Phi Sigs Like To Ainl. High 1 never thought going ta the bathroom could change my Me; but it did. While in the ladies' room at The Shed lasl fait, 1 met a member of the newesl naMonat sorarity, at Ihe time, Phi Sigma Sigma, formerly known as the local sorority. Gamma Gamma Kappa; they became a colony ta Phi Sigs in April 1985. We talked about general thingsand then sne started te'lling me about some of the benefils of being in Phi Sigs, such as scholarshlps. law-rate student loans. and no hazJng. She told me about a rush they were having the following week and invited me to come; 1 laid her l' d tnink aboutit.
l'm Ihe last persan ta even think of goIng 10 a sorority rusn, let a'lone pledge. As it ended up, 1 went la the l'ush and met sa me really nice girls. The president just happened 10 li·ve in the same hometown; we dido't know each other since we aUended different high schools. but il was unusual to meet someone from home that way. 1 still had reservatibns about joining a sorority. but 1vJent ta Ihe formai rush anyway. When 1 gal home laler thal nighl, 1 received a bid la pledge and was requested ta respond by noon the nexl day. 1 lalked it over witb my parents; they said ta make my own decision. Weil, 1 ccalJed the follawing mornili).g with "yes" as my answer. The s~steTS were re:al1y psycbed when 1 told them; il was my first feeling of accep· tdnce. 1 knew a few of the other pledges. but !:lot very weil. We were rcibbon-pinned the night aher formai rush al an ice cr'e am social in Marycresl. Il wa$ the first Phi Sig ceremony and the beginning of a very long road to sisterhood. 1 nad no idea of what ta exped as a pledge and decided to just "go with the flow."
Sept. 23 started the Ursl week of pledg· ing. rt brought us togefl1er inilially - ail seventeen of us. Ta get .to know each other, and some of the siste'rs, we went to The Shed for happy hour Ihat first Friday. By the time everyone got there, we fille'd almnst half of the place. 1 started memorizing faces to names and names ta faces and got 10 know everyone more personally. Our initial pledge meeting took place the first week of October. We were given calendars schedullng out the next two months of activlties and were ·t ald about mast of the requirements ta be complet· ed prior ta initiation. Meeting our big sisters was the filst real acHvity that con· nected us ta the sisters. ThroughoUlt the following seven weeks we pr·e pared for the final step of sisterhood; it wasn', easy. Besides weekJy aclillities wlth the sisters, we had to raise money; have our own wee.kly meetings; learn Phi Sig sangs; and make up our Own songs. Pledging officially ended Nov. 20. It was unexpected at the lime because we thought we still nad another week to go. Finally, knowing we were clone pledging locally, took a big load off of our snoulders. Ali that really remalned was actual induction into Phi Sigma Sigma. Since the Gamma Gamma Kappa sisters were alsa pledgl,ng Phi Sigma Sigma, we were doing. some of the same tRings, like collecting money for our nationaf philan· thropy, the National Kldney Foundation. NKF was chosen as our pnilanlhropy because kidney disease is Ihe No. 1 .kil!er of women. The sislers hàd a bowl-a· thon in KU on il rainy Saturday aHer· noon, so we made a day of it. We, the pledges, had a skate-a·thon one Friday ilight; an experience none of us will ever
forget; wc rink.
w~re
the oldest people in the
Because we were the Alpha pledge class. we had la wait until the Gamma sÎsters, also founders, were inducted. Theil: time finally came the filst week· end back after Christmas break. Nation· al officers arrlved Friday and informai initiation took place that night. Saturday marked formai Initiation and thus, Ihe Delta Pi chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma was fina\lly established wÎ,th a formai luncheon following the memorable event. For the nexl two weeks, we, the Alphapledges, prepared for our final sleps. It was a busy lime becausi'! rush was 21150 going on at the sa me time. As Jan. 24 appraached. so did the anxietie5. Here we were, trying ta bring in new pledges while we were still pledges ou.rsel'ves. Ffnally, the 24th came and it was ail or nothin,g. Vve reported to KU, everyone in whUe, for infmmal initiation. We returned Saturday morning. for our formai induction and ail the reserves were gone. 'flgured, ('ve come this far, t.here is no stopping or turning back now. And moy was it worlh it! There's a certain kind of c10seness now between the sisters that no one can toueh; il extcl1ds across the country through every chapter. Whether il be undergraduate or alumna~, the Phi Sig· ma Sigma motta .. A,im High" c1early states wnere w.e 've come from since 1913 at Hunter College in New York City ta the new pledge ~olonies popping up around the country expanding the goals and ideals of ail that Phi Sigma Sigma signifies.
Debbie Monaco
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