conestoga because of the meaningful work we have done there and the potential to make a difference. We continue to grow our relationship with all those at Conestoga, including students, teachers, and administrators, and are ever happy to expand our involvement and interaction with Conestoga students.
For diversity equity and inclusion, the chapter council decided to elect a position on the education committee. The first sister to serve in this position is Kenzie Nelson. Throughout the year, our education chairman and our recruitment chair put on several programs that help educate our members further on diversity equity and inclusion. Creighton University does an excellent job pursuing these endeavors through programs that all undergraduates must complete to be leaders on another campus. there's still more work to be done in this field, and Eta Iota is taking the steps needed to educate our members on diversity equity and inclusion. [[File:Eta iota on quad.png|thumb|on the quad]] [[File:Eta iota night out with sisters.png|thumb|sisterhood event]]
==Highlights of 2021==
This year has been unlike any other for Eta Iota. We have learned how to battle through Covid-19 and build our sisterhood back up.
[[File:Eta Iota 1.png|thumb|Eta Iota]]
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At the beginning of the year, we welcomed 40 new members after successful and virtual recruitment. Our recruitment lasted from January 16th to the 23rd. Bid Day was held on January 24th, and the theme was Kapp Kozy. We celebrated online via Zoom, where we played games, did karaoke, and watched a movie. On January 27th the new members went through formal pledging in person during the first chapter of the year.
In February, on the 3rd, the new members had their first new member hours. On the 6th, the new member retreat happened. At this event, they received letters from their Bigs. This marked the beginning of Big Little week for Eta Iota. Big Little reveal was on February 26th, and each Kappa family welcomed their newest members!
Big/Little was on March 3rd! We did this in person after a ritual review for Initiation in March. Our chapter also had an EME on March 6th. This program was the first part of Courage to Commit. In addition, we did a small philanthropy event called Kappa Kreations. Our prior Philanthropy Chair, Cali Rawhouser-Mylet got together items to sell to raise money for our philanthropy since we were unable to do Kappa Kupcakes. Instead of Spring Break, Creighton chose to do a “Wellness Wednesday.” All students got one day off of classes. The following week was I-Week. The Marshal, Maddy Hirchert had events such as a study night with families for Midterms and a game night. She worked together with the Membership Chair, Emily Carlson to do a Family Finding Frenzy on Creighton’s campus. FS was on Friday, March 19th, and hybrid. The new members were in person and the rest of the chapter was on Zoom. The next morning, we did a combined service. With time constraints because of scheduling on Creighton’s campus and the limit of people in a room at a time, we had to do four rounds of initiation to initiate all the new members. We had all their families present and their bigs got to pin them. Afterwards, they all got brunch goodie bags since we were not allowed to have an actual brunch. The first New Member meeting took place March 24th.
At the beginning of April, we had a small Easter Break. Then as soon as we got back, the Secretary, Jessica Jagelski, hosted composites. We could not find a photographer and had to follow Covid guidelines, so Jess did this all herself. She took all the pictures and put together the composite. On Saturday, April 10th we had the EME, Courage to Commit Part 2. After this, we got great news... we were allowed to do Kappa Kupcakes!! It was small and we had to use Sodexo on Creighton’s campus but once again, Cali Rawhouser-Mylet made it happen. Next we had our annual Spring Banquet. Only seniors were allowed to be in person, the rest of the chapter was on Zoom. Peggy Dunn, our Education Chair, did a wonderful job organizing this. During Creighton’s Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) Week, there were many events Kappas took part in. There was Lip Sync, Craft Ax Throwing Takeover, our own sisterhood retreat organized by Katie Ramirez, and finally Reading is Key for Conestoga Magnet School.
After a busy April, all members finished out Finals, and the seniors graduated on May 15th. June and July were quiet. Our Public Relations Chair, Olivia Peters kept us connected via our social media accounts.
Over the Summer, Creighton University announced that we would be back to normal on campus with some small limitations.
The first day of school was Wednesday, August 18th. On Friday, August 20th, LipSync happened on Creighton’s campus and lots of Kappas participated in this! It was so much fun and the Kappas took 3rd place out of all sororities on campus. The first Chapter was organized by our President, Kayla Schilke. She got us an ice cream truck so we all sat outside eating ice cream and catching up with our sisters. This was Wednesday, August 25th.
The first Senior Meeting for Psi Class was September 8th, 2021, organized by Peggy Dunn. Our Membership Chair, Emily Carlson hosted a table in the Skutt Student Center for COB. Through this process, we ended up getting two new girls, Amber and Juliana. We also had our first date party of the semester, organized by our Event Chairman, Sophie Barnes. The theme was “Kappa Gammies”, aka Dress As A Song Title.
October got very busy for Eta Iota. On the first Friday, we had our COB event in person at Zen Coffeehouse, a few minutes from campus. A group of members met the PNMs there, ordered coffee and played games. Before our Fall Break, our NomCom Chair, Camryn Halboth, asked all individual slates and personal preference forms to be due. Our Fall Break then was Sunday, October 10th through Sunday, October 17th. Our new slate was presented Wednesday, October 20th. Then later that week, Cali Rawhouser-Mylet organized another Percent Night, on Friday October 22nd. In addition, our Marshal, Maddy Hirchert, hosted an Omega and Alpha Alpha class sleepover for the classes to bond and get to know each other better. This sleepover was at MediBadge, a company with an Eta Iota alum. The girls played Never Have I Ever Bingo, Sardines, board games, and watched movies. There were plenty of snacks and breakfast for the morning. The breakfast fueled the girls for Saturday, because that is when Dance Marathon was. Eta Iota was the top raiser in all of FSL with a grand total of $6, 902.50! After Dance Marathon, Eta Iota had Founder’s Day at the Hilton in Aksarben on Sunday, October 24th. All members, advisors, and the Omaha Alumni Association were there. We had a great time with a delicious breakfast.
In the following week, Chapter elections took place on October 28th. The new officers were installed by our President, Kayla Schilke, and Marshal, Maddy Hirchert.
The new officers are ...
Kenna Frasier- President
Katherine Willegalle - Vice President – Standards
Madie Beninato- Vice President – Organization
Katie Kelly -Vice President – Academic Excellence
Emily Carlson- Secretary
Carly Araje - Treasurer
Peggy Dunn - Marshal
Devyn Just- Education Chairman
Molly DePooter- Event Chairman
Claire Gerken - House Chairman
Corine Noethe- Membership Chairman
Miranda Burgisay- New Member Chairman
Attisen McCorkle- Panhellenic Delegate
Kyla DeLuca - Philanthropy Chairman
Jocelyn Sierck - Public Relations Chairman
Makayla Carr- Risk Management Chairman
To help with the transition process, Eta Iota hosted an in-person Leadership Day on Saturday, October 30th. Old and New Council members came, as well as Catherine Medici. Advice was shared and information for each position as well. In addition, the night before, we had our second date party of the semester with a fraternity on campus, Pi Beta Phi. The Kappas and Betas were in the Capital District dressed up for Halloween. While we enjoyed everyone's costumes, we snacked on pizza and homemade cookies by active member Maddy Hirchert’s own bakery, M’s Bakery.
As the year 2021 comes to a close, Eta Iota is preparing for our formal recruitment process, which will begin in early January.
Chapter Philanthropy: Conestoga Magnet School, an elementary school minutes from Creighton, was our Chapter philanthropy before the national switch Kappa made. It was great to see how we have become more involved with the school over the years, as we had more classrooms asking to be involved with our Friday afternoon volunteering program every year. Eta Iota also held an annual Reading is Key event at Conestoga! We also joined the rest of the Creighton community during Dance Marathon and raised money for children facing childhood illnesses. This last Dance Marathon, our chapter raised the most money out of all of FSL on campus. We raised a whopping $6,902.50!
Due to the limitations from Covid-19 in 2021, our chapter could not fundraise as much as we previously had done in the past. However, this did not stop our philanthropy chair Cali Rawhouser-Mylet from raising money for our philanthropies. Our Kappa Kreations event brought in $1,339 and the percent night at Chipotle brought in $269.10. The percent night at Panera also brought in $45. In addition, at our annual event, Breakfast at Kappas, we raised $6,560 and $2,822 from Kappa Kupcakes. In total, we were able to raise over $11,000.
We choose this philanthropy because Eta Iota understands that the relationships they foster with the students at Conestoga make a meaningful difference in their lives and the Omaha community. Conestoga is a Reading is Fundamental school, and our weekly volunteer work demonstrates the importance of reading and its impact on a student's life. We continue to be drawn to Conestoga because of the meaningful work we have done there and the potential to make a difference. We continue to grow our relationship with all those at Conestoga, including students, teachers, and administrators, and are ever happy to expand our involvement and interaction with Conestoga students. Our Chapter has decided to keep working with Conestoga, because we see our impact. We will now be focusing on mental health with the children. We are also looking for another place to donate money as well.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: For diversity, equity, and inclusion, the chapter council decided to elect a position on the education committee. The first sister to serve in this position is Kenzie Nelson. After Kenzie, the chapter elected Katie Schumacher, and currently we have Madi Barker. Throughout the year, our education chairman and our recruitment chair put on several programs that help educate our members further on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Creighton University does an excellent job pursuing these endeavors through programs that all undergraduates must complete to be leaders on another campus. There's still more work to be done in this field, and Eta Iota is taking the steps needed to educate our members on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
==Highlights of 2022=
==Highlights of 2020s:==