Today’s Friends, Tomorrow’s Leaders, Forever in Service.
Omega Phi Alpha’s National Motto
According to the university’s website, over 30% of the University of South Carolina’s student body is participant in Panhellenic ( or Greek ) organizations. When I decided to become a Gamecock myself, I was adamantly against being a part of this type of society.
I was fiercely anti-Greek life. As I saw more of the culture, I grew increasingly concerned with the perpetuation of economic-exclusion, sexism, racism, hazing, and dangerous substance abuse. I had been repeatedly disappointed in the handling of sexual assault cases across the nation by the Panhellenic association, both culturally and legally. My desire for a bigger social circle wasn’t strong enough for me to participate in the possibility of becoming complicit in the misbehavior and abuse.
Occasionally though, the sorority girls in their big groups of friends brought out a bit of envy in me. And when fraternity brothers would take to social media and fundraise for cancer research initiatives or food banks, I couldn’t help but acknowledge all of the potential these organizations had to do good. They had the ability to bring strangers together and turn them into family, and the resources to make real impact on the community.
It wasn’t until I discovered Omega Phi Alpha that I realized I could be participant in the positives without risking the negatives.
OPhiA is not associated with the National Panhellenic Conference. Unlike social sororities, OPhiA is inclusive of all genders, and does not discriminate based off of identity or “vibe.” A strict set of voting rules ensures an open-membership policy and prevents active members from excluding a new member based off of personal feelings. Instead, all new members are rated based on demonstrations of OPhiA’s three core pillars: Friendship, Leadership, and Service.
Lower dues, and easy-to-obtain due waivers makes the sorority accessible for all members of the student body regardless of their personal economic status. With a primary focus on community service, OPhiA offers a variety of enriching and impactful community service opportunities that are available to all members of the sorority, who are required to complete at least 20 hours of service opportunities each semester.
By joining a service organization like OPhiA you don’t have to give up the fun rituals of a traditional sorority, but you gain so much more!
While continuing fun social traditions that resemble ordinary Greek life, OPhiA maintains a strong sense of friendship among members while still directing the focus on the main initiative of helping our community.
OPhiA offers the chance to go on a biannual retreat with chapter siblings, as well as an annual formal— just like traditional Greek life. While ensuring members have completed service requirements, OPhiA also offers enriching fellowship events, as well as a full calendar of events that highlight leadership and diversity.
I’ve met my life-long friends in OPhiA, all while gaining access to new parts of my community that I wouldn’t have necessarily been informed of otherwise.
OPhiA is an incredibly diverse space with members that represent all sorts of identities, exhibit a huge variety of talents, and offer an amazing support system; I’m lucky to call them family.