Phi Sigma Sigma
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| Phi Sigma Sigma | |
|---|---|
| ΦΣΣ | |
| File:Phisigcoatofrms.png | |
| Founded | November 26, 1913 Hunter College, New York City |
| Type | Social |
| Scope | United States and Canada |
| Motto | Diokete Hupsala "Aim High" |
| Colors | King Blue Gold |
| Symbol | Sphinx |
| Flower | American Beauty Rose |
| Jewel | Sapphire |
| Publication | The Sphinx |
| Philanthropy | Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation |
| Chapters | 150+ (115 active) |
| Members | 60,000 active |
| Headquarters | 8178 Lark Brown Road, Suite 202 Elkridge, Maryland USA |
| Website | www |
Phi Sigma Sigma (ΦΣΣ), colloquially known as "Phi Sig," was the first collegiate nonsectarian sorority,[1] to allow membership of women of all faiths and backgrounds. The sorority was founded on November 26, 1913, and lists 60,000 initiated members, 115 collegiate chapters and more than 100 alumnae chapters, clubs and associations in the United States and Canada. Phi Sigma Sigma was founded to establish to the twin ideals of promoting the brotherhood of man and alleviation of the world’s pain.[2]
History
Phi Sigma Sigma was founded by ten women on November 26, 1913 at Hunter College, in Manhattan. The original name for the fraternity was Phi Sigma Omega, but they later learned this name was already in use by another organization. In 1918, Phi Sigma Sigma expanded by founding its Beta chapter at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and the Gamma chapter at New York University, although neither of those chapters are currently active. The sorority held its first national convention that year in New York City, where the constitution was adopted, and Fay Chertkoff, one of the founders, was elected Grand Archon.
Phi Sigma Sigma became an associate member of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) in 1947, and a full member in 1951.
In 1968, the separation of Hunter College's two campuses prompted the original Alpha chapter to divide. Alpha Alpha was installed at the new Herbert Lehman College in the Bronx, while Alpha chapter remained on Hunter College's Park Avenue campus. Neither is still active.
In November 2009, the Delta chapter, at the University at Buffalo, was reinstalled; making it the oldest active chapter. The second oldest active chapter is the Epsilon chapter at Adelphi University, in Garden City, New York, which was recolonized December 6, 2008. While other chapters were founded earlier and have been recolonized, the Xi Chapter at Temple University is the oldest chapter in continuous existence, having been founded in 1926. The Upsilon chapter (1930) at the University of Manitoba was the first chapter established in Canada.
The official publication of Phi Sigma Sigma is The Sphinx, which first appeared in 1923.
Symbols
The open motto is Diokete Hupsala (Aim High). The maxim is "Once a Phi Sigma Sigma, always a Phi Sigma Sigma."
Phi Sigma Sigma's colors are king blue and gold. The official symbol is the Sphinx, while the official jewel is the sapphire. The American Beauty Rose is the official flower.
The sorority's first song, "The Hymn," was written in 1921 by Pearl Lippman of the Alpha chapter and her husband, Arthur Lippman.
The sorority's core values are lifelong learning, inclusiveness, and leadership through service.
The secret name of the sorority has been alleged to be "Philanthropic Social Society." The name was revealed in an online post to the Penny Arcade website in 2011. A cease and desist order sent by the sorority to the website requesting removal of the name was ignored and the organization subsequently filed suit seeking to have it expunged.[3]
Philanthropy
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014) |
To facilitate philanthropic activities, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation was created in 1969 by Jeanine Jacobs Goldberg, who was the foundation's first president. The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation provides scholarships and educational grants, as well as leadership programming to collegiate and alumnae members. The National Kidney Foundation was Phi Sigma Sigma's primary philanthropic endeavor from 1971 until 2013. Since then, Phi Sigma Sigma has worked to educate people about kidney disease, as well as organ and tissue donation and transplantation. The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation was a major sponsor of the National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games, a national Olympics-style event where organ-donor recipients competed in various athletic competitions.
In 2013 The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation announced that its new philanthropic cause would be school and college readiness.[4] The cause was determined through membership input via surveys, focus groups and interviews. Members expressed a desire for more opportunities to volunteer locally. Additionally, they wanted a cause that had both international reach and local appeal.
Following the September 11 attacks, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation established the Twin Ideals Fund to provide assistance to disaster victims. Named for Phi Sigma Sigma's twin ideals to promote the brotherhood of man and alleviate the world's pain, the fund has contributed to aid organizations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.
Phi Sigma Sigma chose Practice Makes Perfect to be their philanthropic partner. Their combined efforts will support school and college readiness for low-income children.
Founders
- Lillian Gordon Alpern
- Josephine Ellison Breakstone
- Fay Chertkoff
- Estelle Melnick Cole
- Jeanette Lipka Furst
- Ethel Gordon Kraus
- Shirley Cohen Laufer
- Claire Wunder McArdle
- Rose Sher Seidman
- Gwen Zaliels Snyder
Chapters
Notable alumni
- Irna Phillips (Theta) - "Mother" of the modern soap opera, creator of Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives, and Another World.[6]
- Nancy Pimental (Gamma Iota)-A screen play writer for The Sweetest Thing and a writer for the TV series South Park. She also replaced Jimmy Kimmel as co-host of the Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein's Money, a job she held from 2000 through 2002
- Amy Diaz (Iota Theta) - Miss Teen USA 2001, Miss USA 2008 (top 15), Miss Earth USA 2009 [citation needed], Winner of Amazing Race season 23 along with her boyfriend Jason Case
- Zelda Rubinstein (Iota) - Actress and activist[citation needed]
- Tatyana McFadden (Theta) - Six-time Paralympic medalist[citation needed]
- Alex Flinn (BetaTheta)- New York Times Bestselling author of Beastly[citation needed]
- Andrea Kremer (Nu) - Correspondent for HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and former sideline reporter for "NBC Sunday Night Football." She was also ESPN's first female correspondent and worked there from 1989 to 2006.[citation needed]
References
- ^ http://www.phisigmasigma.org/PHISIGMASIGMA/AboutUs/Heritage/History/
- ^ "History". Phi Sigma Sigma. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Pulkinnen, Levi (4 May 2015). "Sorority sues former member after 'sacred' secrets leak to Seattle web comic". Seattle PI. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
- ^ http://www.phisigmasigma.org/foundation/learn/currentprograms/
- ^ "History". Phi Sigma Sigma. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "She Did It Her Way". Phi Sigma Sigma. October 20, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-24.