After a recent vote from the Panhellenic community, the sorority Phi Sigma Sigma has been approved for recolonization. Michelle Ardern, executive director from Phi Sigma Sigma headquarters, explained the process of being approved for recolonization.
“Recently we’ve had our membership lower than the other sororities on campus,” Ardern said. “This was a time for us to say we’re going take a break and then come back in a few years. We presented our argument and background to the College Panhellenic Delegates. Then each sorority on campus had a vote and they voted in favor.”
Phi Sigma Sigma will join the Panhellenic Council in the fall of 2013.
“We will be working on planning our return over the next few years,” Ardern said. “Our alums are very active.”
Phi Sigma Sigma owns the Fiji house, located at 902 South Second Street in Champaign.
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“They have that rented through the spring of 2012,” Ardern said. “We have rented it to a few different people since we haven’t been using it. The plan is to move back into the house in the fall of 2014. The women we recruit that fall (2013) will live there the fall after we return.”
According to a press release from Phi Sigma Sigma, the historic chapter closed because of recruitment concerns and other challenges. Phi Sigma Sigma has a long history on the U of I campus, dating back to 1923.
Phi Sigma Sigma Grand Archon Pamela Downey, an alumna of the Illinois Theta Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma, has been involved in the process.
“We are sincerely grateful to the Panhellenic, and to the office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, for giving us this important opportunity — one that means so much to all our sisters worldwide,” Downey said in the press release. “While we’ll miss being a part of campus life, we are already focused on the future — and, in the interim, we look forward to following the continuing success of Urbana-Champaign’s strong Greek system until we rejoin it once again.”
Emily Raymond, senior in LAS and member of Phi Sigma Sigma, is supportive of the decision to recolonize.
“I’m personally very excited. We have been pushing to try and get a better foothold on our whole recruitment,” Raymond said. “We did try and do a recolonization in the past but it didn’t go as well as it could have. We really need this recolonization in order to get us to be a more competitive sorority within the whole Panhellenic community. I think this is going to be really beneficial.”
The members of Phi Sigma Sigma will not end their friendship because of recolonization.
“As a chapter now, we are just trying to keep our sisterhood from our years of being active on campus,” Raymond said.
“As a sorority, we are trying to maintain that positive outlook. We’re all very excited for this and wish everyone the best in the future and we’re always going to be there to support them.”
Raymond maintains her positive outlook on the future.
“We still have our own sisterhood events and we still meet with each other,” Raymond said. “Whether or not we’re in the sorority doesn’t matter. We’re still sisters for life.”
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https://www.dailyillini.com/blogs/cu-in-the-news/2010/10/19/sorority-brings-public-awareness-to-body-image-issues
