Changes
→Highlights of 2023
|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]
}}
'''4,222 265 initiates (as of June 20172018)'''
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'''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;
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 Pauwels
VP of Standards: Maddie Minana
VP of Organization: Madison Stemmler
VP of Academic Excellence: Rachel Keeling
Recording Secretary: Caroline Lowery
Corresponding Secretary: Morgan Knuckey
Treasurer: Holly Hallam
Registrar: Emily Healey
Marshal: Chloe Clement
Education: Margo Young
Events: Sara Allen
House: Shuwen Lin
Membership: Alex Linderer
New Member: Mikala Blum
PHA Delegate: Jamye Glendenning
Philanthropy: Maddie Greenlee
Public Relations: Erica Mertz
Risk 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.
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
The chapter supports a number of organization for their philanthropic efforts. Cedar Creek was chosen as a way to give back to our local community through hands on service! We are able to spend many hours each semester volunteering at Cedar Creek, and have developed a close relationship with Karen, Cedar Creek Program Director, and the clients undergoing therapy at the center.
2018 brought massive changes in the Greek system at the University of Missouri. During the fall semester, a new accreditation system was set in place to monitor the involvement of individual members of greek letter fraternities and sororities on campus. This system aimed to ensure that greek life students were participating in service, scholarly, educational, and other activities that would enrich their scope of knowledge and benefit them as well as campus as a whole. Theta Chapter took this new program in stride, making efforts to bring in educational programs and presenters at chapter that would help fulfil these requirements. As ever, Theta Chapter members are largely involved outside of our organization, and thus we adapted to the new program quite well. This semester at Mizzou, we also celebrated the winning of the Nobel Peace Prize by Professor Denis Mukwege. The University also celebrated its 107th annual homecoming, its longest and most treasured tradition.
==Highlights of 2019==
Twenty-nineteen is coming to a rapid close, and what a fun year it was for the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma. This year has been notably special, as Founders Day 2019marked the 365 day countdown to celebrating Kappa turning 150! What an amazing celebration for us to be a part of as active and involved Kappas. As the women of 512 East Rollins are starting to take down pictures and pack their bags, we’re reminded of the great year that’s been had and try to soak up the last few precious moments with our friends before we’re all home and spread out for our five week break. Let’s review the year... As we eagerly returned to 512, the last few weeks of January involved girls finding any and every way to stay warm on walks to and from class. The house stayed busier than normal as Kappas huddled inside to avoid the bitter cold outside. February began with tons ofexcitement as we welcomed three new members after participating in spring informal recruitment for the first time. Our new member educator, Annie, threw an incredible bid day with the theme “There’s snow place like home,” and our Marshal, Nichi, put on a special Initiation for them. We also had our 20s themed Gatsby social and participated in RAMS. At the end of the month, we had two of our members, Nissi Kunjummen, and Megan Stober, recognized with the great honor of being chosen for Mizzou ‘39. March was no less busy, starting with Chapter Council taking a day trip to KC that involved axe throwing and exceptional pizza and ice cream for a mini CC retreat. The moms came from far and wide to Como for a weekend to spend time with their daughters with a floral design class and a gathering a Sorenson estates. We were itching for the end of the month to come as many Kappas went on spring break trips together and took a much needed week of exploring and relaxation. April was perhaps our proudest moment of 2019, as we took on Greek Week with the lovely men of Phi Delta Theta. We quickly proved to be quite the power pairing, dominating in sports, skit/dance, blood and service, all leading us to a first place victory and many new friendships within the pairing. During that time, we had 7 Kappas (Hadley, Maddie, Nichi, Ruth, Hannah, Clare, and Courtney) chosen to be Panhellenic counselors, to be led by our very own fearless Izzy Moiso, for the upcoming recruitment. We closed out April with our formal, which was a hit as usual at the venue of choice- Fieldhouse. The last few weeks of the semester in May consisted of lots of cramming, finals snacks from Mom, and for many of us many stress relieving Andy’s runs. We watched many of our seniors graduate and we’re so proud of them and always so appreciative of the love and dedication they’ve shown Kappa over their years. As finals wrapped up, we said goodbye to 512 for the year as girls returned home, went abroad, and started internships for the summer. August came quick, but we were all ready to come back to see each other again for work week and recruitment. Megan and her team ran an incredibly fun and smooth recruitment, and we took on a pledge class of 70 amazing new members. Annie threw yet another incredible bid day with the theme “Go Kappa it’s your Bid Day” and we all celebrated our favorite day of the year as we welcomed our pi chis and the best new pledge class to the sweetest home. September brought nothing less than the usual busyness as we jumped right back into classes and social activities while trying to figure out where sleep fits into that. Our weekends were full of game days which meant creating fun black and gold outfits to go cheer on our tigers. We had our new members stay at the house for their new member retreat, followed by a fun picnic breakfast at the columns the following morning, organized by our newly created Kappa Wellness Committee. We sent a member from PC ‘19, Meghan Kane, to Kappa Leadership Academy where she made friends and learned some different traditions of Kappa chapters across the US. PC ‘18 took PC ‘19 on owl pal dates leading up to big little reveal- always exciting! Our philanthropy chair Mary Kate put on an incredibly successful two weekends of the Kappa Klassic, closing out September with the dad’s Klassic weekend and the following for the fraternity Klassic. She also had a great idea this year to bring a food truck to Kappa to do a profit share and it was a hit! In October, we quickly prepared for homecoming with the exciting theme of Harry Potter. We were excited to be paired with the men of TKE, but ran into a few road bumps as their house board wouldn’t let us paint and pomp in their basement. Our incredibly hard working liaisons saved homecoming as they figured out an alternative and kept spirits high while there was so much chaos, and we pulled off third!!Our members Annie, Shuwen, and Hadley were also on the 2019 Homecoming Steering committee and represented Kappa proudly with their hard work. Talk about a quick turn-around, I-week commenced the day after Homecoming announcements. A fun week of sisterhood events and bonding ended with a very special Initiation weekend put on by Nichi and all of CC. We were so happy to officially welcome our new members! A beautiful founders day was organized by Shuwen, and we all enjoyed coming together to celebrate the wonderful organization we’re all so proud to be a part of. The month ended with our Owloween social with Chi Omega, a perfect way to unwind from a hectic month. November was tons of fun, with two socials- Monmouth (with Pi Phi) and Semi-formal- two weekends in a row. We also had a visit from the Minnie Stewart van as it made its rounds to Kappa chapters across the country leading up to Kappa’s 150th birthday coming up in 2020. As the semester wrapped up, we elected the next Chapter Council for the upcoming year. The 2020 officers:President: Morgan KnuckeyVP of Standards: Maddie KrausVP of Organization: Mary Kate IngramVP of Academic Excellence: Hannah RiekofRecording Secretary: Megan Zellmer Treasurer: Maddie LambMarshal: Meghan KaneEducation: Hannah VennemanEvents: Addie LogsdonHouse: Bri EvansMembership: Melanie GreenNew Member: Juilann LeakPHA Delegate: Lyndsey Gerbec Philanthropy: Bri SzczebakPublic Relations: Morgan Mulford Risk Management: Sophia Davisson December came and went quickly, as we got back from Thanksgiving break to only have one week of classes left followed by a week of finals. We studied,enjoyed Mom’s usual finals snacks, and celebrated when our exams were done. Everyone packed their bags and said goodbye to 512 once again to go home for the month break. PhilanthropyThe local beneficiary that Theta chapter supports with the money we raise from the Kappa Klassic is Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. We have around 20 girls go to Cedar Creek every week to volunteer there which makes it so near and dear to our hearts. Founder’s DayOur Founder’s Day was a beautiful brunch celebration full of stories from past Kappas, insight from current members, and an inspiring speech from our beautiful and good president, Margaret. Sesquicentennial CelebrationIn honor of Kappa turning 150, our chapter Marshal, Nichi, started a scrapbook that will be added to the archives. All girls in the chapter are being encouraged to get a pagemade for their group of friends and give their little part to Kappa! We also enjoyed a visit from the Minnie Stewart van in November where we were able to learn more about our founders and the Minnie Steward house with the memorabilia in the van and the virtual reality. ==Highlights of 2020s:2020==From chapter’s History ReportThis year has been filled with everchanging plans, yet Theta Chapter really made the most of this situation. Before the chaos began, we had to privilege of welcoming 5 new members into our chapter early February. Our new member educator threw an incredible bid day with the theme “Love Grows Here”. [[File: ScholarshipSpring Bid Day 2020.jpeg|thumb|NM class Spring 2020]] Approximately 2 weeks prior to initiation, Greek Week, and moms weekend, our campus and chapter house shut down, cutting off the fun events we had planned for the semester. Although we were all at home, group honors/awardsthe chapter continued to boost moral and stay connected with eachother via Zoom sisterhood events. We were excited for the opportunity to initiate our new members via Zoom in April, it looked different yet was every bit as special. [[File:Senior Class 2020.jpeg|thumb|Senior Class 2020]] Although we were not all together, traditionsChapter Council worked countless hours in preparation for the safe arrival of our members in the fall semester. Our membership chair was able to plan and execute an incredible work week and recruitment. It was not our conventional recruitment, yet we were still able to build relationships with new members and show them how special our sisterhood is via Zoom. After a successful and exhausting recruitment week, our new member educator planned bid day with the theme “House of Blues”. In our first in- person event of the semester, the chapter was able to welcome home 71 new members, in a safe and socially distanced event. [[File:Fall Bid Day 2020.jpeg|thumb|Fall Bid Day]] Once the excitement of recruitment and bid day settled down, our new members went through formal pledging and were beyond excited to start their Kappa experience. Unfortunately, our chapter ceased in-person eventsfor 30-days where we had to foster new relationships via Zoom. Theta chapters main philanthropy event, the Kappa Klassic, changes was unable to take place for the safety of our chapter and guests. Despite the absence of our event, we were still able to raise around $25,000 for our beneficiaries. Our first in-person event was Initiation on campus or within October 10th, 2020. [[File:Proud of her badge!.jpeg|thumb|Badge and mask]] All of the detailed planning paid off when we were able to initiate our new members in shifts, with some legacy alumni joining us! [[File:Fall Initiation 2020.jpeg|thumb|After initiation]]To add to our initiation weekend, our education chair planned our 150th anniversary in a safe and unique manor. The anticipation grew as big little took place and we welcomed the new members into our pledge families. Following all of the excitement, we had to opportunity to host a Halloween sisterhood event at the drive-in, where our sisters were safely distanced and watched “Hocus Pocus”. As the semester persists, our chapter has begun to utilize our pods which all consist of less than 20 members. Some fun events we were able to do with our pods include axe throwing, pottery, ice skating, and so many more fun events. Every Monday we host chapter via Zoom, with different themes every week to boost moral! We recently just elected our newest Chapter Council members and we are all so excited to see them thrive in their new positions as they take on a unique semester. [[File:Family Love.jpeg|thumb|Family tree]] 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 chapterof 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, overall nature 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 goalsbylaws and standing rules and our finances. Additionally, challenges 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'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 overcomeinitiated. It was beyond special to see both Marian Klingbeil Williams and Virginia Stewart receive their 60 year pins. Despite the celebration happening virtually, etcall 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. During February, we welcomed eleven beautiful members to our sisterhood. Our New Member Chairman, Caroline, created a fun pandemic-friendly bid day with the theme “Kappa Stole My Heart.” Many Kappas enjoyed watching the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl this year. Kappas began to go to the Hearnes center on campus to receive the first dose of their vaccine against the pandemic in hopes of College life and Greek life returning to normal.:
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!