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Iota
,→Highlights of 2013
Our Chapter Council is doing a lot to remove us from the focus letter. The overall atmosphere of our house has changed as we are all focusing on sisterhood and the pursuit of what is womanly and true. We have taken great strides to improve our chapter as well as our image. We have definitely taken strides in the right direction and will be continuing to do so in this upcoming year.
==Highlights of 2014==
This past year began very strongly! We were above the All Sorority GPA and had a fantastic recruitment. We received 36 New Members and got 4 Open Bids. Our Formal Pledging took place on February 3rd, and it was a great experience for everyone involved. We continued our new tradition of Mixers instead of Flower-Ins, which all went very well. It actually went over so well that the rest of our campus is mandating that each house do something like our mixers in place of their former Flower-Ins. Our Leadership Consultant came to stay for about five days in early March, and shortly after that we had I-Week as well as composite pictures taken. All of the New Members enjoyed the I-Week festivities; it was a fantastic week for the whole chapter! We had Initiation on March 15 that went swimmingly.
Just like last year, Sigma Chi Fraternity put on their main philanthropy event called Derby Days in April, and just like the past few years, we won the dance competition! The New Members worked very hard and put on a phenomenal dance performance. We also had a super fun formal this year! It was themed the Sapphire Ball and took place in the Skyline Club in Indianapolis. Everyone wore a blue dress and danced the night away!
That same weekend we had our Mom’s Weekend events! So many mothers came, and we enjoyed the brunch and Relay-for-Life activities that were planned for us.
In June of 2014, Convention was held in Houston. Three of our members went, including our president! They had a very rewarding experience and came back with a lot of fantastic ideas for our chapter, as well as some great photos!
A new tradition was started in the fall this year for our Iota Chapter—Kappa Karnival! Our wonderful Philanthropy Chairman, Kristen Dickman, organized the Karnival this year, and many of our other DePauw fraternities and sororities set up carnival booths to host a game or to sell a snack. We had a great turn out, especially for a first year event, and the DePauw Community had a great time! It was really fun for us all to be put in charge of a booth, table, or game for the event in order to raise money for the Kappa Foundation.
Our Founder’s Day Ceremony was lovely, and many alumnus came back to visit for the occasion. Also in October, DePauw has Greek God and Goddess! Greek Week is a week full of fun Greek Unity events, concluding with a dance performance by each Greek house! Just like Derby Days, Kappa won!!! We must have some phenomenal dancers and choreographers in our house!
November began with a Kappa Trainer visit. A week later we had our Fall Formal at The Barn at Kennedy Farms in Linden, Indiana! The venue was gorgeous, and everyone in attendance had a very nice time. We hope to make The Barn an annual event!
Later in November, we had another Initiation for one of our members that had a conflict with her pledge class’ Initiation Ceremony. It was great that we could make it just as special for her as it was for the rest of the pledge class! Also in November, Panhellenic Council awarded us the superlative of Most Improved Chapter.
December came and went so fast! Just a few weeks after Thanksgiving, we had finals week and then Winter Break! 2014 was a great year for Iota, and we know that 2015 is going to be just as fantastic!
DePauw University is undergoing some major structural changes. The 20 million dollar grant that our campus received is being put to great use! This year we opened a new addition to our Lilly Fitness Center called the Welch Center. This is an incredible addition to our campus that everyone enjoys using. Our campus is also currently constructing a new dining hall next to our current one. It will hold many more students and be a better use of space. DePauw looks so great and is only getting better. DePauw is developing a new focus on creating a climate of inclusion. A movement that strides to make students of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds feel more welcome on our campus.
Our Chapter Council has made a few changes to Iota bylaws. We made our attendance policy clearer, which is probably the most recognized change. Overall, 2014 was a outstanding year in Greencastle, Indiana!
We hold chapter meetings in our chapter room in our house. Our house was built in 1924 and is the oldest Greek house on our campus. Most members get to live in all three years if they choose to. We rent our house from our House Board. Approximately 66 women can live in our house at a time. Before this house was built, our Iota founders hosted secret meetings in 12 different locations around campus.
On the back of one of the badges it is inscribed "Mary Ann Elliott 3/22/47"