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|College= [http://osu.edu/ The Ohio State University]
|Location= Columbus, OH
|Homepage= [http://chaptersohiostatekappa.kappakappagamma.org/betanucom/ Beta Nu Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Beta_Nu Media related to Beta Nu Chapter]
}}
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'''Beta Nu Chapter, The Ohio State University'''
'''Founded October 12, 1888''' '''The Ohio State University established in 1870, Columbus, Ohio''' '''3,111 initiates (as of June 2018)'''
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'''Charter Members:'''
Fanny Elizabeth Bancroft, Alberta Donnezetti Garber, Alice Hynes Moodie, Carrie Adelia Pocock, Alla Berta Rickey, Ellen Bliss Talbot
'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
Juliana "JJ" Fraser Wales- Fraternity President
'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
Dorothy Canfield Fisher, 1948; International author; worked tirelessly for Kappa's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Project for French Relief during WWI
Anna Scott Morningstar, 1958; Public relations expert and owner of Morningstar Productions in New York City; active in women's Republican clubs
Patricia A. Searight, 1958; Radio program producer and director; special correspondent
Susan Burrows Swan, 1978; Museum curator; needlework expert/instructor Sharon Brooks Weber, 2006; International and Olympic judge in world women's gymnastics
Letha Yurko-Griffin, 1994; Orthopedic doctor
Location of the first chapter meetings is not known, but records show that in 1891 the girls were gathering in the home of a member, Sarah Elizabeth O'Kane (Raymond) at 215 West Tenth Avenue.
==Highlights of the 1910s==
In 1916, a small apartment was rented above Long's Book Store on North High Street and furniture donated by Columbus Kappas. During World War I male students who had not joined the service were required, as members of the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps), to live in temporary barracks erected on the campus. Rather than close the Phi Gamma Delta house, the president offered it to the Kappas. The few out-of-town members had already made arrangements to live in dormitories, so the house was used as a meeting place and for entertaining.
The war period was one of unrest on the campus. Many girls left school to fill positions left open by men who had enlisted, and others were on call for nurses's training. Beta Nu and the Columbus alumnae collected clothing for chapter member Dorothy Canfield Fisher's Dispensaire in France in addition to rolling bandages and knitting socks. The chapter pledged $500 to the YWCA. To raise the money the chapter made and sold sandwiches to the fraternities after Monday night meetings, sold flowers at football games, gave subscription dances, and performed many other small jobs.
==Highlights of the 1920s==
After the war, the Kappas and Delta Gammas leased and shared an apartment at Sixteenth Avenue and High Street. In 1920, a six-room apartment was rented at 24 Fifteenth Avenue. It was occupied by four out-of-town members and a chaperone. A cook was hired and lunches served to town girls.
With the increase in the number of out-of-town girls a larger house was soon needed and one was purchased in 1926 at 84 Fifteenth Avenue, the street which has always been known as "the gate to campus." The purchase price of $30,000 was raised with the help of a loan from the Fraternity. Ten girls and a housemother used its one family-sized bathroom. A third floor with a chapter room and smaller rooms for initiation was considered to be very "posh," although fainting in the heat of initiation was standard procedure.
==Highlights of the 1930s and 1940s==
In 1936,"...with the mortgage reduced and the income increased," to quote from the January, 1937, ''Banta's Greek Exchange'', the work of remodeling this former family home into a sorority house was accomplished. Once again, Kappa was first with a "real" sorority house. An addition provided housing for 15 girls, larger bathroom facilities, a housemother's suite with bath, a large living room, larger kitchen and dining facilities, a basement chapter room, and, in tune with the times, a parking lot in the rear.
Kappa actives and alumnae also volunteered at USO (United Service Organization) canteens and the Kappa Service Women's Center in the Chittenden Hotel. It was one of 14 Fraternity-sponsored centers sprinkled across the country. Nola Dysle Havens was chairman of the Columbus suite, which provided a lounge area for servicewomen to rest and relax as they passed through Ohio's capital city. Kappa projects supported the Nora Waln Fund for bombed-out families in England, and Columbus women spent countless hours creating baby clothes for layettes which were sent to Norway through the fund.
==Highlights of the 1950s==
More growing pains brought about the purchase of an old house at 55 Fifteenth Avenue to be used for an annex until money could be raised to build the Kappa "Dream House" on the new site. A goal of $30,000 was set by the alumnae association and the struggle began. Through rummage sale, bake sales, bridge and bingo parties, redemption of state sales tax stamps, the compilation of a Beta Nu Directory, and many other projects the goal was reached. A loan from Hazel Zeller Nesbitt gave a boost to the project. The interest was donated to the chapter later. The house was started in 1950 and ready for occupancy in the fall of 1952 at a cost of $225,000, including furnishing and landscaping. The house at 84 Fifteenth Avenue was sold to Zeta Tau Alpha for $57,000.
==Beta Nu Honors==
An alumnae association was first given public mention March 16, 1901. By 1930, about 75 percent of the 150 alumnae living in Columbus were active members. Mary Blakiston Guild, first initiate of Beta Nu Chapter, was the organizer of the group and served as its first president in 1901 and again in 1922. Upon her death her badge was given to the chapter to be worn by the president.
Beta Nu looks forward now to its 100th anniversary with pride in the past and the knowledge that college lifestyles may change, but all that has made Kappa great will remain steadfast.
==Highlights of 1980’s==
Moving into the 1980’s, Beta Nu chapter members were becoming more career oriented and often were responsible financially for their college and Kappa expenses. More interest was found in graduate programs as well as an increased participation in sports. Beta Nu was certainly competitive and consistently ranked in the top groups on the Ohio State campus. Rush programs were strong, with particular attention paid to legacies.
Beta Nu could often be found participating in philanthropic projects throughout the Ohio State Greek system. These included Pi Kappa Alpha’s and Alpha Phi’s Grand Prix race, the road rally conducted by Kappa Sigma and Kappa Alpha Theta, and a softball tournament for Tau Kappa Epsilon. At the 1985 Gamma Province Meeting, a province philanthropy project was adopted: “Kidney Kamp.” This was a Kappa first and one supported by Beta Nu with great enthusiasm.
The 1980’s were not without their challenges for Beta Nu. Early in the decade, Beta Nu found they were not competitive academically and quickly implemented programming to remedy the situation. Study hours were instituted and an academic competition with Phi Kappa Psi helped to bring Beta Nu’s academics back to an appropriate level. Later in the decade, a Greek member died after falling off the roof of a Greek house. Consequently, rules regarding behavior and alcohol for the Greek organizations were amended. The Greek community as a whole lost many members and rush numbers declined significantly. However Beta Nu was able to maintain its strong position on the campus.
==Highlights of the 1990’s==
The 1990’s found Beta Nu participating in both philanthropic and Greek social events. The Kappa Golf Classic was held each year in the decade, raising funds for the National Kidney Foundation. In addition, Beta Nu worked with Delta Chi Fraternity on their Skip-a-Meal program, where fraternities and sororities pair up for dinner. The money that would have been used for the sorority’s meal is donated to a favorite charity. Greek Week and Derby Days were favorite events for the chapter as well. The chapter reported excellent campus public relations because of their participation is so many campus activities.
The Beta Nu chapter house was updated in 1990 when the Mother’s Club reupholstered the furniture in the living room and TV room. Just a few years later the Beta Nu chapter hosted the Alpha Chi Omega chapter for nearly a full quarter when the Alpha Chi chapter house burned down….a true display of Panhellenic sisterhood. Finally in 1996 the Beta Nu chapter house was completely redecorated and a study room was added in the basement, complete with two new computers. The renovations were completed as a result of a bequest made by Mary Moyer.
The decade saw continued dwindling recruitment numbers and academic issues for Beta Nu. A Letter of Concern was sent to Beta Nu to remind them of Kappa’s standards of maintaining strong chapter membership numbers and good grades. Their hard work was rewarded when the chapter was named number one on campus in grades in 1999.
==Highlights of the 2000’s==
The 2000’s found the Ohio State University to be one of the largest colleges in the United States, with approximately 39,000 students at the beginning of the decade and quickly moving to 60,000 by 2010. Likewise, Beta Nu saw its numbers rise as well. More than 6% of the students were members of Greek groups.
Beta Nu continued with its philanthropic pursuits with the Kappa Golf Classic, a very successful event. The chapter also incorporated two events close to their hearts. One involved collecting pop tabs to support a young boy being treated for a rare brain tumor at St. Jude’s in Memphis, TN. The chapter also formed a team to raise funds to support research to find cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. This was done to honor a chapter member dealing with lymphoma. $4800 was raised. For their successful ongoing efforts, the chapter received awards from both the Fraternity and the Ohio State University.
The chapter continually challenged itself, acknowledging those areas where they did well and working hard to deal with issues that created difficulties. Beta Nu consistently remained above the All-Greek average until towards the end of the decade. At that time the chapter realized they needed to give their coursework some additional attention. In addition they worked hard on alumnae relations, ritual and history education, and communication within the chapter.
==Highlights of 2012==
It is hard to summarize a sisterhood or a dynamic like that of our chapter. A collection of vastly unique and different individuals, we somehow fit perfectly as a whole. We have athletes, including members on the Ohio State soccer team, equestrian team, synchronized swimming teams, etc. We have musicians, fashion designers, political activists, and humanitarians.
The easiest way to describe the overall nature of the Beta Nu chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is to say that we are a group of extremely diverse women who compliment eachother each other in the best of ways. Throughout my time as a Kappa in undergrad, I have been pushed, encouraged, and supported by my sisters in Kappa Kappa Gamma in ways I could have never imagined. They have forced me to become a more well rounded person and to appreciate our individual differences. Beta Nu creates women out of girls, sisters out of friends, and confidants out of strangers. ==Highlights of 2018==The past calendar year has been very exciting for the Beta Nu chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In late January, recruitment for new members began. Through information sessions, coffee dates, and interviews, the new members of Beta Nu were selected and celebrated Bid Day in February.Once recruitment was over, we began to build our sisterhood. We had sisterhood, philanthropy, and educational events to help build strong relationships among the new members. We also participated in events with other Greek organizations, such as Greek Week and Derby Days. As the semester came to an end, we elected a new chapter council and initiated the new members. As a new school year approached for Fall 2019, we prepared to move into our beautiful house. Currently the facility is referred to as "The dream House". 70 women, out of roughly a 200 member chapter, had the opportunity to live in the house with their sisters. During fall semester, we have continued to grow as a chapter. With the help our House Board, Leadership Consultants, and Advisers we continued to work on our sisterhood, presence on campus, and becoming a more unified chapter. In the past year, Beta Nu has become a more supportive, committed, and driven group of women. We continued to strengthen as we prepared for formal (primary) recruitment in January. As part of Kappa's three pronged approach to philanthropy, our chapter works with Mental Health America of Franklin County. The chapter voted to support Mental Health America of Franklin County because we felt it is vital to support communication and efforts to destigmatize mental health on our college campus and within the county.Mental Health is an issue that everyone faces in their lifetime, whether it be their own or the mental health of someone they know. Ohio State is a campus that is constantly changing. In the spring, construction began on The Oval and finished in November. Construction on Mirror Lake was completed, and it was opened at the start of the school year. Two new apartment complexes opened up on campus on High Street. Also, Zeta Tau Alpha is building a new chapter house that will replace the old Pi Kappa Alpha chapter house. This site, 84 E. 15th Ave., is also the location of our previous chapter house. We used that location as our residence from 1926-1951. We currently reside in the house located on 55 E. 15th Ave. since the relocation in 1951. 2018 has been transformative year for Beta Nu. We have grown so much as individuals and as a chapter. We have overcome many obstacles and have significantly grown our sisterhood. Beta Nu new member class of 2019 is full of deserving young women. We are excited to welcome them into our sisterhood and help them flourish into the great leaders that we know they will become. --------------------------- ==Highlights of 2020== This past year has challenged Beta Nu in more ways than one. With all of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Beta Nu has tried to emphasize both leaning on each other for support and getting creative with how to connect. In January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Beta Nu welcomed 56 new members into the chapter and had an incredibly successful recruitment. The chapter felt like it was finally becoming cohesive and fully established on Ohio State’s campus with an emphasis on setting traditions and building alumni relations, which was very exciting. The chapter had a lot of momentum going into spring break, when everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. After finishing the spring semester fully remote, Beta Nu proudly achieved a chapter-wide GPA of 3.77. Beta Nu has struggled academically since re-establishment, but was able to increase their GPA by 0.36 between Fall 2019 and Spring 2020! Since then, the chapter has overcome many obstacles internally and externally due to the changes going on in the world and within campus. Health and safety has been more important than ever before this year, and the chapter has taken the steps to create a safe environment for both members and the community around us. Luckily, the chapter was able to safely have sisterhood events, such as drive in movies, live-in sisterhood week, painting classes, and so much more! The chapter was also able to support their philanthropies, RIF and Mental Health America of Franklin County, through virtual fundraising. Although this year turned out to be different from what Beta Nu initially envisioned, we remain hopeful for the future and will carry the lessons learned from this year into future years. Ultimately, Beta Nu has learned to not take things for granted, and to seize every opportunity possible. Beta Nu cannot wait to live out their re-established goals and create an even better chapter in the future. The final members of the re-establishment pledge class of ’18 graduate in the Spring 2021, and have contributed so much to the success of this chapter. Their legacy will forever stay with Beta Nu. The chapter supported Mental Health America of Franklin County and chose to support MHAFC because we recognized a need within our chapter and in our community to support mental health for everyone. MHAFC gives the mental health resources necessary to those who may not have the access to those resources they need. Ultimately, the chapter hopes that through supporting MHAFC, they are able to be a small part of improving the lives of those who MHAFC touches. Beta Nu has committed to DEI initiatives within the chapter and on campus. Through programming and conversations, the chapter has been able to reflect on DEI and how the chapter can create a more inclusive and equitable environment for members and the Greek community. The chapter added a much needed DEI Chairman to Chapter Council, who will help all chapter actions reflect the DEI goals set, as well as work with campus to brainstorm on ways to improve the overall Greek community at Ohio State. The chapters PR Chairman has helped the chapter promote awareness on social media, and led the way for a fundraising initiative that donated raised money to police reform. Overall, the chapter has taken many steps to better educate themselves and the community around them. Beta Nu is excited to continue these efforts for years to come. Hopefully these initiatives become second nature and DEI becomes an integral part of Beta Nu operations. Beta Nu celebrated Kappa’s 150th anniversary with a virtual history programming, as well as a COVID-19 friendly brunch at the chapter house! The girls really enjoyed this, especially the newest PC ’20!
