FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY KELLY MCGINNIS BECK, EK , NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Hindsight is 2020…now that is a phrase that takes on new meaning! It was a year unlike any other, and while much has been written about the challenges and disappointments of 2020, I’d like to spend a few minutes acknowledging what we learned.

While many of us already had some experience working remotely, many workplaces were required to quickly shift to completely virtual. Thankfully, technology made that shift easier for many, despite some bumps along the way. While we learned that many jobs can be done remotely, many cannot, especially those that are now referred to as “essential.” We gained a greater appreciation for those essential workers: healthcare workers, grocery store employees, garbage collectors, delivery drivers, just to name a few. They are no longer the unsung heroes of our time.

Schools went virtual as well and what a shift that was! We watched as not only our college students had to shift to a virtual setting, but our elementary and secondary students as well (of which I have 3 at home). In the workplace, tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Skype were already commonplace, and now the younger generations have learned to use them as well, some at a very early age. Imagine what the world will look like when they enter the workforce.

In the near term we may see a shift to more virtual and flexible workspaces, but I believe that our future generations will place a higher value on in-person interactions, and we will see the return of the office environment. My kids like the comfort of “Zooming” in their own home in their pajamas, but they also desperately miss seeing their friends in person and hanging out. They have even said they miss school! They miss being in the building and interacting directly with their teachers, chatting with their friends and working on group projects in person. 2020 also helped us build our resiliency. We have adapted to changes in our daily lives, encountered struggles that were unimaginable just 12 months ago, dealt with loss on many levels, and yet we continue to persevere through the uncertainty of it all. These lessons will be beneficial for years to come as we know change is ever present in our lives.

One of the most important things I believe we have learned is that the benefits of sorority are more important now than they have ever been, and as we move into the future and learn to navigate new ways of communicating, we will still crave connections and seek a supportive environment to learn and thrive within. This past year, our members have leaned on their sorority experience for those connections and so much more. Our virtual sisterhood meetups, born from a desire to remain connected while being socially distant, have been a bright spot in a dark year. I have appreciated the Zoom happy hours that have connected me with alumnae that I don’t regularly see except at a sorority event.

Our Creed reminds us: “To find dominant beauty in art, literature, nature and friendships.” 2020 made us slow down and find the beauty in a world filled with change and uncertainty. And while it was a road fraught with sharp turns, dead ends and uneven terrain, I am grateful for the lessons I have gained along the way.

In Alpha Sigma Alpha,

KELLY MCGINNIS BECK, EK NATIONAL PRESIDENT @ASAKELLYM

16

in every issue

03 FROM THE PRESIDENT 05 FROM THE EDITOR 06 NEWS & UPDATES 28 CHAPTER NEWS 30 FROM THE ARCHIVES 31 FROM THE FOUNDATION

just this issue

09 IN MEMORIAM 10 VIRTUAL RECRUITMENT 12 VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION 14 AΣA VOTES RECAP 16 ADAPTATIONS IN EDUCATION

On The Cover: Sandy Phommachan and Julia Hernandez, Theta Omicron, University of Missouri - Kansas City