Alpha Phi - Michigan State University

BETA BETA CHAPTER of ALPHA PHI at MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Fall 2021 The Ivy The Ivy T he House Corporation Board is cautiously optimistic COVID will be less of a factor this year; however, we are still taking precautions to keep our house healthy and safe while we follow MSU and state of Michigan guidelines. As we look to the upcoming year, HCB is also busy preparing for our centennial celebration in 2022. Isn't it always a bit that way… one foot in the past and eyes looking ahead? Nonetheless, we are excited to share a project HCB is undertaking to preserve and digitize important and meaningful documents central to our formation and history at MSU. Further, HistoryIT is working with Alpha Phi International and other national organizations to help preserve historic documents and memorabilia. HCB has contracted with HistoryIT to create an engaging and interactive website, combining years of sisterhood beginning with the Feronian Society, which served as the foundation of Beta Beta. There are a few reasons we chose to embark on this project. As you may imagine, some of our memorabilia is scattered around while some has been lost due to weather damage at the house. For the pieces we can locate, it is often problematic due to lack of identification or documentation. Enter digital preservation, which allows us to digitize our history and provide eternal safekeeping. Partnering with HistoryIT goes way beyond by bringing our history to life! We really want to thank several sisters who helped weed through dusty areas to secure and select significant items: Karen Abel Kolschowsky '63, Connie Goldsmith Crittenden '71, Susan Brink Sherratt '77, and Melissa Wagasy '99. These generous sisters contributed from their own collections for this project. They have remained supportive throughout the years, and we are grateful for their contributions all along the way. Thank you, sisters. We hope to unveil the Beta Beta website next year as we kickoff our centennial celebration honoring 100 years at MSU. We were the first women's organization at MSU; from the Feronian Society to Alpha Phi, we have been blazing a trail for women. For more details on our centennial celebration, please see the event reminder on page 4. Additionally, you can join our Facebook group, Alpha Phi Michigan State University – Beta Beta Chapter Alumnae, for more information on all things Alpha Phi. You do not want to miss any festivities of our upcoming celebrations! AOE, Joy Sayed Murray '77 Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi House Corporation Board President ejoymurray@gmail.com Preserving the Memory of Alpha Phi A Special Thank You for Sisters' Contributions Embarking on Expeditions Cindy Clark Mishler '76 Enjoys Exploring the World W hen Cindy Clark Mishler '78 decided to join a sorority, Alpha Phi called her name. Beta Beta Chapter was filled with wonderful ladies who she knew would become lifelong friends! "The spirit of acceptance was overwhelmingly positive, and having 50 instant best friends in a gorgeous house filled with laughter and serious studies was an amazing experience," Cindy said. "Alpha Phi was a safe, small island in the giant ocean of the MSU campus." Cindy loves to travel and says her time in Beta Beta Chapter influenced her expeditions. Every semester, sisters would pack up their belongings and switch rooms. This gave Cindy a sense of wanderlust through the years. It also gave her the opportunity to spend time with a variety of diverse sisters. (Continued on page 2) Cindy and her husband, Michael, on their yearlong adventure.

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