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Independent & Level 2 Assisted Living Community 2300 SE 28th Street | Bentonville 479.273.9969 www.themeadowsinbentonville.com We are a Family Owned and Operated Award Winning Level 2 Assisted Living Community located in Bentonville FEBRUARY 2-8, 2020 WHAT'S UP! 37 BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette Y ou can research information from a book or another secondary source, but nothing is more informative than speaking with people who've experienced things firsthand." That's just one of the things Kimberly Hosey learned working on a new exhibit at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. Titled "Going Greek," the idea for the exhibit was born out of Hosey's own Greek life experiences at the University of Arkansas, but "my greatest takeaway was the knowledge I was able to gain by meeting with various members (past and present) of Greek-letter organizations in regards to their fraternity or sorority. "I think the 'change over time' aspect of the exhibit will surprise people," she adds. "The origins of Greek-letter organizations at the UA can be traced back to 1882 [when Alpha Tau Omega fraternity started on campus], and as you can imagine the organizations on campus have changed since then. We showcase fraternities and sororities in the past as well as in present-day context, allowing people to see the changes and diversification over time. This exhibit will allow anyone who is interested in learning more about fraternities and sororities (from a national and University of Arkansas context) the opportunity to do so." Hosey joined the museum staff in June 2017, after earning a bachelor's degree in history at the UA. She credits her family and a "fantastic and very knowledgeable" high school teacher for her interest in the past. "My family [has] always supported me in regards to anything I've been passionate about, including history," she says, and a visit to Europe with that high school teacher "definitely added fuel to the fire in regards to wanting to expand our knowledge of history and culture." "I owe the start of my career in museums to many people, including the staff members at Shiloh who have helped me to grow in knowledge and experience for the last two and a half years," Hosey adds. "No one achieves anything alone, so I am very humbled and thankful to have such supportive co-workers. Especially when it comes to exhibit planning!" The biggest challenge in creating an exhibit from scratch "was taking such a large topic and narrowing it down to a handful of 'themes' that would be the foundation," Hosey explains. "For example, the exhibit themes include (more or less) an introduction to the topic, origins of fraternities and sororities, an overall timeline showcasing the diversity of organizations on campus, their traditions, impact on the local campus and community, and buildings and structures. From there, we were able to work with people in the community to help locate fraternity and sorority items that fit into the themes. "Meeting various men and women who have participated in Greek Life throughout the years was definitely the biggest reward." Shiloh Museum shares past, present of sororities, fraternities Dance cards were used to list, in order, the card owner's dance partners during a formal occasion, explains Kimberly Hosey of the Shiloh Museum staff. "I would say the various dance cards we have on temporary loan from the University of Arkansas Museum and the University of Arkansas Special Collections are definitely some unique pieces," she adds. "They were used to mark down intended dance partners during fraternity and sorority formal events. These particular ones are more than 100 years old." (Courtesy Photo/Bo Williams) FAQ 'Going Greek' WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday through 2020 WHERE — Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale COST — Free INFO — 750-8165, shilohmuseum.org SPRINGDALE