75 YEARS Beta Jan ConnEKtion Beta Tau Housing Corporation of Sigma Kappa at the University of Florida Spring 2024 75 Years in gainesville A HISTORY OF OUR HOUSE S ome may not know that the current building at 1108 E. Panhellenic is actually the third Beta Tau house at the University of Florida. This means that through generations of Sigma Kappas at UF, nostalgia for "the house" may mean different things. One thing remains constant, though. Beta Taus have always laughed, cried, learned, come together for common goals, and made sisters into friends within the walls of their house. For our chapter's 75th Jubilee, we look back to appreciate the history of our three houses. Each grand opening has been featured in the Sigma Kappa Triangle for that year; these excerpts help tell the story of us. SIGMA KAPPA TRIANGLE Beta Jau "Eras" 1949 Inside this newsletter you will see a tour of pictures from years I past on every page! 1980s The original chapter house. By Betty Jack James, Omega I t was an eventful weekend of April 1-3 in Gainesville, Florida, when four national sororities were installed on the University of Florida campus, making a total of 11 chapters here [including] our own Beta Tau [...]. Coeducation at the University is just beginning its second year. With only about one hundred girls going through rushing, Beta Tau has every reason to be proud of its ten college initiates and six alumnae initiates. This brings the college chapter membership to seventeen with three pledges. Center of activities was WU145 CGN PD=PULLMAN WASH APR 1 1949 1018A the newly decorated SS CAROLYN COFER: sorority house at 1038 =SIGMA KAPPA HOUSE 1038W UNION= W. Union. [...] Several hundred guests called BST WISHES TO OUR NEW SIGMA SISTER UF during the afternoon to =ALPHA TAU CHAPTER OF MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE pay respects to Sigma Kappa's youngest child- 2010s An Alpha Tau sister at Michigan State sends her Beta Tau. regards to welcome the new chapter to UF. Beta Tau 2 SIGMA KAPPA TRIANGLE Beta Jau Eras Tour: 1950-70s SPRING 1955 SIGMA KAPPA The second chapter house opened on Panhellenic Drive in 1955. By Martha Ann Jolley, Beta Tau T he University of Florida has officially dedicated its new sorority row, Panhellenic Drive. The first sororities to complete their new homes on the row are Sigma Kappa, Alpha Delta Pi, Zeta Tau Alpha, Alpha Omicron Pi, and Delta Gamma. [...] The distance from sorority row to the heart of campus is approximately six blocks at the present time, but with the anticipated growth and expansion of the university, it is expected that within five years, the heart of campus will be "just across the street." The new $130,000 Monterey-style Sigma Kappa house is truly beautiful. Facing south with an east-west wing, it stands on one of the largest lots on the row, approximately one-half acre in size. [...] The main entrance leads directly into the living room, which is most attractively decorated in spray blue and white. [...] The focal point of the living room is the fireplace, above which is a beautiful bronze and copper SK crest. 25-Year Sisters Honored D uring recent celebration brunches, the following sisters received their 25-year pins. Congratulations on this sisterhood milestone! Jennifer Leak '89 Jennifer Keil '94 Kristen Carter '90 Shana Luskin Reh '95 Gayle Pollack Greenberg '93 Lainey Klein Loeb '96 Sarah Decker Johnson '93 Michelle Haas Kabak '97 Alison Carner Miransky '93 Ilene Rotman Wexler '98 Dana Auerbach Rubenstein '93 A special congratulations to Alysa Korn Abzug, Omega, FSU, who also received her 25-year pin while attending brunch with her BT daughter, Brooke Abzug '16! Did you know that Beta Tau Corporation Board honors all 25- and 50-year members with a pinning ceremony at every alumnae event we host? If you've been a sister for a terrific 25 (or more) or fabulous 50 (or more) years, come join us for an event! We'd love to honor you too! Sigma Kappa 3 SIGMA KAPPA SIGMA KAPPA TRIANGLE SUMMER 2017 By Susan Etheridge Hadden, Epsilon Epsilon T he University of Florida began admitting female full-time students in 1947, and by 1949, 11 sororities had established chapters. One of the original 11, Beta Tau Chapter of Sigma Kappa received their charter A 2024 UPDATE in 1949 and celebrated the opening of their first house in 1955 [...], In 2014, Jennifer Grinnan Lyons '04, then Corporation designed to accommodate then-average chapter sizes of 10-25 women. Board president, led the team of alumnae and active sisters who first envisioned, raised, and secured funding, and Located at 1108 E. Panhellenic Drive, the house served the chapter contracted the build of our current chapter house. Ten well for more than 60 years. In recent years, however, as chapter sizes years later, she looks back on those efforts as "very much ballooned to well-over 250 women, it was evident that despite interior a labor of love. We cared about spaces being functional, renovations, the house could no longer comfortably accommodate the aesthetically pleasing, and enjoyable for future sisters to needs of the growing chapter. [...] The original two-story house was love being in, grow, and thrive there." That goal became demolished in October 2015, making way for the construction of a a reality and a guiding principle as the Corporation Board three-story, 25,300-square-foot house, built at a cost of $6.2 million. explores future house updates and renovations. [...] [The] red brick and cast stone Greek revival-style house sits on a corner lot and has three inviting facades to greet onlookers. The main entry welcomes members and guests to a two-story porch fitted with a Beta Juliet balcony and a pair of classic porch swings. Jan Eras Tour: 1980s Gators Beta Beta Tau Jan Eras Tour: 4 1990s ANNOUNCING A 2024 HOUSE MAKEOVER A S the history of our home through the years proves, our beautiful house is the heart of the chapter. It's the first impression for potential new members, a comfortable haven for active sisters, and a welcoming space for alumnae. The Corporation Board is thrilled to announce two significant improvements in 2024 that will ensure Beta Tau remains beautiful, safe, and competitive on campus. Redecoration activities targeting the foyer and informal living room are expanding and will definitely deliver a "wow!" Beta Jau Eras Tour: factor. The designer's plans include fresh décor, new furniture, upgraded lighting, 2000s and a soft, contemporary color palette that will reimagine the spaces in time for 2024 fall recruitment. Our home must be safe and secure as well as gorgeous. This summer, our current alarm equipment will be replaced with an upgraded system featuring new biometric fingerprint scanners for exterior doors, motion detectors, and new/additional video cameras. Living room mood board, courtesy of Raegan Ford Design. Sigma Kappa 5 Celebrating 75 Years BETA TAU BIRTHDAY BRUNCHES T he first two (of what we hope will be many!) 75th birthday If you're interested in hosting or learning more, contact brunches were held in South Florida and Atlanta on March 9, 2024. btcorpboardAR@gmail.com. We'll help you get started Participants enjoyed a great meal, meeting new friends, and sharing and connect with sisters in your area. stories and memories of their years in Sigma Kappa. Rumor has it that both events were SO popular they may become a regular thing! Big thanks to Denise Stilts Abreu '86 and Lisa Goldstein '93 for being Stay up to date such fabulous hosts. on these and all Beta Tau 75th Jubilee events at sites.google.com/view/betataucorpboard/home Missed the fun? Live in another area? It's not too late! Whether you or scan the QR code! live in Florida, Texas, California, or anywhere in between, hosting, co-hosting, or attending a brunch is stress-free, easy, and fun! Atlanta-area sisters are joined by a couple South Florida Sigma Kappas enjoy a lovely day for brunch. surprise Florida and Colorado alumnae! Beta Tau Eras Tour: 2010s ALUMNAE Alumnae show Petatan off their letters at Beta Tau 6 the 2023 Summer Sleepover. Beta Jan Eras Tour: TODAY! IT'S TIME TO RSVP FOR Summer Sleepover T he fourth annual Beta Tau Alumnae Summer Sleepover is almost here, and you won't want to miss it! This year we're celebrating 75 years with a throwback theme. When: June 7-9, 2024 Where: UF Sigma Kappa Beta Tau house Registration deadline: Friday, May 31 Your weekend includes two nights' private SCAN THE QR CODE accommodation in the chapter house, Friday catered dinner, Saturday continental breakfast and midday TO RSVP TODAY. brunch, and Sunday catered breakfast. Note that Or visit: tinyurl.com/sksleepover Saturday dinner is self-pay. The deadline to book is May 31, and attendance is $200 per person. Preview of Weekend Events Friday features a 75th birthday bash that includes a retro buffet at the house, catered by Gainesville classic eatery, Leonardo's. Enjoy games, a movie night, house tours, and more that will awaken fond memories of your time at Beta Tau. Saturday begins with a continental breakfast for early risers, followed by a leisurely brunch at Spurrier's Gridiron Grill (because who represents Gator history better than the head ball coach himself?). You'll have free time in the afternoon to grab some sisters and explore Gainesville, create a masterpiece with our "Painting with a Sigma Kappa" activity, or just hang out and relax. We'll regroup for dinner and libations at The Swamp, another local UF favorite since 1994. We wrap up Sunday with a tasty catered breakfast at the house and a sisterhood ceremony for any 25- or 50-year milestones. Questions? Contact btcorpboardAR@gmail.com. We are always glad to see sisters reconnect at our annual sleepovers! Sigma Kappa SISTERHOOD IS FOREVER! Sixty Years of Friendship, by Carol Bogan Steiner '63 O ver the past 60 years, my Sigma Kappa Beta Tau sisters Julie O'Connor Since then, we have gotten together every year-except during the Robbins '63, Judy Pofahl Skinner '63, Sally Sitar Swaringen '63, COVID year -when we exchanged travel for ZOOM meetings! Janice Hotchkiss Wilsky '63, Sandy Reed Bartling '64, Janice Luther Carver '65, Mary Kay Struthers Habgood '65, Lynn Hill Meier '65, and MAINTAINING BETA TAU BONDS I have shared and celebrated weddings, births, anniversaries, and retirements. We celebrated 50 years as Sigma Kappa Beta Tau sisters by traveling to We have supported each other through the loss of a husband, sibling, parent, the national parks in the Northwest. That was very special because 50 and Sigma Kappa sister. Our bond of friendship and sisterhood has become years prior, two of us had visited Yellowstone National Park after the what we call "The Traveling Sigma Kappas." Sigma Kappa College Officers Training School in Ogden, Utah, in 1963. When we turned 70, we went to Ireland to celebrate. In 12 days, we Our story began when we pledged Sigma Kappa at the University of experienced the feel of a land thousands of years old and visited historic Florida. Our bond of friendship grew during our college years. We castles, cathedrals, ruins, and burial grounds with gravestones dating married, graduated, and moved to different cities, but we kept in touch back to the 4th century of people who settled in Ireland. through cards, phone calls, and occasional visits. Since then, we have primarily met in one place, rented a house or condo, CONNECTED BEYOND COLLEGE enjoyed good restaurants, and taken in the local sights. In 2017, we The year we turned 50, we gave Julie a surprise birthday party. We watched the eclipse from Sally's house in South Carolina, the perfect talked and laughed as if it were only yesterday that we were Sigma location. Recently, we enjoyed the beaches at Jekyll Island, Georgia, Kappa sisters living in the chapter house. We decided we needed to get and Reddington Beach, Florida. We also visited one of our sisters who together more often. cannot travel with us anymore. In September 2024, the original four of us (Julie Robbins, Carol Steiner, Sally Swaringen, and Janice Wilsky) Seven years later, we gathered at Unicoi State Park in Georgia. We are celebrating 80 with a trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan. talked, laughed, and explored the local area. We noticed on that first trip that Sally and Julie fell right back into their familiar habit of finishing It is hard to believe that we are turning 80! It seems like only yesterday each other's sentences. When we looked at their feet, we laughed and when we were at UF and living at the Sigma Kappa house. Although our said, "You are wearing the very same shoes." It is surprising how the traveling troupe varies from year to year, the common ingredients are friendship bonds formed in our college years and watered a little with friendship, sharing life experiences, laughter, and good food. We truly cards and visits are strong and long-lasting. share One Heart and One Way. Who knows where you will find us next, but we will be talking, laughing, and smiling. The year we turned 60, we traveled to Paris. What a fun trip we had, finding our way to all those places we had only dreamed of. After 60, we If you are a Beta Tau sister from the '60s and want to join us, email decided that we needed to get together every year to renew our bond of Carol Bogan Steiner at carolsteiner@hotmail.com. friendship by sharing our life experiences, feeling the hugs, hearing the laughs, and seeing the smiles. Alumnae sisters visit Shenandoah National Park. Sitting, from left: Beta Tau alumnae celebrate 70th birthdays in Ireland. From left: Julie O'Connor Robbins '63, Janice Hotchkiss Wilsky '63, LeeAnn Brien (friend), Lynn Hill Meier '65, Janice Hotchkiss Wilsky '63 Sally Sitar Swaringen '63, and Carol Bogan Steiner '63. and John Wilsky, Susan (friend), Julie O'Connor Robbins '63, Nancy (friend), Standing: Lynn Hill Meier '65 and Sandy Reed Bartling '64. Sandy Reed Bartling '64, Jim Steiner and Carol Bogan Steiner '63, Phil Swaringen, Jeff (friend), and Sally Sitar Swaringen '63. IMPORTANT Beta Jau Conn EKtion DATES SPECIAL EDITION J oin us for an alumnae gathering this year and 75 Years of Beta Tau check below to see how you donate to honor our 75th anniversary! - -1 Alumnae Sigma Kappa, University of Florida PRSRT FIRST CLASS P.O. Box 442100 U.S. POSTAGE Summer Lawrence, KS 66044-2100 PAID MAILED FROM JUNE Sleepover ZIP CODE 66044 PERMIT #570 See inside for more details. Address Service Requested June 7-9 I Sigma Kappa National Convention JULY Boston July 10-13 Alumnae Tailgate and SEPT. Touchdowns September 14 Give a Gift for Our 75th Beta Jau "Eras" T o help celebrate this important anniversary year, we invite all alumnae to support Beta Tau by funding our wish list items for the house. Let's give the chapter a gift for our 75th! Inside this newsletter you will see a tour of pictures from years Your contribution will help install new hanging front porch swings to replace those that were previously damaged and removed as well as build past on every page! a shelter over the back patio cycle parking to protect scooters and bikes from the elements. Please consider donating in your name or in memory of a sister who is no longer with us. Donors/memorials will be included on a Beta Tau Sigma Kappa 75th/150th commemorative plaque, displayed at the house upon completion of these projects. Select from three donor levels*: BETA TAU - $75 to honor 75 years of BT sisterhood at UF NATIONAL - $150 to honor 150 years of Sigma Kappa Sorority SIGMA KAPPA - $225 in honor of both BT and SK *All donations stay within our chapter and will fund house projects. Scan the QR code or visit tinyurl.com/sk75giving to learn more and donate. Sharing your gift by June 30 allows the Corporation Board to complete these projects TITLES by the start of the 2024-25 school year. 1950s TODAY! Questions? Contact Sharon Gossett Hamilton '88 at skhamilton0714@gmail.com. SCAN ME!