Alpha Chi Omega was founded on Oct. 15, 1885, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. At that time, women were just beginning to attend college. The founders of Alpha Chi Omega were dedicated to advancing the intellectual, social, and moral culture of its members. Notable alumni include former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who attended the University of Denver.
The women of Alpha Chi Omega hope to enrich their members' lives through four principles: Leadership, Friendship, Learning, and Service. The symbols and traditions of Alpha Chi Omega represent who they are and what they value, thus providing a great source of meaning to their members and creating a bond of sisterhood.
At the local Omega chapter at Washington State University, members of Alpha Chi Omega, affectionately known as A Chi O, pride themselves on their diversity and their spontaneous sisterhood. Their sisterhood sets them apart from others because even though they are diverse in their interests, they are always able to come together and support each other.
With the negative stereotypes that are shed on Greek life, the members of A Chi O work to be a representation of all the positives that Greek life offers its community. From the clothes we wear and sometimes happen to match, to the assumed "party habits" that go on, there are many things that people use to generalize sorority women which Senior Sarah Moore has seen personally. "There are times when it has been appropriate to speak up, and other times where I let my positive actions speak for me. I try to always be the most respectful, kind, and hardworking person I can be all the time, especially in settings where people have a chance to make an opinion of me, so if they choose to instead generalize me by stereotypes that don't truly fit my actions, then that is not a battle worth fighting," Moore said.
By getting involved in her chapter, Alumni Relations Chair Shelby De Lappe has seen a different side of things. " As the alumni chair, I see how passionate our alumni are about giving back to WSU and the chapter as well. This place has given me so much there is no way I won't return that favor for future Cougs, Greek and non-Greek alike," said De Lappe.
For its philanthropy, A Chi O focuses on domestic violence. During the fall semester, A Chi O hosts a philanthropy event known as G.I. Alpha Chi; it's a three-day philanthropy. The first day is dedicated to learning about domestic violence. On the second day, chapters are asked to go through an obstacle course. The winning sorority will be crowned victor, and the top two fraternities will participate in Mr. Alpha Chi.
During Mr. Alpha Chi, the two top fraternities will serenade members of A Chi O, and individual fraternity men compete to win the title of Mr. Alpha Chi. Conclusively, one fraternity will win the competition, and a member of that fraternity will be crowned Mr. Alpha Chi. Both the winning sorority and fraternity are invited back to A Chi O on the third day for a dinner.
A Chi O's Philanthropy Chair, Marleigh Singleman, likes the idea of philanthropies because, at the end of the day, the Greek community can come together to support charitable causes. "It is important to get these philanthropic experiences because you get educated on the importance of community service," Singleman said.
In A Chi O, they are focused on more than just test scores and GPAs; they concentrate on the intellectual development of their members, which they believe should extend beyond the classroom. A Chi O is filled with unique, talented, genuine women who are all looking to enhance their college experience through A Chi O while giving back to the community.
