Always Alpha Phi

y dearest sisters, may I share with you what a group of nosy ladies we have serving on Omicrons house corporation board? Before I start telling tales out of school let me lay some groundwork, so you will understand There are many reasons to feel proud of Omicron. Every year our recruiting strength improves; and as the regrets to our parties get fewer, we find we are rushing against the strongest chapters on Mizzous campus. This led to us sticking our noses into those houses, to assess the competition.

Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Spring 2013

M
Omicron Chapter

Staying Competitive Is Essential

membership living in the house. Panhellenic groups all share the challenge of keeping members engaged once they stop living in the facility. Having a large gathering space at the house keeps members coming back to visit. With your financial help, we hope to tackle the kitchen project during summer 2014, including a new serving area and an enhanced gathering space for the women. As you can imagine, this is no smallticket item. We need your support to complete this vital project for Omicron. To continue attracting the best new members, we must provide comparable amenities that other groups offer. Last May the CW house was torn down and it is now in the final stages of being rebuilt. This summer DDD will raze their annex to nearly double the size of their facility. ACW is totally remodeling their house and adding an outdoor gathering space, and ADP is building a 25bed addition on the east side of their house. AF cant allow itself to lose ground against these competitors, who are offering appealing amenities to their members. Attracting and retaining new sisters is essential for Omicron chapters long-term health. Please join your nosy sisters and keep Alpha Phi competitive and strong by supporting this chapter we all call home. Loyally, Marcia Jones Lane 73 President AF House Corporation Board

First Floor, First

Nosy Ladies Want to Know

This summer we plan to address the first floor TV room, which is our members prime gathering space. The furnishings there were last updated in 1999 and are looking very worn. Alpha Phi International suggests a 7-9 year life span for upholstered goods, so we have almost doubled their life expectancy, but the time has come to refurnish this heavily-used area.

Major Construction in Greek Town

During the HCBs January meeting our wonderful house director, Deb Wysocki, arranged for tours of four other chapters KAQ, GFB, DDD and KKG. What we realized was a wonderful confirmation about what we have done rightthe spectacular and well-used library and the overall graciousness of the first floor. However, we found that the gathering space for our members was lacking in size and desperately needed updated amenities. Alpha Phi has built a large and strong chapter, comparable to other sororities on campus, but as the Greek system has grown, only a few groups can accommodate more than 30% of their

Kitchen Updates LONG Overdue

The kitchen is another area where we arent keeping pace with our competitors. Do you know we have cabinets from the 1950s? Can you remember your mother or grandmother having enameled metal cabinets? Ours are nearly 60 years old and totally outdated for todays needs. The oven range hood is of the same vintage. While we have cobbled together a few equipment updates, theyve all been from a second-hand equipment company and were already tired before they arrived. Some of you know that I own a catering company in Kansas City. I could fill this newsletter with the inefficiencies of Omicrons kitchen!

T
On October 29, 2012, the women of Omicron serenaded Dr. Anne Deaton (center), the wife of MUs chancellor and one of Omicrons favorite women on campus. Rachel Neff 10 (left) and Jessica Puckett 10 greeted Dr. Deaton on the porch of the chancellors residence after the serenade.

Members Participate in Successful Events and Recruitment

he Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi is having an exciting 2013!

Omicron Leads on Campus

Alpha Phi hosted our 9th annual Rockin Red Dress Poker Tournament in February. With the participation of family members and men from 20 campus fraternities, we raised more than $18,000 for the Alpha Phi Foundation. Good work, ladies! Members were rewarded with the much-anticipated annual Ace of Hearts dance. Also in February, members of the executive council traveled with some of our advisors to Indianapolis for Regional Conference. This was a great experience that allowed us to bond with Alpha Phi members from across North America. Omicron Chapter is pleased to welcome 12 new sisters! On March 3, the chapter celebrated spring Bid Day with the theme How Sweet It Is to Be an Alpha Phi with loads of candy and fun, of course! (Continued on page 2) These new members will make a great addition to our sisterhood.

Always Alpha Phi

Omicron Leads on Campus

(Continued from page 1)

AF Scores Record Results at 9th Annual

Alpha Phi participated in RAMS (Rockin Against Multiple Sclerosis). Once again, our dancers and lip-synchers amazed everyone during the competition. Our Omicrons had their hard work pay off with a second-place finish! The chapter also finished first in the banner and service competitions. Our sisters have been doing some amazing things outside of Alpha Phi, too. Many girls have been accepted into their professional programs at the University of MissouriColumbia. These include programs in the School of Business, School of Journalism, School of Health Professions, and School of Nursing. We are so proud of these members and their accomplishments. The women of AF look forward to a great Greek Week with our partners, Alpha Gamma Sigma and Alpha Gamma Rho, as well as our spring formal and seeing our senior sisters graduate. Its proving to be an exciting year with more to come. Thank you to all of our wonderful alumnae and advisors for making this possible! AOE, Kara Wogtech 11 Chapter President kmwwmf@mail.missouri.edu

Rockin Red Dress Event

By Claudia Tran 10

More than 400 people attended the event at Columbias Stoney Creek Inn and played to win the grand prize trip to Las Vegas. Alpha Phi sisters dealt poker at 45 tables, ran the silent auction, sold merchandise and raffle tickets, and provided entertainment and fun for all our guests. During the weeks leading up to the event, the Alpha Phis were hard at work reaching out to Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago companies to help sponsor the event. There was also a senior/freshmen mock tournament, a sisterhood event where new dealers (mainly from our new fall pledge class) were able to get to know the seniors and deal poker for the first time in a friendly environment. Girls on
Alpha Phis were excited to host the Rockin Red Dress event.

n Saturday, February 16, Omicron hosted the 9th annual Rockin Red Dress Poker Tournament and Silent Auction.

the merchandise committee designed the annual poker tournament teeshirt and an extra favor this year hats, a huge hit at the tournament! The decorations committee created special heart and spade name tags for all the members to wear, and surprised the seniors with hand-crafted picture frames presented at the opening program. The night of the event, our beautiful Alpha Phis wearing red and black dresses, made sure the event ran smoothly, mingling with family and friends. To date, we raised more than $18,000 and want to thank everyone who supported this years record-setting philanthropy! Claudia is Editor-in-Chief for University of Missouris J-School Buzz, a student-run blog. She recently served as VP-Administration on the chapters Executive Board. She is a junior from Overland Park, Kansas.

More than 400 people attended this years poker tournament.

Omicron welcomes 12 new members

About 35 Alpha Phis recently gave back to their community by volunteering at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, which is a regional disaster and hunger relief network that acquires and distributes millions of pounds of donated food annually.

We love all of our New Members and are excited for them to start their journeys as Alpha Phis! From left: Michelle Jacobson, Maddie Rodbro, Taylor Harrison, Reed Geekie, Kristin Rawie, Meghan Conway, Mandie Phipps, Erin Bommersbach, Kelly Walsh, Ashley Killough, Abby Uhlar, and Monique Beird.

Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi

s I write this on the anniversary of my initiation, February 25, 1965, I cant help but wonder how it can be almost 50 years ago! It doesnt feel like its been that long, and I know what has kept my memories of Alpha Phi fresh: my work as an advisor and member of the house corporation board. I love working with our young sisters in Omicron! Over the past eight years as facilities advisor, Ive had the chance to know the members of the executive council andthe facilities and operations department. It would warm your hearts to see how bright and wonderful these members are. Its fun to share in the chapters growth since recolonization and watch them succeed beyond our wildest dreams. Two hundred eightyfive members this year! Isnt that amazing? Of course, with that kind of growth comes an intense use of every inch of the 14,000 square feet in the main house, and the 3,500 square feet

Facilities Advisor Sharon Williams Korte 65 Looks Forward to Omicrons Future

in the Honors Lodge. Only 74 girls can live in, but our out-of-house members love their AF home too, and often every chair is occupied in the new library, the recently redecorated third floor lounge, and the Lodge living rooms and study. When we put the sprinkler system into the dining room last year, we took the opportunity to improve the lighting and the members quickly moved study groups down there.The number one request is for more study tables. Of course, in addition to their studies, todays members maintain a schedule that would kill all of us older members. (Did I ever have that much energy?) Its really paid off for them this year too, with a top five finish in Homecoming, second place in RAMS (the main Greek philanthropy event), and $18,000 and counting raised for Alpha Phi Foundation.The house gets plenty of use with dance and singing rehearsals, poster and banner construction, and our internal internet system hums with party favor choices and application deadlines for campus activities. Its so great to have even a small share in helping these sisters reach and exceed their goals. I urge all of you to come by the house when youre in Columbia, meet your sisters, reminisce, and share the glow. The girls will thank you, because they appreciate your support, even if its just a few words of praise or a couple cans of food for the Greek Week competition. Youll get an even bigger thank-you if you donate blood at the satellite collection sites for Homecoming or send a check for the Rockin Red Dress Poker Tournament fundraiser for the Foundation. Your house corporation sisters will also fervently thank you when you contribute financially so our facilities shine and keep us ahead of the competition! Sharon Williams Korte 65 Facilities Advisor s.korte.inmo@gmail.com

Thank You, Loyal Alumnae

hank you to each of the sisters and friends listed below who contributed to Omicrons 2012 annual campaign.

2012-13 House Corporation Board

President Marcia Jones Lane 73 President-Elect Lynne Gressly Gilbert 76 Treasurer Secretary Kate Hendley Wood 80 Sara Holzschuh 04

In the fall 2012 newsletter, you read about the gold gilt mirror that proudly hangs in Alpha Phis living room in Columbia, and the signatures inscribed on the back. This mirror is a reminder of all the confidence and support alumnae demonstrate when it comes to sustaining Omicron chapter. Significant upgrades have been made to the chapter house since the mirror was signed in 1998, and with continued alumnae support, additional improvements will be possible. There are plans underway to update the kitchen and improve the dining area, plus install flooring to replace carpeting installed about 14 years ago. All contributions received during the next 18-20 months will help pay for these necessary improvements. Lori Taylor Hoover 86 Lauren E. Jones 10 Susanna J. Kettlewell Marcia Jones Lane 73 Valerie Lawlor 71 Lisa A. May Denise E. McHugh Rebecca S. Mount Marta Schomburg Neely 77 Jane W. ONeill Carol Eddington Richardson 56 Linda Ring Deborah Fischer Shanahan 81 Sharon Stubblefield Stepanek 84 Judy J. Sturma Barbara Jones Tyler 54 Lisa Bollman Uphoff 81 Barbara Viets Bonnie Lawrence Volpp 67 Lisa Westbrook Kaleigh B. Whiston 11

Robin Richart Beck 81 Michelle L. Behnke Karen J. Bex Gail Hanisch Bosman Jennifer & Michael Bridwell Karen M. Buck Nancy J. Cavano Jessica Crane 06 Carol Diane Dunham Lisa Greene Dana E. Hildreth

Ada Klostermayer Gingrich 49 Julia K. Olexa

Mary Kreutzer RansinThill 49 Christine Dietz Wilson 81

Members Sharon Williams Korte 65 Melodie Powell 75 Janet Papageorge 76 Jayne Frederick Haggar 76 Jeri Tinsley Hofen 78 Karen King Mitchell 78 Andrea Hoemeyer Wilt 79 Nancy Manring Holman 80 Cathy McCrady Heinsohn 81 Nancy Neiman Magee 81 Debbie Fischer Shanahan 81 Carla Zimmerschied Hunter 82 Amy Jordan Tvrdik 87 Liz Underwood Drouin 99 Becca Reiter Hefley 01 Jordan Corlew 11 Julia Manewith 11 Cailin Norris 11 Kara Wogtech 11

Alumnae News
Muriel MaGill Brown 46, Kansas City, Mo., entered the Silent Chapter on September 30, 2012. She was united in marriage to Thomas Brown II in December 1947. She was a homemaker and mother of four and was active in her community. She also had a successful career working as a paralegal at the law firm of Brown, Phillips, and Brown. She was a dedicated Missouri Tigers and Kansas City Royals fan. Muriel was preceeded in death by her sister, Ruth McGill 48. Her daughter, Janet Brown Clanton 78, survives. Joyce Steele Kennedy 56, Mountain Grove, Mo., entered the Silent Chapter on August 12, 2012. She served as chapter president in 195859 during a key period in Omicrons history, right after the building was enlarged. After graduation, she worked in New York for Life magazine and later for Blue Cross in California. She and her husband, Bob, spent nearly 30 years in Rush City, Minn. While there, she worked at the University of Minnesota library. According to pledge sister Diana Goodnight Townsend 56, Joyce always kept her AF friends; a lot of us didnt, but Joyce kept them all. Verjean Pedigo 60, Walnut, Iowa, entered the Silent Chapter on July 4, 2012. She obtained a B.A. from Mizzou and moved shortly afterward to Los Angeles, where she lived for more than 30 years. She received her M.A. in speech-language pathology from California State University and worked in the field of brain injury rehabilitation. After she returned to Kansas City, she worked at the Childrens Center for the Visually Impaired until her retirement in June 2009. She leaves behind many family and friends in California, Kansas, and Missouri. Carol Musgrave Schwent 82, St. Louis, Mo., entered the Silent Chapter on January 11, 2013. Carol was an avid tennis player and participated in many national USTA tournaments. Joan Flieg Schlichter 56, Webster Groves, Mo., was a contestant in the Ms. Missouri Senior pageant. What an exciting experience. I sang Pack Rat Blues for my talent. After living in their home for 53 years she and her and husband, Hank, moved to a retirement community. She continues to sing with the St. Louis Community Chorus, the Community Gospel Choir and the Twilight Singers, and the Cameo Club. Email: schlicherjomo@att.net Judith Bailey Miller 59, Redding, Calif., has retired after working 27 years with the USPS as a window clerk and trainer. She enjoys buying and selling vintage costume jewelry in Redding and online. She and her husband, Glen, were married in 2005. You can find their life chronicled at www.imageevent.com/irislady. Email: irislady@sbcglobal.net
Omicron Chapter Omicron Chapter

Silent Chapter

Always Alpha Phi

Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi P.O. Box 1001 Columbia, MO 65205-1001
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Please introduce prospective new members using Alpha Phis new ONLINE recommendation form: www.alphaphi.org/Recommendation
Dorothy Yates Poehler 68, Loveland, Colo., is a substitute teacher and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, picnics, and camping. She babysits her 4-year-old granddaughter, Annalise, every week. Her daughter, Shelly, lives with her, and her son, John, lives two miles away. Her son, Steve, who lives in Portland, Ore., has a daughter, Audrey. Email: dottypoehler@gmail.com Cheri Hall Marks 91, Columbia, Mo., is chairman of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) committee on student financial assistance. She has helped students seeking financial assistance at the University of Missouri for the past 14 years. Her knowledge in navigating student aid at MU led to a national leadership role with the AAMC that represents all 141 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools, nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, and 90 academic and scientific societies. As chairman, she provides guidance on legislative and regulatory issues affecting financial aid for 75,000 medical students in the United States and Canada. She created a financial literacy program call $mart Docs in 2007, as the program coordinator of financial aid for the MU School of Medicine, where she managed all financial aid for medical students. She was recognized for her service at MU when she twice received the Service Champion Award, an honor that recognizes employees at the university who go above and beyond their normal duties. In 2011, she received of the Sandra McCurdy Dedicated Staff Award for Outstanding Service. E-mail: marksc@missouri.edu Melissa Heapes Davis 02 , Lenexa, Kan., and her husband, Justin, were married on November 5, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo. Melissa is a senior manager of PlattForm Advertisings project management team. The team is responsible for all creative traffic and projects. Email: mel.davis327@gmail.com

Alumnae Update

Stay Connected to Omicron

Omicron Chapter: www.mizzouaphi.com Alpha Phi International: www.AlphaPhi.org Omicron Chapter: alphaphi.mizzou@gmail.com Alpha Phi @ Mizzou

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