Alpha Sigma Alpha returns to campus

In an effort by the IU Panhellenic Association to increase the number of sororities on campus, Alpha Sigma Alpha will return to IU.

ASA is the second sorority to return to IU in recent years following the reinstatement of Theta Phi Alpha in fall 2011.

Bringing these sororities back is part of an extension plan by PHA. The sororities were both chosen through a mutual selection process with PHA, said Suzanne Haynes, leadership consultant for the ASA national organization.

“They realized they needed more organizations,” Haynes said. “Theta Phi Alpha and we were chosen through mutual selection. Theta Phi Alpha was a great little guinea pig, and now we’re here looking to help more women get into greek life.”

ASA was active at IU about 20 years ago and has an active alumni base in Bloomington and Indianapolis, said senior Kendra Allenspach, PHA president.
Increasing the number of women in the greek system is a goal of both ASA and PHA, Haynes said.

“The PHA here has recognized that through statistics, a lot of women weren’t getting placed,” Haynes said. “And the goal is to have as many women placed in greek life as possible and, for them, that meant offering something different and that is a non-residential sorority.”

Haynes will be in Bloomington during fall semester and most of spring semester to organize the colony before it becomes the Epsilon Phi chapter.

“We will be a part of recruitment in January, which is an exciting thing,” Haynes said. “We don’t have plans for a house, and that would be down the road. This is great for people who can’t afford housing but are great doers on campus.”

About 120 women came to callout meetings Tuesday and Thursday of the first week of classes for information about ASA and philanthropy in Bloomington, Haynes said.
“As a greek organization, we are very focused on philanthropy,” Haynes said. “The meetings were about why we’re here and why we’re excited to be here.”

There will be another callout meeting 8 p.m. today in Woodburn 120. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can come to the meeting, but freshmen can’t join until second semester.

“We’re looking for women who are leaders, scholars and who meet our expectations,” Haynes said.

In the coming weeks, interested women will have informal interviews with either Haynes, Communications and Marketing Coordinator Katie Matis Smith or Membership Growth Coordinator Lisa Stephenson, Haynes said.

“We will also be at the Student Involvement Fair,” Haynes said. “We don’t have a set number of women to recruit, but we are looking to be competitive with the numbers of established sororities on campus.”

While there are 26 sororities in the National Panhellenic Conference, ASA will be No. 21 for IU, Allenspach said.

“We are so excited Alpha Sigma Alpha is here,” Allenspach said. “There are so many women interested so seeing those great numbers gives us hope that this will be a successful chapter.”