Gamma Phi Beta - University of Kansas

SIGMA NEWS GAMMA PHI BETA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS • SPRING 2021 C OVID-19 led to the most unique school year Sigma Chapter has likely ever experienced. In spite of all the changes and difficul es, we are pleased to report that we had a successful year and our members adapted well to the safety and health regula ons put in place. The members returned for the spring semester later than usual, with classes beginning February 1. Over 60 women lived in in the chapter house this spring. Although lower than our typical live-in head count, this was the result of a deliberate effort to "de-densify". The board worked with members to reduce the live-in numbers due to COVID health and safety concerns. We tradi onally house between 75 and 85 women, and have plans to return to larger live-in numbers by fall of 2023. The financial result of this reduced number of live-ins has been significant. Room and board revenue, which is our primary source of income, was obviously impacted. Fortunately, we saw a record number of alumnae dona ons, and are so apprecia ve of your support! If it is within your means, support is s ll needed to ensure Sigma's strong standing. You can give today at h p:// nyurl.com/SigmaGPB. Shortly a er move-in, extreme cold temperatures set in. Unlike others on the hill, we were lucky and did not have any weather-related facility issues. A BIG thank-you to House Director Susan Harper '69, who took many steps to ensure the house stayed warm and safe. Looking to the summer, we plan to con nue replacing closet and room doors, and we hope to give the basement study room a refresh with paint, carpet, and some updated study chairs. We are glad to report that live-out members are now welcome to eat lunch and some dinners at the house. These women are so happy to have more opportuni es to interact with their sisters and share in some of Thom's excellent cuisine. They enjoyed many events this spring with Mom's Weekend, Rock Chalk Revue, and their philanthropy fundraiser, Mac 'n' Cheese with the GPhiB's. Each of these events had to be planned around Douglas County and University health and safety guidelines. We are excited to welcome new alumnae advisors, who were kind enough to sign on during a pandemic and all-virtual mee ngs. Please see page 2 for a full list of names and posi ons. We are so grateful to each of these alumnae who are volunteering their me to shepherd and mentor our undergraduate members. A sign of a strong chapter is strong alumnae involvement, and Sigma Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta is a shining example of a strong team of alumnae advisors and a strong Corpora on Board!! In IIKE, Sigma Affiliated House Corpora on Board THE SIGMA SISTERHOOD IS STRONG Members Excited as Restrictions Begin to Ease T he an cipa on of returning to the KU campus in August during a pandemic gave everyone pause. Once KU made the decision to reopen, we felt the need to open the chapter house too. Would students be going to class in person? Would all the changes we made to the house keep everyone safe? Lots of ques ons, Zoom calls, and mee ngs. To adapt, some changes had to be made. There are no more sleeping dorms; all the beds have been moved into individual rooms. Only sophomores are living in the house (63) to keep everyone spread out, and we have four quaran ne rooms and a separate bathroom if needed. All students were required to test before returning to campus; everyone was nega ve! But how do you keep sixty-three 19-year-olds in a bubble when they have been home for almost five months, isolated from all their friends? There was a second round of tes ng within two weeks, and when one member tested posi ve the whole house was quaran ned for 14 days! Otherwise, the members were allowed to walk outside, drive cars, and go to the grocery store much like a regular family group. We studied, watched TV, worked puzzles, went to class online, played bingo, and had an all-house hide-and-seek game. We made it through quaran ne and the rest of the semester, but the isola on and wearing masks, including in the house, was hard. Most members had just one face-to-face class, and many had no classes on campus. The house has been closed to all guests, including live-out members. As spring semester began, isola on became more difficult. Thankfully, live-outs were allowed to eat lunch inside the chapter house again. We also had small group events and, at the me of this wri ng, no posi ve cases! Our spirits are high as we look to the future. Thank you to everyone for all your support. This is a fantas c group of women and Sigma Chapter remains very strong, even in the toughest of mes. In IIKE, Susan Harper '69 House Director harper0650@ verizon.net HOUSE DIRECTOR UPDATE

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