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|Image= [[File:Theta.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1875|04|02}}
|College= [httphttps://www.missouri.edu/ University of Missouri]
|Location= Columbia, MO
|Province= Zeta South|Homepage= [httphttps://chaptersmissouri.kappakappagammakappa.org/theta/ Theta Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Theta Media related to Theta Chapter]
}}
'''University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, established 1839'''
'''Chapter Founded April 2, 1875'''
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'''Charter Members:'''
'''Fraternity Council Members Officers:'''
Gay Hancock (Blake), 1890-1892 Grand Registrar; Edith Stoner (Robinson), 1906-1908 Grand Registrar, 1908 Grand Secretary, 1908-10 Grand President; Marie Bryden Macnaughtan, 1930-1934 Grand Registrar; Marian Klingbeil Williams, 1972-76 Director of Personnel, 1976-78 Director of Field Representatives, 1978-80 Director of Membership, 1980-84 Director of Chapters, 1984-88 Fraternity President, 1989 – 2001 National Panhellenic Conference Delegate, 1999-2001,Chairman National Panhellenic Conference, Jeane Cox-Meuser, Director of Standards 2002-2006; Susie Eynatten Hughes, Director of Membership 2004-2008; Debra Kelley, Field Secretary, 1981-1983; Mary Sterner (Giordano), Traveling Consultant 1985-1986; Lisa Higham (Ferbet), Traveling Consultant 1986-1987; Tricia Morley (Matteson), Traveling Consultant 1997-1998; Karen O’Connor (Knabe), Traveling Consultant 1988-1989; Claire McClintic, Leadership Consultant 2005-2006; Nicki Derryberry, Leadership Consultant 2007-2008; Carly Wooldrige, Leadership Consultant 2014-2015
'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
(Ellen) Jane Froman (Ross, Burn, Smith), singer; the movie With a Song in My Heart portrays her life, 1954; Carey Boone Nelson, artist and sculptor, 1976; Sabra Tull Meyer, Sculptor, artist, 2012; Lynda "Sunny" Hare Scribante, civic leader and philanthropist, 2012;
'''Additional Outstanding Theta Alumnae'''
Susan Duncan, Graduate Counselor 1978-1980; Lisa Higham (Ferbet), Chapter Consultant 1987-1989; Sheila Jesse (Oliver), Chapter Consultant 1990-1991; Nicki Derryberry, Chapter Consultant 2008-2009; Amy Ryno 2022-present;
'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''
1950 Fraternity Finance
1954 Standards
1962 Fraternity Appreciation
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.:
==Highlights 2012==
2012 was yet another very positive year for the Theta Chapter at the University of Missouri. Our wonderful house director Linda Orman did an outstanding job with not only keeping up the house but with the 88 women living under the same roof. President Hannah Bartfield along with the other newly elected officers of chapter council kept the momentum going with fulfilling the roles and responsibilities given to them. Theta Chapter as a whole benefited tremendously from the work these lovely women devoted to our chapter. Similar to last February, on the 23rd Kappa participated in one of the University of Missouri’s largest philanthropies known as RAMS. RAMS, which stands for Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis, offers multiple events over a course of different days. There is a t-shirt sale competition, Cup Night sales, Jail ‘n Bail, comedy night and many other activities. To keep our chapter informed as to when activities were going on we had head liaisons. Our very own Lilli Robinson did a great job with keeping us organized and informed on all the RAMS events. Another fun activity put on by RAMS was the skit and dance competition. The kappa dancers along with a few others participated in this event. Our theme was Kray in Love inspired by the power couple Jay Z and Beyoncé. Though this was not the only thing keeping the Kappa women busy during February. Prohibition, the annual date social was held on February 25th where they dressed up as flappers and gangsters with their dates. Not only where the woman of Kappa busy during February but the Theta Chapter house was as well. The City of Columbia’s Historic Preservation Commission named Kappa to the Most Notable Properties list. Kappa was built in 1929, making it one of the oldest sorority houses on the Mizzou campus. Members of Kappa were invited to a gala event put on by the City of Columbia to honor our Chapter and beautiful home. During March, Theta Chapter was very busy. Kappa held the annual Signature Event. This event is put on for Kappa’s national philanthropy RIF (Reading is Fundamental). We kept with past year’s theme of Dr. Seuss since it was such a success with the students at Blue Ridge Elementary School. Shelby Harper, Kappa’s Beneficiary Chairman did a wonderful job planning various activities for the kids to participate in. On the weekend of March 2th, Kappa also welcomed their mothers to Columbia, Missouri from all over the country to celebrate Mom’s Weekend. Shelby Harper also did a fantastic job planning Mom’s weekend. Friday night started out with a Boutique night at the Kappa house! Vendors such as Silpada, Stella & Dot, and Lilly Dawson were there to show off their merchandise to the girls and their mothers! After this, Kappa was invited to participate in Karaoke night at Fieldhouse in downtown Columbia with our future Greek Week partners, Phi Kappa Theta. On Saturday, many girls spent the day relaxing with their moms, going shopping, and getting their nails done! Saturday night was Comedy Night at Deja Vu. We heard the jokes from the hilarious Greg Warren, who happened to be a Mizzou alum! Winding down the weekend, brunch was served at Kappa on Sunday morning. It was such a nice weekend enjoyed with the ladies we love and adore. April was a very exciting month around kappa. On Thursday, April 26th, Kappa girls primped themselves to look their absolute finest for the annual Sapphire Ball. Everyone looked stunning, danced the night away and had a fabulous time with their lucky dates. Though the most exciting news around the house was winning Greek Week overall. We were paired with the men of Phi Kappa Theta and Beta Sigma Psi. We were fierce competitors in sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, flag football and our surprise event tee ball. Those who didn’t play in the games cheered loudly from the sidelines, painted fleur-de-lis on their faces, rocked signature KKG sunglasses and spirit gear. The fans continued to show their support even in the pouring rain. Our efforts together brought us to the top! During the Spring 2011 semester, Kappa Kappa Gamma's at Mizzou were recognized for various campus honors such as, Mizzou 39 and being tapped into various honor societies. Congratulations to Ashley D., Lauren F., Morgan S., and Leslie F. for being chosen for Mizzou 39! Mizzou 39 is a group of elite seniors at the University of Missouri who have consistently upheld the values that Mizzou represents. In addition, they have been extremely involved on campus, through service work and maintained dedication to their schoolwork. Congratulations to Amanda S. and Meg S. for all being tapped into the honor society, Omicron Delta Kappa! ODK is a secret and highly selective national honor society that chooses its members based upon rigorous involvement in collegiate areas such as, scholarship, athletics, campus involvement and various other academic-based sectors. Also, Congratulations to Morgan A. for being tapped into the honor society, QEBH. QEBH is the oldest of the six secret honors societies on Mizzou's campus. While the actual name and inner workings of QEBH are kept secret, we do know that they keep the Victory Bell, a trophy that has gone home with the winner of the Missouri-Nebraska football game since 1927. Another congratulations goes to Erin H. on winning the Missouri Journalism Larry Powell Award! This award is given to one MOJO student each semester for being awesome! Though it was the end of the school year at the University of Missouri Kappa’s were keeping busy. Three Kappas’s spent their summer in New York City to complete internships. Karee Hackel was an intern to Seventeen Magazine. Maddie Aberman served as an intern to Allure magazine. And Hannah Bartfield was an intern for Donna Karen in the textiles department. Other Kappa’s were spending their summer traveling the world and spending time with family. After reuniting with old friends, Mizzou Kappa’s dove into “Work Week” to prepare for Recruitment. After a summer of preparation, Jess Winfry and Lisa Davidson led the chapter in putting on an outstanding recruitment. Work Week had a few themed days in which the girls had a lot of fun with such as “Decades,” “USA,” and a day where each pledge class competes to have the best theme. All of the hard work put into Work Week paid off during recruitment week. Some of the highlights of recruitment week included our amazing skit performed on Sisterhood Day that is consistently hilarious every year. This year’s theme was the Kappa Kappa Gamma pageant. Who would be Miss Kappa Kappa Gamma? On Philanthropy day, the house was transformed in to the world of Dr. Seuss. Elaborate decorations of “Who-ville” filled the house, fishbowls lined the dining room tables, and spirited girls gave tours of the upstairs dressed as Cat in the Hat. Finally, on Bid Day, a beautiful banner sporting the phrase “Kappa Karnival,” as that was our theme, was hanging from the columns of the house. All of the actives were eagerly anticipating the new members arrival. When they arrived, new members were showered with gifts and hugs and enjoyed a Bid Day up in hot air balloons and playing Karnival games. Thursday, September 27th, was a very exciting day to be a KKG at Mizzou! All in one night, we had Pledge Family Reveal and our Marriage Party for Homecoming with the men of Delta Tau Delta. The sophomore pledge class was thrilled to become Pledge Moms and the New Members were even more excited to become someone's Pledge Daughter! And as far as the juniors and seniors go, let's just say they were very excited to welcome someone new into their pledge family...but not so much about being called someone's "Pledge Grandma" or "Pledge Great-Grandma" ;-). Sophomores were in charge of making shirts for their pledge family and all of them turned out adorable! After the Reveal, each Pledge Family went out to enjoy a nice dinner. Later on in the night, Kappa’s proceeded to get hitched to our Homecoming partners, Delta Tau Delta. The theme for the night was "That Used To Be Cool". Girls and boys alike got super creative with their costume ideas and dug out their most prized clothing back from middle school. With homecoming coming up Kappa could not be more proud of our sister Morgan Adrian for being nominated for Mizzou's Top 10 Homecoming Royalty. Not only was she nominated. Morgan went on to win Homecoming Queen! November was yet another busy month around Kappa. The women of Kappa and the men of Delta Tau Delta took on Mizzou's 101st Annual Homecoming Celebration with the theme of "Roaring 20s"! Overall, we took home 4th place! The other categories, we placed as follows: 1st place Merchandise, 1st place Royalty, 1st place Service, 2nd place Blood, 3rd place Talent, Best Vocals. November 2nd and 3rd, we welcomed 89 New Members into our wonderful sisterhood! During I-week, members showed their spirit by wearing different colors each day. In addition, there were fun activities planned to build the bond of Kappa's sisterhood. Tuesday, we rented out a movie theatre to see the movie "Pitch Perfect". Wednesday, the wonderful Christen E. conducted a "Blue and Blue" photo shoot for all of the New Members. For dinner on Thursday, pledge families got together and enjoyed a fun dinner! Friday was the beginning of a fun-filled and very successful Initiation! Thank you to our Marshal, Kaylen K., her assistants, Chapter Council, and all the alumnae who put in so much hard work throughout the week/weekend and made this Initiation one to remember. On Wednesday, November 14th, everyone celebrated the largest and most successful philanthropy yet raising $35,000! Great work, Kelly S. and Shelby H. Kaddy Shack is a social in honor of the two golf teams who win the Kappa Klassic (Kappa’s philanthropy). Congratulations to Jory M. and Paola R. on being elected to Mizzou's Panhellenic Association! Jory will be the next VP of Public Relations and Paola will take over the position of VP of Risk Management. Good job girls, you make our chapter so proud. As per usual, Kappa and Pi Beta Phi celebrated the founding of our sororities at the same college, Monmouth! The first night was costume night and the following night was a bonfire and hayride. On the Sunday following Initiation, the Columns Ballroom at the University Club was filled with over 260 actives and alumni. The Kappa ladies ate a lunch of dijon chicken while they listened to the wonderful keynote speaker, Vivian B., inform us of the history of Theta Chapter. Representatives from each pledge class spoke beautifully about their experiences in Kappa, and we were honored to give out three 50-year pins and one 65-year pin. Everyone enjoyed listening to the Kappa Pickers sing “Drifter” and sophomore, Lindsay P., sing her original song “The Beautiful and Good”. In December, the ladies danced the night away at the last social of the year, Semi-Formal. With finals approaching, stress levels built, and Kappa’s were ready for the holiday season. Though upon return from Thanksgiving break, elections for the new Chapter Council were held. This year an interview was included in the application process to choose the most devoted and deserving Kappa members for positions. One of the biggest changes that occurred in 2012 here on at University of Missouri was entering the SEC. It has been a great experience for not only the University but the students as well. The atmosphere during sporting events is something you do not want to miss. Fans come from miles away to support both Mizzou and the opposing team. Here at Kappa you will find a wonderful friendship that doesn’t end in four years, it lasts a lifetime. Within these walls something special is found, it is a bond that cannot be broken. It is a bond that brings us all together though our personalities are so different. Though our personalities may vary the relationship we have with each other does not. We are so close and always there to lend a helping hand or a shoulder for other sisters to lean on. If someone were to describe our chapter in a few words the description would be, Kappa is a house full of smart, caring, outgoing girls that will always be there for you. The women of Theta chapter never turn their backs on each other. ==Highlights of 2013== '''January 2013'''2013 was another productive year for Theta Chapter here at the University of Missouri. Our great house director Linda Orman did an exceptional job with keeping up the house and caring for the 86 women living in our wonderful home. President Kenzie Rauch along with the other newly elected officers of chapter council came into office with a vibrant energy, excited to take on the roles and responsibilities given to them. Theta Chapter benefited greatly from the work these dedicated women did for our chapter. '''February 2013''' Similar to last February and many years before, on the 23rd Kappa participated in one of the University of Missouri’s largest philanthropies known as RAMS. RAMS, which stands for Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis, offers multiple events over a course of different days. There is a t-shirt sale competition, Cup Night sales, Jail ‘n Bail, comedy night and many other activities. Our very own Lilli R. was one of the three Tri-Directors for the RAMS philanthropy this year. Another fun activity put on by RAMS was the skit and dance competition. The kappa dancers along with a few others participated in this event. One of our members even showed off her talent for baton twirling! Our theme for the skit and dance was Cirque de Kappa. ''March 2013'''During March, Theta Chapter was very busy. On the 15th our annual Prohibition social was held. All the lovely members and their dates got to dress up in 1920’s attire as flappers and gangsters. Many fun pictures prove that Prohibition was an enjoyable success. Kappa also held the annual Signature Event. This event is put on for Kappa’s national philanthropy RIF (Reading is Fundamental). We continued the tradition of our theme being Dr. Seuss since it was such a success in the past years. Kelsey H., Kappa’s Beneficiary Chairman, did a fabulous job planning various activities for the kids to participate in, such as an arts and crafts project as well as performing a skit from parts of various Dr. Seuss books. At the end of our Signature Event, held at Grant Elementary School this year, all of the children in the class, student taught by one of our members Shelby Harper, got 2 books as a present and hopefully an inspiration to continue to read. On the weekend of March 2th, Kappa also welcomed their mothers to Columbia, Missouri from all over the country to celebrate Mom’s Weekend. Payton M. and Sarah H. did an excellent job planning Mom’s weekend. Friday night started out with a night full of socializing and dancing for the mothers and daughters that was held at the classy Upper Crust venue. The next day mothers and daughters spent their days relaxing and unwinding from the dancing done the night before. Most went shopping and out to lunch, then at night, everyone was offered the opportunity to go to a discounted showing of Safe Haven, a classic romantic film, at Forum 8. On Sunday, our awesome chefs made a delightful brunch was served at Kappa followed by a few boutiques set up with many fun things to buy such as jewelry, scarves, and various other accessories. It was such a nice weekend enjoyed with the ladies we love and adore. Finally, in the middle of this month Kappa’s were finally allotted the opportunity to volunteer at our local philanthropy Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. '''April 2013'''April was a very exciting month around kappa. The most exciting news around the house was winning Greek Week overall, for the second year in a row! This year we were paired with the men of Lambda Chi Alpha and Sigma Pi. We were fierce competitors in sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and flag football. Unfortunately, the surprise event this year, steal the bacon, was cancelled due to terrible weather conditions. Despite the unfavorable weather, those who didn’t participate in the games were cheering loudly from the sidelines with painted fleur-de-lis on their faces, rocking signature KKG sunglasses and sprit gear. Jody P., a spunky freshman, even came up with the idea of having a 4 girl cheerleading squad at every sports competition; they even had their own cheers and everything! The fans continued to show their support even in the freezing rain. Our efforts together brought us to the top yet again! '''May 2013'''During the Spring 2012 semester, Kappa Kappa Gammas at Mizzou were recognized for various campus honors such as, Mortar Board and being tapped into various honor societies. Congratulations to Hannah B. for being chosen for Mizzou Mortar Board! Mortar Board is an American national honors society of elite seniors at the University of Missouri who have consistently upheld the values that Mizzou represents. In addition, they have been extremely involved on campus, through service work and maintained dedication to their schoolwork. Mizzou 39 is a very similar secret society like Mortar Board that Cara W. was tapped into. Congratulations to Caroline T. for being tapped into the honor society, Omicron Delta Kappa! ODK is a secret and highly selective national honor society that chooses its members based upon rigorous involvement in collegiate areas such as, scholarship, athletics, campus involvement and various other academic-based sectors. Also, Congratulations to Kelsey H. for being tapped into the honor society, QEBH. QEBH is the oldest of the six secret honors societies on Mizzou's campus. While the actual name and inner workings of QEBH are kept secret, we do know that they keep the Victory Bell, a trophy that has gone home with the winner of the Missouri-Nebraska football game since 1927. Finally, congratulations to all of our wonderful seniors that left us this year! '''Summer 2013'''Though it was the end of the school year at the University of Missouri Kappa’s were keeping busy. A total of eight Kappas were Pi Chi’s for this year’s formal recruitment! The highest number of Kappa Pi Chi’s yet. Some Kappa’s also remained involved with campus activities over the summer break by being Summer Welcome Leaders helping incoming freshman get prepared for their first year at Mizzou. This year PHA also decided to adopt their own philanthropy called Circle of Sisterhood. Two Kappa’s were on the PHA Executive Board for 2013 but one, Paola R. and 2 other Kappa’s got the special opportunity to go to Africa with Circle of Sisterhood to help build a school house for a community that could not afford it otherwise. The school was built solely by sorority women from all over the country. Several other Kappas traveled the world over summer break whether on vacations with their families, internships, or study abroad trips. Their destinations ranged from China to New Zealand to England and even to Brazil. There is no doubt that the summer of 2013 was a very busy one for the members of Theta chapter! '''August 2013'''After reuniting with old friends, Mizzou Kappa’s dove into “Work Week” to prepare for Recruitment. After a summer of preparation, Megan Beykirch and Page Dodam led the chapter in putting on an outstanding recruitment. Work Week had a few themed days in which the girls had a lot of fun with such as “Decades,” “USA,” and a day where each pledge class competes to have the best theme. All of the hard work put into Work Week paid off during recruitment week. Some of the highlights of recruitment week included our amazing skit performed on Sisterhood Day that is consistently hilarious every year. This year’s theme was the Kappa Kappa Gamma pageant. Who would be Miss Kappa Kappa Gamma? On Philanthropy day, the house was transformed into a high class golf course to illustrate our infamous Kappa Klassic Philanthropy. This was the first year we changed the theme from our usual “Dr. Seuss” theme that illustrated our national philanthropy RIF. The change was a big one, but it was quite successful! Finally, on Bid Day, a beautiful banner sporting the phrase “KKG Under the Sea,” as that was our theme, was hanging from the columns of the house. All of the actives were eagerly anticipating the 83 new members’ arrival. When they arrived, new members were showered with gifts and hugs and enjoyed a Bid Day at a swim park where everyone enjoyed some delicious barbecue and some fun in the sun. '''September 2013'''Thursday, September 26th, was a very exciting day to be a KKG at Mizzou! The sophomore pledge class was thrilled to become Pledge Moms and the New Members were even more excited to become someone's Pledge Daughter at the Pledge Family Reveal! And as far as the juniors and seniors go, let's just say they were very excited to welcome someone new into their pledge family...but not so much about being called someone's "Pledge Grandma" or "Pledge Great-Grandma"! Sophomores were in charge of making shirts for their pledge family and all of them turned out adorable! After the Reveal, each Pledge Family went out to enjoy a nice dinner. The Kappa Klassic was also held this month and it consisted of two weekends full of fraternity men and klassy fathers playing their best rounds of golf. This year a record number of funds were raised by the Kappa Klassic. $44,500 was split three ways and benefited the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center, and RIF. Needless to say Kelsey H. and Devin W. did a phenomenal job at organizing and hosting the largest philanthropy in Greek town. This is not the only phenomenal job that Kappa’s did this month however; Sarah H. and Payton M. hosted an amazing Dad’s Weekend which consisted of a bonfire party on Friday night followed by a fun tailgate before a great Mizzou football game on Saturday. Other achievements include Kathleen K. becoming the lead Coordinator for the newly established Truman’s Closet on campus. Truman’s Closet is a non-profit organization that rents out professional attire for those in the Columbia community that have important job interviews but not enough money to buy nice business attire. They also offer services such as mock job interviews and resume building classes. And finally, numerous Kappa’s decided to get deeply involved in the University of Missouri’s largest campus philanthropy, Dance Marathon, by either becoming Steering Committee members or Dance Moral Captains. What can’t our members do?! '''October 2013'''With homecoming coming up Kappa could not be more proud of our sister Sarah Barr for being nominated for Mizzou's Top 30 Homecoming Royalty. On October 4th, also in the spirit of Homecoming, we held our denim themed marriage party to our wonderful Homecoming pairings, Theta Chi and Farmhouse. This was Theta Chi’s first year participating in Homecoming. Also, in October, one of our members, Lindsey Pierce, founded a new organization on campus called Executive Women International Collegiate. The organization’s goal is to introduce its members to professional mentors in the working fields of their interest and to help prepare them for the task of being women in the real world of business. Multiple Kappas applied to be in this new organization and Lindsey plans to do big things through EWIC on campus. Kappa also renewed an old tradition of celebrating Halloween with Chi Omega by throwing an “Owl”-oween social. It was truly a blast getting to spend such a fun holiday with a fellow sisterhood. '''November 2013'''November was yet another busy month around Kappa. The women of Kappa and the men of Theta Chi and Farmhouse took on Mizzou's 102nd Annual Homecoming Celebration with the theme of "Washington D.C."! Overall, we took home 2nd place! The other categories, we placed as follows: 1st place House Decs, 1st place Banner, 1st place Merchandise, 1st place Service, 4th place Blood, and Best Supporting Actress in Talent. November 2nd and 3rd, we welcomed 80 New Members into our wonderful sisterhood! During I-week, members showed their spirit by wearing different colors each day. In addition, there were fun activities planned to build the bond of Kappa's sisterhood. Tuesday, there was a movie night in the New Member room at the Kappa house. For dinner on Thursday, the new members were invited to a special Blue and Blue dinner cooked by our creative chefs! Friday was the beginning of a fun-filled and very successful Initiation! Thank you to our Marshal, Lindsey P., her assistants, Chapter Council, and all the alumnae who put in so much hard work throughout the week/weekend and made this Initiation smooth and very successful. Kaddy Shack is a social in honor of the two golf teams who win the Kappa Klassic (Kappa’s philanthropy). The men of Alpha Gamma Sigma and the men of Sigma Pi won the fraternity portion of the Kappa Klassic and Kaddy Shack was held of the 22nd. Once again, Kappa and Pi Beta Phi celebrated the founding of our sororities at the same college, Monmouth on the weekend of the 16th! The first night was a bonfire and hayride and the following night was a venue social. On the Sunday following Initiation, the Columns Ballroom at the University Club was filled with over 250 actives and alumni. The Kappa ladies ate a lunch of Dijon chicken while they listened to the wonderful keynote speaker, Leigh Neier, talk about what it means to truly call someone your “sister”. Representatives from each pledge class spoke beautifully about their experiences in Kappa, and we were honored to give out a 50-year pin to Cynthia Miller Mustard and a 65-year pin to Helen Wells Wilson. Everyone enjoyed listening to the Kappa Pickers sing “Drifter” and junior, Lindsay P., sing her original song “The Beautiful and Good”. Pledge Class Speakers:Freshmen: Kate W.Sophomore: Ryan D.Junior: Amy M.Senior: Kenzie M. Most Outstanding Member of Each Pledge Class:Freshmen: Lauren G.Sophomore: Allison D.Junior: Maddie T.Senior: Lilli R. Gracious Living Award: Kelci D.Most Active Senior Award: Page D.Behind the Scenes Award: Brooke H.Martha Stevens Toller Award: Kenzie R. '''December 2013'''In December, the ladies danced the night away at the last social of the year, Semi-Formal. With finals approaching and stress levels high, Kappa’s were ready for the holiday season. This year Kappa won the award of “Dedication to Member Academic Excellence” at the Greek Life Honors Night. Upon return from Thanksgiving break, elections for the new Chapter Council were also held. The new officers are as follows: President: Maddie TaylorVPS: Alyssa FancherVPO: Hallie HerrmannVPAE: Taylor LuetkemeyerRecording Secretary: MJ RodgersCorresponding Secretary: Sarah WhiteTreasurer: Caroline SechlerRegistrar: Kara KlempMarshal: Maddie PoletisEducation: Jody PetersonHouse: Rayanna BeckerRecruitment: Suzanna ThorneMembership: Natalie FischerPhilanthropy external: Claire FischerPhilanthropy internal: Laura SickmanNew Member: Allison DoerrPublic Relations: Haley McDillEvents external: Bekah BadeEvents internal: Elissa ArnoldRisk Management: Allison (Bobbie) RobertsPanhellenic Delegate: Jamie Ras Campus Description: University of Missouri-Columbia Enrollment (Fall 2013) Total: 34,658In-State: 24,743Out-of-state 9,915Undergraduate: 26,965Graduate: 6,439International: 2,236 Greek Life (Fall 2013) Total # of Greeks 7,442Total # of Greek Men 3,107Total # of Greek Women 4,335Total # of PHA Women 4,319 % Of Greek Students 27%% Of Greek Men 11%% Of Greek Women 16% Annual Undergraduate Cost, 2013-14 Missouri resident total: $22,943Non-resident total: $37,292Tuition and fees: $9,415 (resident); $23,764 (non-resident)Room and board:$9,286Books and supplies: $946Personal and transportation: $3,296Costs assume 14-hour enrollment each semester '''Changes On Campus:'''Due to our switch to the SEC, our campus has been doing a lot of construction to better our athletic sporting centers such as renovations to Faurot Field, the volleyball courts, and Wolpers dorm. Another big highlight on our campus this year was our very successful football season. The Mizzou Tigers worked their way all the way to the Cotton Bowl and the head football Coach, Gary Pinkel, beat Faurot this year with the largest number of wins as head Coach. However, our football team was not the only successful Mizzou sports team; our girls’ volleyball team was undefeated for majority of their season up until the tail end. So congratulations, to all of the Mizzou Tiger sports teams for such a successful second year in the SEC. '''Overall Nature of Theta Chapter'''The feeling that you get when you walk into the Theta Chapter Kappa house is almost indescribable. The best way that I can describe the feeling is immediately comfortable and homey. The women in this house make it a home. These women are the most genuine, successful, noble, true and good young people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I could go on forever but I would rather just say that the true nature of the Theta Chapter is that it is a home away from home. You will always find love and acceptance among these women. I have become a better person from knowing these Theta Chapter women and it is because this sisterhood is so strong. You will always find a home here at Theta Chapter. ==Highlights of 2014== January 2014 Theta Chapter at the University of Missouri had yet another smooth move in day. Linda Orman, our very own house director, helped to make move in day with 86 girls run as smoothly as possible and continues to care so well for our home on 512 E. Rollins St. President Maddie Taylor, accompanied by the rest of the newly elected Chapter Council, stepped into office with positive attitudes and ambitious mindsets, ready to take on the duties that come along with representing Kappa. Throughout the year, these lovely women upheld their responsibilities with beauty and goodness. Sarah White, a member of the junior pledge class, studied abroad in New Zealand and Australia taking Theta Chapter international! Kennedy Calton, a newly initiated member of our chapter, was chosen as Student Assistant for Mizzou Football Multimedia. February 2014 With one month of 2014 under our belt, Theta Chapter got right into participation on campus both as individual members and as a chapter. RAMS, which stands for Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis, one of MU’s largest philanthropies, was just one of the events we participated in. The RAMS Steering Committee included some of Theta Chapter’s proud members, Katie Gengler, Reena Bhagat, and Carly Wooldridge. Mizzou for Malawi, another incredible service organization on campus, has a goal to continue fundraising for the primary school in Malawi. They have already established and gained enough funds to eventually open a secondary school. Kali Boland, Reena Bhagat, and Jenn Croft, three Kappas here at Mizzou, were all honored with being on this steering committee beginning in February. Lauren Greenheck, Alyssa Fancher, Maddy Poletis, Jamie Ras and Kirsten Kuc were all accepted into Mizzou’s Outreach Student Recruitment team, which helps potential students with their transition into college and is an honorable campus position to hold. March 2014 This month was very busy and exciting for the women of KKG. We started the month with our annual social, Prohibition, a 1920s themed event that is always a chapter favorite. This upbeat and sensational social was held at Cherry Hill, a nice venue in Columbia, and was of course a blast for all of the members and their guests. Another event, put on for Kappa’s national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, was also held in March. For this event we held a book drive prior so that each child could bring home a new book from the school day event. Kappa members went into four classrooms at a local elementary school and read Dr. Seuss books to them. We also helped them make their own Cat in the Hat craft. The kids were able to take home their new book, hat, and a bookmark from the event. Also in March, mothers from across the country gathered at Mizzou to celebrate Kappa Kappa Gamma mom’s weekend. We began the weekend with a visit to Déjà Vu, a comedy club here in Columbia where all of the girls and their mothers shared a good laugh. Early Saturday, two busses of Kappas along with their mothers headed to The Lake of the Ozarks where they shopped all day long at the outlet mall. Sunday morning, Kappa’s house was filled with many tables and booths from Columbia retail shops and boutiques that displayed items available for purchase. In the dining room, a full buffet of brunch food was prepared and displayed by our lovely cooks, Jim and Donny. The weekend was filled with many fun times and memorable moments that won’t be forgotten. Elise Ferron, a Kappa junior was elected to be Vice President of Mizzou Special Events Society, an organization on campus dedicated to helping students prepare for event planning with hands on experiences. Melinda McMahon, another Theta Chapter member, was elected as a justice for the Mizzou Student Conduct Board, a high honor to be held. Girls in our chapter were also able to begin volunteering at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center, one of Theta Chapter’s local beneficiaries. April 2014 April, arguably the best month in 2014, depending on whom you ask in Greek Town, was filled with lots of excitement for the Kappa girls. The Kappa Kappa Gammas of the University of Missouri won Greek Week overall for the third year in a row! Kappa and our partners Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Sigma Psi’s hard work was reflected in the multiple categories of Greek week in which we placed. Wish makers, a philanthropy on MU’s campus, was graced with a new member of its steering committee, our very own Kristina Airdo. Elise Ferron, a previously recognized Kappa junior, was promoted from Fundraising Chair to President of CMAA, an amazing organization that connects students to the professional world in the hospitality industry and is recognized on an international level. Also this month, Madison Scheper, a Kappa freshman, and two juniors, Hannah Overfelt and Lindsay Pierce, were accepted to travel with 60 Greek students to Harmons, Jamaica for a service project through an organization called Won by One. May 2014 Jamie Ras, a junior in Kappa, was tapped into Omicron Delta Kappa, one of Mizzou’s secret societies. The ceremony, held for the past 85 years, was in Jesse Auditorium to recognize not only students’ academic success but also service and leadership on campus. Congratulations to Freshman Alison Yoakam who was elected to the Executive Board of Alpha Kappa Psi, a fraternity in the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske College of Business and the student council for the College of Business itself. Lauren Richter, also representing Kappa Kappa Gamma in Alpha Kappa Psi, was elected as pledge class secretary. Finally, congratulations to all of our amazing seniors that left us this year! Summer 2014 Kappa Kappa Gamma was represented by seven recruitment counselors, or Pi Chis, this summer: Katie Allen, Maddie Buchanan, MJ Rogers, Caroline Sechler, Haley McDill, Melinda McMahon and Jody Peterson. These girls helped facilitate and lead the largest recruitment Mizzou as ever seen. Many Kappas traveled all over in the summer of 2014 including Kara Klemp and Claire Winegar who studied abroad in Greece, and Emily Thomson who had an internship with Vince Camuto in Greenwich, Connecticut. Ally Adrian, Alyssa Goldberg, and Allison Doerr were all selected to be Summer Welcome Leaders and help incoming freshman plan their first semester here at Mizzou. August 2014 After a lot of traveling and a busy summer for most of the Kappas, a reunion at 512 E. Rollins was much needed. “Work Week” was so much fun for all of the members of Theta Chapter, but also hard work at the same time. All of the effort put into Work Week was definitely reflected in a wonderful recruitment week and flawless new pledge class. After preparing for the entire summer, Natalie Fischer and Suzanna Thorne guided the chapter in an exceptional recruitment. A few highlights from recruitment week included our always-hilarious skit, themed as “Miss Kappa Kappa Gamma” on Sisterhood Day. On Philanthropy Day, the house was transformed into a high-class golf course to illustrate our famous Kappa Klassic philanthropy event. The most anticipated day, Bid Day, was very successful! This year’s theme, “Sweet Home Kappa Gamma,” was a lot of fun for the all of the girls that could now call Kappa home. All of the active members were elated when the 92 new members arrived on Kappa’s lawn! There was BBQ and other snacks courtesy of Kappa’s cooks. The night held a special surprise, up and coming country singer Corey Kent White performed a private concert for the Kappas. The concert was the icing on the cake for the best bid day yet! Also in August, Cheyenne Kline found out she will be an intern during the summer of 2015 for The New York Times and doing a multimedia apprenticeship for National Geographic. September 2014 This month was such a happy one for the Kappas at Mizzou! The sophomore pledge class members were all ecstatic because this September was Pledge Family Reveal! The members of PC ‘14 were showered with gifts throughout the week that ended in the ultimate gift, a new pledge family to call their own! New members were able to enjoy a nice dinner after the reveal with their big, “grandbig” and “greatgrandbig” in KKG. The Kappa Klassic was also held this month and consisted of two weekends, one for Kappa dads and one for fraternity men and other campus organizations. This year our Kappa Klassic raised an astounding $40,500 that helped benefit the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center, and RIF, making it the largest sorority philanthropy in Greek town! Along with a lovely round of golf on Sunday, the Dad’s enjoyed an event at Quinton’s, a local restaurant and bar, and a Saturday football game against Indiana. The entire weekend was fun-filled for the dads and their Kappa girls. Some of Kappa’s members including Suzy Bambini, Lauren Berger, Claire Fischer, Bridget Pederson, and Kirsten Thouvenot became involved with and eventually joined the coordinator board for Camp Kesem Mizzou, a student-run summer camp for children who have or have had a parent with cancer, provided free of charge to all of its campers. Additionally, after founding an Executive Women International-Collegiate chapter, Lindsay Pierce handed down the title of presidency to our very own Sammy Patten. Together they have started three new collegiate chapters of EWI this year. October 2014 Another year, another crazy Mizzou homecoming! With Halloween right around the corner, Kappa’s homecoming theme of haunted house couldn’t have been more perfect! Preparing for homecoming was a lot of hard work and a team effort, but all of the Kappas and our partners in Alpha Tau Omega had a lot of fun. We even managed to get first in the Mizzou Homecoming Blood Drive. This October, Debonie Lewis, a junior, was recognized as a member of the recruitment team for MizzouThon, Mizzou’s newly named Dance Marathon event. Madison Adrian, Katie Lynch, and Baylee Francka were also all welcomed into Mizzou’s Alumni Association Student Board. They state that it is their “noble mission as true sons and daughters of the University of Missouri to safeguard the traditions of our alma mater, to foster a sense of pride within the Mizzou community, and to serve as the governing board for all True Tigers.” Without a cheer and dance team for the Special Olympics here at MU, Kelsey Boschert, a Kappa sophomore, took the initiative to start it herself this October! Kennedy Calton, Laura Maurer, Jessica Kaiser, and McGuire McManus all became a part of Tiger Crew, a group of girls who support the Mizzou baseball team through fundraisers, working at games, marketing and interacting with the fans. This month was also exciting because it was filled with a very important event, Initiation! The Inspiration Period was filled with fun days for the women of Theta Chapter and activities at night to further strengthen the bond of our sisterhood. Some of these activities included a Blue and Blue dinner at the house and a movie night in the new member room! Thank you to our Marshal, Maddy Poletis, her assistants, Chapter Council, and all the alumnae who put in so much hard work throughout the week and made this Initiation smooth and very successful. We were so blessed to initiate all of our wonderful new members into our incredible chapter. The Sunday following Initiation, the University Club was filled with over 250 actives and alumnae. The Kappa ladies ate a lunch and dessert while listening to the wonderful keynote speaker, Morgan Adrian, a Theta Chapter alumna and member of PC ‘10. Representatives from each pledge class spoke beautifully about their experiences in Kappa and we were honored to give out multiple fifty-year pins. Everyone enjoyed listening to the Kappa Pickers sing “Drifter” and junior, Lindsay Pierce, sing her original song “The Beautiful and Good.” November 2014 Here at Theta Chapter, our favorite social Monmouth was celebrated with our neighbors across the street in Greek town, Pi Beta Phi. Both sororities and their dates had a blast celebrating the founding of our sororities at Monmouth College. The first night hosted a costume party and the second night was at an indoor/outdoor venue with a hayride and a DJ. This month Debonie Lewis also found out she will be interning for the U.S. Senate under Senator Roy Blunt! December 2014 December was a studious filled month for the Kappas since finals were approaching and stress levels were high. Our house mom, Linda, and the cooks, Jim and Donny, did a wonderful job planning “finals food” for the girls to snack on while staying up late and studying. In 2014, Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma won the award of “Excellence in New Member Programming” award at the Greek Life Honors Night. Upon returning from Thanksgiving break, elections for the new Chapter Council were held. The new officers are as follows: President: Maddy PoletisVPS: Ally AdrianVPO: Allison YoakamVPAE: Kiersten KucRecording Secretary: Laura EdlowCorresponding Secretary: Kate WadleyTreasurer: Molly de JongRegistrar: Morgan KleineMarshal: Lauren GreenheckEducation: Rosie HutchisonHouse: Jackie FreyMembership: Erika BeykirchPhilanthropy: Kelsey BoschertNew Member: Caroline PfeifferPublic Relations: Brittney FrazierEvents: Meagan HeaneyRisk Management: Ellie SenneffPanhellenic Delegate: Sara Duft Campus Description: University of Missouri-Columbia Enrollment (Fall 2014) Total: 35,441 In-state: 24,586 Out-of-state: 10,855 Undergraduate: 27,654 Graduate: 6,565 International: 2,417 Annual Undergraduate Cost, 2014-15 Missouri residential total: $24,704Non-residential total: $38,730Tuition and fees: $10,286 (resident) $24,312 (non-resident)Room and board: $9,640Books and supplies: $1,114Personal expenses and transportation: $3,664(Costs assume 14-hour enrollment each semester) Nickname: “Mizzou”Mascot: Truman the TigerMore than 280 degree programsMore than 600-plusstudent organizationsMore than 40 club sports and rec sports Changes on Campus: There was no lack of construction on Mizzou’s campus in 2014. One big change was the addition of a new dining area, Sabai, and their a–la–cart menu features many Southeast Asian favorites, including rice bowls, lettuce wraps, Thai chicken curry and Ginger Grab Wontons. Also this year, in honor of MU’s 175th anniversary, the MAA funded the construction of “Traditions Plaza,” an outdoor amphitheater that now provides an outdoor gathering and programming space for use by MU students, faculty, staff, visitors and alumni. Traditions Plaza will be a place where members of the campus community can enjoy concerts, spirit rallies, outdoor classes and a wide assortment of other activities. Overall Nature of Theta Chapter: The feeling that you get when you walk into the Theta Chapter is a feeling like no other. 512 E. Rollins St. is indescribably welcoming and homey. All members bring their own personality and individuality to the mix while all still having one thing in common, humor. A sense of humor, to me, is what really sets Theta Chapter apart from the others. There is always a sister, if not multiple sisters, to help pick you up when you are feeling down by simply cracking a joke. The women here are honorable, intelligent, hilarious, and dedicated, constantly representing the Kappa Kappa Gamma name, beautifully. There will be laughs echoing through the halls of this beautiful place we call home for many years to come. Chapter Meetings and Housing: Chapter meetings are held in the Theta Chapter house dining room. Woman behind the Badge: Over the summer one of our outstanding members, Cheyenne Kline, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya for a research project. While she was there, she met a woman named Jane Jimono who was in charge of an orphanage, Pricilla’s. A few days later Cheyenne started a website and other media outlets for Priscilla's to get the word out for monetary donations. After a few weeks and several very generous donations, Priscilla's became eligible for classes with certified teachers. In November, Priscilla's had its first day of school with over 57 students. Cheyenne included the entire chapter by requesting that members bring gently used or new school supplies, letters, or monetary donations to the Kappa Kappa Gamma house, so that they could be sent in a care package to Pricilla’s in Nairobi. Cheyenne still keeps in touch with everyone in Nairobi and is very grateful for it. No members wear historical badges. ==Highlights of 2015== January 2015 As always, move in day went smoothly for the Kappa Kappa Gammas at the University of Missouri. Our house director, Linda Orman, welcomed the Kappas and their family members into 512 E. Rollins on the morning of the 19th for her 22nd year! Maddy Poletis, our president, and the rest of the newly elected Chapter Council led the very first chapter meeting beautifully. All of the girls were so excited to be back together, sharing laughs and stories from a long winter break. Although the break was long, it was fun and exciting for many of the Kappas who participated in a Mizzou Alternative Breaks trip or the annual Mizzou Ski Trip. Several Theta Chapter members left to make incredible memories and study abroad to places including Buenos Aires, Brussels, London, and France! We were all so proud to send off our very own Debonie Lewis as she began her internship in Washington D.C. for the U.S. Senate under Senator Blunt! February 2015 February was a month filled with excitement and new opportunities for many of the Kappas! With Greek Week right around the corner, we couldn’t have been happier to be paired with the men of Delta Upsilon and Phi Gamma Delta, with the theme of Hey Arnold! On February 9th, freshman Rachel Marcus was welcomed onto the Mizzou Tour Team, a prominent position at MU. Three other outstanding freshmen, Sophia Quintana, Katie Hayes and Morgan Mechelke, were accepted onto MU’s Outreach Student Recruitment Team. The Outreach team is dedicated to serve as ambassadors for Mizzou at admissions events and college fairs around the country as well as working side by side with Tour Team! This month we also held our annual Kaddyshack social to honor the winning fraternity of our Kappa Klassic golf tournament in the fall. Everyone had a blast singing and dancing the night away at Roxy’s in downtown Columbia! March 2015 We started the month with a memorable event, the first annual Theta Chapter Trivia Night! Morgan Kleine and Lauren Greenheck organized an unforgettable night filled with fun music, sisterhood bonding, history and ritual trivia, great food and incredible prizes! All the girls who attended had a blast and were able to learn some new things about our chapter’s history and Kappa Kappa Gamma as a whole! In addition to fun sisterhood events, our very own Cheyenne Kline accepted a summer photography apprenticeship with National Geographic in Bali! She will promote several non-profits and the village. She began selling handmade jewelry to earn financial support for her Indonesian adventure. The Omicron Delta Kappa Top 14 Freshmen award is one of the highest honors that a freshman at Mizzou can receive for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and community service. Theta Chapter is extremely excited to announce that there are THREE Kappas at Mizzou who have been honored with this title: Baylee Francka, Katie Hayes and Maggie Dorr. ODK is a National Leadership Honor Society made up of juniors and seniors who are outstanding leaders across campus and represents one of Mizzou's six secret societies. Also this month, Ally Adrian put on a motivating sisterhood event in preparation for spring break. Our sister, Danielle Zoellner, led the rest of us in a workout Zumba class in our dinning room! It was a ton of fun and a nice break from studying for midterms. To tie up March, Kappa hosted one of our favorite socials, Prohibition. Decked out in pearls, flapper dresses and feathered boas, the whole house was ready to celebrate in true 20s fashion! April 2015 April was a jam-packed and fun-filled month for the Theta Chapter Kappas! At the beginning of this month, Kappa had a marriage party with our more than ecstatic Greek Week pairings: DU and FIJI. It was a lot of fun for all of the fraternity men and Kappa ladies to get to know each other better before what we knew would be a great Greek Week. This month, seven of our very own Chapter Council members attended the Regional Leadership Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was great getting to know our fellow sisters, listening to wise speakers including Jessica from Phired Up!, and gaining a new appreciation for Kappa Kappa Gamma as a whole. We are so proud of our Theta Chapter sister, Carly Wooldridge, who was selected to be a Kappa Kappa Gamma Leadership Consultant! Carly will represent us well. Our Events Chair, Meagan Heaney, did a wonderful job of planning our Mom’s weekend and it turned out to be a beautiful few days! We began the weekend by attending Déjà Vu comedy club, and all of the ladies shared some good laughs and then danced the night away. On Saturday the weather was absolutely beautiful as all of the “klassy” women and their mothers enjoyed the day at Canterbury Hill Winery. Finally on Sunday our precious cooks, Donny and Jim made us a delicious brunch in our beautiful dinning room. Relay for Life was held in the Mizzou Rec and was a successful night in which many of our sisters participated and helped to make an impact on the lives of those who are affected by cancer. When Greek Week rolls around it is always an intense and thrilling time for the Kappas at Mizzou. The women enjoyed participating in Caring for Columbia for Greek Week Service, in skit and dance for Greek Week Fling, dodge ball, flag football, volleyball, and soccer for Greek Week sports, and the Greek Week Blood Drive held in our school’s recreational center! On April 26, 2015 Kappa, along with our pairing, was announced as the 1st place overall winners of Greek Week for the FOURTH year in a row! We also placed 1st in the blood drive, 1st in public relations, 3rd in skit and dance and 4th for events. We are so proud of all of the liaisons and volunteers from Kappa, DU, and FIJI who put in so much hard work to result in yet another win! This month we were also excited to receive our Homecoming pairing for the upcoming fall: Theta Chi! Summer 2015Kappa Kappa Gamma was represented by four recruitment counselors, or Pi Chis, this summer: Ally Adrian, Sara Duft, Rosie Hutchinson, Caitlin Fletcher. These women helped facilitate an incredible recruitment for the newest Mizzou class! As the summer began, many Kappas began their internships and summer traveling. Kappas were all over the country, with a few even going abroad! August 2015 The summer flew by for us! Work Week began and we were happy to be back at our favorite place. PHA focused on a “values based recruitment” to emphasize not on the house, the apparel and the socials, but the quality of the conversations between women. This placed an importance on making sure that values match up between the potential new members and active members of each chapter. Knowing that the members of our chapter truly embody the values of the Fraternity, we were more than delighted to place an emphasis on what is truly important. Recruitment was a breeze, and we welcomed our fabulous new member class! Our New Member Educator, Caroline Pfeiffer, executed our Kappa Kappa Galaxy Bid Day flawlessly! The girls of 512 E. Rollins waited anxiously outside the house decked out in metallic and galaxy apparel for our “out of this world” new member class! September 2015 Fall ushered in another wonderful Dad’s Weekend for both the Kappas and their special guests this September! The weekend was packed with many events including the rental of Nash Vegas for lots of dancing and fun. Saturday was filled with tailgates and football for everyone. It was a bonus, of course, that the Tigers pulled through with a 9-6 win over the University of Connecticut. A.L. Gustin Golf Course hosted many daddy/daughter duos as well as other guests on Saturday. For the first time ever players had the chance to compete for a chance to have their name engraved on the Kappa Klassic winner’s plaque. The following weekend the golf course was crowded again with “Kappa Kaddies” and fraternity men playing to take the name of Kappa Klassic Champions 2015. Our Philanthropy Chair, Kelsey Boschert, did an incredible job of pulling off our most successful and philanthropic Kappa Klassic ever, raising a total of $62,188.27, benefitting Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center, Reading is Fundamental, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Camp Kesem, and Moving Ahead. This month also included the always-exciting Pledge Family Reveal! All of the new members were delighted to greet their newest pledge families with open arms on the lawn of our home. After the reveal the pledge families, in their matching family shirts designed by each member of PC ’14, bonded over dinner. October 2015 To kick off this crazy month, Kappa had a safari themed marriage party with our spectacular Homecoming partner, Theta Chi. Later in the month, Kappa was announced as the fourth place winners overall – which we were pleased to hear! Getting in the spirit of the season, we hosted a pumpkin carving sisterhood event on our lawn with our PanHellenic sister sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma. It was fun for all of the PanHellenic women and included some creatively carved pumpkins. We wrapped up the month with our social with our friends at Chi Omega, Owl-O-Ween! The costumes were clever and both chapters and their dates had fun dancing the night away at Ten Below in downtown Columbia. In addition to some fun events, Kappa celebrated our Initiation ceremony with a weekend full of sisterhood and family. The weekend concluded with Founder’s Day as we celebrated 140 years of Theta Chapter. It was a wonderful day to celebrate sisterhood and tradition! November 2015 Kappa was filled with cheer as the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets 7-2 to capture the World Series in five games, claiming the title of World Champions for the first time since 1985 – it was an exciting way to start off the month! Every Kappa’s favorite social, Monmouth, was held at the beginning of the month. Déjà Vu hosted the costume night while Midway hosted the second bonfire night. It was a perfect fall evening for a bonfire, hayride and dancing! This month we also held another sister sorority event with Sigma Sigma Sigma and our other pairing, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in Kappa’s own dining room. It included snacks, comfy PJs, and an open, positive discussion about the recent events on campus related to racism. We discussed, “What exactly is the movement happening on campus?” and “How can we better include NPHC in Greek life?” and “If you identify as white, how can you be an ally?” Overall, it was very helpful and insightful for all of the women to be able to spend time together and facilitate a positive discussion given the confusion surrounding the issues. After a busy week, we were off for Thanksgiving break! December 2015 After a whirlwind year for the women of Theta Chapter, December was a welcomed break. The true delight was coming back to 512 to a home decorated for the holidays! Mom went all out with lights and decorations, just the way we like it. We began the month with our annual semi-formal social where everyone came in their finest dresses for a night of dancing at Déjà Vu, our new favorite venue in Columbia! After some fun, it was time to buckle down and study for finals but not without a fun chapter dedicated to ugly Christmas sweaters! With a hectic finals week and a busy fall semester to boot, it was finally time for the Kappas to return home for winter break and relax. This year has been one for the books as the women of Theta Chapter continue to set an example in the Greek community and on campus. We’re already looking forward to seeing what 2016 will bring! President: Morgan Kleine VPS: Katie Hayes VPO: Libby Martin VPAE: Lindsey Graham Recording Secretary: Caroline Pruente Corresponding Secretary: Abby Greene Treasurer: Meredith Hill Registrar: Hannah Eggert Marshal: Taylor Downey Education: Madi Adrian House: Frannie Mulhall Membership: Charlotte Paras Philanthropy: Emily Montgomery New Member: Bailey Cole Public Relations: Morgan Mechelke Events: Conner Logsdon Risk Management: Katherine Baker Panhellenic Delegate: Baylee Francka Campus Description: University of Missouri-Columbia Enrollment (Fall 2014) Total: 35,050 Undergraduate: 27,589 Graduate: 6,266 International: 2,432 Annual Undergraduate Cost, 2014-15 Missouri residential total: $25,514 Non-residential total: $40,126 Tuition and fees: $10,586 (resident) $245,198 (non-resident) Room and board: $10,062 Books and supplies: $1,124 Personal expenses and transportation: $3,742 (Costs assume 14-hour enrollment each semester) Nickname: “Mizzou” Mascot: Truman the Tiger More than 280 degree programs More than 600-plus student organizations More than 40 club sports and rec sports Changes on Campus: The University of Missouri has made many strides in 2015. The MU News Bureau states “On Aug. 24, the University of Missouri opened its doors for the fall semester, welcoming the largest student body and the fourth-largest freshman class in the history of the university. Among the highlights of the 2015-16 school year are a record number of high-achieving students — those students who scored a 30 or higher on the ACT — a record retention rate, and the most diverse student body in MU’s history.” Overall Nature of Theta Chapter: Theta Chapter feels more like home than ever for the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma. With the school year wrapping up, and 512 E. Rollins adorned in garland and lights, the women are spending as much time as possible at the house. The girls have created bonds to last a lifetime and created memories to last even longer. There isn’t a day without laughter in the house; the Kappa girls are as lighthearted, humorous and fun loving as always. Each member represents the Kappa name beautifully with her compassionate, charitable, welcoming and encouraging heart. ==Highlights of 2016== For Theta Chapter, 2016 began with the newly elected Chapter Council attending a training session held by the Mizzou Panhellenic Association. Members from each campus chapter gathered to talk about making our community more empowering and more inclusive to all of our members. Chapter Council also met with the House Board to discuss possible renovations and make a wish list of changes we’d like to see in our chapter house. January is always an exciting time of getting acclimated to being back on campus and preparing for the year ahead. February began with our celebration for the winners of the Kappa Klassic, our golf-themed Kaddyshack social. The following week, we were greeted by our LC Jessica Morin. To welcome Jess and to celebrate the Valentine’s Day holiday, we threw a GALentine’s event at the local roller rink. The chapter was invited to hang out and take time to celebrate their sisters. Everyone so enjoyed their time with Jess and we were sad to see her go. During February, our very own Kathleen Kowalsky, Ella Miller and Maddy Poletis were give the great honor of being selected as part of the Mizzou 39, the top 39 seniors on campus. We were also so excited to congratulate another group of girls for being accepted into the prestigious Mizzou school of nursing. At the end of the month, we got the celebrate the birthdays of our chapter’s two Leap-Year Babies. We made sure to give the girls extra attention because it would have been their only collegiate birthday! There was another flood of honors in March as 8 Kappas were selected to be Panhellenic Counselors (Pi Chis) for the coming recruitment and our own Maddy Poletis was selected to be a 2016 Leadership Consultant. The chapter also cheered on Katherine Hayes as she directed her very first musical review for the club she cofounded, Mizzou Off Broadway. A number of Kappas starred in the performance. As the weather improved, we began our semesterly volunteering at our local beneficiary the Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. At the end of the month, everyone’s mothers came to participate in Mom’s Weekend. This year, the most beloved weekend of the semester took place at a local garden center. And, as the month ended, Kappas headed all over the country to enjoy Spring Break festivities. April began with Greek Week activities including 5 different sporting events, the Caring for Columbia day of service, volunteering at the Special Olympics, a skit and the blood drive. Kappa, Kappa Alpha Order and Lambda Chi Alpha placed second overall. During the month, we held our annual formal social, the Sapphire Ball as well as a movie night on the front lawn where the sisters watched the popular film “Sisters.” Perhaps the most notable event of April was completely switching our Kappa business from our Facebook page to The GIN. We now conduct all official business through The GIN and its many useful tools. The month ended with Senior Week as we highlighted the future graduates and they received their final Kappa programming. May was a short month at Mizzou and was focused on final exams. We managed to sneak in one last social with the women of Kappa Alpha Theta for our Kentucky Derby themed Kite and Key. When we returned to our studies, our house mother was generous enough to provide us with late night finals snacks throughout the last week of exams. And, as the school year came to a close we said goodbye to our seniors as they graduated and became Kappa alumnae. In June, nine Chapter Council members made their way to San Diego for the 2016 Kappa Convention. Marshal Taylor Downey acted as the representative from Theta Chapter and had the honor of introducing our very own Marian Klingbeil Williams at the Presidents Dinner. Throughout the week the women worked hard at business meetings and informational sessions but, what they enjoyed most was spending time with one another and their hundreds of Kappa sisters. Theta Chapter won the Public Relations Award for our Breaking Barriers Facebook campaign as well as a number of honorable mentions in categories including Philanthropy, Standards and New Member Program. If June wasn't exciting enough, our own Sydnee Stottlemyre competed as Miss Missouri in the 2016 Miss USA pageant and finished in the Top 10. Recruitment began in August as a new group of women moved into 512 E. Rollins for the very first time. Work Week was full of preparation, sisterhood bonding and a day trip to a local beach. During the Philanthropy round of Recruitment, the girls talked with potential new members while they crafted bookmarks for the children at Reading Is Fundamental. On Bid Day, Theta Chapter welcomed 71 new Kappa Kadets to our military themed lawn. The girls enjoyed a day at the local pool and bonding over inflatable obstacle courses. But, the fun didn't last forever and Monday morning classes began. At the end of August, Chapter Council took a weekend to hold their very own retreat. The 18 girls discussed how to improve their own positions and Theta Chapter as a whole as they embarked on the new semester. September hosted the New Member Retreat. All 71 girls stayed at the chapter house for a night of bonding, Kappa history, and snacks from our wonderful chefs. Later in the month, we hosted our annual Dad’s Weekend. Kappas and their dads spent time at a local brewery, cheering on the Tigers and on the green at the first weekend of the Kappa Klassic golf tournament. This weekend was the start of our philanthropy event. The following week included serenades from the fraternities participating in the tournament, a banner contest at the fraternity houses and the crowning of our King Candidate, an Evans Scholar. The second half of the Kappa Klassic was held on October 1 and 2. This year we had 56 teams participate in the event and raised over $51,000 for our beneficiaries. October was a whirlwind! Following the Klassic, we were greeted by our LC Morgan Agster. All of CC had an incredible time getting to know Morgan and taking in her advice. She assisted in pulling off a seamless and special initiation for all of our new members. All weekend and, especially during our Founders Day celebration, we were joined by an abundance of alumnae and family members to help us welcome all 70 new Kappas into our sisterhood. During all of this, the Kappa girls were in full Homecoming mode. The skit, house decorations and parade float all revolved around the theme Charlotte’s Web. Our partners, Alpha Gamma Rho, helped us to receive a second place victory. The month concluded with our annual Owloween social with the women of Chi Omega. In early November, we elected our brand new Chapter Council for the coming year and held our Triplet meeting with the old, new and our advisors. The 2017 officers:• President: Conner Logsdon• VP of Standards: Alex Linderer• VP of Organization: Anne Blaha• VP of Academic Excellence: Nissi Kunjummen• Recording Secretary: Erin O’Connor• Corresponding Secretary: Katie McDonough• Treasurer: Margo Young• Registrar: Michelle Stoddart• Marshal: Fee Pauwels• Education: Audrey Anderson• Events: Monica Harkins• House: Onoleigh Pommier• Membership: Taylor Downey• New Member: Charlotte Newman• PHA Delegate: Maddie Greenly• Philanthropy: Mary Fischer• Public Relations: Lexi Churchill• Risk Management: Chloe Clement Before the Kappas headed home for their Thanksgiving break, they got together with the women of Pi Beta Phi for their annual Monmouth social. Traditionally a costume social, this year the costumes had to fit with the letters K or G for the Kappas and the letters P or B for the PiPhis. The second night was a bonfire per usual. And, on Thanksgiving weekend, the Mizzou Tigers ended their mild season with a victory against Arkansas in the Battle Line Rivalry. When the Kappas returned from break, those with the highest GPAs were honored at their semesterly scholarship dinner and, for the first time, those with a 4.0 were honored with a pearl for their badge. That same week, the girls enjoyed one last social at their December semi-formal. After that, the entire campus became focused on final exams. To break up the studying, a Kredits Party was thrown at the Kappa house. The entire chapter was invited to make gingerbread houses, watch holiday films and celebrate the most involved members of each class. After their last exams, each Kappa headed home with the excitement to do it all again next year. ==Highlights of 2017== As winter break ended in the first weeks of 2017, girls came home to 512 East Rollins excited to begin the spring semester. The new Chapter Council had a retreat where they participated in an escape room activity and discussed chapter goals. We also had some sister that did not come back to East Rollins Street because they were studying abroad; from Belgium to Spain to Italy, there were Kappas all over the world. February was a fun month at the house. The chapter has the Kaddyshack social for the winners of the Kappa Klassic. We had our second annual Galentine’s Day celebration on the day before Valentine’s day. The pajama themed sisterhood event was held at a roller rink in town. In March, Columbia began to warm up. We also had exciting news when we learned that 7 of our sisters would be Panhellenic Counselors for formal recruitment in the Fall. We had Mom’s Weekend, and on Friday night, Kappas and their moms went to Les Bourgeois Vineyard to spend time with their moms. Sessions began at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center, one of our beneficiaries and Kappas would donate many volunteer hours each week. Theta Chapter’s own Katie Hayes planned the Mizzou Off Broadway Musical revue, and she recruited many other Kappas who participated in the performance. In April, we celebrated our Seniors with Senior Week. They loved some of the programming they participated in, one favorite was a speaker about wedding etiquette (which included dance lessons!). We also had out Sapphire Ball formal, this year that the dress code was designed for floor-length formal dresses. We also participated in Greek Week, which included a canned food drive, fling (consisting of a skit and dance), and sports. Many of the sports were rained out because of bad weather. Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Sigma Phi won first in Greek Week, the chapter’s favorite competition. It was an exciting achievement, the girls made shirts and celebrated the victory for weeks (if not months) after. The final few weeks of school in May were spent on final exams. However, we still had time for our Kite and Key social with Kappa Alpha Theta, which was a costume-themed “crush party”. After finals, the girls said goodbye to 512 and to the seniors who graduated. Some girls accepted amazing internships, and other left to study abroad for the summer. In August, the Kappas returned to the house for recruitment. The house looked different as the expansion had begun. The esat parking lot made way for a new wing of bedrooms, and the dining room was undergoing construction. The new kitchenette was finally complete, it was much bigger and nicer than the previous one. The girls were so excited about the new fixtures and snacks. Work week and recruitment paid off when we received 76 new members to our Mardi Gras themed bid day. The lawn was covered in gold, purple and green glitter as we welcomed our new sisters home. September was a whirlwind. New members participated in weekly meetings to get to know the chapter and then they were able to spend a night at the house doing bonding activities during the New Member Retreat. During Dad’s Weekend, the girls went to celebrate downtown and then had a Kappa tailgate to cheer on the Tigers. We had the first weekend of the Kappa Klassic for our dads that weekend. The next weekend, fraternities from Mizzou golfed in the tournament. We also had competitions for our Kappa King, which was won by a Delta Tau Delta. In October, we initiated all 76 of our new members. The weekend was special, and the new members and their families celebrated at The Roof. We also had Founder’s Day, where alumni got their 50 year pins and everyone celebrated the new members. The chapter also began work on Homecoming. We were paired with Farmhouse and Phi Kappa Psi. Our theme was “Chester Brewer.” Our skits, house decs and service wowed the Steering Committee. We ended up in first for Homecoming as well. The chapter celebrated the two victories of 2017. We also had our first social of the year, Owloween with Chi Omega, it is a Halloween themed social. In early November, we elected our brand new Chapter Council for the coming year and held our Triplet meeting to transition the girls into their new positions. We also had Monmouth, a social with Pi Beta Phi. The theme was “rhyme without a reason.” The girls went home for Fall Break. Many went to Nashville to support the Tigers, and everyone was ecstatic about the news that the football team would be participating at the Texas Bowl during winter break. December was quick, as girls came back from break and prepared for finals. Before that, we had our semi-formal as the final social of the year. As finals approached, the girls studied. Our house mom provided us finals snacks every night as we studied. After exams ended, the girls said goodbye to 512 and went home for break. The 2017 officers: President: Fee PauwelsVP of Standards: Maddie MinanaVP of Organization: Madison StemmlerVP of Academic Excellence: Rachel KeelingRecording Secretary: Caroline LoweryCorresponding Secretary: Morgan KnuckeyTreasurer: Holly HallamRegistrar: Emily HealeyMarshal: Chloe ClementEducation: Margo YoungEvents: Sara AllenHouse: Shuwen LinMembership: Alex LindererNew Member: Mikala BlumPHA Delegate: Jamye GlendenningPhilanthropy: Maddie Greenlee Public Relations: Erica MertzRisk Management: Margaret Matteson ==Highlights of 2018==2018 was a year of excitement and tremendous change for Theta Chapter, but started off on a somber note at the loss of our beloved and adored chef of 23 years, Donnie Woody. This loss reminded us of all we have to be thankful for and to cherish every moment with our sisters and loved ones. Over break, renovation and expansion efforts were well underway, so the girls of Theta Chapter were eager to return back to Columbia and see the progress that had been made and to finally start the new semester. Upon arrival at 512 E Rollins, girls living in house were acquainted with their beautiful new bedroom doors on the second and third floors, and were, of course, happy to be reunited with each other and our wonderful House Mom, Linda. The newly elected members of Chapter Council adapted to their positions, and brainstormed ways to best serve our chapter and remain cohesive and united in our efforts as chapter leaders. Classes began, and we bid farewell to our sisters studying abroad and taking part in internships across the globe. February came and presented many new and fun opportunities for our members! On February 6th, Freshmen Mary Kate Ingram and Hanna Reikhof and Sophomore Isabella Moiso were chosen for Mizzou Tour Team, an esteemed role on Mizzou’s campus. In addition, three of our very own freshmen - Molly Farnam, Liz Goodwin, and Abby Labonte - were selected to join the MU Outreach Student Recruitment Team after a lengthy and competitive application process. The girls of 512 then celebrated Valentine’s Day with our third annual GALentine’s Day celebration at the local roller rink. There were snacks, music, and a great time was had by all who attended! Soon after, we were happy to celebrate our sisters, Margo Young and Holly Hallam, on their receival of bids to join Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity on campus. As February came to a close, we participated in Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis, or RAMS, in an effort to support a great cause and some of our very own sisters who were members of the Steering Committee, Annie Adrian and Maddie Minana! Shortly thereafter, we were overjoyed with excitement to congratulate six of our sisters on their acceptance into the Sinclair School of Nursing. Our excitement only continued as we found out we were paired with the men of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) for Greek Week 2018. March was another month of achievements and excitement! We kicked off the month with our annual Kappa Kappa Gatsby Social, and danced the night away in our 1920s getup. We also were ecstatic to congratulate our sister, Bianca Rodriguez, on being chosen for the 2018 Homecoming Steering Committee. We held our yearly Reading is Fundamental philanthropy event on March 2 at a local elementary school. On the same day, the girls living in house were able to get a sneak peek at the progress in the beautiful expansion! On March 6th, several Kappa’s participated in Mizzou Off Broadway’s third annual musical revue, including the organizations founder - Katie Hayes, along with Rachel Hopson and Erika Mertz. The following weekend, Theta chapter excitedly welcomed our Moms to join us in Columbia; we partook in floral classes, a social hour at Sorensen Estate, and even got to shop around at a trunk show before we hugged them goodbye on Sunday. On March 17th, seven of our sisters were chosen to serve as Panhellenic Counselors (Pi Chis) for Formal Recruitment at Mizzou in the upcoming August. The next week, the Kappas were able to relive their childhoods while getting to know the men of Fiji during our “Early 2000s” themed marriage party. Scholarship Dinner was also held this month, to honor the outstanding academic achievements of our members. Those invited were able to enjoy a delicious dinner and received notes of recognition from their parents. Then, our sisters bid their temporary farewells to 512 for spring break, and many of our own participated in and led Mizzou Alternative Breaks trips across the country! In cities ranging from Salt Lake City, UT, to Roanoke, VA, the Kappas made a positive impact during their time off. At April’s open, the girls of Theta Chapter were bustling with excitement to return to Columbia and finish out the remainder of the semester. The first two weeks following spring break, the house was busy participating in Greek Week service and sporting events. We were thrilled to find out that two of our very own seniors, Conner Logsdon and Taylor Downey, were chosen to be Kappa Kappa Gamma Leadership Consultants! Their time at Theta chapter was filled with impact, and we could not be more excited to see where this experience takes both of them. Several of our sisters involved in the Mizzou for Malawi Steering Committee – director Clare Conlisk, Lindsey Graham, Abby Greene, Natalie Dicker, and Emily Healey – were busy planning an event that brought former Bachelor, Ben Higgins, to Columbia on April 16th to bring awareness and raise funds to go towards the building of a secondary school for the Pothawira Academy in Malawi. Later that week, we enjoyed a night of glamorous camping, or “glamping,” and a movie with the women of our sister sorority for the semester, Alpha Chi Omega. Soon after, we had our annual Sapphire Ball, entailing a night of formal dress and fun to be had with our sisters, dates, and friends. And just when we thought the semester couldn’t get any better, our very own MacKinlee Rogers was tapped into Omicron Delta Kappa, a secret society on Mizzou’s campus, for her outstanding involvement in It’s On Us, Executive Women International, and Mizzou Tour Team. In addition, 10 of our sisters were chosen to lead Mizzou Alternative Breaks trips for the 2018-2019 academic year, and two members of PC ’17 were chosen to become Junior Panhellenic Ambassadors! On top of all this, our amazing house mom, Linda Orman, received the “Knock Out House Mom” Award at the annual PHA Honors Night. As April came to a close, we celebrated our beloved seniors with Senior Week, writing them notes and decorating the house with commemorating photos of their dear Kappa days. May was a fleeting month. We had one last night of fun in our Kaddyshack social with the winners of the Kappa Klassic, the men of Phi Delta Theta, Delta Chi, and Evans Scholars. The Kappas buckled down to study for finals and finish out the semester. We soaked up our last moments with our amazing seniors and congratulated them as they walked across the stage and received their diplomas, knowing that they were moving on to do great things. The girls left 512 with a bit more excitement than normal, however, as our return in August would entail a completed expansion and renovation, with new décor and 18 new bedrooms upstairs! In addition, many of our sisters embarked on exciting trips for the summer, studying abroad and partaking in internships across the globe. We also watched our Northwestern Kappa sister, Meghan Markle, marry Prince Harry and become the Duchess of Sussex on May 19th, most of us wishing we could have been in London to Oh Pat the happy couple.
The summer months were spent with great joy for our members. There were sisters participating in international study abroad programs, internships, and many more enriching activities. Among the highlights of this season was our trip to Denver in June for the biannual Kappa Convention, where we placed in the Top 5 for best overall chapter! In addition, we received honorable mentions in the categories of Recruitment, Philanthropy Signature Event, Chapter-Advisory Board Relations, and New Member Programs! Our pride and love for Theta Chapter only grew through these achievements.
As August approached, our members excitedly awaited their return to 512 E Rollins, as the renovation and expansion efforts were near complete! Upon move-in day for the Pledge Class of 2017, girls were astonished by the new landscaping in front of the house, with a beautiful fleur-de-lis embossed in the front walk way and breathtaking stairs leading up to it. Inside, our members were acquainted with new décor and beautiful hardwood floors, and a new dining room that was nearly twice the size of what we were used to! Upstairs, the girls were finally able to explore the expansion, including 18 beautiful new rooms and two tastefully decorated common rooms – with TVs, comfortable couches, and study tables! Soon after, Work Week was well underway, filled with sisterly bonding and lots of practice for the upcoming Recruitment. Time seemed to fly as we moved through the first two weeks of our return, as we happily “StrucKK Gold” with our 56 new members on our gold rush themed bid day. We also excitedly welcomed home our seven Kappa Panhellenic Counselors, who were ecstatic to finally return to their beloved 512 and sisters. As school started, our members settled into the routine of classes and our Chapter Council prepared for an exciting event on the 25th, where Theta Chapter Alumni were welcomed back home to see the beautiful expansion and new interior. Women from nearly every pledge class dating back to 1950 were in attendance and were able to tour the home and reminisce on their dear Kappa Days. Our very own Marian Klingbiel Williams was able to cut the ribbon during the presentation ceremony! It was a wonderful day to unite former and present pledge classes to appreciate our beautiful home.
Our chapter supports our national beneficiaries- Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Alongside that we also support our local beneficiary- Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. Around 10 years ago the board hosted a meeting where three charities were asked to make a presentation over their charity. Cedar Creek won and ever since then, this beneficiary has become a huge part of Theta Chapter.
How did your chapter include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in your programming this year? Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma recognizes that we have extensive room to grow when it comes to inclusion, diversity, and equity. As a first step to creating a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable space for each of our members, we created our IDE committee. Currently, the committee is comprised of 15 active members eager to further educate our chapter. The purpose of the committee s to serve as a resource for our chapter. Committeee members present on facts, statistics, and history weekly at chapter meetings as well as providing educational resources and encouraging chapter discussion. Each chapter member is learning alongside eachother, and it is our goal that our chapter welcomes difficult conversations as an opportunity for growth. The committee has also created an anonymous form where members have the ability to submit concers, suggestions, share experiences, and give feedback as it related to IDE. Moving forward, the committee’s agenda is the review of our chapter bylaws and standing rules and our finances. Additionally, it is the committee’s hope to be able to host educational and resourceful events paired with sisterhood in the future, COVID-19 pending. We are all so excited to see how our IDE committee and overall chapter education grows throughout this following year!
How did your chapter celebrate Kappa'''Chapter Convention Awards:'''s 150th anniversary? Although this year was clearly unconventional, our Education chair put on an incredible Founder’s Day celebration. Our chapter was able to see alumni receive their pins from the year they were initiated. It was beyond special to see both Marian Klingbeil Williams and Virginia Stewart receive their 60 year pins. Despite the celebration happening virtually, all alumni were excited to see fellow sisters, although it was via Zoom. Throughout the semester, we encouraged members to visit the Kappa Turns 150 site to learn how our chapter as a whole has changed since the start of it. As a chapter council, we promoted how exciting this celebration is and the importance of our sesquicentennial anniversary. What a special celebration to take place during such a unique time in our chapter.
==Highlights of 2021==
The start of Twenty-Twenty One was all about finding normalcy during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Masks were still required in public spaces, and Chapter Council, the advisory board, and our house board were doing everything they could to preserve and continue to grow in our sisterhood as a sorority. Our President Hannah was determined to make this a great year. Kourtenay our PHA Delegate was already communicating with PHA about what we could do to stay safe but still have fun. Whisperings of a Coronairus Vaccine trickled through campus, and from that, conflicting opinions arised. Chapters were held on Zoom, in-person events above ten people were strictly prohibited by the University of Missouri, and only members living in the Kappa House were allowed to eat and study inside the house. At first, only one chair per table was allowed, and throughout the year the number of chairs began to rise as the number of COVID cases began to fall.
In March, Six Kappas were chosen as Panhellenic Counselors, or Pi Chis, for Panhellenic Recruitment in the coming Fall. Senior Kappa Grace Schollmeyer was chosen for Mizzou 39’ which honors outstanding seniors for academic achievement, leadership, and service. We had an in-person Big Little Reveal for our eleven New Members. Organized by our Marshal, Brynn, Initiation was held in person. Since there were only eleven new members, we also had a pizza dinner at Shakespeare'''Housing:''' s Pizza, a Columbia classic, to celebrate their initiation into Kappa Kappa Gamma.
April of 2021 brought a new kind of excitement to the Kappa House. Members who did not live in the house were now allowed to come to eat, study, and hang out! Masks and social distancing were still required, but the Kappas found ways to have fun. Mizzou announced that Greek Week would finally be in person again. Many rules were in place to help prevent the spread of the virus. Kappa was paired with Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Tau Gamma. Our theme was the TV show “Survivor.” Kappa came in first place for most of the categories including the Blood Drive, Fling, and spirit. Of course, we won first place overall. Towards the end of April, our Events Chairman Shabeli planned a beautiful Spring Supporter’s weekend which included a cupcake tasting at Plume, a Pottery class, and a trip to Helmi’s Gardens.
In May, we said our goodbyes to our Seniors who were graduating with heavy hearts. Our Education Chairman Gracie threw a lovely in-person senior dinner for them at the Kappa House.
August came quick, but the Kappas were excited to get back into the groove of college life. House Chairman Allison made sure that we added opaque film to the shower doors because many girls complained that they were see-through the previous year. Since Covid cases were falling, we were finally going to have an in-person recruitment! Membership Chairman Sydney planned an action-packed work week so that we could all get to know each other after being on zoom for an entire year. We went to Midway Golf, 54 Country, and watched a movie on the lawn of the Kappa House. Caroline threw another amazing Bid Day with the theme “All You Need is Kappa Love” to welcome our Pi Chis and 63 New Members of PC 21 home! We had a reception at The Roof with food and refreshments and lots of laughter.
[[File:Fall Recruitment 2021.jpeg|thumb|recruitment]]
[[File:Bid Day Fall 2021.jpeg|thumb|bid day]]
In October, Homecoming was approaching and Kappas were eager to get started. Karsen, our Risk Manager, served on the Homecoming Steering Committee. The men of Alpha Gamma Rho were our partners and soon became our friends as we worked day and night on our float, decorations, and skit. During the week leading up to Homecoming weekend, the boys often cooked us breakfast, lunch, and dinner at their house to keep everyone fed and motivated for the days of hard work. Our head liaisons Bri, Sierra, and Maggie worked hard to keep everyone’s spirits high. Coming in second place, the Kappas and AG-Rhos were proud of our hard work and dedication. [[File:Homecoming Float 2021.jpeg|thumb|homecoming]]Just 24 hours after homecoming announcements, Inspiration Week began. A movie night on the lawn, a Blue and Blue dinner for the New Members at the house, and an initiation dinner at Memorial Union for the New Members and their Bigs were all events leading up to initiation weekend put on by our Marshal Brynn and all of CC. Kappa celebrated its 151st birthday at Columbia Country Club this year. Thanks to Education Chairman Gracie we were able to host a beautiful Founder’s day with our active sisters and alumni. [[File:Founders Day 2021.jpeg|thumb|Founders Day]] We wrapped up October with Owlween, our first costume date party since the pandemic began!
In November, Kappas began bringing out their coats and hats as the weather got colder. Blue Jeans, turtle necks, and beanie hats are what many of the girls wear every day to keep warm while staying fashionable. We had our Semi-Formal at Pressed, and all of the dates received a boutonniere to wear during the social. Our risk manager Karsen has worked hard to make sure that everyone stays safe on the bus, at the venue, and at the house. Liz, our VP of Academics, put hours into creating GroupMe group chats for each major in Kappa! This way Kappas in the same major can talk about professors, classes, and tests. Dani, our VP of Standards, planned a fun and relaxing sisterhood event where Kappas got to hang out with some boxer puppies from the humane society! [[File:Safe Sisterhood.jpeg|thumb|sisterhood]]
December began with House Mom Linda, who has served as our house mother for 29 years, announced her retirement at chapter. The room was filled with tears of both joy and sorrow as she made her thank you’s and told us that she would not be returning in the coming school year. At the end of chapter however was a big surprise. Shabel, our Events Chairman, announced our PJ themed Date Dash! The Kappas had two hours to find a date, get ready, and be back at the house to get on the busses and head to the venue: 10b. To wrap up the long semester, Kelsie and Grace, our Secretary and Treasurer, threw a holiday party with door decorating, gingerbread houses, and lots of candy!