How absolutely awful! My heart goes out to those poor girls. Thank heavens no one was hurt, but it must be heart-wrenching for them to see their house destroyed. :(

I just read an update on the Des Moines Register's web site reporting that the women who lived in the Alpha Chi Omega house "will stay in the vacant FIJI fraternity house . . . for the rest of the semester." I hope that is accurate -- if so, at least it would mean a roof over their heads and a place to (temporarily) call home.

The Des Moines Register site is

http://desmoinesregister.com

The story has some quotes from the chapter officer who had just finished a revised room assignment list to accommodate a couple of members who were (apparently) moving in. The story also reported that Alpha Chis stayed around the area of the house overnight to deter any possible looters.

i read a really touching article, written by a sister of the chapter, in the school's newspaper:

http://www.dailyiowan.com/media/stor...iowan.com#more

Words can't describe the pain I felt when I walked up to the house last night. The roof was gone - glass was everywhere. Two cars were sitting in our front yard. The entire east side of the house is gone.

I thought it was bad enough to come outside Thursday night and find a tree on top of my car; bad enough my apartment's bedroom is a mess of broken glass, mud, and debris. But then I got the phone call from my best friend.

"Alpha Chi Omega is gone, Meghan. What are we going to do?"

Good question. It wasn't just a sorority house - it was our home.

The slew of tornados that descended upon Iowa City Thursday night had ripped off the roof and front of the century-old home, 828 E. Washington St., leaving a doll-house view of the structure's innards.

Once lodging 43 girls and home to approximately 120 Alpha Chi Omega members, the former UI president's mansion is slated to be bulldozed, along with our possessions and memories. But much more important than the bricks and mortar are the times we spent on our infamous decks, the late nights of watching "One Tree Hill," and Monday chapter meetings. It was a wonderful home and I'm afraid I took it for granted sometimes.

When I chose Alpha Chi Omega during a hot August week a few years ago, I didn't join to be associated with the richest girls, the prettiest girls, or the smartest girls. I chose it because it felt like a home.

It was where we ate dinner together, and stayed up in the sleeping rooms telling stupid jokes and gossiping all night. We studied there. We sat in our living room and watched back-to-back seasons of "Sex And The City" until 4 a.m.

We were initiated there.

I lived in the majestic house for two years of my college career, and while my sisters and I had the occasional fight, the rooms and kitchen played host to my most treasured memories of college.

I met my best friends in that house. It was where we shared many laughs and tears. It was a safe place where everyone was welcome, whether they were a part of our sorority or not.

I live in an apartment this year, but I couldn't help but visit my friends at the sorority house at least three times a week. The memories of being on your own in an apartment off-campus are nothing like the ones you spend with your Greek house.

And standing in front of the sorority Friday morning, side by side with my fellow sisters, I tried my best to console the freshmen as well as my older friends and former roommates.

"It'll be OK. We'll be fixed up in no time," I told the girls as I hugged them, even though I didn't even believe myself.

"It's like a dollhouse," said one of our sorority neighbors who came to bring us pitchers of water. "You can see inside your rooms."

Another girl surveying the damage with us gave me a hug and said, "It's not the building that was home, it's the girls that lived in it."

I don't know who that girl is, but thank you for reminding me of something that seemed to be as broken as the place 120 women consider a home, even if they don't live in the physical structure.

And it got me thinking about what a home is. I have an apartment which holds my possessions - most of which were not severely damaged beyond repair - and a house in Des Moines where my mother and father live.

But my home was where my heart was, and that place was in Alpha Chi Omega with my sisters.

Clothing, computers, and i-Pods can be replaced and the girls will be spending the rest of the school year in the former Phi Gamma Delta house. But it's just not going to be the same.

But as long as the women of Alpha Chi Omega are still on campus, we will remain a strong sorority. We were the foundations that made that house a home.

And we're not going anywhere.

That is a very nice article.

Here are more photos from the University Relations website. It looks like they were able to save some of the girls' personal things, although I know it's not much.

Photos

What a touching story! My heart goes out to the AXO sisters at Iowa.

Im a freshman, and I Just joined alpha chi omega at Iowa....and it has been the best year of my life, these girls are absolutely amazing, and they have gone through so much this year.

I cant describe the feeling of walking up to the house on thursday night, I was with another one of my sisters, and we heard the house was hit but we had no idea it was that bad. We got to the house and it looked like something out of a nightmare, we both just burst into tears. This beautiful 120 year old home, were we held our chapter meetings, all house retreats, where i was iniated 1 week earlier, that we loved and were looking forward to living in the next two years, was destroyed it looked life a freak show with so many people looking and it in disbelif and taking pictures. The beautiful 4 story deck that i fell in loved with during rush week was gone, with cars were they once were. We are sooo incredibly lucky that no one was hurt or killed. And many of our girls were able to get a lot of their possesions out. keep our live ins in your prayers because its such a hard time right now, I cant imagine what it must be like. But this has only made our chapter so much closer and stronger.

You really dont know what you have till its gone, so never take your chapter house for granted, i know its just a structure and the sorority is within the sisters, but that was more than house, i realized that when i saw the looks on the seniors faces and the tears when they saw the house, and how my president broke down walking up to our broken home. So many women have the best memories of their lives in that house.
The house will be torn down April 25th, and i know there will be a hole in 106 girls hearts when we walk down Washington st. and see and empty lot were our once gorgeous house stood. we are now hoping and praying that we will have somewhere to live together next year,and a structure for recruitment, even tho nothing will be able to replace our achio home. i hope that i can live with 47 of my best friends. Keep the girls in your prayers!!! Alphi Chi at Iowa is not gone.....our sisterhood is stronger than ever....if we can get through a tornado we can get through any thing!!!!!

Oh sweetie I hope you and your chapter hang in there..... AXOs around the country (and any other well wishers) should definitely check out the Iowa AXOs Target gift registry. Nothing can replace all of what you've lost, but at least we can help you get some things to help you get back on your feet. Take care. Best wishes to you!

SO much love in the bond,
Emily

Has the list not been posted or something? I went to their Target page to see if I could help out and there were no items listed on there. In any case, I hope that the AChiO chapter is able to get on its feet and strengthen its bond in the face of this.

According to the AXO site, the wish list has been fulfilled!

Here are some other things we can do to help:

What else you can do for Sigma Chapter

Edited to add: Please see munchkin's post ^ , which appeared while I was writing mine. Munchkin's post has a link that gives excellent options for ways to help.


KLPDaisy, oh yeah, I forgot. That happened to me yesterday. The thing is, they DID have a long list for a couple or three days -- towel sets, sheets, pillows, that kind of stuff (about 40 to 45 or so of everything). But everything on the list has been purchased by now, so all they had yesterday was a "thank you" message posted. I guess they haven't added any more "wants" to that list. Anyway, as the story in the Northwestern U paper says, there are other things that people are giving.

This is being Greek isnt it!:cool:

This is Why We are where We are, for each other!

Go AXO Ladys at Un. Iowa!:)

Oh good! I know my chapter bought some things for the girls a few days ago. I'm so glad that everything was purchased. Thanks for the update Munchkin!

I was going to purchase something from the Terget list last week, but by the time I got to it everything had been purchased, which is amazing. I just sent a monetary donation in the amount I would have spent to the address they had listed on the wish list. I'm glad people are helping them out!

I'm glad so many people have pitched in to help our sisters at the Sigma chapter :) I just got a note from someone from the chapter and they are doing well... probably better than they had expected! I'm hoping to see some of them at convention this summer :)

The Alpha Chi Omegas at Iowa have broken ground for a new house to replace the one destroyed by a tornado:

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pb.../70413003/1079