Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is located in Valparaiso, Ind. The university is a coeducational, four-year, private Lutheran institution founded in 1859 which had five colleges (arts and sciences, business administration, engineering, nursing and honors) when the Fraternity installed Eta Delta Chapter on the campus. It is the largest independent Lutheran university in the United States and is home to the second-largest collegiate chapel in the world, The Chapel of the Resurrection.

In its more than 150-year history, Valparaiso University has passed through three distinct phases. Founded by Methodists in 1859 as an institution pioneering coeducation, the Valparaiso Male and Female College was forced by the reverses of the Civil War to close its doors in 1871.

It was revived in 1873 by an enterprising educator, Henry Baker Brown, as the Northern Indiana Normal School, renamed Valparaiso College in 1900 and rechartered in 1906 as Valparaiso University. During the next 20 years, it established business and law schools and won national recognition as a low-cost, no-frills institution of higher learning. Many alumni of this period achieved distinction in their fields as governors, legislators, scientists, business leaders and other professionals.

Despite its decades of success, the university again experienced financial hardship as the United States entered World War I. The Lutheran University Association, a group of clergy and church laity who saw a bright future for the university, purchased it in 1925, ushering in the modern era of Valparaiso’s history. Distinguished by its Lutheran heritage of scholarship, freedom and faith, Valparaiso University continues to fulfill the dreams of these modern founders.

Valparaiso has established itself as a premier Midwestern university that combines a thorough grounding in the liberal arts with solid professional training. In the 1940s, the university, spurred by student action, established a school of engineering and adopted a student-administered honor system. The Christ College honors program and a school of nursing further enriched the university’s offerings.

In 1956, Valparaiso’s chapel-auditorium was destroyed by fire. In 1959, it was replaced by the majestic Chapel of the Resurrection, a fitting symbol of the university’s commitment to its Lutheran ideals—and of the thriving community’s renewed growth.

Covering 320 acres, Valpo’s campus is positioned one hour southeast of Chicago and just 15 minutes from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. The town of Valparaiso is considered to be the southeastern-most suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area.

When the Fraternity Council voted to accept the petition from a local sorority at Valparaiso University, planning to establish a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma on the campus began. In February 1998, members of the local group Phi Beta Chi were formally pledged during colonization services and planning for installation began.

On April 18, 1998, Eta Delta chapter was installed. The installation was conducted by Fraternity President Cathy Thompson Carswell, Illinois Wesleyan; Director of Chapters Ann Stafford Truesdell, Ohio Wesleyan and Chairman of Extension Juliana (J.J.) Fraser Wales, Ohio State.

Other National Panhellenic Conference groups on the campus in 1998 were Kappa Delta, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Delta Pi, Gamma Phi Beta and Chi Omega.

(From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

Approximately 35 percent of the undergraduate students were Greek in 1998. Eta Delta Chapter had 41 active members and 11 new members which was more than the average chapter size on campus.

Throughout the 1997-1998 school year, Phi Beta Chi/Kappa Kappa Gamma had as its goal to receive the President’s Award of Excellence on campus. Phi Beta Chi had last received this award in 1992. Eta Delta was confident that it will continue to be one of the truly distinguished chapters at Valpo.

Eta Delta Chapter was guided by Chapter Consultant Heather Siegel, Iowa, as the chapter began transiting from a local sorority to a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was not only a consultant, but also a friend to the chapter members.

At the beginning of fall semester, the members set the chapter goal: to do more activities as a chapter and to participate more in campus activities. The chapter accomplished this through intramurals, participating in community service projects and being involved in Panhellenic.

The chapter members and members of Phi Delta Theta partnered in trick-or-treating at the pediatric ward of Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso. The Kappas and Theta Chi held a yard sale in October. Members were encouraged to bring clothing, household items and anthing else that could be included in the sale. The proceeds from the event supported the Breast Cancer Society of Valparaiso. Additional activities were Adopt-A-Grandma, Adopt-A-Highway, Drop Walk for Hunger and traditional green events.

In 1999, the chapter raised its GPA to 3.26 which was above the all-campus average, and the chapter had grown to 51 members.

The greatest challenge the chapter faced was apathy. This was overcome by encouraging the members to be involved, scheduling fun events and giving out prizes and awards for participation including Kappa of the Week to the member who was the most involved.

In 1999, Eta Delta Chapter took an active role in philanthropic activities. The members volunteered at the Valparaiso Guild Bazaar, participated in the Breast Cancer Walk, continued visiting and supporting the Kappa Grandma who lived at Canterbury Place and participated in highway clean-up. In addition to these events, the chapter also participated in the all-Greek activity of Trick-or-Canning which collected food for needy families in the area.

To celebrate the millenium, the chapter held a date party with Chi Omega which was its first double-date party with another sorority.

(From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)

The chapter celebrated Founders Day on October 13, 2005. The chapters displayed a set of letters from Phi Beta Chi, the local sorority which became Eta Delta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1998. Also displayed were Phi Beta Chi composites, the first Kappa Kappa Gamma composite and memorbilia from the local sorority days including a bunny because it was known as the Beta Bunnies.

The chapter received six awards at the 2005 Delta Province Meeting including house board/chapter relations, greatest improvement, new member program, most improved scholarship and received an honorable mention for unity, loyalty and gracious living as well as membership.

The chapter was proud to be second academically among the women’s groups on the campus. The chapter had the most 4.0s of any sorority on campus fall semester, and the new member class had the highest GPA compared to other new member classes. This year there were 49 chapter members.

The members enjoyed a hayride date party, homecoming week and an exciting Hollywood semi-formal dance in November. Kappa’s campus-wide philanthropy, Battle of the Sexes, was successful this year. Throughout the semester, the members worked on changes in the chapter room and added a new dining room table.

This fall, the campus changed from informal recruitment to continuous open bidding. Eta Delta was unfamiliar with this method of fall recruitment so several workshops were held to prepare the actives for it. The chapter wanted to unite off-campus and on-campus members. They did that by setting up a buddy system and creating a screen name that let all the members know what activities were going to take place during the week. The chapter members wanted to encourage more alumnae to attend events by letting them know a month ahead of upcoming activities.

In 2006, the 50th anniversary of the former local chapter was celebrated by holding a banquet and dance that was attended by many Kappa alumnae. Alumnae and active members spoke at the banquet. A big room of the chapter’s dorm was reserved to display archives including old composites. The members made a quilt out of old letters that had been in storage and displayed it on a wall. Scrapbooks from past years were on tables for the guests to see as well as cut-out wooden letters and Kappa memorabilia.

Eta Delta started a new philanthropy activity with the Midwest Center. The members went to this home which serves children who have been abused and as a result have emotional disabilities. They started a library there and began a library night. The chapter is the only group that goes to the center and spends time with the children who love being with the women. Eta Delta was featured in the center’s newsletter and was asked to come back again.

The chapter pledged four girls in the fall and 11 in spring recruitment. The staff member who was in charge of all the sorority recruitment said that Eta Delta’s spring rush was the best she had ever seen by the chapter.

The students on the Valpo campus are very close. All of the chapters support each other’s philanthropic activities. Also, there is a good relationship between the Greeks and independents. Eta Delta members are very involved on the campus and are the only chapter to participate in each Greek organization’s philanthropic event. There is at least one chapter member who participates in each organization on campus. The chapter meets in a university-owned chapter room which makes it inconvenient to install anything such as a fan or pictures on the wall.

During Valparaiso’s homecoming weekend in 2006, Eta Delta invited Kappa alumnae to its chapter room for a few hours during the day. The alumnae had a good time looking at old scrapbooks and composites while reminiscing about their college days.

The chapter pledged 12 new members at the beginning of the year and seven more women during fall semester. The members continued to focus on scholarship and philanthropy.

At the 2007 Delta Province Meeting, Eta Delta received six awards: first place for philanthropy and honorable mention in academic excellence, membership, new member program, advisory board/chapter relations and unity, loyalty and gracious living. Kappa’s dedication was displayed when it received several Greek Life awards: President’s Award for Excellence, Adviser of the Year Award and Outstanding Philanthropy and Community Award. The chapter was proud of Kappa Jennifer Cole who was named Greek Woman of the Year.

Renovations were made to the chapter room including new carpeting and plans were made to install a keypad and new cabinetry.

Valparaiso University built a new student union in the center of campus to bring students together for dining, mail and student organization meetings. University President Alan Harre announced his retirement during the summer of 2007, and Mark Heckler was named as his replacement effective in October 2008. One of the biggest challenges the chapter faced this year was communication among its members. The members realized it was important to talk face-to-face rather than relying on email so much, and confidentiality was stressed.

During 2008, Eta Delta celebrated its 10th anniversary. Kappa alumnae were invited to come to the chapter room where desserts were served while everyone reminisced as they looked back on the growth of the chapter. Chapter scrapbooks, awards, and pictures were on display. The undergraduates and alumnae enjoyed putting Kappa stickers and bookmarks into books which were donated to Reading is Fundamental (RIF). It was special for the active members to listen to alumnae stories. This display brought a lot of memories to the alumnae as well as the undergraduates and reminded everyone of her continuing sisterhood.

The chapter room had been under construction and everyone was pleased to see the outcome. With the new entertainment system, cable and welcoming atmosphere, the chapter room had become a place where members could get together outside of scheduled meetings.

Eta Delta continued the tradition of philanthropy by collecting small stuffed animals and won the H.U.G. challenge on campus. In addition the chapter added two new philanthropies: Kappa Goat Regatta and Kappa Kasino. During the year, the chapter donated more than $2,650 to several philanthropies such as the Midwest Center and Hilltop. With its dedication to philanthropy and sisterhood, the chapter was pleased when it received third place for its academics in the spring.

Greek Life Awards the campus received were President’s Award of Achievement, Outstanding Public Relations Award and Outstanding Chapter Programming Award. These awards show the chapter’s commitment to the campus and community.

Valparaiso University celebrated its 150th anniversary during the fall of 2008, and several activities were held on campus. Kappa hosted the Duck Pond. The new student union building was dedicated in January 2009 to honor outgoing President Harre.

The chapter faced challenges with Recruitment. Valparaiso had its lowest number of rushees in 10 years and decided not to conduct a fall Recruitment. Eta Delta had trouble filling its council positions although the nominating committee did a good job of slating members in positions for which they were well qualified.

To connect the new members and seniors, there was a focus on having the Fleur-de-Lis be senior members during the new member period.

Since the chapter was on probation, the morale was low. Its social and philanthropic events on campus were limited, and a variety of educational events and workshops were held. To raise morale, several sisterhood events were held which helped the chapter realize it wanted to be proactive in Valparaiso University’s community.

With Recruitment in 2010, the chapter moved forward using the lessons it had learned and with a class of 15 fabulous new members who invigorated the chapter. In March, the chapter held its second annual Kappa Boat Regatta in the campus pool. Several other Greek groups participated, and their creativity was amazing. There were many surprises along the way.

In April, Eta Delta served as hostess for the Delta Province meeting. It was such fun to meet undergraduate and alumnae members from throughout the province. The chapter was proud to receive the Advisory Board/Chapter Relations and Standards awards. The chapter received the following awards from the university: the President’s Award of Achievement and adviser Valarie Thayer, UC San Diego, received an Advisory Board award. As the semester closed, the chapter was received a focus letter from the Fraternity Council. The members looked forward to the next semester to regain the chapter’s direction and conquer the challenges facing it. Eta Delta members returned for the next semester in high spirits, planning monthly sisterhood events and looking forward to philanthropy.

Sisterhood events brought everyone together, and members participated in the Watermelon Mayham and Sigma Chi Derby Days. For Founders Day, we toured the campus to learn about the first Kappas through crossword puzzles, clues and walking to the chapel steps. It was wonderful to have a lot of alumnae share the day with the chapter.

The second-annual Kappa Kasino philanthropy event was a huge success. Many attended, and it proved to be another great way to unite with other Greek organizations and also reach into the community to gain their involvement as well. To close the year, the chapter participated in the Kappa Foundation Holiday Sharing program. The members purchased gifts and raised money for a fellow sister. On campus, the 50th anniversary of the Chapel of Resurrection was celebrated, a new fitness center was completed in the fall and new campus apartments were finished for fall semester. The chapter worked to increase the bonds of sisterhood, get its GPA above the all-sorority average and was involved in other campus activities and service projects.

In 2010, the chapter initiated 19 new members and was third among the seven sororities in academics. Eta Delta placed second in the first-ever Valpo Cup in the fall and had some great sisterhood events: hayride and ice skating. The chapter raised $400 from the Boat Regatta which benefited RIF. Eta Delta participated in intramurals such as water basketball, volleyball, floor hockey and soccer. At Greek Awards, the chapter received the public relations award.

The chapter was sad to have 18 seniors graduate in the spring and pleased to pledge five new members for the fall class. Several Kappas went abroad to study. Eta Delta received a warning of probation letter as the year closed. It included a checklist of what the chapter has accomplished so far and looked very good. The chapter was very positive about the progress it had made during the past year.

During 2011, Eta Delta organized two successful philanthropic events: Kappa Cardboard Boat Regatta and Mr. & Miss Greek Life Pageant. Together these two events successfully raised money for RIF. Also this year, the chapter won Homecoming, and chapter member Alex Moulchin was crowned Homecoming Queen. In academics, Eta Delta had 14 members make the Dean’s List, and two members had 4.0s. The chapter initiated 20 new members. This year, Valparaiso University hired a new Greek Life coordinator: Allison Cath, Northwestern. The chapter worked hard to meet the terms of the warning of probation from the Fraternity. The members became familiar with the Fraternity’s Bylaws and Standing Rules, and each member was expected to hold herself to high standards of conduct.

Eta Delta began 2012 with a strong formal recruitment of ten women, who we got to know at a sisterhood event on bid day. We welcomed them with blue and blue cupcakes and played get-to-know-you games. Soon after, the new chapter council met for a leadership retreat to discuss the chapter’s goals for the upcoming year.

In February, we were visited by a Leadership Consultant, Haley Smith, who stayed for the week and helped our chapter work on efficiency and unity. We celebrated Valentines Day together at our semi-formal Kappa Krush Dance and continued the sisterly fun at a hilariously awesome Murder Mystery Sisterhood event. March brought even more chances to bond. We had another sisterhood event to learn about etiquette, and then we spent a week preparing for initiation by having a Kappa Love night, performing new member class skits, and having a new member class sleepover in the Chapter Room.

After initiating our newest Kappas, we got to know the men of Phi Kappa Psi at a unity event where we danced the night away. In April, we focused on our philanthropic involvement. We hosted a very successful Mr. and Mrs. Greek Life Pageant to raise money for Reading is Fundamental, stayed up all night at the University’s Relay for Life, and participated in Phi Psi 500. We celebrated the Monmouth Duo by having a unity event with Pi Beta Phi, where we highlighted our shared tradition of academic excellence by coming together to study.

To strengthen our sisterhood, we had movie nights in the Chapter Room every other week, and we took our sisterhood on the road by traveling to the Indiana Dunes for a picnic with a view. To honor the women who raised us, we invited our mothers to a Mom’s Day brunch. Greek Week was also in April, so we partnered up with the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon to participate in trivia contests, relay races, and other friendly competitions. Sigma Phi Epsilon also joined with us to participate in a cookout and bag-o tournament.

At the end of the month, we dined and danced in style at a formal Sapphire Ball. The following morning, we paid tribute to our seniors at our Senior Banquet, where we enjoyed light refreshments as Kappa families gave speeches and parting gifts to the bigs and grandbigs that they’d miss! In may, we wrapped up our semester by bump, set, and spiking our way to third place in Sigma Pi’s volleyball tournament, and gathering together as a sisterhood to watch the Kentucky Derby.

Over the summer, we had the opportunity to send five women to the national convention in Jacksonville, Florida, where we met Kappas from around the world, learned about our fraternity, and received an honorable mention award for our Exemplary House Board.

When we reunited in August, we got to know the freshmen by volunteering at Move In Day, Dunes Day and at the Welcome Back Block Party, where we also met Valparaiso’s new Assistant Dean of Students for Greek Life, Carolyn Whittier. With her help, we recruited a large fall pledge class, adding eight new women to our sisterhood in September. We celebrated Bid Day with a sisterhood event full of food and games. Soon after, we invited our fathers to cook out and play outdoor games with us at a Dad’s Day event. We also supported Sigma Chi’s philanthropy by competing in Derby Days and participated in Valparaiso’s Day of Caring. Near the end of the month, we spent the day together at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. We also received a letter placing us on an academic focus plan, to assist us in improving our grades.

The beginning of October was also the beginning of Homecoming Week. We participated in the week’s activities and were proud of our sister who earned second place in the race to becoming Homecoming Queen. The same week, we stood by two of our women who strutted their stuff in Tri Delta’s Fat-Talk-Free fashion show. We came together to decorate paddles at a sisterhood event. Eta Delta hosted our most successful Boat Regatta fundraiser yet, and we also celebrated Founders Day with our alumni over brunch and a presentation about our history. This month, we had another visit from a leadership consultant, Rebecca Shaw.

After fall break, we helped Lambda Chi Alpha raise money at their Pumpkin Palooza, before donning our best plaid and overalls for a Kappa barn dance. We also spent time with the men of Phi Sigma Kappa at a unity event cook out. In November, we initiated our fall pledge class and elected our new chapter council. We finished out the month with a Christmas themed dance. In December, the Christmas holidays were on our minds. We had a Christmas party in our chapter room, where each sister made her own ornament for our brand new Christmas tree, ate Christmas cookies, and put together Christmas cards to send to Eta Delta’s alumni.

We stayed in the Christmas spirit with a unity event with Phi Delta Theta, where we decorated cookies to take to Hilltop preschool. In the spirit of holiday giving, we purchased gifts as a chapter to send to a sister in need through the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation’s Holiday Sharing Program. Keeping our academic focus plan in mind, we studied hard for finals, and raised our overall GPA back above the all sorority average, ending our year with much to be proud of.

In the past year, Greek Life on Valparaiso University’s campus has seen significant growth and undergone many positive changes. In the fall of 2012, we welcomed Carolyn Whittier as our new Assistant Dean of Students for Greek Life, and she implemented many changes to Greek Life on our campus. She began to host monthly roundtable meetings for the officers of all of the fraternities and sororities to meet and discuss issues pertaining to their position together. For example, the Risk Management and Event Chairmen from all of the organizations meet to discuss social events on campus and within Greek Life. In addition to these meetings, which keep us all informed, she has formed committees to update all of our campus documents for Greek Life, such as how Greek Judicial Board will operate.

In addition to these organizational changes, Greek Life hosted Valparaiso’s first ever Dance Marathon to support Riley’s Children’s Hospital. It was fun, great for Greek Life’s image on campus, and we raised over $10,000! Overall, it was a success, and we will continue to host this event together in the future. This year also saw changes in the way our campus hosts formal sorority recruitment. Many changes were made, including replacing a skit night with a sisterhood night and having more open houses in the fall to raise interest sooner. These changes and Ms. Whittier’s guidance helped all of the Panhellenic sororities have their largest recruitment in several years. One other change on our campus this year is that the President of our University has begun to plan for the fraternities and sororities to get their own houses on a new greek row. This is in the University’s ten year plan for the campus.

Eta Delta has certainly seen some changes in the past year. We have worked hard to address some organizational and risk management issues, and I believe we’ve done a good job. Our chapter is now running more efficiently and participating in dances and other social events more safely. While those aspects of our chapter have improved this past year, we have struggled with our sisterhood and making an impression on the larger campus community. We are turning now to focus on growing closer together again and stepping up our participation on campus to improve our image.

Eta Delta received an honorable mention for New Member Programming at the 2014 Convention. We won the Ausensen Award for Excellence in Campus Involvement and an award for Excellence in Public Relations at the annual Valpo Greek Awards ceremony. We had teams participate in Dance Marathon and Relay for Life. Eta Delta was the 2014 Women's Division Runner-up in Songfest, which is an annual sing and dance competition between campus Greek Life. Our Spring Gpa was 3.295 and our Fall GPA was 3.201. Our representative for Homecoming, Amanda Moulchin, won homecoming queen. We became SAAFE certified for the years 2013-2014 by having 80% of our chapter participate in SAAFE certified workshops throughout the year. Eta Delta signed the One Valpo pledge, which is a pledge saying that we will "celebrate diversity and raise awareness to the peaceful outcomes of inclusion". Our Panhellenic community adopted Circle of Sisterhood as our philanthropy. We also had members participate in VU Day of Caring, which is a university wide day of philanthropic events throughout the community. We held our first Reading is Key event with Hilltop children and partnered with Sigma Phi Epsilon. Hilltop is a local daycare center for underprivileged families in the community. We read with the children and did a craft with them and, since the event was around Christmas time, Sigma Phi Epsilon gave each child a present. Eta Delta also had two new philanthropy events in 2014. In March, we held Kappa Karnival, a community wide carnival event. In October we held our Kapture the Flag event, which was a capture the flag tournament.

Eta Delta is relatively small compared to chapters at other schools. We pride ourselves in having a diverse group of women who are active on campus and off whether that is through sports teams, clubs, jobs, volunteer groups, etc. In January of 2014, Eta Delta received its largest pledge class ever of 22, making us the largest sorority on campus. During fall recruitment, we had eight more members join. Beacon Hall, a new dorm on campus, was opened. The sorority housing proposal process began and Pike was approved to come on campus.

In previous years we have held chapter in our chapter room, which is located in the all sorority dorm. However, because of our large chapter size, this spring we moved to the Brown and Gold room in the Harre Union and in the fall we moved to Niels 234.

Our chapter lives together on a floor of a sorority dorm owned by the university. Typically, all sophomores and juniors live in this facility and we can provide housing for up to 36 members. In 2014, we received news that the university would be building new sorority housing, expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

Our president's badge is from 1998, when we were founded. On the back is inscripted "PRES 4/18/98"

In January, Eta Delta took part in Formal Recruitment and welcomed 18 new members with a 50s themed bid day. In February we participated in Valparaiso University's Dance Marathon event. We also held Kappa Manicure, a new mini philanthropy event where we painted nails. Members also attended Meet the Pike's Night this month, a semiformal event welcoming the members of the newly chartered Phi Kappa Alpha chapter to campus.

Over Spring Break, three members attended the first annual all greek service trip to Tennessee. In March, we held our second annual Kappa Karnival fundraising event. In April, Eta Delta had four members participated in St. Baldricks by shaving their heads. We had a sisterhood event where we painted tiles to decorate the new house and a unity event with Pi Beta Phi where we tie dyed shirts. We won 2nd place in Songfest with a Beattles themed dance.

At the Valparaiso University Greek Awards Kappa Kappa Gamma was recognized as a 2013-2014 SAAFE and Empowering Organizations and won The Ausensen Award for Excellence in Campus Involvement 2013-2014, Excellence in Public Relations 2013-2014, and Received Honorable mention for New Member Program Award. In May 2015 we had our Sapphire Ball Formal dance and fifteen seniors graduated from our chapter this month. Construction began over the summer for the new Sorority campus housing and are planned to be completed by the end of the 2015-2016 academic year.

In August, Eta Delta had a field day event with members from Sigma Chi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition, and Latinos in Valparaiso for Excellence where we participated in various activities. Relay for Life was held in October and the Kappa team was the top fundraising team, raising $1,508. Later that month, sixteen members participated in the annual VU Day of Caring event where they went to a local nature preserve to do restoration work. That same day, we had a sisterhood event where we made 15 tie-blankets for Project Lynas, an organization that sends donated blankets to children in hospitals.

In November, we had the first annual Kappa Cooks for Books, a waffle breakfast, where we raised $115 for Reading is Fundamental. We also had a Dad's day event where we learned to ballroom dance and later we initiated a new member class of two. We ended the year with our annual Thanksmas sisterhood event and a "Crazy Holiday" themed dance.

The biggest changes to campus this year would include the construction of the new sorority housing and the addition of two new chapters on campus- Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Lambda Gamma.

In January, Eta Delta took part in Formal Recruitment and in February we welcomed 23 new members. We had an "Up" (the movie) themed bid day. Our chapter also had the pleasure of meeting Jim O'Heir (an actor from Parks and Recreation) during one of our chapter meetings.

In February Kappas won the Phi Kappa Psi Chili Cook-off for the second time in a row and we held our Kappa Krush dance.

March, we held our third annual Kappa Karnival fundraising event. Five of our sisters traveled to Washington D.C. over spring break to volunteer. We had a unity event with Pi Beta Phi where we hosted a fashion show. Eta Delta also participated in Song Fest and our theme was Disney villains.

At the Valparaiso University Greek Awards Kappa Kappa Gamma was recognized for the best recruitment award and one of our members won sorority woman of the year award. In May 2016 we had our Sapphire Ball Formal dance. We had a unity event with Phi Sigma Kappa where we watched movies in our pajamas. At the end of the semester we moved out of Scheele hall for the last time and packed up our chapter room to move into our new Kappa house.

Construction for the new sorority houses continued over the summer. At Convention we earned Honorable Mention in the areas of Finance, Philanthropy, and House Board. We also received the Kappa Kappa Gamma National Panhellenic Award.

In August, our new house was finally finished. Eta Delta had an America themed dance party with the brothers of Sigma Pi. Relay for Life was held in October and Kappa participated by walking and giving out temporary tattoos. In September some of our members participated in Pi Kappa's Alpha's firemen's challenge and we prepared for fall recruitment. Kappa won homecoming week for the second time in a row.

In October, we held our fall dance, which was themed famous couples. We held our first ever Fall Festival with the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi. We initiated three new members. We joined them at the Boys and Girls Club where we held a variety of different booths that the children could play. We also held our first sorority interest event called Kamp Kappa.

In November, had a Dad's Day event where we hung out with our dads at a football game. We also had our annual Thanksmas dinner and gift exchange.

The biggest change was the addition of the new sorority houses on campus. 6 houses were built for the 5 sororities on campus and one unaffiliated house. The houses are beautiful. They are built so they all connect through the basements and each sorority member has access to her house by using her campus ID card.

We hold our chapter meetings in the chapter room of our new house starting the beginning of the fall semester. The university owns our house. There are a variety of different room styles. The president has a room to herself and there are two floors of rooms that have triples, doubles, and quads. 25 sisters are able to live in the house. This is our very first year in our new house and we are very excited.

The only historical badge we have in our chapter is our president’s badge which we have had since we came to campus in 1998.

In January, Eta Delta took part in Formal Recruitment, capped off with a country themed bid day, Sweet Home Kappa Kappa Gamma.

On February 25th, we welcomed 22 new members into the sisterhood. This brought the chapter's active member total up to 82. We held our Kappa Krush dance at Casa del Roma.

In March, we held our fourth annual Kappa Karnival fundraising event. We raised $607, which was split between the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Reading is Fundamental (RIF). Eta Delta had 25 members participate in Song Fest, and our theme was 90s throwbacks.

In April, we participated in Dance Marathon for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In May, we had our Sapphire Ball Formal dance at Casa del Roma.

In August, to kick off the school year, Eta Delta had a Hawaiian themed dance party with the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi. In September, six of our members won the Pi Kappa Alpha Fireman's Challenge, and we prepared for fall recruitment.

In October, we initiated five new members. We had our first sisterhood retreat at Camp Butternut Springs. Many Eta Delta members participated in Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. In November, we had a Great Gatsby semi formal at Casa del Roma.

In December, had our annual Thanksmas dinner featuring an ugly sweater contest and a Secret Sister gift exchange. We also made cards for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Having moved in during the fall of 2016, Eta Delta marked the first full year of having its own university-owned house in 2017. The facility can house 25 members in a variety of triple, double, and quad rooms, while the president or Vice President of Standards has the luxury of her own room. The house can comfortably accommodate weekly chapter meetings with seating for all members. We can also now perform the initiation ceremony within the chapter facility.

Eta Delta’s historical badge is its President’s badge which dates back to the chartering of the chapter in 1998. Eta Delta received 2 Greek Awards from the Panhellenic/InterFraternity Council: “Excellence in New Member Education” and “Most Improved Chapter.” Our recruitment counselor, Leah Birhanu, received the “Sam Salvador Living Your Values Award.” This award was created in honor of a Chi Omega who passed away this year. Rin Seibert received “Sorority Advisor of the Year”.

We hit a homerun starting the year with our baseball themed Bid Day “A League of Our Own” in January.

In February, we performed in Lambda Chi Alpha’s Air Guitar Competition and won a check for RIF. We had Kappa Krush on the 10th at Casa del Roma. We had a Galentine’s Sisterhood event on the 18th. We had four sisters participate in the Polar Plunge. We initiated 22 new members on the 23rd.

In March, we has sisters attend various spring break trips including a Greek Life trip to Denham Springs, Louisiana, a medical trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua with the Nursing Program, and a mission trip with St. Teresa’s Student Center to Des Moines, Iowa. We also had a sisterhood event in the union where we played Twister and ate pizza.

In April, we had many sisters participate in Dance Marathon. We held a Reading is Key Event at Parkview Elementary where we read “A New Leaf” and made tree crafts. We had a sisterhood event where we painted and potted plants. We had many sisters participate in Songfest; the theme was summer.

In May, we had a red carpet themed formal at Casa del Roma. We held a dodgeball tournament for our philanthropy event and raised money for RIF and the Kappa Foundation. We held a senior banquet celebrating our graduates and wishing them all well in the real world. We also won the Intramurals for the year!

In September, we had a barbecue at the house after a football game as a sisterhood event. We held a sisterhood retreat at Camp Tannadoonah where made birthday cards for the kids at the Midwest Center and participated in many bonding activities. For Homecoming, we had a table at the Street Fair and held an alumnae event where members shared their favorite memories. We had two teams participate in the Pike’s Firemen challenge, and we won for the second year in a row. We held our first combined service event with St. Teresa’s Catholic Student Center. We raised money at the Strack and Van Til’s for Hobart Humane Society. We also had all our members participate in cleaning up the highway US Route 2.

In October, we had a sisterhood event, “Kappa is to Dye For,” where we tie dyed clothes. We had our semi formal at County Line Orchard. We held a unity event with Lambda Chi Alpha and Phi Delta Theta. We had sisters participate in the Iron Phive 5k for ALS and Kicking it for KD.

In November, we had a service event at Cafe Manna. We also had a philanthropy event for Girls Academy called Kappa Kakes where we made and sold pancakes.

In December, we had Thanksmas. We shot our recruitment video. We had a karaoke unity event with Phi Sigma Kappa.

Panhellenic Council passed a fall 2019 extension for a sixth sorority.

Along with our president’s badge, we have two new historical badges. The Susanna Eibel Young award is given to the girl with the highest cumulative GPA at the end of her junior year. Susanna Eibel Young and her mother were instrumental in the founding of Kappa on our campus. We have the VPS badge that is passed down from VPS to VPS. It belonged to Debra Harstad, who was a part of the graduating class of 2012 and served as VPS during her time in Kappa.

In January, Eta Delta welcomed 28 new members during our Ice Cream themed bid day. We also held a unity event with Lambda Chi Alpha and created cards for children in the hospital. In February, Eta Delta put on Kappa Karnival for Girls Academy. There were various carnival games and karaoke teams from other fraternities and sororities. Five of our officers attended KLC in Dallas, Texas. Our new members found out their bigs that weekend as well! On February 23, all 28 new members were initiated into Kappa Kappa Gamma! The following day, the new members attended their first formal chapter as initiated members. In March, we held two unity events with Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi. In April, we held a charter day celebration for Eta Delta! In May, we had our Kappily Ever After formal in the Porter County Expo Center. We celebrated our seniors’ successes with a senior banquet, and 16 sisters graduated. In August, we helped freshman move into their dorms and participated in various Welcome Week activities such as the Fraternity and Sorority Life Meet and Greet. In September, we had a sisterhood retreat at the Indiana Dunes and helped clean up the beach. Sisters also went to Valparaiso’s Popcorn Festival. We also participated in Greek Week and PIKE’s Fireman’s Challenge. We welcomed Alpha Gamma Delta’s new members at their bid day celebration. We learned chants with the Alpha Gam LCs. We attended Pi Beta Phi’s Mr. Pi Phi philanthropy event for Read. Lead. Achieve. Sister’s participated in Valparaiso’s Day of Caring and Gamma Phi Beta’s Moonball that benefited their philanthropy, Girls on the Run. Homecoming brought alumni back to Eta Delta for Kappa Love. We also had a booth in the Crusader Street Fair. In October, we hosted another Kappa Karnival for Girl’s Academy and raised over $3,000! Eta Delta also met potential new members’ during open house. We hosted a celebration for Founder’s Day with alumni. We invited Alpha Gamma Delta over for a movie night to welcome our new neighbors. We participated in various philanthropy events such as Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Soccer and Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Sig Ep Splash. We also had a Halloween Party with our sisters, and we mummified a sister with toilet paper and made caramel apples. Sigma Phi Epsilon also went bowling with us! We hosted a fall interest event for potential new members with a hot chocolate bar and cookies. We donated books to Hilltop Neighborhood House and volunteered. In November, we had a sister participate in St. Baldrick’s hosted by Lambda Chi Alpha. We also hosted a Dad’s Day where sisters and their dads carved pumpkins. Our spring of 2019 class had a retreat. Our entire chapter went through RR for the first time in four years. We participated in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days and Phi Kappa Psi’s Phi Psi 500. We hosted our first joint semi-formal with Lambda Chi Alpha, and the theme was 70s. Our new officers were elected and had a leadership day to begin to transition them. In December, we hosted Thanksmas and did a secret sister gift giving. We also adopted an Angel Tree Child. Our new officers were installed on December 7.

Chapter Summary In January, Eta Delta welcomed 18 new members during our Going for the Gold bid day. In Feburary, we hosted Kappa Krush. We initiatied all 18 women into Eta Delta. We hosted a movie night in the chapter room. We ice skated for a sisterhood event. One sister participated in Phi Sigma Kappa’s Polar Plunge event. We also created cards for children in hostpials with Lamdba Chi Alpha. In March, pre-COVID, we had a one member attend the Fraternity and Sorority Life service trip. Pre-COVID, four sisters attended a service trip in Costa Rica. Pre-COVID, four sisters attended Arch Madness in St. Louis for the Semi-Finals. In April, sisters participated in Valparaiso University’s first virtual Dance Marathon, and we celebrated our 22nd anniversity of Eta Delta. We participated in virtual Songfest, a campus tradition where student organizations come up with dances that follow a specific theme. During the COVID-19 lockdown, council met to work together and plan a virtual Kappa expreince. In May, we made a video for our graduating seniors and gifted them blankets. Two sisters received scholarships. Our member, Annika Brown, won the Sam Salvador Living Your Values Award at our Fratenity and Sorority Life Awards. We won Excellence in Chapter Development and Values in Action Awards. In June, our Chapter President attended virtual convention. During June and July, our members volunteered at FOCUS to welcome first year students, and one of our sisters was an Orientation Assistant. In August, we placed for New Member Education and Advisory Board at Kappa Convention. We had honorable mentions for Public Relations, Panhellenic, and Standards at Kappa Convention. We came back to campus in early August and helped first year students move in. Sisters participated in Mini-Dance Marathon. We also meet potential new members at the Fraternity and Sorority Life Meet and Greet. We particiapted in virtual fall recruitment and welcomed 9 new members into our chapter. In September, we participated in Alpha Gamma Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Pi Beta Phi’s philanthropy events. Sisters participated in Dance Marathon’s FT5K, a 5K that benefits Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. We also won intramurals in Kickball. Our event chair hosted a movie night for sisters, and we watched Mulan. Sisters met potential new members at Fraternity and Sorority Life’s Fall Day. We played intramural co-ed volleyball with Lambda Chi Alpha. Our Spring 2020 new member class had a fall photoshoot. In October, we initiated 9 new members and hosted an all virtual initiation. Inspiration Period was held online as well where we hosted Kappa Love, game night, and senior night. We hosted Kappa Kahoot, our virtual philathropy event, that benefited Reading is Fundamental. We participated in Kappa Delta’s Shamrock philanthropy event and Lamdba Chi Alpha’s Spike Tournament and 5K that supported the RAINN Foundation. We had a fall sisterhood event where sisters painted canvas’ and pumpkins. We hosted a virtual fall interest event, Going Mad For Kappa, where sisters and potential new members played MadLibs. Our president, Chelsea VanAken, won the Susanne Eibel Young award from the East Lake/Porter County Alumni Association. This award is given to the junior with the highest cumulative GPA and comes with a special pin, monetary award, and certificate. Sisters participated in Fraternity and Sorority Life’s Monster Dash and safely hosted a Halloween party in the chapter room. In November, we installed all our 2021 council members.

Chapter Philanthropy What organization does the chapter support? Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Girls Academy

We support all three philanthropies throughout different efforts during the year. We support the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation because it helps our sisters we are in need of financial supports affected by natural disasters or situations like COVID-19. We support Reading is Fundamental because it provides kids with access to books. We support Girls Academy because middle school is a rough time for kids, especially girls, and we want to provide mentorship for them.

How did your chapter include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in your programming this year? (e.g., adding a DEI officer, philanthropy events, social media awareness campaign, chapter training, etc.). We created a diversity, equity, and inclusion chairwoman to transition with the incoming council. She will have a committee that represents each class of women in our chapter and the education chair. She will facilitate conversation and hold educational programs about diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are participating in our Fraternity and Sorority Community’s conversation regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion as well. One sister is a part of the #OneValpo committee that is under IFC and Panhellenic.

How did your chapter celebrate Kappa's 150th anniversary? Share what you have done this year. Our education chair created a Kappa Kahoot that had fun facts about Kappa Kappa Gamma. This included information about our founders and other history. Alumni attended via Zoom and talked about their experience in Kappa. They spoke about the friendships it brought them, life lessons, and opportunities Kappa has brought them.

In January of 2023, Eta Delta welcomed 14 new members through formal recruitment! Our bid day was January 15th and our theme was ‘Mamma Mia'. Formal pledging took place that evening! Through Continuous Open Bid, we were also able to welcome 1 more sister to join our sorority. 

In February, our chapter started the month with our Valentine’s day themed semi-formal, Kappa Krush. The following week was our long awaited Big/Little Reveal! That same weekend, four members of our executive board attended the Leadership Conference in Texas. The third Sunday of the month marked the start of Inspiration Week leading up to initiation. Activities during this week included Kappa Love, Game Night and Senior Night. Friday, we completed FS and Blue and Blue Dinner. Saturday Morning of the 25th, we initiated 15 women and they officially became Kappas! Our sisters also competed in Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropy event of “Moon Ball” and participated in Phi Kappa Psi’s chili cook off!

The beginning of March was filled with Spring Break happenings, many sisters traveled and made once in a lifetime memories. When classes resumed, Women’s Empowerment Week started. We also had two sisterhood events this month. One called “Kookies and Kanvas Night” where the sisters joined together to eat cookies and paint canvases and the other was a Tote Bag making event. The sisters also teamed up with Active Minds and Pi Kappa Alpha to host a dodgeball event to support mental health. Three of our sisters participated in a collegiate debate.

On April 1st, our chapter created a team and attended the Dance Marathon event in the ARC. After a long day of fundraising and dancing, the university raised a total of $48,273.11 for Lurie’s Children’s Hospital. We also started tableling and fundraising for the JED foundation by selling cake pops in the union! The following week we participated in a unity event with the women of Alpha Gamma Delta where we did yoga and had a great time. We hosted a sisterhood Bouquet making event on April 13th and 3 of our sisters competed in Chi Omega’s philanthropy event “Swishes for Wishes” and won first place! Later that week we also had another unity event with the men from Phi Sigma Kappa where we all had a blast singing karaoke. Eta Delta also participated in the campus FSL week. The events promoted bonding and support to the FSL community. Rounding out this week was our Women’s Day celebration where we invite the women who have impacted our lives, mothers, sisters, aunts, etc. to come and join us for brunch and some fun games! Our annual formal took place the same day with the true Kappa theme; the Sapphire Ball. Our sisters also made a team to compete in the UPC Songfest competition, where they danced to a mash-up of Kesha songs. Our sisters also competed in many intramurals throughout the semester.

On April 30th we had our annual Senior Banquet and alumna ceremony. Our chapter graduated 25 members in the month of May. Two of our sisters were chosen as recruitment counselors for the next school year. Our sister Alexis Orange was among the top volunteers in the FSL community, volunteering 396 hours. At the Valparaiso Fraternity and Sorority Life awards, Natalia Gebka won the Pillar of Excellence in Leadership and Karter Ensley won the Pillar of Excellence in Art. Our chapter also received the Member Development Award.

Over June and July, our sisters participated in many different summer activities, including multiple sisters attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour together. Our sister Erica Bautista was also selected to participate in the leadership selection committee. 

At the start of the school year in August, sisters helped with freshmen move in day. Classes started and events came into full swing in September. We also hosted an interest event named “Grow with Kappa” where we painted pots for plants.

Our COB Bid day was September 10th with the theme of “Sweet Home Kappa Gamma” where we got 4 new members. The next weekend was “Day of Caring” where multiple sisters volunteered. Our sisters participated in many philanthropy events in the month of September including Kappa Delta’s Shamrock where the sisters played soccer, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Splash, where the sisters participated in different water activities, Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, where the sisters excelled at trivia, and Pi Kappa Alpha’s Firefighter Challenge where our sister’s participated in a series of challenges reflecting a fireman’s training., The following week was Homecoming week where our sisters participated in many events to support our President, Natalia Gebka, on her run for Homecoming Queen. Natalia made it on to the homecoming court! Eta Delta participated in a unity event with Sigma Phi Epsilon where the sisters and brothers line danced through the night. This month also had Panhellenic Fall Day and we had 8 members participate in Panhellenics Singing Bee. We also had multiple sisters get into the different honor fraternities of Omicron Delta Kappa and Order of Omega.. Later that week we had a sisterhood event where we had a bonfire and an overall great time. Our sister, Samantha Jasinski was chosen and participated in Kappa’s Leadership Conference.

In October, we received another COB and hosted a New Member Pinning Ceremony. Eta Delta had a unity event with Kappa Delta where the sisters made fun fall crafts. Kappa also participated in the panhellenic sorority recruitment review later that week, where we were able to meet a lot of amazing people. At the end of that week was our philanthropy event which we rebranded to “Matches for Mental Health”. The event was extremely successful as we had many teams sign up and we raised a lot of money for the JED Foundation. We also had a fun brunch for our Founders Day celebration the day after. Right before our fallAfter our Fall Break was our Inspiration Period where the sisters participated in Kappa Love, Game Night, and Senior Night. That Friday was our Blue and Blue dinner and FS. The morning of the 21st we initiated 5 new members into Eta Delta. That night we had a semi-formal with the theme of Margaritaville. To close the month we had a unity event with Chi Omega where we watched scary movies and ate snacks and finally, we had a recruitment interest event that was making Cards of Hope for Phil’s friends, an organization that supports those affected by cancer.

For the month of November, Eta Delta is hosting Family Day on the 4th. We have planned a Unity Event with Phi Kappa Psi where we will go bowling at Inmans the following week. That weekend we will be going on a sisterhood retreat to a camp and will spend the night there. Our elections will take place on the 12th of November during Formal Chapter. After Thanksgiving break, we come back to school in December where we will have another sisterhood event before finals.