Beta Tau ConnEKtion Beta Tau Chapter House Corporation of Sigma Kappa Sorority at the University of Florida Fall 2016 SIGMA KAPPA Chapler House Complete Thank You, Alumnae, for Your Continued Support W e did it! Our new house is open, occupied, For me, the completion of this project signals a Weekend. To borrow a phrase used by the Gators and being enjoyed by sisters. What a major feat accomplished. As a collegian sister, - next woman up! If you have interest in giving showstopper it is! During recruitment and our I often heard "if you do X for y timeframe, back to our chapter, now is a great time to get grand opening, the feedback was phenomenal. then you will get a new house." I don't know started! Our housing board is high functioning This house was carefully designed and detailed where that started, or who kept it going, but and benefits from diverse backgrounds. Are you to ensure that we kept the warm, cozy feeling I do know that we were meeting those goals in business, accounting, building, design, law of our prior home while giving the amenities and I didn't see movement. At some point, I and contracts, art, education, PR or HR? Do you desired today, and the execution exceeded our realized we were going to have to step up if we plan gatherings like a pro, excel at fundraising, expectations. wanted a new house. Gabrielle Ferro Miller or enjoy mentoring? Likely the answer is yes '04 said to me, "I'll join the housing board to at least one of these. If needed, grab a friend if you do." Quickly, we were leading small and step up! This is a call to action. Our chapter renovation projects, and soon thereafter, holding deserves driven leaders like you. Send me an the Treasurer and President positions. Over the e-mail and I will help you get started! next five or SO years, as the chapter size grew, the housing board saved enough to make the Another dedicated and determined sister, down payment on our new house. We held stakeholder meetings with sisters and alumnae, spent countless hours perfecting with our design Jennifer team, and made regular field walkthroughs Jennifer Grinnan Lyons '04 with our contractor verifying every detail. As President anticipated, the outcome was worth it. skhouseuf@gmail.com After eight years on the Beta Tau housing board, I have met my goal rebuilding the house-and Turn to page 2 to see more will pass the reins along to the next leaders this pictures from the dedication! spring at the Annual Meeting during Alumnae Beta Tau ConnEKtion 2 Beta Tau Celebrates New House with Dedication Event O n September 18, we welcomed hundreds peek into our fantastically diverse sisterhood. of Sigma Kappa National President Sara Seely of sisters, family and friends, and fellow Each sleeping floor has amenities including a TV Chacon, Gamma Alpha '00, University of Greeks to our new home during our Beta Tau lounge area, kitchenette, laundry room, and study Northern Colorado, and National Housing Chapter House Grand Opening event. room. The second floor houses Sigma Kappa President Susan Willis, Epsilon Epsilon '87, sisters in the traditional communal living style - University of Georgia. The celebration kicked-off with a ribbon cutting double rooms with central shared baths. The third ceremony on the front porch; where the house floor has suite style living with both double and There were SO many great moments throughout corporation board, advisory board, and executive single room options with in-suite baths. the day: many reunions over brunch or in halls council came together to formally open our new while touring, legacies playing yard games home. Upon entering, guests could see the grand The event continued with a catered brunch in while others looked to their bricks inlaid in the staircase opening gracefully to a marble entry the dining area that seats 150 for meals, 250 for back courtyard, trading sorority memories and dotted with flowers for the occasion. The first chapter events, and has a modern serving line history on couches, and an overwhelmingly floor boasts many sitting areas, a laptop bar, for ease at such meals. Our awards program was jubilant atmosphere. It was a heart-warming conference room, craft room, and guest suite. hosted in the dining room with speeches given experience to be able to be a part of and help by officers and letters read by National Housing to host. Current collegian sisters took visitors on tours of Corporation Coordinator of New Housing Mary the second and third floors. Bedrooms smartly Ann Spangler Lattimore, Gamma Phi '78, Article written by Cara Huntley '08 decorated to individual themes gave visitors a North Carolina State University, on behalf ) ) Mini 3 Sigma Kappa Live with Heart Settling into Sigma Kappa Helps Develop Successful Alumna Carol Bogan Steiner '63 Our New Home W hen Carol Bogan Steiner '63 joined Sigma Kappa, things were much different at the University of Florida. There were T Beta Tau Chapter of Sigma Kappa has had an amazing year. In the only about 2,000 women at the university at that time, compared to spring, we participated in multiple external philanthropies held by other the more than 19,000 today. The 40-50 women of Sigma Kappa in Greek organizations. We also hosted our annual fundraiser for the Sigma the '60s all lived in the chapter house if they wished. Carol viewed Kappa Foundation, Sigma Sweets, where we raised close to $4,000! We the house as a home away from home and also hosted our biennial father/daughter weekend, where chapter members she was able to develop close relationships attended a basketball game and went skeet and trap shooting with their fathers. with the other sisters living there. OUR NEW HOME Carol's favorite memories from living in the chapter house were, "Doing things Throughout spring and summer 2016, it was exciting to watch our brand with friends, talking, laughing, singing, new house be constructed, with the project reaching completion at the going out to dinner on weekends, playing beginning of the fall semester. We are SO grateful and humbled by our intercollegiate sports, Homecoming amazing new home and look forward to the memories we will make in it. weekend activities, and house decorations." She made lifelong friends in her time at WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS Beta Tau that she continues to see regularly. You can read more After recruitment, we were lucky enough to welcome 87 women into our about the friendships and travels of the seven sisters who have kept chapter on Bid Day as part of the fall 2016 new member class. In addition in touch through the years in her article, "A Friendship Good as to our new members, we are extremely proud of all that our active chapter Gold," which was featured in the spring 2016 issue of Sigma Kappa women have been accomplishing. Our very own Lucy Toman '14 was Triangle. named Executive Director of Project Makeover, and we had three women tapped into Florida Blue Key throughout the 2015-16 school year. Serving as both the Pledge Tainer and President for Beta Tau, Carol had the chance to develop skills as a mentor, communicator, and The positivity is only growing as we dive into the rest of the fall leader throughout her undergraduate years. She earned a bachelor's semester. On behalf of the chapter, I would like to thank our alumnae degree in nursing from UF in 1966. After graduating, Carol married for their continued support to us, which allows Beta Tau to continue her husband, Jim, and moved to Cape Canaveral, where he worked to thrive. It was great to see many familiar faces at the Grand Opening for Boeing and she worked as a public health nurse for Brevard of our new house on September 18. Please feel free to come visit the County Health Department. After moving to Atlanta in 1969, chapter at any time! Carol continued her work as a nurse, earning her master's degree in nursing with a specialty in public health nursing from Emory Loyally, University in Atlanta. Kylie Werk '13 President Carol taught at Georgia State University for five years, helping sigmakappapresident@gmail.com develop their BSN program. After teaching, she worked for the Georgia Division of Public Heath for 30 years. In those years, Carol accomplished a great deal in a variety of departments-developing and implementing programs, training nurses across the state, conducting public health research, and obtaining federal funding for new cancer control programs. In reflecting on how Sigma Kappa shaped her career and all she has accomplished in life thus far, Carol said, "Sigma Kappa gave me the warmth, friendship, and security I needed as a young woman to make my way on the big UF campus SO I could grow, learn, and develop into a confident, nursing professional, ready to enter the working world. Sigma Kappa was a key anchor." Carol and Jim continue to live in Atlanta, Ga., today. They have one child, Harmon, who teaches cello and lives in Connecticut. Carol and Jim enjoy day hiking on the National Scenic Appalachian Trail (A.T.), where they have hiked 800 miles of the 2,190 total miles of the A.T. They are currently writing a book, The Appalachian Trail Day Hikers Guide, Slackpacking Downhill to Fine Wine and Accommodations in Georgia and North Carolina, to be released in Talley Ewald '14 and Emily Owens '14 participate in an annual philanthropy, 2017. You can reach Carol at carolsteiner@hotmail.com. Beta Bring It On, as part of the UF Competitive Cheerleading Team. Save the Date Beta Tau ALUMNAE WEEKEND April 1-2 with our annual meeting on April 2 ConnEKtion SIGMA KAPPA SLEEPOVER Summer 2017 SIGMA KAPPA BETA TAU PRSRT STD VISIT US 5745 SW 75th St. #202 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Gainesville, FL 32608 ONLINE LAWRENCE, KS PERMIT #570 btcorporationboard@gmail.com Address Service Requested f www.btcorporationboard.com f www.sigmakappauf.com ufl.sigmakappa.org f Sigma Kappa Tau Housing Corporation f Sigma Kappa at the University of Florida @SK BTcorpboard skbetatauhc Rhoda Norris Adams-Reiss '51 is retired. She remains physically active, is active in her Alumnae News Windi Bell Glogowski '88 works in healthcare, but her biggest and best role is being a mother to church, and keeps in touch with family and her two sons. Aaron is an acting major at UCF, friends. Rhonda lives in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. and Carter is a junior in high school. They are E-mail: fredandrhonda@gmail.com in Sigma Kappa, and she still remembers it like touring colleges, and while Carter has his sights it was yesterday. E-mail: kpbrill47@gmail.com on an Ivy League school, he is giving thought to June Jolley Dyches '56 traveled the world for going to Florida. Windi and her family live in 20 years with her Navy husband, James. She Karen Witherell Adamson '71 and her Safety Harbor, Fla. E-mail: windi.glogowski@ received her master's from the University of husband, Michael, just welcomed their first gmail.com Oklahoma in counseling and guidance while granddaughter, Sarah Jean. Karen hopes that James was stationed in the Panama Canal zone. she will be a future Sigma Kappa Gator. Karen Trista Anderson Gangestad '93 and her June wrote a book in 2005, A Jolley Good Time, and Michael live in Lake Mary, Fla. E-mail: husband, Jamie, welcomed another daughter, about her life. She is retired, and she and James kadamson32746@yahoo.com Winnie Ann, in September 2015. E-mail: live in Marco Island, Fla. dlfellen@yahoo.com Cameron Quinn '77 is one of a handful of Kathleen Ryan Cole '61 reports that she election administrators to serve at the federal, Jennifer Hirsch Keefe '94 shares that last writes features for the Ocala Star-Banner as a state, and local levels. She is a lawyer, and December she graduated from the University of correspondent. E-mail: kathyryancole@yahoo.com also teaches election law at George Mason Central Florida with a degree in higher education University Law School. This spring, Cameron policy studies. She is now a Grant Director at Marilyn King '65 is the secretary of the board traveled to Thailand and Myanmar. E-mail: Valencia College in Orlando, where she has of the Delaware Academy of Science, member cquinn@sprintmail.com taught since 2008. of the board of New Sweden Centre, secretary of Mainline Stitchers of American Needlework Adrian Pearson Ogletree '79 and her Tara Port '01 has been teaching for 10 years Guild, secretary of First State Mini Club, and husband, Macon, have been married for 30 and was the Teacher of the Year for the 2015- enjoying retirement. Now she has miniature years. She works full time as a staff nurse on 16 academic school year. Tara and her wife, settings in two museums as a part of DAS and the medical and telemetry floor of Rockdale Clara, have a 5-year-old son who just started NSC. E-mail: mking4071@comcast.net Medical Center. The couple is raising two baseball and they love to run together. E-mail: future Sigma Kappas, granddaughters Jayden taraport31@gmail.com Katherine Price Brill '66 reports that life is full and Jodi. Adrian enjoys volunteering with the of family, Bible study, and church ministry to Atlanta Sigma Kappa alumnae at Mountain Erin Hart Parke '02 graduated with her Ph.D. young moms. She is thankful for the leadership View Personal Care Home at monthly bingo in English education at USF Tampa. She and training she gained as president of Beta Tau games. E-mail: adrian_ogletree@hotmail.com her family live in Saint Petersburg, Fla. E-mail: and as a big sister. Fifty years of membership aoibhinn@gmail.com