Seton Hall University’s newest sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, welcomed its first members into its colony on Sunday.
According to Rebecca Davison, assistant director of leadership development, “A colony is a university recognized sorority or fraternity that is working to establish a ‘chartered’ chapter.”
“AOII is recruiting to average chapter size,” Davison said in an email interview last week. The University quota is 73 people.
According to Katie Mullins, the AOII educational leadership consultant, the colony achieved the university chapter total of 73 women.
During its recruitment process, the organization hosted several events to get to know the Seton Hall community. AOII consultants from the organization’s headquarters set up tables outside of the cafeteria to inform the community about the organization’s initiatives and to provide interested students with information about joining the sorority.
According to Mullins, one of AOII’s goals is to foster a greater connection between Greek organizations and to strengthen Greek Life on campus in general. In an effort to achieve this, the organization celebrated Team AOII Day on Sept. 5, where students wore miscellaneous “Team AOII” buttons, shirts and other merchandise in support of the organization’s recruitment process.
According to an AOII informational session held on Sept. 8, the organization was founded in 1897 at Barnard College. Its symbol is a sheaf of wheat, which represents women coming together. Among other information provided, the organization identified its color: cardinal, flower: jacqueminot rose and gem: ruby.
During an information session, Mullins discussed some of the organization’s philanthropies on both local and national levels. Nationally, AOII works to fund research for arthritis through a fundraising event called the Jingle Bell Run.
AOII also partners with several Major and Minor League Baseball teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox, to host Strikeout Arthritis! All of the proceedings raised from AOII ticket sales are donated to fund arthritis research.
According to Mullins, each AOII chapter is allowed to adopt its own local philanthropy. The members in each chapter determine their particular philanthropy. For example, some chapters choose to volunteer at local animal shelters or soup kitchens throughout the year. For more information about Greek Life contact Rebecca Davison at rebecca.davison@shu.edu.
Rachel Hassett can be reached at rachel.hassett@student.shu.edu.
