75-452: Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity ( ΑΦ , also known as APhi ) is an international sorority with 175 active chapters and over 270,000 initiated members. Founded at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York on September 18, 1872, it is the fourth Greek-letter organization founded for women, and the first women's fraternity founded in the northeast. Alpha Phi is a member of
150-659: A Miss America winner three years in a row. Apart from the title, Kira won a $ 50,000 scholarship provided in part by Joseph Ribkoff Inc. and the Miss America Organization to continue her education, which she planned to use towards law school. In September 2014, relying on unnamed sources, Jezebel published a piece stating that, while at Hofstra University , Kazantsev was expelled from the Alpha Phi sorority for hazing . On Good Morning America , Kazantsev admitted her involvement in activities that fit
225-543: A chapter room located inside the fraternity's house. Entry into chapter rooms is often prohibited to all but the initiated. In one extreme case, the response of firefighters to a blaze signaled by an automated alarm at the Sigma Phi chapter house at the University of Wisconsin in 2003 was hampered in part because fraternity members refused to disclose to emergency responders the location of the hidden chapter room, where
300-563: A council of multicultural Greek organizations. The National Multicultural Greek Council , officially formed in 1998, is a coordinating body of 19 Greek organizations, including nine fraternities, and ten sororities with cultural affiliations. The first multicultural sorority, Mu Sigma Upsilon , was established in November 1981 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey . The formation of this Greek organization allowed for
375-548: A local heart project for the Heart to Heart Grant. Self-nominations are also accepted. The recipient is selected by a team of medical professionals and the Foundation Board of Directors. Starting in the early 2000s, many collegiate chapters of Alpha Phi host a philanthropy event known as Red Dress Gala, which often includes a silent auction, guest speakers, and a full dinner for sisters, alumnae, and family. Traditionally,
450-680: A minority of Greek-letter organizations and no such fraternity is currently a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference, the largest international association of fraternities. The first coed fraternity was Pi Alpha Tau (1963–1991) at the University of Illinois at Chicago . Much more commonly, coed fraternities exist in the form of service fraternities, such as Alpha Phi Omega , Epsilon Sigma Alpha , Alpha Tau Mu and others . These organizations are similar to social fraternities and sororities, except they are coed and non-residential. Similarly, in
525-507: A national or international organization that sets standards, regulates insignia and ritual, publishes a journal or magazine for all of the chapters of the organization, and has the power to grant and revoke charters to chapters. These federal structures are largely governed by alumni members of the fraternity, though with some input from the active (student) members. Before 1900, the expansion of fraternal housing and competition among fraternities led to increasingly aggressive recruitment among
600-422: A red plastic cup as a percussion, in a manner that was similar to Anna Kendrick 's character in the movie Pitch Perfect and Kendrick's " Cups " music video. During the on-stage question portion of the contest, she was asked what issue women in the senate need to put on the forefront. Kazantsev stated that she felt military sexual assault needed attention and resources of women in congress. She noted that she
675-599: A scholastic honor society and abandoned secrecy. In 1825, Kappa Alpha Society , the first fraternity to retain its social characteristic, was established at Union College in Schenectady, New York . In 1827, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi were also founded at the same institution, creating the Union Triad . The further birthing of Psi Upsilon (1833), Omicron Kappa Epsilon (1834), Chi Psi (1841), and Theta Delta Chi (1847) collectively established Union College as
750-500: A sequence of two or three Greek letters, for instance, Delta Delta Delta , Sigma Chi , Chi Omega , or Psi Upsilon . There are a few exceptions to this general rule, as in the case of the fraternities Triangle , Acacia , and Seal and Serpent . There are approximately nine million student and alumni members of fraternities and sororities in North America , or about three percent of the total population. Roughly 750,000 of
825-522: A sorority hearing of her case resulted in her termination. In 2015, the Beta Mu chapter at the University of Alabama took down a recruitment video that was heavily criticized for its lack of diversity and the provocative way in which collegiate women were portrayed. In October 2016, the Iota Delta chapter at the University of Rhode Island charter was revoked for at least four years. On bid day,
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#1732773394447900-433: A specific section of university-owned housing provided to them. Some fraternities and sororities are un-housed, with members providing their accommodations. In many of these cases, the fraternity or sorority owns or rents a non-residential clubhouse on or off campus to use for meetings and other activities. With a few exceptions, most fraternities and sororities are secret societies . While the identity of members or officers
975-487: Is "union hand in hand". The Alpha Phi badge is the Greek letter Alpha ( Α ) resting on the Greek letter Phi ( Φ ), engraved with the Greek acronym ( Α.Ο.Ε. ) . It can be customized in silver or gold and may be adorned with only white jewels - pearls or diamonds. Prior to the adoption of the current badge in 1906, "each member [of Alpha Phi] went to the jeweler of her choice to have her pin designed." The Alpha Phi badge
1050-432: Is being contested vigorously in U.S. federal court by several affected fraternities and sororities. Individual chapters of fraternities and sororities are largely self-governed by their active (student) members; however, alumni members may retain legal ownership of the fraternity or sorority's property through an alumni chapter or alumni corporation. All of a single fraternity or sorority's chapters are generally grouped in
1125-460: Is effectively blindfolded during the proceedings, and at last, still sightless, I was led down flights of steps into a silent crypt and helped into a coffin, where I was to stay until the Resurrection...Thus it was that just as my father passed from this earth, I was lying in a coffin during my initiation into Delta Kappa Epsilon. Meetings and rituals are sometimes conducted in what is known as
1200-453: Is facilitate and accomplish acts of community service ; this is in contrast to certain social fraternities and sororities or religious fraternities and sororities that participate in philanthropy and community service as a non-primary (secondary or tertiary) mission. Fraternities and sororities traditionally have been single-sex organizations, with fraternities consisting exclusively of men and sororities consisting exclusively of women. In
1275-564: Is one of the oldest and largest women's membership organizations, representing more than four million women at 655 college and university campuses and 4,500 local alumni chapters in the U.S. and Canada. In 1867, the Chi Phi fraternity established its Theta chapter at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland , marking the first foray of the American social fraternity outside the borders of
1350-546: Is rarely concealed, fraternities and sororities initiate members following the pledge period through sometimes elaborate private rituals, frequently drawn or adopted from Masonic ritual practice or that of the Greek mysteries. After an initiation ritual, the organization's secret motto, secret purpose, and secret identification signs, such as handshakes and passwords, are usually revealed to its new members. Some fraternities also teach initiates an identity search device used to confirm fellow fraternity members. Julian Hawthorne ,
1425-623: Is the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals ' Director of Digital Channels and Community Engagement. In November 2017 Kazantsev launched a podcast called "What We Do," in which every week she talks with women about, "the tough issues, the challenges we’ve faced, the best moments, the funny moments and the not so great moments." In 2021 she joined Golf Channel as reporter on a number of events throughout PGA Tour season while also appears on Golf Today and Golf Central shows and becoming special contributors to GolfPass. Prior to that, she served as
1500-601: Is worn by initiated members, as there is a separate badge for new members before their initiation. Other forms of badges: In 1956, Alpha Phi became one of the first women's fraternities to establish a Foundation. Alpha Phi officially adopted Cardiac Care as its philanthropic priority in 1946, which then became the Foundation's focus, along with awarding academic scholarships, upon its founding in 1956. The Foundation supports Alpha Phi's leadership training and programming, awards need-based and merit-based scholarships, invests in
1575-768: The Academy of Country Music Awards on April 19, 2015, at the AT&;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas . On May 17, 2015, she appeared as a presenter with Pete Wentz at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada . Kazantsev was also the first Miss America in 35 years to travel with the United Service Organizations (USO) and visit troops abroad. Kazantsev
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#17327733944471650-648: The Ivy Leaf as their primary symbol. The fraternity's official colors are bordeaux and silver . The colors were originally blue and gold; however, these colors were similar to those of Delta Upsilon Fraternity so they were changed. The official flowers are the Lily of the Valley and the Forget-me-not . Alpha Phi lists its ideals as "Sisterhood, Generosity, Innovation, and Character." Alpha Phi's public motto
1725-557: The Mother of Fraternities . The social fraternity Chi Phi , officially formed in 1854, traces its roots to a short-lived organization founded at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey , in 1824 bearing the same name. Fraternities represented the intersection between dining clubs , literary societies , and secret initiatory orders such as Freemasonry . Their early growth was widely opposed by university administrators, though
1800-568: The National Panhellenic Conference , the governing council of 26 women's fraternities. Alpha Phi's international headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado . At the time of the founding there were only 666 women attending Syracuse; ten of them eventually formed Alpha Phi to create an organization "on the principles of the promotion of growth in character; unity of feeling, sisterly affection, and social communion among
1875-472: The U.S. House of Representatives and 40 percent of members of the U.S. Senate were members of fraternities or sororities. Kira Kazantsev Kira Dixon (née Kazantsev ; born July 20, 1991) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss America 2015 on September 14, 2014. She is the third consecutive Miss America winner from New York and had won the title of Miss New York on May 24, 2014, while serving as Miss City of New York. Kazantsev
1950-781: The United States cabinet have been members of fraternities and sororities, and the current chief executive officers of five of the ten largest Fortune 500 companies are members of fraternities and sororities. In addition, 85 percent of all justices of the U.S. Supreme Court since 1910 have been members of fraternities. U.S. presidents since World War II who have been initiated into fraternities are George W. Bush , George H. W. Bush , Bill Clinton , Ronald Reagan , Harry S. Truman , Gerald Ford , and Franklin Roosevelt . Three Prime Ministers of Canada have been members of fraternities. In 2013, about 25 percent of members of
2025-684: The Upsilon Sigma Phi , was founded in 1918. The first Greek-letter sorority, UP Sigma Beta Sorority, was recognized in 1932. Many early fraternities referred to Christian principles or to a Supreme Being in general, as is characteristic of fraternal orders . Some, such as Alpha Chi Rho (1895) and Alpha Kappa Lambda (1907), only admitted Christians , while others, such as Beta Sigma Psi (1925) and Phi Kappa Theta (1959), catered to students belonging with certain denominations of Christianity, such as Lutheranism and Catholicism . Due to their exclusion from Christian fraternities in
2100-528: The "broad definition of hazing," but denied the allegations of abuse, describing the hazing at Alpha Phi as "menial tasks." In her personal blog, Kazantsev wrote that not attending national Alpha Phi's judiciary hearing of her case was the official reason for the termination. As Miss America, Kazantsev served as the official National Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Additionally, to further promote her platform of "Love Shouldn't Hurt", Kazantsev teamed up with Safe Horizon to launch
2175-749: The #PutTheNailinIt campaign with the aim to "end domestic violence for good." The campaign aims to spread awareness of domestic violence by painting your ring fingernail purple. On November 23, 2014, Kazantsev appeared as a presenter at the 42nd Annual American Music Awards in Nokia Theatre L.A. Live , in Los Angeles, California. On December 15, 2014, she appeared as a presenter at the American Country Countdown Awards in Nashville, Tennessee . She also presented at
2250-737: The Potential New Members (PNMs) an "External Prescore" based on pictures from their social media profiles. Throughout the recruitment process, active members in the sorority were also ranked on superficial qualities and matched with "stronger" or "weaker" PNMs. In the fall of 2018, the Alpha Phi chapter at Old Dominion University was suspended for one year from March 22, 2019 through March 22, 2020 and subjected to an organization assessment and action plan for intimidation, use or possession of alcohol, furnishing or distributing alcohol, and violation of university policy. In February 2023,
2325-634: The South acquired one. Chapters of many fraternities followed suit, purchasing and, less often, building them with support of alumni. Phi Sigma Kappa's chapter home at Cornell, completed in 1902, is the oldest such house still occupied by its fraternal builders. Sororities, originally called women's fraternities, began to develop in 1851 with the formation of the Adelphean Society Alpha Delta Pi , though fraternity-like organizations for women didn't take their current form until
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2400-1003: The Theta Mu chapter at Hofstra University was accused of body-shaming inductees. At an event they held, they only had size small t-shirts. This chapter had also had a reputation of "only allowing thin girls" into the sorority. Fraternities and sororities in North America In North America , fraternities and sororities ( Latin : fraternitas and sororitas , 'brotherhood' and 'sisterhood') are social clubs at colleges and universities . They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations , as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sororities to differentiate them from traditional not (exclusively) university-based fraternal organizations and fraternal orders that have historically acted as friendly societies or benefit societies to certain groups unlike
2475-523: The United States, Jewish students began to establish their own fraternities in 1895 and 1920, with the first one being Zeta Beta Tau , founded in 1898. Although many of the religion-specific requirements for many fraternities and sororities have been relaxed or removed, there are some today that continue to rally around their faith as a focal point, such as Beta Upsilon Chi (1985) and Sigma Alpha Omega (1998). Numerous Greek organizations in
2550-559: The United States, fraternities and sororities have a statutory exemption from Title IX legislation prohibiting this type of gender exclusion within student groups, and organizations such as the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee lobby to maintain it. Since the mid-20th century, a small number of fraternities, such as Alpha Theta , Lambda Lambda Lambda , and Alpha Phi Omega have opted to become co-educational and admit female members; however, these generally represent
2625-558: The United States, professional fraternities, such as Alpha Kappa Psi , Delta Sigma Pi , and Phi Gamma Nu are required to be co-ed under the Title IX amendments, as are any fraternities that are not social fraternities. In 2014, Sigma Phi Epsilon became the first fraternity in the North American Interfraternity Conference to accept transgender members, or those identifying as male, to join
2700-492: The United States. Fraternities and sororities have been criticized for practicing elitism and favoritism , discriminating against non White students and other marginalized groups, conducting dangerous hazing rituals , and facilitating alcohol abuse . Many colleges and universities have sought to reform or eliminate them due to these concerns, but these efforts have typically been met with intense controversy. The first fraternity in North America to incorporate most of
2775-677: The United States. At the time, many students from the American South were moving to Europe to study because of the disrepair southern universities fell into during the American Civil War . One such group of Americans organized Chi Phi at Edinburgh; however, during the Theta chapter's existence, it initiated no non-American members. With declining American enrollment at European universities, Chi Phi at Edinburgh closed in 1870. Nine years following Chi Phi's abortive colonization of
2850-666: The United States], Kappa Alpha Theta , was established in Toronto in 1887. By 1927 there were 42 fraternity and sorority chapters at the University of Toronto and 23 at McGill University. A few chapters were also reported at the University of British Columbia , Carleton University , Dalhousie University , University of Manitoba , Queen's University , University of Western Ontario , Wilfrid Laurier University , University of Waterloo and Brock University . The arrival of
2925-507: The University of Edinburgh, a second attempt was made to transplant the fraternity system outside the United States. In 1879, Zeta Psi established a chapter at the University of Toronto . Zeta Psi's success in Toronto prompted it to open a second Canadian chapter at McGill University , which it chartered in 1883. Other early foundations were Kappa Alpha Society at Toronto in 1892 and at McGill in 1899, and Alpha Delta Phi at Toronto in 1893 and at McGill in 1897. The first sorority [outside
3000-548: The advancement of women's heart health, and preserves Alpha Phi's rich and expansive heritage. The Foundation most notable program is its Women's Heart Health Program and Heart to Heart to Grant, a $ 100,000 grant awarded to medical professionals to better understand heart disease in women—specifically its symptoms, treatment, and prevention. Since its establishment in 1993, the Heart to Heart Grant has invested over $ 1.4 million in women's heart health initiatives. Collegiate chapters, alumnae chapters and individual members can nominate
3075-437: The chapters of fraternities and sororities in which they have particular interests. Usually, after a potential new member has attended several such events, officers or current members meet privately to vote on whether or not to extend an invitation, known as a "bid", to the prospective applicant. Those applicants who receive a bid, and choose to accept it, are considered to have "pledged" the fraternity or sorority, thus beginning
Alpha Phi - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-399: The collegiate members wear red dresses and pins to represent their support for Women's Heart Health. Individual Alpha Phi chapters are encouraged to develop a relationship with a local cardiac care project in their community as well as to promote awareness of women's heart disease. In 2021, Alpha Phi Foundation announced their $ 38 million comprehensive endowment campaign, Leading With Heart ,
3225-420: The conflagration had erupted. The fraternity or sorority badge is an enduring symbol of membership in a Greek letter organization. Most fraternities also have assumed heraldic achievements. Members of fraternities and sororities address members of the same organization as "brother" (in the case of fraternities) or "sister" (in the case of sororities). The names of almost all fraternities and sororities consist of
3300-683: The country. University President Stuart R. Bell , the University Panhellenic Association, and Linda Kahangi, executive director of Alpha Phi International Fraternity, released statements. In January 2018, three members of the Iota Iota chapter at the George Washington University were removed from the organization due to what was deemed a racist social media post. The incident prompted criticism from national and international news sources and
3375-474: The current fraternity and sorority members are students who belong to an undergraduate chapter. A 2007 survey conducted by Princeton University found that White and higher-income Princeton students are much more likely than other Princeton students to be in fraternities and sororities. Senior surveys from the classes of 2009 and 2010 showed that 77 percent of sorority members and 73 percent of fraternity members were White. Since 1900, 63 percent of members of
3450-460: The elements of modern fraternities was Phi Beta Kappa , founded at the College of William and Mary in 1775. The founding of Phi Beta Kappa followed the earlier establishment of two other secret student societies that had existed on that campus as early as 1750. In 1779 Phi Beta Kappa expanded to include chapters at Harvard and Yale. By the early 19th century, the organization transformed itself into
3525-464: The emergence of a multicultural fraternity and sorority movement, giving birth to a multicultural movement. The main purpose of professional fraternities and sororities is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is generally restricted to students and alumni in particular academic disciplines or industries . The term service fraternities and sororities, is used to describe Greek life organizations who’s primary purpose
3600-412: The establishment of Pi Beta Phi in 1867 and Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1870. The term sorority was used by a professor of Latin at Syracuse University , Frank Smalley, who felt the word "fraternity" was inappropriate for a group of ladies. The word comes from Latin soror , meaning "sister," "cousin, daughter of a father's brother," or "female friend." The first organization to use
3675-710: The fraternity system in Asia accompanied the introduction of the American educational system in the Philippines . The first fraternities were established in the University of the Philippines . The now-defunct Patriotic and Progressive Rizal Center Academic Brotherhood (Rizal Center Fraternity), a brotherhood of Jose Rizal followers, was founded in 1913. This was followed by the Rizal Center Sorority. The first Greek-letter organization and fraternity in Asia,
3750-420: The fraternity upon accepting a bid. Unique among most campus organizations, members of social Greek letter organizations usually congregate and sometimes live together in large houses generally privately owned by the organization itself, or by the organization's alumni association. Often fraternities and sorority houses, called lodges or chapter houses, are located on the same street or in close quarters within
3825-539: The increasing influence of fraternity alumni, as well as several high-profile court cases, succeeded in largely muting opposition by the 1880s. The first fraternity meeting hall, or lodge, seems to have been that of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Chi Psi at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan , in 1845, leading to a tradition in that fraternity to name its buildings "lodges". As fraternity membership
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#17327733944473900-632: The largest known campaign of its kind in the National Panhellenic Conference space. Past recipients of the Heart to Heart Grant Note: Texas Heart Institute has been awarded the grant twice, in 2013 and 2017. In 2013, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev was terminated from the Theta Mu chapter at Hofstra University for abusive hazing. At the time, Kazantsev was serving the chapter as head of recruitment. Kazantsev denied being abusive and maintained that her not attending
3975-446: The law and the underlying presumption that they were less able than men," but at the same time had to deal with the same challenges as fraternities with college administrations. Today, both social and multicultural sororities are present on more than 650 college campuses across the United States and Canada. The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) serves as the umbrella organization for 26 international sororities. Founded in 1902, NPC
4050-507: The life of the fraternity or sorority, but most likely not be permitted to hold office in the organization. After the new member period, a second vote of members may sometimes be taken, often, but not always, using a blackball system. New members who pass this second vote are invited to a formal and secret ritual of initiation into the organization, advancing them to full membership. Many Greek-letter organizations give preferential consideration for pledging to candidates whose parent or sibling
4125-492: The members." Although the actual founding date is September 18, 1872 , Alpha Phi has been celebrating their Founders Day on October 10 since 1902, since many colleges and universities were not open for classes in mid-September at that time. Alpha Phi considers itself a women's fraternity because its founding date predates the invention of the word "sorority". Alpha Phi's founding members were: Like many other women's fraternities, Alpha Phi recognizes multiple types of symbols, with
4200-440: The new fellow to mark him as a new member of the fraternity which he opted to join. Baird's further indicates that the tradition was adopted from English boarding schools, similarly jostling to recruit incoming prospects, which the aggressive fraternities found to be "handy to imitate". Variations of Rush Week continued to evolve, some offering immediate recruitment and some deferred until the second half of freshman year, or even into
4275-817: The ones mentioned in this article. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student but continues thereafter for life by gaining alumni status. Some accept graduate students as well, some also provide honorary membership in certain circumstances. Individual fraternities and sororities vary in organization and purpose, but most - especially the dominant form known as social fraternities and sororities - share five common elements: Fraternities and sororities engage in philanthropic activities , host parties, provide "finishing" training for new members such as instruction on etiquette, dress, and manners, and create networking opportunities for their newly graduated members. Fraternities and sororities can be tax-exempt 501(c)(7) organizations in
4350-480: The past have enacted formal and informal prohibitions on pledging individuals of different races and cultural backgrounds. This began with historically White fraternities and sororities excluding African Americans due to racism. Historically Black fraternities and sororities were spearheaded thereafter in response. Racist policies have since been abolished by the North American Interfraternity Conference , and students of various ethnicities have come together to form
4425-404: The pledge period (new member period). Students participating in rush are known as "rushees", Potential New Members "PNMs", while students who have accepted a bid to a specific fraternity or sorority are known as "new members" or in some cases "pledges". A new member period may last anywhere from one weekend to several months. During this time, new members might participate in almost all aspects of
4500-502: The same neighborhood, which may be colloquially known as "Greek row", "frat row", or "sorority row". Often, chapter houses are uniquely designed, highly elaborate, and very expensive to operate and maintain. Usually, the more expensive the house the higher the annual organization dues. The features and size of Greek houses play a major role in chapters remaining competitive in recruiting and retaining members on many campuses. At some, often small colleges, fraternities and sororities occupy
4575-540: The second year. Formal recruitment on all, or virtually all campuses continues as a defined Rush week, while many campuses and most chapters offer ongoing "informal rush" to welcome potential members, amounting to hundreds of thousands of new members every year. Today, most Greek letter organizations select potential members through a two-part process of vetting and probation, called rushing and pledging, respectively. During rush (recruitment), students attend designated social events, and sometimes formal interviews, hosted by
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#17327733944474650-515: The social fraternities, which had hitherto followed the methodical process of tapping and individualized invitations that are still present among honorary and professional fraternities. In an introductory article about the nature and history of Fraternal life, Baird's Manual indicates that the term " Rushing " and later, " Rush week " hearken to the effort to rush to meet incoming trains filled with new classmates and delegations of freshmen students, where bids were offered and lapel pins then "spiked"
4725-497: The social fraternity. Several sororities have adjusted their policies to confirm that transgender prospective members are allowable. Importantly, all these variants have stemmed from a process of self-determination, without challenge by other Greeks. In a bellwether case in 2016, Harvard University changed its student conduct code to bar members of single-sex groups from leading campus groups, serving as captains of sports teams, or participating in valuable academic fellowships. This
4800-449: The son of Nathaniel Hawthorne , wrote in his posthumously published Memoirs of his initiation into Delta Kappa Epsilon : I was initiated into a college secret society—a couple of hours of grotesque and good-humored rodomontade and horseplay, in which I cooperated as in a kind of pleasant nightmare, confident, even when branded with a red-hot iron or doused head-over-heels in boiling oil, that it would come out all right. The neophyte
4875-483: The sorority was accused of endangering the health and safety of new members and violating the university's alcohol policy. In January 2018, Harley Barber, a member of the Beta Mu chapter at the University of Alabama was terminated from the sorority and expelled from the university after posting videos on social media in which she repeatedly used the n-word and other profanities to make degrading comments about African Americans . The incident gained media coverage across
4950-466: The student body president in 2009. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York , with a triple major in political science , global studies , and geography . She joined the Alpha Phi sorority during her time at Hofstra, but was eventually removed from the sorority by the university due to concerns over hazing. After graduating from Hofstra, Kazantsev applied to numerous law schools and
5025-467: The term "sorority" was Gamma Phi Beta , established in 1874. The development of fraternities for women during this time was a major accomplishment in the way of women's rights and equality. By mere existence, these organizations were defying the odds; the founding women were able to advance their organizations despite many factors working against them. The first "Women's Fraternities" not only had to overcome "restrictive social customs, unequal status under
5100-548: The university's Student Association received petitions to remove the chapter from campus. In September 2018, a document by a former recruitment chair of the University of Michigan Alpha Phi chapter surfaced with descriptions of how the chapter's membership selection process was based on selecting for certain physical appearances and assigned numbers to these women based on the judgment of the recruitment chairs and representatives from their international headquarters. The exposé described that Alpha Phi supervisors ordered her to give
5175-465: Was a member of the same fraternity or sorority. Such prospective candidates are known as "legacies". Membership in more than one fraternity or sorority is acceptable, but only in accordance within specific Greek councils. Recently, some Greek-letter organizations have replaced the term "pledge" with that of "associate member" or "new member". Sigma Alpha Epsilon , in 2014, abolished pledging altogether. Potential members are now immediately initiated into
5250-635: Was accepted to Notre Dame Law School and Fordham Law School . She stated in interviews, after being named Miss America 2015, her desire to specialize in international law upon receiving her J.D. degree. In the summer of 2017, Kazantsev attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business completing the Stanford Ignite entrepreneurship program, which is a "suite of certificate programs that teaches innovators to formulate, develop, and commercialize their ideas." At age 13, she
5325-662: Was born on July 20, 1991, in San Francisco, California , to Russian immigrants who left Moscow in 1990 for the United States, making her a first-generation American . Her father, George, is a general surgeon and her mother, Julia ( née Afrikian), is a real-estate broker . Her mother is of Armenian descent. Kazantsev is trilingual, being fluent in English, Russian, and Spanish. She graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California , and served as
5400-409: Was happy that female politicians were already doing so, and proud to be a constituent of one of these women (Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ). She was crowned by outgoing Miss America 2014 , Nina Davuluri , beating out first runner-up, Miss Virginia 2014 , Courtney Garrett. She was the third consecutive Miss New York to earn the title of Miss America . Her win made New York the first state to have
5475-539: Was named Miss California Preteen, and at age 16, she served as Miss California Jr. Kazantsev competed in the Miss New York 2013 pageant as Miss Cosmopolitan. She placed in the Top 10. The following year, Kazantsev competed in the Miss New York 2014 pageant as Miss City of New York. She won the title of Miss New York 2014 and was crowned by Miss New York 2013 Amanda Mason. Kazantsev, representing New York ,
5550-582: Was one of the 53 delegates competing in the Miss America 2015 pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey , in September 2014. Her platform was "Love Shouldn't Hurt": Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence; Kazantsev stated that her personal experience with domestic violence was the inspiration for choosing this platform. For her talent she sang " Happy " by Pharrell Williams as she used
5625-410: Was punishable by expulsion at many colleges at this time, the house was located deep in the woods. The first residential chapter home, built by a fraternity, is believed to have been Alpha Delta Phi 's chapter at Cornell University , with groundbreaking dated to 1878. Alpha Tau Omega became the first fraternity to own a residential house in the South when, in 1880, its chapter at the University of
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