Pi Beta Phi
BACK GROUND
Pi Beta Phi was nationally found in 1867 at Monmouth College in Illinois. Pi Beta Phi, also known as “Pi Phi,” is a sorority here located in Tucson at The University of Arizona. This chapter was established in 1917, being the alpha chapter. This chapter involves hardworking, intelligent, and charismatic women. Their six core values in which they stride for are integrity, lifelong commitment, philanthropic service to others, personal and intellectual growth, honor and respect, and sincere friendship. Another aspect of Pi Beta Phi is their academic responsibility, including an award for the highest new member GPA this past year.
PHILANTHROPY
Every chapter here on campus is involved with at least one philanthropy to help tackle serious issues nationally. Pi Phi’s philanthropy is Read > Lead > Achieve, which encourages the power of reading and education. “We believe that when one out of four children grow up unable to read, that’s one child too many. For more than a century, we’ve committed ourselves to creating a more literate and productive society” (Pi Beta Phi). Each sister participates in at least one event to either participate, donate, and advocate. Events include Champions are Readers which is a program for students in prekindergarten to third grade, FDS500 that awards 100 First Book recipient groups with grants to purchase 500 new books for children in need, The Literacy Advocacy Project that is a training program that shows how each person can make an impact. A specific event here at the U of A is Pi Phi Pizookie which entailed selling ice cream and cookies to other greek members and donating the profits towards their philanthropy.
SYMBOLS
The badge includes a golden arrow including their greek letters on a pair of wings, “The 12 links in the chain represent each of the founders” (pibetaphi.org). As well as a badge there is a crest in which each chapters is unique. Pi Beta Phi has a crest including their colors of wine carnation, this crest has the Brownlee Family in which two of the founders who were apart of this sorority. Although an angel is not an official symbol of this chapter it is one that is nationally recognized as they are called “angels.”
STATISTICS
There are currently 316,000 members that have been initiated into Pi Beta Phi, 19,750 of collegiate members across the 134 chapters, and 225,000 living Pi Beta Phi alumnae. Here at the University of Arizona there is a little over 300 girls in this chapter currently.
THE HOUSE
Pi Beta Phi is located here at 1035 N Mountain Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719. This current house has been here for over 100 years with some renovation over the years. The house is on greek row which is a street of all the sororities and fraternities. It is located close enough to campus so students may walk and is also close to the Student Union and The Mall where there is class and meals. The house includes a kitchen, living room, TV room, and chapter room. Members are allowed to be in the house in between classes or as they please. A certain amount of girls are able to live in the house, their living includes a sleeping porch as well as day rooms. This entails a large room of multiple beds where a girl sleeps and then a day room with their desk and closets.
RECRUITMENT
Recruitment here happens during the summer before the school year starts. Members of the chapter come a week earlier than formal recruitment to do “polish week.” This is the week where members prepare for recruitment by bonding, creating groups, and practice their conversations and sets. The women who do recruitment usually are underclassman and are looking to become active in their school and want to meet new people. A qualification for new members is to have above a 2.5 GPA although a house may cut an individual if there specific requirements are higher. Each day is a different set including set one which is where you meet each chapter, this is split up into two days. Then there is set two which talks about the philanthropy and what the chapter does. Set 3 is sisterhood where there are more meaningful conversations and you get to know the girls on a more personal level. Next is preference, this is where the potential new member chooses two houses that they feel most confident about and learns a little more in a ceremony. Lastly is bid day where the new members receive a bid and are invited to join the chapter. This is a long hard process that the greek members at The University of Arizona work hard at and maintain tradition. Each year Pi Beta Phi has a different theme for bid day to help celebrate the gifs and welcome them home.
OBLIGATIONS
After the recruitment process the new member is required to obligations and standards. Each week there is chapter, which is a meeting with the entire sorority and executive team. The executive teams runs the sorority by running finance, marketing, new members, president role, and many more. The new member must attend chapter and may receive consequences if they do not. As well as chapter there are costs that come along with joining Pi Beta Phi, these dues are both national and exclusively for the chapter. The dues cover many things such as meals, up-keeping of the house, national chapter dues, and other events that take place. Costs are different based on the house but the usual range is around $1,000 per semester. There is additional charge as well if the women decides to live inside of the house. Although there is quite a large price commitment the chapter has many benefits. As well as meeting other people, you make connections, are involved with the university, and get to participate with your community.
Costs at the University of Arizona
Citations
Pi Beta Phi. “Pi Beta Phi.” ABOUT PI BETA PHI, arizona.pibetaphi.org/.
Pi Beta Phi Organization. “Pi Phi Facts.” Pi Phi Facts | Pi Beta Phi Fraternity For Women, www.pibetaphi.org/pbp/1ac17ecd-0c82-446b-9252-072343f87d5a/Pi-Phi-Facts.
The University of Arizona, Fraternity and Sorority Programs. “Sorority.” Sorority | Fraternity & Sorority Programs, greek.arizona.edu/fsp/sorority.
