Delta Delta Delta - Cornell University

Cornell Alpha Beta Alumnae Alpha Beta Data Spring 2020 F irst for some good news. Alpha Beta welcomed 36 new members this spring, bringing our total membership to 146. This is great news for our chapter! At a special meeting of the House Corporation Board, we voted to close the Chapter House no later than April 6. The university had moved up the closing date of classes on campus from March 27 to March 20. The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, along with the Panhellenic board, recommended sororities and fraternities close. We selected the date of April 6 since that was when classes resumed online. That gave women, without primary residences to return to, time to find alternate housing, either in the dormitories or private housing off campus. The House Corporation provided storage in a rental unit for items they could not take with them on such short notice. Live-in sisters had the option to leave their boxes and suitcases at the house. The luggage was taken to the storage unit and will be returned to the house at the start of the fall semester. Dealing with "all their stuff" was a major source of stress. While the uncertainty of the pandemic is beyond our control, managing "stuff" was something we could do. We also rebated live-in sisters the balance of the room portion of their room and board. Fortunately, we do not have a mortgage so we can absorb the cost financially. However, it may impact the rate of improvements we can make to the Chapter House. The storm window project for this summer will not be impacted. Thank you to all of you who worked quickly to resolve these issues. In some small way, we hope this has reduced the stress of forgoing the balance of the semester in one of the most wonderful places to spend one's college years. Loyally, Judy Fox '72 House Corporation President jafoxmsw@aol.com A MESSAGE FROM THE ALPHA BETA HOUSE CORPORATION Update Regarding Cornell Closing Due to Novel Coronavirus O ur House Corporation is dedicated to making improvements to keep Alpha Beta's home an attractive option in a very competitive campus housing environment. You may know that our Chapter House is located in the Cornell Heights Historic District. Therefore, our property must abide by the oversight of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission. Since windows are considered a "character- defining feature" of the house, the ILPC requires that they should be preserved and not be replaced unless they are more than 50% rotted away. In 2019, we began to address the repair of the most deteriorated windows. This past October, 15 windows were painstakingly repaired and/or rebuilt to their natural state at a cost of $27,000, eliminating drafts and ensuring their future stability. We will add 75 interior storm windows in 2020, which is budgeted to be a $33,000 project. VP Finance Terry Schuster Petracca '76 and I have applied to Tri Delta National Housing Endowment Fund to help fund this second phase. We are thankful for the Alpha Beta alumnae who have already contributed $6,315 toward maintenance and improvements of the House, but we have a long way to go! Donations can be made online at tinyurl.com/y9p8ptay or sent to Delta Delta Delta, Cornell University, Alpha Beta House Corporation, 410 Upland Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. These improvements will reduce heating costs, increase comfort, and provide a consistent look to the house exterior. Housing options are plentiful at Cornell and we want to maintain our chapter's home as an attractive, comfortable, and inviting place to live. Loyally, Robin Secord '85, Property Co-Chair rsecord1@verizon.net WINDOW RENOVATION PROJECT CONTINUES How Alumnae Can Pitch In Before and after the renovation of a window at the Alpha Beta Chapter House.

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