Alert
(U.S.) Thanksgiving Holiday Closing
The Fraternity, Theta Foundation, and Fraternity Housing Corporation offices will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Friday, Nov. 29, in recognition of the (U.S.) Thanksgiving Day holiday.
Last month, I had the opportunity to travel with two Theta sisters from Gamma Epsilon Chapter at Western University in London, Ontario, to some of our American chapters and Theta headquarters to learn more about Theta’s history. Travelling together has been not only unforgettable but one of our favourite memories as Thetas! Nothing has made us closer than hours on the road together.
Our first stop of the week was Kappa Alpha Theta headquarters in Indianapolis, where we met Noraleen Young, the staff archivist who knows practically everything about Theta’s history. We arrived with a warm welcome from Noraleen and the rest of the staff at headquarters who showed us around the beautiful displays that illustrated the long history of Theta. Noraleen was also kind enough to pull out some pieces of our chapter’s history, which was amazing to learn about the incredible women who worked so hard to give ourselves a place to call home at Western!
After our tour, we were lucky enough to participate in a Day of Service activity at headquarters where we painted rocks in support of a local Indianapolis childhood grief center. We were so thankful for the kindness and interest that everyone at HQ showed us during our visit.
Our next stop was to our Alpha chapter at DePauw University in Greencastle, where we toured the first-ever Theta chapter as well as the campus that our founders called home over 150 years ago. We had such an amazing time meeting the girls at DePauw and hearing their stories of their chapter today and the differences and similarities between our chapters! At DePauw, we learned how easy it is to connect with Thetas no matter where they’re from, simply because Theta connects us wherever we go.
Our trip continued at Indiana University in Bloomington, where we met more amazing Thetas from Beta Chapter who showed us their beautiful home and the Greek life community that is so prominent on campus. As it was the night before their homecoming, the whole house was busy with preparation and fun before game day!
The opportunity to learn more about this organization that connects us while making memories with our sisters truly has enriched all of our experiences as Thetas and given us memories to last a lifetime! We are so grateful to Kappa Alpha Theta headquarters staff and the Thetas at DePauw and IU who opened their doors to us and truly exemplified Theta’s values through our time with them. The three of us not only became closer during this trip, we also feel like we truly understand the meaning of sisterhood and how far being a Theta can really take you.
Holly Brown, a sophomore political science major, and Madison Howe, a junior majoring in marketing, both Gamma Epsilon/Western members, also authored this blog.