AOII Alumna Jamie Woodson appointed Speaker Pro Tempore for the Senate

State Senator Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville) has been appointed Speaker Pro Tempore for the Senate, a key leadership role in the Tennessee General Assembly. The announcement was made by Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey as the 106th General Assembly concluded their organizational session in Nashville Thursday.

"I am honored to be appointed to this position in our State Senate," said Senator Woodson. "This is a challenging year for our General Assembly, and I look forward to working with Lt. Governor Ramsey and our leadership team to move through the tough issues we face. I also look forward to continuing my commitment to improving educational policy for the citizens of our great state."
The Speaker Pro Tem presides over the Senate at the direction of the Lt. Governor. It also is a key leadership role in the General Assembly, in both public policy and day-to-day operations of the State Senate.

Woodson previously served as Chairman of the Education Committee, where she will continue to serve as a member. She was also appointed to the powerful Finance, Ways and Means Committee.

"Senator Woodson is extremely qualified to take on this leadership role," said Lt. Governor Ramsey. "She has a proven track record as Education Chairman of providing strong leadership on many difficult issues. I look forward to working with her in this new role as Speaker Pro Tem."

Now that the organization is completed, the General Assembly has adjourned until Feb. 9 in order to make office assignments and await budget details.

[Courtesy of wbir.com]

Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act

As you have likely heard, the development of an economic stimulus package in the opening days of this year's Congressional session will include approximately $300 billion in tax cuts. The details of what will be included in the stimulus remain up in the air.

What exactly does this mean for AOII?
Alpha Omicron Pi is working along with other Greek organizations to reach out to our members of Congress in an effort to attach the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA) to the stimulus package. Key decisions will be made in the next few weeks, so immediate action is needed for our best chance of success.

Our sisters have put forth a great effort over the past several years in trying to secure passage of this important piece of legislation. Thanks to your calls and letters, we have been able to obtain an impressive list of Congressional co-sponsors for CHIA.

The House of Representatives could vote on its version of the bill as soon as the end of this week, though we believe it is more likely they will delay their vote until shortly after Barack Obama's January 20th Inauguration.

How you can help!
Please contact your Senators and Congressmen as soon as possible (ideally this week) in support of CHIA being added to the stimulus package. We need our members, as constituents, to tell their elected representatives that adding CHIA to the economic stimulus package is important to them.

We are including links to a list of talking points that will be helpful in making your calls, as well as a list of the current sponsors for CHIA. You can also view a copy of this complete message on the website by clicking here. After you have called your Senators and Representatives, please visit http://www.nicindy.org/ to complete a contact form. This will allow us to track the number of calls being made.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important effort.
Fraternally,
Susan Danko, International President

Rheumatoid Arthritis Rates Rise in Women

A recent study done by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., finds that the rates of rheumatoid arthritis in women have risen drastically from 1995 to 2004. Research shows that the disease has increased by nearly 50 percent in women, but the rate for men has remained the same.

Dr. Hilal Maradit Kremers, the author of the study, says that the most likely factor in causing the rise is the environment. She goes on to say, "the increase could be anything from dietary to hormonal changes to chemical exposures."

According to Arthritis Today, from 1995 to 2004 rates of RA has increased by nearly half to 54 per 100,000 women. Men's rates has only went from 28.6 to 29.5 per 100,000 men.

Dr. Kremers believes that preventing the disease should be the focus for the future. With side effects such as heart disease and diabetes; rheumatoid arthritis is sometimes difficult to treat.

For more information on the rise of rheumatoid arthritis in women visit Arthritis Today online .

Omicron House Renderings Unveiled

A Walk Through the Omicron Chapter House
By: Lauren Zaller ('03), Omicron Chapter Architecture and Building Subcommittee Leader

The exterior of the house is a departure from the traditional Greek columns for a timeless, elegant and "home away from home" feel. The large windows on the right of the house will illuminate our staircase beautifully. As you enter the house, the grand staircase will be to your right and a sitting area to your left as you look down a wide hallway. The hallway takes you down a row of integrated display cases in the wall for JWH cups and historic chapter memorabilia, a real show of Omicron heritage and history of friendship.

To the left of the stairs is the formal parlor, a space that can be used for alumnae baby and wedding showers and mother’s teas. Off of the parlor is a great outdoor living space. To the left of the hallway is our new – finally large enough for meetings – chapter room. The room has the ability to be opened into the dining area and parlor/grand hallway, allowing for flow within the house for major events.

We will now be able to have Founder’s Day and Parents Weekend in our own facility (minimizing costs for those events). The chapter room reveals the "Emily Mahan Foust Stage" for recruitment skits, and use during chapter meetings, an extremely functional element! When you go upstairs you will find space for 48 women to call home. The upstairs is filled with double and quad rooms and also provides residents a small kitchen and living room. The quad rooms have great closet space and a dressing area for members.

We hope that you are as excited as we are with the design that has culminated after three years of work with architect Cockrill Design and Planning. The Architecture and Building Subcommittee wishes you a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to passing the torch to the Interior Design Subcommittee in our next phases of design development.

For more information, please visit http://www.omicronhouse.com/. To view all house renderings, visit http://www.omicronhouse.com/renderings.html.

Seasons Greetings!

Whatever is meaningful.

Whatever is beautiful.

Whatever brings you happiness.

May all of these be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year.

Know a sister that deserves some recognition?

Then nominate her for the Outstanding Alumnae of the Year Award! Since there's no formal application process, it's as easy as 1-2-3. Simply email knoxalumaoii@gmail.com with the name of a sister you think should be honored, along with a brief description of why she deserves this award. Deadline to nominate a sister is Jan. 17, 2009.

Save the Date - Founder's Day 2009

January 25, 2009

3:30 p.m.

Cherokee Country Club

5138 Lyons View Pike

RSVP by Jan. 21 with a $15 check mailed to:

Kandyce Harber
858 Weatherly Hills Blvd
Knoxville, TN 37934

This art has a special story. It is a watercolor painted by Founder, Stella Perry. It is in the Alpha Chapter Roll Book in the Archives Museum at International HQ.