This week, Alpha Omicron Pi- Gamma Chapter received Panhellenic’s Sorority of the Year award along with an award for Chapter Academic Excellence. Emily Knipp received Chapter President of the Year while Brianna Ecker was named Advisor of the Year. I was able to talk to Chloe Carmichael, AOII’s New Member Educator, about the award and what it means for AOII.
So what is this award? What does it mean to you all?
Every year a Greek Awards Ceremony is held by Panhellenic and the IFC to recognize sororities and fraternities in awarding certain categories. Nominations are filled out by someone in each organization. We’ve received Sorority of the Year of 2014. We’re extremely excited about this and are so proud of all of our sisters. Last year we hit a bump in the road and had to find our way again, but with the support of our amazing new advisor and the effort of every sister, we’ve been really successful. We were very surprised actually because all the sororities do incredible things on campus, so we’re humbled to have received this award.
What do you think this award means for your sorority moving forward? Will people look at Alpha Omicron Pi in a new light?
I think it means a lot more for us than it does for people looking in. For any organization, especially one of 60 girls, it’s tough to keep people motivated and constantly ready to move forward. I think it’s really going to help us see what we can do and strive to do every year to come. We really try to keep what AOII stands for at the front of everything we do, so I think that more than anything else, this recognition is going to push us to remember that.
What do you think sets AOII apart from the others? What should people know about your organization?
AOII consists of a group of really diverse, genuine girls, who I could not be more proud to call my sisters. I know when I was deciding [on a sorority] those aspects were obvious to me and a big reason why I chose it. You feel comfortable really quickly. I think when looking for your “second family”, that’s the most important part. It helps tremendously when working out issues and makes all of us excited to be there.
Anything you’d like to add?
I don’t want it to seem like we feel we’re better than the other sororities because of this award. Every Greek organization puts in countless efforts to do great things for the community and this campus. It’s unfortunate that not each one can be recognized for all that work. We’re mostly proud of the Greek Life and that we play a small part in making a difference.
Congratulations to Alpha Omicron Pi Gamma Chapter!