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→Highlights of 2018
==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.
September included the New Member Retreat, where PC ‘18 was able to bond through teambuilding events and short presentations made by Chapter Council members! A roaring time was had by all as they enjoyed snacks, crafts, a few goofy activities, and a special ceremony at the end of the night. September also encompassed big/little reveal season, with a week of anonymous gift giving and our tradition of pledge family reveal with matching t-shirts at the end of the week! Soon after came Dad’s weekend, where the Kappas were able to spend quality time with their dads and show them around Columbia. On Friday night, we enjoyed a relaxed social hour at Logboat Brewing Co., and on Saturday we watched a hard-fought battle between Mizzou and Georgia in the football game. As always, this weekend also kicked off our annual Kappa Klassic philanthropy event. The Kappas were able to caddy for their dad’s and enjoy a beautiful clear-skied day with them before saying goodbye. The following weekend was our annual Kampus Klassic, where fraternities and campus organizations participated in the golf tournament with Kappas as their caddies. During September, we also enjoyed a work-out gear themed marriage party with the men of our Homecoming pairing, Alpha Gamma Sigma and Zeta Beta Tau. As the month came to a close, many of us gathered to watch our very own sister, Sara Allen, compete for the Title of Miss Missouri USA and make it to the semi-finals!
October is usually a busy month for Theta Chapter, and 2018 was no different. The first week of the month was I-Week, filled with sisterhood events and special experiences for the soon-to-be initiates. We enjoyed a Friends marathon on the lawn, ice cream social, and the new members spent the night at the house on Friday after dinner at the Country Club of Missouri with their pledge moms. On October 6th, we initiated our 56 new members and introduced them to the sacred ritual and tradition of our sisterhood. Afterwards, we enjoyed a gathering at The Roof with our new initiates and their families, and enjoyed the beautiful weather after a morning of rain and clouds. The following day, we celebrated Founder’s Day at Reynold’s Alumni Center. Pledge Class speakers Skylar Williams, Clare Foley, Isabella Moiso and Betsy Smith shared what makes Kappa so special to them, and we came together to appreciate the magnificent organization that our founders started back in 1870. Soon after, Homecoming preparation and festivities were well underway. We participated in service events, the annual Homecoming blood drive, Fling, and crafted the final touches on our Clue themed house decorations. On October 19th, Greek Town transformed into a board game extravaganza, and the Kappas admired their work and the work of each pairing in the Greek Community. We then celebrated a Tiger win and our score of 5th place overall in Homecoming! The next week, we kicked off our Halloween festivities with a pumpkin painting night with the women of Alpha Delta Pi, our sister-sorority for the semester. On October 25th, we held our yearly Owloween social with Chi Omega. On October 29th, we excitedly congratulated our sister, Isabella Moiso, on her election to the position of Vice President of Recruitment - Internal on the Panhellenic Executive Board for 2019! On October 30th, we invited the Alphas to participate in Trick-or-Treat in Greektown with us. October was a month jam-packed with bonding, achievements, and great fun.
At the beginning of November, Theta Chapter was given the opportunity to send 30 of our members to St. Louis to help initiate the members of the brand-new Theta Alpha Chapter. We met many members of Fraternity Council, and were privileged with the experience of sharing Kappa Kappa Gamma ritual with the newly chartered chapter. On November 5th, our members were surprised at chapter with our first ever date-dash social taking place later that night! They had just under 3 hours to find a date and a jersey for our spontaneous night of fun amid the stressful season. Just when we thought the month couldn’t be off to a better start, we were able to congratulate our sisters, Nichi Weibel and Juliann Leak, on their induction into the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board! The following week, officer elections took place and we congratulated our sisters chosen to lead for the 2019 year. This month, we also held our semi-annual scholarship dinner, which recognized the many academic achievements of our members. After returning from Thanksgiving break, the women of Theta Chapter returned to a festively decorated 512, and soon after celebrated our last social of the year, semi-formal, dressed in our best for the classic winter social.
As the year came to a close, the women of Theta Chapter buckled down to prepare for the busy finals season ahead of them. Incoming and outgoing Chapter Council members convened for Leadership Day on December 2nd with key note speaker and Theta Chapter Alum, Suzanne Dalton! The girls participated in team building activities, discussed the responsibilities of their individual positions, and set goals for the upcoming year. For the last chapter meeting of the year, the girls donned their ugly Christmas sweaters and watched as the 2019 officers were officially installed! That week, the girls also were able to take a study break at our Christmas themed kredits party, where gift cards were won and sugar cookies were iced, all in good fun. As a last gathering before everyone bid their farewells to 512 for the holiday season, the annual Christmas brunch took place on December 9th, the last day before finals week began. And with that, the girls said goodbye to Kappa with excitement for the upcoming break and semester ahead of them.
The 2019 Chapter Council Officers:
President – Margaret Matteson
Vice President of Standards – Kayla Yanskey
Vice President of Organization – Rachel Keeling
Vice President of Academic Excellence – Paige Stortz
Secretary – Emma Gassman
Treasurer – Morgan Knuckey
Marshal – Nichi Weibel
Education Chairman – Shuwen Lin
Events Chairman – Caroline Lowery
House Chairman – Ruth Francis
Membership Chairman – Megan Bradle
New Member Chairman – Annie Lewis
Panhellenic Delegate – Hadley Willems
Philanthropy Chairman – Mary Kate Ingram
Public Relations Chairman – Hannah Gedwill
Risk Management Chairman – Sophia Davisson
==Highlights of 2020s:==