Kappa Kappa Gamma - University of Missouri

THETA CHAPTER OF KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | SPRING 2021 Theta News O ver a year ago, the Spring 2020 issue of Theta News was ready for press. With a brief notice to the publisher, a paragraph was quickly inserted in the cover article before the newsletter was mailed. It was a short announcement that due to the spread of COVID, the Mizzou campus was closing, and classes would be virtual for the remainder of the semester. Residence Halls and Greek Houses stayed open for a short time after that to accommodate students who needed campus technology and research labs, but eventually, they closed too. COVID-19 continued to spread…and so it began. Kappa temporarily shut its doors in March 2020. The lights were figuratively turned off. Our House Director remained, helping her staff through a clean-up. For safety, that eventually had to cease. The phrase "in the fall" became the watch word. It was hard to imagine that normalcy wouldn't return by the fall 2020 semester. When it became clear that it would not, Theta Chapter staff and Alumnae volunteers did what hundreds of Greek Chapters across the country had to do: we prepared! Kappa Headquarters provided summer webinars of invaluable information. Sanitizers were installed throughout the House. A deep "COVID clean" was done by a professional company, and a shield was erected in the kitchen in front of the food service area. Everything you are accustomed to seeing today was put in place. The rules of Kappa, the CDC, the local health department and The University were followed. Safety for everyone was the ultimate goal, and the women of the Chapter were welcomed back in August. It was a long, and at times, difficult semester. Work Week and Recruitment were virtual, but 71 great New Members were pledged. Classes were a combination of virtual and onsite. Only those who lived at Kappa could be in the House. Masks and social distancing outside of the bedrooms were required. Meals were individually wrapped. Out of house women could opt for grab and go lunches, and many did. Chapter meetings were virtual and electronic messaging kept the Chapter informed. Fortunately, there were only a few COVID cases by the end of the semester. Those who tested positive either went home or spent their quarantine in one of the rooms set aside for that purpose. The semester ended with our customary Holiday decorations. The House Board wanted that one feature to be the same. The lights at Kappa began to go on again during the second semester. Out of house women could eat lunch in the dining room at tables with four chairs, an improvement over the two chairs of first semester. They could also study throughout the first floor. Chapter meetings remained virtual, but eventually Chapter Council met in the Chapter Room. During the final two weeks of the semester, freshmen ventured upstairs to see the rooms they will move into in August. Both the Scholarship and Senior Dinners were seated with familiar center pieces at each table. Who knew those simple events could seem that special? Kappas then won Greek Week! (See Inside). Thankfully the semester ended with no diagnosed cases of COVID. The Pandemic created heroes throughout the world, and 512 Rollins had its fair share. The Chefs were there to cook and serve three meals a day in their partial PPE gear. Maintenance workers were also there for needed repairs. The household staff never missed a beat, keeping Kappa as clean as ever. House Director, Linda Orman, took a deep breath and performed her duties with her usual expertise and determination, staying in her apt as much as possible until she could finally be vaccinated. It was the hardest of all her 28 years she has said, but we can never thank her enough for her dedication. Perhaps the real heroes were the Women of Theta Chapter, those who lived in the House and those who could not be there. Amidst the difficulty the situation presented for all, they endured a school year that kept them from the true meaning of their Sisterhood: being together as one. Now there is every hope this fall will return them to that special Kappa experience. An enormous thanks to each and every one of them! Loyally, The Theta Chapter House Board The Heroes of 512 Rollins Pledge family Ellie Marshall '19, Maddi Ehmen '20, and Abbey Riggs '20.

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