Kappa Kappa Gamma - University of Missouri

THETA NEWS | 4 T rusting her instincts led Suzie Calvin Dalton '81 to one of the "best decisions I've ever made." As the first in her family to join a Greek- letter organization, she went through the recruit- ment process with an open mind. "When I realized that the women I most ad- mired in high school were all Kappas, it certainly had a positive impact on me." But she says visiting the chapter house and meeting the "incredibly warm and gracious" members con- firmed that she had found her home at Mizzou. Suzie's undergraduate days at the Kappa House were filled with learning "the beauty of sisterhood, loyalty, mutual support" and creating friendships and memories that have lasted a lifetime. She es- pecially remembers the excitement of Bid Day and says the myriad activities, including Homecoming and Greek Week, demonstrated not only how well the chapter worked together, but how much fun they could have in the process. "These incredible women came from a wide array of backgrounds and interests, but Kappa helped us to find common ground and forge a bond that re- mains just as strong today. Being a member of The- ta Chapter meant carrying on a tradition of lead- ership and excellence at Mizzou, and I remember always feeling pride in being a Kappa and the sense of being part of something that was so much bigger than me. The fondness everyone had for the chapter and for one another, the sense of unconditional sup- port, and the awareness that it was our turn to carry the torch for Theta Chapter and to keep it burning brightly, had a profound influence on me during my years in the chapter." The pride Suzie felt as a collegian has carried on as an alumna, resulting in her serving Kappa Kappa Gam- ma at local, regional, and national levels. She is a for- mer member of Fraternity Council, having served as Director of Chapters, and is currently on the National Panhellenic Conference delegation for Kappa. When asked by Vivian Eynatten Benedict '59 to serve as co-chairman of the Key to Excellence campaign and work alongside Marian Klingbeil Williams '55, Su- zie says, "I did not hesitate to say yes." "While in the chapter, I remember being quite cognizant of the significant sacrifice of time and resources that alumnae had made to the chapter for generations prior to my becoming a member, and although I have contributed to both the Fraternity and the Foundation as a volunteer and donor, I had never had the opportunity to make such a direct impact on the chapter itself. In short, I felt like it was my turn." With so much insight and experience through her volunteer roles, Suzie is not surprised by the suc- cess so far of the campaign. "Once you've served at the national level, you realize what an objectively outstanding chapter Theta Chapter is and that the level of support it enjoys from its alumnae truly is exceptional." Suzie believes that with every alumna "doing her little perfectly," the Key to Excellence campaign will reach $1,500,000. "By reaching our final goal, our renovation of Theta Chapter will have impacted all four levels of the house, and accordingly, as many members as possible for as many years as possible." "It's important to remember the ripple effect of these improvements. The interest in living in the house is at an all-time high, and for those who don't live in the house, studying, eating, and attending chapter at the house has become a much more com- fortable experience." Suzie's desire to help provide the best possible Kappa experience to our youngest members derives from the commitment to high standards and ideals that Kappa instilled in her. "Living amongst and working with such a diversity of high-achieving and compassionate women was outstanding prepa- ration for life in the real world." Reading through the donor list and seeing the names of so many of these wonderful Kappa sisters has served as a "tre- mendous source of inspiration and gratitude" for her throughout the campaign. She is a proud mother of three: son Jay graduated from Dartmouth College, is pursuing a residency in orthopedic surgery, and will graduate from Wash- ington University School of Medicine in May; daughter Alexandra, Epsilon Chi '13, also gradu- ated from Dartmouth and is a software engineer at The Atlantic in New York City; and son Chan- dler, a Beta Theta Pi member, is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia and works as a consul- tant at Oliver Wyman in New York City. Suzie lives in Town and Country, Missouri, with her beloved Samoyed, Yukon, and enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, interior decorating, playing the piano, and cheering on the Tigers and Cardinals. Reflecting on the sisterhood that has continually inspired her, Suzie says, "Ultimately, we learned how much it means to have women in your life who have known you for most of your life, espe- cially when life throws you a curveball. I could not be more grateful for my Kappa sisters and the friendship we have shared across so many miles and years since we pledged our name and interest to Theta Chapter." She can be reached at suzannecdalton@gmail.com. H undreds of enthusiastic Theta Chapter alumnae and friends attended the August 2018 House Warming to enjoy old friendships and visit the newly redecorated and expanded chapter house. Despite the beauty that surrounded everyone, inside and out, the House Board (HB) didn't feel its job was quite complete, so if you were able to attend the event, you may have heard promises of more improvements to come. True to form, the HB got to work. One goal was to match the beauty of the old- er parts of the house with the new, so much-needed improvements have been planned that will unify the look. Most will come to fruition during spring break and throughout the summer. Bedrooms will be painted the color of the hallway and the expansion. Closet doors will be refurbished or replaced. New ceiling lights and refinished hard- wood floors, tile floors, and desktops will greet chapter members who move in fall of 2019. Additionally, all mattresses will be replaced. At last, the long basement hallway will be repainted, as well. The expanded chapter room now has shelving with glass cabinets, and importantly, chapter archives and composite storage will be addressed. The newly repurposed base- ment study is mostly complete, but needs a few additional enhancements. The storage rooms will be cleaned and reorganized. Throughout the house, certain areas will be identified as "Skype rooms" where the women can participate in one-on-one interviews or do other study activities that require privacy. As you approach the house outside, you will notice new shutters, rebuilt win- dow wells, and a new front porch ceiling. For safety, new iron railings will be placed by all sets of stairs, as well. In the back, our beloved courtyard/patio will soon have a new floor installed, and plantings that are favorites of our recently retired and long-time HB member, Frankye Mehrle '65, will surround it. Come take a look, if you haven't had the chance! Or come back to see the progress we've made since August. As always, you are welcome at the Kappa House, which is your Kappa home, too! Suzanne Calvin Dalton '81 Leads by Example Campaign Co-Chairman Honored to Impact Future of Theta Chapter HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE AT THETA CHAPTER

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