The University of Cincinnati is home to 10 amazing and well-rounded Panhellenic sororities. Each week, a chapter from the UC will be highlighted along with the accomplishments their women and sisterhood has achieved as a whole.
The Pi Alpha Chapter of Chi Omega was installed at UC on Dec. 24, 1913. Their colors are cardinal and straw, and their flower is the white carnation. Chi Omega's symbols are the owl and a skull and cross bones. President of Pi Alpha Chapter, Abby McInturf, explains that their symbols, flower and colors "all represent the principles we were founded upon and strive to live by each day."
Chi Omega's national philanthropy is the Make-A-Wish foundation. Pi Alpha has a goal each year of raising more than $8,000 to grant a wish for a child with a terminal illness. They are proud to say they have been able to accomplish this goal the past three years in a row, which is a first for their chapter! To accomplish this goal, they have several fundraisers like Wish Week in the fall and Chi O Karaoke in the spring.
"Each year we grant a wish, we invite the Wish family over to our house for a themed party," McInturf said.
The girl they were helping this year, Annaliese, had the wish of going to Disney World. "For the first time this year, 70 women in our chapter woke up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning to send off Annaliese and her family to Disney World."
Aside from the phenomenal philanthropy efforts of Chi Omega, the women in their chapter contribute to the University of Cincinnati in a variety of ways. With majors from pre-med to graphic design and each woman being involved in at least two student organizations on campus, the Pi Alpha Chapter aims to have a presence all over campus. With that being said, more than 30 Chi Omegas serve on executive boards in organizations, such as Student Alumni Council, TEDx Cincinnati, Her Campus and CHAARG.
"Chi Omega makes a point to balance its purposes – scholarship, social, sisterhood, community service, career and personal development and campus activities – daily," McInturf says.
One of Chi Omega's sisters, Megan Mitchell, is the Serve Beyond Cincinnati President. She has been able to lead more than 35 women to go on service trips to Namibia, Tanzania, Dominican Republic, Peru, Nicaragua, Orlando, Biloxi, New Orleans, Costa Rica, Pulaski, Pine Ridge, Pittsboro, Puerto Rico and Americus.
Scholarship most certainly is a quality Chi Omega embodies as their chapter hosts weekly study tables at their house and on campus. Once finals start, their Scholarship Director hosts what they call "Super Study Tables" at their house with designated quiet hours, equipped with study food to help their sisters obtain the best possible grades at the end of the semester.
On top of everything Pi Alpha has accomplished as a chapter, McInturf "would like to thank every other organization on this campus that has helped our chapter and community along the way. Our Greek community on this campus has a strong sense of unity, and without each individual's and chapter's contributions, the University of Cincinnati would not be the same."
