Alumnae News

September 2010 Volume 3, Issue 1

Kappa Alpha Theta—Iota Chapter—Cornell University

Greetings from Io ta! As we say goodbye to Summer and settle into the Fall semester, the Iota chapter would like to check in with our alumnae and fill you in on some important dates and events that are coming up in the near future. Saturday, September 25: Cornell Homecoming Sunday, September 26: Tip-A-Canoe, Theta’s Philanthropy Event Please join us at our annual philanthropy event at Beebe Lake from 1-4 pm for some friendly competition, games, and barbecue provided by Delta Upsilon Fraternity. All proceeds will go toward our philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Reunion 2010

Alu m na e T-Sh irt

Winter 2011: KAO’s 130th Anniversary Details will be provided soon. If you would like to join us over Homecoming weekend for our Tip-A-Canoe philanthropy event or would like to know more details, RSVP to Peggy Ramin at mar335@cornell.edu.

Members at Tip-A-Canoe 2009 Please continue reading to hear about our 2010 Reunion event and how a few of our members spent their summers. As always, please do not hesitate to contact the chapter with any questions or comments.

Peggy Ramin, Alumnae & Foundation Liaison Mar335@cornell.edu

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Reunion 2010

Iota was thrilled to host a reception for Alumnae at the chapter house over Cornell Reunion Weekend on June 11. Numerous past and present members attended to enjoy refreshments, share memories, tour the house, look at old scrapbooks and composite pictures, and escape from the summer heat. The current members felt extremely fortunate to have a chance to meet Iota alumnae and hear about their experiences living in the Theta house and studying at Cornell.

One of our junior members, Anna Mumford, has designed a Theta t-shirt especially for our alumnae. If you are interested in ordering one for $15, please email Peggy Ramin at mar335@cornell.edu. A picture of the shirt is included below.

September 2010 Volume 3, Issue 1

Globetrottin g Th e tas Kate Summers ’12 Europe This summer, I had what was for me the trip of a lifetime. I was able to participate in a 10-week abroad program throughout Europe, and received 12 credits that count toward my Film Studies Major. The program began in Dublin, then moved to Paris, Barcelona, Marseilles, Corsica, and Rome, where we finished the last month of the program. Eight of the 12 credits were culturally based, and four were geared specifically towards my film studies. I travelled with one professor, who is a Senior Dance Lecturer and architectural historian, and a few other girls from the dance program here at Cornell. I was the first film student to participate in the trip, and therefore had freedom in choosing specific films of interest and was able to talk one-on-one with my professor about both reading and viewing. The main part of my learning focused around French and Italian neo-realist film, and as a sort of final evaluation I gave a small informal presentation about what differences I had discerned between the two bodies of film. I've never watched so many movies in my life, nor had the chance to learn in such a specialized environment; this was honestly an experience I will remember and draw on for the rest of my life.

Becca Dittrich ’12 Zambia As a Global Health minor at Cornell, I traveled to Zambia this summer through the Cornell Global Health Program with seven other girls (one of whom was my Theta big sister, Cecily!) to address the poor children’s health in the country. Each morning, we woke up at 6:00 AM and walked for 45 minutes before arriving at the Musonda community, a slum-like village located on the outskirts of Kitwe. Angela, Cecily, Stephanie and I worked with two community schools. We taught interactive health education lessons to the students of the Natasha community school on subjects such as malaria, nutrition, and dental hygiene, conducting activities like practicing brushing our teeth together (with toothbrushes we provided) to engage the children. We helped the teachers of the Ubumi community school by teaching English, Mathematics, Integrated Sciences, and other subjects to grades 4 through 7 as the school is severely understaffed. The time I spent in Zambia was a life-changing experience for me, and I deeply miss the affection generated by such a close-knit community. But above all, my summer taught me a lesson that I never could have learned within the comforts of my own country. While countries such as Zambia may have a lot to learn from us regarding innovation and health care, they also have much to teach us about contentment, patience and true happiness.

Formal Recruitment is approaching! If you would like to send in a reference regarding a Potential New Member at Cornell, please visit www.kappaalphatheta.org , click on the Alumnae tab, print and fill out the online reference form and send it to: Kappa Alpha Theta c/o Reference Chairman Jill Hirsch 519 Stewart Ave. Ithaca, NY 14850.