2019 Exec Board and Cardinal Cabinet Recap

2019 has been one of the best years yet! Since January of this year, I have had the privilege of serving as the President of the Psi Beta chapter of Chi Omega. This leadership role has been the greatest challenge thus far, but I am immensely grateful for every moment. Without a doubt, my favorite event during my term was our Centennial celebration in April. It was incredible to witness the friendships that were built by Chi Omega alumnae that have transcended time. I have always heard that membership in Chi Omega is for a lifetime, but it was not until our Centennial that I was able to see firsthand impact of the lasting friendships cultivated from this organization that we love so much. During our open house, I got to chat with incredible women as they told me about their favorite memories in the house and their best friends. I have never seen the house so alive with laughter and joy as old and new friends alike walked the halls and explored the rooms. At our Centennial dinner, I was shocked by the sheer number of Chi Omegas that made the trip back to Iowa City to celebrate 100 years of our Chapter. What an honor it is to be surrounded by women that show me what it looks like to love and support one another each and every day. I have the best sisters, friends, and role models in the world. - Mary Grace Henderson, President

Chi Omega had a record year in academics: we were awarded Top in Grades amongst Greek chapters for the Spring 2019 semester, earned the highest all house GPA in Psi Beta history (a 3.56!!), and celebrated 85 women making the Dean's List and 32 achieving 4.0's or higher. To commemorate these incredible accomplishments, we hosted our first ever Brainy Brunch during Spring midterms and closed out the semester with our Senior Sendoff Dinner. This Fall, we recognized members who were Top in Grades, achieved 4.0's, and/or had the most improved GPA in their pledge class at our Thanksgiving Scholarship Dinner. Psi Beta is an incredibly driven chapter and it is so special to see our hard work transform into these amazing accomplishments! - Olivia Denkinger, Vice President

Anna Stillman, Recruitment Chair - far right

This year primary recruitment at Iowa saw some changes! Recruitment was pushed to the last weekend of September and first weekend on October, which is why many of you saw bid day in October for the first time. We always love recruitment season as it is ends with our chapter feeling so connected. To wrap up two exciting weekends spent at the house with our sisters, we welcomed home 53 incredible new members. Of course, none of this is possible without our amazing recruitment advisor, Ann Harris who has been sharing her expertise with us for so long! I will be passing the torch to current president, Mary Grace Henderson, who will be stepping into the recruitment role for next year. Also, a shout out to all of our alumni who help write RIFs for us every year, we appreciate it so much! - Anna Stillman, Recruitment Chair

MacKenzie Watterson, Membership Chair - second from right

As always, recruitment was such an exciting time for Chi Omega! A few changes were incorporated throughout primary recruitment this year, and it was exciting but also difficult at times to make sure everything was running as planned. As Psi Beta has been an incredibly strong recruiting chapter for many years, thanks to our marvelous recruitment advisor Ann Harris, as well as our entire chapter, we adapted well through all the twists and turns of the new schedule and all around changes. It was amazing to see everyone in the chapter take on their role in recruitment with grace and step up when need be. In early October, we welcomed home 53 wonderful new members and we are so excited to see how they will flourish as Chi Omegas. As Anna Stillman said, a HUGE thank you to all of our alumna who help write RIFs for us each year, recruitment wouldn't run nearly as smooth without them! - MacKenzie Watterson, Membership Chair

As the New Member Educator, I have the honor of welcoming our new member class into their first year in Chi Omega and assisting them with their transition to college life. I get to spend the fall teaching these women the history of our organization and the values upon which we were founded, helping them prepare for initiation and for their future as exceptional members of Chi Omega. I am ecstatic for the opportunity this role gives me to connect with an entire new class of women and to serve as a mentor, friend, and best of all, a sister to each and every one of them! - Chase Marzen, New Member Educator

This past year serving as Secretary has been nothing short of amazing!! While I not only gained some irreplaceable leadership experience, I was blessed with the opportunity to create the deeper bonds with the my fellow executive officers! We truly learned to lean on one another in the stressful times and to celebrate one another when one of us had just accomplished something amazing. That is one thing I love most about this chapter. In a world where girls can be raised to see one another as competition, the women in this chapter see value in each sister's success. Being in this chapter teaches you that another's success is not your failure. As Secretary, I got to see so many of sisters accomplish amazing feats and loved being able to celebrate them on the rewards they received for all of their hard work. - Renee Cafun, Secretary

As personnel of Chi Omega this past year, I have been in charge of sisterhood (making sure all my sisters are feeling loved and cared for), and morale (making Chi Omega as enjoyable as possible for all) the standards (enforcing the rules, holding sisters accountable and to a high standard), and risk management (ensuring the safety of sisters) . We have all grown together during the good times and the tough times but throughout the year we have most importantly grown stronger together. Whether it be a chapter circumstance or a personal circumstance of a sister, I was able to be a helping hand through it all. I have loved having the opportunity to grow and form relationships with many sisters in the chapter by having the chance to talk one on one with them. Being able to work with so many sisters is truly something special and I love being a part of such a strong and loving sisterhood. Chi Omega has brought me not only my best friends while I am in college but friends that will last a lifetime. - Hannah Lee, Personnel Chair

This year, Chi Omega changed billing systems so that we will no longer utilize Fraternity Billing Services and will rely more heavily on Bill Highway to do billing! These past few months have been a major transition period for members however I have enjoyed helping our chapter transition to a much more efficient and cost effective system! - Mary Mondanaro, Treasurer

2019 has been filled with experiences that have brought me closer to Chi Omega and its purposes. My leadership role as Panhellenic Delegate has constantly reminded me of the exceptional women that I am surrounded by in Chi Omega and the incredible community that supports our chapter. Throughout this past year, I have acted as the voice of Chi Omega in Panhellenic Council legislative meetings, where I have tried my best to pass bylaws, plan events, and promote values that are beneficial to my sisters. These meetings have given me the chance to interact with delegates from other chapters and exchange ideas that improve our Panhellenic relationships. I have learned and loved so much in this role and I am incredibly thankful I had the opportunity to represent such a special group of women in the Panhellenic community here at Iowa. - Danielle McComas, Panhellenic Delegate

“My year as facilities manager has been eventful and exciting! The Chi Omega house has been a busy place this year, hosting several events such as bid day, new member brunch, a wish party, thanksgiving dinner, and holiday cozy. This fall, we welcomed a new house director, Mimi D, to 804 Iowa Ave! She makes the Chi Omega house feel like home and we are all so thankful for her! I have enjoyed making many fun memories in the house with all of the live-ins this past year, and I am so thankful for all of the opportunities this position has given me!” - Kate Curran, Facilities Manager

The last year was a huge year of growth for me personally in my leadership position as I transitioned from president to director of programming. With this transition I was able to make even deeper relationships with the women in our chapter and specifically the directors I worked with. I watched them grow as both leaders and women. It was rewarding to see their hard work come to life in events like Wish Week, our popcorn movie night, Centennial, a personal safety workshop and more. I truly loved being director of programming and it will be one of my fondest memories of Chi Omega. -Karly Lent, Director of Programming

CARDINAL CABINET

“As Sisterhood Director this past year, I have been able to grow exponentially in my friendships, leadership, and personal goals in Chi Omega. It has been such a joy to lead these group of women by planning events for the chapter and to establish such a strong sisterhood. Psi Beta has brought me some of the best women I have ever come to know.” We kicked off the beginning of last semester with a Galentine’s day party, yoga class, and spray tan sisterhood before our formal. We ended the 2018-19 school year with a huge Sisterhood party at the house with food, laughs, and stories from the graduating seniors! We kicked off the beginning of a new school year and the end of another work week with an outdoor movie night at the house in our PJs! We had sisterhood punch slushies and popcorn, and all enjoyed snuggling up on the front lawn together. This was one of my all-time favorite events I have planned, and it was so worth it to see all my sisters relax and have a great time together. We welcomed home a bunch of new members with a trip to the apple orchard followed by dinner and pumpkin carving at the house! I am currently planning my final sisterhood event for Chi Omega to end 2019 as we gear up for finals and head home for winter break. We will go ice skating, wear ugly holiday sweaters, exchange gifts with our sisters, and hang out as a whole chapter at our Holiday Cozy! The memories and lessons I have gained as Sisterhood Director are immeasurable and I feel so thankful to have had the amazing opportunity to hold this position for the past year. It has given me countless reasons to be proud as a Chi Omega and has helped me form deep connections with some of my best friends. - Caely Tietz, Internal Sisterhood

It definitely was a successful year for Parent’s Club! In May, Parent’s Club hosted a graduation luncheon for the Chi Omega graduates and their families. It was a fun day filled with friends, family, and good food! Parent’s Club also hosted a Welcome Brunch for the new members in November and it was so much fun to get to meet everyone’s families! The new members and their families got to walk around the house, watch a fun video from bid day, and have a nice brunch in the dining room. Parent’s Club also had 2 raffles this year, one at Mom’s Day and one at Dad’s Day. These raffles raise money for Parent’s Club so they can continue to support the chapter! With the funds raised, the chapter purchased a ring light to use in the basement during recruitment and outside during bid-day and a new speaker. It was awesome to have a loud speaker for bid day and the microphone came in handy when our Wish Child, Pammie, jammed out to Taylor Swift with us. The funds were also used to purchase signs honoring many different Wish Kids that were used at Golf Classic! - Beth Kuhn, Parent’s Club

The past year serving as the External Sisterhood Director for Chi Omega has been nothing less than fulfilling. Mom's Day in the spring took place at Hotel Vetro, where we enjoyed a brunch and silent auction benefiting Make-A-Wish, and our seniors told us about their post-grad plans and gave thanks to their amazing moms. Dad's Day looked a little different this year, as the torrential downpour that insisted all day lead us to hold our annual bags tournament inside! Everyone still made the most of the situation and kept up the competitive spirit, and afterwards we headed to Big Grove to enjoy some food and watch some football! Getting to interact with the parents and help plan events that brings in families from across the country to spend time with their Chi Omegas has been so fulfilling. I'll be thankful for the lessons I learned through this position-- both professional and personal-- for the rest of my life. - Gray Gifford, External Sisterhood

This year, I had the privilege of organizing and executing our alcoholic social events. In February we had a Great Gatsby themed date party, where we traveled back to the 1920's and had a great time at Brother's Bar and Grill downtown. In April, Chi Omega had our first Carnation Ball, where we got all dressed up in formal attire and danced the night away at Palmer House Stables in Solon. This fall, our sisters wore fun colored wigs for our Wig and Tie Date party at Bardot. These events have been some of my favorite college experiences, and I will always remember the nights where I got to dance, laugh, and spend time with my sisters. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to organize these events for the chapter, and for all of the leadership and planning skills I gained along the way. - Mary Kainec, Internal Social Director

As Chi Omega's External Social Director, I have had to opportunity to plan numerous nonalcoholic mixers with other chapters and student organizations on campus. These events have been a great way to get to know other members in the PHC and IFC community. One of my favorite events has been a crafting mixer we did with the members of Alpha Chi Omega. Everyone brought a shirt and made DIY tailgate shirts together. All in all, I have loved the opportunity to strengthen Chi Omega's ties with other organizations on campus! - Holly Dannen, External Social Director

We had an amazing year of involvement within our fraternity and sorority community! During the fall semester we danced with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha on the Pentacrest during the annual Iowa shout performance! In the spring we paired up with the men of Alpha Sigma Phi for participation throughout the fraternity and sorority life weekend. Throughout the weekend we attended community and philanthropic events, which was followed by the Fraternity and Sorority life carnival and talent show. Our Centennial was this weekend as well, and it was such a special treat to have our alumni come by and support us. After the carnival our dancing sisters and pairing blew the crowd away with their moves. We couldn’t of ended the weekend in a more perfect way - with our annual FSL awards where our chapter and others were recognized for their achievements throughout the weekend and the school year! Our new member educator, Chase Marzen, won the outstanding sophomore scholarship, and the awesome dance moves choreographed by our external campus activities director Kat, and the chairs Jenny and Madison earned us the award of best choreography! All of our participation of the community and support for table to table was recognized by the award for most enthusiastic and most philanthropic. Chi Omega received highest chapter new member class GPA across all councils, and highest GPA for the last two semesters. Lastly, Chi Omegas deep involvement in academics and presence on campus was recognized by THE CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARD! - Rory Laubengayer + Katherine Henry, Internal Campus Activities

I feel so fortunate to have gotten to serve as the Make-A-Wish Director for Chi Omega Psi Beta for the year 2019. This year has been one full of laughs, giving back with my sisters, and memories I will carry with me for years to come. In March, we had our annual silent auction in benefit of Make-A-Wish at our Mom's Day. In April, our seniors were able to celebrate their four years of service by attending the "Uncork A Wish" Make-A-Wish Gala in Cedar Rapids. We also collaborated with a local coffee shop in Iowa City, Cortado, to fundraise for Make-A-Wish. In September, we held our annual Wish Week. Wish Week is a full week of fundraising, morale-boosting, and philanthropic fun! We did a variety of different things this week: sold coffee and Krispy Kremes to fellow Hawkeyes, collaborated with local businesses through Community Days, held an educational where we learned about the Trotter Family's journey as a MAW family, gave back to the community by donating craft kits to the UI Stead Family Children's Hospital, hosted a 24 hour fundraising event, and held our first ever Wish Party celebrating a wish kid named Pammie and her family! In this past year, our chapter has raised over $14,000 for Make-A-Wish. I am so proud of the passion for philanthropy shown by my sisters in Chi Omega. I am so excited to see what the future holds! - Haleigh Houston, Make-A-Wish Director

The 14th Annual Chi Omega Golf Classic was a major success! This year we held our event at Pleasant Valley golf course in Iowa City. After getting our original date rained out, the entire chapter rallied together to quickly plan for another date. Fathers of Chi Omegas as well as fraternity members came out to support the cause and helped us raise over $2,500 for Make-A-Wish. This year, each hole was dedicated to a different Wish Kid so that our chapter and golfers had the opportunity to learn about why we do what we do. Organizing this year's Golf Classic was such an honor and I am so excited to see where the event goes in the future. - Megan Crotts, Golf Classic Director

This has been a great semester for Chi Omega! Our members have worked hard to give back to our community through philanthropy and community service. We got to celebrate our own philanthropy with the help of many of our members during Wish Week. Several more members were able to contribute to Make-A-Wish during our annual Golf Classic. The Chi Omegas also did an excellent job giving back to the community through community service hours. Each member is required four hours per semester, but many of our Chi Os went above and beyond the four hour requirement. We were also able to plan a fun community service event with the members of Pi Kappa Alpha picking up trash around our community. The commitment Chi Omega’s have to Make-A-Wish and to serving our community is something to be extremely proud of! - Madeline Volk, Greek Philanthropy Director

Being the External Marketing Director this past year has been extremely rewarding. This role includes being in charge of our Facebook page, Blog, and Instagram account. I also captured content at all of our events like our sisterhoods, wish party, philanthropies, and many more! It has been so fun being able to represent what Psi Beta is all about, through pictures and video, to the world! Not only did I run our social media and capture content at our events, but I also hosted several mini photo shoots of my own for some fun and colorful content to spruce up our feed! One of my favorite shoots was my Make-a-Wish photoshoot for our annual Wish Week! I have loved learning from the BEST-Katherine Mendieta- and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity of being Psi Beta’s PR chair this past year! - Camryn Glienke, External Marketing

I have had the honor of serving as Chi Omega’s Internal Public Relations director. I have learned to lead with a purpose, and I got to know more about my sisters along the way! This role is easy when you have creative women by your side! The late nights during work week painting banners and wooden letters was all worth it when we were jamming out on the lawn on BID DAY with our hooties! Being a leader in this chapter has been so rewarding, and I am so incredibly proud to be a Chi Omega! - Addi Bennett, Internal Marketing Director

What a year it has been! As Director of Alumna Relations and the collegiate chair for Psi Beta's Centennial, I can truly say that I've had such a wonderful and fulfilling time serving my chapter this year. Not only was I able to grow our members' connections, but I was part of a historical moment in time for our chapter. Having played such a big role in our Centennial, I met so many Psi Betas who came before me, and was able to learn so much from their wisdom, grace, and love for Chi Omega. The highlight for me was watching from the stage as everyone joined hands and sang Shades. Celebrating 100 years on Iowa's campus with over 400 of my sisters truly opened my eyes, as well as many others, to the strength of our organization's bond. I will never forget this experience and I will always be grateful that I was able to be a part of it! Chi O ever after! - Kate Vittore, Alumna Relations Director

My name is Andrea Huls and in 2019 I was lucky enough to serve as Chi Omega’s Educational Director. Each semester we host a workshop event that will further our member’s knowledge on various topics. In the spring, we had presenters from the Pomerantz Center show us how to create dynamic resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. This was extremely beneficial to our chapter as many members are applying for internships, volunteer opportunities, and post-graduate jobs. In the fall, we had two police officers demonstrate how we can better protect ourselves and our sisters through a personal safety and self-protection class. We learned different protection techniques and resources that are available to us through the University of Iowa, the Iowa City Police Department, and through our chapter officers in Chi Omega. - Andrea Huls, Educational Director