Clovia - University of Minnesota

Clovia University of Minnesota P.O. Box 442100 Lawrence, KS 66044-2100 Address Service Requested Clovia Clippings Alumnae Association Beta Chapter of Clovia H appy New Year, dear sisters! I recently attended the funerals of two beloved alumnae, Marlene Salmela Banttari '59 and Florence Stater '55, who were leaders and trendsetters for our sisterhood. Both women selflessly served by mentoring innumerable young Clovers and passionately embraced positive change in our chapter. As I sat in the beautiful Gloria Dei church, listening to the sermon for Florence, I couldn't help but consider how she may have felt about Clovia's housing plans. She was the force behind selling the 1502 Raymond and 1499 Cleveland properties to purchase 2067 Carter, and she wasn't afraid of taking a risk when she knew it was the right thing to do. As Pastor Bradley Schmeling said when remembering Florence's leadership in a renovation project for the church, "She believed the church must change to meet the times." "When Florence joined the property committee here at Gloria Dei, she was the only woman," he continued. "She told me how she climbed up the steeple to show the men what needed to be done on the roof." He encouraged attendees to view some of Florence's handiwork in the church's kitchen. "When it needed to be renovated, she argued in favor of a commercial kitchen—an expensive project—because only then would this church be ready to serve its neighbors." I believe that if Florence was 25 years younger, she would have led the charge for the Building the Best Better project. Fortunately, a group of inspired members has stepped up to fill her big shoes, champion this campaign, and take Clovia and its actives into the 21st century. Today's students attend classes in person and online and absorb information through physical and digital resources. Today's higher education focuses on fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills through project- based and experiential learning. For this, students need a new type of study space. They need (and deserve!) a Clovia residence that supports their academic requirements. The idea of building a new house was first raised during the 2019 Founders' Day celebration. Speaker Jane Johnson, chief development officer of the University of Minnesota Extension/4-H, said that a project like this typically takes 10 years from start to finish. COVID-19 caused a delay, but in 2022 the board wrote a 10-year strategic plan, putting into motion committees to create momentum. As they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day," but I'm thrilled to announce we are finally launching our capital campaign and sharing our plans for Clovia's new home. Please join me in celebrating and supporting our vision! Clovia Love, Maureen Meier '75 Board President maureen.meier75@gmail.com The Building the Best Better Project Begins! More photos and exciting updates await on Beta of Clovia's Instagram page! Keep up with the actives this semester by following @betaofclovia. F O L L O W U S F O L L O W U S O N L I N E! O N L I N E! H ave you moved or are planning on moving, ditched your landline, changed your name, or have news to pass along to your Clovia sisters? Has your email changed? Did you switch your @umn.edu email to something new? Don't miss out on the upcoming Clovia happenings! Be sure to update Clovia by sending in your new information to continue to receive the Clovia Clippings and Short Clips email. Please email your information to Karla Krenik Mayer '82 at jkmayer4@msn.com or send a note to her (34946 Snow Ridge Lane, Le Sueur, MN 56058). Linda Grieme '77 at lindagrieme85@gmail.com will also update our directory information. Keep Clovia in Mind! A Letter from the President Our Facebook Clovia alumnae page is open to all ladies who have been a part of the CLOVIA circle. Beta of CLOVIA Alums

• Cover