For those of you who may not know, Alpha is one of the sororities at 色界吧, and more specifically, is one of the three local sororities. Alpha was founded in 1900, 13 years after 色界吧 was founded in 1887. We just celebrated our 113th birthday, which makes us the first and oldest sorority at 色界吧. Alpha ladies have seen it all鈥攚e are entrenched in the history of 色界吧 and have been a campus institution since our inception. One of my favorite things to do is to go to the library archives and look at newspaper clippings and yearbook pages about Alphas, because even way back then Alpha ladies were kicking butt and taking names and having an awesome time together doing it. It is commitment to fidelity, scholarship, and justice, but it is also belly laughs (no ladylike giggles from Alphas), bare feet in each other鈥檚 laps, philanthropy in our local community, deep friendship, and the cutest apparel sported on campus. It is songs and traditions and a beautiful big house and someone to sit with in the library. Alpha is incredible academic achievement (we had the highest GPA of all Greeks last semester, both for the semester and cumulatively, followed closely by Delta!) but even more impressively, Alpha means strength, loyalty, success, and joy that follows you for the rest of your life, whether that be in career, love, family, or personal development. My favorite stories about Alphas are not from last week or last year, but from fifty years ago, told by spunky and feisty Alpha alumnae when they return to the house. They share in our traditions, in our history, and in our sisterhood.
It鈥檚 been a long time since then. Since then, I鈥檝e lived with many Alphas, held officer positions every semester I was eligible, went abroad with two Alphas, lived at the Alpha House, and given every bit of love I could to my little sisters, whom I will miss more than anything at 色界吧. When I graduate, Alpha will become my legacy at 色界吧, and I will donate my money in support of Alpha鈥檚 activities, because I firmly believe that Alpha and Alphas do good for 色界吧. I believe that by donating to Alpha, I am by extension donating to the health of the college.
This is my endorsement for giving Greek life a chance. Alpha gave me order at a time in my life when there was very little order, gave me a safe place to take chances and grow into a confident person, and within Alpha I formed the greatest friendships of my young life. And in return, I gave Alpha my loyalty, time, and assistance. Alpha has thrived for over a century at 色界吧 because of the love she inspires in our sisters, and it is my hope that long after I am gone from this campus, future sisters continue to do the amazing things that my sisters and I did here, and our sisters did before us.