Alpha Phi Is the Best Sorority - 6 Reasons Why
What's your favorite thing about being an Alpha Phi? We know - just about everything, right? Being in a sorority is great in general, but being an Alpha Phi sorority member has many added benefits. Founded at Syracuse University in 1872, Alpha Phi was the first women's fraternity to be founded in the U.S. - that's some seriously cool bragging rights. Alpha Phi's 10 founders lived in a time when women's higher education was a rarity, if not completely opposed to. Society believed that women did not need higher education, so the ladies at Syracuse University decided to form a sisterhood to unite. It turns out, their idea was pretty good, and the APhi organization now has over 200,000 members across the country! Wow!
Alpha Phi is part of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), which the women organized for the first time in 1902. Alpha Phi met with member groups Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta and Delta Delta Delta. The NPC helps maintain interfraternity relationships within the chapters of each group. This powerful and philanthropic organization has been instrumental in beginning women's fraternities and fostering sisterhood for hundreds of years. There are even lots of famous APhis (who we talk about at the bottom of this post), like Dorothy Wright Nelson! Read on to find out why being an Alpha Phi sister is the best.
#1. Alpha Phi Red Dress Gala
Alpha Phi was one of the first women's fraternities to establish a foundation. Their philanthropic mission became to help fight heart disease, which is the number-one killer of women in North America. The Alpha Phi Foundation supports all kinds of programs that research the treatment of heart disease in women, hoping to improve treatments and outcomes. Almost every chapter's biggest fundraiser of the year is the Red Dress Gala or some other Red Dress event. The Red Dress Gala is one of the best events - if not the highlight - of the year. There is usually a silent auction, guest speakers and a big dinner for the sorority members and their families. Of course, it's not called a gala for nothing, and every sister wears her most beautiful red dress to the event. The money raised from the night is donated to the Alpha Phi Foundation for the research of the treatment of heart disease in women.
#2. Beautiful Alpha Phi Sorority Houses
When you think about joining a sorority, you might be thinking about the housing accommodations. With some of the largest chapters in the country, Alpha Phi's chapter houses are bound to be pretty amazing. With the most grandiose chapter houses out there, any Alpha Phi girl is lucky to call one of these places home. Living with your sisters is a lot of fun and opens up options for bonding, tutoring and more. A Phi also has seven chapters in Canada.
#3. Official Alpha Phi Colors
Every sorority sister loves representing her sorority everywhere she goes, whether hanging out on campus, out on the town or heading home for the holidays. This is tough if the organizations colors are, well, blah. The Alpha Phi sorority colors are silver and bordeaux (which is a maroon-ish color), which go beautifully together. Every Alpha Phi loves rockin' those colors everywhere from her T-shirts to her nails. Alpha Phi girls have an easy time finding the best merchandise and clothing to wear around campus and the chapter house. Most sorority members have cute hand signs they will do in photos with their sisters, some more known across the country than others. On most Phi photos you see, you'll see them reppin' the sorority colors and throwing up the "Phi Bear" or "Ivy Leaf" with their hands. The Phi Bear is the sorority mascot, and the Ivy Leaf is the fraternity symbol. These are other cute ways Phis show their love for their sorority!
#4. You'll Find a Fellow Alpha Phi Wherever You Go
With over 200,000 initiated members across the country, you're bound to meet a fellow Alpha Phi woman wherever you go. Being a Phi means having life-long friends who value kindness, love and respect for one another as well as a ready-made network of professionals that can help you land your dream job. Not only will your future bridesmaids probably come from your Alpha Phi chapter, you will meet fellow Phis along the way with whom you will have an instant connection through your shared experiences in Greek life. The values that this women's fraternity teaches include loyalty, character development, service, leadership and more. In other words, the friends you make are stand-up ladies who value the same things as you do.
The bonds created between sisters will also help with your future career endeavors. Think about this - the networking you do (just by meeting your sisters) will open doors for you in the future. There are benefits of being an Alpha Phi that extend past your college career. One of Greek U's Brand Ambassadors, Monica Mayefskie, states: "Being an Alpha Phi means always being there for your sister, whether it's a late night run to grab ice cream or if it's something more serious. Everyone come from different backgrounds and therefore goes through different experiences, having people you can always count on is so important." Couldn't have said it better ourselves!
#5. Famous Alpha Phis
Is Alpha Phi a good sorority? Of course it is! That's why there are so many famous Alpha Phis who got their start in the group. Wouldn't you love to say that you're a part of the same organization as some of the most famous women in the world?
Kimberly Williams-Paisley - You probably know her as Annie Banks from the Father of the Bride series, which was her breakthrough role. Before starring in a movie opposite Steve Martin, this famous Phi attended Northwestern University. She filmed Father of the Bride during her college years, but returned to the university to complete her degree. Williams-Paisley's most recent role is in the television show Nashville. She is married to country singer Brad Paisley and gave birth to their second child in April 2009. I bet you can guess what Brad Paisley's favorite sorority is!
Dorothy Wright Nelson - This famous Phi has been a senior judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit since 1995. Nelson attended UCLA while she was an Alpha Phi member. She is the former dean of the University of Southern California Law Center, and she inspired the creation of the Dorothy Wright Nelson Justice Award at USC.
Stacia Hookom - Hookom was the first female named to the U.S. National Snowboarding Team when it formed in 1994. Since then, she has won six National Championship titles, nine World Cup podiums, and has attended the world championships seven times during her career. She retired in 2007. Hookom went to the University of Colorado and majored in biology.
#6: Because Alpha Phis Are Proud to Be Phi
As you can see, being an Alpha Phi is the perfect way to spend your college experience. You get to give back to an amazing organization, have thousands of sisters across the country, make friends for life and participate in really fun experiences along the way. If you're not sure which fraternity to join, check out Alpha Phi, look into the Alpha Phi sorority reputation and find your sisters for life. Share this post on Facebook, and watch those Phi's as they break the internet!