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{{Infobox Fraternity
|Name= Beta LambdaUpsilon|GreekSymbol= BɅϓ|Image= [[File:Beta_LambdaUpsilon.jpg|200px]]|Founded= {{start date and years ago|18991882|04|2818}}|College= [http://enwww.wikipedianorthwestern.org/wikiedu/University_of_Illinois_College_of_Medicine Northwestern University of Illinois]|Location= UrbanaEvanston, IL|Homepage= [http://www.kappanorthwestern.orgedu/gogreek/community/chapters/kkg.html Upsilon Homepage]|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Beta_Lambda Upsilon Media related to Beta Lambda Upsilon Chapter]
}}
'''Northwestern University established in 1851, Evanston, Illinois'''
'''Founded April 18, 1882 - 5 charter members'''
'''23,951 303 initiates (as of 2011June 2018)'''
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'''Charter members:'''
'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
Katherine Lucinda Sharp, Charter member of Upsilon, initiated in 1882; as the first charter member of Upsilon to graduate, Kate received a diamond badge from the chapter. This badge would become the official badge of the President after Kate’s death. It was used until 2000 then retired to Fraternity Headquarters. Elected sixth Grand President 1894 – 1896; the force behind the charter granted in 1899 to Beta Lambda, Illinois. Known as a pioneer in library science; Founded and Directed the Library of the University of Illinois
Carla Sergeant Fisk, Grand Secretary 1896 – 1900, resigned 4/1900; Sought and gained approval for her Sigma-within-the-Delta design at the 1894 convention. The design would become the pledge pin, now known as the new member pin.
Sarah Harris Rowe, Grand President 1920 – 1922; Grand Vice President 1914 – 1920; Province President 1924 – 1925; Registrar and Dean of Women at the School of Speech Communication at Northwestern
'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
Mary Agnes Graham Roberts (Gray), 1976, Convention Chairman 1972 – 1982, Field Secretary 1945-1947
'''Alumnae Achievement Award recipients:'''
Margaret Dickson Falley, 1970, American genealogist expert and author of Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research: A Guide to the Genealogical Records, Methods and Sources in Ireland; Elizabeth Baumann Cook, 1984, Expert in building hospital volunteer programs; Julia “Judy” Ade Levering, 2002, First female president of the U.S. Tennis Association; seniors’ tennis championship finalist, Virginia "Ginni" Nicosia Rometty, 2016, business; Punch Hutton, 2016, Deputy Editor of Vanity Fair
'''Additional Outstanding Upsilon Alumnae'''
Betty Robinson Schwartz, Olympic gold & silver medalist; Betty Robinson was the first woman to win a track event in an Olympic Games capturing the 100 meters at the 1928 Olympics; silver medalist as a member of the 4x100m relay in 1928 Olympics; gold medalist on the 4x100m relay at the 1936 Olympics; member of the Track & Field Hall of Fame; the first woman to receive a varsity "N" from Northwestern.
Candy Kubiak, Epsilon Province Representative to the Fraternity’s Undergraduate Council
Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Mayor of Eden Prairie, Minnesota 2014 – 2002; City Council Member 1994 – 2001; Municipal Legislative Commission Board of Directors; 2010 Hennepin County, Minnesota Capital Budgeting Task Force; the Suburban Transit Association, the Southwest Transit Commission and the Family Housing Fund; and President of the Eden Prairie Foundation.
Judith Coggeshall Toth, elected a Maryland State Representative
Sharon Spence Lieb, Television writer, producer and professor of master’s level courses in travel writing. For more than 20 years, Spence Lieb has been a travel writer, mentoring her students and enabling them to become professional journalists and authors. In 2011 Spence Lieb took first-place prize for Best Online Consumer-Oriented Travel Article for her Jetset Extra article “Looking for Captain Cook: Penguins, Icebergs, and a World Famous Explorer.” Awarded by the Atlantic-Caribbean Chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Spence Lieb also won two other first place awards in two categories – Best Newspaper Article Foreign Travel and Best Magazine Article Foreign Travel – for stories which appeared in The Moultrie News Newspaper of Mount Pleasant, SC and Journeys West Magazine of Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition, she won a third place award for Best Self-Illustrated article titled “The Pursuit of Happiness in Cancun,” which also appeared in The Moultrie News.
Laura Forbes Carlin, and Alison Forbes, Tulane — Sisters, writers, and co-founders of Inspired Everyday Living. Together they are co-authors of The Peaceful Nursery: Preparing a Home for Your Baby, published in 2006 by Random House, and two eGuides Love at Home: The Single Girl’s Guide to Feng Shui and Life Design and Laura and Alison’s What You Will Need for a Healthy, Green Baby Nursery. The duo has contributed to magazines and websites including Natural Home, YogiTimes, Intent.com, and ClubMom.com and has been featured in publications that include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Traditional Home, C Magazine, Angeleno, ePregnancy, LA Parent, Daily Candy, and The Hollywood Reporter as well as appeared on radio and television. Over the years, the pair has also consulted with clients from New York to LA.
Sarah Partridge, Actress and jazz vocalist; head of Jazz Explorers, a children’s program bringing jazz and improvisation into elementary schools. Partridge appeared in the 1983 American teen comedy-drama film Risky Business. Throughout the late eighties and early nineties, Partridge could be seen guest starring in many TV series, sitcoms and soap operas. Debut CD, I’ll Be Easy To Find, received excellent reviews in Billboard magazine. Her second CD Blame It On My Youth was released in 2004.
==The Early Years==
“In 1882 there was at Northwestern only one women’s fraternity, Alpha Phi. During the winter, several freshmen conceived the idea of starting a chapter of a rival fraternity, and the result was Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.” So wrote an early Upsilon historian. One of those freshmen, Anna Boyle Brown, learned of fraternities through her brother, a Butler graduate, and together they wrote Kappa’s Grand President Tade Hartsuff (Kuhns), M—Butler, a good friend of Clarence Boyle, about forming a chapter at Northwestern.
In April 18991897, the charter was granted, with Installation chapter meetings were held weekly in Woman’s Hall on the 28thcampus. Upsilon member Carla Fern Sargent (Fisk), Northwestern, was Grand Secretary1896-1900 (she resigned in 4/1900), and Epsilon Chapter officiated. An article during this time she designed the Sigma in The Key, 1899, gives the full account, commenting on the ‘fine new library buildingDelta, which later became the most ornamental structure on the campus.” Gifts included a Bible, a guest book, archives chest (from Miss Sharp), pillows, pictures (Knocking and Hope), candy, calendar, crumb tray, teapot, gong, fern dish, vases—and moneypledge pin.
Minutes from the turn of the century are full of participation in campus activities, selection for academic and social honors, annual dances and parties, and even trips to Urbana, Illinois, for the Northwestern–Illinois football game.
There were no sorority houses in 1908. There was just a Kappa room on the top floor of the old Willard Hall where actives met every Monday evening. Sarah Rowe (Kanaga) and her sisters were in the Upsilon chapter and lived in Evanston, so their home became the Kappa annex, with their father the credit manager and sponsor of the chapter.
'''Housing'''
The 1930s saw much campus participation, increasing success in academics and the beginnings of large chapters with pledge classes of 30. Alpha Chapter at Monmouth was reestablished under the direction of Upsilon member Joyce Snider (Heaton) who left Northwestern to head up the colonization.
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The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.
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The pledge class of 1976 undergraduate student body at Northwestern University had approximately 8,000 in 1995. The campus was made up of 23 girls. One seven separate schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Speech, the Engineering School, the Music School, Medill School of Journalism, and the girls broke her pledge shortly after bid nightSchool of Education and Social Policy. The remaining 22 would go on to participate in four fantastic years as Upsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa sisters. Rush Gamma was a four round rush at Illinoispart of the Panhellenic system consisting of 12 sororities. One round was a Wizard of Oz themeThere were 21 men’s fraternities. Kappa Pickers performed at two Approximately 45% of the other roundsstudent body was involved in the Greek system.
Upsilon took first place in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days competition in May. The chapter had a number annual Kid’s Picnic, an afternoon of actives who were selected as fraternity sweethearts. Members of the chapter were part of the cheerleading squad games and the Illiniettes dance team. A number of girls were also gymnasts. During football season, the Kappas sat together pizza with children from a fraternity local center for underprivileged children took place in the football block and enjoy tailgating partiesMay near Lake Michigan.
The chapter hosted Senior Snacks. Notes were sent out to parents requesting funny anecdotal stories about their daughters which were then read at spring chapter meetings. The Knickerbocker Hotel on Chicago’s lakefront was the location of the spring formal. The women contracted limousines for the drive from Evanston to the hotel. A new tradition began by presenting a senior slide show during the party.
The following daychapter coordinated with Phi Delta and Tri Delta to attend a Chicago Cubs baseball game as a social event. The chapter spring formal was held at Galleria Marchetti in downtown Chicago. During the fall, Marian Williams visited a costume contest date party with prizes was held at the chapter house to have coffee Hidden Shamrock in Lincoln Park, and casually visit with the girls. Williams shared her ‘Kappa Wisdom’ along with many funny storiesfall formal was held at the Congress Hotel. A wonderful morning formal dinner was had held at the Lodge. The year ended with a Holiday Party hosted by the Kappas and open to the campus. During the winter, the chapter held a date party at Rock-N-Bowl and a semi-formal at Narcissi.For initiation in both the spring and fall, in order to prepare the Kappas for these big events, song practices were held weekly. The chapter marshal printed copies of allthe songs and created packs distributing them for each member to practice.
Blood drives were organized in February and March with great participation by chapter members.
A total of 1,893 freshmen from an applicant pool of 14,723 students enrolled in the Fall of 2000. Eighty-three percent graduated in the top 10 percent of their class. The Panhellenic Association at Northwestern University is one of the first Panhellenic in the country to pass a resolution stating that its member chapters will not co-sponsor or participate in on-campus events involving alcohol in fraternity houses. The resolution went into effect in the Fall. The Greek community receives nationwide media coverage for the resolution.
In 2000, Northwestern University hosted the Big Ten Greek Leadership Conference at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield. It is the first time in many years that the event has been held. NU, along with many other Big Ten schools opt to not attend the annual Mid-American Greek Council Association Conference, also held in Chicago, because it is too large and doesn't meet the needs of Greek organization officers.
The chapter assisted many other causes women held a number of very successful sisterhood events including Multiple Sclerosis, a campus suicide hotlineKappa Kolor War in the spring, Easter Sealsdividing into teams to play games. Another spring event was Oscar night, abused children, a rape crisis center and where all the local Boys and Girls Clubs.The year was a positive one for sisters came to the chapter. Many of to watch the ideas Academy Awards together and work outlined in the 1997-1998 school year paid off in the fall of 1998 when enjoy tasty treats. During Halloween the chapter accommodated the Panhellenic no frills rush policymembers visited a haunted prison. The register and budget systems implemented in the new computer program For recruitment, designed by the Fraternity and the entire chapter, reaped the benefits of the innovative new a “star” making event as held where each member program. Working together created a personal profile star filled with local alumnae and Fraternity liaisons, the women worked photos to make decorate the current house. The chapter exceptionalincreased participation in Panhellenic campus philanthropy.
During 2010, Upsilon had many highlights. Together with the brothers of Pi Kappa Alpha the chapter raised the second largest amount of money at Dance Marathon 2010, Northwestern’s biggest philanthropy. The 1999 calendar year represented one of great growth money was donated to the Evanston Community Foundation and change Stand Up for the women of Beta LambdaKids, an organization that helps homeless and at risk youth. After This success was partially due to a very successful Kappasta, a relatively new philanthropy event where the induction chapter invite members of the new member classNorthwestern community into Kappa Kitchen for some spaghetti, meatballs and socializing. Last spring the girls were prepared to take on previously encountered obstacles, become more involved in women started a new philanthropic tradition with the business addition of the chapter Jail and Bail benefitting RIF. The Kappas teamed up with a fraternity on campus and participate members volunteered to be “arrested.” They were then held for an hour in the a high traffic location on campus Panhellenic communitywhere passersby could donate and “bail” them out.
The tradition of the composite picture style of individuality reflected in pose and clothing has not changed in the past few decades and will hopefully always be special to the chapter philanthropy Kappatat was a huge success for the girls. Hosting the 4- on- 4 volleyball tournament It has been important for Upsilon chapter to be a chapter of individual women who come together to grow and learn from all of the fraternities on campus. All proceeds went to benefit Habitat for Humanityunique characteristics each member brings by forming lifelong friendships.
Academically, in the past year, Upsilon chapter moved up three spots across all sorority GPA rankings. 15 women had 4.0 quarters in the past three academic quarters. Academic Honors include: Order of Omega; Gamma Sigma Alpha; Dean's List Awards. Sports include: Sailing, Volleyball and Fencing. Campus Publications include: Stitch, Northwestern Art Review (NAR), The Weekly, North by Northwestern (NbN), Massive.tv. Arts: A&O Productions, Midsummer's Night Dream, Northwestern Community Jazz Program
The University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana was home president wears a historical badge that has been handed down to 30,909 undergraduate students. The campus had the largest Greek system in the nation. There were 63 fraternities and 36 sororities in total. 22% of the student population is involved in a fraternity or sorority. Of the 36 sororities on campus, 23 are members of Panhellenic Council and are composed of more than 2,900 women. The University offered hundreds of clubs and organizations, many in which Kappa women participatedeach Upsilon president.
2017 was a transformative year for Upsilon. From January to today, the chapter held a number of events and achieved many milestones. The University winter quarter period, from January to March, began with a succcesful recruitment. Upsilon welcomed a pledge class of Illinois had 42 36 new women. In between Big/Little week,000 studentsRock 'n Bowl and other activities, 30the quarter was also dedicated to transitioning the new chapter council. Our Marshal organized a phenomenal Initiation in the presence of alumnae and advisers. One of our favorite events was "Galentine's Tea" to celebrate each other and the annual favorite philanthropy event, Kappasta, was also organized to raise money for Dance Marathon. After a refreshing spring break,895 the chapter came back in the spring to wrap things up and prepare for summer. A few of whom were our sisters represented Upsilon at the Leadership Conference in the undergraduate programSt. Louis, Missouri. More than 6While there,000 undergraduatesthey met with our advisers and We held our spring formal at Zed451 with a fun twist: superlatives. Sisters voted on who best fit categories such as "Kappa Kat Lady, or about 22% " "Kween of the student populationKitchen,"Kappa Kardashian," "#1 Kappal, " "Kappa Kouple," "Kappa Tough Kookie," "Kappa Kackle," "Kappa Kouch Potato," and others. Winners were involved in given sashes during the Greek systemformal. The campus had As the academic year wrapped up, NPC recognized the largest Greek system chapter for excellence in Congruencce and Accountability and Kappa HQ changed our status from Warning of Probation to Focus Letter. We accomplished many things from January to June and we left Evanston happy with the progress and focused on keeping up the countrywork.. When we came back in September, the chapter council decided to focus on wellness. Upsilon organized a body image workshop with 37 sororitiesauthor and professor Dr. Renee Engeln about her book, Beauty Sick, 25 that discusses the problematic cultural discussion of women's bodies. Upsilon and NPC partnered for the event and made it a campus-wide event, in which are NPC affiliated there were copies of the Engeln book raffled to audience members. Upsilon continued to have wellness conversations throughout the quarter. Fall quarter was also dedicated to recruitment preparation, and 60 fraternitiesseveral workshops were held for the chapter to begin getting ready for recruitment in January. Women also volunteered at the YMCA to read to kids. Lastly, Upsilon held its fall formal at Key Club in downtown Chicago in late November. The theme was "Sapphire Ball" with women wearing blue dresses and the famed campus had more than 1photographer,000 registered student organizationsJustin Barbin, including various activities taking photos of the event. The House Committee also planned a staff appreciation event by making a poster with all chapter members writing their appreciation for Leo, Aida and clubsMs. Murray. Students typically come Lastly, the quarter wrapped up with a visit from 50 states ABC News' 20/20 show crew to film the house for a special about Upsilon Kappa, Meghan Markle. Meghan will marry Prince Harry of Great Britain in May 2018 and 100 nationswill become a Duchess.
2020 was a difficult year for everyone as we balanced living in a new normal during a global pandemic. Upsilon chapter had a successful winter formal recruitment where we were pleased to welcome and initiate 25 new members. We had a welcoming Big/Little week, followed by Inspiration Week, and a costume-themed formal in March. We had Northwestern Dance Marathon scheduled for the first weekend of March however, Northwestern University cancelled NUDM due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country. As the pandemic worsened, Northwestern University mandated virtual or socially distanced final exams for Winter Quarter. Many students went home before finals week, including several of Upsilon’s members. Spring Quarter at Northwestern was completely virtual, so chapter operations for Upsilon were held virtually. In the spring, we held sisterhood events over Zoom and sent out weekly newsletters, where our members bonded while being all over the world. Our Upsilon members overseas were in different time zones so we structured our virtual meetings at different times. Additionally, we realized the inaccessibility of Zoom meetings for our members who may not have access to internet or Zoom-compatible devices which led us to make all chapter events optional for attendance. We were also saddened by the retirement of our House Director, Lynn, but were happy to welcome our new House Director. In October, we celebrated Kappa’s Founders Day and the 150th year anniversary over Zoom. Additionally, thanks to our VP Membership Education, Lindsay Tanney, we held a weekly speakers series, where we invited speakers from several different social justice organizations to come teach our members ways we can incorporate inclusivity in our daily lives.
The Abolish Greek Life at NU rose to prominence in July and led the Upsilon chapter to have several virtual meetings to discuss our chapter’s role in maintaining exclusive membership. We met with Kappa Headquarters, the Northwestern Panhellenic community, and internally with alumnae and current members to discuss and hear the different views represented in our chapter. We found that our chapter perpetuated harm in the past and currently, especially towards marginalized communities on campus. Ultimately, the Upsilon chapter decided to draft a letter to Headquarters requesting the surrender of our charter at Northwestern. This letter was signed by ¾ of active Upsilon members and was sent to the Advisory Board for their consideration.
---------------'''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!