Alpha Chi becomes official
By Rachel Smedley
Greek row is proud to present a new addition to their family! The Alpha Chi Omega sorority filled their first founding class this spring, adding 116 new girls to the over 600 High Point ladies who are currently involved in Greek life.
The decision by Alpha Chi to start a chapter here at HPU was largely motivated by “the beauty and vibrancy of the campus, the visionary plans for HPU’s future, the student focus, the enthusiasm of the HPU administration and the high quality of the students we’ve met,” said the sorority’s national president Marsha King Grady.
Alpha Chi Omega was founded at DePauw University in Indiana on Oct. 24, 1885. At a time when people were still getting accustomed to the idea of women in colleges, DePauw’s Dean of Music, Professor James Howe, took the initiative to create a women’s society at the university.
The seven original founders turned their society into a women’s fraternity, in order to become the sixth to be formed in the entire country. Today, over 200 years later, Alpha Chi Omega boasts more than 200,000 members, 130 collegiate chapters, and 200 alumnae chapters worldwide.
Here at HPU, the women of Alpha Chi Omega continue to represent their roots by promoting pride and power in women through their domestic violence awareness philanthropy. They also represent the sorority’s musical heritage with their symbol, the Grecian lyre.
Bid day for the HPU Alpha Chi pledge class was one that filled the new girls with joy. Since the sorority was selecting it’s founding class, they did not participate in rush week with the rest of Greek row, but instead selected their members through a series of interviews with Alpha Chi national representatives.
The girls received their letters and shirts in the University Center on their bid day and then paraded over to the Greek conference center where the new members were surprised with a huge crowd of supporters made up of HPU’s five established sororities, welcoming them in.
“We weren’t really sure what to expect, being the new sorority on campus, but seeing all the other girls with their posters and signs, waving us in, was really neat,” said sophomore Haley Ruehle of bid day.
Since the bid day, the sisters have been busy with all the obligations that come with being a founding class. The girls will have to write their own traditions, plan their signature philanthropy event and decide positions within the chapter.
This extra effort, however, does not come without perks. Photos of every member will be taken and hung in the Alpha Chi house for years to come.
Currently, the sorority is exploring different domestic violence programs and shelters in the local area, looking for an organization to pair with and fundraise for through their philanthropy events. A lot of work is ahead of them as they begin to form the identity and structure of Alpha Chi Omega at High Point University, but it shouldn’t be too difficult for these “Real. Strong. Women.”
Women interested in rushing this sorority will have to wait until the spring semester of 2013 when PanHellenic rush starts up again.