Alpha Xi Delta was established at UT in 1958. The sorority was founded at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois, in 1893. The UT chapter was closed for one year in summer 1995. It was reinstated as a completely new organization on November 9, 1996, as Gamma Lambda Chapter, only to become inactive in May 2006. The colors of the sorority are double blue (light and dark) and gold, and the flower is the pink Killarney rose. The mascot is a teddy bear. The most important symbol is the quill, which also represents the sorority’s open motto The Pen Is Mightier than the Sword. The sorority sponsored a yearlong teddy bear drive, also making bears and giving them to local hospitals, Girls’ and Boys’ Clubs, fire departments, and the Red Cross for comfort items in stressful situations for children.