New Colonies!!

[AEPhiSierra]

I just wanted to welcome our newest AEPhi colonies at Arizona State University and San Diego State University.

[Aphigal]

Congratulations! I also heard you are coming back to Miami of Ohio from an advisor I know on campus there.

[AEPhiSierra]

Thanks!

I would be a little suprised if we went back to Miami of Ohio this soon b/c I think it closed only 3 or 4 years ago (I know they were still active when I joined in 2001) but I have never really been in the expansion loop. Hopefully you're right, recolonizations are always great news.

[AEPhiSierra]

From what I know the group at SDSU was a local named Alpha Epsilon formed with the intention of eventually affiliating with AEPhi.

As for the ASU chapter I haven't heard anything specific/official but my guess is they probably used to be the SAEPi chapter. I really doubt that SAEPi closed and then a completely new interest group formed a few months laters to affiliate with a similiar niche sorority.

I know SAEPi has been mentally linked by some to AEPhi because they mention us in their history but my instinct tells me that this is a unique situation. Why would groups go through all the effort to affiliate with one group only to drop them and go through even more effort to affiliate with another group. These are my assumptions of course because I don't know the official story. Anyone on the board from ASU who knows more details?

AEPhi chapters (at least from what I have seen) rarely form out of general open NPC expansions processes on campus. Colonies almost always seem to come from interest groups or locals forming with the specific intent of affiliating with AEPhi or a historically Jewish sorority.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally posted by AEPhiSierra
From what I know the group at SDSU was a local named Alpha Epsilon formed with the intention of eventually affiliating with AEPhi.

Alpha Epsilon formed after SAEP (http://www.pbase.com/betastar/sd) closed. I find it very interesting that their national website (http://www.sigmaaepi.com/pages/chapters.html) doesn't even list it as a closed chapter. It was their first expansion. :confused: If any of you watched Sorority Life, you might remember the episode where the pledges go to Vegas and whine about the members not going. The members didn't go because they were in San Diego initiating the new chapter. :)

Congratulations on your new colonies! :D

[AEPhiSierra]

I had figured they weren't connected because their crest would seem to indicate they were established in 2000.
Plus after reading through the campus greek history they mention the founding of Alpha Epsilon in 2001 with no reference to SAEPi.

I think SAEPi might have done the same thing with a chapter at Oregon. I am pretty sure they had a chapter up there that they don't know acknowledge having existed anymore either. My guess is SAEPi probably expanded a little to fast because I think they recently put a hold on expansion to strengthen the current chapters.

[33girl]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl
Alpha Epsilon formed after SAEP (http://www.pbase.com/betastar/sd) closed. I find it very interesting that their national website (http://www.sigmaaepi.com/pages/chapters.html) doesn't even list it as a closed chapter. It was their first expansion. :confused: If any of you watched Sorority Life, you might remember the episode where the pledges go to Vegas and whine about the members not going. The members didn't go because they were in San Diego initiating the new chapter. :)



Were they truly chartered as a chapter, or didn't they get past colony stage? Same for the one in Oregon.

[AlphaFrog]

Not to further sidetrack this thread (because that never happens on GC;) )

But, it seems maybe they were able to expand so fast because girls were hopeful that MtV would come back and do a "Where are they now" type show and the new chapters would be featured. Now that the hype is gone, and that's not looking like a possibility, they're back to being an ordinary group, and that may have hurt their expansion. (Not that I would want members who's sole purpose for joining is 5 minutes on MTV, but hey, that seems to be what this sorority is built on.) Anyone else get that impression??

[SoCalGirl]

Originally posted by 33girl
Were they truly chartered as a chapter, or didn't they get past colony stage? Same for the one in Oregon.

The San Diego one was an actual chapter. I assume the girls who formed AE had an association with SAEPi because of the timing. I don't know for a fact that they are associated though.

http://ct.pbase.com/u12/betastar/small/2962588.081Plaque.jpg

The IMG thing isn't working but if you click on the link I put in earlier there's a picture of a plaque that says:

This plaque is in commemoration of the first affiliated chapter of SAEP

Initiated April 13th, 2002
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

[ASUADPi]

As for the ASU chapter I haven't heard anything specific/official but my guess is they probably used to be the SAEPi chapter. I really doubt that SAEPi closed and then a completely new interest group formed a few months laters to affiliate with a similiar niche sorority.

I know SAEPi has been mentally linked by some to AEPhi because they mention us in their history but my instinct tells me that this is a unique situation. Why would groups go through all the effort to affiliate with one group only to drop them and go through even more effort to affiliate with another group. These are my assumptions of course because I don't know the official story. Anyone on the board from ASU who knows more details?



OMG I was literally just told on Sunday night by the collegians at ASU what chapter it was. I don't believe it was SAEPi, just because I could have sworn they told me a three letter name. OMG that's going to bug me. LOL. So emailing the collegians when I get home from work :D

[juliet123]

I am in the new SDSU colony!! I rushed last fall when it was still just Alpha Epsilon but had to drop unfortunetlly. SDSU's chapter became AEPhi in the spring and two weeks later they won Greek Week! We also just won the Dean's list and got your trophy last weekend during homecoming. I rushed again this fall and got in. I love it so much and all of the girls.

Next Thursday (Nov 9) is our Big Sis reveling. It is also my bday so it is great bday present. Anyone have any tips on what to say on my poster for my Big Sis?

[aephi alum]

Congratulations and welcome to AEPhi! :)

How big is the colony? Do you have a website?

[DreamfulSpirit]

I'm not AEPhi, but I was going to ASU and they were SAEPi. There were facebook groups that was called "We Quit Sigma" and in its discription said that they quit Sigma to become part of AEPhi. But I thought I read somewhere that this isn't the first time AEPhi has been at ASU, so its recolonizing there.

[AEPhiSierra]

I'm not AEPhi, but I was going to ASU and they were SAEPi. There were facebook groups that was called "We Quit Sigma" and in its discription said that they quit Sigma to become part of AEPhi. But I thought I read somewhere that this isn't the first time AEPhi has been at ASU, so its recolonizing there.

It is a recolonization but I don't think the chapter was there very recently. ASU was our Epsilon Zeta chapter found in 1958. I think they have to have been inactive for at least 10 years as they were not active when I pledged in 2001 and I hadn't heard any references to their recent closure around then. I am guessing that it has been closed long enough that its dates might be in the last Baird's if someone checked.

I am curious to hear what happened for them to end up dropping Sigma. Maybe I'll meet one of the colony members at convention so I can ask.

[aephi alum]

My NM manual, dated 1993, also indicates that Epsilon Zeta chapter was inactive at that time.

Not to worry... it's always great to see a recolonization. :)

[juliet123]

The SDSU coloney is pretty small. We are only about 20 girls right now. I believe we are also recolonizing. It is hard because all the other sororities on campus have about 150 girls or more. We are the only ones without an offical house too. We are renting a regular house that Alpha Phi owns. We are looking for a house right now but it is hard. Especially since Delta Zeta is coming to our school now next fall and they already own a house (they are recolonizing too but kept their house and just rented it out). Some of the houses are also being torn down soon to build this mini mall thing and Sorority Row was cancelled. Anyone know of any organizations out there to help? We were joking about going on Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

[Lily1909]

AEPhi Colonizes on Three Campuses this Spring

National Council is pleased to announce that Alpha Epsilon Phi will be colonizing on three campuses this spring. We will be returning to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and to the University of Connecticut in January. Later on in the semester, a new group will begin at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Watch for more stories on our website or in Columns.

So exciting!!!

[AEPhiSierra]

That is awesome news!! I had heard about the interest groups at UConn and Miami but the Virginia Commonwealth is news to me. It's really great how much we have been expanding lately!!

[juliet123]

Here is SDSU's AEPhi website. The picture hasn't been updated since last spring though, hehe. http://www.geocities.com/sdsualphaepsilonphi/
We now have 27 girls! We got 7 new girls during spring recruiment and are going through formal recruiment for the first time this fall. We are very exicated!! :D

[norcal aephi]

Just wanted to let all the Phis know that Stanford has started up a colony and will begin recruitment this week! (Insider knowledge--I'm one of the advisors)!
LML

[Phine]

Another update...
UConn colony was officially rechartered last weekend as Alpha Xi chapter! It was so exciting. We started as an interest group almost five years ago so last Sunday was amazing and I was so happy to be able to be there.
LML

[Scully]

Congratulations to the ladies of Stanford and UConn! LML

[SigmaSarah328]

Hi All! I'm actually a member on the new National Board of SAEPi and came across this discussion thread one night, and have decided to reply (hope ya'll don't mind). Since this seems to be half discussion about AEPhi's new colonies and half discussion about what happend to the SigmaAEPi chapters there, I feel my comments to be at least interesting.

SDSU was before my time in the sisterhood actually. I'm not terribly sure what happend there, but I know they left before any semblence of a national board. ASU was initiated after the national board formed, and they were given the letter Alpha. Well, if ASU is Alpha, and UCDavis is Chater, then what the heck was SDSU supposed to be? Since their time as a chapter was so short, that first board decided that they would (sadly) be lost to the sands of time.

Our chapter at ASU always had intentions of becoming AEPhi. We knew this when they were initiated as one of our chapters. Why they "settled" on us instead of just waiting, I'll never know. But settle they did, and then when they had their oppertunity they left. They, unfortunatly offered us no explaination or warning. We felt a little betrayed when they left, but there was nothing we could really do except regroup.

It was around this time that our (full) chapter at Oregon also decided to leave. They left because they really wanted to have Panhellenic association, and their Council told them that they'd have a better chance of getting it as a local, than as a chapter in a non-affiliated national. So, they are now Sigma Mu Omega (I think), and seem to be doing quite well.

There was a comment above that stated something to the effect of we were growing too quickly to hold on to our chapters. There is a degree of truth in that. The first incarnation of the national board made a lot of desiscions without thinking of the long-term consequences. My later incarnation paid the price for that. But now we have our act together and are growing and a slower, more reasonable pace. We now holding strong at 5 chapters, including our newest at UCLA!

I hate to think of Sigma and AEPhi "competing" for a similar market. Sometimes that may be the case. But I think that overall, our organizations have similar goals in mind; to create a warm and welcoming place as well as a unique Jewish experience for anyone who wishes to contribute. And to that end, I believe we should be allies. I'd love for our two sisterhood to have future collaberations.

Everyone have a great rest of summer!

Sincerely,
Sarah Gamma Chapter '04
Spirit ~ Strength ~ Sisterhood