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Miami Greek life welcomes new sorority

By Leah Shaw, For The Miami Student

Sorority Phi Sigma Sigma (Phi Sig) completed its "colonization week" in October, and it now has 40 new members who are the Miami chapter's founders.

The Miami University Panhellenic community and existing sorority members chose the sorority last spring from a pool of three, including other National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities Sigma Delta Tau and Sigma Sigma Sigma, according to Panhellenic president, senior Darinka Sutic.

Phi Sig is one of 18 sororities in the NPC at Miami.

Sutic said the new members of Phi Sig will be working closely with its nationals and other NPC sororities to launch its chapter at Miami.

"Being a founding member means that you are the first initiates out of the specific chapter at a university," Sutic said. "They are the beginning of the Miami University chapter's history."

Among its founding members is sophomore Emily Morgan, who said she is excited to see what Phi Sig can bring to Miami and the Greek community on campus.

"I'm really excited to be a founding member," Morgan said. "I think it's cool that there are no preconceived reputations for the sorority. We can make it whatever we want it to be."

Morgan and other founding members were selected this fall by Phi Sig members of other chapters through a brief, informal recruitment process - similar to a job interview. Once Phi Sig chose the members, it was offered a bid - or an invitation for membership - by the sorority. The women could accept or decline the offer.

Phi Sig alumna from various chapters across the country came to help the founding members start the Miami chapter.

Some alumna will be staying on campus for the duration of the 2015-2016 school year to help the founding members write the constitution for the sorority and complete formal recruitment requirements during the spring semester.

"My hopes for the future of Phi Sig are that people who rush will find what they're looking to be a part of in college with us," Morgan said. "Somewhere that makes them feel at home, like they've found their place. I hope we have a great bunch of girls excited and proud to be a part of the sorority."

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Fellow students and sorority members are also very excited to welcome Phi Sig to campus. Around campus, sororities such as Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Delta Pi have hung banners in support of the new organization.

Sophomore Leah Sagle, a member of Gamma Phi Beta, said she hopes the new sorority will give more women the opportunity to be Greek at Miami.

"I think it's great we are adding to our Greek life, especially since Greek life is so relevant at Miami," Sagle said. "I think it's great that we are adding on so more people are able to join what makes this school so great."

As Phi Sig looks forward to formal recruitment in February, Morgan said the girls are very excited for what is to come.

"We are all very excited to build onto our sorority with recruitment next semester and for everyone to start to get to know us," Morgan said.