Harvard's Newest Sorority Seeks To Enter the Harvard Social Scene

With an inaugural group of 46 women, Harvard’s newest sorority Alpha Phi has sought to transition into the Harvard social scene in recent weeks.

When the number of women on campus rushing sororities jumped to approximately 250 in both 2011 and 2012—up from about 150 in 2008—demand for an additional sorority at Harvard began to mount.

This semester, an Alpha Phi chapter joined Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma as Harvard’s fourth official sorority.

Jeanie Nguyen ’14, president of the Cambridge-Area Panhellenic Council, said that the Council welcomed the new addition to Harvard’s Greek scene.

“There’s definitely an increasingly high demand to join Greek life, and the Cambridge-Area Panhellenic Council is honored and more than happy to support an inclusive community where any girl who wants to join a sorority can do so,” Nguyen said.

This semester, the sorority held its first spring formal and has participated in philanthropic activities, including Relay for Life and volunteering at a food bank with fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi.

Megan Bouché, director of marketing and extension for the Alpha Phi International Fraternity, wrote in an email that she feels the new Alpha Phis at Harvard have bonded well over the past semester.

“The fun, friendships, and activities Alpha Phis developed and participated in this past semester mirror those of the other three sororities,” Bouché wrote. “From sisterhood events at SkyZone to volunteering at the Greater Boston Food Bank to the chapter’s first formal, Alpha Phis were able to spend time together and build their sisterhood.”

Looking forward, Bouché wrote, the founding members of the Harvard Alpha Phi chapter will be able to draw upon the long-established network of Alpha Phi members and alumni.

“A few of the most exciting parts of being a founding member of Alpha Phi are the opportunities to help shape the character of Alpha Phi, chart its course, and create the traditions of a group that establish a lasting legacy at Harvard,” Bouché wrote.

Alpha Phi conducted its recruitment process in late February after the other established sororities to build awareness and accommodate women who had not been chosen by other sororities, had not accepted their bids, or had not participated in the first rounds of recruitment.

Alpha Phi will host its recruitment process at the same time as the other sororities next spring.

—Staff writer Laya Anasu can be reached at layaanasu@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @layaanasu.

—Staff writer Elizabeth S. Auritt can be reached at eauritt@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @eauritt.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: May 17, 2013

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that an Alpha Phi chapter became Harvard’s newest sorority this April. In fact, the chapter officially launched at the start of this semester.