Fall 2021 Newsletter

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Staff Signals

Denver Alumnae Chapter, Xi C Province, Region 1 | Fall 2021 | Volume 71, Issue 1

SAI Denver Chapter members and friends,

There is nothing quite like the feeling of being back together in person again. Although it looks different than what we are used to, it is a breath of fresh air that by adopting hybrid meetings, we are one step closer to getting back to normalcy. With masks and Zoom, we are able to hear live music, enjoy one another's company, and kick off another great year for SAI Denver Alumnae. This season of gratitude, we are especially grateful for the sacrifices we have all made to keep each other safe and healthy as we head toward a new year of sisterhood and music!

Many Roses,
Jessica Knieff, SAI Denver Alumnae Chapter President

An informal meeting was held virtually via Zoom on June 12. There were 15 members in attendance. Founders Day was celebrated and several sisters received Honors and Awards. The chapter installed their new executive board for 2021 - 2022.

President, Jessica Knieff
Vice President of Membership, Sarah Butler
Vice President of Ritual, Catherine Rands
Vice President of Programs, Anna Maria Manalo (installed at the September Meeting)
Treasurer, Sabrina Green
Secretary, Mary Hanson
Editor, Krista Aliga

Our summer musicale was on August 7 at 2:00 PM. Sisters joined via zoom.
Sisters gathered on August 15 for our Annual Summer Picnic at the Observatory Park. This was hosted by our Vice President of Membership, Sarah Butler.
Sisters gathered at Mary Hanson's home and via Zoom for our first meeting of the 2021 - 2022 year on September 18. The meeting was formal and the chapter affiliated Emily Murray. 19 members were in attendance.
Sisters gathered at Rachel Davis' home and via Zoom for a formal meeting on October 16. Molly Arney and Victoria Bryant were affiliated. 15 members were in attendance. A program was presented by Mary Nichols and her flute students.
A pumpkin party was held at Jessica Knieff's home on October 23, where member's carved and painted pumpkins and enjoyed cider, snacks and quality sisterhood time.
A formal chapter meeting was held November 20 at Bethany Lutheran Church. This meeting was hosted by Marion Talley and a program was presented by Donita Banks.

Chapter Meeting September 18
In-Person left to right (front row): Linda Rolf, Shelley Goldberg, Jessica Knieff, Anna Maria Manalo. (second row) Marion Talley, Donita Banks. (third row) Sabrina Green, Kim Husted, Sarah Butler. (fourth row) Mary Hanson, Emily Murray.

Chapter Meeting October 16.
In-Person Left to Right: Donita Banks, Linda Rolf, Victoria Bryant, Rachel Davis, Jessica Knieff, Marion Talley.

Sisters enjoying our Chapter Pumpkin Party held at Jessica Knieff's home on October 23.

Our first Pumpkin Party held on Oct. 23rd was a huge success! We had Denver Alumnae members, DU members, and even a few SAI kids and grandkids join in on the fun. We had a mixture of pumpkin painters and carvers, and it turns out SAI's are also quite the artists! There was warm apple cider and other tasty snacks, along with plenty of sunshine. It was a perfect, fun-filled Fall day!

- Sarah Butler, SAI Denver Alumnae Vice President, Membership

The Honors Committee 2020 - 2021 were Rachel Stone, Linda Rolf, and Donita Banks. They presented the following awards to chapter members.

50 years of Membership Certificate: Eleanor Coffey and Mary Hanson
65 years of Membership Certificate: Donita Banks
Certificate of Excellence: Sabrina Green, Anna Maria Manalo, and Marion Talley
Chapter Recognition Pin: Keena Day and Jessica Knieff

Marion Talley, our past SAI Denver President, presented Cheryl Denslow with her 50 year Member Certificate.

Click here to read more of each sister's achievements.

December 11 will be the Denver Alumnae Chapter's annual Incorporation Day luncheon. This will be held at Syrup in Cherry Creek from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. More details will be provided by Vice President of Programs, Anna Maria Manalo.
An executive board meeting will be held on Saturday, January 8 at 2:00 PM MT.
A chapter meeting will be on Saturday, January 22 at 2:00 PM MT.
An executive board meeting will be held on Saturday, February 5 at 2:00 PM MT.
A chapter meeting will be on Saturday, February 19 at 2:00 PM MT.
An executive board meeting will be held on Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 PM MT.
Province Day is scheduled for Sunday, March 6 and will be hosted by Sigma Upsilon. More details will be available at a future date.
A chapter meeting will be on Saturday, March 19 at 2:00 PM MT.

Remember to check the calendar on our website or reference your monthly Noteworthy News for more information on upcoming events.

Welcome new affiliates!

Molly Arney affiliated with our chapter at the October 16 meeting. Her Rose Sister is Krista Aliga. Molly lives in Arvada and works at the CU - Anschutz Hopsital. She holds a Bachelors degree in Music Therapy and a Masters degree in Dance Therapy. Her instrument is flute. Molly was initiated by Kappa Alpha at Rowan University. She enjoys trivia nights, dance, music, reading, yoga and nature.

Victoria Bryant affiliated with our chapter at the October 16 meeting. Her Rose Sister is Marion Talley. She lives in Denver and works at the Denver Federal Center. She holds a degree in Public Health from the University of South Florida. Her instruments are tuba, euphonium, viola and guitar. Victoria was initiated by Delta Chi Chapter at the U. of South Florida and held the office of Editor. Her parents live in Florida. Victoria enjoys hiking and roller skating and is learning Japanese.

Hailey Moy affiliated with our chapter at the November 20 meeting. Her Rose Sister is Jessica Knieff. Hailey lives in Denver with her 14-year-old cat, Tulip, and is employed as a music therapist at Centennial Peaks Hospital and Vital Care. She holds a BM in Music Therapy from Colorado State University. Viola is her primary instrument. Hailey was initiated into and is a charter member of Mu Tau Chapter at CSU (April 23, 2017). She served as President and Editor and was awarded the Sword of Honor. Hailey enjoys writing music, reading, gardening and embroidery.

Emily Murray affiliated with our chapter at the September 18 meeting. Her Rose Sister is Sabrina Green. Emily is in the US Air Force and stationed at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora. She holds a BS in Psychology and a BS in Kinesiology with a Minor in Voice from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Emily was initiated by Lambda Phi Chapter at the U. of Massachusetts in 2018 and held the office of Treasurer. Her Mom, Dad and Brother reside in her home state of New York. She enjoys singing and swimming.

Keena Day: On October 9, Keena received the President's Award for Outstanding Board Member in Colorado Black Women for Political Action. Very well-deserved! Keena was also featured in the Summer 2021 Pan Pipes for her contributions to The HBCU Experience, The HBCU Band Alumni Edition. You can check out the link here. Be sure to check it out!

Shelley McCluskey became Shelley Goldberg on October 23! She celebrated her marriage to Ben Goldberg with family and friends in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Congratulations Shelley and Ben - your sisters wish you many years of happiness!

Kim Husted has a side business called Wrapped Whimsey, which specializes in unique and beautifully designed jewelry...all created by Kim! Sisters can shop her items at her Etsy shop and use the code ROSES for 20% off. The link should automatically add this to your cart, but in case it doesn't you can enter 'ROSES' manually at check-out. You can also check out her work on Wrapped Whimsy's Facebook page or Instagram: @wrappedwhimsy

Krista Aliga was featured in Real Simple's November 2021 publication in an article focused on who to hire as part of your financial team. This is the first time Krista has had the excitement of seeing her name in print, but throughout the year she has also been featured on CNBC, Rollingstone, Yahoo, and AARP discussing today's financial world.

Krista and her husband, Chet, are excited to share they will be welcoming their second child May 2022!

A New Beginning by Donita Banks

Our first meeting of 2021 - 2022 was held at the home of Mary Hanson on September 18. It was a hybrid meeting with an in-person option and Zoom option for chapter members. We enjoyed potluck luncheon, topped off with an 'Unbirthday' cake/party arranged by Donita Banks as a fun way to celebrate all member's birthdays. Donita also attached a sticker to each sister's name tag showing her birthday. The meeting began with the installation of our Vice President, Programs; Anna Maria Manalo, and followed with an affiliation ceremony for Emily Murray.

Flutes and Friends by Donita Banks and Mary Nichols

On a beautiful fall day, Denver Alumnae Chapter members gathered at the home of Rachel Davis. We enjoyed a delightful program titled, "Flutes and Friends". This was performed by Mary Nichols and 3 of her students: Debbie Kruckman, Phoenix Zhang, and Si Wu. Si also performed on the Guzheng, an ancient Chinese instrument related to the zither.

Si is a sophomore at Cherry Creek and has been in the United States for 3 years. She spoke no English when she started lessons with Mary, but it is true that music is the universal language. Si has played the Guzheng since she was 3 years old and also plays the Chinese flute. Pheonix is a beginner in 6th grade and has played the flute for one year. Deborah played the flute in high school, and as an adult, she has recently started playing again. If you are interested in learning about the Guzheng click here. You can find the full program in our Google Photos album.

After snacks in the backyard, under a Colorado blue sky, Jessica opened the business meeting indoors. Catherine Rands, Vice President Ritual, conducted the affiliation ceremony for Molly Arney and Victoria Bryant.

Songs without Words by Krista Aliga

Sisters gathered for the November meeting at Bethany Lutheran Church in Denver for music, snacks, and sisterhood. Our meeting's program was performed by Donita Banks, titled "Songs Without Words". Her program included solos by Felix Mendelssohn and Cecile Chaminade. Donita spoke to her sisters about these programs and included a beautiful tribute to her sisters and musical career. She also spoke of her mentors in her childhood years and through her studies at CU Boulder. After the musicale, sisters continued into a formal meeting with an affiliation ceremony for Hailey Moy and our Province Officer's official visit (Megan Nugent).

You can view all photos from our chapter events here!

Rachel Davis - November 18
Julianna Pulliam - December 16
Ardice Garrels - January 4
Marion Talley - January 16
Sarah Butler - January 21
Shelley Goldberg - January 21
Shelby Pence - January 22
Linda Rolf - January 29
Donna Chase - February 7

I am very excited to serve as the Denver Alumnae Editor this year! I have always loved reading Staff Signals since affiliating with the Denver Alumnae chapter, but being on the other end of it now...I have larger appreciation towards the hard work of our sisters' contributions for our newsletter.

I hope to put my personal spin on the editor position, but maintain the integrity of what already exists (and works!). Your contributions help make our SAI year successful, well communicated, and personable.

Sisterhood during the holidays
Truth be told, this time of year always brings a little sadness to me. I cling onto holiday music, the comfort food, decorations, family time, the constant mention of 'joy' and 'cheer'. In my family, there have been many times when the holidays have been the season where we lose a loved one. The holidays, although very joyous, can be a reminder that someone we love is not here to be a part of the celebration.

I think many sisters can relate to this, which is why our sisterhood is so important. As sisters, we gather (virtually or in-person), we support, we bring joy through music and sisterhood. Our sisterhood is truly 'so near, so dear'. It gives us a chance to take a break and just be...with our sisters!

How can we show compassion to each other? How can we show a sister we are thinking of her in subtle ways? I challenge myself, along with the rest of sisters, to act with intention in the ways we can reach out to our sisters. And more importantly, if you are a sister that finds the holiday season a difficult time, never hesitate to reach out to any sister. I'm sure I can speak for all of us in that we always welcome a phone call. To all my sisters, I hope you enjoy this season and are looking into the New Year with excitement!

Many Roses, Krista Aliga

Please always feel free to send any articles, upcoming events, & personal news, to the Editor for a feature in an upcoming Newsletter. (saidenvereditor@gmail.com). Announcements made at meetings may be included in future Newsletters. If your news is not something you'd like to be shared, please let me know during your announcement.

Any photos taken during meetings or events that you would like included in the newsletter can be uploaded at the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BLcSin4hjtBIrVKC3cERcfHUZwSFF01L?usp=sharing.

If you are not able to use this link, please let me know and we can discuss an alternative solution.

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