Happy Founders Day to all of the ladies of Alpha Omicron Pi. On this day 117 years ago, 4 amazing women pledged each other and formed a bond that is still strong today. Stella George Stern Perry, Helen St. Clair Mullan, Elizabeth Heywood Wyman, and Jessie Wallace Hughan formed AOII as a way to continue their friendship long after college. At Zeta chapter, AOII is our home away from home, our second family, and friendships that will last a lifetime. In honor of Founders Day, a few of our members describe what AOII means to them:
"AOII to me is more than a house full of sisters. It's a family, a home, a life. I look at the way my friends from other chapters at Nebraska or even other campuses across the country talk about their sorority and they just don't have the same love for their sisters as we do here. AOII has become not only a part of my college experience, but apart of my life forever. The women apart of it have made me strive to be a better person from the day I joined — whether it was school, internships, potential jobs, boyfriends, whatever. They have never let me settle and I know they never will. " -Haley, Pledge Class '10
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| Josha, Kim, Lauren, Mandy, Maddie, and Katie, all members of Zeta's freshman pledge class, show off their Christmas sweaters at the chapter's Secret Santa gift exchange |
"The best AOII memory I have is from my freshman year. The AOIIs dominated the CPN dining hall. A group of us would go and eat lunch together every day (it would literally take hours out of my day). Everyone else in the room always stared at us. (Chances are we were having really inappropriate conversations really loudly.) It wasn't just eating lunch anymore; we made so many memories." -Kara, Pledge Class '11
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| Senior AOIIs Kara, Allie, Brittany, and Hanna hang out with new members Haley and Paige at the photo booth on Bid Day 2013 |
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For me to sit down and list all of the reasons why I chose AOII and how it has changed me would be impossible. It's something that I am not able to rationalize because there is no reason to it; there are only feelings. When I joined AOII, I had this feeling that I was joining a house that was full of the type of women I wanted to become. Now, I have this feeling that the ties I feel to this organization are more than feelings of allegiance, they are feelings of unbreakable sisterhood. The feeling of pride that I have knowing I am passing down the traditions and sentiments of generations of AOIIs isn't something I can bundle up and measure. AOII means so much to me because it has helped me become the better version of myself I had always strived to be. These young women I associate with emulate our ritual each and every day and they hold my actions accountable to the high standard of sorority life that I am privileged enough to live." -Claire, Pledge Class '12
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| Sophomore and freshmen pledge class members smiling after the excitement of Big/Little Reveal 2013 |
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I love AOII because I have an amazing family of wonderful sisters right at my fingertips. There's always someone there to talk to, laugh with, or get a hug from. I've never had a sister, and now I have over 140! I also love that there are so many different personalities in our house! I feel completely at home." -Abbey, Pledge Class '13
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| Sophie, Madi, Charlie, and Bridget show off their matching pajamas and their holiday spirit before finals week at UNL |
Loyal forever, Alpha to thee.
