Fludd 1

Mariah Fludd
Professor Raymond
UWRT 1101
16 July 2015
Sorority Life:
Sororities are organizations that are recognized all around the world. Some join to be a
part of a sisterhood while others join to be more involved with community service and activities
on college campuses. In a recent interview with Meredith Grey, member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, she was asked what made her want to go Greek and her response was, Seeing the
sororities involvement on campus and finding a sorority with the same morals as me was what
made me want to go Greek. I enjoyed finding a sorority that was a match. Every sorority is
different thats why it is essential to do a lot of research before choosing what sorority you relate
to the best. Most often prospects start with the history of Greek Letter Organizations, more
specifically the one they are interested in.
Greek Letter Organizations was founded on December 5, 1776 at the College of William
and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. This movement began with Phi Beta Kappa. It had similarities
with current sororities such as having a a motto, a ritual, a badge, principals of high idealism, a
bond of friendship and an urge to share the organizations values through expansion to other
campuses. Most sororities were formed for social and literary purposes. The Greek Letter
Organizations had meetings to discuss team topics and it led to the spreading of sororities
gradually throughout the United States such as North Carolina (Student Involvement).
There are different groups of sororities on the University of North Carolina at Charlottes
campus including the Pan-Hellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Diversified

Fludd 2
Greek Councils and Independent Councils. There are multiple sorority organizations that go into
each of those groups. Sigma Kappa would go under the Pan-Hellenic category, Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority would go under the National Pan-Hellenic category, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority
would go under the Diversified Greek Council and Alpha Omega Epsilon goes under the
Independent Council category (Dean of Students Office). Each of these organizations are
important because they have different morals and values set in place so that each individual can
find a sorority that they can relate to as follows:
Sigma Kappa is a sorority that is meant to provide women lifelong opportunities and
support for social, intellectual, and spiritual development by bringing women together to
positively impact the community. Sigma Kappa values personal growth, friendship, service and
loyalty. The Sigma Kappa sorority colors are pink and purple (Purpose and Values).
One of the first Greek-letter organizations established by and for black women was the
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 1908. The roots of this organization date back to Howard
University, Washington, DC, where the idea came from Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. She was from
Louis, Missouri. She viewed the Sorority as an instrument for enriching the social and
intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental stimulation through interaction with
friends and associates. Their mission is accomplished through the Service to all Mankind.
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority colors are salmon, pink and apple green (UNCC Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority).
Alpha Omega Epsilon is a sorority made up of female students and alumnae in the field
of engineering and technical sciences. This professional and social sorority was founded on
November 13, 1983 even though they didnt become recognized as an organization o the
Marquette University Campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin until March 22, 1984. This sorority was

Fludd 3
based on the idea of uniting female engineers of all curricula and that spread to other campuses.
This sorority has twenty-two chapters. The Alpha Omega Epsilon sorority colors are royal blue,
silver and white (Beta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon).
There are a lot of different sororities offered at UNC Charlotte. Most sororities focus on
academic excellence and dont focus on popularity and cost. The average cost for a new member
living in a dorm ranges from $1500-$2300 per semester (Dean of Students Office). This
money is set in place to accommodate for housing and activity fees. Sororities have special
housing. Each sorority has their own house and sometimes freshmen get the chance to stay there.
Many people think that sororities are focused on partying and social events but that is not always
true. In an interview with Meredith Grey she stated, I love to see sororities giving back to the
community by doing community service and other activities. My sorority focuses on academics
so time management is essential.
Sororities that focus on academics goes against all of the stereotypes that are said about
sororities and shows that some of them are focused and are very good leaders. Each sorority has
similarities like doing community service, being involved on campus and empowering young
women. Another thing that the sororities have in common is the hazing policy. According to
Michelle Guobadia, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has a zero tolerance policy for
hazing. Some differences would be that there are predominantly black sororities such as Alpha
Kappa Alpha and each sorority chooses philanthropies. For example, Alpha Delta Pi sororitys
philanthropy of choice is helping the Ronald McDonald house. All of these things can contribute
to deciding which sorority is best for prospects.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a sorority. Prospects need to research
the different types of organizations such as Pan-Hellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic

Fludd 4
Council, Diversified Greek Councils and Independent Councils to find out what they represent.
Once they know what category they best fit into then they can research the different sororities
that are included and from that point on, it is just about finding what sorority shares the same
values and morals as them. Each sorority has different sorority colors, mission statements,
mottos and letters. Prospects have to make sure the research is thorough because there are times
where more than one sorority can have aspects that they like. Being in a sorority is more than
social events and community service that prospects find entertaining. It is about being a part of a
sisterhood which could mean a strong bond for life.

Fludd 5
Works Cited
"Beta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon." Beta Kappa Chapter of Alpha
Omega Epsilon. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
"Dean of Students Office." Fraternity and Sorority Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July
2015.
Grey, Meredith. Personal Interview. 15 July 2015.
"Purpose and Values." Purpose and Values. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
"Student Involvement." General History of Fraternities and Sororities in the United
States. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
"UNCC Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,Inc Kappa Kappa Chapter." UNCC Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority,Inc Kappa Kappa Chapter. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July
2015.