Georgia State’s Panhellenic Council has five nationally-based female sororities: Delta Zeta, Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Mu.
In addition to founding their sororities under the basic values of leadership, scholarship, service and sisterhood, the organizations under the Panhellenic Council try to put a lot of their focus on their philanthropic duties and the common goals they have as women.
“I know all of the Panhellenic sororities as well, as the other Greek organizations on [Georgia] State’s campus, do an amazing job giving back to the community and supporting other organizations,” Caroline Kittler, president of Delta Zeta, said.
Work
The Panhellenic Council holds each organization accountable by ensuring they meet the standards that are set.
“These expectations are relayed to the leaders of our chapters, which in return help to influence them to not only lead more effectively but provide a sense of guidance,” Amber Hemphill, president of Phi Mu, said.
Although all of the sororities have similar recruitment, values and goals, the systematic way each organization is run as well as the philanthropy they choose to engage in varies.
“Phi Mu supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as our national philanthropy,” Hemphill said. “Each semester, we raise a large sum of money through events coordinated and planned by our philanthropy chairwoman, Clara Kidney.”
Leadership
In Georgia State’s chapter of Delta Zeta, there is currently an executive board of ten sisters and thirty-five chairmanship positions.
The Phi Mu sorority is organized by committees and has a meeting each week to “introduce new radiance programs” to its members.
Alpha Omicron Pi has several leadership positions that cover their finances, recruitment, chapter development, ritual, administration and education; however, these roles are usually only held by older sorority sisters who have already held leadership positions.
Zeta Tau Alpha has a president, three vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer and a historian.
“Each position serves a very important role, and there is a role for everyone from public relations to intramurals,” Kittler of Delta Zeta said.
The presidents of the Panhellenic sororities all come together as a council to empower their sisters and their community around them.
Hemphill had a newfound self-confidence after joining Phi Mu and expressed her appreciation for lifelong friendships and skills she gained from being a part of her sorority.
“Without Phi Mu, I would never had the confidence to even run for president,” Hemphill said. “This [confidence] opened my eyes to endless possibilities I could have as president, and I felt as though I could give back to this sorority by being a figure [people] look up to and depend on.
Kittler was academic chairman before running for president and was very enthused about being on Delta Zeta’s executive board.
“I was encouraged by my sisters to run for president; I had sisters who empowered me and knew I could do a great job even before I believed in myself,” Kittler said. “I love being our president and feel so honored everyday that my sisters voted me into this position.”
Amber Young did not decide to run for president of Alpha Omicron Pi until almost one month before elections. Only having been a part of her organization for a year, Young was uncertain about whether or not she was ready for leadership, but her sisters encouraged her to run.
“I realized that I wanted to make a difference in my sorority and lead us to a much more successful future, and that becoming president was just the way to do that,” Young said.
President-elect Aly Britain has held many leadership positions in her sorority prior to becoming president. Some of these positions include Panhellenic delegate, secretary and vice president of programs and committees. When Britain joined Zeta Tau Alpha, she was inspired by the women who surrounded her and decided she wanted to inspire younger girls the same way she was.
“This sorority has given me so much and I want to serve it in a way that I can give back just as much, if not more,” Britain said.
Changes and Future Plans
The sisters of Phi Mu are hoping to go into fall recruitment as a strong chapter and President Hemphill wants the transition to be as easy as possible.
“I also want to work on preparing the chapter for the executive position changes, come December,” Hemphill said.
President Young of Alpha Omicron Pi is hoping to increase her organization’s social outreach throughout the school year.
“So be prepared to see a lot more AOII on campus,” Young said.
Panhellenic recruitment is in the fall. The sisters of Zeta Tau Alpha and their president Aly Britain are planning to recruit more members and become more involved on campus.
“We are also planning to become more involved on campus in the fall with our Annual Pink Panther 5K on campus and hoping to participate in the football games, especially homecoming,” Britain said. “That has always been a favorite for sisters.”
