GAMMA GAZETTE a quarterly publication by Gamma Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated

Volume 3, Issue 2 Winter 2010

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Happy New Year Sorors and here as we prepare to host
Friends of Gamma Chapter! the April 2010 Regional Con-
What a better time than the ference. Gamma Chapter
start of a new year to reflect stands ready to follow
on the vision ahead of us as a through on our commitment
chapter and how each of us to support and serve our Re-
can play our part in moving it gional Director to make the
towards reality. I continue to conference a success. Plans
be amazed at how relevant the are in place to have a produc-
founding principles tive, pleas-
of this organization ant and pur-
remain year after poseful time
year. How proud in the great
our Founders name of
would be to see the Iota Phi
good work we have Lambda So-
done thus far in the rority, Inc.
Washington, DC We hope
area. We must you will join
continue to stay us.
focused on our Each New
mission to bring Year pro-
prestige to the vides us
business world through ser- another opportunity to con-
vice, sisterhood and strength. tinue the business of Iota Phi
This year we continue to be Lambda here in Gamma Chap-
faithful to the goals set by our ter; are you up to the chal-
National President with regard lenge? As always, please enjoy
to membership. Please join reading about the activities Inside this issue:
me in welcoming our newest and festivities of Gamma Gamma Grapevine 2
members to the chapter, the Chapter this season. I wish
sorors of Fall 2009, ”The Nine everyone a healthy and happy Iota Member Milestones 2
Legends of the Fall”. My sin- new year!
Strengthening Families 3
cere thanks go to the Mem-
bership Committee for all of New Season, New Line 4-5
their dedication and effort. I Sisterly,
look forward to the impact Adrienne It’s Our Health 6

the newest members will have Miracles Do Happen in DC 7

on the chapter and the impact
2 Snaps for Black Facts™ 7
the chapter will now have on
our community. Upcoming Events back
We also look forward to
welcoming the Eastern Region
GAMMA GRAPEVINE
On December 5, 2009, Strayer University’s commencement exer-
cises were held at First Mariner Stadium in Baltimore, MD for:

Soror Leshaun Law-Moy

Bachelor of Business Administration
in Human Resource Management
Soror Vonetta Martin
Master of Public Administration

Soror Melba Eldridge Lewis, along with

the Takoma Park Community Band, per-
formed several annual holiday concerts on
December 5, 6, 12, & 19, 2009 at four
locations in Washington, DC and Mary-
land, featuring Thomas A. Bland, conductor
and Valerie Harris-Gregory as soprano
soloist.

On December 10, 2009, Eddie and new Soror Kendra Pratt

welcomed new baby girl, Zjourni Noelle Pratt — who is
affectionately known as #10 of ‘The 9 Legends of the Fall’.

BIRTHDAYS • ANNIVERSARIES • MILESTONES (WINTER SEASON)

BIRTHDAYS: IOTA ANNIVERSARIES:
Jean East, 1/22 Nydia Coleman, 1/11
Nydia Coleman, 2/10 Vonetta Martin, 1/11
Gloria Moser, 2/14 Adrienne Birdine, 3/26
Robyn Barringer, 2/18
Melba Eldridge-Lewis, 2/21
Vonetta Martin, 3/13

PUBLICATION DEADLINES
October 1 for Fall edition [activities held during July through September]
January 1 for Winter edition [activities held during October through December]
April 1 for Spring edition [activities held during January through March]
July 1 for Summer edition [activities held during April through June]

Would you like to be featured? Do you have some advice or a yummy recipe to share? Send your typed
submission to chapter Journalist, Soror Sonia Harris, via email at journalist@iota-gammadc.org.

Copyright © 2010 Gamma Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. • All Rights Reserved

Winter 2010 Gamma Gazette, Page 2 Volume 3, Issue 2

GAMMA WILL HOST ΙΦΛ’s 2010 EASTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE
The conference committee Co-Chairs, Sorors Lynn Gilbert and
Kimya Moore, along with Gamma Chapter have been diligently pre-
paring for their role as host of the 74th Eastern Regional Conference
to be held at the Hilton Crystal City at Washington Reagan
National Airport in April 15-18, 2009. Come see what’s poppin’!

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES THROUGH READING

Since its conception five
years ago, the Capital Book-
Fest has brought together
authors and book lovers from
around the Washington, DC
area. This year on October 2
-3, as part of their Assault on
Illiteracy Program, Gamma
Chapter joined the team of
volunteers to help make the
event a success.
Chapter President Adrienne
Birdine (pictured above center left)
and Dean of Intake Kimberly
Morgan-Craft (pictured above cen-
ter right) started by serving as
hostesses during the kick-off re-
ception. The reception served as
not only a meet-n-greet for
the sponsors and event coor-
dinators, but also as a fund-
raiser for the future develop-
ment of the program.
The main portion of the
Bookfest kicked off on Satur-
day morning with booths for
authors, play areas for kids
and author readings through-
out the day. Gamma Chapter
members and friends assisted
with several of the author areas
including the teen book reading
Photos below, L to R: 1) Ms. Denise Carter-McCormick with author Omar Tyree.
volunteers at one of several check-in stations 2) Ms. Nicole
Gray and Ms. Cory Milam take a brief break from volunteer-
ing at one of the activity tents 3) “Main Stage” author area
inside Borders Books 4) Soror Kimberly Morgan-Craft near
one of the writers’ presentation tents

Volume 3, Issue 2 Gamma Gazette, Page 3 Winter 2010

NEW SEASON, NEW LINE — “THE 9 LEGENDS OF THE FALL”
Prayers have been answered! On Saturday, November 14, 2009, Gamma Chapter initiated nine women into the
sorority. The celebration was held at The George Washington University Alumni House in Washington, DC and
was catered by Love In Geneva's Name — owned by Ms. Kim Dickerson-Daniels-Solano.

Kendra R. Pratt S. Denise Carter-McCormick Robyn Peele Barringer

Systems Analyst Human Resources Analyst Lead I.T. Project Manager

Kim Dickerson-Daniels-Solano Mariama Davis Cory D. Milam

Program Director Human Resources Manager/ Project Management Consultant/
Curriculum Development Specialist Deputy Project Manager

Angela M. Homer Nicole L. Gray Tira N. Oliver

Physical Therapist I.T. Project Manager Recruiting Manager/
Corporate Account Specialist

Winter 2010 Gamma Gazette, Page 4 Volume 3, Issue 2

SISTERHOOD MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Counter-clockwise from
the hook of the Gamma:

1) turtle shaped sugar cook-

ies! Yum!

2) neo “swag” (gifts & para)

3) Using a fellow candidate, Ms. Tira Oliver, demonstrates the

proper way to apply eye shadow

4) Dean of Intake Soror Kimberly Morgan-Craft and Assistant

Dean of Intake/Chapter President Soror Adrienne Birdine with
the nine candidates

5) Fall 2009 neophyte sorors with Soror Helen Newberry-

McDowell

6) Neophytes learning to lean….

7) The KIMs of Gamma — Sorors Kimberly Morgan-Craft,

Kim Dickerson-Daniels-Solano, and Kimya Moore

8) Special thanks to visiting Sorors Lisa Hinton (Omicron),

Simone Francis (Beta Omicron), Shonté Harrell (Omicron),
and Kemberli Stephenson (Upsilon)

9) Special thanks to visiting Spring 2009 Sorors Simone Francis

(Beta Omicron), Tangila Sanders (Kappa), and Tiffany Payton
(Kappa)

10) the cake

Volume 3, Issue 2 Gamma Gazette, Page 5 Winter 2010

IT’S OUR HEALTH: A SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN’S HEALTH
January 4-10 is celebrated as National Folic Acid Awareness Week. This season’s spotlight is about folic acid intake.

Many things can affect a baby, including family genes and Not only do Latinas have higher rates of NTD-affected
things women may come in contact with during preg- pregnancies, they also have the lowest awareness/
nancy. Taking folic acid cannot guarantee having a knowledge about folic acid than women of other race/
healthy baby, but it can help. ethnic groups, and lower consumption of folic acid than
white non-Hispanic women.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid helps the body make cells. When a woman is This information does not constitute medical advice for any
pregnant, she needs more folic acid than usual so her individual. As specific cases may vary from the general infor-
baby can develop normally. Spina Bifida often occurs in a mation presented here, NCFA advises readers to consult a
fetus before a woman even knows she is pregnant. So qualified medical or other professional on an individual basis.
women should take folic acid every day to have healthy
babies. Research has shown that if all women who CDC 2007 Survey Data
could possibly become pregnant were to take a multivi-
tamin with folic acid, the risk of neural tube defects like Among all women of
Spina Bifida could be reduced by up to 70%. childbearing age:
• 40% reported taking
Where can I get folic acid? folic acid daily.
Folic acid is in multivitamins and foods like green vegeta- • 81% reported
bles, fruits and juices. Some foods like cereal and bread awareness of folic
have folic acid added to them. A diet with a lot of folic acid.
acid is good for you, but most people do not get enough • 12% reported know-
through food alone. The best way to get the right ing that folic acid
amount is to take a vitamin with folic acid every day. should be taken be-
fore pregnancy.
How much folic acid do I need?
Women of childbear-
Women who could become pregnant should take 400
ing age who were
mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid through a vitamin. Women aware of folic acid reported hearing about it from:
who have a child or had a pregnancy affected by Spina
Bifida or have Spina Bifida themselves should take 4000 • Health care provider (33%)
mcg (4.0 mg) of folic acid for one to three months be- • Magazine or newspaper (31%)
fore pregnancy. This amount of folic acid is higher than • Radio or television (23%)
what you can get in the store, so you will need to see a
doctor for a prescription. So, it's important for these Among women who reported not taking a vitamin or
mineral supplement on a daily basis, the most com-
women to plan any future pregnancy.
mon reasons were:
Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) • "Forgetting" (33%)
Although all enriched cereals and grain products in the • "No need" (18%)
U.S. are fortified with the B-vitamin folic acid, only one- • "No reason" (14%)
third of U.S. women of childbearing age consume the • “Already get balanced nutrition” (12%)
recommended amount. Taking a multivitamin with folic
acid every day is a key way that women can get the rec- Test your Folic Acid knowledge with this quiz!
ommended amount of 400 mcg. http://www.folicacidinfo.org/pages/folicacid_iq.php
Women especially need folic acid, even if not planning
to become pregnant, since 50% of all pregnancies are
unplanned. Taking folic acid before pregnancy reduces RESOURCE CREDITS:
the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine, called National Council on Folic Acid
neural tube defects, by up to 70%. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Winter 2010 Gamma Gazette, Page 6 Volume 3, Issue 2

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!
Sorors and friends of Gamma Chapter along with DC
Mayor Adrian Fenty, Feed the Children and the NBA
Players Association came together to feed over 10,000
DC families in need this holiday season. The city
hosted their second annual “Miracle in the Nation’s Capi-
tal” this past December 3rd and Gamma Chapter was
there to support it.
Gamma Chapter’s team of volunteers helped with
ABOVE LEFT: Gamma Chapter friend and Soror Kimberly Morgan-Craft with Wash-
registering volunteers, crowd management and escort- ington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty ABOVE RIGHT: Sorors Adrienne Birdine, Neophyte
ing families through the aisles of boxes. Through the Angela Homer, Neophyte Kim Dickerson-Daniels-Solano, and Kimberly Morgan-Craft,
various donations, DC families were able to collect not with Soror Tangila Sanders of Kappa Chapter. BELOW LEFT: Neophyte Soror Homer
helping to load food. BELOW RIGHT: Sorors Sanders and Birdine
only food but also toys for children, winter coats and
personal care items. The more than 26 tractor-trailer
loads of items that came into the DC Armory were
almost empty by the end of the night.
Sorors and friends reported cold hands, sore muscles
and warmed hearts after taking the opportunity to give
back to the DC community. We look forward to part-
nering again next year!

2 SNAPS FOR BLACK FACTS ™ - Learning Black History

1. Who was most famous for creating hundreds of products should focus on gaining economic independence?
from ordinary peanuts and sweet potatoes, such as paint, a) Booker T. Washington
glue, cheese, soap, rubber, milk, and coffee? b) Langston Hughes
a) Thurgood Marshall c) Malcolm X
b) George Washington Carver
c) Frederick Douglass 5. Which American "scat" singer became one of the most
popular recording artists in history?
2. Who was the famous jazz musician and inventor of a) Lena Horne
"scat," a vocal style where meaningless words are used to b) Ella Fitzgerald
accompany the music? c) Angela Davis
a) Ray Charles
b) Miles Davis 6. Who was the tennis player who in 1975 was ranked num-
c) Louis Armstrong ber one in world tennis?
a) Arthur Ashe
3. Who invented the railway telegraph system? He has been b) Marcus Garvey
called the "Black Edison" for his 200 inventions and innova- c) Arthur Mitchell
tions.
a) Granville T. Woods 7. Which famous black baseball player who played in the
b) Langston Hughes U.S. major leagues?
c) Carter G. Woodson a) Eddie Robinson
b) Thelonius Monk
4. Who created controversy in the early days of segregation c) Jackie Robinson
by saying that instead of trying to win civil rights, blacks Answers: B, C, A, A, B, A, C

Volume 3, Issue 2 Gamma Gazette, Page 7 Winter 2010

Gamma Chapter
Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. Postage
P.O. Box 56293 Here
Washington, DC 20040
gamma@iota-gammadc.org
http://www.iota-gammadc.org

TRAVEL WITH GAMMA™

Need travel? Want to take a cruise?
Need hotel accommodations?
Travel with Gamma to make
your arrangements! Visit
http://www.travelwithgamma.com!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR; JOIN US FOR THESE EVENTS:

January 3, 2010: Gamma Holiday Party, Washington, DC
January 16, 2010: DC Restaurant Week Outing, Morton’s Steak House, Washington, DC
January 19, 2010: Membership Recruitment activity, contact Mrs. Morgan-Craft below for details
February 2010: Black History Month essay contest, see Events page of website for details
April 2010: Eastern Regional Conference; Hilton Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, VA

Chapter Meeting dates: 2nd Saturdays, 11am-1pm. Contact Soror Adrienne Birdine at
president@iota-gammadc.org for attendance details. General membership questions: Contact
Soror Kimberly Morgan-Craft, Dean of Intake, at membership@iota-gammadc.org for information.