Alpha Phi hands out buttons to promote their arrival on campus. (PHOTO BY:ARIEL COBBERT)
This fall will mark the addition of an 11th sorority to the National Panhellenic Association’s growing presence on the Ole Miss campus. Alpha Phi, which has 164 chapters across the US and Canada will begin its Ole Miss colonization during this year’s recruitment week, although its involvement in the process will look a little different than that of the other sororities.
Ashley Ramirez, a sophomore information systems major and Alpha Phi’s Phi Mu representative on campus reports that Alpha Phi will participate in Greek Day to introduce potential new members to Alpha Phi and answer any questions they may have.
Potential members will then have one-on-one meetings with the colonization team the following week.
The sorority will also host a handful of events structured like the formal recruitment meetings that will be taking place in late September as a more laid back way to get to know interested girls.
“Attendance at these is not mandatory,” says Ramirez. “But it is encouraged!”
Also different than a typical recruitment week will be the age distribution of new members.
“we are looking to create a balanced chapter, and will be more than willing to meet with women in all academic classes, from freshman to senior,” said Emily Nickels, one of two educational leadership consultants working to establish the organization on campus.
The different recruitment structure will allow for the women colonizing Alpha Phi’s new chapter to get to know potential new members, and for potential new members to ask more open questions about the organization and its philanthropic arm, the Alpha Phi Foundation.
“In addition to working to advance women through philanthropy, Alpha Phi recognizes the importance of improving women’s heart health and we are already in the process of planning some philanthropic events for the year,” Nickels said.
The announcement of Alpha Phi’s approaching arrival on campus comes shortly after the completion of fellow sorority Alpha Delta Pi’s house on Rebel Drive. Alpha Phi also holds a plot on Rebel Drive across from Pi Beta Phi, according to Nickels.
“We just received the ground lease from the university and are hoping to break ground this spring,” Nickels said. “Our goal is to have members move into the house by fall of 2017.”
This will be the first time an Alpha Phi chapter has been established at the University of Mississippi.
‘Two years ago the Panhellenic community voted to open campus to another chapter. That’s when our process began,” Nickels said. “We have been working since then to be prepared to recruit new members this fall.”
That newness is part of what representatives and Educational Leadership Consultants hope will appeal to new members with strong leadership and values. These new members will be founding members and start new traditions for the sorority on campus, according to Ramirez.
