NPC Sorority Challenge

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by nyapbp

Or as Emily Litella (extra points if you catch this obscure reference to 1970s SNL) "never mind."

Caught it!

[Sciencewoman]

Collegiate Sorosis was still on campus when I went through rush in 1981, but their numbers were low and it wasn't too much later that the chapter closed. They had a long and proud history at The University of Michigan, but I was not interested in a local sorority. I think that was a common sentiment. I remember standing in their living room during the first round of recruitment and we listened to a presentation about their history. Many prominent Michigan women had been members, and I do mean had been, because the women they mentioned were all from generations past. I remember having a sad feeling that the group was in its twilight years and wouldn't survive much longer.

[nyapbp]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

Collegiate Sorosis was still on campus when I went through rush in 1981, but their numbers were low and it wasn't too much later that the chapter closed. They had a long and proud history at The University of Michigan, but I was not interested in a local sorority. I think that was a common sentiment. I remember standing in their living room during the first round of recruitment and we listened to a presentation about their history. Many prominent Michigan women had been members, and I do mean had been, because the women they mentioned were all from generations past. I remember having a sad feeling that the group was in its twilight years and wouldn't survive much longer.

We left Michigan in 1988 and somewhere before then, the collegians changed the name to Chi Sigma so that they could wear Greek letters. Charles Lindbergh's mom was a Collegiate Sorosis member as was John Dewey's wife Alice. They were involved in a housing issue when we left and that may have contributed to the organization's demise. It had a wonderful history, but a history alone cannot compete with so much more.

[WhiteRose1912]

Originally Posted by nyapbp

(Head slap!) What I think you saw in the Michigan yearbook was a page for Collegiate Sorosis, a local organization that had its beginnings as a Kappa Alpha Theta chapter and was loosely connected to the Sorosis Club in NYC (That thought did not come to me until I had almost finished typing this, so I will leave the history lesson in this post. Free of charge :-) (I have a post about Collegiate Sorosis on my blog, in case anyone wants to know more.)

You're correct! This begins the yearbook pages for Sorosis, with Pi Beta Phi following right after. How did I miss that?

For those interested, Omega Upsilon's entry begins on page 595. Theta Phi Alpha appears in the 1913 issue on page 615 with some unfamiliar names. Theta Phis may recall that Kathlyn Homes was our first pledge, with Marie Sullivan following after--both the week we were founded. However, Kathlyn had already been a member of Omega Upsilon, as evidenced in the Michiganensian.

[nyapbp]

From White Rose:

For those interested, Omega Upsilon's entry begins on page 595. Theta Phi Alpha appears in the 1913 issue on page 615 with some unfamiliar names. Theta Phis may recall that Kathlyn Homes was our first pledge, with Marie Sullivan following after--both the week we were founded. However, Kathlyn had already been a member of Omega Upsilon, as evidenced in the Michiganensian.

Oh how interesting! I once found an early Michiganensian at a book sale in Ann Arbor, but I gave it to the Pi Phi archives and it's in there somewhere. Funny thing is that I am almost certain the Pi Phi house is the same house that is picture, purchased from a professor in the early 1900s. It has, however, undergone several renovations and there is hardly any green space around it as was shown in that picture.

I also wonder if Badgeguy has a picture of the CS badge. As I recall, the New York ladies had Tiffany design it for the young ladies.

[TiareNoire]

This thread is probably one of the best Panhellenic threads I've read so far! If I had any pre-conceived biases toward a sorority or sororities on my campus, they definitely went away with reading this! Learned a lot. I especially liked SWTXBelle's post on the sororities' creeds. So awesome to read.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by nyapbp

(Head slap!) What I think you saw in the Michigan yearbook was a page for Collegiate Sorosis, a local organization that had its beginnings as a Kappa Alpha Theta chapter and was loosely connected to the Sorosis Club in NYC (That thought did not come to me until I had almost finished typing this, so I will leave the history lesson in this post. Free of charge :-) (I have a post about Collegiate Sorosis on my blog, in case anyone wants to know more.)

Or as Emily Litella used to say "never mind." (extra points if you catch this obscure reference to 1970s SNL)

Another Emily Litella fan!

Also, my Alpha Delta Pi chapter was originally the Sororsis Society.

[pas]

Oh I so have to get in on this!

Alpha Chi Omega – My mom is an Alpha Chi Omega and I love their history. She has a copy of the history book and I love to read it! The founders were so cool!
Alpha Delta Pi – I love their badge! And their early password was the same as Beta Sigma Phi's which is something I recently learned.
Alpha Epsilon Phi- The mascot is awesome!
Alpha Gamma Delta – Another epic mascot!!!
Alpha Omicron Pi – Yet again, I love love love the panda! And the fact that this sorority is the only one without a crest.
Alpha Phi – I love the ivy they use on their website. ha
Alpha Sigma Alpha – I think it is great that they were once a part of the Pedagogical group with AST and other, now defunct, groups.
Alpha Sigma Tau – I love the anchor as a symbol! It's so beautiful! I also saw on Youtube a candle passing ceremony that was so sweet.
Alpha Xi Delta – I love the badge! It is so unique!
Chi Omega – I seriously love everything about Chi O! I read their creed and cried one night. I seriously contacted their nationals and just wrote about how I love everything they stand for.
Delta Delta Delta – I think of Ida Shaw Martin when I think of Tri-Delta! She was an AMAZING woman who wrote so many beautiful rituals, so I bet Tri-Delta has an amazing ritual!
Delta Gamma – such an elegant sorority! I love the anchor and colors!
Delta Phi Epsilon – Ah, my sorority. What else can I say? Any time I see a unicorn I FREAK OUT! Any time I see an Iris, I want to cry. I love that we all have our amazing sororities. I seriously wish every woman in the world could find her perfect sorority.
Delta Zeta – I love the turtle! Another seriously classy sorority. I had a close friend who became a DZ.
Gamma Phi Beta – I love that they honored the man that helped them by adopting the color brown.
Kappa Alpha Theta – I've read a lot on this sorority and I am so proud of how much they went through--these women were pioneers! They saw the role of women change so drastically and were able to cope and change with the times and yet remain true to their founding principles. Kudos!
Kappa Delta – I LOVE the crest and colors and find their history to be so interesting! I love that they were considering being absorbed but didn't and now look! What an amazing group!
Kappa Kappa Gamma – I adore the fluer-de-lis and key! Such classy ladies!
Phi Mu – I think this is also a great group of women that saw so many changes! Starting off at an all girl's college and spreading their wings so far!
Phi Sigma Sigma – Their crest is soooo awesome and the sphinx is so secretive! I also like that they had a teenage founder! The maturity these women had to be founders of such a progressive group is amazing!
Pi Beta Phi – I think their letters look aesthetically pleasing!
Sigma Delta Tau – I love the torch as a symbol--how beautiful! To light your way! I love it!
Sigma Kappa – Their motto is amazing!
Sigma Sigma Sigma – I love their colors!
Theta Phi Alpha – the compass is one of the coolest symbols! Hands down!
Zeta Tau Alpha – I've always found their history to be so beautiful!

I am seriously so happy to be Greek and to share Greek bonds with 25 other, WONDERFUL organizations! It makes me so proud to be a woman!

[ASTalumna06]

Bump!

[ASTalumna06]

Bump!

[oldnorthstate]

Just read through this whole thread-- I love it! And of course I had to try my hand at it! A lot of my opinions on the different sororities are informed by girls I know. I know a couple girls are not the fullest representation of an entire sorority, but for many, because of a great relationship I've had with a sister, I see the sorority in a very positive light.

Alpha Chi Omega: I have several friends in Alpha Chi, and they are the sweetest girls. I've never met someone who's had a bad experience with an Alpha Chi on our campus!

Alpha Delta Pi: Every ADPi I know, regardless of her campus, absolutely LOVES her sorority wholeheartedly and is very dedicated.

Alpha Epsilon Phi: I think it's really cool that they've honored their Jewish roots to this day. The giraffe is also a very unique mascot.

Alpha Gamma Delta: I don't know many Alpha Gams, but the few I've met are so sweet and friendly. I think the squirrel is adorable, and I love the tradition of serving red, buff, and green food at Convention!

Alpha Omicron Pi: I like how unique they are in only having one color and remaining true to Greek tradition by not having a coat of arms. Very neat.

Alpha Phi: They are the newest chapter on our campus and have done an incredible job building their sisterhood from the ground up! Their hard work and dedication impresses me.

Alpha Sigma Alpha: The Phoenix is so cool! And the crest looks very historic, like it should be a king's coat of arms or something. Goes along with the crown, I guess!

Alpha Sigma Tau: I love the history of starting as an education sorority, plus the tenacity to remain when so many folded. I also think the Order of the Open Book honor society for sisters is super cool.

Alpha Xi Delta: Our house mom was an Alpha Xi house mom before she came to us, and when she left Alpha Xi, they loved her so much that they initiated her. That's left me with the impression that Alpha Xis are sweet and caring women.

Chi Omega: Every Chi O I know is so enthusiastic and always brimming with energy! The kind of girl you want around to make anything fun.

Delta Delta Delta: Every Tri Delt I've met is incredibly outgoing and welcoming, the sort of girl who makes you feel like you're her best friend the first time you meet her.

Delta Gamma: I love how the anchor has led to a full nautical theme for a lot of DG activities, it always looks so good. I also love the simplicity of the open motto, "Do Good."

Delta Phi Epsilon: I have a good friend who's a DPhiE, and I love her so much. She's given me a positive opinion of her sorority, plus I really love unicorns!

Delta Zeta: One of my best friends from high school is a DZ. I love seeing her Turtle Tuesday posts on social media, it's the cutest thing.

Gamma Phi Beta: It's so cool that "sorority" was coined for them! I think the open motto, "Founded On a Rock," really speaks to the strength of their sisterhood. And, I just learned this today, their mascot is the white harp seal, which I think is super cute!

Kappa Alpha Theta: I like the uniqueness of the kite, and the open motto, "Leading Women," sets the tone for their sisters.

Kappa Delta: The KDs on my campus are incredibly smart and leaders in tons of extracurricular activities, so I've always been very impressed by them. A girl who mentored me through our campus ministry is a KD, and my relationship with her has also given me a positive opinion of them.

Kappa Kappa Gamma: This is a bit like cheating... I love absolutely everything about Kappa and am so happy that I amma!

Phi Mu: One of my good friends is a Phi Mu, so again because of her I have a good opinion of the whole sorority. I also like their open motto, Les Soeurs Fideles.

Phi Sigma Sigma: I like the uniqueness of the sphinx mascot! I also think their Twin Ideals Fund, to assist disaster victims, is a great cause.

Pi Beta Phi: I'm a Pi Phi legacy through my grandmother, plus they're Kappa's sister sorority, so I've always thought they were pretty cool. I also think wine and silver blue are gorgeous colors!

Sigma Delta Tau: Like AEPhi, I think it's cool how they've preserved their original Jewish heritage while still being open to any woman who wishes to join. I also like the symbol of the torch, lighting the way for those who come after.

Sigma Kappa: I love the symbol of the dove, and I think it's very interesting that their first three chapters were all at the same school!

Sigma Sigma Sigma: On our campus, they have a really cute house with a little sailboat on the door. All the Sigmas I've met are passionate about philanthropy and very Panhellenic-minded!

Theta Phi Alpha: Again, I really admire how they've stayed true to their Catholic heritage. I also think the penguin mascot is adorable!

Zeta Tau Alpha: The Zetas on our campus are so spirited and excited about our school. I'm also impressed by how much they do for their philanthropy. Plus I love the concept of Zeta Day! Such a cool thing to be together with other chapters in your state!

[Sciencewoman]

Sorry, Gamma Phi doesn't have a mascot. Maybe it's a particular chapter's thing?

[oldnorthstate]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

Sorry, Gamma Phi doesn't have a mascot. Maybe it's a particular chapter's thing?

It might be! I was reading through the Wikipedia page and saw it listed there. By now I should know not to trust everything I read on Wikipedia! Thank you for the correction!!

[glittergal1985]

Originally Posted by oldnorthstate

Theta Phi Alpha: Again, I really admire how they've stayed true to their Catholic heritage.

To be honest, this part isn't true and I feel it's a big misconception about who we are. Theta Phi Alpha was originally founded as a sorority for Catholics, but it isn't at all who we are today. We are as religiously diverse as any other NPC, and while I attended a Catholic university my own chapter is not seen as any more "Catholic" than any of the 6 other NPCs on campus. We are not, say, the Catholic equivalent of Alpha Epsilon Phi. It's simply a part of our history.

[luv n tpa]

Originally Posted by glittergal1985

To be honest, this part isn't true and I feel it's a big misconception about who we are. Theta Phi Alpha was originally founded as a sorority for Catholics, but it isn't at all who we are today. We are as religiously diverse as any other NPC, and while I attended a Catholic university my own chapter is not seen as any more "Catholic" than any of the 6 other NPCs on campus. We are not, say, the Catholic equivalent of Alpha Epsilon Phi. It's simply a part of our history.

Beat me to it.