Mu Tau Mu virtual alumnae chapter of Alpha Chi Omega

Behind the Scenes at MTM

This blog is a day-to-day update of what is going on in Mu Tau Mu. Eventually we'll move the older journal entries from our livejournal space but for now to read the archives (entries prior to May 19, 2005), head over to http://www.livejournal.com/users/amzmtm/.

Things you'll hear about here include notification that new photos or other items are posted on our private website (more about the site is here), more detail on our activities than you see in our month-by-month history blog, news from Case, news from the collegiate chapter, news from Alpha Chi Omega at large, and occasionally fun new ideas on their way to implementation. Links to the private site will take you directly to the item mentioned.

To protect the privacy of our members, only first names will be given.

Entries in Stephanie Tubbs Jones (1)

Stephanie Tubbs Jones Fire Prevention Act (H. R. 1791)

NPC (with our fraternal partners) has been working to make campus housing safer and more affordable. It’s great to see that the Act that will be voted on today in the US House is named in honor of fellow CWRU alumna Stephanie Tubbs Jones! STJ represented the district in Ohio that included CWRU and was a real advocate for issues like student housing and CHIA (the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act, which would make donations for housing or housing improvements to fraternal organizations tax-deductible).

From NPC:

The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Fire Prevention Act (H. R. 1791) is scheduled to be the first bill voted on during the House session this morning. You will be able to watch the vote on CSPAN. It should occur between 10:20-11:00 a.m. EST. The bill now has 70 sponsors.

As you may recall, this bill will authorize federal matching grants to install fire suppression systems in existing student housing including fraternity and sorority houses. It will preserve at least 10 percent of the funding for the exclusive use of fraternities and sororities. To receive federal funding, a recipient must prove at least one-half the cost of the improvements will be provided through means other than federal funding.

The bill will be part of the suspension calendar which means a fast-track vote with no amendments. It requires a 2/3 vote to pass.

The passage of this bill in the House shows that our work does matter. This is one of two pieces of legislation where we have been the main outside influence, and all of us should be very proud of our efforts.

(NPC is the National Panhellenic Conference, which is the umbrella organization that all 26 sororities belong to, including Alpha Chi Omega).

This video shows the huge difference a sprinkler system can make: