Kappa Delta - University of Illinois

Sigma Omicron SPOTLIGHT ON A special building campaign newsle er for Kappa Delta at the University of Illinois Winter 2016 SIGMA OMICRON MEMORIES SPARK LIFETIME COMMITMENT R ecently, several women from the 1987 initiation class gathered in Chicago and our conversation quickly moved to recalling times in the Kappa Delta house located at 1204 S. Lincoln Avenue. Sleeping in the dormer; ordering late-night pizza for an all-nighter; gathering to watch Days of our Lives in between classes; circling in the living room to see who got pinned; singing our favorite song for recruitment around the green piano; swapping stories from the previous night's date party. The list could go on and on, and most likely, a few memories popped into your head, right? Each one of us has cherished memories from our college home that we hold near and dear to our Kappa Delta hearts. For me, I called the KD house my college home for two years. In fact, while many of my close friends were choosing to move into apartments together, I was one of the only seniors who chose to live in the house. I absolutely loved it! When I first heard the news about the possibility of a new house, I couldn't help but be excited. Sure, a flood of fond memories passed through my head, and a yearning for the next generation of KDs at the University of Illinois to have those same experiences consumed me. But then I quickly concluded—they will no matter where they live. Our sisterhood is not simply about a place. It's about what we hold in our hearts and the friendships that we form. The house becomes a placeholder for all those relationships to blossom. As a mother of a college-aged son and a national Kappa Delta volunteer during the last two decades, I have seen firsthand how the experience for this generation has changed. I have seen new KD houses pop up across the nation and how the design of new spaces affords a host of opportunities for our collegians: enhanced study space with amenities to support the vast advancements in technology; a structurally sound and safe home for our sisters; a living environment that sets us apart and positions us even better in a competitive recruitment process. Change is not easy. Saying goodbye to a home is hard. But planning for a new KD home is exciting and positions us to continue to be a leader among the other groups on campus. And while I won't personally have the opportunity to live in this new home, I want to be a part of it! I want to be a part of securing a successful future for Kappa Delta. I want to be a part of investing in the lives and memories of our collegians. I want Kappa Delta to be the very best sorority at the University of Illinois! That's why I have agreed to volunteer my time to chair a future fundraising campaign for our new home. With more than 20 years of professional fundraising experience and staying involved with Kappa Delta since I was a collegian, I am eager to lead this effort with support from you, my fellow Sigma Omicron sisters. This is the first of special communications where we are simply trying to engage our sisters, locate those with whom we have lost contact, and update you on this exciting project. Join me as we embark upon one of our most exciting times as Sigma Omicron alumnae. Commit to staying in touch, learning more about this project, getting involved with the chapter or your area alumnae association, and making an investment in the future of Kappa Delta at University of Illinois. In AOT, Michelle Parmley Rabideau '87 cmrabideau@comcast.net A Lasting Investment in Sigma Omicron Building Committee Devoted to Relocation, Rebuild for the Next 100 Years W hat makes a house a home? When it comes to a sorority, that is a loaded question; and one the women of Sigma Omicron have been challenged with for decades. However, through thorough planning and discussion, our house corporation developed a solution that will meet the requirements of all great homes: prime location, beautiful furnishings, functional and modern reliability, and caring residents. In the early 2000s, discussions began about possibly relocating our Kappa Delta home. Over the last decade, a team of dedicated alumnae and undergraduates accepted this challenge. We developed a solution positioning Sigma Omicron for generations of growth and prosperity through relocating and building a new chapter house. Our steps include architect and builder selection, (Continued on back) Bid Day 1988 Bid Day 1986 Homecoming 1989

• Cover