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→Highlights of 2020s:
==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 perspective 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.----------------
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