Alpha Phi is joining Stevens campus this semester as the campus’s fifth sorority. Alpha Phi has been in talks to join since 2014, along with Sigma Delta Tau, in a stacking procedure. Sigma Delta Tau was given two years to become an established chapter – the usual time it takes to turn from an interest group to a colony to a chapter. Once Sigma Delta Tau was fully integrated into the Panhellenic council and the Greek community, Alpha Phi began advertising and figuring out a recruitment plan.
“[We saw] increasing number of women joining sororities and going to Stevens,” says Thea Zunick, Associate Director of Student Life, explaining the reason why two sororities came on campus in such a short time, “We wanted women who would have never thought to join before to create a legacy of a new group on campus.”
Associate Director Zunick is also aware of how large sororities have become. In a medium-sized school like Stevens, she states the average chapter size should be around 55 to 60 collegians each, but Stevens average is currently 98 collegians per chapter. She hopes that with Alpha Phi on campus, it will help alleviate some of the pressures of having a large sisterhood.
Now that Alpha Phi officially arrived on campus, they have welcomed 40 women to become the founding members of Alpha Phi. Alpha Phi Headquarter ELCs, educational leadership consultants, are helping run the new member education program for the founding wome, and helping them make a mark on campus. They have already been broken into various committees such as recruitment, philanthropy, and academics.
Katrina Guido, a new member of Alpha Phi, is on the Chapter Operations committee, which is, among other things, in charge of reviewing the bylaws, creating a point system, and managing the budget.
“It has been an absolutely incredible experience thus far,” Guido says about the process, “The beginning was a whirlwind of activities designed for us to get know one another and Alpha Phi, and now we are at the point of planning more fun events designed to bring all of us closer and shape the sisterhood we want to form. I really am amazed at far we’ve come over the past few weeks. I’ve met some incredible women who I wouldn’t have otherwise met, speaking both of my fellow peers and our ELCs. I really am excited to see how far we can go because everyone is so willing to get involved and to get to know one another is invested in making this the best possible experience for not only every member, but also the campus community as a whole.”
Alpha Phi won’t be getting a house just yet; there is nothing up for grabs in the Stevens owned housing, and Stevens does not have commitment to grant them housing soon, and neither does the Alpha Phi national organization. It is not typical to invest in a permanent structure for a brand-new colony. However, they plan to be active on campus and find creative ways to recruit for their sisterhood by showing how close their bonds are.
Alpha Phi will be more active on campus by attending future events like Castle Point King, Take back the Night, and Dance Marathon. They will also have a place on the Panhellenic council, and a fifth seat as Secretary will be introduced to the Panhellenic executive council, to be filled by an Alpha Phi sister in the upcoming semester.
Alpha Phi will be doing informal recruitment in the fall.
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