Difference between revisions of "Eta Lambda"

Revision as of 13:22, 22 December 2021

Eta Lambda
HΛ
Founded	March 31, 2007 (2007-03-31) (17 years ago)
College	Loyola University Chicago
Location	Chicago, IL
Homepage	Eta Lambda Homepage
Media related to Eta Lambda Chapter

Loyola University, Chicago, established in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, Chicago, Illinois

Founded March 31, 2007 -- ___ charter members

590 initiates (as of June 2018)

Outstanding Eta Lambda Alumnae

Fraternity Officers:

Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:

Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:

Additional Outstanding Eta Lambda Alumnae:
-Whitney Cross, Leadership Consultant, 2014-2015

Loyola University Chicago, a private university founded in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, is the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic University and the only one located in Chicago, Illinois. It is comprised of four campuses: Lake Shore (LSC), Water Tower (WTC), Medical Center, and the John Felice Rome Center in Italy; and is home to ten schools and colleges: arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China.

With record-breaking student growth, nearly 16,000 undergraduate students study nursing, education, business and more on this campus which sits on the shore of Lake Michigan. Fraternities and sororities have been a part of Loyola University Chicago since 1924. Loyola currently has 17 social Greek organizations. The previous information excerpted from the Loyola University website.

From the beginning

Installed in March 2007, Eta Lambda Chapter at Loyola University Chicago is Kappa's 133rd active chapter. Kappa was invited by 61 members of an existing local sorority to join the Panhellenic spirit on this campus which includes Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Phi Sigma Sigma. With record-breaking student growth, nearly 10,000 undergraduate students study nursing, education, business and more on this campus, which sits on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Loyola's motto, Learn Broadly; Serve Generously; Lead Courageously,parallels Kappa's mission-it's a natural fit for Kappa and Loyola.

Highlights of 2007-2010

In February 2007, the chapter hosted its first annual Family Weekend. There were many fun, exciting events, and families of the actives caught a glimpse of the joy that comes along with being a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. By March the women joined with other Loyola teams at the annual Relay for Life, an overnight philanthropy to raise money for the American Cancer Association. The chapter came in third place for the amount of money raised. Overall, Loyola University raised a total of more than $35,000 for the cause.

Installed in March, 2007 Eta Lambda Chapter at Loyola University Chicago is Kappa’s 133rd chapter. Kappa was invited by 61 members of an existing sorority to join the Panhellenic spirit on this campus, which includes Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and Phi Sigma Sigma. Kappa Kappa Gamma was chosen to replace Loyola's Kappa Beta Gamma Epsilon chapter.

April’s main event was the chapter’s first formal dance held at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Chicago. Trolleys were rented to transport the women and their dates from campus to the hotel. The elaborate event was deemed a major success by the members and their dates. School resumed for the 2008-2009 school year in August with the chapter participating in the AIDS walk, at that time, there were a slightly more than 50 girls in Eta Lambda.

September fall Recruitment was a major success adding 41 new members to the sorority, making it the largest chapter on campus with 93 diverse women. The active members were so excited that Eta Lambda was growing, and the new girls were anxious to experience everything that was yet to come.

During that Recruitment weekend, two of the actives had the honor of attending the 2008 Kappa Kappa Gamma Leadership Academy. They came back to the chapter glowing from the weekend, eager to share with all the fun they had and the things they learned. It was an unbelievable experience and they passed on what they could to those who could not attend through pictures, memories, stories, and experiences. The lessons learned strengthened the Eta Lambda bond with their sisters across the country and with one another.

October was a very busy month for the women of Eta Lambda. They celebrated Founder’s Day by attending a ceremony and dinner at the Upsilon chapter house at neighboring Northwestern University. The chapter felt it was important for the newest Kappas to meet other Chicago area sisters in celebration of the Fraternity’s history.

On October 17 a new philanthropy, Charity Denim was held. The event involved the sale of designer jeans, with brands such as Seven and True Religion, at a discounted price. Proceeds from the event went to Holly’s House™, the Child and Adult Advocacy Center based in Evansville, Indiana. The center is named in honor of the work Holly Dunn Pendleton, a Kappa Alumnae has done in educating the community on how to assist victims of sexual violence, as well as her personal efforts to reach out and help victims of sexual assault. The Eta Lambda chapter welcomed Holly to the Loyola campus to speak and assist the event. Her speech moved everyone in the room to tears, while simultaneously inspiring the women to grow to be the best they can be to make a difference in the world. The sale was open to the entire campus with donations totaling more than $700 to the cause. For the women of Eta Lambda, Charity Denim was a great achievement. During the same weekend, the Kappas invited dates and friends to attend a Chicago Bulls basketball game. Although the Bulls lost, everyone had a great time and the new girls had a chance to invite their non-Kappa friends to meet their new sisters.

Next on the chapter agenda was an event-packed Greek Week which ended with the first annual Greek Ball. Eta Lambda took first place in the pumpkin carving contest with their craving of an owl and second place in Greek Week overall.

November was a fantastic month to be a Kappa at Loyola. Busy, but thrilling the month held many new experiences for the chapter. The women participated in the Powder-puff games with four campus sororities competing in flag football from November 7 through 9. The Kappas were proud to win the competition.

The very important and exciting Inspiration Week took place with each day themed by important aspects of Kappa: Beauty, Love, Goodness, Truth, Friendship and Loyalty. It was a motivating week for the new members allowing them to bond with the rest of their sisters.

On November 15, 2008, the pledge class was initiated. Mothers and sisters of legacies surprised their girls and there were endless tears, hugs, and laughter. The weekend after Initiation, two coach buses filled with Kappas in matching shirts traveled the six hours to Columbus, Ohio. Once there, the women visited Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters and held an overnight sisterhood retreat. The Kappas were thrilled and fascinated to view actual artifacts of the Fraternity’s founders. The women enjoyed learning about Kappa’s past, while planning for their chapter’s future. Chapter elections were held and all were excited to have a new council ready to take on the New Year.

Throughout the school year, small retreats for the new members, and mixers with fraternities and sports teams were organized. Like all chapters, the girls had challenges and difficulties. But the chapter successfully made it through them, learning valuable lessons along the way. 2008 was a very exciting year for the Eta Lambda Chapter. They strongly believed their situation on the campus of Loyola was different from what other Kappa chapters may experience, but still enjoyed the great sisterhood and love of being members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The chapter had 93 girls, with Kappas studying in Ireland, Mexico, and Rome. Many of the women received scholarships. The cumulative GPA was 3.078. Greek life was not very large of the campus of Loyola, so the chapter, with the other sororities and fraternities, did its best to show Greek pride and encourage campus support during its events.

By the end of 2008, the "museum in a box" National had proved to the chapter for its archives contained pictures, scrapbooks, and binders holding important papers from the first year. Such a young chapter, members were establishing themselves and busy getting the Kappa brand out to the rest of the campus. Growing in size, strength, and love, the women enjoyed every event and memory that took place at Loyola University Chicago.

The membership experienced issues with communications between Council members and the rest of the chapter. The chapter was able to find solutions by organizing committees with an emphasizes on in-house communication. One solution to the problem was solved when the chapter began to email the Council minutes along with the Chapter minutes to all members of Eta Lambda. When Panhellenic Council elections were held for 2009. An Eta Lambda was elected Panhellenic Secretary, another chosen Vice President of Financial Affairs; a third was voted Ministry Liaison, with a fourth elected Multicultural Liaison. With that, the chapter held the maximum amount of women per sorority allowed on the Panhellenic Council. The chapter was extremely proud of these women, their hard work and involvement.

Fraternity Awards: Chapter Excellence Award for Service and Panhellenic Leadership Outstanding Chapter President Brittany Nielson

2009 was another amazing year for the chapter at Loyola University Chicago. Being at a smaller-sized Jesuit University can at times be difficult when seeking diversity. Within their young chapter, the members of Eta Lambda have found great variety among all of the sisters, but in the end, have commonality with their bonds to Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The sorority as a whole had a 3.19 GPA. With Greek life growing on campus, it was important to the members to have a successful and fun time with Recruitment. They were thrilled to have 43 new members invited into Eta Lambda teaching the girls the important aspects of being a Kappa Kappa Gamma through philanthropy, sisterhood and social events. The chapter growth made it one of the largest sorority chapters on campus.

Immediately following rush, a member was fortunate enough to attend the leadership conference from September 17th to the 20th, in Columbus Ohio. There, she joined over 350 Kappa actives and alumni from across the United States and Canada. Even though the conference was for Kappa sisters, the main goal of it was not to just become a better sister, but to become a better woman, something essential for the Eta Lambda chapter to learn and love.

In November, Panhellenic Elections took place. The chapter was happy to have two of its members elected to the Panhellenic Council as Vice President of External Affairs and as Assistant Vice President of Recruitment.

Parents’ weekend was held on the last weekend of January. It was a great opportunity for the women to share their Kappa life with their families. The weekend was filled with activities including attending the Broadway show, Tony and Tina’s Wedding; a delicious fondue dinner at the Melting Pot and ice-skating at Millennium Park. By including their parents in these events the women felt it gave their parents a greater understanding of the Kappa bond.

On February 13, the chapter held its semi-formal at the Fireside Grill in Evanston, Illinois. Another great social event, Krush party was organized in March. This was an event that Eta Lambda shared with another sorority on campus, Alpha Sigma Alpha. Krush party was held at a local venue and it gave everyone involved a perfect chance to get to know more people in the Greek community. But, the event of the year had to be the chapter formal. It was held on April 18 and for the first time, took place aboard on a boat on Lake Michigan. The boat cruised the beautiful skyline of Chicago, making this an unforgettable night and a favorite memory for many of the girls.

March 2009, started off with the cancer research philanthropy, Relay for Life. Raising $2000, Eta Lambda came in third place for the most money raised. With great attendance from the chapter members it was a special way to spend time with their sisters while supporting a good cause. In September, the members brought back Charity Denim and with the help of fellow students, raised $300 towards Reading Is Fundamental. In October, Eta Lambda organized Kappa Klassic, their largest philanthropy event of the year, an indoor, glow in the dark, golf course. With donations from the university, the participation from fellow students, other members in Greek life, and from the community, Kappa Klassic was a success raising $850 towards the AIDS foundation. The chapter ended the year with one last social event, Date Night, with the women inviting their dates and friends to the circus at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. This was a perfect opportunity for everyone to enjoy an evening with their sisters before finals and winter break. In 2010 the chapter was extremely productive. Home to 109 members, the women held a strong presence in the Loyola University Chicago community. Their overall GPA was 3.33 and was the highest among Greek organizations on campus.

February 2010 began with the chapter’s first philanthropy event of the year, “Reading is Key,” followed by a themed Semi-Formal “Kappa Kaliente” at Grand Central in Lincoln Park. The event chairman put together a wonderful evening at a great venue for dancing, filled with delicious appetizers and an amazing evening to bond with Kappa sisters. The month ended with participation in the Up ‘Til Dawn Letter Sending Party, raising awareness for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and an evening hosted at a local comedy club as a sisterhood event. In March, Loyola’s Panhellenic Council organized a “Dating Doctor Event” with a dating coach guest speaker pointing out dating do’s and don’ts to the Greek community.

On March 29th a chapter birthday party celebration was held with cupcake refreshments. Several area alumni attended sharing their experiences as Kappas with the girls. The chapter celebrated the approaching end of the semester with a Sapphire Ball formal, held at Hotel Sax in downtown Chicago in April 2010. It was a happy occasion to dress up, dance and bond with sisters and their dates.

The last philanthropy event of the semester, “I See a KKG,” combined Loyola organizations (including the fraternities and sports teams) to organize a campus-wide, week long water gun fight. Greek Houses wore their letters during the week and if spotted were squirted with water guns. The event raised $100 with the proceeds donated to Heartland Animal Shelter. After a long summer break, school resumed for the 2010-2011 academic year in August. Recruitment saw the chapter welcome 32 new wonderful women into E’s Fleur de Lies pledge class on September 19. The theme for the day was “Candy Land,” and with everyone swarming the candy-shop style tables.

On October 23, the chapter gathered for their Semi-formal “Kappa Krush” event at Salute Wine Bar in downtown Chicago. An outstanding event, the evening was great fun filled with dancing and laughter. The fall months were also filled with many new member retreats.

November was an important month for the chapter, filled with bonding, philanthropy, and a very special event. The members gathered at Comedy Sports, an Improv theater located in Chicago on November 5th. The women had fun letting loose, laughing, and being invited to get involved with the actors on stage. On November 6th, the chapter began an annual event called Kappa Klassic, a black-light mini-golf themed philanthropy event held on campus. Everyone in the community was invited to join, and other organizations sponsored and decorated different golf holes. Refreshments included a cotton candy machine and a pie-eating contest. The event raised $672 for the Imerman Angels, a non-for-profit organization providing one-on-one support for cancer patients.

Eta Lambdas have an ongoing volunteer relationship with Children’s Memorial Hospital, and a small group of women hosted Kappa Kraft Night with the patients twice a month. The highly anticipated Inspiration Week was held November 14-20. Each day was themed with important aspects of Kappa; Love, Friendship and Loyalty, Goodness, Beauty, Truth and Purity. It was truly an inspiring week for the new class. On November 20th, they were initiated into Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The chapter closed the year with elections. Actives had been extremely productive in philanthropy, sisterhood, and scholarship. Members took each success as inspiration to go above and beyond expectations, to grow stronger in both size and strength, and to continue showing their love for Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The chapter prides itself on the active participation of sisters in several on-campus organizations outside of Kappa. Members are diverse, and so are their interests. The women are involved with different campus activities and organizations, including: Advocate; AMSA- American Medical Student Associate; Autism Speaks; Best Buddies; Beta Rho- School of Communications Honor Society; Campus Crusade for Christ; College Against Cancer; College Democrats; COPAA; Criminal Justice Organization; Future Teachers; Global Brigades; HAS; Intramural Soccer; Italian Club; KSO; Loyola 4 Chicago; Loyola Coalition for the Homeless; Loyola Companions; LUC EMS; Misericordia; MSA; Neuroscience Society; Order of Omega- Greek Honor Society; Pre-Dental Association; PRSSA; Psychology Club; RHA; SNAIL; Student Ambassadors; Student Community Board; Student Nurses Association; Student Philanthropy Committee; Students for Like; The Phoenix- Student Newspaper ; Undergraduate English Association; Up till Dawn; USGA- University Student Government Association; and Women's Club Volleyball.

The growing interest in the Greek system at Loyola marked a shift from previous decades, when few students participated in fraternities and sororities. In 2011, participation had grown by the hundreds each year since 2009, with the chapter size of social fraternities and sororities at 65-110 members, even with the addition of new organizations. Six sororities comprise the Loyola Panhellenic Council. Within a short span of time, the vibrant women of Eta Lambda quickly became a well-established chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Since being installed in 2007, Eta Lambda has grown and expanded to epitomize sisterhood and philanthropy in the Loyola community. In 2011 the chapter held the second highest overall GPA of the Greek organizations on campus. They continue to grow both in number of members as well as in the outreach and impact we are able to have on campus.

Highlights of 2011 – 2019

2011 was a busy, fun, and productive year. The chapter welcomed a new pledge class this past fall, which was very exciting. In addition, Loyola University Chicago welcomed Alpha Delta Pi to campus and the Eta Lambda Chapter served as a guide in their acclimation to campus and to help them in establishing themselves. The women hosted several philanthropy events, such as Kappa Klassic and were able to help a worthy cause with funds raised.

Fraternity Awards: In 2011, at the 41st Biennial Epsilon Province Meeting, Loyola took home two awards: Risk Management and Greatest Improvement.

Highlights of 2011

This year was a busy, fun, and productive one. We welcomed our new pledge class this passed fall, which was very exciting. In addition our school, Loyola University Chicago, welcomed Alpha Delta Pi to campus and our chapter has served as a guide in their acclimation to campus and to help them in establishing themselves. We hosted several philanthropy events, such as Kappa Klassic where we were able to help a worthy cause with funds that we raised.

Campus: Loyola University is a Jesuit University on Lake Michigan with almost 16,000 students enrolled. This past year has held many changes on campus, such as many projects to improve the campus and community. One of the greatest has been the addition of Alpha Delta Pi last semester to our greek community.

Chapter: Since being installed in 2007, Eta Lambda has grown and expanded to epitomize sisterhood and philanthropy in the Loyola community. We currently hold the second highest overall GPA of the Greek organizations on campus. We are growing both in number of members as well as in the outreach and impact we are able to have on campus.

This past year has gone very smoothly for our chapter. One of the biggest changes is that our Council will now work in accordance with the school year instead of the calendar year, which required some transition, but we have been able to move smoothly with the support of one another.

Highlights of 2012

This year was an exciting and busy one for Eta Lambda chapter. It started with the initiation of our Panda's Pearl Pledge class. We worked hard through spring to get involved on campus and worked hard on our first Girl's Academy in addition to our annual Reading is Funadamental event. In June our President and other council members attended the National Convention in Florida where we were awarded the Recruitment Award for schools with 6 to 9 Panhellenic chapters and were given honorable mention for the Ritual Award and Standards Award.

The 2012-2013 school year was kicked of with Loyola University's first ever Greek Week. We also had the opportunity to participate in Sigma Chi's first annual Derby Days at Loyoal as well as team up with Delta Sigma Pi for our Kappa Klassic Philanthropy with their Egyptian Expedition event. The year of 2012 has been a big year for Eta Lambda to participate in the growing and strengthening of the Greek community at Loyola as well as increasing our presence in the local community. We were also able to welcome a new pledge class of 42 women who we eagerly await to welcome this February.

Loyola Univeristy is a Jesuit University on Lake Michigan with almost 16000 students. The past few years have been full of changes with projects to improve the campus and community in addition to a huge movement to make Loyola a green campus and make student aware of their environmental impact. In the last year the addition of Delta Sigma Phi has emphasized the growing presence of Greek Life and its role on Loyola's Campus.

Since being installed in 2007, Eta Lambda has grown to embody sisterhood and the philanthropy both on campus and off. Currently we hold the highest overall GPA of the Greek organizations on campus emphasizing our focus on academic excellence. We have been growing in the number of memebers and our outreach on campus. Eta Lambda is excited to continue in the growth of the role of Greek Life on campus as well as in the community.

Highlights of 2013

This past year was an exciting year for the Eta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We have shown our support both on campus and in our local Chicago community through philanthropy, sisterhood, and scholarship. The Chapter’s current GPA is 3.32, the highest among Greek organizations at Loyola University and we currently have 126 active members. Eta Lambda consistently exemplified Kappa’s philanthropic values through our participation in GIRLS Academy, Greeks for a Good Cause, Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, Loyola Trick-or-Treat, the Rose McGill Holiday sharing, and more. We had our first annual Kappa Karnival philanthropy event in November where we raised over $4,000 for GIRLS Academy.

In February our chapter traveled to Monmouth, Illinois, for a sisterhood retreat where we visited the Stewart House and the Alpha chapter house and met our sisters in the Alpha chapter. In 2013 our chapter participated in 3 initiations, two being for our own chapter, in February and November. We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the recruitment and initiation of the Eta Phi chapter at Elmhurst College. 2013 has been a significant year for Eta Lambda through our participation in the growing and strengthening of our Kappa sisterhood, as well as the Loyola University and local Chicago communities.

Loyola University is a Jesuit University on Lake Michigan with almost 16,000 students. The past few years have been full of changes with projects to improve the campus and community in addition to a huge movement to make Loyola a green campus and make student aware of their environmental impact. In the last year Loyola’s Office for Student Activities and Greek Affairs has emphasized the growing presence of Greek Life and its role on Loyola's Campus.

Since being installed in 2007, Eta Lambda has grown to embody sisterhood and the philanthropy both on campus and off. Currently we hold the highest overall GPA of the Greek organizations on campus emphasizing our focus on academic excellence. We have been growing in the number of members and our outreach on campus. Eta Lambda is excited to continue in the growth of the role of Greek Life on campus as well as in the community.

Highlights of 2014

2014 was an exciting year for the Eta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Our chapter has continued to grow in both numbers and presence in our Loyola University Chicago community. The Chapter’s current GPA is 3.41, the second highest among Greek organizations at Loyola and we currently have 103 active members. Loyola University is located in the bustling city of Chicago with nearly 10,000 undergraduate students. Our chapter has a strong presence on campus and in the surrounding community as well. This year, we have shown our support through philanthropy, sisterhood, and scholarship. Eta Lambda has exemplified Kappa's philanthropic values through our participation in GIRLS Academy, Sigma Chi's Derby Days, our Kappa Cares events, the Rose McGill Holiday Sharing and more. We held our second annual Kappa Carnival in November and were successful in raising over $6,000 of canned goods and donations for A Just Harvest, a local soup kitchen. The weekend of June 28th, several of Eta Lambda's officers attended Convention where Eta Lambda won the Most Outstanding Chapter. We were elated to have been designated the chapter that exhibits excellence in the performance, efficiency and exemplification of the ideals, mission and standards of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The past few years have been full of changes with projects to improve Loyola's campus and community, along with initiatives to make Loyola a green campus. In the last year, Loyola's Student Activities and Greek Affairs has required that all greek life chapters hold recruitment during the spring semester. Since we typically hold recruitment during the fall semester this is a change for our chapter. Luckily, we have been able to adjust our calendar to accommodate these new changes. Currently we hold the highest overall GPA of the greek organizations on campus, emphasizing our focus on academic excellence. We have been growing in the number of members and our outreach on campus. Eta Lambda is excited to continue in the growth of the role of greek life on campus as well as in the community.

Our chapter experienced a great start to the 2014 academic year. In February, we honored academic excellence month and celebrated all of our sisters who are devoted to their studies. We had a leadership consultant, Mary Beth, visit campus and advise our chapter. Mary Beth provided Eta Lambda with lots of advice and helpful suggestions for officers, which has benefitted us as a whole. On the weekend of February 8th, Eta Lambda facilitated the local GIRLS Academy event at Morgan Park Elementary School. Around 40 young girls from the school participated. The GIRLS Academy team mentored the girls in small groups where they offered helpful tips about body image, education, money management, positive health habits and how to stand up to a bully. In March Eta Lambda participated in the campus wide event of Relay for Life in conjunction with the other organizations on campus. During this event we helped raise funds to support the American Cancer Society and attended the Relay for Life’s evening activities in the Gentile Arena. On Saturday, March 29th, we hosted our Sapphire Ball at the stunning Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago. There we celebrated our sisterhood and danced all night long.

We finished off the semester by hosting the senior brunch to honor the senior girls’ commitment to Kappa. The brunch was held in Palm Court, a beautiful atrium event space on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus. The seniors signed documents officiating their alumni status in Kappa, and celebrated their sisterhood one last time with their fellow sisters and returning alumni.

Over the summer, several Eta Lambda officers attended Kappa’s annual Convention the weekend of June 28th at the Hilton Hotel in Houston, Texas. Our president, vice president of organization, vice president of standards and advisor attended the event. Eta Lambda is so excited to have received the Most Outstanding Chapter Award at Convention this year. This award is given to the chapter that exhibits excellence in the performance, efficiency and exemplification of the ideals, mission and standards of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After a long and relaxing break, we returned to Loyola for the start of the 2014-2015 academic year in August. Unlike previous years, we did not hold recruitment during the fall. Instead, our chapter had the unique experience of strengthening our bonds as a chapter for one more semester before adding new members. Our fall events began with our semi-formal event at Rockit Bar in Wrigleyville on Saturday, September 20th. It was a fantastic night full of fun and sisterhood. In October, the pledge class Panda’s Pearls hosted our most successful Kappa Cares project yet. The pledge class facilitated “Operation Care Package,” where they sold slices of Giordano’s deep-dish pizza to raise money towards care packages for troops over seas. The event was successful in raising over $400 as well as creating countless thank you cards to send to the troops. At the end of October, Eta Lambda participated in Sigma Chi’s annual Derby Days event. We eagerly participated in all of the events, which supported the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, and it was a wonderful way to remind ourselves of the importance of philanthropy. Later in October we hosted our first annual Women’s Weekend, where we were encouraged to invite a special woman in our life to attend a weekend of fun-filled activities. The weekend included a kick off event downtown in Beane Hall and a beautiful brunch in Mundelein auditorium.

November was another eventful month for Eta Lambda. We held our second annual Kappa Carnival philanthropy in Rambler Room on Saturday, November 22nd. Many on campus organizations participated by each setting up a carnival game booth. We had carnival activities such as a cakewalk, face painting, a talent show and more. Kappa Carnival successfully raised over $6,000 of canned goods and donations for A Just Harvest, a local soup kitchen that provides meals for the community 365 days a year. Over 300 people attended the event and it proved to be a success. To end our year, Eta Lambda participated in the annual Rose McGill Holiday Sharing by sending gifts and holiday cheer to a sister in need.

Eta Lambda is really excited and ready to take on the new year including the addition of a new member class. We strive to continue to positively impact both our Loyola and Chicago community. We hope to keep growing and learning as we continue on our journey, while always showing our love and loyalty for Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Our chapter holds meetings in multi-purpose rooms on Loyola's Lake Shore Campus. We rent these rooms out depending on our need for each chapter meeting. At Loyola University Chicago sorority housing is forbidden. There is no housing for our sorority. Instead, Eta Lambda members are allowed to live in whichever dorm or apartment building they see fitting.

Highlights of 2015

This past year has been a wonderfully productive and exiting time for the Eta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Our chapter has grown and evolved tremendously, not only in numbers, but also in our on campus involvement as well as our in our presence in the Loyola University of Chicago community. We are one of the highest ranked organizations academically on campus, and we currently have 127 active members. Loyola University of Chicago is located on Lake Michigan, surrounded by a diverse and exiting community and has nearly 16,000 students. Our chapter strives to make a difference not only on campus, with our fellow greek life members and other organizations, but also in the community.

As we returned from a lovely holiday break in January, we enthusiastically awaited our first Spring Recruitment. Due to Loyola’s decision of moving Greek life’s recruitment season from Fall to Spring, we were afforded the unique opportunity of bonding longer as a chapter as we awaited our enthusiastic new members. At the end of January, we welcomed the pledge class, “Devon’s Darlings” of 60 incredible women into our happy family. We finished the exciting month with a mixer with “Tiki with TKE” mixer at our local Bar 63 and Grill.

We had a very fun filled February, as we not only had our Big Little Reveal, but also our annual Date Party full of bowling, dancing and karaoke. We finished the month of February with one of our monthly Kappa Cares events. Unique to our chapter, Kappa Cares is something we are very passionate about; each month, a different pledge class gets to choose a philanthropy of their choice to raise money for or to spread awareness for, adding a very personal aspect to what we do. In February, Angie’s Army raised money for WATSI, an organization that funds medical treatments for people who are unable to afford them around the world. Through our efforts, we were able to help fund a heart surgery for Wildiesta, a little girl from Haiti.

We kicked off March by participating in SAE’s Paddy Murphy week, a week long philanthropy event that raises money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Through practice, sweat and hard work, we were able to win their annual powderpuff football game for the 2nd year in a row, and had a great time participating in all of their events as a chapter. The C’s Keys pledge class then held a successful Kappa Cares event, tabling for Autism Awareness. We also participated in Loyola’s Relay for Life, creating a team and raising money by selling bow’s created by one of our very own. We finished off the month with a greatly anticipated and beautiful Initiation Week, for our Devon’s Darling Pledge Class.

Soon after, in April, Dev’s darlings got their first opportunity to hold their own Kappa Cares events. They did a beautiful job, selling bagels and cupcakes, to raise money for one of their own, whose aunt was battling cancer and struggling financially. We had an amazing formal at the exquisite Drake hotel, in downtown Chicago, and danced the night away. We finished off the semester by holding a senior brunch on April 19th, to honor our senior members’ commitment to Kappa and their approaching graduation.

After a long and relaxing summer, we returned at the end of August for the 2015-2016 academic year. In September, C’s Keys held a Kappa Cares event raising awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis to honor one of our very own battling with Crohn’s Disease.

October was a fully packed month filled with sisterhood. We celebrated our Founder’s Day on October 11, with a fun “Which Founder are You Most Alike” quiz, a kappa history quiz, and included some fun trivia facts about our chapter’s history, while enjoying pizza from one of our favorite local pizza joints. That coming week we participated in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days philanthropy event. The weeklong event included obstacle courses, photo competitions, and finally a sorority dance competition in order to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Later that month, we had our annual Women’s Weekend, a weekend in which we at Eta Lambda invited our most influential women role models,whether it be our our moms, sisters, or aunts to join us in fun-filled sisterhood events such as a tour around Chicago and a brunch at Loyola. We ended the month with a sisterhood trip to Goebert’s Pumpkin Patch, enjoying fresh corn on the cob, sweet apple cider, and spending time with a variety of farm animals.

We started off November by holding our huge philanthropy event: Kappa Karnival. This is a carnival styled event in which organizations and clubs on campus could participate in by making a carnival themed table, and by competing in a talent show in order to raise money for Lurie’s Children’s Hospital, a hospital that Kappa volunteers at every month. We blew our original goal of $4,000 and actually doubled it, raising a total of $9,400. This was our most successful Kappa Karnival yet. We continued through November by facilitating our annual GIRLS’ Academy event at Carl Sandburg Junior High. 50 girls attended and it was an amazing weekend helping to educate and talk about issues such as body image and bullying, and to help inspire them to become respectful leaders in their school and community. Our Dev’s Darlings pledge class stepped up to the plate again and held another extremely successful Kappa Cares event in which the Eta Lambda Chapter invited members of the Loyola University' Chicago community to share their story and take a photo in order to combat personal stigmas that people face.

After a lovely Thanksgiving break, we returned to Loyola and had another wonderful sisterhood event, attending Lincoln Park’s Zoo “Zoo Lights”, before approaching Finals Week. Eta Lambda has had a very positive year, striving to continue to keep impacting both our Loyola as well as our Chicago community. We look forward to taking on the new year with the addition of a new pledge class, and continue to keep growing and learning as a Chapter, while always showing our love and loyalty for Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Highlights of 2016

This past year has been full of excitement and accomplishment for the Eta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Our chapter has had a huge presence on the campus of Loyola University of Chicago this year. Loyola University of Chicago is located on Lake Michigan in Rogers Park. The Loyola community has approximately 16,000 students. We currently have 141 active members. Our 141 members present a positive image throughout this exciting and diverse campus. Our chapter strives to impact the Loyola community, as well as communities outside of our own.

As we returned from our holiday break in January, we anxiously and excitedly prepared for our Spring Recruitment. At the end of January, we welcomed 65 wonderful women into our chapter. This pledge class became known as “T’s Fleur De Lis.” The members of the new pledge class had their pinning ceremony in February. This pledge class is full of smart, talented, and beautiful women, who have and will continue to make a huge impact on our chapter.

We kicked off March with our Big Little Reveal. Shortly after, we had our Inspiration Period leading up to the beautiful Initiation Ceremony for our “T’s Fleur De Lis” pledge class of 2016. We ended the month of March with our Reading is Fundamental Philanthropy event. Our chapter traveled to Bateman Elementary School to read and craft bookmarks with the children.

April began with Loyola’s Relay for Life. We participated by creating a team and donating to Relay for Life. We also participated in SAE’s Paddy Murphy Week, which is a week-long philanthropy event that raises money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Through practice and determination, we won the powder puff football game for the third year in a row, and we enjoyed participating in all of SAE’s other events that week, as well. Following SAE’s Paddy Murphy Week, we had a mixer with TKE at our local Bar 63 and Grill. The theme of the mixer was to dress up as your favorite Netflix character. We ended the month of April with a Kappa Cares event organized by our newest pledge class, “T’s Fleur De Lis.” Kappa Cares is something that is very unique and important to our chapter. Each new member class hosts an event, where they raise money and awareness for a philanthropy of their choice. For the month of April, “T’s Fleur De Lis” chose to raise money and awareness for GirlForward by selling hair ties and bagels in our student center. GirlForward is a charity in Rogers Park that helps refugee girls by providing them with mentorship programs, as well as educational help and programs. We were very proud of our newest pledge class for hosting such a great event.

Over the summer, three of our Executive Board members traveled to the National Kappa Convention in San Diego, California. Our chapter won “Best National Academic Excellence,” and we also received honorable mention for Recruitment, New Member, and Standards. Our chapter is very proud of these accomplishments. After a relaxing and enjoyable summer, we returned at the end of August for the 2015-2016 academic year.

September was a relaxing month. We always make sure to support other Greek Life organizations on campus. In September, we supported and participated in Phi Sigma Sigma’s Field Day and Delta Sigma Phi’s Tugs event. Throughout September, we also prepared for our sisterhood retreat, as well as our semi-formal. Starting in October, our event chairman planned a very fun semi-formal at The Library Gilt Bar. We danced the night away with our sisters and friends. Following semi-formal, we had a sisterhood retreat at Camp Henry Horner. We all participated in small group activities, as well as activities involving the whole chapter together. The retreat was a perfect time for reflection and bonding with the whole chapter, and it made our sisterhood even stronger. We ended the month of October by participating in and raising money for Sigma Chi’s annual Derby Days Philanthropy event. As we participated and supported the Greek Life community and their events to kick off the semester, we were anticipating our own fun-filled philanthropy month of November.

November was a very exciting month for our chapter, as we hosted our first annual “Kappapalooza” philanthropy event, and we also participated in Girls Academy. A group of girls from our chapter went to Carl Sandburg Middle School and worked with seventh and eighth grade girls. We taught them about leadership, body image, and ways to deal with bullying. It was a great time for these middle school girls to have fun and open up to the understanding and inspiring women in our chapter. Following Girls Academy, we hosted our very own philanthropy event on Loyola’s campus. We were thrilled to host and introduce our brand new philanthropy event, Kappapalooza. Our week-long event involved all of Loyola Greek Life, and we raised money for Chicago-based charities. We kicked off the week by tabling in Damen and passing out candy and wristbands promoting Kappapalooza. We tabled every afternoon of the week. On Tuesday of the week, we hosted the first Big Man On Campus (BMOC) event to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Chicago. Any man from any organization on campus was allowed to participate, and they were coached and escorted by a sorority on campus. There were three rounds for the men to represent themselves and their organizations, including fashion, questions, and talent. It was a very exciting, fun, and enjoyable event that was a great success. Thursday was our next big event for the week, and we called it Kappasta. We sold “all you could eat” Maggiano’s pasta and bread. During this event we raised money for The Greater Chicago Food Depository. We ended the fun-filled Kappapalooza week with our Kappa Kicks event. We hosted a soccer tournament for the different organizations on campus, and we raised money for American Scores Chicago. Overall, we had a very successful philanthropy week, and we raised close to $8,000 for these three Chicago-based charities. We are thrilled and very excited to host another Kappapalooza next year.

We ended the year with a Kappa Cares event at the beginning of December. We partnered with the Crohns and Colitis Foundation to raise money and provide information about the disease. We chose the Crohns and Colitis Foundation because it has affected a few women in our chapter, so we felt strongly toward raising awareness for this foundation. We tabled in our student center and sold Molly’s Cupcakes for the cause, and we raised $163. This year was an exciting year for Eta Lambda, and we are anxiously anticipating adding more wonderful women to this organization. Kappa Kappa Gamma Eta Lambda is looking forward for what next year has in store for us, as we will continue to strive to impact each other, as well as the community around us.

Highlights of 2017

Kappa Kappa Gamma Year In Review: 2017 Loyola University Chicago’s Eta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is made up of one hundred and sixty four women. These women are academically driven, involved both within and outside the Loyola community, and strive for greatness in every aspect of their lives. Our chapter is comprised of well rounded women who aid Kappa Kappa Gamma in its continuing efforts to prosper and thrive. This year was one of growth for Eta Lambda, and often times with growth comes a learning curve. However, the women of this chapter handled any hurdle faced with grace and the utmost respect for our organization as a whole. In the past twelve months we have shared some of the deepest laughs, strongest hugs, greatest sorrows and most joyous times; experiencing pinnacle life moments with women, who have gone from strangers to sisters. This past January, Loyola University Chicago’s Panhellenic Council held the largest recruitment weekend in its’ history. It was a weekend full of excitement, bonding with our sisters, and the anticipation of a new member pledge class. On our “Dream of Kappa” themed bid day, Eta Lambda extended bids to seventy six amazing women. Then came February, a month where Kappa embodied the true meaning of sisterhood. Eta Lambda’s former Registrar and House chairman was hospitalized for the entire spring semester without a diagnosis. In this difficult time for our sister, our chapter stepped up. Our sisters visited her in the hospital, started a fundraising campaign for her family, involved the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and held fundraising events throughout campus which ultimately transpired into a community wide effort. At this semester’s new member retreat, our newest pledge class, Katie’s Kweens were able to start creating the sisterhood within their pledge class that elder members of the chapter have come to appreciate. They were able to strengthen the friendships that make Kappa feel more like a sisterhood. With the end of February came Big/Little reveal where Bigs created matching t-shirts for themselves and their Littles. As Big and Littles began to get to know each other more, Bigs helped guide their Littles into Inspiration Period. After initiation our Kappa Sisterhood grew by seventy one women. Seventy one women who are kind, ambitious, involved, self-starters; all of whom are driven to further propel Kappa forward in the years to come. This March we celebrated Eta Lambda's 10 year anniversary. Fifteen women from the founding pledge class came together for the weekend to celebrate and reconnect. Together, past and present members of Eta Lambda enjoyed brunch and a campus tour. We also hosted Women’s Weekend, where our sisters invited a significant woman from their life to visit. During our Sunday brunch, we shared the value of philanthropy with our woman. In addition to collecting books and donations for our philanthropy Reading is Fundamental, we created bookmarks and made cards for a sister who was going through a tough time. This weekend epitomized our ideal of donating our time, not just our money. We kicked off April by participating in Relay for Life. We helped contribute to raising over $100,000 to help the fight to end cancer. We concluded the month by taking formal to the lake; dancing the night away with our sisters on the Odyssey, a boat at Chicago’s Navy Pier. We then sent our senior sisters off with heartfelt letters and a brunch to remember and celebrate their cherished years in Kappa. With May came graduation and the start of a summer where our sisters spanned the globe. Kappas went abroad, worked in various industries across the nation, volunteered, spent time with family, and prepared for another school year ahead. September marked the start of another year and the return of our Kappa sisters. Devon’s Darlings, the senior pledge class, kicked off the year with a Kappa Kares event to raise money for epilepsy, a cause near and dear to a few of our sister’s hearts. We tabled in Damen to raise awareness and collect donations for the Epilepsy Foundation. Along with our own philanthropic efforts, we attended various events across the greek life community. We joined Phi Sigma Sigma for their Phield Day and played a riveting game of kickball to benefit the Kids in Need Foundation. In addition to this, we participated in Sigma Chi’s week long philanthropy event, which was in support of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. We were able to get involved by performing a New Orleans themed dance at their final event for Derby Days. In October, Eta Lambda supported Delta Sigma Phi at their Tugs event to help raise money for the American Red Cross. These efforts came at a crucial time to help support the Red Cross’ effort in providing national aid as our nation grappled with a series of natural disasters. This support embodied the idea that when it comes to philanthropy, the Greek life community bands together to support meaningful causes. T’s Fleur De Lis hosted a Kappa Kares event to raise awareness for Curvy Girls, an organization empowering young women with scoliosis. We hosted a semi-formal at a fun venue, where our sisters spent a night on the town enjoying each other’s company. October concluded with our largest philanthropy event of the year, Kappapalooza. It was a weekend long extravaganza that kicked off with an all you can eat pasta night to raise funds for our national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. Friday we hosted Kappa for Kids. Members of the Loyola community created encouraging bookmarks to promote literacy. The weekend concluded with our main event, Kappa Kicks. Teams from all different organizations on campus came together to play friendly games of soccer in support of our efforts to spread awareness about childhood illiteracy. The weekend was a success and Kappa was able to shine light and educate the Loyola community about an overlooked issue faced by many. At the end of this month, Kappa was proud of our new member pledge class, Katie’s Kweens, for receiving the highest new member pledge class GPA from Panhellenic. This November we held one of our most cherished academic recognition events, Pearl Ceremony, a tradition that has been passed on through our chapter. Each semester, we honor the hard work and determination of the women who have received a GPA of 3.8 or higher with a pearl to put on their pin. While this Pearl Ceremony is not considered ritual of Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity, it has been passed down over the years as an Eta Lambda tradition that we continue to honor. This past year, Eta Lambda chapter grew not only in terms of membership, but also within Greek life and Loyola’s community at large. Over the year, we learned that Kappa is so much more than just a women’s organization. We are sisters who truly care about each other and the causes that we support. Every day, but especially in times of hardship, we are incredibly grateful to be members of Kappa Kappa Gamma - an organization filled with women of character and integrity.

HIghlights of 2018

This year was rather eventful for the Eta Lambda chapter. We inducted a phenomenal group of new members in January, confident that they would carry the key with grace and tenacity. In April, Kappa was involved with Relay for Life on campus. We raised over $5,000 for the cause, and every member of Kappa was present at the event. Later in April, We had our own philanthropy: a Reading is Fundamental Book Donation Day. For RIF, we went to New Field Elementary School. There we were able to help distribute books to children of every age and background. The excitement of the children as they picked out their books was absolutely adorable. After the children picked out their books, members of Kappa sat down with them to help start reading or color a bookmark for their new book! We donated a plethora of books for every age with options for bilingual students. The children were very appreciative of this opportunity to further their reading abilities. As the semester was winding down it was announced a new Chapter of Kappa Delta was being established at Loyola. Many girls in KKG took this opportunity to welcome them to campus and introduce them to Chicago. At the national convention over the summer, we received an award of Most Outstanding Board and the Gracious Living Award as well as honorable mentions for awards in Academic Excellence, Panhellenic, Recriutment, and Finance. In September, we had a successful Womens Weekend and Sisterhood Retreat in which we celebrated the power of women and the strength of sisterhood. We also celebrated the phenomenal academic success of the women of Eta Lamba as over 51 members had a GPA over 3.80. We began a new tradition called the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Key" in which sisters who have demonstrated KKG values receive a special key necklace that they get to don with honor for the next week. In October, we successfully launced the new pilot structure. Girls Academy, although it did not take place this semester, was expertly planned, and our GA Chairwoman elegantly manuevered a difficult situation and was able to keep the girls in mind despite all of the obsticles in her path. In November, we held a special Philanthropy Event in which we created birthday cards for Mikey, the cousin of one of our sisters, who had to spend his 4th birthday in the hospital finishing up his last round of chemo. We were able to rally not only our sisters, but also several members of the Loyola Greek community to try to make Mikey's birthday extra special. Our main Philanthropy Event for the spring semester was a major success in which we raised over $5,000. Additionally, several sisters were highly involved in the midterm elections, from offering rallying advice to driving people to polling places, Eta Lamba was determined to share out voices to help shape the country. We elected a new council using the new structure. We are convinced that they will carry this chapter through another successful year.

The main change that impacted the chapter this year was the change to the council structure. We are excited and anticipatory to make this change the success we know it can be. We appreciate the new structure's ability to offer more leadership positions of various levels of responsibility so that more of our sisters can utilize their unique skills to benefit the chapter. We enjoy the structure's format in that it spreads the responsibility creating a truly supportive environment for our council officers.

We have three teared philanthropy so that we can maximize our ability to help others. We support Reading is Fundemental because we realize the importance of reading education and believe that every child, regardless of their parents' economic status, deserves access to engaging books. We support Girls Academy because we want to empower young women, offer them good, relatable role models, and help guide them through a tough social time for most girls. We support several local organizations through out monthly Kappa Kares events because we want to support numerous causes that are close to the hearts of our sisters and work with organizations in our local communities.

Highlights of 2019

Starting off 2019, Eta Lambda welcomed Leadership Consultant Katy to Chicago. Members of council met with her to discuss goals for their year, while the chapter as a whole had fun showing her the city and all there is to love about Chicago. During the weekend of Jan 25-27th, Eta Lambda successfully recruited a new member class of intelligent, down-to-earth, and compassionate women.

Then, in February, the chapter formally welcomed the newest members into Eta Lambda during our formal pledging event where they received their new member pins. All amidst Chicago’s polar vortex! Then, Eta Lambda bonded during a Galentine’s event where women made cards for each other. Members also had the opportunity to partake in a Secret Galentine’s program to surprise someone in the chapter with a little gift. To close out the month of February, the chapter hosted its members and their guests at our Date Party event at Tunnel.

In March, we held our highly anticipated Big/Little Reveal, where new members found out who their big sister and mentor for their time in Eta Lambda would be. The following week, we began Inspiration Period in preparation to initiate our new members. On March 23rd, Eta Lambda was thrilled to initiate 66 driven, kind, and enthusiastic new members into Kappa Kappa Gamma.

During the month of April, we held our annual Senior Say, a tradition where we honor our seniors with a potluck followed by a senior Flower Ceremony. To kick off our philanthropy event for Reading is Fundamental, our members had the opportunity to have dinner with the CEO of RIF! The following day, the day our members celebrated our big RIF event at New Field Elementary by traveling to the school to donate books and read with the children. We also celebrated formal during the month of April! Our members had a great time dancing and socializing with each other to close out another productive school year.

In August, the sisters of Eta Lambda arrived back on campus to start another academic year. During the month of September, we joined Pi Kappa Phi in a Bob Ross themed mixer and hosted our annual philanthropy event, Kappapolooza. The mixer was held on Loyola’s campus and was a fun way for the Kappa sisters to get to know the new fraternity. For Kappapolooza this year, our members were able to get involved by tabling all week in order to raise money and awareness for RIF. During the week there was a Kappa Karnival that included a soccer tournament and other carnival activities. It was a great atmosphere for everyone who came out and great food to go along with it. In addition, we hosted our first ever RIF Off event. The RIF Off was a pageant-like show where the male contestants performed an individual talent, a dance routine, and had to answer audience’s questions. Three winners were then able to be chosen based on which contestant raised the most money, who the judges liked the most, and who won the audience’s vote. Overall, we were able to raise $4,500 for Reading is Fundamental during the week!

In October, our chapter embarked on our annual Sisterhood Retreat at Camp Henry Horner. Our members had the opportunity to bond and get to know each other through small group sessions, games, and activities. At retreat, our members also had the chance to celebrate Kappa’s 149th anniversary through activities and stories about our organization’s founding.

In November, our chapter held its annual Women’s Weekend, organized by our Member Engagement Director, where each chapter member had the opportunity to bring important women in their life to campus. Our members enjoyed getting to meet and hear from such influential women in our sister’s lives throughout the weekend. Towards the end of November, Eta Lambda elected a warm and encouraging Council to serve us during the 2020 calendar year. Additionally, our Events Director planned an incredible Semi Formal in November that members raved was, “the best social event since joining Eta Lambda!” We loved getting to celebrate and interact with each other before finals in December.

Over the last year, the Greek community welcomed two new organizations, Kappa Delta and Pi Kappa Phi. The women of Kappa Delta participated in their first formal recruitment in January, welcoming an amazing class of women to the Greek community! Our members have supported the women of Kappa Delta in their philanthropic events supporting Girl Scouts and as Greek “big sisters”. In September our chapter had a great time getting to know and welcome the men of Pi Kappa Phi to campus with a Bob Ross themed mixer.

Eta Lambda has had a lot of growth and progression over the last year. The women of Eta Lambda have been working hard to understand and implement the new council structure and to increase member engagement. In doing so, our members have shown great dedication and passion for the health and long term prosperity of our chapter. Our member’s devotion and love for not only each other, but the organization as a whole, has continued to propel us towards our chapter goals and a better future for Eta Lambda.

In addition to our ongoing support for Reading is Fundamental, GIRLS Academy, and the Kappa Kappa Gamma foundation, Eta Lambda supported PAWS Chicago, Stewart’s Caring Place, Danish Home of Chicago, and Apna Gar through our monthly Kappa Kares events this year. chapter has had a long standing relationship and support for PAWS Chicago, a local animal shelter with a dedication to preventing and encouraging “no kill” animal shelters. At the beginning of 2019, Eta Lambda’s founding president Laura Allio passed away from breast cancer. In honor of her, our chapter supported Stewart’s Caring Place, an organization near and dear to Laura’s heart that supports patients and families facing cancer. During the Halloween season, our members were able to provide comfort and support for senior citizens during the Halloween season by making Halloween cards for the residents at the Danish Home of Chicago. As members of the Chicago community, Apna Ghar is an organization close to our members that provides holistic support for immigrants in the Chicago area. "

  "

"

Highlights of 2020s:

Loyola University Chicago Kappa Kappa Gamma Eta Lambda Chapter 2020 History Report: 2020 Eta Lambda Summary: To begin 2020, the new Eta Lambda Chapter Council met to discuss goals and ideas for the upcoming year during our annual Council Leadership Day. Then, Eta Lambda introduced our chapter to perspective members at the Loyola Chicago organization fair. In the final weekend of January, members finished their preparations for spring recruitment by attending the Panhellenic bylaws workshop. In the first weekend of February, Eta Lambda welcomed 71 amazing, intelligent and ambitious new members into our chapter during spring recruitment. Then, the chapter formally welcomed our new members during our formal pledging event. On February 20th, we had our first formal event of the year, date party, at Happy’s Bamboo Bar & Lounge, where our members and guests danced and bonded with each other. Following our date party, new members attended their new member retreat where they learned more about Kappa Kappa Gamma and each other. To finish the month, our chapter held a successful wellness workshop to help members refocus, relax and reset. March began with Eta Lambda members taking time away from their studies and enjoying their spring breaks. Following spring break, Eta Lambda began initiation preparations with new member meetings and ritual reviews. Eta Lambda also celebrated a cumulative chapter G.P.A of 3.51! But then, unexpectedly, just as quickly as the 2020 began, it came to an abrupt halt. On March 12th, 2020, Loyola sent out an urgent email to inform students that all classes would be moved to an online format and campus would be shut down due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) world-wide pandemic. COVID-19 hit the world by storm. It was unbelievable, scary and unprecedented. COVID-19 would change everyone’s way of life for the foreseeable future, including members of Eta Lambda. Because of this, Eta Lambda was forced to move all events to an online format, encouraged to prioritize the health and safety of our members and take on this new challenge with the support of our sisters. For the duration of March, everything was quiet. Eta Lambda, and everyone else across the globe, took time to regroup, pause and prepare for what was to come. In April, Eta Lambda Council continued to encourage and support its members the best they could with virtual events, online fitness classes, email updates and social media outreach. To prepare for the Fall 2020 semester, Eta Lambda held a virtual registration workshop via Zoom (a video chat platform) to help members pick out their classes and give them a space to ask questions. In May, as the semester ended, Eta Lambda held one final celebratory Zoom chapter to say farewell to the graduating seniors and end the academic year on a positive note. All members took their final exams online and prepared for an unusual summer in quarantine. Then, on May 7th, 2020, Eta Lambda initiated its new members via a virtual Zoom initiation with the help of Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters. Eta Lambda was ecstatic to officially welcome our fantastic new members as sisters of the golden key, even if the circumstances were not ideal. Also, Eta Lambda found out that our chapter was awarded the “Most Outstanding Community Involvement” and “Most Outstanding Philanthropy Program” for the 2020 Sorority and

Fraternity Life Awards. Eta Lambda was very excited and grateful to be recognized for all of our hard work. Eta Lambda then bid a sad farewell to its 52 senior members, who were unfortunately unable to finish their Kappa Kappa Gamma experience the way they had anticipated. Eta Lambda will miss their seniors dearly, and wish them the absolute best. During the months of June and July, Eta Lambda did its best to keep members connected as the COVID-19 pandemic continued. Also, Eta Lambda Council created its first online summer newsletter to help keep members engaged and updated. The summer months were difficult for many members, but Eta Lambda sisters continued to support each other in any way they virtually could. Although we were hopefully about the Fall 2020 semester, Loyola University Chicago sent out an email informing students that all classes and many campus activities/resources would continue to be online through the rest of the semester, including Greek Life functions. So, Eta Lambda Council began to prepare for a fully online semester. The climate of the world was hostile, as political tension and human rights issues grew larger amidst the presidential election year and the pandemic. The world seemed to be changing as we knew it, and members were encouraged to stick up for what they believe in and make a difference, no matter how small, in whatever way they felt comfortable. Then, in August, Loyola University Chicago held an online organization fair that Eta Lambda attended, where we introduced our chapter to prospective new members via Zoom. Classes resumed on Monday, August 24th, as all students began to get into the routine of a fully-online semester. At the end of August, Eta Lambda held its first virtual chapter of the semester, where members were able to finally interact after a long summer apart.

September was our Kappapalooza philanthropy event. Eta Lambda did its best to hold our philanthropy virtually, with online donations and online activities. This gave Eta Lambda members a chance to connect with the Loyola community and ask for support for our charity, Reading is Fundamental. Eta Lambda also held its first virtual formal chapter, where members still dressed formally and wore their pins, even though we could only see each other through a computer screen. During this formal chapter, Eta Lambda celebrated its members academic success through a virtual Pearl Ceremony, where members who got a 3.8+ GPA received a pearl for their achievements. New member meetings picked up online where they left off in the previous spring semester. A virtual Flower Ceremony/Pinning Ceremony was held for the new members online, where ‘Bigs’ were able to say some kind and encouraging words about the new members during the ceremony. Additionally, another meeting was held for the new members to explain to them the ritual and history behind Kappa Kappa Gamma and its initiation ceremony, which is something they were unable to fully comprehend or experience because of their initiation being online in the spring. Eta Lambda tried to make these experiences as special for the new members as possible, despite the circumstances. September ended with a socially- distanced “Kappa Kares” event, where we supported a philanthropy that is special to Eta Lambda, the “WINGS” organization that’s mission is the “break the cycle of domestic violence.” Eta Lambda collected donation materials from members to give to this organization. In October, Eta Lambda held an online formal chapter where the Nomination Committee was elected and election practices were explained. Eta Lambda also held a virtual Founders Day Celebration for Kappa Kappa Gamma’s 150th Founders Day. To celebrate, members took an

online quiz about Kappa Kappa Gamma history, watched a short clip about Kappa Kappa Gamma’s founding, looked at many of the Kappa Kappa Gamma archives together and had a few Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae come to speak about their experiences as a life-long member. It was a very exciting and fun celebration, even though it was not in-person. Then, at the end of October, Eta Lambda held another “Kappa Kares” event about sisterhood, where members were encouraged to engage with each other online and in person (if socially distanced, wearing medical masks and comfortable), in order to promote mental health and overall wellness during this unprecedented and difficult time. By the end of October, Eta Lambda had to begin thinking about spring 2021 recruitment, which would be all virtual, so Council held its first recruitment workshop to kick off the recruitment season ahead. November began slowly for our chapter, and the rest of the Greater Chicago Area, as the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began. Extra precautions were put in place at Loyola, and many members decided to go home to prepare for what was ahead. Despite this, Eta Lambda wanted to hold a sisterhood event, in lieu the cancelled “Girls Academy” event (cancelled due to COVID-19), to encourage members to think introspectively, think about women empowerment and connect more deeply with each other. This event greatly boosted Eta Lambda member’s moral during a very tough time. In mid-November, election night was held during an online formal chapter. Eta Lambda Council prepared for the voting practices and procedures to be fully virtual, yet still accurate and confidential. During this chapter, the new Council for the year 2021 was elected, and Eta Lambda was proud and overjoyed by the members chosen to fulfill their duties and carry on the legacy of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The following week after elections was transition week, were new council and old council began to transition and connect with each

other to ensure the success of the 2021 year. As November came to a close, Eta Lambda held one last final chapter, where officer transitions were made and another Pearl Ceremony was held. Following our final chapter, many Eta Lambda members and Loyola students returned home for Thanksgiving break and the duration of the semester, as campus would completely shut down after Thanksgiving. December was a quiet month for Eta Lambda because many members had left Chicago to return home for the holidays and were focusing on finals. Members continued to support each other in whatever ways they could, and were excited and hopeful for the new, and hopefully better, year that was ahead. Eta Lambda Philanthropy: This year, Eta Lambda supported the following philanthropies: Reading is Fundamental, WINGS, L4 (“Live Life Like Laura,” the philanthropy for a Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna that passed away from cancer) and Osteosarcoma Research at the Cleveland Cancer Clinic. Eta Lambda Founders Day Celebration: Eta Lambda celebrated Kappa Kappa Gamma’s 150th Founders Day virtually on Zoom. Eta Lambda began the celebration with a fun online quiz for members to participate in regarding Kappa Kappa Gamma history. The winner of the quiz was emailed a Starbucks gift card! Then, members watched a video that explained the story and history about how Kappa Kappa Gamma was discovered and how it came to be what it is today. After the video, the chapter looked at a lot of Kappa Kappa Gamma archives to remember the sisters that came before us and connect with

them through their memories. The finish the celebration, our chapter invited a few alumnae to the Zoom call, where they answered members questions and shared fond memories about their experiences in Kappa Kappa Gamma. Overall, the celebration was a success and a very warm light during a dark time in the world.----------------

Note to Chapter Registrar: Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.

Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!