Member News

Collegiate News

ALPHA, LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY

Whitney Haywood and Brooklynn Weissenfluh discuss virtual recruitment and their reason for joining Sigma at Longwood.

HAYWOOD: What made you choose Sigma? WEISSENFLUH: I was comfortable with everyone I talked to. I could genuinely tell that the girls would accept me for who I was. The biggest thing was the video played on the third day; I could picture myself becoming best friends with the girls in the chapter. HAYWOOD: How did you feel about big/little reveal being in-person? WEISSENFLUH: Having the reveal in person helped it feel more like a reality versus the new normal being everything on zoom. HAYWOOD: If there is one thing that you would change this year regarding your sorority in the current worldwide pandemic, what would it be? WEISSENFLUH: Having practically everything on zoom, not just for Tri Sigma but for everyone. It would be so much nicer to know some of the sorority sisters outside of the computer screen. HAYWOOD: How does it make you feel to be a part of the Alpha chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma here at Longwood? WEISSENFLUH: Alpha chapter is very special to me because this is where it all started. Being able to have a special connection to the root of the sorority makes me love it even more. HAYWOOD: Did the virtual format make you feel more comfortable or intimidated for recruitment? WEISSENFLUH: I feel like virtual made me more comfortable and confident. I’m not sure what it’s like to have a recruitment in person but the virtual went well and was a nice experience. HAYWOOD: How was it to have your interactions to be completely through zoom and not necessarily having people around you? WEISSENFLUH: The interactions were much more personal. We were able to be in breakout rooms with two or three girls and have meaningful conversations.

CHI, PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY

Chi Chapter had a busy spring. The chapter participated in Big Event, celebrated Founders Day virtually, held a recruitment workshop with the women of Alpha Sigma Alpha, and wrapped up their first ever Running for Robbie Virtual 5K. The Virtual 5K raised $2,285 for the Robbie Page Memorial! During the month of April, Pittsburg State hosted a mostly Virtual Greek Week for its Greek community. The chapter participated in a non-perishable food sculpture contest, virtual Airband and Greek Goddess, and Order of Omega Awards. Chi Chapter brought home Excellence in Recruitment & Retention, Excellence in Greek Relations, Program of the Year: March of Dimes Virtual Craft Sale, Emerging Leader: Madeline Murdock, Volunteer of the Year: Catherine Linaweaver, and Outstanding Greek Woman of the Year: Jami Gooch. During this ceremony, Chi Chapter also had the opportunity to award one of their sisters with the Paula Beebe Schnaer and Mandi Schnaer Dow Tri Sigma Sorority Scholarship. Morgan Singletary, chapter president, was selected for this generous scholarship for the 20212022 school year. Chi Chapter is especially grateful to alumnae Paula Schnaer and Mandi Dow for their support of the scholarship! Many of Chi Chapter’s sisters were recognized at Pitt State for various awards and nominations during spring 2021. Jami Gooch and Olivia Shurtleff were both finalists for Outstanding Seniors. Abby Reardon was a finalist for Student Employee of the Year. Morgan Singletary and Adrea Shadbolt both earned Golden Gorillas, which recognizes juniors and non-graduating seniors who have made exemplary contributions in community service, academic excellence, and campus involvement. Lastly, Libby VanRheen was awarded Major of the Year in the Recreation Department. Chi Chapter also celebrated their graduating seniors and sent them wellwishes for the next chapter in their lives. Congratulations to seniors: Kailey Burger, Kyla Douglas, Alina Garcia, Jami Gooch, Hope Havenstein, Abby Kranker, Melanie Long, Bailey Peabody, Abby Reardon, Leah Rogge, Brenna Schroeder, Olivia Shurtleff, Libby VanRheen, Annie Vaters, and Morgan Weidenbach.

Chi Chapter seniors, Annie Vaters, Jami Gooch, and Leah Rogge celebrate after graduation!

NU, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI

The women of Nu Chapter adapted and flourished in a year of uncertainty and social distancing. Some notable highlights from the school year included receiving second place in Homecoming, second place in Greek Week, and celebrating their advisor, Kris Kraas Schuler, Nu, for winning the University of Central Missouri Advisor of the Year award. Most importantly, the women of Nu Chapter placed first out of all sorority GPAs for the fall semester. The school year started successfully with virtual formal recruitment, which allowed their members to meet many amazing women, and ultimately recruit 14 new members. The chapter was also given the opportunity to participate in Continuous Open Bidding (COB), and gained 14 more amazing women in the fall and spring, bringing their chapter total to 68.

In the fall, Nu Chapter was able to host their annual Mr. Robbie Page Pageant in person with social distancing and face coverings, as well as livestream the event. Their grand total for the event was $3,185. In the spring, the chapter also hosted their annual Pennies for Page event which raised $425. In addition to Nu Chapter’s two annual events, a new fundraiser was started using virtual bingo boards posted on social media to raise money for March of Dimes. This virtual event was successful raising $1,400. In the fall, sisters got to have a day at a pumpkin patch exploring, eating food, and taking lots of pictures. Sisters also organized a secret Santa that allowed each member to get a little gift for their randomly selected sister. The chapter women hosted a Galentine’s Secret Admirer which allowed everyone to bond over Valentine’s Day themed activities. Finally, sisters got together for a Cookies and Cram sisterhood event which allowed the women to snack on sweet treats, play games, and bond while preparing for finals week. Nu wrapped up the year at their annual Founders Day brunch celebration with social distancing and face coverings, and was able to include both alumnae and family members. The event was also livestreamed to include those who were unable to attend, which was delightful.

Various scholarships and awards were given to recognize all of Nu Chapter’s success this year, and the women who made it all possible. The event concluded with Stately and Royal, and lots of pictures of sisters together.

OMICRON, EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Prior to the pandemic, Omicron had a strong relationship with their alumnae chapter but as the pandemic got worse it was very clear that collegiate members were feeling the disconnect. The only alumnae members that their new initiates knew were the advisors that they saw each week at meetings. Members wanted a change, and that is where the Sigma e-pal program was born. Grace Wiltrakis, newly initiated, saw a need for connection between the two chapters and wanted to see it happen. She got the idea while collaborating with the chapter advisor, Linda J. Clayton, Omicron. Linda had said the members of the alumnae chapter were also feeling a disconnect and were trying to come up with ideas to help bring the two chapters together in a safe way. It became so important for the chapter, that they even made it an accreditation goal to have the chapter communicate with their assigned Sigma alumna. What was amazing is that members did not stop communicating because they were able to feel such strong connections with the alumnae. One member that has enjoyed the e-pal program and continues to write her alumna partner is Megan Scherer. Her e-pal was once the president of the chapter and she was able to give Megan advice about Sigma, college, and life in general. “She is like my second mother,” were her exact words when talking about her new mentor. After they exchanged their first set of emails, they set up a phone call so that they could get to know each other better. Megan’s e-pal even got her in contact with other sisters that were in the same field of study as her and had the same career that Megan wants in the future at Disney. She also sent Megan internship opportunities that she thought she should apply for to help Megan plan for her future. Megan was able to find a wonderful mentor through this program that she otherwise probably wouldn’t have been able to meet because of the pandemic. Grace said that she enjoyed her time doing this and getting to speak with the alumnae chapter. As a newer member, she hadn’t had much of an opportunity to attend in-person events in order to meet alumnae. She also loved hearing of other sisters having a good time with it and continuing to communicate with their partner even when they did not have to. The majority of the chapter participated and they think the e-Pal program will continue to grow into something even bigger at Omicron. The chapter hopes that when things start to become better with the pandemic, they can continue having a positive relationship with the alumnae chapter.

ALPHA BETA, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

I am watching as the world slowly understands the lesson you taught me.

“Home is not a place, but a feeling.” Palms meet on separate sides of the glass on the car door and I see the age in my mother’s bittersweet smile for the first time. And I can’t see my grandmothers worn and weathered grin as she reaches back, covered in a handmade mask. A light in this world dimmed in the last year, As if it were a candle fighting a summer breeze. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.

Because in late nights in a childhood bedroom, While the whole world was burning out, And the top of this mountain was still hidden in clouds, I found laughter. I found love. I found a group of people so determined to make it through this, not alone but with each other. When I look back and tell my grandkids about “the twenties”, I’ll tell them stories of women in lavender dresses, stories of six foot sacrifices that never managed to make us feel distant, Of how we learned to smile with just our eyes, Of finding comfort in a string of pearls Stories of sisters that looked at the dimming candle of the world and struck a match.

- Poem by Maria Price, Alpha Beta Education Director, about sisterhood during the coronavirus pandemic.

ALPHA CHI, MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY

The Alpha Chi Chapter of Murray State University hosted their annual spring philanthropy Glow Run event in order to raise money on behalf of the March of Dimes. While Glow Run was not able to look the way it has in previous years, sisters were determined to create an event that was safe and fun for students to participate in, all while raising funds to benefit March of Dimes. In years past, Glow Run was an in-person 5K run for charity that took place on the Murray State campus. With Covid restrictions in place, the Alpha Chi Chapter had to get creative, and find a way to encourage involvement with the event even though an in-person 5K was not an option. The solution? A Virtual 5K! Sisters (virtually) coached teams of runners made up of members of other Greek organizations on campus, as they tracked the miles that they ran over the course of a week. Participating runners were able to run outdoors or on a

Alpha Chi sisters wore shirts with the slogan “Sigma Serves Children” throughout the week to raise more awareness about our philanthropy event! (Shown: Morgan Lewis, Murray State University) treadmill, and used fitness trackers and pictures to verify their miles. While philanthropic participation from other organizations was a huge part of this event, the sisters of Alpha Chi also shared Venmo boards and donation site links on social media to increase donations for March of Dimes. At the end of the week, they were able to share the news via social media of the winners of the virtual running event and announce the organizations with the most collective miles of the week in both the sorority and fraternity divisions. By the end of the week, thanks to the generosity of the Murray State community that donated, the women of Alpha Chi were able to raise over $1,000 to benefit the March of Dimes. Life has presented obstacles and challenges for the chapter members in the past year, but the values instilled in them by Tri Sigma afford them the persistence to face those challenges with grace and wisdom in order to achieve their goals.

ALPHA MU, UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA A LAFAYETTE

The Alpha Mu Chapter of Tri Sigma has experienced greater and happier things. In the beginning of 2021, they were able to do more events in person. They were able to have Founders Day (thankful for all 123 years of Sigma!) and their sisterhood retreat, welcoming their spring 2021 recruitment class with warm arms and their masks on! They then got many, many awards, that led to many happy achievements, and hip, hip hoorays for the women of Alpha Mu! Finally, with finals stressing their brains out, they had much to look forward to with the end of the year. They were able to have their formal! Something they had all been hoping, praying, crossing their fingers for; and it turned out to be an amazing blast, with masks! Overall, this year has brought its own stressors to them. Loss, missed chances, missed events, stress, worry, and so much more. Sigma brought happiness, hope, and gratefulness throughout.

ALPHA PI, CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The Alpha Pi Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma is ecstatic to reflect upon a semester of strengthened sisterhood. The coronavirus pandemic might have limited their ability to run business as usual, but that did not stop them from having fun in a safe yet fulfilling way. The creativity of their sisters has truly been given the chance to shine as they have navigated the pandemic, and they are so excited to share that with all the sisters of Tri Sigma!

Thanks to their recruitment director, Kendra Colwell, their chapter was able to turn virtual recruitment into a monumental success. After three long nights of Zoom meetings, they were lucky enough to extend bids to five amazing young women.

Due to Covid-19 safety restrictions, they opted to welcome their new members with a celebration via Zoom. The theme of the event was “falling in love with Sigma Sigma Sigma” which was just in time

for Valentine’s Day! Sisters were eager to log on in their pink and red attire, with some sporting festive heart-shaped glasses. They had the most wonderful time welcoming their new members!

Amidst the success of bid day, they were fortunate enough to extend offers of membership to four other women through the Continuous Open Bidding. This raised their new member class to nine, a number which had not been reached in years for Alpha Pi.

Since they could not celebrate with the ladies of spring ’21 in person, they elected to do mini sister dates instead.

The big/little process was one of the highlights of the semester. The potential bigs and littles got to know each other on countless Zoom calls over a few weeks until all the pairings were set.

Thanks to careful planning from their Vice President of New Member Education, Bridget Kent, they were able to get their reveal approved as an in-person event. It was so wonderful to get their chapter together safely for the first time since the pandemic began!

The chapter was able to also gather safely one last time to say a proper goodbye to their amazing seniors thanks to their senior sendon co-chairs, Bridget Kent and Kaia Rearick. Congratulations to their graduated seniors: Daunice Briggs, Kara Hershey, Olivia Johnson, Liz Korbeck, Kayli Kowalczyk, Emily Phillips, and Clarice Pierson.

ALPHA RHO, LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The Alpha Rho Chapter integrated a sisterhood event into their scheduled events. The pandemic, as we all know, limited the amount of time they could spend with their sisters in person. Because of this, they developed “Sister Dates” to stay in touch and bond with several sisters during the past spring semester. This event was developed and coordinated by their chapter president, Courtney Holley, and their sisterhood chairman, Annaliese Horn. With the process of virtual recruitment in place temporarily, it was necessary to host events in which their new members could meet multiple sisters outside of those involved in the recruitment process. Every two weeks, a randomly generated list of sisters was presented to the chapter during their weekly meetings. Sisters within the chapter would coordinate with their partner to attend an in-person or virtual event between the two, or more, sisters. As a chapter, they believed that the “Sister Date” program helped bring newly initiated members closer during the pandemic, as well as maintaining relationships with one another.

BETA XI, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

Beta Xi Chapter have proven time and time again how even during a pandemic, sisterhood, community service, and philanthropic events can still be possible. One of the ways they helped their community was writing letters to local nursing homes as pen pals. They had about 60 of their members write letters to 50 people who are living in nursing homes. Because of the pandemic many of these individuals haven’t had contact with people outside of their living facility. They were so happy to participate in this with the chapter and their members were just as excited to write and receive letters back! They also were able to raise money for a local nonprofit during their university’s Greek Week this year. With their pairing, they raised over $6,000 for their local Big Brothers, Big Sisters in Southeast Missouri. They were also able to support their own philanthropy with a slight change. This year for their Kindergarten Dinner they held a brown bag style event where participants would walk down a line of tables spaced apart and pick their option of Lunchables, juice pouches, and packaged desserts—like what you would eat in kindergarten. Their chapter proved that even during a global pandemic there is still so much you can do for others.

GAMMA BETA, EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

After a long year of COVID-19, the sisters of the Gamma Beta Chapter were extremely excited to get back together and do a sisterhood event. When planning their event, they wanted to make it very health-conscious, safe and fun. Some of their wonderful sisters went above and beyond and planned a beautiful “Sweet Sisterhood” event for each of the sisters. At this event, they were able to make floral bouquets for themselves or a sister to show their love for one another or just enjoy some stunning flowers. The flowers were beautiful and extremely rewarding, but what was even more rewarding was seeing sisters come together once again. It was also great to see some of their newest members get to meet each other for the very first time and begin making a lifelong sisterly bond!

Gamma Beta sisters enjoying their sisterhood at the Sweet Sisterhood event.

GAMMA IOTA, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

Being virtual has caused quite a ripple in their ordinary sisterhood dynamic. Sisters living all across the world, from Texas to India, have caused their sisterhood to think hard about how to share the love this semester. That is until their vice president of operations (VPO), Samantha ”Samie” Griffin, came up with an empowering idea for their sisterhood. A Sigma Celebrations chat! The chapter’s VPO created a group of all of their sisters and advisors and shared the plan with them: simply celebrate each other and their accomplishments! Being a big chapter during an online period can often have sisters feeling lonely or lost, so their Sigma Celebrations was used to show sisters that they are still each other’s biggest fans! It was quite simple: whenever a sister accomplished something, ANYTHING, they send a message in their chat! Celebrations the last semester ranged from big celebrations of sharing job acceptances, great schoolwork grades, and voting in elections to small celebrations of baking cupcakes, achieving fitness goals, and sharing fun moments. When a sister sends their celebration, the chat was quickly filled with congratulations and love for her accomplishment.

Formal recruitment for the Gamma Iota Chapter was September 12-14, 2021. Although it was completely virtual, the chapter worked together to prepare for virtual recruitment training and bonding exercises. The potential new members were shown previously recorded recruitment videos from each Greek chapter and then got to meet Tri Sigma sisters virtually and learn about our values, philanthropy, and sisterhood! Although being virtual was challenging, the chapter was able to welcome 25 amazing young women into the chapter. One of the most exciting events during the fall semester was the virtual bid day. New members were put into breakout rooms on Zoom with current sisters to play games and get to know each other. The chapter’s big/little reveal was also not stopped by the pandemic! After virtual speed dating of potential bigs and littles, and multiple days of Zoom bonding, the chapter paired all of its new members with bigs!

GAMMA MU, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY

The Gamma Mu Chapter adhered to Covid guidelines while still managing to create a safe and fun way to raise money for their local and national philanthropies. Their amazing philanthropy chairman, Sarah Cobb, came up with fun ways to raise money online! She created bingo sheets and informational posters that explained the story behind the philanthropies and why they are so important. The chapter then posted these photos all over social media raising close to $2,000 for the Robbie Page Memorial Fund! They also had an extremely successful toy drive to benefit Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge where they collected over 200 toys benefitting the Child Life program at the hospital, with items that are specific to each patient and funded different kinds of parties or therapies on an as-needed basis throughout the year. Gamma Mu has an admirable dedication to philanthropy.

DELTA PI, WINTHROP UNIVERSITY

Gold Week looked different for the Delta Pi Chapter, but the meaning stood the same, to get the word out about childhood cancer! Last year, through the week of September 14-17, Delta Pi spread the word with the theme #duckcancer. Each sister was given a rubber duck to put in different places around campus and take a picture

GAMMA LAMBDA, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, EAU CLAIRE

New semester; same sisterhood. As we all know, so much has changed in our daily lives. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our sisterhood. The Gamma Lambda Chapter has continued to create a great sisterhood and unbreakable bonds despite all of the challenges brought on by the pandemic. They have continued to have great team building activities during this time from virtual game nights to virtually spending time with each other on sister dates. They have not let a pandemic ruin their sisterhood. Whether they are getting to know each other, playing games together, or even just chatting, they have managed to keep their sisterhood intact. During every meeting they take the time to check in on each other by discussing our Roses (high points of the week) and Thorns (low points of the week). This has allowed their sisterhood to continue and the bonds to strengthen despite the restrictions in place. They are forever grateful for their chapter to have continued to have virtual events that help to strengthen their bonds.

Kendall Drayman, Delta Pi holding one the ducks placed around campus.

to share on social media for others to see. There were four different kinds of ducks, each with a separate fact about childhood cancer. Along with these facts, the ducks also helped promote a special Zoom event. Guest speaker, Kristie Simpson Turner, talked about her daughter Lauren Turner’s story of battling cancer from the ages of six to nine. Her awe-inspiring story was heard by many and opened eyes with ways to spread childhood cancer awareness. For example, becoming a Be the Match donor, a blood donor, donating to a charity or foundation, joining events supporting childhood cancer, and simply spreading the word are a few. Kristie was brave enough to share her daughters’ story. Now it’s time for the chapter to be brave enough to continue to share it.

EPSILON KAPPA, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, OSHKOSH

After the challenging last year, Epsilon Kappa believed they needed extra reasons to celebrate. Therefore, they worked hard to better their chapter achievements on campus. Their first success was with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s (UWO) Greek Life Awards. Before leaving for last year’s winter break, their sisters wrote nominations for various chapter and individual awards. Nicole Mohrmann and Eliza Gullickson also spoke in front of a panel to present their Chapter of Excellence award application at the start of January. Finally, on February 21, 2021, they were able to see where their hard work took them. Epsilon Kappa Chapter received Most Improved GPA and Chapter of Excellence awards through the University’s Greek Life Awards. Pam Fleming and Windy Vang had the honor of receiving Founders Awards. They are so proud of Pam, Windy, and the rest of the chapter! Later in the semester, they applied to be recognized by the Student Leadership and Involvement Awards to celebrate student achievement this year. Epsilon Kappa was nominated for Most Improved Organization based on increased GPA and closer sisterhood bonds. They invested in their mental health with webinars focusing on resources and tips to improve their wellbeing. On April 30, 2021 they were gifted with the honorable award of Most Improved Organization for UWO’s campus. Lastly, they participated in their campus’ Greek Week challenges from May 3-7, 2021. With high participation and winning game scores, they won the coveted plaque. Overall, their chapter has made great strides toward bettering their chapter’s academic success, sisterhood bonds, and achievements on campus.

EPSILON NU, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Greek life had to adapt to new guidelines and restrictions to slow the spread. Typically, the Epsilon Nu Chapter at the University of North Carolina Greensboro hosts several fun philanthropy events in the fall, including Rocking for Robbie and Soak a Sigma. This year they were able to have their first ever virtual Bingo Board fundraiser. Planned by Foundation Chair Leighann B. and the Foundation committee, the fundraiser for March of Dimes turned out to be a huge success! The bingo board was bubble themed to represent surfactant replacement therapy. Surfactant replacement therapy is a lifesaving procedure for premature or newborn babies who have respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), or when the lungs cannot produce enough surfactant to keep the air sacs open for a baby to breathe.

Not only did this event allow Epsilon Nu to raise over $3,800 for March of Dimes, they were able to learn more about how fundraising efforts impact families with premature babies. The chapter raised over seven times the amount of their original $500 goal. When asked why she is passionate about March of Dimes and the Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation, junior Julia L. said the philanthropy is her favorite part of being a Sigma. She believes “it’s important that we are able to support our sisters through their education, prepare for their futures by bettering themselves, and provide help to those babies that are born premature.”

EPSILON OMICRON, ILLINOIS STATE

Epsilon Omicron has managed to not only hold a Covid-19 safe event but has also managed to accumulate amazing new members.

It was hard for the chapter to not be able to be in person with sisters every week, but they overcame that obstacle and pushed forward. They had chapter meetings over Zoom weekly and were able to hold virtual sisterhoods throughout the first semester. Once the second semester rolled around, a lot of their active members were able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. This, along with the change to spring weather, made event planning a lot easier. On April 25, Epsilon Omicron was finally able to have its first in-person event of the school year. This event just so happened to be their chapter’s celebration of Founders Day! A junior in the chapter, Ally Rosenbaum, did an amazing job planning the day for the chapter’s members. Because the chapter is so large, Ally came up with the idea to split the event into two sessions. Because of this, everyone in the chapter was able to enjoy the day in-person with sisters. Although the year was tough for their chapter because of the pandemic, they were able to push forward and come together for an amazing event. The chapter has come out of this year stronger and closer than ever, and they cannot wait to see what the future holds for Epsilon Omicron.

Pictured from left to right: Lizzie Lane, Brianna Parnell, Jahnnie Connor, Emily Gilfillan, and Logan Miller of Epsilon Pi enjoying the chapter‘s annual formal. Theta Alpha lemonade stand.

EPSILON PI, PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE

Three women of the Epsilon Pi Chapter were elected to serve on the 2021 Presbyterian College Panhellenic Council: Emily Gilfillan (vice president of scholarship and service), Beth Parris (vice president of operations), and Emily Gardner (vice president of judicial affairs). When asked why she joined the Panhellenic Council, Emily responded, “I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of a strong group of women who make a noticeable difference on the Presbyterian College campus!” When Beth was asked why she decided to join she responded, “I want to work with all of the great women from other organizations to help better the Presbyterian College Community as a whole!” Emily Gardner responded to the same question saying, “I decided to be part of Panhellenic because I wanted to work with women from other chapters to help bring together our Panhellenic community on campus!”

ETA KAPPA, TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

In preparation for Founders Day, Eta Kappa’s Alumnae Relations and Founders Day chair Hannah Schwegel, worked closely with the Dallas Alumnae Chapter to make this Founders Day very special. Together they came together to fundraise for the Tri Sigma Foundation. The goal for the event was $700, but with teamwork they raised $1,130. This fundraiser marked the highest amount raised for a Founders Day fundraiser in the history of Eta Kappa and Dallas Alumnae Chapters. Other Founders Day festivities included a virtual meeting on April 24 that awarded members in their chapters, and announced Eta Kappa as Chapter of The Year at Texas Woman’s University. They could not have achieved this goal and had a successful Founders Day without the support and teamwork of the alumnae chapter, as well as the determination from Schwegel to make such a memorable Founders Day.

THETA ALPHA, HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

Ever Forward… Even Through a Pandemic! This semester the women of Theta Alpha Chapter at High Point University (HPU), North Carolina showed that even through the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating acts of service was truly a top priority! This last semester, the HPU Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life honored Tri Sigma with the Service to the Community Award having done over 3,300 service hours total among sisters. This is not only an amazing achievement but also shows how dedicated the chapter is to helping others in the High Point Community. This semester, philanthropy was also something they as a chapter made as another priority. The pandemic has put a lot of economic strain on the whole world which has led to a deficit of donations to organizations such as March of Dimes, so they knew as a chapter they had to make a lasting impact! We have had over seven philanthropy events in which the funds went solely to March of Dimes this past academic year. Some events included making baby blankets, lemonade stands, prematurity awareness week, giveback nights, iced tea stands, and so much more. Altogether, they raised around $2,500 this past year alone for March of Dimes! As a chapter, they also helped local organizations. One of the events was to raise money for Backpack Beginnings which is an organization that serves children in need. The chapter is so proud to call themselves Tri Sigmas. The challenges of this year hit everyone hard, but it’s about how they overcame the challenges they were faced with. In a year that was set up to be rather inactive and independent, the chapter showed their campus and their community that through love, dedication, and hard work anything is possible!

Alumnae News

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

A commonality among Sigma Sisters is their enduring dedication to volunteering/paying forward their time and talents in many ways. To showcase the contributions of the Central Michigan Alumnae Chapter is a sampling of how our membership has made the world a better place during the first decade of the chapter, 2010-2020.

Arlene Reid Ball, Alpha Phi

Arlene Ball serves as an officer for the Central Michigan Alumnae Chapter and volunteers on the chapter advisory boards for Beta Tau at the University of Detroit Mercy and Theta Theta at Oakland University.

Mildred Lombard Diget, Alpha Phi

In keeping with Sigma Serves Children, Millie and her husband, Don, have been involved with Camp L’Arcada, an Evangelical adventure camp located in the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain. They have been blessed to be part of six different work teams helping with camp maintenance and were able to spend two weeks with the campers in the summer of 2018.

Wanita Johnson Kampmueller, Alpha Phi

Since retiring in 2010, Wanita Kampmueller has volunteered at the Marion Elementary School selecting books for the library and reading books to children. She and her puppet, Honey, have great fun reading with the children. In the past year, most of the book research takes place from home but the reading continues over the internet.

CHICAGO NW SUBURBAN

The Chicago NW Suburban Alumnae Chapter created a robust calendar of events during the Covid year. Monthly Zoom meetings held us together as well as a Round Robin card and greeting cards at Valentine’s Day and for members’ birthdays. Their programs included mental health and wellness, Yoga, Cyber Security, the annual book club, Secret Santa gift exchange, Founders Day, and a big hit playing Family Feud with a professional emcee! They supported their local alumnae Panhellenic by contributing two baskets of goodies for an online auction and five scholarships were awarded by the local Panhellenic. As the weather improved, they had a great group participating in the March of Dimes walk, and they enjoyed high tea at a unique local shop in May.

DALLAS

Dallas Alumnae Chapter established a new local award in honor of a distinguished golden violet.

On April 24, 2021, the Dallas Alumnae Chapter joined the Eta Kappa Chapter from Texas Woman’s University for an online Founders Day celebration. Among many special moments was the inaugural awarding of the Sherrie Devlin Lasting Legacy Award, given to none other than Sherrie Devlin (Sharon Johannsen Devlin, Beta Lambda) herself. This award stands on the three pillars that are the foundation for Sherrie’s legacy: collegiate support, alumnae chapter participation, and community service. Sherrie was initiated into the Beta Lambda Chapter in 1965 where she was a dedicated

Coastal area alumna Savannah Church, Zeta Chi, receives donated school supplies for her classroom. Items were collected by the alumnae chapter and gifted to Tri Sigma Alumnae school teachers. Nancy Oliver Patterson’s work collecting toys for Kiwanis is just one way that members of the Central Michigan Alumnae Chapter are celebrating service during their 10th anniversary.

servant leader, not holding any officer positions, but serving our sisterhood from behind the scenes as a committee member, engaged big sister, and thoughtful recruiter. In 1990, she joined the Dallas Alumnae Chapter and remained active while working and going to school full time. Later, she was elected alumnae chapter president and served her country while working with the FBI in Ukraine, where she continued to live out “Sigma Serves Children.” She is the reason that the Dallas Alumnae Chapter assists the Zeta Gamma Chapter with recruitment. She helped install the Eta Kappa Chapter and has served on their Housing Corporation for 22 years. She has volunteered for various roles on the Eta Kappa Chapter Advisory Board, she has attended eight National Conventions, and she donates bid bags to more than five collegiate chapters each year. Moreover, she finds time to volunteer locally and afar with a variety of nonprofit organizations. Sherrie is an exemplary woman of character and truly deserving of this special honor. May we all strive to be a little more like Sherrie each day.

DENVER AREA

The Denver Area Alumnae Chapter has had its fair share of necessary changes, as have other Tri Sigma chapters, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They planned to celebrate their 100th anniversary in February. They planned to welcome new Golden Violets with celebrations at Founders Day and meet new alumnae at Circle Degree ceremonies for the Eta Pi Chapter. They looked forward to engaging in informal celebrations together, sharing in business meetings, and seeing one another in-person. While every day, they get a little closer to the “new normal,” the Denver Area Alumnae Chapter responded to these challenges creatively to keep in touch and continue to function as near to normal as possible, with input from many of their members. Their chapter president’s monthly letter, and their monthly E-Violets newsletter helped keep them in touch with news of their individual members in addition to regular chapter news. During the early fall months of 2020, they held five parties in the park in different Denver area locations. Groups of four to seven members brought their own refreshments and sat safely distanced to discuss chapter events, the upcoming Centennial Celebration, news from members unable to attend, as well as family gatherings and plans. When things appeared better in the summer, a small group of Sigmas and their spouses enjoyed a winery tour. Earlier in the year, Zoom meetings had quickly become the “norm.” While it is preferable to enjoy each other’s company in person, they have been fortunate to have a good response from their membership in attending these monthly gatherings. Regular fundraising efforts in December were very successful with leadership from a member newer to their chapter. Bylaws and standing rules were reviewed and refreshed in January and February. New officer elections were successfully held in March. A countdown calendar of special daily opportunities to connect with Tri Sigma in December and in April provided great ways to engage with Tri Sigma. They included things like sharing a photo on social media of your college days, calling your favorite Sigma sister to say hello, and making a Foundation donation, among other activities. These little mementoes and activities helped them get excited for a special virtual Founders Day celebration, lovingly organized by chapter members. They

Denver Area Alumnae Chapter members enjoy a socially distanced party in the park in September 2020. From left to right: Michelle Pollard Hektor, Beta Delta; Kay Holt Lanum, Alpha Gamma; Kay Curtis Hunsaker, Sigma; Bobbi Walker Smith, Alpha Epsilon; Jan Brown Reed, Sigma; and Sheryl White Dahm, Iota. Harrisburg Alumnae Chapter March for Babies Walk 2021.

had the pleasure of highlighting their 2020 national award winners, Rebekah Ager Giaraffa, Theta Epsilon, recipient of the Emily Gates Alumna Achievement award, and Laura Manthey, Gamma Lambda, recipient of the Outstanding Alumna award. Their chapter was also recognized with the Alumnae Award for Excellence in Ritual and Values. And finally, after rescheduling the dates for February 2022, the Centennial Celebration committee members have kept working on their many projects to ensure a spectacular reception to celebrate their history and future. While there has been very limited personal contact, the creativity, sharing, involvement, and determination of their chapter members has been inspiring to Sigma sisters across generations, distance, and space. They eagerly await the opportunity to see each other in person and share laughs and hugs together, but they are also proud of how the Denver Area Alumnae Chapter has weathered challenges to support each other and celebrate sisterhood.

GREATER CLEVELAND

The Greater Cleveland Chapter has taken Zoom to a new level. They have added group crafting and scavenger hunts to their Zoom meetings. Sisters who don’t wish to take part in the craft can tune in for quality sisterhood time. For those wishing to take part in the craft nights simply sent a small check to the hostess and craft kits were delivered in advance of the meeting. In November, they created cute snowmen with checkered hats under the guidance of Sue Poe Flowers, Kappa. In March, they made beaded bracelets under the tutelage of Elaine Hasegawa Bratko, Gamma Zeta. In December, their Zoom meeting showcased the in-home decorations of three sisters with a walking tour of each home. In January, they held a scavenger hunt and sisters searched for common items in their own homes. For Founders Day, they held a Zoom celebration with their Alpha Beta (Kent State University) and Theta Zeta (Case Western Reserve University) collegiate sisters.

GREATER KANSAS CITY

Keeping in contact during Covid wasn’t always easy but the Greater Kansas City Alumnae Chapter managed to stay connected. Alumnae from the Greater Kansas City area celebrated 50 years of sisterhood this past Founders Day. Twenty-three sisters gathered and commemorated 50 years. Revelyn Satterlee Alpaugh, Pi, was celebrated as a Golden Violet. Additional recognition went to Revelyn and Frankie Ritter Wainright, Kappa, who were both recognized as Kansas City Panhellenic Women of the Year. Donna Jones Clark, Nu, shared history about the first 25 years as an alumnae chapter in Kansas City. Socks were collected for Blair’s Foster Socks Project. Another favorite activity that continued throughout the pandemic was the monthly Book Club. Meetings continued to be held via Zoom to discuss the chosen book of the month. Finally, another creative way members stayed connected was with a game of virtual “SIGMA,” also known as BINGO. Sisters joined via Zoom to answer lots of questions about themselves and how they dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. There was a lot of laughing and nodding heads in agreement!

Helen Sharrett Shull, Beta Gamma and Nashville Alumnae Chapter Golden Violet, models one of the face masks she made as a Sigma fundraiser. Catherine Stareck Linaweaver, Chi, President of the Chi Chapter Housing Corporation, was honored in April 2021 as Pittsburg State University’s Order of Omega Volunteer of the Year. Donna Jones Clark, Nu, shares history about the first 25 years of the Greater Kansas City Alumnae Chapter.