Alpha Chi Omega - University of Missouri

A relative secretly entered an Alpha Nu alumna and her fiancé in a contest sponsored by Helzberg Diamonds. The two die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fans wound up getting married at Arrowhead Stadium just before the Chiefs clinched their sixth-straight AFC West title. Before the December 26 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jordyn Burnidge '10 and Chad Clauser exchanged wedding vows on the GEHA Deck at Arrowhead. The couple got engaged at the Chiefs' home opener in September and were wed at the last regular season home game. In addition to the wedding, they won a VIP tailgate reception along with tickets and parking passes for the wedding party. Helzberg provided the wedding bands as well. The prize package was worth more than $30,000. The Dream Goes On Hardships Don't Set Helen McGuire Jones '51 Back Written by Helen McGuire Jones '51 E very girl wants to find a home, family, church, school, friends and role models away from home; I did too. As a second- semester transfer student, I was unaware of sororities until I met Jane Marsden '51, an Alpha Chi Omega in my science class. She was an inspiration and shared her sorority experiences, and we soon became lifelong friends. With the support of my parents, I participated in open recruitment and pledged. I have retained that sense of community for over 70 years. ΑΧΩ was a wise choice for me. As a shy child and talented woman, I found that ΑΧΩ women easily found the potential in others and helped them develop themselves for active work in the chapter and for positive life outcomes in the future. My favorite memories from my undergraduate days include singing the "Alpha Chi Sweetheart" song from the second-floor bedroom just above the front door during pinnings. The best thing I remember about Alpha Nu are my sisters; strong, intelligent, beautiful women from across the country who helped expand my mind. Aside from my Mizzou education, I later earned several degrees at various other schools, including my master's in textiles and chemistry at the University of Alabama and my Ph.D. in advanced work on marriage and family counseling at Florida State University and Kansas State University. I enjoyed a fulfilling career which included being a college assistant professor in clothing and textiles, a designer consultant for Stevie Togs and shaping the home economics offerings for Labette Community College in Parsons, Kan. Along with my career, I have been passionate about giving back to my community. I have been an activist for women's rights and issues most of my adult life through the Equal Rights Amendment, Church Women United, UN Decade for Women and teaching marriage and family life courses at college level. I am extremely proud of the young women on college campuses who now advocate and educate women to be alert to sexual assault and how to cope in the workplace and in the home. Additionally, I have served as local Kansas president and first vice president of Church Women United Inc. National Unit. I was also a chairman on the Labette Correctional Conservation Camp Advisory Board, president of Centennial Parsons Inc. and president and 50- year member of P.E.O. Furthermore, I supervised a 10-year Bookmobile project to help improve reading and retention skills for young people. My husband, Glenn, an attorney and former legislator, believed in giving back to our community to make it a better place to live. He was one of my best supporters. I was widowed in 1985 and have experienced the loss of other loved ones since then. I decided to make significant changes in my lifestyle. I hosted two Japanese students while they attended college and an exchange teacher from China. I still hear regularly from each of them and am proud of their achievements. I later sold my home and purchased a three- story building on Main Street in Parsons, Kan. to renovate. Most stores were closed and in poor condition; I wanted to show that we could bring life back to Main Street. Two years later, a fire started next door at the theater. My building was saved but damaged from smoke and water. I restored it in eight months in 1998, then the tornado of 2000 gave me a four-month setback. Lesson learned: be fully insured and believe in your plan. Parsons is thriving today; every storefront is filled and many second-floor apartments are in place. The dream goes on. Helen shares that she is working with Mizzou's College of Human Environmental Sciences, and the Helen C. McGuire Jones Historical Costume and Textile Collection Endowment is now in place. You can connect with her at hmc.jones65@gmail.com. TOP FIVE THINGS HELEN LEARNED FROM AXΩ: 1. Develop a sense of community. 2. Honor my commitments. 3. Learn to care for others as family. 4. Be strong, intellectually stimulated and competent. 5. Share trust and confidence. From left: Maudell Kraus Breedon '50, Helen McGuire Jones '51 and LoVene Kraus Claypole '51. Helen McGuire Jones '51 (right) and her college roommate, Gertrude Alexander Thompson, at the Gold Medal 50-year celebration. Chiefs Fans Hitched at Arrowhead alpha chi omega | page 12

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