Kappa Kappa Gamma - University of Missouri

learned 'gracious living' from our mothers, Cindy and I really learned community involvement from our fathers." Cindy then adds: "The speech that President Kennedy gave—'ask not what your country can do for you'—that really caught on. We saw real change in volunteerism." They both pushed the limits of what women could accomplish then and made a name for themselves. This common thread helped the ladies continue their friendship past their university days. Both are devoted to community service. Both have earned countless awards, appointments, and accomplishments. Cindy is a hometown hero and legendary in the community organizations of Columbia. Kate is an integral part of the political scene in Fairfax County, Virginia, and beyond. Yet all they want to do is talk about how great the other is. "Katie's always been the brain, she's the smart one," claims Cindy. But Kate counters, "Every community needs a Cindy Miller [Mustard]. She's done absolutely everything to strengthen each part of her community." Their friendship goes far beyond accom- plishment. To Kate, her friend Cindy has always been a touchstone to where she grew up and an example to her children of community investment. To Cindy, Kate has been a kindred spirit and cheerleader. They have been there for each other at various reunions, weddings, and events. Kate summarizes their time together perfectly: "It's not every day, and it's not even every month, but it is a won- derful perspective and I can't tell you how much I've appreciated our frienship. Cindy is my roots, and that is import- ant." May we all be as deeply rooted in sisterhood as Cindy and Kate. T H E T A C H A P T E R O F K A P P A K A P P A G A M M A A T T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S O U R I Kate and Cindy finish each other's Kappa house stories—tales of nickel Dr. Peppers, $100 university tuition, and the sleeping porch. One story involves the two of them continuously winning the title of 'Dirty Room,' a designation that the house committee used to dole out to the sisters that had the most clutter in their room. "The punishment was that you had to gather all the empty soda bottles in the house," Kate laughs. "We had such a good system worked out for collecting bottles, that it was just easier to keep getting 'Dirty Room.' When other girls would get it, it would mess up our system!" They had a lot of fun, but Cindy and Kate also made an impression in the academic SPRING 2023 Rooted in Sisterhood world. They both were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa at the same time, although Cindy humbly points out that she also received a warning from her Economics professor on the same day. During their tenure as chapter officers (Cindy was Treasurer, Kate was Scholarship Chair), Theta Chapter won the KKG Efficiency Award—an honor that took Kate to Sun Valley, Idaho to accept on behalf of the chapter. The ladies also share the experience of being college women in the 1960s when only one-third of the student body was female. "The Civil Rights movement [also] allowed women to do more in their communities," Kate says. "While we Kate Keith Hanley and Cindy Miller Mustard pictured at a colonial pageant as children; and pictured below at the 115th Theta Chapter Celebration in Columbia. With their laughter, interrup ons, and conversa onal shorthand, anyone can tell that Kate Keith Hanley '61 and Cindy Miller Mustard '62 have been friends for a very long me. In fact, they have been friends since preschool. Both grew up in Columbia, Missouri, went to Hickman High School, and are both Theta Chapter Kappas. It's a friendship unusual in its length but one that stands in a long line of Kappa sisterhood.

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