Alpha Phi - University of Missouri

O micron is thriving! I am so pleased to follow Marcia Jones Lane '73 as President of the Omicron House Corporation. She and the board accomplished so much and she continues on the board for one more project: the kitchen and basement renovation. The chapter is so busy and vibrant with the largest number of active women ever, which makes this project so important. As you have heard in previous articles, the kitchen is getting very old and needs a major update to keep up with the demand. The dining room area also needs expansion to accommodate as many members as possible during meals. We have opened up lunch service every day to all out-of-house members from our previous twice a week and it has been a huge success. The women love the food and sisterhood that comes with sharing a casual meal together. It is such a great way for the women to meet and interact. However, our dining room is cramped, which means the women rush to finish lunch as fast as possible to make room for others waiting to dine. The remodel plan will increase seating capacity and enhance the meal time experience. The dining room will be entirely dedicated to seating, and food service will be delivered through a new serving line in the kitchen that will also accommodate night and weekend snacks. The kitchen update will enhance the already stellar service provided by Sterling Food Service. The new appliances and more efficient layout will greatly expand the amount of food and variety of meals that can be prepared. Chef Denny has made great meals with wornout equipment and he looks forward to the new kitchen with reliable ovens, cooktops, and easily accessible refrigeration. But he is most excited about the dining room seating expansion so more members can enjoy meals together. Omicron Chapter Always Alpha Phi Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Spring 2015 Final Opportunity to Give Toward Kitchen Renovation New Study Finds Sorority Women Have Stronger Educational Outcomes Research confirms claims that sorority members have stronger, more positive educational outcomes and retention rates than non-sorority members, according to the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). This joint research* communicates the outcomes of a large-scale analysis conducted between January and August of 2014. 3x 2.5x 2x more likely to be retained from freshman to sophomore year more likely to graduate more likely to graduate in four years Statistics found after accounting for pre-college characteristics, such as high school GPA and ACT score, as well as institutional differences. *Research comes from the study Sorority Membership and Education Outcomes: Results from a National Study, done by J. Patrick Biddix, Ph.D., and the NPC in 2014. NPC sororities are located on more than 672 campuses in 3,184 chapters. with 353,345 undergraduate members Infographic courtesy of PENNINGTON & COMPANY Alumnae Host Undergraduate Networking Event M ore than 20 alumnae participated in an Alpha Phi professional networking event last fall at the Reynolds Alumni Center in Columbia. Approximately 85 junior and senior women were seated at tables paired with alumnae with experience in their field of study. Speakers included Mindy Matthews '78, former chapter president and New York Times editor, and Sara Holzschuh '04 who is an attorney with Denton's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice in Kansas City. Judy Anderson Stiles '77 traveled to Columbia from Springfield, Missouri, to be part of the networking event and had this to say, "I enjoyed visiting with members who are interested in journalism. Mizzou and Alpha Phi gave me the great start to help me in my career. You have the opportunities for successful futures!" (Continued on page 2)

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