This week's spotlight is focused on the beautiful women of Alpha Phi! These women are very active on campus and are doing very much for the community, UCM and Warrensburg! Here is some basic information about these wonderful women!

What are your colors?

Silver and Bordeaux

What are your specific philanthropy events at UCM?

We co-sponsor the Johnson County Heart Walk every fall, which takes place on campus, and we hold our annual Red Dress Gala every spring which includes a silent auction, a heart health speaker, dinner and recognition to our sisters with various awards like Best in Class and Order of the Ivy. We also sponsor Heart Week every February with a social media contest, a heart health table in the union, a sisterhood event for our sisters to get active (this year we did Zumba!), and Wear Red Day on Friday. We also sell t-shirts in the spring for Heart Week and Red Dress.

What is your motto?

Union Hand in Hand

What year were you installed at UCM?

1991

What sort of academic programs do you have for your sorority?

Our Vice President of Academics implements study hours each week. The amount of hours varies depending on your GPA. We encourage girls to work hard academically and be the best student they can be. If they have a semester GPA of a 3.5 or higher, they will not have mandatory study hours for the semester.

We also have program where we pair younger members up with older members who share the same major. The older members can help the younger members with studying, homework, and planning their schedule.

What does a regular day as a girl in Alpha Phi look like?

Being an Alpha Phi is all about going to get food. Seriously. We love to start our days with Todd, and there is always someone in the front room waiting to go to Fitz or the Union for lunch. During dinner time, it gets a little bit more interesting. With so many girls involved in so many different organizations on campus, everyone eats dinner at a different time. Alpha Phi loves happs and Cancun, and we also can't say no to some late night Taco Bell. When we take study breaks, Go Go Bean is a favorite of Alpha Phi, and when we're bored on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, a little road trip to Lee's Summit for Chipotle is never out of the question. Surprisingly, we all make it to the gym on a regular basis too. I never go to the gym without seeing a sister! Class, which is why we're all at UCM in the first place, isn't always the best part of the day, but walking there always means that you'll run into a sister on campus and her smile will brighten your day! The heart and soul of being an Alpha Phi, however, is the foodie excursions because that's where the best heart-to-hearts and vent sessions happen, and that's what makes us sisters.

What is something that you wish girls in non-greek life or other sororities knew about your sorority?

I wish that other girls on campus, unaffiliated or affiliated with another sorority, knew that just because we are a young chapter at UCM (we're celebrating 25 years this spring!) doesn't mean that we don't have a rich national history. We are the sorority, or should I say fraternity, that started it all in 1872. I don't think Alpha Phi always gets the respect we deserve on our campus because we are "new" and we're just beginning to establish our own traditions and brand on our campus. I think we still have many strides to make and roadblocks to overcome in establishing ourselves at UCM, but I think it all starts with us asserting our history and sharing it with our Greek brothers and sisters.

What does the New Member period in Alpha Phi look like?

In Alpha Phi, the new member period is six weeks long. New member meetings are held on Sunday nights in the fall and Mondays before meeting in the spring. The Director of New Member Education provides the new members with a booklet of the ins and outs of Alpha Phi, including everything from our history to a how-to guide in regards to bills. Executive Board Officers make guest appearances every week to make themselves a friendly, visible presence to the new members as well as to explain their positions and what they deal with in the chapter. New Members are paired an Ivy Linker on Bid Day, and this girl is an active member of Alpha Phi who is interested in being a potential big. Each new member gets about three Ivy Linkers throughout their new member period so that they can get to know potential bigs and get to know the chapter. It's like a "dating" process for bigs and littles to feel each other out. About halfway through the new member period, Big/Little Reveal is planned with three clues leading up to the much anticipated reveal. The final week of the new member period is I-Week, which gives the new members are more intimate look inside the chapter they are about to join forever. Events during I-Week include the Flower and Forget-Me-Not Ceremony, Court of Ivy, pledge family dinners, and obviously Initiation itself.

How many hours of philanthropy are you required a semester/month?

Ten community service hours each semester.

What are values that are important to your chapter?

Sisterhood, Scholarship, Service, Character Development, Loyalty and Leadership

Who is a famous alum of your sorority?

Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015