Gamma Phi Beta - Southern Methodist University

Gamma Phi Beta | 3 1973 Alpha Xi Fire Inspires Becky Russell Melde '72 to Donate to Campaign E ven though her time with Alpha Xi of Gamma Phi was shorter than most, Gamma Phi made a lifelong impact on Becky Russell Melde '72. She found instant friendships and connection with her sisters after joining her junior year. Most importantly, Gamma Phi taught her the importance of teamwork, a theme which she carried throughout her long professional career in the airline and healthcare industries. Living in the chapter house at 3030 Daniel was an awesome experience for Becky, although due to the chapter house fire in early spring 1973, she didn't get to stay long. While the fire dispersed sisters into various living arrangements, they stayed connected and enjoyed working with the alumnae to rebuild the house. "It suffered extensive damage, and everyone had to move out," she recalled. "Some of my sisters moved into the vacant house next door and were invited into other sororities for meals." After living through the 1973 rebuild, Becky felt especially connected to today's renovation campaign. As a generous donor, Becky wants Alpha Xi residents to be proud of their home and focus on scholarship. She knows the proposed technology upgrades will help Gamma Phi stay competitive in recruitment, but hopes to see the Alpha Xi of the past preserved in the new chapter house "I have lived close by for several decades in a home built by James Kilgore, one of SMU's first deans of theology. My husband, Craig, is a preservation architect and we both share a love for preserving the history and architecture of this lovely college community. I've seen other SMU sororities build new houses and undergo renovations and have hoped the 3030 Daniel Alpha Xi house could be preserved and updated." As a resident of Dallas, Becky enjoys walking her grandchildren over to the playground at Burleson Park right in front of the Gamma Phi house. Her son, Nicholas, is an architect in San Antonio, and her daughter, Jenna, is an executive administrator in Dallas. Becky loves to travel, watch Academy Award nominated movies, and work on Sudoku puzzles. Reach out to her at melde@att.net. What would you say to alumnae who have lost touch with Gamma Phi over the years? "Having joined Gamma Phi as a junior reminded me that it's not too late to start something. I recently went through SMU yearbooks and old photo albums and realized how important the Gamma Phi friendships were to me even if for just a short time. After receiving the most recent campaign information, I realized that there's a special place in my heart for the house at 3030 Daniel and those memories. I had seen the Alpha Xi house renovated after the 1973 fire and now I could help with the financial effort to update it. So maybe there are other Gamma Phis from my decade who can do the same." What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? The most challenging? "It has been very rewarding over four decades to see women emerge as leaders in corporate roles. It was also rewarding to see both men and women identify their leadership skills and strategically plan careers to reach goals. The corporate workshops I facilitated on diversity and change management always brought the most 'ah ha!' moments for participants to recognize something in themselves that they could change for the better. The most challenging times were during job changes where I had to learn and adjust to different corporate cultures." T his has been an exciting year for Alpha Xi. We welcomed an amazing new member class in January and will be inviting more Gamma Phi hopefuls to join our chapter this fall. We've had nine fantastic women join this semester and can't wait to welcome more during January formal recruitment. Last spring, our chapter raised more than $4,000 for Girls on the Run, a non-profit organization that motivates and encourages girls. Our members collectively spent 3,546 hours volunteering in the Dallas area. A sensational spring led to what has been a fun-filled fall. Our sisters spent a day bonding at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark. On October 3, we partnered with Kappa Sigma and brought an In-N-Out truck to campus to support Girls on the Run. The event was highly successful, and we all had a blast. We then rounded out October with our annual Moonball event. The women of Alpha Xi can't wait to be partnered with Theta Tau for Homecoming and to see what else is in store for the rest of the fall semester. Alpha Xi Completes Over 3,500 Service Hours Gamma Phi Beta Supports Girls on the Run Sisters prepare to cheer on the Mustangs on game day.

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