Key Matters

We thought 1908 wasn't that exciting, but it turns out that it was! It's a Convention year and we are also treated to a quick snippet about ole' Mrs. Potter-Brown! Chapters are up to their usual Saturday shenanigans - you know, sewing around the fireplace and snacking on fudge. The exchanges get a little salty as magazine editors exchange gentle barbs - but hopefully it's all in good fun. See if you can spot where I artfully ruffle Dr. Oz's feathers over her least favorite old-timey actor. Mary Osborne from The Stewart House sure is a good sport

Dr. Oz hits all the highlights of 1907 - PLUS we answer a question that was posed during the episode for the 1906 issues. So go back and listen to the 1906 episode that dropped in November 2021! Some of the goings on include student oversight of campus organizations, The Key's 25th anniversary, Panhellenic's role in self-government and how that group might help to answer the “Fraternity Question.”

Dr. Oz finds that one of the common themes of the issues in 1906 is service. Writers are posing questions about a chapter's service to the college, a member's service to the chapter, and both a member and chapter's service to the organization. The role of the alumnae is also evolving and one notable suggestion is that they throw their support behind the new scholarship fund. Did she actually find a previously unknown relative of Founder Anna Willits? Also, the motion to rename her last segment Odds and Ends to Oz and Ends is still on the table!

Did someone say frat house party? Oops, no. They said frat house pantry! Forgive the confusion as apparently the hot social event of the season was a preserving party - canning your own fruits to add to the "frat house pantry" and enjoy later during the gloomy evenings of winter. Also, if you wear your key while traveling abroad, famous people might introduce themselves to you! 

There's lots of fun stuff in this episode with Dr. Oz covering all the news from 1904. We disagree on whether Oz tries to sneak in one or a dozen references to Indiana. Kappa's expanding into the south and it definitely doesn't feel like 2021 since travel in 1904 was getting easier and less expensive, so chapter members were being encouraged to travel to other chapters. Dr. Oz's new section "Odds and Ends" (Motion to rename "Odds and Ends" to "Oz and Ends") includes miscellany that she couldn't fit in elsewhere - like the Kodak fad and a famous Kappa with the last name Vonnegut. Odds and Ends is also a handy spot for Dr. Oz to surprise the unsuspecting listener with some Dr. Crawford news. Finally, we wonder what earlier historians would think of our little history podcast. We think they'd love it! 

Kylie and Dr. Oz go toe to toe in an Ohio vs. Indiana chat about the Wright Brothers. You'll be shocked to learn that Dr. Oz argues the importance of historical accuracy when Kylie purposely leaves out the mention of two men. Oops! We're inspired by a 1903 Kappa who regularly sent her grievances about human trafficking to Teddy Roosevelt and in a discussion about alums we wonder if early Kappas actually believed that Kappa was for undergrads and not for old maids and married women. Oh, and an important lesson from 1903 - it's called a blouse, not a shirt. Slang is tacky.

In 1902 we want to scream - schools appear to be backtracking and are looking to limit women's access to higher education. Are we seriously discussing co-education, again?? Guess what makes Dr. Oz squeal with delight when a certain someone is announced as having initiated in 1902! We finally learn about Kylie's favorite founder - Anna Potter, and Florence from St. Lawrence gets a mention. Oh! And you'll never believe the imposters we learn about. 1902 was definitely an exciting year in The Key. 

We're a year into the new century and it sometimes still feels like the dawn of the new century! And with the death of Queen Victorian, it's also the end of an era - literally. This episode offers advice for pending hot weather in the form of armpit shields instead of antiperspirants. An amazing early journalist is re-discovered, and Kylie tries to make Handkerchief Showers a thing again. Oh, and chapters, quit writing in about your fudge parties and frivolous dances with all of your slang and provincial talk. And if you do quit all of that, you might win a new golden key! 

New century, new us, right? Dr. Oz tosses in lots of Hoosier trivia in the beginning with news from Mu and Iota Chapters. She then confesses her status as a book worm and notices that students are discussing the difference between Fraternity Spirit and College Spirit. There are a few small pox outbreaks and can you guess which Founder was one of the first (that we know of) to be vaccinated? And of course Kylie loved the shout out to Columbus' early moniker - Arch City!

In 1899 Kappa's looking to keep up with their history, women students have more time for social activities and legacies are discussed, but not in the way we might think. We get an update on another favorite Florence - the famous geologist Florence Bascom, and a member writes in with her concerns about the increased pace and stress of student life. Ps...I share my future business plan for "Choicest Spirits." Fun times at the end of the decade AND the end of century!!

We were thrilled to celebrate recording our 10th episode, except we got confused since some recordings were were split into two episodes. But who cares about the details?? This episode has fun outtakes, we each reflect on what we've covered so far, and we answer the question "Why is this podcast important?" 

Dr. Oz runs through all the excitement of 1898. Chapters are hosting "Swings," debating legacies, and dreaming of houses. Maladies like nervous exhaustion run amuck and some students and alums are joining the war effort - the Spanish American War effort. What a year!

In 1897 the world is inventing computers, aspirin, the very first LGBT campaigning organization, and...electric bicycles??? Are we sure it's still the 19th century?? Kappa on the other hand is initiating and celebrating some young women who would go on to make a huge and positive impact on the world. It's clear that the entire system of Greek letter organizations is on thin ice on lots of campuses, so the editorials plead with members to be proud of their affiliation but to work hard to be a force for good whenever possible. A message we all would do well to heed today!

Lucky episode number 13 includes all the news to know from 1896! And guess who makes a special appearance in this very special episode? Florence from St. Lawrence! Dr. Oz confirms she's up on musical pop culture and we wrestle with the *new* woman question - now that women's place in higher education is somewhat guaranteed, what are women going to do to make it worth it? See if you can spot the mega-chapter of 1896 clocking in with 29 members; the most of any chapter that year. Also, some students traversed 8-foot snow drifts and -40 degree temps just to get to chapter meetings. Can any of us say we're that intrepid??

Dr. Oz nerds out a bit about Sherlock Holmes in the beginning, then sheds light on a new science in 1895 - Oekology or domestic science. Any party planners out there will want to skip to the middle to learn more about shadow parties. And towards the end we wonder if a Kappa named Jessie is actually arguing that architects are too artistic to wear Victorian-style culottes. Who's to say??

You may have noticed that our episodes of Key Matters are often split into two parts. We just can't help ourselves. There are too many interesting things in our magazine! In this outtake, Dr. Oz is a bit shocked at the length of my research notes for an early episode. So see what all the fuss is about and join us on most Fridays when we continue our tour through the first magazine published by a women's fraternity, The Golden Key. The title was simplified to The Key, but I think you'll agree, there's nothing simple about our beloved award-winning publication. Key Matters is available on all of your favorite podcast players and you'll recognize the brown cover with the golden key. 

Dr. Oz hits all the highlights of 1894, including the settlement house movement - the good parts, and the gross parts. We're not afraid to talk about the hard stuff! Dr. Oz lets her library flag fly high in this episode, and even though I touched on most of her research unicorns in 1893, no one is shocked that she still manages to squeeze a loose Dr. Crawford reference into this one. See if you can find it!

What do the song Happy Birthday, the Fox Sisters, John Wilkes Booth's brother and Abraham Lincoln's son all have in common? Kylie manages to work them into this episode, that's what. And we hear from a Kappa who is a college graduate and early entrant into the professional acting field. News was slim in 1893 but that doesn't mean it was boring!  

There are only three issues from 1892 but there is still a lot of news for Oz to cover. Besides temporarily forgetting when Kappa was founded (happens to the best of us) Dr. Oz gets to highlight some of her favorite topics - Indiana, Dr. Crawford, Sherlock Holmes - all the things. Florence from St. Lawrence reappears and has made her way from New York to Illinois and is now teaching at Monmouth's neighbor, Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois! 

We decided to split the 1891-1892 episode of Key Matters, so Kylie hits all the top topics from 1891 in this go around. Even though some of the actual issues were tough to read (one was a typed galley, rescued from the 1965 fire at HQ!) there were several topics that are rather relevant today. Though the mentioned savage Kappa goat is not one of the more relevant topics, the "woman question" comes up and of course our super smart sisters remind everyone that when you decide to debate what women can and can't do, you better have facts to back it up - not just your opinions. And in 1891, 130 years ago, they were still reminding one another that to live up to our ideals as Kappas, we cannot be exclusive...we must be inclusive. Something we are still reminding one another about today. 

Despite a fairly slow news year, we split the episode into two parts - and 1890 is part 2! Big decisions were made at the 1890 Convention - the flower, the gemstone, the official naming of chapters - but they were barely a blip in the magazine! Not to worry, we still had plenty to chatter about. 

We got a little carried away again and decided to split this episode in half - this part is Dr. Oz's review of all the excitement of 1889. She starts with rumors of murder, gets a few Indiana highlights as well as an Ada mention worked in, and is our beloved magazine really advocating for onesies as fashion? Before it's all wrapped up, find out if Dr. Oz really pursued that career in book binding that she had set her hopes on. 

This is the second half of the recording we did for the issues from 1887 and 1888. Phi Chapter at Boston is still editing the magazine and they have had it. They essentially asked for more support or to have the magazine be put out of its "useless and wretched existence." Charlotte Barrell implores delegates to be prepared for the upcoming convention, and the exchanges between the editors of other fraternity magazines get a bit tense. We hear one of the first mentions of alumnae organizing themselves into an association around Syracuse. OH! Apparently Kappa not only has a Waltz, but also a Gallop.

We got a little chatty in this episode so we've divided it into two parts - this one covers 1887 and 1888 will come out separately. We hit lots of highlights in this episode - Florence from St. Lawrence, P.E.O., chapters are making a case for chapter rooms and houses. Added bonus - Dr. Oz asks how often you should wear your membership badge and defends academics and history as a trade. The big buildup at the end features one of Dr. Oz's research unicorns; see if you can hear where she could easily get tossed out of a library for celebrating her latest find!

In 1885 and 1886 we get some great correspondence from Mary Livermore and Julia Ward Howe; the field of architecture is opening up to women; and there's a new chapter editing the magazine...Minnetta finally gets a well-deserved break! Oh, and we're still working on our sign-offs. 

We go all the way back to the very first issues of The Golden Key, May 1882 through June 1885. Kappa is growing and looking for ways to more effectively communicate. Editor Minnetta Taylor is getting her footing and the first magazine to be published by a women's fraternity starts out as more of a literary publication with a few exchanges with the men's fraternities about the state of Greek Letter Organizations at the time.   

One of the first seemingly unrelated advertisements in The Golden Key was for Pond's Extract - the forerunner to Pond's Cold Cream. 

A quick review of the May 1918 issue showed a lot of similarities to things that are happening today.