Sigma Omicron Pi
| Sigma Omicron Pi | |
|---|---|
| ΣΟΠ | |
 | |
| Founded | 1930 San Francisco State University |
| Type | Cultural interest |
| Emphasis | Asian American |
| Scope | United States |
| Colors | Green and Gold |
| Flower | Daisy |
| Jewel | Pearl |
| Chapters | 13 |
| Members | 1,000 lifetime |
| Website | http://www.sigmaomicronpi.com |
Sigma Omicron Pi (ΣΟΠ) is an Asian American sorority. Founded in 1930 at San Francisco State University, the college social organization has chapters on 12 campuses in the United States. The stated objective of the sorority is to "further the awareness of women in Asian culture" and "to promote unity, lifelong friendships, leadership, and community service".[1]
History
In 1930, ten Asian American women came together on the campus of San Francisco State University to form a sorority for women of Asian heritage, the first Chinese sorority at that campus.[2] Their educational focus on pedagogy informed the early activities of the group, as they relied on the constitution of an educational honor society in forming their own and adopted the Greek letters Σ, Ο and Π for their fledgling sorority to represent "Sisters of Pedagogy".[3]
According to the organization's website, ΣΟΠ remained in operation "for the next 15 years" but became inactive "at the advent of World War II".[3] At some point between the declaration of war by the United States in December 1941 and 1945, ΣΟΠ went dormant, but it was revived on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley in 1946. The educational focus of ΣΟΠ fell away, but the primary purpose of providing fellowship and philanthropy for and among Asian American women - of many Asian backgrounds - as well as providing cultural awareness about them has remained. In 1994, the sorority created an Inter-Chapter Council with six elected officers to help unite the various groups.
Campus representation
The sorority has presence on the following college campuses:
- Alpha Chapter, University of California, Berkeley, 1946
- Beta Chapter, San Francisco State University, 1988
- Gamma Chapter, San Jose State University, 1992
- Delta Chapter, University of California, Davis, 1993
- Epsilon Chapter, California State University, Sacramento, 1993
- Zeta Chapter, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1995
- Theta Chapter, University of California, Irvine, 2001
- Iota Chapter, Pennsylvania State University, 2001
- Kappa Chapter, University of California, San Diego, 2002
- Lambda Chapter, The Johns Hopkins University, 2002
- Mu Chapter, University of California, Riverside, 2003
- Nu Chapter, State University of New York Binghamton, 2008
The Eta Chapter (1997), located at the University of Maryland, has retired.
Notable alumni
- Elizabeth Hall - San Francisco school district's first Chinese American principal in 1953.[2]
- Tiffany Lam -(UC DAVIS) Miss Hong Kong 2002, Miss Chinese International 2003 runner up, and TVB actress.
References
- ^ "Sigma Omicron Pi Welcome". National Sigma Omicron Pi. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
- ^ a b Knight, Heather (13 August 2003). "Elizabeth Hall -- broke barriers in S.F. schools". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
Along with nine other women, Ms. Hall founded Sigma Omicron Pi, the school's first Chinese sorority, and served as its first president.
- ^ a b "National History". National Sigma Omicron Pi. Retrieved 21 May 2012.