Local chapter of Jewish sorority has started

Starting a chapter has been a challenge, as there has been no precedent for members.

By Amanda Stevenson-Grund

Published Nov. 18, 2008

Correction appended

A group of students is in the process of starting an MU chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi sorority, a national Jewish sorority. To form a chapter, a group of students must first form an interest group and remain so for one semester. They go through colony status before officially becoming a chapter. There are 12 women in the interest group. Only 10 are needed, so the interest group is well on its way to achieving its goal. The idea to form a chapter at MU came from President Amanda Rude, who said she got the idea when she arrived on campus two years ago. She was disappointed to learn there were no Jewish sororities on campus. Last year, she and Treasurer Shea Broner visited the Office of Greek Life's coordinator Julie Drury to see what they could do. "Because of the strict rules, no Panhellenic sororities could come," Rude said. "But now we have a multicultural social sorority, which is actually better. We have a tight-knit group." The interest group is looking forward to reaching colony status, members said. They eventually hope to become members of the Multi-Cultural Greek Council. They plan to host religious and community service events, which are required to become a colony, as well as social events, such as formals and dinners, Rude said. Included in their plans is a fundraiser to help Columbia's animal shelters to raise people's awareness to the need there, she said. All female MU students supportive of Jewish culture are able to join Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi. The sorority's small size sets it apart from other sororities, Broner said. "You really get to know all the members," she said. "It's true sisterhood." Member Lauren Millner said they feel a connection to each other because they are Jewish. "It's nice not to change who you are to fit in," she said. So far, the girls have encountered few problems with the process. "The hardest part is where to begin," Rude said. "It's to figure out our roles and board positions because there's no precedent. We have to figure out what has to be done. We're starting from scratch." Rude said the point of an interest group is for members to start on their own. "SAEPi has been helpful, but they want to make sure that we are self sufficient," Rude said. She pointed out that other sororities have previous position-holders to look to as examples. This chapter, on the other hand, will decide what their roles are on their own. If all there are no problems, they will reach colonization status by January.