Page 1 - Sigma Star Fall 2014

Sigma Star Sigma of Alpha Delta Pi Building Corporation | University of Illinois | Fall 2014 www.illiniadpi.com | Alumnae Relations Offce | P.O. Box 80828 | Atlanta, Georgia 30366 From the Mary Jo Tews Mulcahy’57 Sigma Housing Alumnae Spotlight: Corporation Editor’s Note: For this issue of the newsletter we’re shining the Spotlight on Sister Mary Jo Tews Mulcahy ’57. From the hometown Hello, Sisters! of Springfeld, IL, Mary Jo graduated from Illinois with a degree in Education. Our past little more than a year Sigma Chaplain and Scholarship Chairman, A ago, my husband and Mary Jo was also in the Glee Club. After I dealt with an incident at 20 years of teaching elementary school she our house that involved a continues to share her leadership skills in the broken toilet handle, about community and at her church as a volunteer fve minutes of fooding in a second-foor with the Women’s Society, the Green Team, bathroom, and several weeks of tearing down and as a member of the Bell Choir. Mary drywall, running industrial fans to dry it out, Jo and her husband Tom, a Delta Tau Delta and eventually repairing the damage – most and fellow Illini Alumnus, have been married of which was caused by the cleanup and not now for 53 years. They both enjoy traveling the initial fooding. around the world to watch birds in their Anyone who owns a home has a story like Mary Jo and Tom in Switzerland, 2012, natural habitat, spending time with their two that, and knows those things often happen while on a U. of IL Alumni Tour. sons, Tim and John, two granddaughters, when you’ve fnally managed to save up the Mary and Megan, and their two granddogs. money for another less necessary, but still much needed household project. What was living in the house like while How do you stay in touch with your Now imagine something like that happening you were in school? Sigma sisters today? on the scale of a sorority house. That’s exactly I lived in the house for four full years with Mainly we stay in touch via email. Somehow what your Housing Corporation faced earlier about 55 other sisters. It was a great lesson in I have become the “go-to” person when we this fall when – just days before the women learning to live with all kinds of personalities need to alert our sisters to an event of import. were moving in – we learned there was a and cooperating with each other. My fondest We also exchange Christmas cards and letters. signifcant water/mold issue in the basement memories are of singing together around Over the years, I have seen the Christmas of the house. the piano after supper, whole house choir photos change from families with infants to Thankfully, I’m happy to report that the rehearsals for Shi-Ai sing, quick grab games young adults to grandchildren. Now, even a damage has been completely remedied (and of bridge on the foor in someone’s room, few great grandchildren are appearing! That’s in an amazingly short time, I think!) and the practicing our dance routines in the dining life in a nutshell! immediate crisis is over. Unfortunately, the room for stunt show, weekly devotions after fnancial toll is still a bit uncertain and we 10:30 in the living room, and studying for Why did you become a teacher? also need to look for a long term solution for tests in a small group. After hours we often I chose the profession after realizing how prevention. We’ve pushed into six fgures on gathered in someone’s room to gab about much I loved children. I started playing Housing (Continued on Page 3) boyfriends, or any problems we were having. school when I was in third grade, and just Changing rooms twice a year kept thinking all through the grades that I was enabled us to adapt and get to know destined to be a teacher. Since my mother and an older sister or two better. At that aunt were both teachers, I can’t help but think time, we had hours –10:30 on week that their example infuenced me a great deal. nights, 12:00 on weekends, and all outer doors were locked. Once we How do you remain involved with secretly let a late sister in through education since retirement? the kitchen window! There were For about six years after retirement, I two house phones. A pledge was did substitute teaching in all grades plus assigned phone duty, and would music, art, and P.E. Also, I volunteered as summon the sister for the call by a “grandma” in my church’s pre-school for a buzzer code. Each sister had her several years. I was a volunteer tutor at an own ring, like long, short, short. I after school program called Caring 4 Kidz in fondly remember the anticipation LaGrange for the last four years. Currently, at pinning ceremonies, passing I host sing-alongs at my house with the the candle around the circle to see neighbor children, who range in age from 3 who would blow it out, and wild to about 14. I play my 90 year old guitar, Sisters Grace Currie and Steph Berardi at Curtis Apple Orchard. cheering and hugging afterwards. Mulcahy (Continued on Page 4)